Sunshine

Hi all,

Today I’m daydreaming of a tropical escape. Michigan has given us 40-degree weather, and I am ecstatic! For those of you lucky ones that get to travel for spring break, have a little extra fun in my name! 

While I may be stuck in Michigan for spring break, I decided today I’d make a meal that would give me the illusion of being on vacation. The best part about this meal is that you can customize it. I was inspired by the “easy to open” coconuts at Meijer last week when I was grocery shopping and trying to keep the kids from throwing everything in the cart. They call the shopping cart, the "trolley." Sometimes when I find myself alone at the store I'll say to myself, I have to grab a trolley!

What you’ll need:

For the base-

One coconut 

For the Pico de Gallo-

1/4 cup of red onion

1 Roma tomato 

One jalapeño diced and seeded

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/2 cup of pineapple 

(Other variations could include: avocado or mango)

For the filling-

One salmon fillet about 6 inches long

Other variations could include; chicken, tofu, steak, or just vegetables.

Half a package of frozen diced cauliflower (or use rice, brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

One tablespoon of butter

Salt 

Pepper

Italian seasoning 

Olive oil

Place your salmon skin side down and cut into cubes. You should be able to slide the skin off after cutting if you desire. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place 1/2 a tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan and turn heat to medium-high. Sear the salmon for about 3 minutes. After it has a nice sear, turn heat down to medium-low and cook for an additional 7 minutes while carefully flipping the salmon. Set to the side. Toss your rice cauliflower in the sauté pan so that it can absorb the flavor from the salmon with the 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Add salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. 

Cut your tomato, onion, jalapeño, and pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Toss in a bowl with one teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. 

Grab your coconut and follow the directions on the label for draining and opening. Take a vegetable peeler and scrape the coconut flesh into shards. Keep the coconut flesh in the coconut shell.

Now it’s time to bring it all together. Place your diced cauliflower first, then add your salmon, and lastly top with your Pico de Gallo. 

Stand back and marvel at how beautiful your meal looks and how those wild things could care less about the masterpiece at hand. One of them will think it’s a soccer ball that you won’t let them play with while the other one will look at you strangely and ask if we ran out of bowls. 

On a side note; while writing this first draft, I tucked the kids in four times. They made the transition to their bedroom a couple of days ago, and it’s been a smooth move so far. Yes yes, knock on wood. Tonight is the first time they’ve come up the stairs to talk about “that one time when we watched a video, and we were laughing.” Or the, “ I wanted to show you I found this toy.” Or penny’s blunt “I sleep with you” statement. The girl has confidence I’ll give her that. As I turned her around and walked her back, she gave me this look as if she thought she’ll break me soon enough. So, wish me luck guys! 

With love,

Carolina