glazed salmon

we were craving salmon today (thanks to an episode of the soup. don't ask), so i threw together my favorite and easiest salmon recipe with some small red potatoes.

the recipe starts with the best ingredient ever: butter. melt approximately 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. add one tablespoon of honey, 2 cloves of chopped garlic and a teaspoon of soy sauce (or, if you're me, 2 tablespoons. don't tell my doctor. or my mom). add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite mustard.

mix everything thoroughly and feel free to add more or less of anything to taste

butter a baking dish* and place two pieces of salmon in the dish. pour mixture over and bake at 375 for 15 min!

serve with your favorite side dish (we made rosemary potatoes) and repeat after me: YUM.

*so i usually grill the fish but do not have a grill in new orleans yet. next on my very long wishlist is this stovetop grill pan from lodge logic:

easy veggie soup

i returned home today feeling very manic, so i embarked on a major scrub-down of the kitchen and decided to muss it up immediately thereafter by cooking a hearty veggie soup. here's how it's made:

step 1: don cute apron from spain or tourist spot of your choosing

thanks kiki!

step 2: gather a few staples - carrots, onions and tomatoes

i ended up using half of this huge onion, 1 large carrot and both tomatoes

step three: roughly chop the modified mirepoix and saute in olive oil with some garlic

step 4: once the veggies are soft, toss in some bouillon cubes of your choosing ( i used vegetable) and add water

step 5: try and dig out some frozen vegetables from you freezer

goooood luck with that, if your freezer looks anything like mine:

step 6: once the bouillon-flavored water has come up to a boil, toss in frozen vegetables of your choice. i like blackeyed peas, baby lima beans, and corn. once you toss those in and bring the soup back up to a boil, add frozen collard greens (which are surprisingly hard to find in chicago. we're so northern)

step 7: flavor to taste, and you're done!

here's the finished product...

add a dollop of sour cream, some crusty bread and enjoy!

ps: eat it cold the next day as a lovely spring-y gazpacho!