Mother's Day Meal

I had a very special Mother's Day...and I'll be back with details of the day tomorrow...but I had to share the delicious meal Brent cooked in my honor.

I am blessed to have a husband who also loves to cook...which means he often surprises me with breaks from the kitchen.  He loves trying new things...and I enjoy being the guinea pig!

He made several wonderful dishes, but today, I'll share the main course he created for dinner.  (The rest I'll share over the next few weeks!) He found the recipe on epicurious, and he used almonds instead of pistachios and olive oil instead of pistachio oil, as we had that on hand.

Salmon with Vegetables and Pistachio Pistou

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped (about 2)
1/2 cup shelled natural pistachios or almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1.5 Tbsp. pistachio oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow or orange peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed with strings removed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
4 6-ounce salmon fillets

1.  Make pistou by mixing dill, green onions, almonds, and 1/4 cup oil in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  You can make this up to 2 hours ahead of time. Keep at room temperature.

2. Heat 1/2 Tbsp. of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and saute until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add snap peas, garlic, and 1/4 cup water; sprinkle with salt.  Saute until the vegetables are just tender and the water evaporates, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in 1 Tbsp. of the pistou.  Place vegetables on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.  Reserve skillet and do not clean.

3. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper.  Place salmon fillets, skin side down, in skillet; cook until skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn salmon over and cook until almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes.

4. Divide vegetable among 4 plates and top with one salmon filet.  Spoon pistou down the center of each fillet to serve.