Jul
31
Delish Simple Anniversary Meal and Dessert for Two
July 31, 2010 | 6 Comments
Thursday was our 7th wedding anniversary! Wow… time flies! With a baby asleep at home–my friend will babysit over the weekend so we can go out–I figured I won’t let the night pass without a nice meal for two! We put our son early to sleep and were ready to indulge in quiet, mess-free, no-food-on-the floor deliciousness!
The main dish was an adaptation of Maple-Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa recipe from Paula Deen. Can I say first that I can’t believe I made something by her? Her recipes tend to be on the opposite side of healthy, but this one wasn’t too bad. I had 14 oz of salmon fillets (she had 24 oz), cut back on the amount of salt, and used fresh pineapple instead of pineapple juice and fresh jalapeno instead of pickled. I served the salmon with wild rice, but next time, I’ll go with plain white, brown, or Jasmine rice because there seemed to be too many flavors going on. Here’s my version:
Ingredients for the salmon:
- 14 oz salmon (about 3, 5 oz each)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 tbsp crushed fresh pineapple
- 1 tsp crushed fresh ginger
- 1 small crushed garlic clove
Ingredients for the salsa:
- 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 c chopped fresh pineapple chunks
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
To make the salmon, combine the marinade ingredients, then marinate the salmon in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for at least an hour to overnight. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until the fillets flake with a fork. Don’t overcook! They will lose their moisture.
To make the salsa, combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I wanted to boost the vegetables in this meal, so I also made this Avocado Wasabi Salad I found on Veganyumyum. My only suggestion is to cut back on the amount of wasabi powder in the dressing. And I only used half of the amount of the dressing so you might want to make less. Either ways, this salad was amazing! Never had something that tasted like that. It was rich and filling it could stand alone as a meal by itself!
For dessert, I made chocolate mousse from scratch! Yes, you heard me! Here’s the recipe that I followed exactly. The trick: whipping cream and Nutella! If you don’t like coffee, the mousse will still come out perfectly fine without it. Or, you can use vanilla powder or extract, almond extract, or any other that you like with your chocolate.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1 c cold whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules (Nescafe, for example)
- 1/2 c Nutella
- Fresh raspberries
- Chocolate shavings
Combine whipping cream and instant coffee in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, then stir until coffee is dissolved.
Stir in the Nutella. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Make sure you scrape the bowl as you mix. Pour in 4 serving cups and refrigerate for at least four hours.
When ready to serve, garnish with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings.
ps. we didn’t eat all this food! it’s more of a meal for four. Leftovers!
Comments
6 Comments so far
Happy Anniversary!
I love Salmon -I will have to try this receipe for dinner tonite’ -I can’t wait-Very nice post thank you
Thanks Crystal and Gladys!
Happy Anniversary!
I just wanted to thank you for these AMAZING recipes! My husband and I just celebrated our 11th anniversary and I made every dish you have posted. I had everything on hand except for the pineapple. It was a wonderful evening! Thank you!
Congratulations on your 11th anniversary! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipes and your evening!