Of Sunday resets and summer goodness

And a dish to welcome the season.

I love Sundays. But not the reason you might think.

I love them for how uncomplicated yet satisfying they can be, how frugal yet nourishing.

I love them because I can cook without an agenda, and for the dish ideas that come to me serendipitously.

So does writing. For some reason, on Sundays, both come effortlessly and without pretensions.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can create the space for this to happen more during the week as well, and the moment that thought crystallised in my mind, I felt how it was detracting from the main point.

It’s like I was trying to make it a task, something that I ought to do, rather than letting things come into being by themselves, organically.

So I willed my mind to return to the present moment.

With summer now in full force, I can enjoy all the wonderful, juicy fruits and vegetables, pairing them with herbs and cheeses, deli meats and prosciutto, swapping them in salads or creating my favourite platters.

Three of my favourite summer dishes (and ones I usually enjoy on Sundays) are burrata salads, shrimp Niçoise salads, and baked salmon with mango salsa served over a bed of basmati rice.

I became obsessed with the latter last summer when I came up with the idea for it. It’s delicious, nutritious, and oh so easy to put together. Even the fussiest eater will dare to try it, I wager.

What is your favourite summer dish? Let me know in the comments.

Now, onto the recipe.

Baked salmon with mango salsa served over a bed of basmati rice.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized salmon fillets

• Dried mixed herbs (Italian, Provence, or any other herbs mix you prefer)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

• Olive oil to drizzle

• Lemon juice from a quarter of a lemon

• 100g basmati rice

• Tamari soy sauce to serve

For the salsa

• 1/2 medium mango

• 1 medium - large avocado

• 1 medium shallot

• 15-20 cherry tomatoes

• A handful of fresh cilantro

• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

• juice of half a lemon, lime works as well

• 1 jalapeno (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan.

2. Wash and pat dry the salmon fillets, then place them on a baking tray and season with salt, pepper, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (max), making sure the fillets stay juicy and don’t become dry.

4. In the meantime, cut the mango, avocado, and cherry tomatoes into small cubes and drizzle with lemon juice, then mix them well. Dice the shallot (you can also cut it julienne if you prefer) and add it to the bowl. Then wash and cut the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Add the olive oil and mix well. Cover the bowl with foil, then place it in the fridge while the fish is baking.

5. Prepare the basmati rice according to the package instructions.

6. Assemble the bowl as in the image above and drizzle with tamari soy sauce to serve.

As always, thank you for reading Salt, Pepper, Stories. Try the recipe, and if this post helped you, give it a heart, comment or share it with someone who is on the hunt for delicious summer recipes.

xx, Ana