Fresh Salmon Dinner for two

This was last week's date-night dish. pretty easy and fun.
The meal was composed of 3 parts and a salad:

Salmon:
1 large filet or 2 small filets
1/3 cup of Italian dressing
S+P
Marinate the Salmon in the italian dressing and s+p for as long as possible. Salmon takes about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven or a few minutes per side on a hot stove pan.

Pesto Guacamole:
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1 avacado
1/3 cup (or so) Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic*
1/2 fresh lemon squeezed
1/2 Cup Cashews(helps if you cook in a pan to soften)
Combine everything in a food processor and combine until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
*note* Garlic is very strong. You could substitute garlic powder just use a couple teaspoons to taste.

Rice:
1 cup dry rice
1/2 squeezed lemon
some lemon rind
1/2 cup cashews (as many as you like)
salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to the packaged instructions with S+P and lemon rind. once rice is done, remove the pieces of rind that are leftover and add fresh lemon juice and cashews. stir and cover for another 5 minutes or so to soften the cashews. :-) Yuummmmyyy.

Portion rice on the plate, add salmon, and top everything with the pesto guacamole and you're all set!
This meal was really tasty and fairly light (as long as you don't overdo the rice.) The pesto guac is a different twist on two old classics and they add a unique quality to the salmon.

I hope you all like it!


OH and PS! for those of you who are afraid to cook in a small kitchen.. here's what I'm working with. It's only about 4 x 4 and neither the fridge or the stove are full sized. It gets cramped and sometimes you have to get creative on space, but it's actually easier to clean than a big kitchen, so GO FOR IT!

Steak and Peppers

Steak and Peppers "Rustica" Hey folks. Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I really hate getting on the internet sometimes haha. So I made this dish about 2 weeks ago for Dylan. It has a pretty short ingredient list if you go semi-homemade. You'll need:
Steak (I have tri tip) or sausage
2 Bell peppers of different color
1 onion
couple garlic cloves
jar of spaghetti sauce
italian blend spice
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese
Pasta of your choice.
 This one's super easy.. Marinate your steak in the italian seasonings, s+p and a little balsamic vinegar(just a tbs or so) for a few hours.
 Make a pot of pasta.
 Cook the onions and peppers down in a pan and then add garlic, spices, and sauce. Let it all simmer while you cook the steak.

If you have a cast iron skillet it's easier to cook the steak in my opinion. I put the pan on super hot and seared each side of the steak for 2-3 minutes then stuck the whole pan in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. Slice it up and put it right in your pan with sauce. Add Noodles to your bowl and top with sauce and steak. Top with LOTS of fresh parmesan and you're good to go.
 This dish goes really well with garlic bread and a nice salad, but that's all up to you. It can also be substituted with chicken or eggplant for a lighter meal (just cook accordingly.) Alright, Good luck everybody!