Dinner for the Family

After days of cooking dinner for myself while the rest of my family continue with their lives as they do when I'm away at school, the day finally came when we were all home at the same time for dinner and my mother suggested that I cook, partially because they want to see what I've learned in my first year at school and also because she had no interest in coming home from work and yet another yoga class and trying to put together a meal. So with money added to my bank account and no other plans for the day I went to the gym, straightened up the kitchen and planned a family dinner perfect for a weekday.

Drawing inspiration from yet another dish from class I decided on a healthy baked salmon with grilled asparagus and a whole wheat couscous salad. I marinaded the salmon in a citrus vinaigrette that I used in class once for a fried fish dish, but I decided that I could use it for salmon to add flavor but still keep the meal healthy.

Citrus Marinated Salmon:
3 navel oranges
2 lemons
1 grapefruit
1 tablespoon honey
4-6 ounces olive oil
Salmon fillets (desired amount)

Zest the oranges and lemons and add zest to a blender. Juice all citrus into blender and add honey. Blend and slowly drizzle in oil to create emulsion. Place marinade over fish and let sit in refrigerator for a half an hour. Then place salmon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

This was one of the first times I've cooked for my family, and definitely the first time cooking a full meal for my parents. People say that cooking for your family can be one of the hardest things, not only because they can be your biggest critics but also because you tend to care more about what they think than anyone else. But I got through it and even my dad was amazed at what I was able to do, which meant a lot because he is the one who is usually cooking for the family. Not only did cooking this meal for my family show them what I was able to learn this year but it also made me realize what I had grown and I realized that I had not only gained knowledge but confidence in the kitchen in just one year. So hopefully this is the first of many meals I cook for my family in the future and they will hopefully just get better from here. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!