Summer, apricots and salmon

We're in the last days of November and summer is unbashfully making its presence to the normally dreary and unpredictable Melbourne state. I confess, I'm not too particular to summer due to the sweltering heat that my body can't handle; my ease of tanning on right side of my body whilst driving leaving me with abnormal skin colour; people's body odour and the idea of me having to bare more skin that usual. But what I do love about summer are beaches at sunset, longer days, ice-cream, barbeques, Christmas in summer and FRUIT, glorious fruit!

apricots in all it glory..ahhh

Oh if there's any time fruit can taste better and make me a healthier person for including it in the recommended 3 fruit and 2 veg a day regime - it is during summer. I cried happy tears seeing all the mangoes, watermelon, apricots, strawberries, honeydew melons, peaches, nectarines, mangosteens and cherries (i could go on) in the market stalls. I have devoured half a watermelon in 2 days, and believe me kids this melon was huge and I’m talking huge like a 3 month old baby size.

Another thing I love about fruit is that it’s self-sufficient and there is no uneasy task of cooking, boiling, steaming, extracting, deveining, and filleting. In most cases the only effort required for the consumption of fruit is peeling, cutting and eating. Fruit taste best in its true raw form and as a bonus gives you essential vitamins and minerals you body needs.... ok I’ll stop there, as I’m starting to sound like a nutritionist and I far from it.

Last week I managed to bag me some luscious apricots and with that I managed to create a dish using the apricots in a salsa accompanied with avocado, cucumber served with pan-seared salmon cutlets. The apricots added a delightful sweetness to the dish and created interesting textures fusing with butteryness of avocado and crunchiness of cucumber.

INGREDIENTS
Salmon cutlet
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Olive oil

SALSA
1/2 cup of peeled & diced cucumber
1/2 cup of diced avocado
1 sml apricot, peeled and coarsely chopped

DRESSING
tbsp olive oil
squeeze of lemon
tsp apricot nectar

1. Season salmon cutlet with salt and pepper and rub olive oil. Set aside.
2. Combine olive oil, lemon & nectar in a bowl and whisk until infused. Then add the diced cucumber, avocado and apricot to the dressing and set aside.
3. Heat pan on High and let the pan heat up before placing cutlet leave for 2 minutes, (do not fiddle, poke or touch or your salmon while it searing or it will stick to the pan - trust me, I know). Then turn onto the other side for another 2 minutes.
4. Serve salmon with the salsa on top. Drizzle extra olive oil and cracked pepper (optional)