My happy place

Dinner time is fast becoming my favourite part of the day. Dinner isn't my favourite meal, that would be breakfast. But, I love the feeling of coming home and losing every care and worry of the day in my kitchen.

I would be lost without food, literally. These past few months have been pretty tough for me and were it not for the joy of cooking, I think that I would have fallen to pieces by now. Not that I'm discounting the wonderful support and care that I have been lucky enough to receive. But, I'm talking about restoring my energy and replenishing my soul. When I feel battered and bruised by everything that has gone wrong in my day, frustrated by my shortcomings and overwhelmed by worries, stepping into my kitchen is the warm and loving hug that I desperately need. It doesn't even matter if I succeed in nothing more than creating a giant mess. I'm allowed to fail in my kitchen because that is where I feel most free. My utensils do not judge me and my cooker is incredibly forgiving. Plus, I keep a handy stock of delicious and immediate treats for such emergencies.

The build up of excitement begins on my journey home as I obsessively plan what I'm going to cook. I lose myself in the possibilities and get carried away with menus fit for a King. Before I know it, I'm chopping and seasoning and roasting and frying in a happy haze, bringing together a medley of flavours and textures in the hopes that I will create something unifyingly delightful.

Everyone needs a happy place and that's my happy place; in my tiny kitchen, chock-a-block with spices, olive oil and bags of flour, filling my home with the aroma of whatever my imagination happened to conjure up that day. Today, it was salmon fillet, coated in olive oil and lemon juice with pink Himalayan salt crystals and slithers of ginger rubbed in for good measure. Sometimes, the hardest days end with the tastiest food.

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Wash two salmon fillets and pat dry with kitchen tissue. Place on a baking tray covered with foil. Pour enough lemon olive oil to coat (approximately 2 tbsp) and juice from 1 lemon. Sprinkle 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt crystals and grind everyday seasoning (mixed pepper) on top. Gently rub the oil, juice and seasoning on to the salmon fillets so that they are evenly coated. Peel a piece of ginger (approximately 2cm cubed) and thinly cut into slices. Place the slices on top of the salmon fillets. Cover the tray with foil and place in the oven for about 25-30 mins. When cooked, remove the slices of ginger and serve with some of the juice poured on top.