Under the sea

For quite some time I hated salmon, but I kept ordering it because I knew it was good for me. Mostly the taste just reminded me of cat food. Or of what I think cat food would taste like. And you know what? I started liking it! I made it fairly regularly over the past few years, most often blackening it and serving on romaine with shaved parmesan and a light caesar dressing. Well, it turns out I only like salmon when it is heavily seasoned enough to hide the cat food flavor.

This guy thought it was fabulous:

my cat's breath smells like cat food. or salmon

Last night I made a new recipe from Self magazine that looked wonderful: salmon florentine with quinoa pilaf with pine nuts as a side dish. Well, the quinoa pilaf was fabulous, but the salmon florentine tasted like, you guessed it, cat food. Dwight loved it and wants it again, but I'm not so sure.

I DID substitute cottage cheese for ricotta, but I don't think that affected the flavor. The lemon on the plate was to disguise the taste, but it really didn't.

I chopped all the veggies while the sprinkler guy was here to turn on our system for the year, but he ended up being here for several hours and several hundred dollars of repairs. Ah, the joys of home ownership. Beats dragging hoses around, though.

After all the prep work, this is what it looked like going into the oven

Don't get me wrong: I love fish - as long as it doesn't taste like fish. Tilapia, halibut, sea bass - I'll order every time. And shellfish? Love it. And until last night, I would have said I liked salmon. Maybe it was just BAD salmon? I think I'll stop buying it at Costco and pay the big bucks at Whole Foods the next time I make anything requiring it that isn't heavily seasoned.

One thing I did make the other night that is a repeat is Chili Lime Chicken Burgers from Iowa Girl Eats. I told you about them awhile ago, and they were every bit as delicious as the first time. Dwight said it would be okay with him if we'd have them every week. And trust me, her photographs were NOT taken with an iPhone.

I hadn't made MaryLu's protein pancakes/waffles in awhile, and since I had a fresh container of cottage cheese and some eggs courtesy of my Sunday shopping excursion, it was time. OMG. These are so good. I just spritzed them with butter spray and sprinkled a package of Truvia on top.

Today's breakfast was equally as delish (but not nearly as filling): Chobani blood orange yogurt with granola. I know granola isn't the healthiest, but it sure is good. And as long as it's portion-controlled, it's okay for me. I've tried several brands, but Kind is by far my favorite.

I saw this new-to-me milk at Baker's on Sunday and thought it might be interesting. Vanilla soy milk or almond milk on my cereal tastes better than just plain cow's milk, so when I saw this, I thought almond? And coconut? What's not to love? I was right. I'm already planning oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow so I can have it on my cereal. And do you notice that it's only 60 calories for eight ounces?

After a successful Costco run this morning, I made a quick and tasty lunch. I bought some of those baby cucumbers that if you don't eat fast enough they get slimy, and made a salad of those, some grape tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and some sea salt and pepper. You will be seeing this quite often; we have it all summer long, especially when the garden starts producing. I also bought a three-pack of Flat Out wraps. Inside is two tablespoons of horseradish hummus, two ounces of roast beef, and some spinach. And on the side, some almond coconut milk. SO GOOD!!!

And not to bore you any more, but I also found this today:

That's right! Ella is accompanying Aly and Alex when they visit next week! I will have a walking buddy!

The opening WGA meeting is tonight at our club, preceded by cocktails and dinner. Here is what I'm planning: I'll order a club soda with a lime so it looks like a gin and tonic and I won't be peer-pressured into getting one. I'm hoping dinner will involve stations, in which case I'll hit the salad station extra hard. If it's plated, there will be veggies, a starch, and a protein. (I know this kitchen.) I'll have the veggies and protein and let the starch be. And no dessert. I'll let you know how I fare.

Have a good night!