Friday Nights IN: Spa Dinner for 1 or 2

Friday Nights IN is a regular feature at GWU$20 that's intended to trim a few dollars from your entertaining budget by replacing a meal out with a meal in. Some suggestions are dinners for four, six, eight, or even ten. Some are for romantic dinners for two. And some suggestions are perfect for when you need time to yourself!

It's spring. If, like me, you have gained ten pounds this winter eating pasta and coconut cupcakes, you might be thinking of switching to something lighter and healthier. If your winter has been unusually hectic (also me), you may be thinking longingly of a massage. I had one last week and highly recommend it! Why not treat yourself to some spa treatment this Friday and try out this fast and healthy recipe. For added pampering, buy an affordable Pinot Noir that pairs perfectly with the dish.

The Recipe: Soy-and-Ginger Glazed Salon with Udon is my recommended spa food dish. The flavorful marinade keeps the fish moist and tasty, and then goes on to bathe the noodles and wilted spinach. Salmon is good for you, and as long as you buy sustainably-fished salmon you don't have to feel bad about what you're doing to the species and the environment. I substituted Atlantic Char for the salmon in this dish, because my local Whole Foods was having a special on it, and it worked perfectly. The recipe makes four servings, but its easy to pare it back to serve one, or two.

The Wine: Salmon goes well with Pinot Noir, but you want to pick a bottle that is not too ripe. It can be hard to find a wine like this for under $20, but one good bottle to look out for is the very good QPR 2007 Hayman & Hill Pinot Noir Reserve Selection from the Santa Lucia Highlands. (available for $11-$22) This wine had pretty aromas of crushed raspberry and rocks. There was some silkiness of texture (very nice with the salmon and udon), and flavors of high-toned raspberry, pepper, and allspice. You'll find that the raspberry turns blacker and darker and loses some of its high-toned quality with some air, so I'd open this bottle up about 20-30 minutes before you want to eat.

Full Disclose: I received this wine as a sample.