bp: Conquering the Kitchen: Poached Salmon ala Bubby

i was never the type who you would find in the kitchen cooking up something. No. If ever you DO find me in the kitchen, it's usually because i'm rummaging through the pantry looking for some peanutbutter or instant noodles.

well, I do know how to cook. technically. i know how to cook eggs -- scrambled eggs, sunny side up, omelet; or anything with the word "instant" on it. obviously. i can make kick butt sandwiches and sandwich spreads though. hehe.

but real food? especially REAL, HEALTHY FOOD? you have got to be kidding me. that would be a challenge.

but because of my boyfriend's influence, i've almost stopped eating junk. almost.And i've started to eat healthy. He's been teaching me how to eat clean and train mean. no more "workout to pigout" mantra that i've learned to love.

Anyway, today is the start of my ZERO carb, ZERO salt, ZERO oil challenge so i decided that maybe it's time for me to learn how to prepare my own food. And last night, since i've been craving for Poached Salmon (and it costs abt a thousand bucks if i eat it in my fave resto) i researched on ole trusty google different Poached Salmon recipes until i found one to my liking. and tweaked it. :)

so ladies and gents, here it goes:

POACHED SALMON

(inspired by the recipe from Martha Stewart's website)

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 Carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 peeled onion, halved

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

1 24oz salmon fillet, to cut into 4 strips

Asparagus

the hardest part: taking out the skin from the salmon.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1:

In a large, deep, straight-sided skillet or heavy pot, combine carrots, celery, onion, lemon and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 8 minutes.

Step 2:

Season salmon with a little bit of pepper and gently lower into simmering liquid (liquid should just cover fish). Reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes (longer for thicker fillets).

Using a wide slotted spatula, remove salmon from liquid.

Step 3:

Take out the liquid from the pan and fill it up halfway with water. Cover til it boils. Take out cover and cook asparagus for 2 mins. drain and serve with the rest.