Eat This! (Maple Salmon)

Some of my happiest childhood memories involved cooking with my mom.

In our home nothing was packaged, processed or pre-made.

At school I got caught trying to trade a homemade oatmeal raisin cookie for a Twinkie.

That playground deal was born out of curiosity because in the Trick kitchen there were no Twinkies.

There were also no recipes.

Well, that’s not entirely true.

There was the obligatory, 1970’s style, tin, index card box, but I don’t recall my mom ever opening it.

Chef Wolfgang Puck once said:

“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart.”

Those words not only exemplify how my mother cooked but also how she taught cooking.

Meatloaf was mixed by hand and oatmeal (not breadcrumbs) was added until it felt “right”.

A heavy glug of olive oil was added to the pizza pan.

The ricotta was respected and additions served its flavor.

I want to start cooking with you but I’d also like you to experiment.

You decide the amounts, portion sizes and proportions.

These ingredients taste delicious together and I know you've got this.

Maple Salmon

Mix some mayo and maple syrup.

By “maple syrup” I mean the kind that’s made from a tree.

If you’re a Mrs. Butterworth’s type I’m not judging you…

Ok, I’m totally judging you.

Get yourself a beautiful piece of salmon.

I used to be anti farmed salmon, but Whole Foods seems to be getting right.

Slice that baby into 3” ish x however wide the fish is portions and put them on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Clean up and leftover storage is gonna be a snap.

You’re welcome.

Now slap a nice dollop of maple mayo on each piece and spread it around.

Don’t be skimpy but don’t go nuts.

I’m trusting you here…

Salt…

Pepper…

Crushed red pepper sprinkled from on high, like freshly fallen snow.

Ok, I need to settle down…

Under the broiler for:

12 minutes = medium rare.

13-14 minutes = medium.

15 minutes = Just go to Red Lobster. I can’t help you…

Wanna be extra awesome?

Sure, we all do!

Make the same mayo and maple mixture but add a little hot sauce to use as a condiment.

Side dishes?

Yes please!

Those are on you.

Let me know how it goes!

Choosing freedom

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years. Separated from his family, friends and the rest of the world. He was forced to spend many of his days pounding rocks into gravel.

 TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS! (Caps are intentional. I’m yelling)

 His crime was working to free the people of South Africa from an oppressive culture of racism, segregation, and discrimination.

 While most of us have never been in jail, many of us have indeed been held captive.  Our shackles were formed from past failures, abuse, bad relationships, devastating loss, addiction, and heartache. Our cells are constructed out of limiting beliefs, fear, constantly looking back, and negative self-talk.

The challenges of life have a way of shaping our perspective. Sometimes our vision is so skewed that we can only see the negative. Some of us have really great lives and yet are still live distracted by that one thing that we did or was done to us by someone else.

 Nelson Mandela was, by his own admission, bitter and hateful.

 Who wouldn’t be?

 I’ve been there…

 The kids who bullied me…

 A father who was very tough…

 The mistakes I’ve made, some of them over and over…

 People I’ve wronged…

The chains of our past are strong, but the good news is that they are not unbreakable.

 To that point Nelson Mandela said the following:

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

He offers no method or step-by-step process. He also doesn’t imply that it was easy.

What he does indicate is very simple.

He knew he had a choice.

What choices you could make today to begin to move powerfully in the direction of freedom?

It’s not a rhetorical question.

Seriously…

Curious about life coaching with Jim Trick? Email ThatLifeNow@gmail.com or call 978-994-0431 for information.