Old-Fashioned Egg Salad Sandwiches

Hello Lunch!

 

Baked Lime-Mustard Salmon

I adore salmon ~ unfortunately I'm the only one here who feels that adoration.  Salmon is one of the most widely loved varieties of seafood in the world.  Fresh, canned or smoked, it makes me happy when I enjoy a meal of it...

Eating two or three servings a week of salmon is a good way to improve your health, with it being  a healthy tasty alternative to chicken, beef and pork.  It’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and protein.  Plus providing iron, niacin, zinc, Vitamins B6 and B12, and a whole host of other ingredients essential for good health. 

CREAMED ASPARAGUS and EGGS OVER TOAST

Spring is on hold for yet another day here; what's with this chilly 26°with snow on the ground, and it's still coming down...

Whatever, it's that time of year ~ Springtime! ~ and asparagus is popping up all over, especially at the grocery store!

Most of the time, Bill and I like it steamed with a little salt and pepper, nothing more or roasted.  Then other times, that all takes a back seat to my creamed asparagus. 

Easy Parmesan-Crusted Baked Tilapia

It's just another manic meatless Monday!

I wish it was Sunday, that's my fun day...

Tell me, does that ring a bell with any of you?

I remember how I felt in my employed days when Monday rolled around again, and hearing about meatless Monday at work just made it worse.  

Those days are over, I like seafood much more than I did back then, and I'm always looking for a delicious way to dress up fish...

This is a great tilapia recipe that's perfect for any day!

It's delicious with it’s crispy, flavorful Parmesan crust just using just a few everyday ingredients!

Tilapia is ofttimes referred to as “the chicken of fish” thanks to its mild taste and being readily available.  We definitely don’t buy it fresh here in the Midwest, but frozen tilapia is generally on display at the grocers’ seafood counter.  

This recipe would work well with other whitefish also.  The thickness of the fish may require a longer baking time, just bake until flaky.

Ready to bake

A good entrée for dinner tonight!

Give it a go!

EASY PARMESAN-CRUSTED BAKED TILAPIA

Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound tilapia
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Wash and pat dry tilapia.
Mix Parmesan, and remaining ingredients in a shallow bowl or plate.
Dredge fish in cheese mixture, patting the breading in well on both sides.
Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place tilapia on it.
Bake for about 15 minutes until flaky and lightly browned.
Serve



Enjoy!

Ummm, mmm! Baked Orange Roughy Spread with Horseradish ~ Dijon and Parmesan

The smooth pearly white meat of orange roughy is liked for its mild, delicate flavor as well as its ease of cooking.  It’s a great choice for those who don’t like the “fishy” taste of fish.

Orange roughy is native to the waters of Australia and New Zealand, and is a versatile fish that is highly adaptive to a vast array of recipes and seasonings.  

It can survive most cooking methods, with the moist, large flaked meat holding together well after cooking.

The fish is naturally low in cholesterol and fat ~ jam-packed with proteins and other vital nutrients ~ a healthy substitute for any lean meat.

 

A creamy spread of Dijon mustard, Parmesan, a little mayonnaise, and a hint of horseradish tops these baked fillets.  The fish was delicious — so simple to prepare — yet so tasty.  

I have to say ~ all these ingredients work together quite well ~ it's all about the delightful kick from the horseradish and Dijon mustard!


Baked Orange Roughy with Horseradish Dijon and Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 (6 ounce) orange roughy fillets
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
Hungarian paprika

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°.
In a small bowl mix together, juice, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and pepper.
Place fillets in 13 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Spread with Parmesan mixture.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Printable recipe


Happy cooking!

Chicken Baked w/Broccoli, The Southern Living Way

It will be 35 years this August that I’ve lived in the Midwest, but my heart is also in the South, where I grew up.

And that’s where Southern Living enters the picture.  I read about a 1981 cookbook, Southern Living Cookbook for Two here (unfortunately I can’t find the exact post on Nellie’s blog), and knew it meant a visit to Amazon was in order ~ as this cookbook addict hasn’t meant a cookbook, particularly from Southern Living, that she didn’t like. 

I write all over my cookbooks, do you?

It’s a great cookbook with many more recipes I’ll be trying.  And, incidentally, after all these years, I still have a subscription to Southern Living magazine.

As to the recipe, this is one of the most tender, delicious chicken dishes I have ever made, with Bill concurring!  The winning combination of chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and cheese turns this casserole into a mouthwatering dish.  I slightly adapted the recipe by adding mushrooms and less butter.

Headed to the oven

It’s a good filling meal for this time of year, that’s simple and only needs a green salad to round out the dinner.  Here’s hoping you like it also, should you make it!

Chicken Baked w/Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 (8-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup milk

½ cup (2-ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ teaspoon coarse-ground pepper

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Hungarian Paprika

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken in a 2-quart baking dish, and drizzle with butter.

Spread mushrooms over top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Cook broccoli according to package directions, al dente; drain.

Arrange around chicken breasts.

Combine soup, milk, cheese and pepper.

Pour over chicken and broccoli.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and paprika.

Bake an additional 20 minutes.

ENJOY!

Sweet ‘n Spicy Glazed Salmon

My father-in-law had a friend who fished for salmon in Lake Michigan.  Every year, he gave my FIL 3 salmon; my FIL converted an old refrigerator into a smoker, smoked the salmon for his buddy, and kept one for himself.  Those were the “good old days” when we raved about his smoked salmon, and he shared with us! 

Sadly, those days are long gone, but salmon remains my favorite seafood…

This recipe for salmon, with it’s mouthwatering sauce, is adapted from Cooking Light, and has all the right flavors ~ sweet, salty, spicy and sour ~ all the right flavors that don’t outshine the salmon! 

It’s still on the cool side here so I turned the oven on again for dinner last night, but this is a great recipe for the grill also. 

The salmon is very tasty, really good ~ I didn’t have any leftovers and doubt if you will have either, when you make it.

Sweet ‘n Spicy Glazed Salmon

Adapted

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Splenda brown sugar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

4 teaspoons Chinese-style hot mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon white vinegar

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Cooking spray

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil, remove from heat, set aside.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place salmon on pan and sprinkle with pepper.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Preheat broiler.

Brush sugar mixture over salmon.

Place pan under broiler and broil for 3-4 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

ENJOY!

Grilled Catfish with Spicy Rub

Three of my favorite things ~ summertime, grillin’ and catfish…

Voila!  Ready to eat!

The seafood case at Jewel is filled with an abundance of large delicious fillets of catfish now. And, grilling is the simplest method of preparing them.  Catfish is a firm-fleshed fish, with a distinct taste I like, which doesn’t fall apart easily, making it perfect for grilling.

The secret to tasty grilled catfish is in the treatment before grilling.  That’s where this rub is the star ~ it’s spicy, adding vibrant flavor quickly to the mild fish, with an appealing color, and a crispy crust also. 

Rubbed for the grill

Perfect summer fare from the grill that will melt in your mouth and is healthy too!

Grilled Catfish with Spicy Rub

Ingredients:

4 catfish fillets

3 teaspoons paprika

3 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Cooking spray

Method:

Combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Lightly spray grill pan and fish with cooking spray.

Apply the rub to catfish.

Grill over medium-high heat until fish flakes with a fork.

Serve

ENJOY!

Pan “Fried” Ocean Perch

It’s MAY 16, snowing like mad, and all of 33 degrees! We thought it was Spring last week, but we were mistaken!  The crabapple tree in the background is just starting to blossom.

This is why we don’t plant flowers, nor have pots of flowers on the deck, etc. until after Memorial weekend; although, new shrubs and bushes are supposed to be planted today.  We’ll see…

As for the ocean perch:  it’s also known as “redfish,” “rockfish,” or “redbream,” with its red skin and white flesh, and a hint of the saltwater it resides in. 

It’s closely related to haddock and is found in the North Atlantic Ocean near North America and Europe.  It’s small and has a somewhat delicate texture; usually not firm enough to grill.

I pan-fried the perch with a light breading in a small amount of oil, about 4 minutes per side. It cooked into a crispy golden hue that gave a crunch with every delicious bite!  It was mouthwatering good, easy and quick ~ it hit the spot!

Pan-fried Ocean Perch

Ingredients:

1 pound ocean perch fillets

¼ cup each flour and cornmeal

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

Method:

Combine flour and cornmeal.

Blend in next 4 ingredients.

Dredge fish in flour mixture.

Heat enough oil to coat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Cook fish about 4 minutes each side, until it is cooked through and flakes easily.

Serve

ENJOY!

Pork Tenderloin Paprikash over Egg Noodles

We’re still having cool weather here ~ heavy thunderstorms last evening, so this dish was flat out delicious for the circumstances:  bites of tender pork topping egg noodles that soak up the rich-tasting tangy sauce!

Pork paprikash is native to Hungary, and a close cousin of goulash.  I make it using sweet paprika; you make it with hot paprika, if you like the heat.

Chunks of pork are browned, and then simmered, in a sauce of paprika, onions and bell peppers.  Sour cream richens the savory flavors of the dish.  Unfortunately, I don’t recall the source of the recipe.

We fall for this dish every time I make it ~ it’s comfort food of the highest order!

It’s definitely a delicious vivid colorful dish!

Pork Tenderloin Paprikash

Ingredients:

8 ounces egg noodles

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, timed and cut into 1-inch chunks

½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1½ cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

1½ cups unsalted chicken stock

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

3 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Method:

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain, set aside and keep warm.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add 2 teaspoons oil.

Add pork, cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.

Remove pork from pan.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

Sauté 4 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Add flour, tomato paste and paprika, combine well.

Add stock and vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Add pork, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until pork is tender.

Remove skillet from heat, stir in sour cream.

Adjust salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve over hot noodles.

Serves 4

ENJOY!

Roasted Paprika Potatoes

I’m a potato-holic and not afraid to say it!  Just about any variety, any way they’re prepared.  But I draw the line at potato soup and run from it as fast as I can.  Of course, Bill loves the soup…

The color of paprika is a nice addition to many dishes, and Hungarian sweet paprika is used in this dish.  It adds a warm, sweet, peppery, pleasant taste to the potatoes as they roast.  There is just enough olive oil to crisp them up into a great side dish. 

This is a simple roasted potato recipe with great results.  If you’ve never eaten roasted potatoes, you’re in for a treat!

Roasted Paprika Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven 425 degrees.

Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks, leaving the skin on.

Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place potatoes and garlic on baking sheet and toss to coat with oil.

Combine remaining 3 ingredients, sprinkle over potatoes, and toss.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until fork tender and a crisp golden brown.

Serves 4.

Do you like potato soup???

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!