not mine...but still goooood.

my friend sarah and i have this quasi-pseudo-vague tradition where we always find a way to celebrate after finals. its not clear cut- this celebration. its involved trips to europe, ferris wheel rides, mexican food, the buying of leather boots. this year it was cooking a lovely meal. the recipes were stealthily stolen from foodnetwork.com and improvised, of course. but they really did the trick. sars is a bit of a health nut (i am not. very very much, not.) so the recipes were healthy...but really good healthy, not wheat germ/beancurd healthy. are you ready for some post- finals bliss? i've been eating the leftovers and i gots to say...i'm not tired of them yet.

a hindu, muslim, and israeli couscous

bobby flay's toasted israeli couscous with vegetables and lemon balsamic vinaigrette - serves 4

(sars named this, i swear)

ingredients

1/2 lb isreali couscous (we used regular cause sars can't stand anything that looks like fish eggs)

12 spears of asparagus cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 zucchini halved and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 yellow squash halved and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 green pepper diced

1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

freshly ground black pepper

lime-balsamic vinagrette - recipe follows (i had no lemons, ok?)

1. add all vegetables and basil to a large skilled pan and sautee with minimum oil until slightly browned and tender.

2. bring 6 cups of water to a boil, add 1 tbsp salt and couscous and cook until al dente. drain well and add to pan with vegetables and toss well.

(lime-balsamic vinaigrette

ingredients

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp lime zest

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and black pepper

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. whisk ingredients together sans oil, then when combined, slowly whisk in oil until emulsified.)

3. turn off heat on the pan and add the vinaigrette and toss until combined. season with salt and pepper if necessary. let it sit 30 min before serving at room temperature.

seaside in a french village.

ina garten's salmon with lentils - serves 4

ingredients

1/2 pound lentils

1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for salmon

2 cups chopped white onions

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp minced fresh garlic

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 frozen salmon fillets fully defrosted in the refrigerator (we made two cause it was all i had)

for the salmon, cumin, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper seasoning

1. place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. set aside for 15 min then drain.

2. heat oil in a large saute pan and add the garlic, onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, for about 10 min. then add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, vegetable stock, and tomato paste and mix well. cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are tender. turn off heat, then add the red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

3. for the salmon, first preheat the oven at 450 degrees. heat a oven proof sautee pan for four minutes on high heat. brush both sides of the fillets with olive oil, then season liberally with salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and lemon pepper season so that there is a spice crust on either side of the salmon.

4. using tongs, add the salmon to the heated pan, and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to form a sear on the outside. flip the fillets and move the pan into the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salmon is cooked rare. spoon the lentils on the plate and place the salmon fillets on top. serve hot!

i'm guessing this would go great with a good pinot grigio...but we had water. it was still lovely, sitting down to a fresh and delicious meal after slaving away at it for a few hours. bon appetit!