Recipe #2 -- Quick Spicy Salmon Fillets

This is one of my favourite "in a hurry" meals. And I WAS in a hurry tonight ... I was starved! It was a long and busy day ... food donations for our Christmas hamper program started arriving by the truckload today and our phone lines were totally on overdrive ... and I didn't have a chance to stop for lunch. So, without further ado, I give you Quick Spicy Salmon Fillets. Note: this really is QUICK, so it's a good idea to start your rice or potatoes, or whatever you plan to serve WITH these fillets FIRST.These are the critters I use. I love salmon, but fresh salmon is not readily available here in the northern interior of the province. These frozen fillets are available, and they're generally not too expensive. I try to keep a package or two in my freezer specifically for days like this.First, heat a tablespoon or so of sesame oil in a fry pan. You can find sesame oil in the Oriental foods section of your grocery store. If you can't find it, your basic olive oil or butter would be just fine. Second, you want to briefly cook a bit of sliced onion and sliced fresh ginger root in the sesame oil. You want enough ginger and onion to more or less cover the bottom of the fry pan. In other words, bigger fry pan, more onions and ginger. Okay? Okay. I like hot and spicy, so I add a teaspoon of dried chili flakes. If you don't like that kind of fire power, please feel free to leave out the chili flakes.As soon as you can smell the heating ginger (and it smells WONDERFUL!), place your frozen fish fillets on top of the onions and ginger.Then add some sliced garlic ... I used 5 cloves ... I won't be kissing anyone tonight ... and 2 tablespoons of honey for each fillet.Finally, pour on a splash of wine (I happened to have a bit of nice Chardonnary in the fridge, but you could substitute some white grape or apple juice if you aren't into the boozy stuff) ...... then cover the fry pan and let steam/simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, OR until the salmon is starting to lose that pink uncooked look. It's important to NOT overcook salmon.Flip the fillets over and cook for another couple of minutes, JUST UNTIL the salmon flakes easily when you poke it with the tip of a knife. This is NOT the time to go read the newspaper or check your emails. This fish dish cooks QUICK.

AS SOON AS THE SALMON IS DONE, plate up and enjoy. Tonight, I had my Quick Spicy Salmon Fillets with boiled red potatoes and a bit of green salad. I didn't have the patience to wait for rice (I don't do instant rice), and potatoes were faster. IF I had decided on rice, I would have put the salmon on a warm plate, then quickly reduced the pan juices with a tablespoon of butter, and used that as a spicy sauce over the rice. And yes, those are PRAWNS you see there. They aren't necessary, but they sure do make a plain little salmon fillet look right purtee on the plate! (Especially good trick when you're trying to impress someone.) There. Wasn't that quick and easy? Enjoy!

Quick Spicy Salmon Fillets

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup sliced onion

1/4 cup sliced fresh ginger root

(1 teaspoon dried chili flakes for fire power, if desired)

2 frozen salmon fillets

4 or 5 fresh garlic cloves, sliced or crushed

4 tablespoons liquid honey

1/4 cup white wine (or fruit juice)