Yesterday as I was thinking about what to fix for dinner, my taste buds proceeded to full alert, and must have connected with my brain to inform me that they were in the mood for a big old salad. They were also hankering after seafood. So never being one to ignore my taste buds, I decided a Caesar salad with seafood would fill the bill. At about the same time, Mr. C. announced that he had to go into town.

Now going into town for us means leaving the island via a bridge, the one and only way off the island. Just over the bridge, whether you want to or not, you find yourself in the city of Stanwood. Stanwood is a pleasant little burg with a population of about 7,500 folks. It’s situated 50 miles north of Seattle at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. And it contains 3 grocery stores. A QFC (Quality Food Center), a Haggen grocery store, and a Grocery Outlet.

Since Mr. C. had to go into Stanwood anyway, I asked him to pick up some salmon while he was out and about. I figured a blackened salmon Caesar salad would make a fine dinner for us. The only drawback to this plan, was that I had never prepared blackened salmon before. Blackened anything for that matter. But I had enjoyed blackened salmon at restaurants, so I figured I could do this type of preparation at home. What could possibly be difficult about throwing a few ingredients together, decorating the salmon fillets with the mixture, and throwing the whole mess in a stinkin’ hot pan? And as it turned out, there was absolutely no difficulty involved. I was absolutely right in my thinking. (I won’t say that was a first for me, but unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as often as I would like!)

So with a great recipe for blackened salmon in hand (thank you wellplated.com for this marvelous recipe) I proceeded to prep for our dinner. I cleaned the romaine, made the salad dressing, and cut and fried up some homemade bread for croutons while Mr. C. was at the store. Then I assembled the blackening ingredients and set them aside.

I often prep for dinner in the late afternoon. I do as much as I can ahead of time so that I can leisurely enjoy my before dinner libation. I got in the habit when I was first retired. It was just such a joy (and still is) to be able to unhurriedly prep for dinner after decades of coming through the back door after a long day at work, proceeding directly to the bedroom to change cloths, and then finding myself five minutes later in the kitchen frantically working at getting dinner on the table in a reasonable amount of time. (Sound all too familiar?) But I must confess. I always enjoyed my job. But being retired is ever so much nicer! But more about this recipe.

I have been making Caesar salads with homemade dressing for years now. And yes, homemade Caesar salads are just as good, if not better than you can find in restaurants. And not difficult either.

And after preparing the blackened salmon, which is also easy to prepare and even better than you will find in most restaurants since you have control of how long it stays on the heat (I hate when fish is overcooked and becomes dry), there is no reason not to fix this delicious salad yourself at home.

Well that’s enough about food for today. It’s supposed to be really warm in the Pacific NW for the next few days, and I believe it. The sky is clear, our mountain (Mt. Baker) is out in all its glory, the kitties are all napping, and Mr. C. is on the golf course. And I have nothing I need to accomplish which as luck would have it is in direct proportion to my decreased energy level today. So I’m going to leisurely build some bread (I love to make bread), then sit down in our courtyard and read. And while I’m at it, I’m also going to count my blessings and give thanks for my wonderful husband, for parents who taught me right from wrong, and for my immediate family, extended family, and close friends who have so graciously enriched my life and have helped me stay sane, grounded, encouraged, relatively calm (or as calm as I can be during these difficult times), happy, and content. Peace and love to all – be you family member, friend, or a reader discovering my blog for the first time.

romaine lettuce, cut, washed and spun dry  

Caesar dressing (see recipe below)

grated Parmesan cheese  

garlic croutons, opt. (see recipe below)  

blackened salmon fillet (see recipe below)

lemon wedges

Place the romaine lettuce in a large mixing bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat the leaves, but not so much that the salad appears and tastes “wet”.

Add Parmesan cheese. (I have found that using less Parmesan cheese than you think you need is probably just about right. Too much Parmesan overpowers the other flavors and makes the salad too rich.)

Stir in garlic croutons. (As few or as many as you like)

Plate individual salads. Top each with one of the blackened salmon fillets. Pass additional lemon wedges.

Caesar Dressing:

1 lg. garlic clove, finely minced

6 anchovy fillets or 1-2 tsp. anchovy paste

2 T. fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 T. sour cream

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil Combine garlic and anchovy fillets or paste in a small bowl. Mush them together with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to blend thoroughly. Use immediately

Garlic Croutons:

1 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Blackened Salmon:

1 T. paprika

1 tsp. brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp. granulated onion  

¾ tsp. granulated garlic  

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

3-4 salmon fillet portions, skin on*  

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

lemon wedges

In a small bowl, stir the paprika, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, cayenne, oregano, and thyme together. (I use my finger tips to moosh all the ingredients together.)

Place the salmon on a large plate, flesh-side up, and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the salmon fillets with the melted butter.

Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the buttered fish. Lightly pat the spices to adhere as needed.

Heat a large cast iron skillet or similar heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. (Do not add oil). (If you have an outdoor kitchen, now is the time to use it!) If not, turn your exhaust fan on high and open a window or door or both if things start to get smoky.

 Once the pan is completely hot (a droplet of water should dance on its surface), gently place the fillets seasoned side down. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without disturbing the fillets, until the surface is blackened (peek as little as possible so that the salmon gets a nice dark color), then carefully turn each piece of salmon over.  

Continue cooking over medium heat until the skin becomes crispy, and the fish is fully cooked through, about 5 to 6 additional minutes depending upon the thickness of your fillets. (The fish should reach 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer at the thickest part.)

Squeeze lemon over the salmon. Carefully lift the salmon, minus the skin if possible, either directly onto salads or to a plate until you are ready to serve.

*If your salmon fillets come skinned on both sides, simply brush the top of the fish with melted butter while the first side (the one with the blackening seasoning) is cooking. Then flip and cook as directed above.