4th blogging birthday + sun-dried tomato parmesan salmon

Somewhere in the middle of all this fun I've been having lately, I almost forgot an important birthday -- the blog's!  I knew it was sometime in late October but couldn't recall the exact date.

Can you believe it's been 4 years since I first posted?  This past year has been a particularly big one for me, full of changes and growth.  I'm having more fun than I ever thought possible cooking, toiling, tweaking, and playing in the kitchen.  I feel as though I'm really hitting my stride and discovering my "cooking identity" and you guys confirm that every single day.

For once, I'm nearly speechless when I try to come up with the words to express how grateful I am for your passion for food, support, love, and insatiable appetites.  So, I'll just say thank you from the bottom of my heart! :)

From the heart to the stomach, let's get to the real way I can show you how much I appreciate your faithful reading: a delicious new recipe!

It's fitting that a recipe set to celebrate my foray into the blogging world features three of my all-time favorite foods.  And when I say favorite, I really mean "foods that I'm powerless in the face of and couldn't live without": salmon, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes.

My love for salmon is well-documented, as is cheese.   But I've only posted two recipes featuring sun-dried tomatoes (stuffed burgers and beef stew), which seems like a great injustice.

I'm like a shark when it comes to sun-dried tomatoes -- I can instantly spot them in a buffet or on a menu and, when I do, I head straight to them.  In pastas, salads, and quiches.  On pizzas, sandwiches, and even a fork held by yours truly as she eats them straight out of the jar at home.  Sorry, not sorry.

Those gorgeous little red gems are like sweet chewy candy.  I can't get enough!

Though I would've been perfectly content to eat them plain, I summoned all of the willpower I had and got to brainstorming a more suitable way to showcase their flavor

So many recipes involve simply stirring sun-dried tomatoes in with other ingredients and serving as is.  In other words, if you picked out the tomatoes, you'd be none the wiser.

I wanted the sun-dried tomatoes to be more than just an afterthought and, instead, the first thing you tasted and the most prominent flavor.  How does sun-dried tomato breaded salmon sound to ya?

Mmm hmm.  Ah-mazing.

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes are tossed into a food processor and pulsed with some bread crumbs, classic Italian spices like garlic and onion, and salty parmesan cheese.  Salmon fillets are then dunked in an egg white wash before being blanketed with the savory breading mixture and baked to crispy perfection.

The smell of this cooking was totally intoxicating, so I was thankful only 15 minutes stood between myself and culinary bliss.  It seemed almost too good to be true that a few quick steps -- pulse, dunk, bread, bake -- could yield such a restaurant-quality meal.  If you're looking for an easy dinner that'll impress guests, this is it.

Easily one of the best salmon dishes I've ever had, out or at home.  A new favorite made with some of my favorites shared with many of my favorites :)

Two years ago: Red velvet cake pops
Three years ago: Scallops & chorizo
Four years ago: Pumpkin spice cheesecake brownies


Sun-dried Tomato Parmesan Salmon
-serves 2

A few notes: This is easily doubled or tripled to feed a bigger crowd... or give you leftovers, which you're definitely going to want!

1/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (if dried, plump in hot water for a few minutes)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 egg white + 1 Tablespoon water, lightly beaten
2 6-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In the bowl of a small food processor, combine breadcrumbs, tomatoes, seasonings, cheese, and oil.  Pulse until coarse crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a large shallow bowl or plate.

Dip one piece of salmon into egg wash, coating, and allowing excess to drip off before placing in bowl with breading.  Spread a generous amount of crumbs on top of salmon, pressing slightly to adhere, and rotate on all sides until salmon well-breaded.  Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining salmon fillets.  Sprinkle additional breading on top of salmon pieces.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve immediately and enjoy!