salmon = yum.e

This is my Dad. I call him Pops.

Pops used to go fishing.

And he still does.

Recently, he caught this fish.

And I ate it. Yum.e.

This fish* was dank radness and I have to imagine that it was partly because I cooked it in a cast iron skillet** in rich olive oil, sprinkled it with freshly cracked black pepper and gave it a healthy sprinkle of fine sea salt. Such a simple preparation, but dang was it good. If fish isn’t your thang, no worries; the side that I served the fish with was equally blow-your-mind good: warm lentil salad featuring fresh flat-leaf parsley and arugula tossed in a Dijon and red wine vinegar dressing. My belly is pleasantly full, my mouth is still bursting with flavor and my mind is at ease knowing I ate a healthy meal. I feel well nourished. And I also feel fancy because I used Dijon.

I literally ripped this recipe from the pages of Real Simple a few months back. I guess I didn’t have to do that when it’s also online right here at this very link. Right….here. I’ve still got some lovely fillet, so next time around I think I’m going to try this preparation instead.

*Our oceans are severely over-fished, polluted, and many species are endangered. These guys go to battle everyday to make lasting change. Donate, educate, volunteer. Also, be aware of where your supermarket scores on seafood sustainability and pay attention to those little green, yellow and red cards poking up from those fish carcasses. They mean something.

**Did you know that cooking in cast iron fortifies your food with a whopping dose of iron? It does, and this is a really important thing if you’re a pregnant or nursing mama, anemic, or homosapien. If you don’t use it already, I highly recommend doing so as it makes food taste really, really good. Oh, and using non-stick cookware will kill you – triple asterisk.

Triple asterisk – Yes, I know I haven’t replaced all of my poisonous cookware. Bambino steps. 🙂