Category: Dinners

Firecracker Ovenbaked Salmon(Sockeye)

Alaskan Sockeye or red salmon in an Asian marinade that greets the tastebuds with spice and heat.

Ingredients

Salmon filet 12 ounces

Serves 4

4 T soy sauce

3 T crusher red pepper flakes¹

1 t ground ginger

3 garlic cloves minced

3 green onions chopped

1 T brown sugar

1 t hot sauce²

2 T balsamic vinegar

3 T sesame oil

1/3 C peaniut oil

Directions

Heat oven to 410° F  Cover medium size baking pan in aluminum foil.

Placed salmon in gallon Ziploc™ bag.

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.

Pour over the fish and marinate 4 hours skin side up in refrigerator.

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Remove salmon from bag and place in prepared foil covered pan including the marinade.³

Bake 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Foot notes:

1. Reduce pepper flakes to 2T if less heat is desired

2. Delete hot sauce if less heat is desired.

3. Maybe baked without the marinade.

Chicken Meatballs in Marinara Sauce with Pasta

This recipe makes tasty,super moist chicken meatballs even when using chicken breast meat.  Smother them in an Italian tomato based marinara sauce and served over pasta. These meatballs remain moist and taste great the second day as a leftover.

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken

1 medium onion minced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 T butter

2 T plus 1 t  olive oil

1/2 C panko or fine crushed bread crumbs

1/4 C milk

1 egg beaten

1/4 C parsley chopped

1 t thyme

1 t salt

1/2 t ground pepper

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan plus additional for serving

10 ounces linguine

24 ounces of marinara sauce¹

Directions

Bring large pan of salted water to boil and cover over low heat while making meatballs.

In small skillet over medium heat add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and minced onions. Cook for 3 minutes and add minced garlic and cook until garllic is fragrant about a minute. Set aside to cool.

In medium bowl combine milk and egg then add panko and mix. Let mixture stand until panko is moistened. Add chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Gently mix until all ingredients are combined.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using either a small or medium size cookie scoop form meatballs and place on cookie sheet.

Cook the meatballs in two batches. Heat large non stick skillet on medium high heat and add 1 T of butter and 1 T olive oil. After butter is melted add half the meatballs and cook 8-10 minutes until all sides browned. Transfer to a medium bowl. Melt remaining butter and olive oil and add meatballs. Cook 8-10 minutes until all sides browned. Remove to bowl.

Add pasta sauce to pan and captures brown bits for flavor. Add in meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes.

Bring pasta water up to a boil and cook according to package directions.

Drain and divide pasta into four bowls. Spoon meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Serve with additional Paresan and a green salad.

Notes

¹ I use RAO’s Marinara Sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Chowder

Chunky caulifower cheddar cheese soup that is a favorite on cool fall evenings.

Ingredients

1 carrot chopped

1 medium onion minced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 T olive oil

1 medium cauliflower

4 C vegetable broth

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 C milk

2 C shedded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions

Serves 4-6

Cut cauliflower in half and decore. Coarse chop florets and set aside in medium bowl

Add olive oil to large sauce pan over medium high heat.

Add carrots and onion and saute for two minutes, Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add chopped cauliflower and broth and bring to boil and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove about 1/3 of the caulifower mixture to bowl and puree using immersion blender and then add back to large saucepan.

Melt butter in medium size skillet and add flour and stir for 3 minutes. Add milk gradually while whisking and cook for 5 minutes.

Add cheese and mix until blended and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add into cauliflower mixture and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Simmer for 15-20 minutes and serve with green salad and crusty rustic bread.

NOTE:

Toppings such as chives, croutons, crispy onion flakes, sour cream, or popcorn can be added.

If you desire a thicker soup. Make the roux with 3 tablespoons of butter and flour.

If I have leftover soup, I cook pasta elbows* and add in the leftover soup. Pour into baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup shedded cheese on the top.  Cook in the oven at 350º F for 15 minutes. I serve this as a side dish.  * Amount of pasta depends on how much leftover soup.

 

 

Turkey Dumpling Stew

Comfort food for cool fall evenings. Delicious dumplings and stew made using leftover turkey.

Ingredients

Stew

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

2 shallots minced

2 garlic cloves minced

5 T all purpose flour

4 C chicken or turkey broth¹

2 carrots sliced

2 celery stalks diced

1 t thyme

1/2 t Herbes de Provence

1 C frozen peas

1 1/2 C leftover cooked turkey breast cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

Dumplings

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour

2 t  baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 t salt

3 T chilled butter cubed

1/4 C chives minced

1/3 C parsley minced

1 large egg

3/4 C buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven 350º F   Serves 4

Over medium high heat add butter and olive oil to 4 1/2 quart covered pot. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add flour and cook for 3 minutes.

Whisk in liquid gradually until flour is combined and all lumps are gone.

Add carrots, celery, herbs, peas, turkey, broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer covered for 10 minutes.

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Dumplings

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to medium bowl and combine.

Add egg and buttermilk into small bowl and whisk together

Cut chilled butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.

Stir in mixed herbs to flour mixture.

Add in buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.

Remove lid from pot and drop tablespoonfuls of dumpling batter into the stew.

Cover and move to preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve with hearty bread and green salad.

Notes

¹I save leftover defatted turkey jus and use in place of or with broth to add more depth of flavor.

 

 

 

 

Flat Iron Steak Green Salad on Flatbread Pizza

A flat bread pizza topped with grilled flat iron steak and a big flavored salad finished with Southwestern toppings.

Ingredients

1 lavash(9 inches by 12 inches)

1 T olive oil

1/2 sour cream

1/4 C pasta sauce

½ C shredded cheddar¹

Steak

12 ounce flatiron steak marinated in favorite marinade.

Salad Ingredients

1/2 C cucumber diced

1/2 C tomato diced

2 T shallot diced

3 T cilantro chopped

2 T Kalamata olives chopped

2 C Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuce chopped

1/3 C white balsamic vinaigrette

¼ Crème or sour cream

1/2 avacado sliced

2 T Roasted Salsa Verde

Directions

Serves 2 or 4. Preheat oven to 450º F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make Salad

Chop and combine all salad ingredients (except romaine) in medium bowl Set aside.

Steak

Grill or broil steak to desired doneness and rest for 10 minutes. Slice the flat iron steak against the grain and set aside.

Flatbread Prep

Place flatbread on baking sheet and paint both sides lightly with olive oil. Transfer to oven and bake about 2- 3 minutes per side and remove from oven and cool.

Combine sour cream and pizza sauce in small bowl. Spread sauce onto lavash then sprinkle cheese. Bake for 3-4 minutes and remove from oven and cool.

Assemble the Flat Bread Pizza

Place the flatbread on large serving platter.

Combine salad ingredients, romaine, and steak. Add salad dressing and toss together.

Sprinkle the salad steak mixture onto flatbread. Add avocado slices and drizzle with crema and tomatilla salsa’.

Cut and serve,

Notes:

¹Use an aged cheddar cheese if possible/ It adds depth to the steak richness.

 

 

Mussels in Thai Style Broth

Mussels in a delicious Thai style broth bursting with flavor served over a rice corn combination.

Ingredients

Rice

2 C jasmine rice

4 C water

1 t salt

Corn

2 ears of fresh corn on cob

1/3 C water

Pinch of salt

1 t butter

Mussels

2 ½ pounds mussels

3 C chicken broth or fish stock

5-6 dried hot chilies

3 inch lemon grass quartered

2 inches fresh ginger peeled and sliced

5 garlic cloves smashed

1 serano chili quartered optional¹

To Create Final Dish

1 Roma tomato deseeded and  chopped

1 lemon juiced

1/3 C cilantro chopped

1 T fish sauce

Directions

Rice

  • In medium pan, add rice and water and bring to boil.
  • Cover and simmer until rice is cooked until tender.

Corn

  • Wash corn and remove silk.
  • Remove corn kernels from cob and add to small saucepan with water and butter.
  • Cook until el dente then season. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mussels

  • Scrub mussels and remove beards.²
  • In large sauce pan, bring broth, chilies, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic cloves to a boil.
  • Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels open or about 5-7 minutes.
  • Discard mussels that do not open.

Assemble Final Dish

  • Stir hot rice and corn together and divide into four large soup/pasta bowls.
  • Remove mussels from broth and place on rice corn mixture.
  • Strain broth and then add tomato, lemon. cilantro, and fish sauce mixture and stir.
  • Ladle this this broth equally into the four bowls and serve.

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Notes:

¹We like spicy food so we added the extra chili to the broth.

²Our farm raised mussels usually are pretty clean and have few beards.

 

Potato, Bacon, Onion Tarte Flambenkuchen

An Alsatian flatbread or pizza with comfort food toppings. The bacon and crust add crunch, the onions add sweetness, the potatoes and sauce merry for depth of creaminess.

Ingredients

No Yeast Crust

1 1/2 C fllour

3 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

5-6 T water

Sauce

1/3 C fromage blanc

1/3 C crème fraîche(sour cream)

1/4 t nutmeg

Toppings

2 Yukon Gold potatoes sliced thin

2 T olive oil

1 onion sliced thin

1 T olive oil

3 bacon slices crumbled¹

1 slice provolone chopped

1/3 C mozarella shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 500º F.  Cover one baking sheet in aluminum foil. Cover second baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make Dough

In medium bowl add flour and oil and mix until crumbly.

Add water and combine to form dough ball. Knead for 5-10 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap or in covered bowl and let rest for at least one hour.

Make Sauce

In small bowl, combine crème fraîche, froamge blanc, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

Make Toppings

Using a mandolin, slice potatoes and onion very thin.

Rinse potatoes in water to remove extra starch and dry.  Coat with olive oil and roast in oven about 10-15 minutes, turning once. Remove and cool.

In medium skillet heat olive oil, add onion slices and cook until carmelized. Remove and cool.

In small skillet add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and place on paper towel to degrease.

Assemble Tarte

Roll dough on parchment covered baking sheet until about 1/8 inch thick.

Add sauce and spread to about 1/4 inch from edge of dough.

Spread potatoes evenly across the crust, then add carmelized onions  and bacon bits.

Sprinkle provolone and mozzarella across the toppings.

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Place the tarte on top shelf of heated oven for 5 minutes, Then remove and place on lowest shelf for 7-10 minutes until crust is crispy brown.

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Remove and serve.

Note:

¹We use turkey bacon in our recipes.

When visiting Strasbourg, France I had Alsatian choucroute garnie in the fall which was always memorable but the one dish I enjoyed with friends year round was tarte flambée with bacon and onions or apples and cinnamon many times. It is great with an Alsatian dry white wine. I now regualrly make tartes but experiment with different toppings.

 

 

 

Easy Chicken Bolognaise

Tonight is kids’ two-hour basketball practice so we need an easy, quick to make dish.  The type of food that makes a growing child ask for seconds.  Unfortunately, there are never leftovers:)

Ingredients

Sauce

1 pound ground chicken ¹

1 T Mexican Blend (Morton & Bassett)

1 t Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt

2 T olive oil

1 large carrot diced

2 celery sticks diced

1 large shallot diced

4 garlic cloves minced

1 C chicken broth

2 t basil chopped

2 t thyme

2 C marinara sauce

1/2 C cream

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

2 t parsley chopped

Salt and pepper

Pasta

1 pound of  pasta

4 quarts of salted boiling water

Directions

Serves 4-6

Sauce

In medium bowl combine chicken, Mexican seasoning, salt and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add diced carrots, celery, and onions.  Then cook for 4 minutes over medium high heat.  Next, add garlic and cook for two minutes.

Add the seasoned chicken mixture, then stir to break chicken into bits.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink–about 8 minutes.

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Add chicken broth and cook for two minutes while stirring occasionally. Add marina sauce, basil, and thyme and cook for five minutes.

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Add cream, combine, and simmer for about ten minutes.

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Add additional reserved pasta water, if sauce is too thick. Add Parmesan and adjust seasoning.

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Pasta

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook following package directions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup pasta water.

Assemble Pasta Dish

In large serving bowl add the pasta. Pour sauce over the pasta and top with chopped parsley.  If desired, serve with a green salad on the side.

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Notes

1. Ground turkey or ground can be used as direct replacement.

 

 

 

 

 

Southwest Lavash (Flatbread) Pizza

Use lavash as a flatbread to make  fun fresh pizza salad that has great flavor and a light texture.  This recipe is great for cutting carbs and making veggies more fun to eat.

Ingredients

1 lavash flatbread (9 x 12″)

1/2 C chèvre

1/3 C mozzarella

1/2 – 3/4 C black bean corn salsa

1 tomato diced

1/4 C black olives sliced

1 shallot thin sliced

1/4 -1/3 C cilantro sliced

1/2 C lettuce fine sliced

1/4 C sour cream

1/4 C cheddar shredded (optional)

Directions

Serves 2 for lunch

Preheat oven 450º F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine veggies:

Mix tomatoes, shallots, olives, and cilantro in small bowl and set aside.

Make pizza:

For sauces, the flatbread is prenaked.  For a soft cheese spread, you can prebake or move to the next step.  For prebaking, place flatbread on baking sheet and apply thin coat of olive oil to both sides. Bake for 3 minutes and turn over and bake for another 3 minutes.*  The flatbread should crisp and somewhat flexible.

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If prebaked, remove flatbread from oven. Otherwise, gently spread chèvre (or other soft cheese) and then sprinkle mozzarella on the flatbread. Bake for 3-4 minutes and remove from oven.

Add the black bean corn salsa and then the tomato mixture to the prepared flatbread. Sprinkle the lettuce and sour cream to finish dressing the pizza. (If desired, add shredded cheddar cheese.) Cut into quarters and serve.

Notes

* With cheese, I may not prebake the flatbread.  For sauces, prebaking is important since sauces can make flatbread soggy. I recommend experimenting to find what works for you.

Blackened chicken, cod, or halibut can be added.

Do not add so many ingredients that the flatbread breaks from the weight of the toppings.

Tarte Flambe Pizza with Chicken, Olives, and Artichokes

Mediterranean inspired pizza with rosemary chicken, Kalmata olives, artichoke hearts, and a sprinkle of feta. The pizza dough is an Alsatian recipe that bakes to crispness in 10 minutes or less.

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/4 C flour

3 T canola oil

1/4 t salt

5 T water

Sauce

1/3 C creme fraische

1/3 C fromage blanc(can substitute sour cream)

1/4 t nutmeg

 

Topping

1/4 C Leftover rotisserie rosemary herbed chicken breast*

2 T chopped kalmata olives

2 T basil leaves torn

1 1/2 artichoke hearts chopped

4-6 roasted garlic cloves halved

3/4- 1  C mozzarella shredded.

1-2 slices provolone diced

3 T grated Parmesan

1/4 C feta crumbles

Salt and pepper

Directions

Oven temperature 550º F Baking sheet 13″ by 18″ lined with parhment paper Appetizer or serves 2

Mix flour,salt and oil until crumbly. Add water until dough comes together. Knead until smooth. Cover and rest for 1 hour.

Sauce: Mix in small bowl and set aside

Assemble

Roll  and pat dough until paper thin.  Spread sauce then half of the mozzarella and provolone Add garlic, olives, artichokes, chicken, and basil. Top with remaining cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake about 10 minutes on lowest rack in oven.. Remove, slice and eat. Serve with green salad

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Note:
*Any rotisserie chicken can be substituted, We always have leftover chicken breast.