miso salmon with fennel and apple salad

It's a hot night tonight and we needed a quick meal. I can't believe that we turned the oven on after a 90+ temperature day, but it was worth it. This was so quick and easy, really tasty, and very healthy taboot.

Miso Salmon with Fennel and Apple Salad
Serves 2-3

Salmon:

1 lb wild salmon
3 Tbs. miso
2 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Mix miso and agave nectar with a fork until smooth. Place salmon on sheet tray and spread with a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Bake for 10-15 mintues.

Salad:

1 fennel bulb
1 green apple
approx. 4 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar
approx. 2 Tbs. sesame oil
to pinches sesame seeds

Thinly slice the fennel and apple, preferably with a mandolin. Shake up the vinegar and oil in a closed container. Pour the dressing on the salad and sprinkle with seeds.

2nd anniversary dinner

We went to Duckworth's for our 2nd anniversary last night, and I branched out and tried a new type of wine I'd never had before: roero arneis. I'm very unfamiliar with Italian wines, but this was a great one.
Duckworth's was wonderful, an usual. We had some squash and zucchini fritters with fennel sauce, and my entree was seared scallops with honey braised turnips, beet greens and grapefruit, with a honey grapefruit beurre blanc. Dave had a wonderful duck leg confit. So tasty!

orange scented olive oil muffins

I made these muffins this weekend and Dave said they were the best muffins I've ever made. They are pretty great, the olive oil makes them really moist, and they have a strong orange flavor. The perfect summer muffin...if you can stand to have the oven on!

from food blog: cooking after five

ORANGE-SCENTED OLIVE OIL MUFFINS

Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis

Makes 12 muffins

A note on flavor: While these are simply named "olive oil muffins" in the original recipe, the orange peel is noticiable enough to warrant a mention.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Powdered sugar, for sifting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.

Blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, eggs, and zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and milk. Gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Crush the almonds with your hands as you add them to the batter and stir until mixed.

Fill the muffin tin almost to the top of the paper liners. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins onto a platter and let cool for 5 more minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the muffins and serve.