Orange Roasted Salmon with Caper Sauce, Delicious!!!

 

Salmon is my favorite fish and I’m always watching for another good salmon recipe. 

We enjoy it frequently and I was 

more than happy with this recipe!

 

The smooth caper sauce is an easy one to make that’s filled with great flavor that complements the salmon perfectly.  In fact, it would probably be great with any white fish, a good way to add something special to the fish.  

 

Old-Fashioned Egg Salad Sandwiches

Hello Lunch!

 

Heloise's Olive Pecan Spread and a Harsh Winter!

Tom Skilling is predicting lows of -22°, that’s 22° below 0°for tomorrow night, and -20° for Wednesday night-----windchill -42°!
 
He says the highs will be 3° Tuesday, -12° for Wednesday, and -2° Thursday.

We're having the harshest, coldest winter here in decades...

And to top it all of, we had another 6” of snow overnight! 

Just plowed!

Harvest Apple Salad

I've always liked Waldorf salad, and then I came across this recipe.  Fresh chopped apples, dried cherries, cubes of cheddar cheese, and a sprinkling of nuts, all folded in a tangy sour cream sauce.  

This recipe is adapted from a Chicago Tribune recipe of long ago.  The tartness of Granny Smith apples mingling with the sweet crisp taste of Honeycrisp apples is a flavorful combination or, use your favorite apple.  Substitute dried cranberries or raisins for cherries, if you like. And add coarsely chopped pecans or walnut in place of the nut topping.  The possibilities go on and on...

Great Summertime Fresh Rustic Tomato Tart

This is a tasty meatless 

main dish, side dish, 

or even an enjoyable appetizer, 

using oval-shaped plum tomatoes.

 

The rustic look, for sure!

I use plum tomatoes more in winter-time cooking, when regular tomatoes are out of season, or whenever I make a dish in which I don’t want excess moisture.  They’re the thick-walled tomato that’s synonymous with Italy... 

Trisha's Potato Salad - Simply the Best!

Sometimes, 

simple is the best way to go 

when it comes to recipes!

When I'm not pressed for time, I like to try more complicated recipes containing a wide variety of ingredients ~ and, I especially like it when they turn out good and delicious.

But, we're definitely not into nouvelle cuisine here. It makes me think of Julia Child's quote, "If it's beautifully arranged on the plate ~ you know someone's fingers have been all over it." It always looks like a still-life painting to me and is too pretty to consume.

That's why I wanted to try Trisha Yearwood's potato salad recipe. It's basic down-home goodness!

Baked Salmon with Robust Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce

Salmon fishing in Oregon

Kind of funny, Bubba (the seafood lover) reminds me now and then of how, when he and Matt were growing up, I used to never like fish or any seafood except for tuna and salmon, the 2 he didn't like at all back then and still doesn't.  And of course those were the only ones I served back then, pleasing Matt.

These days, I like fish and some seafood, serving it most weeks here, with Bill tolerating salmon.
 
That's when I pep up salmon for Bill and I at dinner time, turning to this piquant sauce uniting blue cheese, cucumber and dill for the salmon.  It's a perfect combo!

There's nothing bland about this little sauce which you can whip up in no time.  In my book, piquant blue cheese always puts pizzazz in a dish!

As salmon is readily available, versatile and simply delicious, the quick prep time of this recipe and its short list of ingredients, makes it an even better dish ~ perfect for a weeknight meal or company too!

Cook this for your dinner tonight:  salmon, with a zesty sauce; a little green salad, and broccoli, maybe a glass of bubbly, and Voila!  You have yourself a great tasty dinner!

By the way, the sauce makes a great salad dressing for a wedge of iceberg lettuce.  

It will make you wonder why you ever ate kale salad, for sure!

Yield: 2-3 servingsAuthor: Pam

Baked Salmon with Creamy Blue Cheese, Cucumber and Dill Sauce

This piquant sauce will jazz up your salmon deliciously!

INGREDIENTS:

For the salmon:

• 1-1/2 pounds slab of salmon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the blue cheese, cucumber and dill sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (light, if desired)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (light, if desired)
• 1/2 cup English cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• Dash of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place salmon on baking sheet, skin side down and brush with oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness, and until fish flakes easily with a fork.
4. Meanwhile:
5. Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   Makes 1-1/2 cups

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!

Green Onion Crab Cakes

Ask 50 cooks and you’ll get 50 recipes for crab cakes…

Sometimes, they end up tasting like all of the ingredients, except the crab meat.  This crab cake recipe actually brings out the great crab flavor, which is just what it should do, even if it is canned crabmeat.  It’s not exactly a penny pinching meal, so I want it to have the flavor that is intended!

Living here in a small town, just Northwest of Chicago, we don’t have access to the great fresh crab that you all enjoy on the coast lines.  So I am curious ~~~ what type of crab do you think is best, and why?  Is it Maryland Blue Crab or Dungenous Crab in San Francisco?  I just know I’m jealous of all of you that enjoy it fresh!

Maryland blue crab

San Francisco dungeness crab

Our "fresh" crabmeat

These green onion crab cakes are nice and crispy on the outside and tender, moist and chock full of crab meat on the inside.  A good simple meal!

Green Onion Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons green onion tops

3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 teaspoon brown mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked over for shells

4 teaspoons milk

6 saltine crackers, finely crushed

¾ cup Panko bread crumbs for coating

3 tablespoons olive oil or butter, for frying

Tartar sauce or lemon wedges

Method:

In a small bowl, combine egg, onions, chili garlic sauce, brown mustard and mayonnaise well.  Set aside.

Lightly break up crabmeat in a medium bowl.

Add milk and toss to coat crabmeat.

Add egg mixture to crabmeat and toss gently.

Add cracker crumbs and combine.

Gather mixture and form into 6 patties.

Coat crab cakes with Panko bread crumbs.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before frying to prevent the crab cakes from falling apart as they cook.

Fry until golden.

Serve with tartar sauce or lemon wedges.

ENJOY!!!

Baked Trout Filets and an Award

Imagine this:  meatloaf ~ covered with mayonnaise-filled mashed potatoes ~ cooked all day in a crockpot... and the grease, soaking the meatloaf, and partially covering the mashed potatoes piled on top.

That was my first newlywed cooking disaster years ago, during Bill’s Army days when he was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.  That meal was inedible ~ I can still taste the mayonnaise in that lump of mashed potatoes and so can Bill!  We laugh about it, and cringe, to this day…

The next fiasco I remember was when he was discharged from the Army, and we moved into an apartment in Louisville.  I wasn’t a big fan of fish or seafood, back then; however, I knew it was a nutritious source of protein for healthy eating, so I bought a package of frozen trout.  

I failed to get the memo that said trout always comes with its head intact.  When that trout’s head, with his bulging eyes, slid out of the package, I gagged, and fed him to the garbage disposal!  Sliders for dinner that night! 

That was the last time I had anything to do with trout --- until I saw it beheaded at the fish counter in Jewel the other day.  I had to try again and it turned out perfectly with this great recipe. Enough said, are you braver than me? Do you serve trout with its head still attached?  

Baked Trout Filets

Ingredients:

4 trout filets

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or concentrate

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place filets in baking dish sprayed with a cooking spray.

Whisk mayonnaise and olive oil in a small bowl and spread on each filet.

Stir together cheese, pepper and breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle liberally over fish.

Drizzle with lemon juice.

Bake about 25 minutes, uncovered or until fish flakes and is browned.

May be placed under broiler to brown, if you prefer.

ENJOY!!!

And now for the Liebster Award:

Jaana, @Janna’s kitchen, bestowed this blog with the Liebster Award.  Go check out her “up and coming” food blog!  The best part is that you automatically win and I am proud to add this to my other awards displayed on my sidebar.  A big “thank you” to Jaana!

What is the Liebster Award?

First of all, liebster is German for “favorite” or “dearest.”  This award is given to draw attention to blogs worthy of note --- usually with few followers, 200 or less.   There is no evaluation committee or formal award process for the Liebster Award, but in a way it is even nicer.  It is recognition that a peer has noticed and appreciated your work!

Here are the rules for the award:

1.       Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2.      Reveal your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3.      Post the award on your blog.

4.      Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogosphere – other bloggers.

5.      And, best of all --- have fun and spread the karma!

I’m happy to spread the karma to these "up and coming" blogs:

Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Dr Dan @ 101 Cooking for Two

Shug @ Shug…My Steps of Faith

Chinkee @ One Big Bite  

Becki @ Becki’s Whole Life

Go check them out!

Here’s wishing you all a good week and:

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, My Kind of Cooking.  She's hosting a giveaway now for one of her cookbooks and cute kitchen towels!

Amazing Bacon Tomato Cups!

“I can resist anything but temptation.”  I know Oscar Wilde said it years before my time but, it’s my motto!

And as an example, it’s that bacon and tomato thing that is hard for me to resist!  If you need a savory appetizer in the near future, here’s the one to try!  

A friend gave me this recipe a while back.  She told me she took the train into Chicago one day to visit an old family friend who served these delicious little bites.  Joyce told me it was the best appetizer she could remember eating.  Thankfully, her friend shared the recipe!

It combines the great flavors of tomato, bacon and mayo.  But that’s not enough!  Add a little chopped onion, some shredded Swiss cheese and a little dried basil if you want to; pile it all in biscuit dough lining a mini-muffin tin, bake and VOILA!  You have a very divine little temptation that’s hard to resist!

You have to try it to believe it!

By the way, have you ever heard of a tomato called Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter?  A West Virginia auto mechanic named M.C. Byles, aka Radiator Charlie, crossbred large tomatoes in the 1930’s and came up with a whopper that he sold for $1 a plant, making enough money that it was appropriately called the Mortgage Lifter.  Now that’s a whopper tomato!

Now, here’s the recipe:

Bacon Tomato Cups

Ingredients:

8 slices of bacon, chopped and cooked crisp

1 medium tomato, chopped and seeds removed

½ small onion, chopped

3 ounces Swiss cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dried basil, optional

1 can flaky biscuit dough*

Method:

Mix first 6 ingredients together.

Separate the biscuit dough into halves or thirds and shape them into greased mini-muffin tins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until dough is golden brown.

*Pam’s note:  I have also used crescent roll dough for this, dividing it into about 16 mini-muffin cups.

I think the next time; I’ll add some chopped shrimp to it!  YUM!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!

Mom’s Pressed Chicken Spread

I was going through Mom’s recipe box recently and came across this recipe.  I don’t know the origin of it but, I remember her making the spread for some pretty tasty sandwiches when I was a kid.  This is simple and light for the hot summer days we’re having now.  

It may sound like a lot of celery---include it all; it won’t give the chicken spread a strong celery taste.  Combining the celery with the nuts adds a little crunch to the spread with the flavors complementing the chicken perfectly.  Mom always put the chicken through a manual meat grinder but I use the food processor for a speedy job.  When adding the broth, be careful not to add so much as to make it mushy.  You can always add more of it or a little mayo if needed after it has been well chilled. 

It’s good on about any type of bread or toast and slider buns also, with a lettuce leaf or two for a savory sandwich; however, spread it on crackers and you are treated to a saporous appetizer! Mom’s Chicken Spread is great summer fare that I hope you try!

Mom’s Pressed Chicken Spread

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

¾ cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon onion, grated

1 tablespoons sweet pickle juice

1 cup celery, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook chicken in large sauce pan in salted water to cover until tender and done.

Remove from broth; reserving broth.   Set aside to cool.

Place chicken in food grinder and grind, or food processor or chop fine with a knife.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise, beating well.

Add pecans, onions, pickle juice, celery, salt and pepper.

Stir until well blended.

Place ground chicken in cream cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.

Add ¼ to ½ cup reserved chicken broth to desired consistency.

Mixture will thicken when chilled.

Mom’s note:  chicken will be moister if cooked the day before using and placed in the broth to chill in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!!!

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

Bill's Tossed Salad with Chicken

Every once in a while, Bill makes our favorite salad for lunch! This is a delicious crunchy fresh salad and he does it up perfectly.

I especially like the addition of peas and hard-boiled eggs.  To make it really easy, pick up a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store!  This is a good salad with a simple dressing!

Bill's Tossed Salad with Chicken

Ingredients:

½ small head lettuce, torn

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

½ small carrot, peeled and shredded

½ small white onion, chopped

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

Dash lemon zest

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl.

Blend remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine and toss.

2 servings

Have a great lunch today!

Today is the last day to enter the CSN Stores giveaway that I posted on October 8th. Don't forget to enter!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!