Hello, Beautiful!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful, long Labor Day Weekend! Leave me a comment about your fun, relaxing, or adventurous plans! I’d love to learn about what sets your soul on fire. Thomas and I spent a pretty perfect day date together on Saturday that had us feeling so romantic and completely lost in the moment. Our day date included us trying a surprisingly delicious new food together . . . and I’ll have a new post for you soon all about our new favorite lunch spot in Charlotte we fell in love with on Saturday!

On Sunday, we met our sweet friends, Michael and Sophie – who are recently engaged (eek!) and were in town for a friend’s wedding all the way from Florida – at an incredible brunch place (also coming to the blog in the near future, yay!). We spent the day with them exploring the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market, sampling local muscadine wines, fruits, and ciders. Sophie even found and purchased her wedding dress that day, and let me tell you . . . it. looks. AMAZING! Michael asked Thomas to be a groomsman, and we are so excited for their special day in 2018.

Later that evening, we saw Ed Sheeran in concert at the new Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, and let me tell you . . . I could dedicate about a million blog posts to how incredible that boy was, and I still would never be able to do him justice. No exaggeration, Ed Sheeran was up there all alone on stage with a microphone, a guitar, and a loop kit, and HE. SLAYED. Just slayed my life away. Looped all his own bass by tapping on the guitar with his hands, looped all his own guitar parts, all his own harmonies . . . just freaking ran circles around himself in the most energetic, incredible, genius way.

Our wedding song was “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, so I don’t even think I have words for what it felt like to stand there in Row M on the Floor Level – literally 13 rows back from this sweet, conversational, talented guy that really knew how to make our entire crowd feel like a part of the evening – swaying in my husband’s arms as we danced to our wedding song LIVE.

It’s honestly a little bittersweet just because I know there are not many other concert experiences that will ever possibly compare. Probably one of the top two concerts of my life, you guys. (I’m pretty obsessed with / loyal to Fall Out Boy, sorry not sorry.) If you want to be proud of the money you spent to see a show and want to walk out those venue doors feeling like it was worth every penny, do yourself a favor and go see Ed Sheeran in concert.

Anyway, before the concert last night I wanted to cook dinner for our friends Michael, Chase, and Sophie, especially since we’d gone out for brunch a few hours ago, plus I knew Michael and Sophie had probably been pretty driving in from Florida and attending their friends’ wedding the day before. I wanted to make a dinner that was lightweight yet filling, because – let’s be honest – brunch involved a LOT of champagne and only the heaviest of carbs.

Not at brunch, betch. Brunch carbs actually don’t even count. Science.

I snagged this Alaskan cod at Trader Joe’s for an incredible price. To be honest, I’m not much for buying refrigerated meats or cheeses from TJ’s because they can get way too pricey, but the frozen section is always more than reasonable and 100% on point. Whether I’m looking for frozen fruits for smoothies, frozen patties or meat for entrees, or pre-made frozen meals or snacks, TJ’s always has impressive prices and healthier options.

I got these 2 bags of Alaskan cod pieces for $8 total at Trader Joe’s. Just to put it into perspective for ya, 2 pieces of Alaskan cod at Publix sell for $8. If you know what to shop for and what you can get away with buying at a not-so-“specialty”-store, you really can’t beat the prices at places like Trader Joe’s and your local Farmer’s Market.

This recipe also works fabulously well with salmon.

Step 1: Creating the Poaching Liquid

2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

Combine all ingredients into pot and place on high heat on stove top. Bring to the poaching liquid to a boil at high heat, then remove from eye. Pour the poaching liquid over the thawed fish of your choice (I’d highly recommend something thick yet flaky that retains moisture well, such as cod or salmon). Bake in a casserole-like dish deep enough that the fish – and poaching liquid – will not spill over the sides.

Step 2: Baking the Fish

If fish are frozen, place packaging in a bowl in the kitchen sink and run under cold water for a few minutes until thawed.
Preheat oven to 400 while making the poaching liquid using stove top.
Place fish skin-side down in casserole dish deeper than height of the fish.
Pour the poaching liquid over the fish and place the dish in the oven for 15-20 minutes, adding or decreasing time depending on the thickness of the fish you selected.

Step 3: Making the Cucumber Dill Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 lemon, juiced
- thinly slice/grate some lemon zest from this lemon before juicing it – we will save this for Step 4, Finishing Touches.
1/2 shallot
2 fresh sprigs of dill, leaves chopped
1/2 cucumber, diced (can also be peeled)

Combine the ingredients into a bowl and mix together while the fish is cooking. Place in the refrigerator to chill and thicken for the remaining cook time.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Remove your fish from the oven once fully cooked. Be sure to immediately remove the fish from the poaching liquid, or the fish will keep cooking within the hot liquid.
Pour the cucumber dill sauce over the fish and garnish with the remaining lemon zest.
Enjoy!

Whole30 Fingerling Potatoes + Brussels Sprouts

1 bag of fingerling potatoes (or assorted fingerling potatoes)
1 bag of Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

Grease pan using olive oil and heat on stove top. Thinly slice potatoes and chop Brussels sprouts; add to pan on stove top. Mix in salt, pepper, and ghee while ingredients cook for 12-15 minutes on medium-high heat, or until crispy.

This whole dish is incredibly simple to make, and really doesn’t use too many ingredients. I love that I can whip together the side of veggies while the fish is poaching in the oven, and I can even mix together the cucumber dill sauce while the poaching liquid boils on the stove top. I love a fluid recipe like this one because it allows life to happen while I’m cooking without it making the experience stressful. If I have to stop to change clothes for the concert, answer the door to invite company inside, refill everyone’s wine, or feed the 4 furbabies dinner, it’s all good because the fish is underway in the oven and the veggies – while sauteed – don’t exactly need to be stirred every 30 seconds, so stepping away for a few minutes at a time is definitely an option.

I was kinda nervous to cook this dish because I didn’t know how my husband or his guy friends would react to cucumber dill anything.

Would it be too cool + light – more like a summer dish?

Would it end up being entirely too healthy and not leave us feeling full and satisfied?

Would the ingredients give away the fact that it was a Whole30 meal?

Would the healthy ingredients make it feel less like a real dinner and more like dinner on a diet?

(Yep, you read that right! This entire meal can totally can be Whole30 approved if you make the mayo from scratch!).

Well, let me tell ya: I was worried for nothing. Cooking with simple, healthy, clean ingredients is always a win, because it allows the real flavors of the foods you’re working to truly shine. The boys were going back for second helpings of the fish, and I received lots of compliments on the flavor and tenderness. Definitely a surprising crowd-pleaser, and I love that it’s something new and different . . . not just something we’re all too comfortable with for bigger gatherings, like spaghetti and garlic bread.

Now that I know how easy and quick it was to whip this dish together, it’ll definitely be a go-to meal I sprinkle in every now and then at home. And you better believe I’ll be keeping it in my back pocket for our next round of dinner guests, too! I like a dish that says, “Don’t freak out or anything, it’s just fish,” while also being a little bit like, “But, I mean . . . it’s fancy fish, so low-key check me out.” I can poach fish now. #MamaIMadeIt