Monday, April 9, 2012

Remembering our kitty and Spicy Soy Salmon



I didn’t want to have to be back here, just four short months after losing one of our other furry family members, but unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our precious Scooter on Saturday.



The loss is enormous; our hearts ache for her and our eyes burn from the tears we've cried. She had a personality like no other, and our house is left feeling empty and too quiet. Everywhere you look, you expect her to be there. For just a moment in the morning when you wake up, you forget what has happened and feel around on the bed. The reality that comes crashing down when you don’t find her there is even harder to deal with in that groggy, hopeful state. 

Like her sister Rose, we were lucky enough to have her in our lives for a long time…Andy got these two littermates as kittens and spent 18 years loving them to pieces. You wish that your animal friends could stay with you forever…they are the ultimate companions who ask very little in return for unconditional love. Food and water, a clean litter box…that’s quite a bargain in exchange for a friendship like that. But too soon, they have to leave us, and you’re left with just the memories to fill a void that feels like it will never be filled.


Scooter had a spirit that stayed with her to the end. She was curious, so friendly, could be counted on to meet you at the door when you got home, would lick your nose raw if you let her, sought out the sun anywhere in the house, and loved to smell my lips after applying Carmex. She woke you up in the morning by climbing on top of you in bed and draping her little white paws over your shoulder. She was mischievous to a fault, sometimes downright bad, and got onto the counter to eat anything and everything out of pans and dishes. What I wouldn’t give to shoo her off the counter now. 


In memory of Scooter, I made salmon. She definitely would have tried to eat this off our plates, even though it’s spicy and probably not so good for her. And if I had known how soon we would be saying goodbye, I would have given her a whole helping of anything she wanted. 


Spicy Soy Salmon

2 salmon filets
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tablespoon sambal oelek*
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus extra for topping

Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, sambal and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Pour into a zip-top bag with salmon and marinate for 1-2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

In a small ovenproof dish*, place salmon filets side by side and pour marinate over. Top salmon with a spoonful of brown sugar.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness. Serve with sauce spooned over the top of the salmon.

*Notes:
1 tablespoon of sambal makes for quite a spicy sauce. Start with 1/2 tablespoon if you don’t like too much heat.
Use as small a dish as possible for cooking the salmon, so the sauce comes up the sides of the filets but doesn’t cover them.


This is such a simple dish but it has so much flavor that you’d never guess the active time spent in the kitchen is less than five minutes. It’s sweet, a bit fiery and really, really good.

25 comments:

  1. I'm sorry for your loss. She looked like a beautiful cat and companion.


    The dish seems like a suitable tribute to her. The salmon looks so tender and moist. I'm sure she would have loved to try and sneak a bite from you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ohh I am so sorry! she looked adorable..glad you shared this with us! I appreciate it and I hope time will heal your heart but of course with loving memory of your furry friend!
    Great dish sweetie!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sorry for the loss of your beloved pet. Pets do have a way of enriching peoples lives, so there is an enormous void after they are gone. I hope you can find some solace in the memory of times spent with Scooter.
    Delicious dish and wonderful tribute to Scooter.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Im sorry for the loss of your kitty, I feel the exact same way about my pets and I am never prepared to lose one of them. I hope in time you feel better, thank you for sharing your wonderful memories of Scooter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry for your loss! Losing pets can be so hard. Thinking of you and your family.
    This salmon looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really wish cats and dogs had a longer life span :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so sorry for your loss, Karen! So sad to say goodbye..we've had Lucy coming up on 8 years, and I had one of my cats (Spot) for 13 years! It always helps me to think of him across the Rainbow Bridge playing and eating cantaloupe -- his favorite treat! You salmon looks delicious too...the spicy soy is a great combo with the salmon!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These pictures of Scooter are perfect. She was the sweetest, lick-y-est little cat ever. I can just imagine her jumping up onto the counter trying to taste this salmon. We are really going to miss her.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so sorry to hear you lost Scooter. My thoughts are with you and Andy . . . and Febby too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awee..so sorry to hear about your kitty..she looks so adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, I'm so, so sorry, Karen! I know your loss has left a big empty spot in your heart. Sending you a big hug~

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is so sad about Scooter. I am so sorry for your loss. Wonderful though that she was able to live out 18 incredible years with a family who loved her.

    ReplyDelete
  13. We also have two sister kitties that we rescued when they were kittens, and they actually look quite similar to yours. We consider them our children and I every now and then I look at one of them and I can't imagine what it will be like to have to say goodbye eventually (they are three years old now). I am so very sincerely sorry for your loss. I think your tribute meal was lovely (my cats would have been just as eager to snatch that fish from the plate!). I hope you can find peace in the happy memories you have of your two beautiful family members, gone too soon.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty, Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm so sad for you. Since I don't have kids or intend on having them, my biggest fear is losing one of our two cats. It's not fair that they can't live as long as us. Rest in Peace Scooter, may heaven be filled with your favorite wet food, always fresh water, moving strings galore, and fields of catnip.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Scooter looks adorable. I'm sorry for your loss, Karen! Losing a pet can be excruciatingly painful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Losing little fuzzies can be tough-so sad to hear about your loss Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  18. very delicious soy salmon.Loved your cute cat too.I liked your blog very much.Happy to follow you dear.Do visit my blog.
    http://www.foodydelight.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am so sorry, but the salmon is a fitting tribute. GREG

    ReplyDelete
  20. It is so very hard to lose a family member. It's been 3 months since our Kodi passed. I too have those morning moments. :'(

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm so sorry for your loss. I've been through the same thing and the house is so quiet when they're gone. My kitties would try to eat that salmon too. It looks and sounds incredible.

    Thank you so much for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

ShareThis