Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large pot with a heavy lid over low heat. Sauté the garlic for 2-3 minutes until it is golden brown and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and then set the heat to high and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Pour in the wine and bring it to a boil. Pour in the wine and bring it to a boil.  Place the mussels in the pot. Cover it and steam the mussels for 3-5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Shake the pot occasionally. Discard unopened shells. Place the mussels in a serving bowl or individual bowls. Pour some broth over them. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving. Serve warm.

Photo Courtesy Of:  wEnDaLicious

I love salmon. It doesn’t matter if it is smoked, grilled or added to soups. I even eat it raw as sashimi, given that it is fresh. I find its texture just right. It is not as meaty as tuna or as flakey as the others. This fish is definitely at the top of my list, so it is always welcoming to find different ways to prepare it.

Poached salmon with arugula pesto is a no fuss healthy recipe that you can prepare anytime. It is perfect for times when you have unexpected guests or when you are tired and you still want to treat yourself to a delicious meal.

I think that the recipe will also work if you grill the salmon fillets. Just rub them with lime juice, salt and pepper. You can also use your favorite pesto recipe instead of the arugula pesto recipe. Macadamia nut pesto or red pesto is also a good alternative to liven up this dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 lime, cut into thick slices

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

For the arugula pesto:

2 cups arugula

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the water into a large saucepan over high heat. Add the lime and season it with salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil. After, reduce the heat to low and then place the salmon fillets in the pan. Cook it for 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is soft and flaky. Transfer the fish fillets to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess liquid and then set aside.

While waiting for the salmon fillets, combine the arugula, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process it for 30 seconds or until it forms a paste like mixture. Add more olive oil if needed. Next, add the Parmesan cheese. Blend the mixture for another 30 seconds. Season it with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon in a serving plate or separate plates. Spoon some pesto over the fillets and serve it with vegetables or salad.

Photo Courtesy Of:   VidyaRangayyan

Which is why I’m kicking off yet another regular on bFeedMe: Fabulous Food Blogs, highlighting food blogs I find. Most of these are new, but some have been around for a while- it just took me this long to discover them!

First up is Homespun Kitchen, written by Cara and featuring recipes that made my mouth water, such as Homemade Corn Dogs, Roast Beef Sandwiches, and Oatmeal Pancakes (and you all know how much I adore pancakes!)

Now while Homespun Kitchen certainly features a lot of delicious dishes, this isn’t strictly a food blog. She blogs about homemaking, and crafts, and just life in general. A lovely blog, and one that went straight on my Google Reader list. Visit Homespun Kitchen »

I’ve recently discovered the joy that is Twitter (yes, I’m a bit late in the game!)

Now, if you’re already on Twitter, you’re probably following your friends’ twitters (or is it your friends’ “tweets”?)- and I’m doing that too, of course- but I have to admit that some of my favorite tweets come from food bloggers and other food-related websites. If you’re not already following them, here are some Twitter accounts I highly recommend checking out:

Foodimentary
For fun little food facts, you can’t go wrong with Foodimentary. For example, without a tweet from them, I wouldn’t have known that today is National Bavarian Crepes Day. Ha ha.

Martha Stewart
If you’re a fan of the great Martha, you’ll be happy to know she just joined Twitter.

David Lebovitz
Cookbook author and my favorite ice cream and chocolate man, David Lebovitz writes one of my favorite food blogs ever. His tweets are always fun.

The Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond, aka “the Pioneer woman”, just won blog of the year, takes awesome photos of the ranch she lives at, and publishes the most awesome comfort-food recipes ever. I’ve made maybe five or six of her recipes, and they all rocked.

Serious Eats
Finally, Serious Eats is the best food community in my humble opinion. I read their tweets religiously.

Oh, and if you’d like to follow me, my Twitter is SweeterLorraine.