Salmon, Pesto, and Greenery

I got a food processor which means one thing: pesto.  My mom is the pesto queen and I've inherited her recipe- and now you can too!

Finished pesto

Pesto, to me, is super summery and amazing- as long as you don't mind having garlic breath.  You can put it on anything: pasta, salmon, chicken, sandwiches, and anything else that you'd like to make more delicious.  It's also really easy to make (as long as you have a food processor).

Pre-cooked dinner

Tonight's dinner was inspired by Jamie Oliver, an amazing chef with amazing restaurants.  For a summer evening such as tonight, something light but flavorful seemed in order so I went with salmon, green beans, and broccolini with pesto.  Use whatever vegetable you like/are in season but make sure they're slightly cooked before putting them in the oven.

Wild-caught Pacific salmon

Salmon is really good for you (fish, in general, is).  Whenever possible, you should eat wild Pacific salmon, not farmed salmon.  The most beneficial qualities salmon has are mitigated, if not eliminated, when you're eating salmon that was fed corn- which is a large part of farmed salmons' diets.  Fish shouldn't eat corn and humans shouldn't eat fish that have eaten corn.  If you're unsure if your salmon is wild or farmed, the color will tell you: wild salmon is a darker pink (almost red) while farmed salmon is a lighter pink (often dyed to make it look more appealing).  If food and your foods' food is something you care about, I would recommend doing further research on farmed salmon so you can come to your own conclusions on it.  Wild caught salmon, however, can have a large carbon footprint: the moral dilemmas abound.

Dinner's ready

Recipes

Pesto

• Fresh basil leaves - about 2 loosely-packed cups
• Olive oil- about 1/2 cup
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 tablespoons cooking water if you make pasta to go with the pesto

1. Wash and dry basil leaves
2. Mix basil, olive oil, garlic, and nuts in a food processor until it is thin and oily
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add both cheeses
4. Add butter and mix well
5. If you're cooking pasta, reserve some of the cooking water before draining and add to mixture

Salmon and Greenery

• Wild-caught Pacific salmon
• Green beans
• Broccolini 
• 1 lemon 
• Tin foil (put on cooking tray)

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C 
2. Boil green beans and broccolini for 2-4 minutes, drain
3. Place vegetables on tin foil
4. Place salmon skin-side down on top of veg
5. Add a dollop of pesto on top of the salmon
6. Halve the lemon and sprinkle the lemon juice and some olive oil on top of it all
7. Close tin foil into a pouch, closed tightly 
8. Cook for 15-20 minutes

It's as easy as that!

PS - I'm back