the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 26: leftover fried rice.

here in the meyers house we eat a lot of white rice. partially because its cheap as heck and goes great with things like salmon, curry lentils, and cajun red beans, and partially because im asian and freaking love white rice (no, im not making this up, my dad is literally filipino). the thing with rice though is that its really hard to correctly guess how much of it were actually going to eat. since rice takes a long time to cook i always end up making extra just in case and then we end up with way too much rice. 
and well... leftover rice is  kind of a difficult thing to deal with when you dont have a microwave or rice cooker for reheating it. for a long time all our leftover rice used to languish in the back of the fridge getting drier and drier until either i cleaned out the fridge or needed the container it was in and threw it away. 
recently i remembered my mom saying that cold, leftover rice was the perfect start for making fried rice. on that particular day we happened to have some leftover rice, so i threw some things together to try it out, and... it was great! not only was it a quick, tasty, and reasonably healthy lunch, but it totally helped us up all kinds of bits of leftovers. once i perfected the right recipe, i made a habit of always making extra, extra rice so i can make this for lunch the next day. 
leftover fried rice.  (serves two)
heres what you need: 
2 cups cold, leftover rice 1 carrot 1 rib of celery 1/4 of an onion 1 cup shredded cabbage 2-3 cloves garlic 1 egg 2 tablespoons soy/tamari sauce olive oil
heres what you do: 
finely chop all of the vegetables and heat a small amount of olive oil in a very large pan. 
sauté veggies in over high heat until fully cooked (approx 7-10 minutes). 
add rice and continue to cook, stirring constantly (making sure to break up any large chunks of rice) until all of the rice is hot. 
scoot the rice away from the center of the pan toward the edges, forming a "well" in the center of the pan. 
crack the egg into that well, scrambling it well and quickly stirring it into the rice and veggies as it cooks. 
continue to stir until eggs are completely cooked and toss with soy/tamari sauce. 
*note: one REALLY great thing about this recipe is that its SO easy to scale up! if you have more rice, just add another egg and some more veggies and make as much as you want
this fried rice is a super tasty way to use up leftovers that would otherwise be thrown away, whats your favorite way to repurpose leftovers? 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 22: red beans + rice.

one of my big personal goals for this year was to try out more recipes and to get more comfortable and creative in the kitchen. the main reason i made this goal is because i have a bad habit of settling into a routine and just making the same four or five dinners over and over again, which makes me really sad because everyone here is actually pretty adventurous with food and i feel like were missing out on SO many great new things because i just make the same recipes over and over again. another lame side effect of this habit is that sometimes a meal slips off the rotation, gets forgotten for months and months, before i remember how great it is and start making it again. 

this is one of those recipes. 

i used to make red beans and rice pretty frequently, and there was ALWAYS a jar (or three) of them in the freezer for when we needed a super fast and easy dinner. i guess its simplicity is what made me forget how great it is, but with the last few months being so crazy with work (for james), school (for me) and having a new baby, red beans and rice are officially back on the rotation. why? because its a dinner thats not only super healthy and dirt cheap, but also takes zero effort in the crock pot. 

you know those crock pot recipes that are so complicated you might as well actually cook them? this is not one of those recipes. theres some chopping, some putting things in the crock pot, some button pushing, and then you get to do whatever for a few hours. all you have to do at dinner time is make rice. actually typing this reminds me that i need to go get some kidney beans...

red beans and rice. 

(makes 8 servings)

heres what you need: 

1 lb dried kidney beans, soaked overnight. 

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 onion

3 ribs of celery

1 green bell pepper

2 tablespoons creole seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

heres what you do: 

place soaked beans in crock pot and cover with 1 inch of water. 

finely chop garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper and add to beans. 

add creole seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste (i add lots of pepper but no salt because the creole seasoning i use already has salt)

cook on low for 4-6 hours. serve over steamed white rice. 

to be completely honest, i dont use my crock pot a whole lot, what are your favorite crock pot recipes?

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 21: gluten free mac and cheese.

today im bringing back another recipe from the old days of poverty luxe: good old gluten free mac and cheese. well, not exactly an old recipe because while i have posted about mac and cheese before ive had quite a long time to perfect the recipe even further. also, now that im a lot more experienced with this gluten free thing and its gotten much easier to find decent gluten free products, my (already pretty awesome) mac and cheese recipe is now somehow even better than before (not that i thought that was possible at all). 
generally speaking, i make this mac and cheese on a weekly basis. even though its not exactly a quick dinner and it does get an absurd number of dishes dirty, its the perfect real-food version of comfort food and everybody loves it. i mean, how can you not love mac and cheese? i am only a tiny bit embarrassed to admit that every time i make this, we eat the entire thing without a single morsel left over. but its just that good. we usually pair it with these honey glazed carrots, for what i like to call "everyones favorite dinner night". 
alright, ill stop rambling about the magical mac and cheese and get to the recipe now...
gluten free mac and cheese.  (serves 4)
heres what you need: 
1 12 oz package of gluten free noodles (i like the barilla GF noodles from target because theyre great and also $1.39 a box) 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (available here but i get mine at the local mexican grocery store for 99 cents a bag) 1 1/2 cups milk approximately 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (i typically use cheddar, jack, or a blend of the two) salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning to taste
heres what you do: 
preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
boil the noodles according to the package directions, drain and put them in a large casserole dish (note: watch your noodles VERY closely and drain them while theyre still a bit firm, gluten free noodles have a tendency to get mushy if you boil them too long). 
next, melt the butter in a small pot over medium/high heat, add the rice flour and stir until a smooth paste is formed (about one minute)
now slowly whisk in the milk, and stir in some salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your preference.
stir the sauce until it thickens and starts to boil, then remove from heat and stir in about two cups of the shredded cheese. 
pour the sauce over the noodles and mix until everythings evenly coated. top with remaining cheese and italian seasoning. 
bake at 400 until the cheese on top browns (approximately 15 minutes). 
like i said earlier, i usually make this with cheddar and/or jack cheese, BUT this recipe is ALSO great with, well... any cheese that melts. ive made it with everything from smoked gouda to pepper jack to truffle cheddar and every time its been amazing. but, you know, i just really love cheese (i mean, it was the theme of my birthday party). 
what's your favorite kind of cheese? (its hard for me to pick just one, but im a big fan of dill havarti and goat cheese). 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 20: black bean chipotle hummus.

for the (wait for it...) twentieth edition of the poverty luxe kitchen, i have a very, very special recipe for you: the black bean chipotle hummus that i have been meaning to post on here for literally an entire year. yeah... obviously im really on top of things. but better late than never, right? 
right. 
because this hummus is awesome. i mean, not to toot my own horn or anything and we all know that hummus in general is awesome, but this goes beyond regular hummus into fancy-six-dollar-for-a-tiny-thing-at-the-farmers-market-why-cant-i-make-this-at-home hummus territory. except, that you can totally make it at home and a huge batch costs less than the little 8 ounce tub you buy at the farmers market. oh, and its totally easy. 
are you ready to get started with the recipe? here we go: 
black bean chipotle hummus.  (serves 6-8)
heres what you need: 
4-5 cloves garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1 can (or two cups cooked) garbanzo beans 1 can (or two cups cooked) black beans 3 tablespoons lime juice 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (save the rest to make chipotle aioli!) heres what you do: 
finely chop garlic and place in a small dish with the olive oil and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. 
in the bowl of your food processor, combine the oil and garlic with the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. if the hummus is too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.  transfer hummus from food processor to an airtight container and store for up to a week in the fridge. 
im a big fan of eating hummus with carrot sticks and cucumber slices, how do you like to eat it? 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 17: cheesy polenta + veggies

if i were to pick a new favorite food, it would definitely be polenta. now, polenta isnt exactly the most exciting thing on its own (as my mom put it, its just yellow grits), but its so versatile: you can bake it, fry it, mix things into it, or top it with almost anything and it always turns out delicious. 
unfortunately polenta has a reputation for being really fussy (some recipes involve forty minutes of stirring), so, being as easily intimidated as i am, i tended to consider it a "restaurant only" food. but, you know, sometimes you just NEED some polenta, and you dont have the time or money to go out to the fancy steakhouse with the $20 grilled polenta and veggies thats just SO amazing. so you start looking around at sprouts and find that the little log of pre-made polenta that barely makes one dinner is like $5. which, yeah is a lot less than it would cost at a restaurant, but still, its not cheap. 
except, sprouts sells dry polenta in the bulk section. and its super cheap. like, i got a HUGE bag (that lasted for months) for like $4. and after a little bit of research and experimentation, ive come to find out that polenta isnt actually all that fussy to make. so now polenta, which used to be reserved for birthdays and special occasions, has become a quick and easy weeknight dinner. is there anything better than that? no. no there is not. 
even though you technically can do all kinds of crazy things with polenta, my favorite way to eat it is warm and soft and freshly made, with some sautéed veggies on top. sometimes ill make this on its own for dinner, but its also a great side dish with say, some salmon. and thats what todays recipe is: 
cheesy polenta with veggies.  (serves 4 as a meal, more as a side dish)
heres what you need: 
1 cup dried polenta 4 cups water 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional, if you omit the cheese this recipe is entirely vegan) olive oil 1 small/medium onion 4 cloves garlic salt, pepper, and herbs de provence to taste 1 bunch asparagus 1 package white mushrooms
heres what you do: 
in a medium/large pot, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil, add polenta, stir, and return to a boil. 
reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally (contrary to popular belief polenta does NOT need to be stirred constantly however it will stick if you dont stir it at all), until almost all of the water has absorbed and grains are cooked through (approximately 10-15 minutes) 
remove from heat, stir in cheese (entirely optional but i really think it improves the flavor and texture), and set aside. 
finely chop onions and garlic and sautee in olive oil until they begin to soften, seasoning with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence to your preference. 
cut the asparagus and mushrooms into small pieces, add to onion and garlic mixture, and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized and the vegetables are cooked through. 
serve the polenta in bowls with the vegetable mixture on top. 
do you have a favorite fancy restaurant food that you learned to make at home? id love to hear about it in the comments!

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 16: crustless spinach quiche.

today im bringing back another recipe from the olden days of poverty luxe (ok, like, two years ago). im trying to do this a bit more consistently, since theres actually quite a bit of good stuff buried way back there in the days when nobody was reading this blog. also, some recipes have been GREATLY improved as ive now had time to fine-tune the recipes a bit more. take, for instance, this here spinach quiche. 
now, quiche is a pretty simple and straightforward recipe, doesnt involve any crazy or expensive ingredients, and works equally as well for breakfast or dinner. which is precisely why its been on our regular meal rotation for a LONG time. however, back when i first started making it, i used to make it with a gluten free crust. but the thing with gluten free pie crusts is that theyre really fussy, can be really expensive, dont always come out well, and are kind of just a bunch of processed starch and butter. also, the crust totally isnt even necessary here. why? because when you make quiche without a crust, the cheese forms a crust on the bottom and its absolutely amazing. 
so now i never make it with a crust, gluten free or otherwise. and i definitely like it better this way. so are you ready to make some crustless quiche? 
crustless spinach quiche.  (serves 4)
heres what you need: 

1 small onion (or half a large onion)

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon herbs de provence

salt and pepper to taste

5 eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

1/2 pound frozen spinach (or an entire ten ounce box), thawed. 

about 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

heres what you do: 

preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

finely chop the onions and garlic and saute in olive oil until they start to caramelize, seasoning with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence to your preference. 

in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and 1 cup of cheese.

thoroughly drain the thawed spinach and put it in a piece of cheesecloth or a tea towel and squeeze out ALL of the liquid (this is VERY important unless you want to end up with a very watery quiche) before adding it to the egg mixture. 

add the onions/garlic to the egg mixture, mix thoroughly and pour into an oiled pie pan, topping with remaining cheese. 

bake for 45 minutes or until eggs are completely set. 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 13: penne with clam sauce.

well, it seems that were on a bit of a nostalgic kick here in the poverty luxe kitchen (i blame this 100% on pregnancy because i am ALL ABOUT food nostalgia when im pregnant), because today i have another recipe for you guys that from deep in my fondest childhood memories: pasta in white wine clam sauce. 

yeah, i know, i was a really weird kid. but also i was raised in a very um... california? family. and by that i mean i grew up around a much broader and more adventurous attitude about food than the average american family. i mean, i was the pickiest and least adventurous eater in the entire family and i still ended up with a palate that well... lets just say it made my time living in rural arizona EXTREMELY difficult. 

but back to the pasta: for a HUGE chunk of my childhood basically every birthday/holiday involved a dinner at the local buca di beppo (which im assuming had to do with us living within walking distance from one right when it opened/buca was becoming a big thing), and i ALWAYS ordered the linguini with white clam sauce. not pizza, not spaghetti, not lasagna, but the linguini with clams. eventually that became my #1 choice at any italian-ey restaurant that had it on the menu, because, like i already said, i was just really weird, ok? anyway, years went by (several of which i was vegan) and i grew up and for some reason i didnt give that childhood favorite of mine much thought until i impulsively bought a frozen version at trader joes and remembered just how much i love it. 

later i started researching recipes and it turns out, this special-occasion treat dinner that i have absolutely no qualms about dropping 20+ dollars on, its really not hard to make at all. and its basically entirely normal pantry staples. and if you wait for the cans of clams to go on sale, it costs maybe $10 to make a huge, family-sized batch of it (and thats accounting for my super expensive GF noodles). yeah, so what USED to be a special birthday and anniversary treat, is basically just on our normal dinner rotation. 

I know that typically this type of recipe would be made with linguini, but my favorite local italian place makes there gluten free version with penne, which holds up a lot better and has a better texture than gluten free linguini does. so if youre making this gluten free, yes i do recommend using penne noodles, but if not, go ahead and use normal linguini if you want to be more traditional. 

anyway, on to the recipe: 

penne with clam sauce. 

serves 4 as an entree, more as a side dish. 

heres what you need: 

1 lb gluten free penne (this one is my favorite)

1 small onion, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

2 cans clams (with juice)

1 stick butter

1 cup white wine (i just use whatevers 3/$10 at sprouts)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

heres what you do: 

start by boiling the pasta according to the package directions (note: gluten free pasta needs to be watched more closely than normal pasta because it gets gummy if overcooked). drain and set aside. 

in a very large pan, sauté the onions and garlic on medium-high heat in olive oil until they begin to soften (about 3-5 minutes), seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

once the onions and garlic are cooked, add the clams (with juice), butter, wine, and lemon juice and stir until butter is completely melted. 

reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook sauce until it begins to reduce and thicken (about 10 minutes), tasting and adjusting seasonings if necessary. 

add pasta and parsley to sauce and toss to coat. 

see, that wasnt difficult at all, was it? next time you need an impressive dinner that wont cost an arm and a leg (or take all day), this recipes waiting right here for you. 

whats your favorite special restaurant dinner? do you ever make it at home? let me know in the comments!

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 12: vegetarian shepherds pie.

i have a funny story about todays recipe: once upon a time my mom started making shepherds pie for dinner on a pretty regular basis. it probably wasnt the most authentic recipe (for starters, it used beef, not lamb), but it was super cheap and fairly simple so i get the appeal. and apparently, i hated it. but according to my mom, she just kept making it until i forgot that i hated it and it eventually became one of my favorite dinners. so much so that when i went vegan as a teenager (yes, i have in fact always been unreasonable), she even went as far as to "veganize" (real word in the vegan community), her recipe and to this day, its still one of my favorite dinners. 

so today were going to make some vegetarian shepherds pie. im posting the vegetarian version of the recipe here, but since this is very easily veganized ive also included the alterations to do so (dont worry, there arent many). 

i would also like to note that the quantities for this recipe are for a 9x13 inch baking pan, which we do not own. instead, i make it in two smaller casserole dishes and put one in the freezer for the following week (this helps with the fact that this recipe unfortunately dirties a lot of dishes). 

now lets go: 

vegetarian shepherds pie. 

serves 6-8

heres what you need: 

approx. 2.5 pounds russet potatoes (i usually use either half of a 5lb bag or 3 big baking potatoes)

1/2 stick butter (or 1/4 cup butter substitute)

splash of milk (or unflavored milk substitute)

olive oil

1 onion

3-4 cloves garlic

basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste

2 cans kidney beans

1 can green beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 cup shredded cheese (or cheese alternative, entirely optional)

heres what you do: 

preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

peel and chop potatoes into small pieces, boil in a large pot with salted water until soft (about 10-15 minutes). 

drain potatoes, return to pot and mash with butter and milk, set aside. 

finely chop onion and garlic and saute over medium-high heat in a large pan with salt, pepper, basil and oregano until the onions start to soften. 

drain kidney beans, corn, and green beans very well and add to the pan with the onions and garlic, add tomatoes and stir. 

continue to cook, stirring occasionally until everything is hot and the flavors meld together, adjusting seasoning as necessary (approx 10 minutes). 

place bean and veggie mixture in a 9x13 baking dish (or split between two smaller dishes), and top with a layer of mashed potatoes and cheese. 

bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and starts to brown. 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 10: lemon dill salmon + hollandaise.

ok first of all, can we just talk about how were on volume ten of the poverty luxe kitchen? im pretty sure this is by far the longest-running series ive ever done, and weve only just gotten started. im serious. honestly i was hesitant to commit to a recipe/food post every week because obviously id run out super fast, but no, im actually adding recipes to the queue faster than i can post them. anyway, enough back pats, lets get to business here. 

this week im talking about salmon again. salmon is just my favorite, ok? i know i said that my pesto baked salmon is our new favorite for fancy dinner night, but sometimes you gotta mix things up. sometimes you want something lighter and simpler and dont want to have to measure anything. also sometimes you just really need a vehicle for my number one most favorite food thing ever: hollandaise sauce. 

if you arent familiar with hollandaise sauce (in which case, i am very, VERY sorry about the sad state of your culinary experiences), its one of those things that sounds really fancy but is actually made from a few (actually, in this recipe, only three) very humble ingredients. it also has a reputation for being a very difficult and temperamental sauce that only the most skilled chefs can make properly. this is a total lie. yes you have to pay attention (and a little methodology never hurt anyone), but its not that hard. actually, the majority of recipes ive seen for hollandaise make it way too fussy and complicated. ive taken the recipe my mom always made, and tinkered with the process a bit for a sauce thats actually pretty hard to mess up. 

hollandaise will always hold a special place in my heart because growing up, my mom made it kind of a lot. i mean, she still does, especially in the springtime when artichokes get  really cheap because nothing on earth is more glorious than a steamed artichoke with hollandaise sauce. even as a little kid this was one of my most favorite treats, so i probably make hollandaise a bit more than one should (especially considering the um... entire stick of butter involved). 

but anyway, lets get to the recipes, shall we? 

lemon dill salmon.

serves 4

heres what you need: 

1 lb salmon filets (like i said before, i just cook one big piece and chop it up when its done, but im incredibly lazy and hate touching fish)

olive oil

lemon juice

salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried dill

heres what you do: 

preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place the salmon filet(s) in a foil-lined baking pan. 

drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then top with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill to your preference (see, i told you you dont even have to measure anything). 

bake for 20-25 minutes, until fish is cooked through. 

obviously this salmon recipe is a great starting point for just about any salmon-centric dinner, but this post was mainly me gushing about hollandaise sauce so lets get on to that: 

hollandaise sauce. 

makes approximately 1 cup of sauce, typically serves 2-4 people. 

heres what you need: 

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 egg yolks (save the whites for merengue cookies)

1 stick butter, cut into eight slices (dont listen to my mom this step is entirely necessary)

heres what you do: 

in a small saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. 

with the flame set very, very low heat the egg and lemon mixture, stirring constantly until it JUST starts to thicken and bubble at the edges (this will take 3-5 minutes, be patient and do not increase the heat). 

once the sauce thickens, immediately remove the pan from heat and quickly stir the butter in one slice at a time. 

hopefully that wasnt too stressful, but if youve followed these steps correctly you should have a thick, creamy yellow sauce that tastes like a choir of angels singing, and if not, it may have curdled but it will still taste delicious (even if its not as pretty). 

now that ive gushed all about my favorite childhood treat to re-create, i want to hear about yours in the comments! what do YOU make from your childhood? 

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 8: "healthy" nacho cheese.

nacho cheese. who doesnt love nacho cheese? i mean, its all hot and gooey and spicy and so, so good. but also it tends to come from a can or jar or pump and be chock-full of all kinds of nasty weird ingredients that make you feel so, so bad. 

but what if i told you that you could make nacho cheese and not feel all that bad about it? that would be pretty awesome, right? well do i have a treat for you today. i mean, this recipe isnt exactly what youd call "light" or "skinny" or "diet" or whatever (and i certainly wouldnt recommend eating it all the time...), BUT its entirely made from normal, pronounceable, real food ingredients. no hydrogenated oils or artificial flavors or scary fake orange color here, just creamy, gooey, spicy cheese sauce ready to be poured over a big plate of chips or into a bowl for dipping (actually, my favorite thing to do the night after taco night is to pile all the leftover taco fixings on some chips and top it all with this sauce, its wonderful). 

so are you ready to make some (relatively) healthy nacho cheese? 

heres what you need: 

(serves 4+ as a topping/dip)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sweet rice flour (or regular flour if youre not gluten free)

1 cup milk

8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup cooked black beans (or 1/2 a can, totally optional)

heres what you do: 

melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. 

stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. (this is called making a roux, its a very important skill in fancy cooking).

slowly stir in milk, stirring constantly to make a nice, smooth sauce. 

raise heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens and begins to bubble, stirring occasionally. (if youre familiar with traditional cooking techniques, or my recipe for mac and cheese, you know that we just made ourselves some béchamel).

remove from heat and stir in cheese until completely melted. 

if you want your nacho cheese plain, you can go ahead and stop here, pouring the cheese sauce over chips/toppings or into a container for dipping, BUT if you want to make some AWESOME dip for say, party-type situations, go ahead and stir in those black beans. 

and thats it! now you can treat yourself to "healthy" nacho cheese! (i mean, in comparison to you know, typical nacho cheese)

the poverty luxe kitchen vol. 6: pesto baked salmon.

im going to let you in on a the number one secret to how we live on an insanely tight grocery budget without going insane: once a week (usually sunday night), we have a really nice dinner at home. even the tightest weeks of rice and bean combinations and freezer soups can be tolerated when we know that nice dinner is on the meal plan. and that nice dinner is usually salmon. because 1. salmon is delicious, 2. alice freaking LOVES salmon, and 3. even though the salmon itself may be kind of expensive (though sprouts usually has a pretty great price on it), you can pair it with the cheapest most in-seasonest vegetable and BOOM. dinner. 

for a long time when i made salmon id just blacken it in the cast iron skillet with some lemon pepper, which is great and all, but sometimes you want to change things up a bit (also blackening fish in a frying pan makes a huge mess). one of my sisters told me about my mom baking salmon with mayonnaise on it, and obviously i was way into that because im always looking for more excuses to eat mayonnaise. i made something like this a couple of times before my wheels started turning about how i could make it even better. 

and then i noticed the jar of pesto in my fridge. BIG lightbulb moment there. pesto goes great with salmon. it also goes great with mayonnaise. so why not combine the three into a glorious trifecta of deliciousness? now we have a new favorite dinner for fancy dinner night. 

pesto baked salmon. 

serves 4

heres what you need: 

1 lb salmon filets (honestly i just buy one big piece because its cheaper and cut it when i serve it but im lazy and dont like touching raw fish)

2 tablespoon mayonaise (the real kind, obviously)

1 tablespoon prepared pesto

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

heres what you do: 

preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

place your salmon filet(s) in a foil-lined baking pan (note, the foil isnt technically necessary but it DOES make the clean up a million times easier). 

mix the mayonnaise, pesto and lemon juice together in a small bowl and spread the resulting mixture on the salmon, then top with the parmesan cheese. 

bake for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked through. 

i feel like i should add here that this method of cooking salmon is especially fantastic because the mayonnaise seals in all the moisture and keeps things from getting to dry, which tends to happen if you end up with a piece thats not quite fatty enough. 

looking for the perfect side dish to complement this salmon? stay tuned for next week's recipe because thats exactly what im doing!