Sauteed Salmon and Spinach, Derby Style

"Who ya got for the Home Run Derby?" 

This year, I decided to make an off-the-wall pick.  KEMP.  Sure, he's been on the DL, but he can magically come back and win the derby.  Anyone who's anyone knows that! ;)  Okay, so maybe my whole "positivity makes things happen" catch phrase doesn't always work.  After seeing my pick hit one, lonely home run, I did what any other normal baseball fan would do.  I cooked some salmon. Hahaha.  Salmon is undoubtedly one of my most favorite foods, and we all know that it is insanely good for us.  So, for today's dinner, I opted to keep things simple, healthy, and economical.  Tender, flaky salmon with an ever-so-delicious, light crunch... Now, that'll surely help me get over the fact that I picked a player that came in second-to-last to be the winner of the whole thing. I paired it up with a spicy and salty side of spinach, and to top it all off, I made a quick dessert of chocolate Greek yogurt with homemade blackberry sauce.  As I sit on the sofa, I reflect back on some of the poor decisions that I've made in my life: belly-bearing crop tops, chopping off a tangled piece of hair which resulted in me having a "spike" for all of seventh grade, slow dancing with a go-go dancer in Vegas, and yes, selecting Matt Kemp as the 2012 Home Run Derby Champion.  Fortunately for me, I can cook well.  That has to make up for some of my crazy shenanigans, right?


SAUTEED SALMON

Ingredients (2 servings): 

-10 oz. filet of salmon
-1 lime
-1/2 t. chili flakes
-1/2 t. garlic powder
-1/2 t. paprika
-dash of salt and pepper
-1 T. olive oil

Rub salmon (not over the skin) with chili flakes, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.  Heat up a frying pan over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the pan is ready to rock and roll, place salmon in skin side down.  Now, let me tell you why.  Salmon skin is so much easier to remove after the fish has been heated.  Let the salmon cook for a few minutes, and then flip it over.  Once it's flipped over, use a butter knife to detach the skin from the fish and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.  You will have an awkward gray color under the skin.  Relax.  You'll be flipping the fish once more, which will result in the disappearance of the discoloration. Once you have the "where the skin once was" side down, you'll let the fish cook for another 4-6 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your salmon.  Remove from heat, and squeeze the juice of a lime over the fish. 


SPICY SPINACH WITH FETA

Ingredients (2 servings):

-1 bag of baby spinach
-1/2 t. chili flakes
-1 clove of minced garlic
-1 T. olive oil
-1/4 c. fat-free feta cheese
-salt and pepper to taste

In a large fry pan, over medium heat, cook chili flakes and minced garlic in olive oil until the garlic is slightly browned.  Next, add in the fresh spinach and salt and pepper.  Let the spinach wilt.  Just before the entire pan of spinach is wilted, sprinkle on the fat-free feta.  Remove from heat.  A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is delicious on top of the spinach as well.


CHOCOLATE GREEK YOGURT WITH FRESH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients (2 servings):

-12 oz. nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
-2 T. Hershey's chocolate syrup
-1/2 c. fresh blackberries
-1 T. sugar or Splenda
-1 T. water

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine blackberries, water, and sugar.  Heat on high for one minute.  After the berries have finished "cooking," use a fork to break them down a bit.  Refrigerate the sauce for at least 5 minutes before using. 

In a separate bowl, combine the chocolate syrup and Greek yogurt by gently folding the ingredients together.  You want to keep the yogurt's creamy texture; so, don't overmix. 

Once the sauce has been thoroughly cooled, top the chocolate yogurt with the sauce.  Enjoy the deliciously simple dessert right away to avoid separation.