Brazilian Salmon

**Sorry for my absence! I got a virus, but have no fear it wasn't swine flu!**

I love talking to old sorority friends on the phone. Especially the really good that when you catch up it is like you never missed a day. Or, that it hasn't been years since we lived together in the sorority house.

I talked to my good friend the other day on the phone. She is a globe trotting business woman that also is still very involved with our sorority as an alumni advisor. As I was talking to her, she was on her way to the airport to fly to Brazil. I was insanely jealous until I thought of myself on the beach with all the Brazilian woman and their bathing suits. I am sure that my pasty self would stick out like a sore thumb! Since I don't see a trip to Brazil anywhere in my future - I decided to make Brazilian Salmon.

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets (5-6 oz. each)

Large orange

Large lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T brown sugar

1/2 T chili powder

1 large garlic clove, minced (or the jarred stuff if you are lazy like me!)

2 T butter, melted

Begin by zesting one large orange and placing it in a small dish.

In a shallow dish (I am using a pie plate), combine the juice from the lemon and orange with salt and pepper. Add salmon, turning once to coat with marinade. Let marinate at room temperature of 20 minutes, turning once.

Salmon are carnivorous creatures that are born in freshwater, travel to the ocean to mature, and then return to fresh water to lay their eggs. Interestingly, they return to the same river that they were born, which is called the natal stream. Salmon get their pink flesh from eating crustaceans in the ocean that are rich in the pigment astaxanthin.

When I make this dish I think of the mug that I bought Mr. T for Christmas. It was a hit! Probably because it is both funny and practical. I am not too sure what his co workers think about him drinking his coffee out of it every day.

In the small dish with the orange zest, add the brown sugar, chili powder and garlic.

Combine lightly with your fingers. This will be the rub for the salmon.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with foil and grease with a little of the melted butter.


Once the salmon has finished marinating move it to the foil lined baking dish. Rub marinated salmon with brown sugar mixture. Drizzle with remaining melted butter


Bake salmon for 8-12 minutes or until it is cooked through. I am sure you have noticed that I didn't cut my salmon into fillets. This caused a need to increase the cooking time. Next time I will cut them before baking. Just to take some of the guess work out of cooking it and if nothing else, I am usually a rule follower.


The salmon comes out perfect and has an interesting flavor to it - both sweet and spicy. This is a great week night meal to make because there isn't a lot of prep work to it. I served this dish with coconut rice and peas.

Now go catch up with a friend, take a trip to the beach in Brazil, or make this salmon!