what are we having for dinner?

I saw this recipe on Epicurious recently and just HAD to prepare it!  I am a caper fanatic and with the salty briny addition of anchovies = ooh la la!!!  I’m rounding out the meal with a simple butter lettuce salad and Ina Garten’s Roasted Tomatoes (which frankly I could eat every night and be happy). So there you have it – a fabulous, flavorful and healthy dinner (that’s a snap to prepare).

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Salmon with Caper Anchovy Butter

Roasted Tomatoes

Butter Lettuce Salad

Salmon with Caper Anchovy Butter

(Adapted from Epicurious)

This recipe yields 6 servings so adjust your ingredients accordingly.

4 garlic cloves

3 anchovy fillets

2 TBSP drained capers

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP Cognac

1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

6 6-ounce salmon fillets

Blend first 7 ingredients in food processor.

Add butter and process until well blended. Season to taste with salt. Lay sheet of plastic wrap on work surface. Transfer butter mixture to plastic wrap and roll to form 9-inch-long log.

Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. (Caper-anchovy butter can be prepared 1 week ahead. Keep frozen. Let butter soften slightly before using.)

Preheat oven to 400 degress F. Place salmon fillets in a glass baking dish, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake salmon until just cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

Cut caper-anchovy butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Top each salmon fillet with 2 slices butter (reserve any remaining butter for another use). Serve salmon fillets hot.

Roasted Tomatoes

(Adapted from Ina Garten)

2 pints cherry tomatoes
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped or julienned (ugh – my basil didn’t look good, so I had to use dried – not the same, but in a pinch it’ll have to do!)
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil on a sheet pan.

Spread them out into one layer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Sprinkle with basil leaves and sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Butter Lettuce Salad

(Adapted from Williams Sonoma)

2 heads butter or bibb lettuce

3 1/2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 TBSP chopped fresh chives

1 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon

1 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette.

Toss the lettuce, chives, tarragon and parsley and then toss with the vinaigrette.

Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.