Healthy Dinner Party and Super Simple Salmon

We had the funnest party tonight. Well, actually, we had two parties: one for the kids and one for the adults. We bought deli pizzas for the kids and served them up with chips, veggies, and candy-coated popcorn (that's not the healthy part . . .) but then served an elegant buffet upstairs for the adults. The kids played games, made crafts, and watched movies, so they didn't mind the separation at all.

I prepped this meal in my mind many days ago, basing it around some really good salmon I got on sale last week. I popped it in the freezer, then pulled it out for today. It was only as I was assembling the meal this afternoon that I realized what a balanced, nutritious, and almost downright wholesome party I had crafted. We had cheesecake with various homemade sauces for dessert, but a slice won't kill you. Balance in all things. :)

Here's what we had:

• Chilled poached salmon with lemon tarragon mayonnaise sauce on the side
• Greek Orzo Salad (orzo, artichokes, kalamatas, cucumber, feta, onion with lemon vinaigrette)
• Pomegranate glazed brisket
• Celery, Cranberry, Blue Cheese Salad
• Mile High New York Cheesecake with various sauces and toppings.

The links are for the recipes that inspired tonight's dishes, although I had my own little tweaks and adjustments, of course. That salmon? That's the easiest part, and one of the treasures of my repertoire. It is so easy to make that we ate it all summer, sometimes with salmon, and sometimes with trout. I might even like the stronger flavour of the trout better. Hard to say. Here it is, for your enjoyment.

Super Simple Poached Salmon

2-3 pound salmon filet

Place the salmon in a pan that will hold it. If you'd like a glorious presentation, use a roasting pan and leave the salmon in a single piece. It's not a crime to cut it, though, if you need to. Fill the pan with cold water to cover the salmon, then put a lid on or cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bring to a boil (if you're using a roasting pan, you might need to put it over 2 burners) then turn off the heat and let it sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Check for doneness by using a fork to open up a center section. It should be firm and pink and not shiny. Carefully transfer to a platter, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for several hours, until thoroughly chilled.

That's it. Bring it to a boil during breakfast, put it in the fridge when you clean up that morning meal, and it'll be ready for dinner. Easiest fish EVER.

Lemon-Tarragon Mayonnaise

1 egg

1/4 tsp dry mustard or 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

1 tsp dried tarragon or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced, divided

1 cup oil [I used 3/4 cup peanut and 1/4 cup olive]

fresh ground pepper

Put egg, mustard, salt, half the lemon juice and half the zest in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on to mix, and with mixer running, slowly, even drop by drop, add oil to the mixer. I have some notes on this here. Continue adding oil until fully emulsified, thick, and combined. Season with additional lemon juice and pepper, to taste. I made mine rather tangy. I suggest making it when you make the salmon so it has time to sit and rest and meld and yummify. If you'd prefer it as a sauce, you could thin it down with milk or cream, but I suggest doing it when you make it, as mayonnaise is a little obnoxious to thin with a stirring spoon.

Shrimp and a Tease

I have a recipe I'm dying to share. It had one step that took a little patience, but I consider it a new go-to bar. It may involve milk caramel, candied peanuts, and a hefty layer of melted chocolate. It might even have a rich shortbread-like crust that resembles the cookie inside of a Twix bar. Dorie Greenspan is my new hero; I need to meet her and thank her and eat something luscious with her. She's on a book tour right now, but since there are no bookstores within 40 miles of Galesburg, I don't think she'll be coming here.

In other food news, my just-for-one version of Mark Bittman's Shrimp My Way were perfect for a quick, light, delicious dinner tonight. Seriously easy and delicious.

Quick Broiled Shrimp

adapted from Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything

serves 1

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/2 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Place oven rack as close to broiler as possible; heat broiler on high. Pour enough oil to just barely cover the bottom of an ovenproof pan; for your health, I recommend a fairly small pan. Heat over low heat; we're talking gentle heat here, no sizzle and sputter. Add garlic and cook gently for a few minutes; the idea is to infuse the oil, not fry the garlic. Add shrimp, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir with wooden spoon or toss to coat. Cook 1 minute, then throw that puppy under the broiler. Check after 2 minutes and toss, if necessary. Cook under broiler until shrimp is pink and cooked, about 5 minutes (longer if you make more.)

**Note: I bought easy peel shrimp—raw, but slit down the back and already deveined. Those ones you just peel the whole shell off, including legs, and squeeze off the tail. It turns out that only half of them were actually easy peel, so I quickly used my kitchen shears to cut down the back, remove the shell, and pull out the intestinal track. Don't be afraid of uncooked shrimp (except you, Michelle, because you could die.)

Poached Salmon

This was a revelation to me—quick, easy, and salmon in a light I've never before seen, er, tasted. Who knew you could eat it cold and enjoy it so much? This will definitely be on my next dinner party menu because it only takes like 12 minutes to make. You know, if I ever have one. Anyone wanna come for a dinner party? I'll make salmon.

Poached Salmon with Tarragon Yoghurt Sauce

1 (2 pound) thick salmon fillet, with skin, rinsed and patted dry

1 1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup plain yoghurt; thicker is better

2 green onions, chopped (white & green parts)

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

Place the salmon in a pan large enough to hold it and cover with an inch of cold water. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Bring the pan to a boil over high heat; as soon as it boils, cover pan with alid, remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Remove salmon from the water, drain thoroughly, and chill, covered, in the refrigerator until cold, up to 8 hours. I made it in the morning at breakfast, and it was great by dinner.

Mix the remaining ingredients, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Bring the salmon to room temperature to serve; peel off the skin and serve with yoghurt sauce.