Maple-mustard sauce and minted syrup

I didn't buy much in Montreal but I did buy some organic maple syrup. Shamefully, this is in fact the only food item that I brought back with me. Naturally, I decided to utilize this sweet ingredient for dinner. When I looked up recipes on epicurious.com that called for maple syrup, this salmon with maple-mustard sauce caught my eye.

Zack bought two great-looking salmon fillets and I went to work. This was really simple to make. I especially loved the added texture from the mustard seeds and the double punch of hotness from the seeds and the Dijon mustard. The sauce perfectly complimented the juicy and moist bites of salmon. With a side of salad and slices of French bread, this makes a great healthy meal.

For dessert, I was itching to use some mint from my herb garden. I had already used the rosemary, thyme, and basil but I still hadn't touched the mint. I wanted something fresh and I remembered the minted strawberries that Zack had ordered at the Custom House (see my June 13, 2006 post).

I used this minted syrup recipe from epicurious.com and soaked some strawberries in the syrup for about two hours. I found that 1/2 to 3/4 cup is plenty for a pint of strawberries. You have to try this!