February 7th, 2008, 11:24 pm

Candied Salmon with Citrus Lentils and Guac

ATLANTA, Georgia, February 7, 2008

An amalgamation of existing recipes, this dish came together in a snap. Fast, spicy and sweet - completely unlike the horrible Lipstick Jungle (which seems to exist entirely to convince me that I ought to be wearing a wide belt around the middle of my torso).

This dish is plated separately since it looks good, but flake your salmon and combine this for a delicious salad.

Candied Salmon

1. Marinate salmon in equal parts brown sugar and soy sauce for at least 2 hours. Leaving it for three days, like I like to, transforms the fish, making it ridiculously sweet.

2. Pat salmon dry, then top the service side (side you’d like to display) with equal parts crushed black peppercorn and coriander.

3. In a skillet coated with olive oil, lay down your salmon gently, service side up. Flip your fish only once, halfway through cooking, about 3-5 minutes depending on the heat of your stove.

Citrus Lentils

Lentils are one of the most forgiving pantry items alive. In addition to being extremely inexpensive, they can take on any number of flavorings. Add aromatics, herbs and spices to your heart’s content; substitute juices or stock for water; stir in yogurt or cream or butter to finish off (and richen up) the final dish.

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute one chopped onion and three minced cloves of garlic in olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Add one cup lentils, the zest and juice of one orange, and add water to cover.

3. Cover and cook until lentils are softened (about 30 minutes), adding more water if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.

Citrus Guac

1. Combine 2 cloves minced garlic with one avocado, chopped, one orange, cut into sections and then halfed, and salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes if desired.

Yeah, so, for a throw together last-minute leftovers meal - this was darn delicious. If you have the salmon already marinated, you can start the lentils, prepare the guac, and then sear the salmon at the last second, in an almost-30 minute meal. Added bonus: this dish contains the signature laurafries.com color palette of pink and green.