There comes a point every summer where I basically shut down my kitchen. It’s absolutely too hot to cook or bake and even the thought of getting out a cutting board and knife induces what seems like a mild case of heat stroke. Of course, there also comes a point every summer where I’m tired of eating cheese sandwiches for dinner every night. Having maxed out on no-cook dinners, I began thinking about things that require just a little bit of stove time — enough to make things exciting but not too much that I’d get sweaty trying to make dinner. I decided to try my hand at poaching fish; all you really do is bring the fish and liquid up to a boil, cover it, turn the heat off and let the magic happen. It’s so easy and yet seems so fancy!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups green beans, trimmed
1.5 cup carrots, cut into sticks similar in size to the green beans
1.5 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
salad greens
1.5 pounds salmon fillet
3/4 cup white wine (I went to Big Tree Bottles and told them what I was making and was directed to the perfect wine to use in and drink with my meal — of course I forgot to write it down, but it was Italian)
water
fresh thyme
1/2 cup Crema Mexicana
1/2 to 1 teaspoon mustard powder (to taste)
1 lemon (you’ll use both the zest and juice)
salt

Directions:
In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, pour 1/2 inch water and bring to a boil. Season the water generously with salt, add the vegetables and cover. Steam the vegetables for about 5 minutes then transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Rinse the skillet with cold water to cool it down. Place the salmon in the skillet, add wine, enough water to cover the fish, a few sprigs of thyme and salt. Bring the water to boil over high heat, cover the skillet and remove from heat. Set aside until the salmon is opaque and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together the vegetables and salad greens. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, mustard powder, lemon zest and lemon juice. Break the salmon into large pieces and serve on top of salad, drizzle with the sauce, pour a glass of the wine you used for cooking and enjoy!