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Today is a special occasion for me, definitely worth celebrating - but a bit sad at the same time, you see, it's our thirty-sixth wedding anniversary - I've been blessed to be married to an unbelievably amazing man for all these years; he's kind, thoughtful, encouraging, funny, creative and very handsome! If you're a regular reader, you also know Scott's a fantastic photographer. And to top all that, he's not only put up with me for all this time, but has been the best friend this old girl could have ever dreamed of being blessed with! Thank you, Lord!
We'll celebrate, for sure, when I get home. Along with a getaway weekend in the mountains, I'm going to make him a delicious dinner. I created this Strawberry-Balsamic Glazed Salmon in honor of our anniversary and tested it out a few days ago on my daughter, son-in-law and the girlies. They all loved it, even little Lilly literally gobbled it up. And while it's perfect for a special occasion, it's simple enough for a weeknight family meal. The sauce comes together quickly and the salmon itself takes less than ten minutes to pan-sear on the stovetop. I'll be making this again for Scott next week, setting the table with my best dishes, candles, flowers, our favorite violin music floating through the air .........
I had fun with the salsa. I shared last week that I had gone a bit crazy at the local market and I used some the delicious produce for my salsa; sweet strawberries, crisp, crunchy, fresh fennel and juicy, ripe apricots, all diced and combined with honey, lime juice and fresh herbs. The salsa would be great with chips or quesadillas, but it was the absolute perfect compliment to delicious strawberry-glazed salmon. You could substitute peaches for the apricots, add jicama instead of fennel, but do give this salsa a try. With or without the salmon, I think it just might make a ordinary day feel like a very special occasion!
P.S. (just for Scott) Happy Anniversary my love! You're the best - can't wait to see you on Friday!
P.S.S. (just for Chris, from the photographer/confidant).... she's got it wrong...I'm the blessed one.... and all of you readers who follow TCSF know that Chris (or Gick as I call her) is one amazing person. If you met her on the street, you'd want her to be a BFF instantly. Happy Anniversary, love of my life... and call me from the Eiffel Tower today, you lucky duck!! :):):)
Strawberry-Balsamic Glazed Salmon
Ingredients:
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce*
1 tablespoon soy sauce
finely zested zest of 1 orange
6 4-5-ounce skinless, boneless salmon fillets
Directions:
1. Whisk all ingredients except orange zest and salmon fillets together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat; simmer until thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in orange zest and set aside.
2. Season salmon with sea salt and a generous sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Brush the top of each salmon fillet with glaze. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Cook salmon fillets, glazed sides down, 1 minute; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 2 minutes more. Turn fillets over, and cook 3-4 minutes for medium (salmon will be slightly pink in the middle), or longer if desired. Transfer to a plate; loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Serve with Strawberry Apricot & Fresh Fennel Salsa, if desired.
Note: Another option - you could double the sauce, serve half of it and drizzle it over the cooked salmon instead of the salsa
Serves 6
Strawberry, Apricot & Fresh Fennel Salsa
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
a pinch sea salt
1 bulb fresh fennel, topped, tailed and chopped into ¼-inch dice
½ medium sweet onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice
4 seeded apricots (ripe but not mushy-soft), chopped into ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
½ medium jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Combine honey, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and sea salt in a medium bowl. Add onion and fennel; stir well. Add apricots, strawberries, herbs and jalapeño; stir gently, just till combined. Serve ~ enjoy!
The Café Sucré Farine says
Sorry, I don't have your email Sherry, I did promise to post these - I made them again and they weren't very pretty as I used the wrong type of potato so I decided to wait until I made them again to post them. The recipe was actually from Fine Cooking - you can find it here:
sherry says
Would love the potatoes that go with the anniversary dinner. I thought you said you would post the recipe - maybe I missed it. could you let me know. thanks
Aimee Christian says
I this is yet another reason I like you so much. We celebrated 10 years on the 14th and my parents celebrated 43 years on the 14th. Glad you got to snuggle in person this weekend!
France@beyondthepeel says
Happy Anniversary. That is a long time and worth celebrating for sure.
lena says
i enjoy reading your post and looking at your pictures and today it really makes me smile reading that sweet message from your husband. Wishing you a lovely celebration when you come back and wishing both if you many many years of joy and happiness together!!
Catherine says
That salmon does look good and I do agree,any night can be a special occasion. Blessings dear. Catherine xo
The Café Sucré Farine says
Thanks for all your kind well-wishes! In answer to the question about the accompaniment to the salmon - these are Twice Baked Smokey Cheddar Tiny Potatoes. They are delicious and I"ll be sharing that recipe soon!
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
It sure looks special! I could do with a bit of colour to warm the weather over here.
Happy wedding anniversary! How wonderful to have been together for such a long time. Maybe you could share a wedding photo in honor of the occasion? I'd love to see it!
Marina@Picnic at Marina says
Happy anniversary to both of you Chris and Scott! Be Happy in love for many more years to come!
Chris, this meal is amazing, thanks for sharing! 🙂
renee @ Singing With Birds says
Happy Anniversary Chris. I hope you have a wonderful day and celebrate with your daughter, the blessing of your happy marriage. Your salmon and salsa looks so yummy too. I look forward to something fabulous after your homecoming reunion with your man!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Happy Anniversary!! I love how you feel about your HUsband thta is so sweet! I hope my Husband and I can be like that when we hit our 36th Annv. However this year we are celebrating our 6th. lol We have a long way to go.
Your dish looks wonderful and your Husband will love it!!
JMCD says
This looks fabulous! And Scott you are right....I only know Chris from this blog and not only would I like to be her friend....I wish I lived next door 🙂
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Oh this is such a lovely way to start the day - Happy Anniversary!! Absence makes the heart grow fonder - but in your case it clearly doesn't need to!! How wonderful and the salmon looks amazing too!
Mary oxo
Sandra Lee says
You have been blessed with a wonderful husband and I wish you many more happy years. This recipe is perfect for a happy celebration or an everyday meal. On the 26th of this month Mr. Sweet Sensations and I will also celebrate our 36th anniversary. 1976 was a very good year!!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Happy Anniversary! I'm so sorry to hear that you are apart on this special day, but I can feel the strong love from your lovely post! 😉 Your salmon is AMAZING! My family adores salmon among all the fish (especially kids) and when there is strawberry involved in the sauce, I think they'll go crazy! It's a beautiful dish, too! I hope you will have a wonderful belated celebration with your husband! 🙂
Lenia says
Happy anniversary,dear Chris!You are blessed to have each other!I wish you the best!What a lovely way to celebrate even if you are miles apart?Your dish looks so tempting!Kisses,my dear friend!
Anonymous says
What is on the plate with the salmon and salsa? Can't wait to try it!!!