I'm cooking again & what I ate on New Year's Eve!

Hello Everyone! I am back and it feels great to be cooking again! I took a much needed break and by no means am I able to cook every night like I did pre-baby, but at least I am able to get in the kitchen again every once in awhile.

For Christmas, I got Ina Garten's new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa, Foolproof - Recipes You Can Trust. Here is a link in case you are interested in getting one yourself, http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-Foolproof-Recipes-Trust/dp/0307464873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357149032&sr=8-1&keywords=ina+garten+foolproof. I love Ina Garten's recipes and this cookbook did not disappoint!

I stayed in for New Years Eve this year and I decided that I was going to make dinner and use recipes from my new cookbook. I made salmon & melting cherry tomatoes with green beans gremolata. Doesn't that sound delicious? Well it was!

Here is the recipe for the salmon...

The recipe below is to serve 4, but I when I made it, I halved the recipe. I used 2 - 6 oz. pieces of salmon.

Olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups (1 pint) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp  balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves (I used parsley instead since I bought it for the green beans too)
2 lb salmon fillet, cut crosswise into 4 pieces


Preheat the oven to 425F.

Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium saute pan.

Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes, 1 tsp  salt and 1/2 tsp  pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the tomato sauce thickens slightly. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and basil or parsley.

Meanwhile, place a large cast-iron pan (or any pan that can go in the oven ) over high heat for 5 minutes. Brush the salmon all over with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place it skin side up in the pan. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes without moving them, until browned. Turn the salmon skin side down with a small metal spatula and transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes. (The salmon will not be completely cooked through.) Remove the fish to a serving platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Reheat the tomatoes, season to taste, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature along with the salmon.
Serves 4.

Green Bean Gremolata

I learned that Gremolata means a condiment or topping that typically consists of chopped herbs, lemon zest, and chopped garlic. I found this recipe not only in the cookbook, but on the internet too.....http://www.oprah.com/food/Green-Beans-Gremolata-Recipe-Barefoot-Contessa-Ina-Garten.

Here are some more recipes from the cookbook posted on Oprah.com, http://www.oprah.com/food/Ina-Garten-Recipes-Barefoot-Contessa-Recipes/1.

What a perfect meal for those who need to detox after the holidays or for someone like me who is trying to eat salmon (a superfood) at least once a week. Enjoy!