Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Basil Brown Rice and Asparagus

Simple "Cheats" to Simplify Dinner 

I am working from the North Phoenix office for at least the next week. On a good day, this is a minimum of a 45 minute drive from my home - since I didn't leave until about 5:30 tonight it equaled an hour plus on the wonderful traffic gorged freeways that are the arteries of the Phoenix area. Every fiber of my being wanted me to consider a drive thru experience for sustenance but, I knew what I had waiting for me at home and I was looking forward to cooking. 

Don't Forget to Add the Seasoning

Maybe it is the result of watching Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, maybe it the fact that I haven't really enjoyed a decent piece of Salmon since leaving Alaska in May, likely it is the fact that I found Salmon fillets on sale at fresh & easy over the weekend but, I was bound and determined to have fish tonight.  I get that fish can be scary for some to cook - let's face it, cook it wrong and it just goes wrong on so many levels. Follow these simple steps and you can produce a fresh dinner in roughly 15 minutes...

Boil in Bag Brown Rice - Genius

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees - move rack to center position
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in large skillet to medium high heat
3. Place boil in bag brown rice (yes, fresh & easy sells it and it is the perfect portion size) into 1 quart of water - add 4 Dorot Basil cubes - bring to boil and let cook for 10 minutes. The basil cubes will break apart in the boiling water and "infuse" the rice - I thought it added a nice layer to offset the earthy taste of 
4. Place Salmon fillets in oil - cook for 2 minutes on each side. Lightly season each side with salt and pepper. Oh, not that I would know from personal experience, but this would be a good time to find your spatter shield...
5. Place a layer of parchment paper on your cooking stone - trust me, you do not want to skip this step. If you do not have a stone - get one!  Seriously, spend the money and get one to at least cook your pizzas (future post) - you will notice a difference in the end result (aka - your food will be more evenly cooked).
6. Remove Salmon to the stone - drizzle with balsamic glaze (you could reduce some balsamic to a glaze or you can buy a bottle from fresh & easy - I opted to buy the bottle, you pick your own path here) - place in oven for 4 minutes on each side.
7. Place your fresh asparagus into the oil recently vacated by the Salmon (hope you still have that spatter shield handy) - reduce the heat to medium - and add 4 Dorot garlic cubes. Sautee for three to four minutes - turning frequently to prevent charring.
8. Remove rice from water, drain and plate - do not be alarmed that much of the basil will remain behind in the water, it has done the job it needed to and the rice is flavored.
9. Plate the asparagus on top of the rice - use tongs to plate - you do not want to get oil from the pan on the plate.
10. Remove Salmon from the oven, plate and enjoy...