Dinner for Dos

Growing up I used to volunteer at the soup kitchen. After my less than pleasant first encounter with a knife, I was demoted from sous-chef to "master of garlic bread". Even though I used about 10 bags of rolls, it never seemed like it would be enough to serve 100 grown men. Yet, every time, we inevitably were left with a whole tray of sad and soggy uneaten rolls. You would think 7 years of soup kitchening later, I would have learned to be a portion control pro in my own life. Sadly, no.

Whether it's at home or at a restaurant, I over-order and subsequently overeat. So, today I decided to challenge myself to cook enough for just two people.

This is a recipe for tandoori-style salmon skewers served on a bed of wilted fennel spinach and potatoes. Perfect for date night or just enough for ONE day of leftovers.

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(Serves 2) ; Prep time: 30 mins; Cook time: 10 mins

What you need:

For the salmon skewers:

1. Salmon fillet, about 1 inch thick and 6 inches in length (skinless)
2. Plain yogurt - 1.5 tbsp
3. Ginger - 1/2 tsp, grated/paste
4. Garlic - 1 clove, grated/paste
5. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
6. Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp
7. Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Paprika - 1 tsp
9. Kosher salt - 1/2 tsp
10. Olive oil
11. Bamboo skewers
12. Honey

For the masala (all ~1 tbsp, ground together coarsely)

1. Coriander seeds
2. Cumin seeds
3. Whole peppercorns (I used black and white)

For the wilted fennel spinach and potatoes:

1. Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
2. Baby spinach - couple of handfuls
3. Sweet potato - 2 medium, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used gobo root because that's the only thing I had on hand (don't ask me why), but you can use any type of potato)
4. Salt/Pepper
5. Olive oil

What you do:

1. In a bowl mix together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon and 1 tbsp of the ground masala.  
2. Cut the salmon into 1 inch cubes and toss with the marinade.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20-30 mins if you have time. At the same time soak the bamboo skewers in water so they don't burn. 
4. In the meantime, heat up 1 tsp of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat.
5. Toss the sweet potatoes in and once they start browning, turn the heat down to low and put a lid on until cooked through (~10 mins).
6. Add the fennel and spinach and wilt for 2-3 minutes. Add salt/pepper.
7. After 30 mins, heat up a stove-top griddle on medium-high heat.
8. Spray with nonstick spray or olive oil.
9. Skewer the salmon pieces onto the bamboo sticks. Sprinkle some coarse salt and drizzle some honey. (I use a cast-iron griddle and find it better to spray the salmon with a little nonstick spray before grilling)
10. Grill for ~4 minutes on each side or until cooked through (~8-10 minutes).

Done! Bon appetit.