Here’s to my Sister

As we all know, food can conjure up great memories and the dish that I cooked Sunday night does just that for me. I moved to Boston in March of 2011 and although I was excited to move to the city that I was born in and always loved, being so far away from my parents was a huge adjustment. Yes, I went to college away from home, but never really felt the distance as I was only two hours away and was too busy partying. Did I say partying? I meant going to class and studying.

Anyhow, one of the main reasons I wanted to move to Boston was to be closer to my sister and brother-in law. I never lived in the same city as my sister after school as she is four years older than me and moved to Boston soon after graduating college. I love being only a 15 minute walk from them, it’s really amazing. Also, being with my sister takes the edge off of being away from my parents and she takes care of me.

One night, over the summer, I went over to her Charlestown condo and she prepared the dish below from the South Beach Diet cookbook. Side note: Although I don’t live carb free (did I mention I was Italian?) I do try to lay off them for at least one meal a day which is very easy to do. This cookbook has great recipes that are healthy, low in carbs and easy to make. The dish below is one of my favorites.

I’ll never forget the night she made it for me because A. it was absolutely delicious and B. we sat up on her beautiful roof deck drinking wine and it was just one of those nights that I remember thinking, “This is where I am supposed to be.” So, here’s to my sister, memories and food.

 Seared Salmon with a Creamy Dill Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, with skin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces alfalfa sprouts (2 cups)

Directions:

• Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, and dill.
• Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon, flesh-side down, and sear 3 minutes, until brown. Flip and sear another 3 minutes, until salmon is just cooked through.
• Place a dollop of sauce on serving plate; top with salmon and a small mound of sprouts.

I like to serve with asparagus or something green on the side. Enjoy!