The Dark Ages

Imagine coming home from work one day to find that the wall in your kitchen has been knocked down, that the counters have been stripped, and the oven is covered in a fine layer of white cement dust. Imagine that the pantry is bare, the shelves gone, all your baking tins and mixers and your beloved daffodil yellow Kitchenaid Stand Mixer has been shoved unceremoniously under a tea cosy.

*sobs*

It's been dark days... dark days in my household. My name is Nabiya, and I have not baked, licked a spatula, cooled a cake, or iced a cookie in three weeks.

So I apologize, friends, for the silence on this blog. The picture of white chocolate & pecan cookies I posted previously is starting to get on my nerves, and yet, I'm dying to make another batch of that stuff!

I have, however, gotten around to cooking a bit at my aunt's place (where I stay on some weeknights). There's a particular recipe that I'm dying to share as it's so damned good, however, I didn't take great pictures of it. Please bear with me, and give the recipe a shot, and you'll thank me later.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon Steaks

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 cup pistachios
• 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, line a baking tray with foil and drizzle with olive oil. Grind the cumin seeds and pistachios in a mortar and pestle until the pistachios are ground into small and medium pieces
2. Pop the salmon fillets on the tray, skin side down and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the dijon over the fillets evenly, then press the cumin and pistachio mixture in, sprinkle again with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
3. Bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes, until the centre is barely translucent

Serve with rocket salad tossed lightly in balsamic, and maybe some steamed sweet potatoes to accompany. Might do this again tonight, actually... lets see if I can get some fresh salmon fillets.

xx Nabs