Blackened Salmon with Roasted Pineapple Salsa

I'm increasingly trying to cut the umbilical cord, so to speak, with cookbooks. I'm becoming a firm believer in using recipes as a blueprint, moving and experimenting from that foundation and incorporating what we like or removing what we don't need or immediately have on hand. For whatever reason (because I do know people who are intimidated by the culinary world of seafood), I feel more at ease using seafood for a meal created completely from my design. To me, seafood can be used in the most diverse ways: added to a tomato sauce base, fixed into little patties to be sauteed a golden brown, or simply dressed with some lemon juice and salt. The possibilities are endless (although I am mindful of the short supply and quality of seafood now available thanks to human greed and an unnecessary oil dependence, an event that is so unsettling and maddening; I made a conscious effort to buy salmon for this recipe that was farm-raised).

I knew I wanted a blackened salmon for this meal (one of the simplest recipes in my repertoire: rub Louisiana blackened seasoning, which can be found in any supermarket, on both sides of fresh salmon; saute over medium heat until the salmon can be easily flaked with a fork). I also wanted a salsa to accompany the salmon;  I decided to start with some roasted jalapenos. I have used roasted jalapenos before in other meals and found myself craving the little peppers more than the protein on my plate. So, I picked up about six jalapenos (because I really, really like peppers), sliced them in two, and ran a spoon down the middle to remove most of the seeds and the membrane (where the heat is mainly located). I then sliced them relatively thin and tossed in about 2 c. of cubed, fresh pineapple. I tossed in about 2 Tbsp. of honey to bring out the sweetness of the pineapple and mitigate some of the heat of the peppers and added the juice of a lime (do not for the love of all that is holy use that crappy lime juice in a squeeze bottle; that's really just an affront to cooking). I roasted the salsa mixture in the oven on 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, stirring the mixture halfway through roasting time.  I then poured the mixture into a bowl and added a bit more honey and lime juice to taste.

Now, for the sake of honesty, I took a bite of the salsa on its own. And immediately every pore in my body opened up because, yes, it's a very spicy salsa. I was worried it would be almost inedible, not to me (because my tolerance and love of heat in food is growing exponentially), but to the hubby. And yes, he took a bite when dinner was served, and I saw him struggling to fight back the urge to spit the salsa back onto the plate. But, I found that, when eaten in conjunction with the salmon, the salsa cooled significantly. I'm not sure if the husband really agreed, but he did finish his side of salsa (I like to think it was because the salsa was a good, slow burn kind of heat, not because I kept calling him a pussy). So, moral of the story? Adjust the number of jalapenos you use unless you really want to sweat it out.

Sides here included a Spaghetti Salad (another cooling agent, especially with the use of cucumbers) and corn on the cob.

Dessert was one of my favorites, something so unbelievably simple. Ready? Just slice some fresh strawberries, sprinkle with about 1 to 1.5 Tbsp. of sugar and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. The tartness/sweetness is perfectly balanced and could be used on any combination of fresh fruit.