Salmon Linguine w/ White Wine Cream Sauce

Recipe: Serves 2-3

-8 oz dry uncooked linguine (or pasta of your choice)
-8 oz salmon fillets
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup chicken stock
-1 tbsp corn starch
-1/2 cup white wine
-2-3 cloves of garlic minced
-olive oil
-half of a small onion (white or yellow) diced
-half to three quarters package of button mushrooms
-shredded parmesan cheese
-half bell pepper cut into small thin strips or diced (optional)
-butter (optional to substitute olive oil)
-red pepper flakes (optional)
-dried or fresh dill (optional)
-dried or fresh parsley (optional)
-salt and pepper to taste

1) Rub salmon fillet with olive oil and season it with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want (garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, etc). I usually cook a half-inch fillet in the toaster oven for 20 minutes @ 375F.

2) While the salmon is cooking, prepare the pasta as directed on the package. After the pasta is done, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.

3) While salmon and pasta are cooking, heat up a large skillet to medium heat with just enough olive oil to coat the surface. After the oil is heated, add onions, garlic, mushrooms, and bell peppers and sautee them until they have shrunken and softened slightly (3-4 minutes).

4) Add white wine into the pan and allow it to simmer until the liquid has been reduced by half. Combine chicken broth and corn starch in a bowl and mix until there are no more clumps. Add this mixture along with heavy cream into the pan and stir contents until the sauce is of uniform color. At this point, the salmon should be done. Use a fork to break the fillet apart into flakes and add to the sauce.

5) Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes and reduce slightly. Add some red pepper flakes into the sauce if you like it spicy. You can also add dill to the sauce as it tends to go well with seafood, but be careful about adding too much.

6) After allowing sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes, sprinkle a thin layer of parmesan cheese into the sauce. Stir the cooked noodles into the sauce and mix until the pasta noodles evenly coated by sauce. If pasta is not hot enough, you can microwave it for 30 seconds or to the desired temperature.

7) Serve onto a platter and sprinkle parsley (optional) and additional parmesan cheese on the pasta.

Comments: You can cook the salmon using whichever method you prefer. I just use a toaster oven because it's easy and saves energy. It is important that you time everything appropriately such that the salmon is cooked and ready to add to the sauce in step 4. I personally don't like food that is too spicy, but I feel the red pepper flakes add a nice kick to the taste. Lemon juice also goes really well with seafood, so you may also consider adding that to the sauce as well. Enjoy.