Food On Friday #2

I bragged last week that we like trying ethnic food, but my biggest cooking success this week wasn't that exotic. Still, it was a little different and really good. Russ has bought Trader Joe's Cajun Salmon a couple times, and Kai had raved about it. I thought I'd see if I could measure up. Russ found me a recipe for blackened salmon at All Recipes. I improvised quite a bit, and we all agree that it was even better than Trader Joe's.

"Kinda" Blackened Cajun Salmon

• 2 tablespoons ground paprika (I used smoked Spanish paprika from My Spice Sage)
• 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
•   1teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (I actually used fresh because we had some in the garden.)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil with one Tbsp. melted butter added

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.

• Brush salmon fillets on both sides with olive oil/butter mixture, and sprinkle evenly with the cayenne pepper mixture. Drizzle one side of each fillet with some of the remaining olive oil. 
• In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, cook salmon, until blackened, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn fillets, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and continue cooking until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork. 

I didn't blacken the salmon as much as I've seen in some recipes, which was fine with everyone. I was pretty proud of the rest of meal too; salad using lettuce from our garden and broiled potatoes with olive oil, rosemary, garlic from my dad's garden, and fresh thyme.

In other news, I have successfully defeated "Second Sock Syndrome," at least with this pair of socks with my beautiful yarn from Anne. I frogged  the insidious sock that I was nearly finished knitting. I just wasn't happy with the pooling around the ankles, so I went back to one of my favorite patterns, Calendula. I had Paige model them for me. She seems awfully interested in them. Unfortunately, wool sock weather seems to be a thing of the past. I just heard that a warming trend is on the way. I hope that means 80 degree, not 90!