Caramelized Salmon with Basil Chile Oil and Pickled Vegetables #30MinuteMondays

Broiled salmon, basil chile oil, and quick-pickled summer vegetables

 team up for a fast and fresh paleo dinner with tons of flavor.

As a recent salmon convert, I'm still a little bit surprised every time I bite into a piece of salmon and find that it's totally delicious. 

For so long the strange pink hue of salmon turned me off, but now I can't get enough. My favorite way to prepare salmon is under the broiler, where it cooks in less than ten minutes flat. I love how the top of the fish gets nicely browned and even a little bit crispy (especially here, with the help of a sprinkling of maple sugar) while the inside remains perfectly tender. This caramelized salmon is inspired by a recipe from Lindsay of Pinch of Yum and it's SO good.

Squash Noodles with Everything Pesto (and an egg on top)

It has been a very long time since I've posted a recipe, and I'm hoping these squash noodles with everything pesto and a fried egg on top will at least partly make up for it.  Things have been busy at school, and it's getting harder and harder to blog often and stay on top of my readings and projects.  However, I am sure you do not want to hear about that.  I bet you'd rather hear about this brunch (dinner? lunch? midnight snack?) recipe that's paleo, grain-free, vegetarian, and ridiculously delicious.

I have to admit that I was unsatisfied with zoodles (zucchini + noodles = zoodles) for a long time, due mostly to unrealistic expectations.  Anyone who tells you that zoodles taste just like regular pasta is either totally lying or has a vastly different palate from mine.  You can't expect these to taste like linguine.

Orange Ginger Squash Soup (Whole30 Day 1)

It's Whole30 time! In addition to eating right all month, I've committed to posting everyday as part of Blogher's January NaBloPoMo. The theme is pressure, which seems fitting--I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to eat clean food and blog about it every single day for a month! I probably won't be able to share 31 new recipes, but instead will sometimes blog about how I'm feeling and what resources I'm using. I'll be sharing lots of simple recipes, which will hopefully inspire you to get in the kitchen and whip up something healthy even if you aren't committing to a whole Whole30.

Baked Eggs in Squash Rings (Paleo, Gluten-free)

There is a lot going on right now!  I have three final exams next week, holiday parties are starting to pop up everywhere, and I've decided to put together a little e-cookbook for my email subscribers (click here to subscribe to make sure you get it as soon as it comes out!).  Don't ask me why I started a new project right before finals week--I just couldn't help myself.  Once I think of a fun idea, I need to get started as soon as possible.

With so much happening, it's important to start the day off with a good, healthy breakfast.  This one is elegant enough for a weekend brunch, but simple enough to make any day of the week.  I don't know about you, but I think these squash-framed baked eggs are pretty much the most gorgeous thing ever.  They taste great, too!  Buy some squash today so you can make these tomorrow for Sunday brunch.  That's it from me--I'm off to study!

Mashed Rutabaga & Squash with Roasted Garlic (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free)

Have you ever tried rutabagas?  They're also called yellow turnips, and they make an amazing low-carb replacement for mashed potatoes.  I was initially inspired to try them after seeing Ina Garten's recipe for mashed rutabaga with crispy shallots, and I like to serve them with bacon-wrapped shrimp.  I once asked Ben what his favorite dish that I'd ever made was, and he told me he's always happy when I make mashed rutabaga.

Since I'm working on Thanksgiving sides this week, I wanted to put a fall spin on mashed rutabaga.  Here I've added winter squash, as well as a generous amount of roasted garlic.  The combination is fabulous.  Don't be scared by the fact that this recipe calls for a whole head of garlic--once the cloves are roasted, they're soft, mellow, and almost nutty.  If you haven't roasted garlic before, you have to try it.  It's really nothing like its pungent, raw self.  If you need more reasons to try it, consider this: garlic has lots of antioxidants, and you won't have to worry about running into any vampires.

Cowboy Carbonara

Have you heard of cowboy caviar?  It's a thing.  I've never really tried it, but it's a lot like this salsa, which is fabulous.  What's Gaby Cooking has several versions, including vegetarian cowboy caviar, cowboy caviar quinoa, and cowboy caviar chopped salad.  They all look delicious, but it's the catchy name that really stuck with me.

So today I had bacon, pasta, and three pattypan squashes that my mom gave me (aren't they the prettiest squashes ever?).  I wanted to make some sort of pasta carbonara, but I didn't have any parmesan.  I came up with this version using cheddar cheese and called it cowboy carbonara.  My boyfriend laughed at me, but he ate seconds.  No cowboy can resist.

I think it might even be fun to add some black beans, tomatoes, and avocado here.  Everything goes with pasta, bacon, and cheese, right?  Go crazy.  I was also going to add cilantro but I froze it in my fridge AGAIN.  Fail.

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 slices bacon

1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)

2-3 pattypan squash, zucchini, or summer squash, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

2-3 scallions, sliced, plus extra for garnish

1 egg

4 ounces freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a large dry skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Set aside to drain on paper towels.  Once the bacon cools, roughly chop it.

Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the grated cheese.

Pour off all but one teaspoon or so of the bacon grease, and return the pan to the heat.  Add the squash and cook for about ten minutes, until tender.  Add the corn and saute for another 2-3 minutes until heated through.  Stir in the scallions and chopped bacon and reduce the heat to low.

When the pasta is done, add it to the skillet with the vegetables.  Add the egg and cheese and cook, tossing with pasta water to thin out the sauce as needed, for 2-3 minutes.  This is to make sure the egg gets cooked.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot, with additional cheese and/or scallions on top.

You might also like:

Mushroom & Fontina Pasta

Pasta with Shrimp & Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce

Linguine Rustico with Whole Cloves of Garlic