So Many Dishes

I cooked dinner last night—the first I’ve cooked since our anniversary on December 28th! It was an easy recipe, a new one that took minimal effort for amazing results. But just being able to cook dinner again felt like a huge milestone.

I’m actually feeling much better. I had the post-operative consult with the surgeon yesterday. I’m still sore and dealing with back pain, but he said that’s all related to the surgery. As he said, “we did a lot of work in there.” And I’ve been walking most mornings, going a little farther each time. As I’ve gained more energy, I’ve started doing smaller things around the house. I’m being very careful not to lift anything, which is my primary restriction. In the kitchen, I’ve been making breakfast for the past week, and easy lunches, too. But cooking dinner is different.

The recipe I made, pomegranate molasses glazed salmon, is a very recent one from The Mediterranean Dish, posted to the website just two weeks ago. Trust me, if I had seen this before I made my list of recipes to try in 2026, it definitely would have been on it.

The dish took less than 10 minutes to put together before baking, and there was nothing to do when it came out of the oven but serve it. I’ve had an unopened bottle of pomegranate molasses in the cupboard for longer than I care to admit. We were introduced to the lovely flavor of this ingredient a number of years ago at a Turkish restaurant in Orlando, but I had never found the right recipe until now.

This recipe has definitely made our “keeper” list. Using an entire bag of baby spinach, it looked like the vegetable would dominate, but it cooks down and absorbs the tartness of the glaze. If I had been cooking for more than two, I would have made another side, because Ken and I devoured the spinach. Good as it was, though, the salmon was the star. This was the best glazed salmon I’ve ever eaten. To keep things simple, we served the fish with fresh Italian bread, but couscous, orzo, or rice would be a nice accompaniment. Enough liquid cooks out of the spinach that we had some delicious sauce to soak up.

Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Salmon

• 1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
• 4 skinless salmon fillets, about 4 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Fill a 9×13 baking dish with the baby spinach, and lay the leaves in an even layer.

In a small bowl, add the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lime zest and juice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and salt. Mix well until uniform.

Place the salmon fillets on the bed of spinach, evenly spaced out. With a spoon or brush, spread the glaze all over the salmon, generously. If you have any of the glaze leftover, pour it over the spinach, around the salmon fillets.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the salmon is flaky and cooked through. (I use my instant read thermometer and check for a temperature of 145 degrees, the temperature recommended for salmon). Remove from oven and serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serves 4.

Happy eating, everyone!