Baked Salmon with Tomato Relish and Mushroom Risotto - Adapted from Food and Wine

The salmon is prepared by heating 3T olive oil in an oven proof skillet, placing the salmon skin side down in the skillet and transferring to a 450 F oven until flaky; for our filet it took about 10 min. In advance mix together 2 diced tomatoes, 2T capers, 3 diced green onions and 4T red wine vinegar. Set aside.

Risotto is a wonderful dish with endless possibilities for adaptations but it requires some patience to prepare. Start by heating about 20 oz. of stock to a low simmer. Add 1C of risotto to a sauce pan along with 4T olive oil and saute until the rice starts to become translucent. Add the stock 3/4 C at a time stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. At the end, we added 1C of mushrooms that had been chopped and sauteed until tender. This is where the variations come in. You can add squash, asparagus, peas....just about any veggie you wish. Just before serving, mix in 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese.

When the salmon is done, remove to a plate and add the tomato mixture to the skillet being careful to scrape up all the bits of salmon remaining in the skillet. Top the salmon with the tomato relish and garnish with chopped parsley and basil.

We also served some sliced cucumbers dressed with oil and vinegar, parsley and basil.