salmon with warm bacon and mustard sweet potato salad

Every once in a while I find or concoct a recipe that is just so delicious I want to save it to remember for later! Since I'm such a recipe hoarder, I rarely make the same thing more than once (excepting basic proteins like chicken, steak, and salmon) therefore I'm going to start posting the recipes that were a hit so I can remember to make them again! And so you can enjoy them too. All my dinner recipes are healthy, simple, and fast, perfect for busy weeknights (and then you'll have room for ice cream if it's one of those nights!)

Tonight we made a basic broiled salmon and I paired it with a warm potato salad inspired by a recipe from a Martha Stewart cookbook. I tweaked the ingredients a little bit and it turned out absolutely delicious! I love sweet potatoes and need to make them more often. They are delicious with salty bacon. Yes I'm on a bacon kick.

Salmon with Warm Bacon and Mustard Sweet Potato Salad

Serves 4

Salmon:

-4 wild caught Pacific salmon filets (we usually broil them straight from frozen)

-1/2 lemon

-spices to taste

Potato salad:

-3 medium sweet potatoes

-2 celery stalks, chopped

-1 or 2 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

-1/4 c. red wine vinegar

-2 tsp. Dijon mustard

-1 to 2T whole grain brown mustard

-1T olive oil

Chop potatoes into 1" chunks, place in a large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes for 10-12 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork.

While potatoes are boiling, squeeze lemon juice over the salmon, liberally sprinkle with spices (we like Mrs. Dash lemon pepper and Old Bay), and broil until cooked through.

Combine vinegar, mustards, and olive oil in a small bowl. When potatoes are done, drain them and dump the dressing into the pot, stir to combine. Add the celery and bacon.

Serve the salmon over greens with a side of potato salad, and enjoy!!

the EPIC bacon and nectarine summer salad

I think I might have just concocted the best salad of my life.

A few days ago, I was scrolling through my blog reader (guilty pleasure when I get a spare five minutes at work), quickly and mindlessly skimming titles and pictures until I came across THIS salad from one of my favorite food blogs, How Sweet It Is. Oh my goodness. It's been on my mind ever since, and tonight our nectarines were finally ripe enough to throw together my version of this bowl of summery goodness.

This salad has it all. Crispy radishes, creamy avocado, juicy and sweet nectarines, salty and crunchy bacon, goat cheese, a tangy lemon vinaigrette, juicy chicken, and whatever else you might have picked up at the farmer's market! It's my favorite kind of "kitchen sink" concoction. When it comes to salads, more is always more.

Seriously. Go make this.

Epic Summer Salad with Bacon and Nectarines

Serves 2

Inspired by How Sweet It Is

Salad ingredients:

- 4 to 6 cups mixed greens

- 1/2 avocado, sliced

- 1 ripe nectarine, sliced

- 4 radishes, thinly sliced

- red onion, sliced (to taste)

- 4 slices nitrate free bacon

- 1 chicken breast, chopped

- crumbled goat cheese (to taste)

- salt and pepper

Cook the bacon until desired level of crispiness, then set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but ~2 T of bacon fat from the hot pan, and cook the chicken in the bacon fat with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. Let the epicness commence.

Assemble salads with your desired proportions of all ingredients, drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette, and enjoy with a glass of rose!

Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes approx 3/4 cup dressing

- juice of 2 lemons

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar (Bragg's)

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 2 tsp maple syrup (more to taste)

- salt and pepper

Shake all ingredients in a jar, and store in the fridge!

how to do a Chicago staycation

Last week I had a freak-out moment when I realized that Ben goes back to teaching in seven days. Oh summer, why do you always go by so fast? I've been letting the daily grind distract me from our summer bucket list, so I decided to take an impromptu day off work and we spent a long weekend hanging out and having some adventures in our city! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and it felt amazing to leave the to-do list and work behind and pretend we were tourists.

Here are the steps to having the perfect staycation in Chicago:

Staycation Eve: Kick off the weekend with a trip to Forever Yogurt for some froyo! (Truth: this is on my weekly bucket list....)

Day 1: Head downtown for an architectural boat tour to learn about the history of the gorgeous skyscrapers that call Chicago home.

You'll feel like you are instantly transported into a PBS commercial. Pure class.

When your boat re-docks, head over to the Tribune building and grab a pitcher of hibiscus-rita's on the patio at Howell's and Hood! 

Explore downtown until you are exhausted by sun and 'ritas, then take the Red Line back home to your quiet neighborhood and grab some Chipotle and a Redbox movie for a low-key dinner on the couch.

Day 2: Fuel up for the day with a healthy breakfast of mango, peach, and almond butter oatmeal!

Make your way down to Wicker Park for tacos and hipster watching at Big Star.

NOM SOME TACOS!

Then head back home and crash with another Redbox movie, because you're still catching up with last winter's blockbusters.

Day Three: Start your day with a healthy and energizing smoothie. You have to balance out all those margaritas!

Make a morning trip to Lincoln Park's Green City Market and stock up on colorful fruits and veggies. Keep an eye out for my all time favorite Sunflower Spelt bread from Crumb!

Head back to your brunch-centric neighborhood for a delicious late breakfast at Orange. Get a delicious omelette or a seasonal pancake flight!

Spend the rest of the day slowly re-acclimating to reality, and feel lucky and blessed to live in such a beautiful and delicious city.