Weekend cooking

I swear the best thing about having kids is when they show glimpses of the independent and self-sufficient people they someday will be most of the time. J and S are off on a skiing trip with the scouts, so K and I are home. K has been inquiring, with less and less patience, about when we could have seafood. No sooner did the car leave the drive than she was diving into the recipe box, hauling out the Roast Salmon (fish - not J) with Salsa (spicy - not S) card. A little to my surprise, my contribution to the meal ended at the grocery store. She was quite simply pleased with herself - I fixed it All By Myself with No Help. I basked in the knowledge that when she's on her own, she can feed herself well (assuming she can afford the ingredients).

Roast Salmon with Salsa
Green Beans Almondine
Key Lime Cloud

Roast Salmon with Salsa
1 clove garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp slt
1/2 tsp cumin
2-4 drops hot sauce (she used the chili sauce - the tobasco might have been better on second thought)
1-1/2 lb salmon fillet

Preheat oven to 400F. Place everything but the salmon in the food processor and chop until finely diced. Place salmon in large roasting pan, spoon salsa over top. Roast until flaky on outside but still pink inside, about 15 minutes. Serve warm

Key Lime Cloud

1/2 c cold water
2 (1/4 oz ) envelopes unflavored gelatin
3/4 c sugar
1-1/2 c boiling water
2 tsp key lime zest, divided
1/2 c key lime juice
1/2 tsp cardamom
4 pasteurized egg whites (she used the powdered, reconstituted kind).

Place cold water in large bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, mix well. Add boiling water; stir until completely disolved. Add half of the lime zest, all lime juice and cardamom. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add gelatin/sugar mixture. Beat until soft peaks form. Spoon into dishes. Sprinkle remaining zest across top of each serving. Chill about an hour.

This makes the most wonderful lime flavored gelatin with lime flavored meringue floating on top.

And best of all? I didn't lift a finger until it was time to do the dishes.