Meal Planning Mondays with Recipe for Slow Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and Jalapeño

I haven't posted a weekly menu in over 3 years! I honestly could not believe it when I went searching for my last menu post and I had to keep going further and further back. It's funny how life can move us off our path without us really even noticing. I created this blog to share recipes, to share my passion for being in the kitchen, and to inspire you to make real food for your table. I have also enjoyed using it as an arena for sharing family moments and travel. It's my online journal and I love all of you for reading it and indulging me. It makes me particularly happy when I receive an email from one of you commenting on a post or telling me that you have made a recipe that I've published. I have absolutely loved hearing from all of you over the years! In addition to the family themed posts (precious newborn days and funny and cute kid moments are in our future, so yeah, there will continue to be family posts...how could I not?!), I'm ready to also get back to this blog's original purpose...food. No promises on frequency, but here's to a valiant start with a return of a weekly dinner menu post plus recipe. Dinner Menu, Week of January 12th:

(We have a standing Friday night pizza dinner while Jack plays soccer and on Saturdays we get take-out or go out, so these days will be skipped in the dinner planning.) Monday: Black and Ranchero bean and cheese burritos with salsa verde Tuesday: Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce; roasted broccoli Wednesday: Mojito salmon; garlic herb linguine; power greens salad Thursday: Egg, spinach, and cheese wraps; Citrus slices Sunday: Slow roasted salmon with fennel and citrus (see recipe below); roasted fingerling potatoes; arugula salad Slow Roasted Salmon with Fennel and Citrus

Ingredients 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 orange, very thinly sliced, seeds removed 1 lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed 1 jalapeño, with seeds, thinly sliced 4 sprigs dill Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper 2-lb. skinless salmon fillet ¾ cup olive oil

Preparation Preheat oven to 275°. Toss fennel, orange slices, lemon slices, jalapeño, and 4 dill sprigs in a shallow 3-qt. baking dish; season with kosher salt and pepper. Season salmon with kosher salt and place on top of fennel and citrus mixture. Pour oil over. Roast until salmon is just cooked through (the tip of a knife will slide through easily and flesh will be slightly opaque), about 40 minutes in our oven. Transfer salmon to a platter, breaking it into large pieces with the spoon as you go. Spoon fennel and citrus mixture with oil from baking dish over the fish; discard dill sprigs. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2014

Happy Eating this week!