We celebrated the start of Passover on Wednesday and I have been trying to think of ways to feed my Jewish fiancé ever since. At the start of each Passover, we head over to J’s parent’s house for dinner, which is always amazing. There is kosher chicken, kotlet, potatoes, eggs, and kosher cake. We stuff ourselves with this amazing food and then leave with me wondering how the heck I am supposed to feed my fiancé like this for a week. I am Italian and my major food groups are pasta, bread, and Doritos….not conducive with being kosher….and on top of that we are in month two of quarantine. I did a big shop at the start of the quarantine and have been trying to cook with what I have to avoid going back to the store. As annoying as this is, it has been a great learning lesson for me- I am very guilty of overbuying and we often throw away a decent amount of food. I think that is my mother in me, always wanting to be prepared should people stop by so that you can whip something up right on the spot.

I think that trying to understand what is kosher and what can be eaten during Passover has been the most difficult part. It feels like they literally can’t eat ANYTHING. Any don’t even try hitting up your friend Google for help…it only gets worse. There are, like, 4385794 types of Jews and they all have different beliefs as to what they can eat during Passover. I have nothing but respect for the Jewish culture but this is like the Olympics of cooking for me. Ultimately, we narrowed it down to decide that he could eat fish, legumes, vegetables, fruit, and matzah (because lord knows I don’t just keep kosher meat lying around). I decided to run with it for the dinner that I made last night, while also being mindful of using foods that were about to go bad.

I had half a bag of Brussel sprouts leftover from Costco, so I decided to make those with salmon, something I always keep in the house. I love a dinner of fish and veggies and so does my fiancé, but he is always hungry again an hour later. To try to combat that, I decided to throw potatoes in the mix to make it a bit more filling (and still hope to wake up with abs in the morning, which has never happened but a girl can dream).

I started by cutting the ends off of the Brussel sprouts and then cutting them in half. I then washed the potatoes and cut them into cubes that were slightly larger than the Brussel sprout pieces. I then added all of the potatoes and Brussels to a bowl to begin seasoning them. I used to always try to season everything on the sheet pan to avoid having to do more dishes. This always resulted in food flying all over the place and my dog finding a potato on the ground and eating it three days later….just mix it in the damn bowl, people. To season, I added the olive oil, Himalayan pink sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes (I don’t ever really measure ingredients and just eyeball it instead). I usually go heavier on the spicy ingredients and the garlic because we love heat and my Italian aunts have instilled in me that garlic is more important that the air we breathe. I then toss to combine and add the mixture to a sheet pan, spreading the ingredients out so that they cook evenly.

The pan can then be added to a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. This is not the full cook time, but instead gives me an indicator of when to start the salmon so that everything finishes at the same time. After 25 minutes, I pull the potatoes/brussels out, toss/flip them, and then sprinkle them with parmesan cheese. These then go back in the oven for 15 more minutes and it is time to get started on the salmon.

*Don’t judge my cookware, most of these are glorious Ikea products that made it with me through college or hand-me-downs from my mother that are 30 years old….C’monnnnn bridal shower!!!*

To start the salmon, I heat the vegetable oil in the pan at high heat. I used to always cook salmon in the oven, but have fallen in love with pan seared salmon the past few months. I feel like you can get a better crust with this method while still keeping the inside tender. To prep the salmon, I sprinkle both sides with Himalayan pink sea salt and black pepper. I then coat it in a generous amount of lemon pepper seasoning, ensuring I cover every inch.

Once the oil in the pan is super hot, I add the salmon filets. These typically cook for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the salmon. (I always buy the huge salmon from Costco and then divide it up into two-person portions and then freeze). Once I see a blackened crust forming, I flip the salmon to cook on the other side. This is where the high heat is critical because it allows me to get a crust quickly without overcooking the fish. The downside to this is that the oil usually start spitting and gets all over the stove and usually hits me in the face a few times. The secret is to drink enough wine while cooking that you literally can’t even feel your face getting burned. You’re welcome.

Once the salmon is done, I pull the potatoes out of the oven and sprinkle with another coat of Himalayan pink salt and Parmesan cheese (because health). At this point it is ready to serve. This meal is super easy- the prep took less than 10 minutes and then I just had to turn the salmon and toss the potato/brussel mixture.

Typically, we like to sit down to dinner at the table. This is a sacred time for us as we typically work long hours and look forward to catching up on our days. With this quarantine, however, we see plenty of each other to the point that it’s like, wow, there you are…again. So, we have been eating more dinners on the couch during this quarantine while watching a show or a movie. This meal was fiancé approved and I accomplished the impossible….he was actually full! Now if only we could only eat in peace without a corgi watching every bite and drooling on our legs…

INGREDIENTS:

Brussel Sprout/Potatoes:

5-6 small russet potatoes ( or 3 large potatoes)
4 C brussel sprouts (or half of a large bag)
2 T Olive Oil
2 T Himalayan pink sea salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 T Garlic Powder
1 T Onion Powder
1 T Crushed Red Pepper
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Parsley
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese

Lemon Pepper Salmon:

2 Salmon Filets
2 T Vegetable Oil
1 Tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
1 Tsp Black Pepepr
2 T Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Passover Dinner- Lemon Pepper Salmon with Spicy Garlic Brussels and Potatoes

Spicy Shrimp Stir Fry