My boyfriend bought me a Boos cutting board today.  He knows the kind of presents that make me smile . . . diamonds and cutting boards.

Last night I made another Food52 recipe: Scallops & Shrimp over Linguine with Baked Feta.  It was hearty enough for the manly man, but still delicate.  I worried that the feta would over power the seafood.  Nope.  It was perfect.

It was quick, easy and delicious.  Check out the full recipe.

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter and in wine." - Polish proverb

How have I never poached salmon before? A delicious bath of butter, oil and wine seeps into the salmon.  Then it's topped with dijon mustard and dill.  It tastes like a tender piece of heaven.

I served with roasted sweet potatoes and arugula salad.

Poached Salmon with Mustard and Dill
1 lb. salmon, skin removed and cut into serving sizes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons white wine
2 cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Old Bay Seasoning to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large non-stick saute pan. Add oil, wine and garlic and heat through for about three minutes.
2. Place salmon in the delicious bath of goodness, top side down.  Top with the lid and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Flip salmon over, and spread a little dijon mustard on each piece.  Spinkle Old Bay Seasoning, and top with dill.  Replace lid and let cook for 3 more minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and ensure salmon easily flakes with a fork.

Serve over rice. 

Scallop Gumbo 
recipe from The Minimalist 
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and black pepper
2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their juice (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
Cayenne to taste
1 pound scallops
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish. 

1. Put oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add flour and cook, stirring almost constantly, until roux darkens and becomes fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes; as it cooks, adjust heat as necessary to keep mixture from burning. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.
2. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and cayenne. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so soup bubbles steadily. Cook for about 20 minutes or until flavors meld. Add scallops and cook until they are no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, garnished with parsley.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.