Thursday, March 24, 2016

Barbecue Salmon and Garlic Sautéed Spinach

My favorite meal at any restaurant ever is barbecue salmon from Capers in Kennesaw, Georgia. My family has been going there for over ten years and nine times out of ten, the salmon is what I order. Ten times out of ten, my mother orders the grouper salad with the sauce on the side and ten times out of ten, my dad comments that she needs to branch out. They are adorable.

Capers serves the salmon with creamed corn and wasabi mashed potatoes that make me so happy and take me back to my 18th birthday surprise party, senior year homecoming, senior superlative luncheon, my dad's company holiday parties (all of these were spent with Capers food). When I'm 12 hours away from getting that feeling, I make my own, clean version. It ain't Chef Steven's salmon, but it'll do :)


Barbecue Salmon (Recipe by Louisa Clements)

Ingredients
  • 1 lb salmon fillet, skin on
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ⅓ cup worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients except the salmon to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and allow to cool (Try to have some self-control and not eat this with a spoon....I didn't).
  2. Cover salmon with ¼ cup of the sauce, and allow to marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium-low heat.
  4. Place salmon, skin side down on the hot grill, cook for 10-12 minutes without moving the salmon. The skin on the under side of the salmon will burn - but we want that. Once the salmon is done cooking on one side, and the skin is blackened, carefully flip it over and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove from grill, and allow to cool before peeling off burned skin. It should come off easily, and underneath will be the salmon fillet perfectly cooked.

***You can also bake these little friends at 475 for about 12 minutes. Don't you overcook this. Overcooked salmon is the actual worst.

This barbecue sauce is bae. You'll have leftovers. You can baste the cooked salmon with some more before you serve it. You can make some chicken and use the sauce with it. You can dip any chip-like vehicle you can find in your pantry in it. You can lick out of the pan. I will never judge you for this.

Serve this with whatever yum BBQ sides you want! If you wanna keep it healthy as hell, try this bomb recipe for garlic sautéed spinach. I am in love with it. I'm basically Popeye. 


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lemon

Sea or kosher salt, optional


Instructions
1. Rinse the spinach to make sure it's clean and then pat it or spin it dry
2. In a big ol' pot, heat the olive oil and then saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but don't let it get browned.
3. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and toss with the garlic and oil.
4. Cover the pot and cook for two minutes.
5. Uncover and cook for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon until the spinach is all wilted.
6. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with a squeeze of lemon and a little sea salt.



Enjoy, homies.


S

Monday, March 7, 2016

My Gym Bag Is Actually a Diaper Bag and I Don't Care

Sup? Hope everyone's Monday was tolerable. Today, I want to share with y'all what I consider to be my workout essentials/what I toss in my massive bag and run out the door because I'm going to be late and maybe I'll need extra socks or a toothbrush or a dress because what if that super cute guy working out next to me is all "Hey, wanna grab a drink after this?" to which I'd clearly say "Fo sho".

I digress. Here are some things I can't leave home without when I hit the gym:

1. The bag itself. It is truly a diaper bag. A Marc by Marc Jacobs diaper bag, so at least it's got that going for it. They really have some similarities.  The liner is wipeable and I find this to be key for tossing in sweaty clothes or IDK, bottles? Lots of pockets for my post-workout makeup needs or baby toys. Whatever, I dig it. Find a bag big enough for what you'll need and one that you like to wear because you better be using it a lot.
2. Face wipes. These are crucial. I never remember to take off my makeup before I work out. Don't worry, I find it to be a character flaw too. Love these bad boys by Jessica Alba's Honest line.
3. Headphones. For days when I'm not working with my trainer, these are necessary. I like my headphones obnoxiously large and I've had these ones for years (true story: I bought them with change that I sorted from my dad's car. Bose headphones. From change in a glove box. Who says I'm not frugal?). Ideal for situations where you want to pretend that you're listening to the TV with CNN on it, but you're really watching Kim and Khloe have an intervention for Rob.
4. A good lotion. I shower at my gym and a good post-shower lotion sesh (sounds kinda dirty when I word it like that...but #YOLO... you only lotion once...just roll with it) is key. My skin gets really dry, so this is my favorite to keep it soft as a baby. Take care of your skin, please.
5. Heart Rate Monitor. This thing changed my workout game. It helps me see exactly how many calories I'm burning as well as see what kind of workouts help build endurance versus build muscle. I highly recommend getting one if you are serious about getting your fitness on.
6. A snack!!! Girl's gotta eat, ya dig? I usually keep it simple with a protein shake, but sometimes a good apple or banana with some almond butter is exactly what I'm craving. I also found a square of Ghiradelli dark chocolate in my gym bag, but hush, nobody's perfect.

Those are just some of my basics. Water is a duh. Also, flip flops for the shower because my mother raised a lady. People who don't wear any make me uneasy. I don't trust anyone like that.

What are some of y'all's gym necessities??

xoxo.

s