Note From the Universe

Life's magic is a lot like a swift flowing river. No matter how long you've overlooked it or unwittingly swam against it, the instant you stop struggling you're back in the flow, hat down low, coolest cat on the block.

Best Dinner (Almost) Ever

I just made the best dinner that I have made in a l-o-n-g time, and it was definitely one of the top five meals I've ever made. It was made even better by the fact that I made up the best part of the meal myself!

It started out with the fact that I needed to use up a half a head of cabbage before it turned. I'd seen a recipe on Pinterest that seemed simple enough, and we love roasted kale, so I decided to give it a shot. It was so simple - chop the cabbage, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and caraway. I have a convection oven, so I only roasted it for 20 minutes - a regular oven should take 40 - and it came out soft, slightly browned and delicious!

via Martha

Call us crazy about our leafy greens, but next on the menu came spinach salads with a variety of veggies. Our favorite salad topping of late, however, has been pickeled beets. But new to us are homemade salad dressings, which have saved the pocket book and our waistlines. My current favorite is Ceasar from Jamie Oliver. I'm still working on the Ranch.

The star of the show came when I was stumped about what to make for a protein. We've been eating a lot of fish and chicken, and many days I find myself unenthused about another seasoned grilled chicken breast. With a salmon filet staring me in the face, I knew I had to get creative. We experimented last week with egg rolls (hence the leftover cabbage), so I knew I had extra wonton wrappers and wondered if I could find something to do with the two. Failed Pinterest and Google searches turned up little more than a lox bagel wrapped in wontons, so I was left to fend for myself.

First, I seasoned my salmon generously with Old Bay (love that stuff) and threw it on the George Foreman grill. I've been partial to oven-baking lately, but he was out, so why not? While the fish cooked (almost all the way - take it off when it's still slightly rare in the middle so it doesn't dry out when baked), I mixed a quarter cup of chopped sweet onion, a quarter cup of chopped celery, a tablespoon of capers, a tablespoon of lemon juice and two ounces of goat cheese. When the fish was done, I flaked it into the cold mixture. It was warm enough to melt the cheese, which coated the fish like a light sauce. My two servings of salmon with the fillings split evenly among eight wonton wrappers, which I folded, as recommended by several egg roll recipes, like an envelope. The best way I've found is to position the wrapper like a diamond, then add the filling horizontally, from corner to corner. Fold the top corner down, then each side in, then roll and place on foil or a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Spritz the top of each with nonstick spray (or olive oil, if you have one of those handy spritzers), and bake at 400 for 4 minutes(5-7 if you have a traditional oven). Flip, spray and repeat.

The result was delicious - flaky, moist salmon, a light cheese flavor and a nice tang from the capers. The wontons crisped perfectly, contrasting with the warm, tender filling. Surprisingly, it did not even require a dip, as you would often want from an egg-roll-type dish. And the eight rolls nicely fed both of us. It was so easy and so delicious, I know this dish will be making a repeat appearance at our house!

Note From the Universe

No matter how things seem, hope is near and love is present.