Salmon with pomegranate molasses glaze and roasted peaches

Remember how I mentioned a while back that these days my kids have a more active social life than their parents? Well, my children also live a more glamorous life than we do these days. While Mommy and Daddy sit in the office next week, little big girl will be on vacation again. Not bad, eh?

The first night she slept away from us a little over a half year ago I was nervous. The first time she left home for almost a week a few months ago my heart was breaking. The second time we dropped her off for a week less than a month ago I shed a few tears in the car.

This time I refuse to acknowledge that little ache in the upper left part of my chest. I will not have visions of myself sitting on the couch in an old pyjama à la Bridget Jones to the notes of All By Myself. I will blink back those tears and focus on what happens when she comes back.

We are going on vacation. There will be beautiful beaches, great wine, fabulous food. But most of all there will be family, friends, laughs, love. There will be my sister, who is my best friend. There will be my three beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed German nephews. There will be their smart, fun loving dad. And last, but not least, the woman who started this all. My Mommy.

So there.

The detox continues. I am feeling healthier already and one pound lighter.

No surprise then that I was thrilled yesterday when I found inspiration on Dinners & Dreams to use up exactly the ingredients I had in my fridge. I played around with the recipe to accomodate some ingredients I wanted to use and leave out others I didn't have. The result was tangy, sweet, caramelized and tender at the same time.

The original recipe was meant for the grill and I am sure that would probably give even more delicious results but since I don't have one I roasted the salmon instead. In an attempt to eat as healthy as possible and cut some of the fattiness of the salmon, I roasted some peaches alongside. They were soft and sweet and juicy, just perfect. In less than 30 minutes I made a healthy meal fit for a king.

The next time I make this I will discard the excess marinade so it doesn't burn on the baking tray during roasting. This will allow me to set the oven on grill and raise the temperature so I can cook the fish for a shorter amount of time but at higher heat. This will make the salmon crunchier without overcooking it.

Ingredients

1 large salmon filet

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

a dash of olive oil

lemon juice (from 1/2 a large lemon)

salt

pepper

3 peaches

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and then brush onto the filet. Cut the peaches in half and take out the pit. Place fish (get rid of the excess marinade because it will burn) and peaches cut side up on a lined baking tray and preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the remaining marinade onto the peaches and sprinkle over some salt and pepper. When the oven is hot, roast the fish and fruit in the upper part of the oven (you can also use the grill setting or broil it - no broilers here) for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how much you like your fish cooked. Serve with a simple salad of mixed greens.