Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze with New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and Jerk-Grilled Corn on the Cob

I was excited for this classic meal with a twist heading into dinner and it certainly did not disappoint. The apricot-mustard glaze worked to perfection with the meaty/hearty taste of Salmon. The garlic vinaigrette added a spark to the roasted potatoes that worked out absolutely deliciously, and the jerk-grilled corn on the cob kept the classic fall vegetable feeling new. All in all, a successful meal.

This meal blended together seamlessly for an early-autumn treat, but feel free to split the pieces apart if you do not want to make it all at once. You can make extra apricot-mustard glaze and add it to some sauteed veggies if you're not in the mood for corn or make the garlic potatoes as a basic side to nearly any meal. And remember, even if you pair some dishes once it doesn't mean you always must do so. Creativity is always key to keeping a kitchen interesting!

New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Guess where I found this recipe? That's right! If you said Cooking Light, you're a winner. As always, Cooking Light did not fail to disappoint. I am a huge fan of roasted potatoes.. and also a huge fan of garlic.. so I was looking forward to this with high expectations. The garlic added an edge that I wasn't expecting but worked perfectly. I was hesitant about the vinegar and mustard when I was mixing everything together, worried I would ruin some delicious looking roasted potatoes, but I am extremely glad I went for the plunge. Mix this up, eat it, and you'll be coming back for seconds and thirds. I'm already looking forward to making this recipe again!

For once, I didn't really change the recipe so simply follow along and enjoy! Start these first since it takes a while to roast the potatoes.

Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze
This recipe also came from my favorite cooking site. I suppose it was just a Cooking Light night! But a few comments...

This recipe calls for grilling the Salmon and only adding a little bit of glaze at the end. I, however, could just not fathom that this would suffice considering how delicious the sauce was. I cooked the fish on the stove with black pepper and garlic (there really is no reason to add salt... fish doesn't need it and as humans we already consume far more salt than we need to!) I prepared the sauce as instructed in a pan on the stove as well. However, when the sauce was done I poured it over the salmon in the pan (the Salmon also being basically done) and let it saute for another 1-2 minutes before removing from the heat. In this case I used up all of the delicious apricot glaze and allowed it to be sealed with heat against the fish.

This part of the meal takes about 15 minutes to complete, or 20 if you must still find all of the ingredients in your kitchen. I would recommend starting this when your potatoes have about 10 minutes left to roast. That way the garlic can cool and you can prepare the vinaigrette as the salmon finishes cooking and everything can be served immediately.

Jerk-Grilled Corn on the Cob
And, finally, our last Cooking Light creation of the day. In late summer/early fall when corn is in season there is truly nothing better than enjoying nice, ripe, locally grown cobs. As a girl growing up in New Jersey (yes, make the jokes) I especially appreciate this vegetable that comes largely from my home state. And yes - they really do have lots of farms in NJ and I lived near Philadelphia, thank you very much, just 15 minutes outside of Center City and far from the congestion of northern New Jersey. Farms abounded.

But, as delicious as corn may be, it is fun to spice it up with different creations. Not one to ever butter my corn - instead preferring it plain - I'm now having fun with healthy spices that keep the cobs interesting without adding calories and fat.

As always, I used fake butter in place of real butter in this recipe. Keep in mind it melts extremely quickly. For a couple tablespoons of fake butter just microwave for about 10 seconds. I also chose to microwave the corn in wax paper (2.5 minutes per cob) and then pour the butter over the corn just before eating. In fact, I leave the melted jerk mixture with a spoon for people to place on their corn individually.

Enjoy this blend of spices! Make the butter mixture and microwave your corn about 5-10 minutes out depending on the number of cobs you have so your meal is completed all at once.