Pan-Seared Salmon w/ Mixed Greens Pesto & Lentil Black Rice Salad

Today is the first Friday of the Lenten season, and in honor of that, Leslie and I are sharing fish and seafood recipes for today's edition of She Made, Ella Hace. So, here's the thing—I wasn't raised Catholic (and I'm not Catholic now), so I've never done the whole abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent thing. And while my husband was raised Catholic, he's not a practicing Catholic now.

Garlicky Chard Stuffed Flank Steak | #NationalGarlicDay

I crave garlic the way some people crave chocolate, so every year when National Garlic Day rolls around, I try to make the most of it by sharing a particularly garlicky dish and inviting my friends to do the same. Since I made dessert last year, I thought I go with an entree this year.

Originally I'd planned on doing a twist on one of my all-time favorite dishes, chicken with 40 garlic cloves, using beef brisket. Switch out the herbs, use red wine instead of white wine...but alas, I couldn't get my hands on a brisket. I should have known I'd need to order it from the butcher in advance; Texas this is not. I didn't plan ahead, so my plans changed. Staring at the butcher case, I decided to go with flank steak since I can't even remember the last time I ate (let alone made) it. But I didn't want to do the same dish since it's a dish that's better when cooked slowly...and I didn't want overcooked, chewy flank steak.

So, I had some flank steak staring me down. I also had a big, beautiful bunch of rainbow chard in my crisper. Greens and garlic are a match made in heaven, so I decided that combining all three would give me a bang-on garlicky good meal. For one flank steak (I got a good 2 pounder), I used 10 fat cloves. It was odorific! My teenager was out that evening at a sporting event, and when he got home 5 hours after it was made, he said "ooooh, I smell garlic" the minute he walked in the door. Mission accomplished.

15-Bean Soup with Smoked Pork and Greens

So.  Who's got two thumbs and loves eating hot soup in the middle of summer?

This girl!

I know, I know.  Stupidest, cheesiest, oldest "joke" in the book.  But it cracks me up.  At least when I say it in my head.  But really, I've never been one to shun soup in the summertime.  I eat other hot things, so why not a bowl filled to the brim with healthy goodness that wafts up and slaps you in the face as you lean over to get a whiff?  Make a big pot one day.  Enjoy.

Divide up the leftovers...maybe freeze a jar.  What you have left in the fridge, you can ladle into individual bowls to reheat for quick meals.  Heck, if you make it in the crockpot, you've almost eliminated any extra steam or heat in your kitchen at all.  If you use the microwave to heat it back up...well then.  See my point?  I'm starting a movement - Stop summer-soup-shunning!  Who's with me?  Anybody?  Anybody?  Bueller?