Pan Roasted Salmon

Pan Roasted Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 (6-8oz) filets of center-cut salmon
• 2 tsp. ghee
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. olive or avocado oil

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 350.
• 2
  Heat a cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet) over medium-high heat.
• 3
  Season the flesh side of the salmon with salt and pepper, to taste.
• 4
  Add olive oil to skillet. When the oil is hot, add salmon skin-side down. Sear until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes.
• 5
  Flip and top each salmon with 1 tsp. of the ghee.
• 6
  Transfer to oven and cook until desired doneness-- about 5 minutes for medium-rare and 9 minutes for fully cooked through.
• 7
  Let rest for 2 minutes and serve immediately with the squeeze of lemon or whatever sauce you are serving it with!

the defined dish http://www.thedefineddish.com/

Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

From Mogwai Soup

Had this salad on Courtney's recommendation - delicious!

3 cups of baby spinach and arugula mix
1 cup of roasted butternut squash (recipe underneath)
1/2 cup of red quinoa, cooked
1/2 of wheat berries, cooked
1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese
3 Tbsp of dried cranberries
3 Tbsp of golden raisins
1/4 cup of almonds, chopped or slivers
1 Tbsp of roasted red pepper, diced in little chunks
2 Tbsp of red onions, diced


I like to cook my quinoa and wheat berries on Sunday or Monday, so I have it for my various salads the whole week. I store them in mason jars in my fridge, and this works great for me. Cook them according to your package directions. I like to cook mine in vegetable broth. Quinoa in 2:1 ratio water to grain for 10 to 15 minutes. Wheat berries take a little bit longer, depending on the kind you get. Just follow the instruction on your package and I cook those in broth as well.


Roasted Butternut Squash:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cut a very thin piece of the bottom to make it more stable, and then cut it in half lengthwise. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
With a large spoon scoop the membranes and seeds from the center. Cut it into 1/2" cubes.
Now, season the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil, one or two cloves of minced garlic, some fresh thyme and rosemary (1 sprig each) and salt and pepper. Toss it all together so everything is coated and then put on a cookie sheet lined with greased baking paper. Roast for about 25 minutes.


Dressing:

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp of water
about 1/2" of ginger, grated

Put all of the ingredients into a mason jar and mix well. Pour a few tablespoons over our salad. Refrigerate the rest.


Assemble the salad:

Fill the bowl with the spinach and arugula. In a smaller bowl mix your quinoa, wheat berries, red pepper, onions, cranberries and raisins. Put over the greens, add butternut squash and toss a few times. Crumble the goat cheese over the whole salad and top with almonds. I like to roast mine before for just a few minutes. Add the dressing and enjoy!

Italian Quesadillas

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Total Time: 1 hr
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min

Yield:12 servings
Level:Easy
Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
9 (8-inch-diameter) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Fontina
3/4 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained well and patted dry
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan, plus 3 tablespoons for garnish
Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Season the onions, to taste, with salt and pepper; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Sprinkle some Fontina over half of a tortilla. Arrange some bell peppers and sauteed onions on top of the Fontina. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and Parmesan. Sprinkle more Fontina over. Fold the clean half over the filling to cover and press gently to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas evenly dividing the filling ingredients.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil on a heavy large griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the quesadillas until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden brown, adding more oil as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the quesadillas to baking sheets and keep them warm in the oven while cooking the remaining quesadillas.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Arrange them on a platter. Garnish the platter with parsley sprigs and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip: The quesadillas can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/italian-quesadillas-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Crumb topped fish fillets

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 T minced parsley
1/2 tsp tarragon, dill, or thyme
1/2 tsp onion salt
dash of nutmeg
1 lb fish fillets, thawed if frozen.
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
Mix well butter, parsley, tarragon, onion salt, nutmeg. Season fish lightly with  salt and pepper.  Place on lightly greased baking pan.  Pour on half the butter mixture.  Mix remaining butter mixture with crumbs. Sprinkle over fish.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes or till flaky.

Serves 4

Corn Chowder

Nice meatless lenten meal, with bread for dunking. Used this for our soup suppers at church during lent.

6 T butter
4 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp minced onion
Combine above ingredients and saute until celery is tender.
Stir about 6-7 T of flour into 3 cups of milk. Add to sauted celery and onion. Stir till thickened. Add 2 14 oz. cans cream style corn. Peel and dice 4 large potatoes. Cook till tender (microwave or boil in salted water.) Add to soup. Heat on low until ready to serve.

Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese

 From Brown Eyed Baker

 Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, divided
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 pound cavatappi pasta (or shaped pasta of your choice)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
12 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta; cover.
2. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and ½ teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is all pink and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta (if your box doesn't specify al dente, cook it for 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the time called for - it shouldn't be cooked the whole way through). When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it in a colander.
4. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
5. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, stir in 9 ounces each of the Pepper Jack and 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
6. Add the cooked, drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
7. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the Panko bread crumbs.
8. Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the cheese.
9. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Crab Supreme

This was a favorite in our early days.  So delicious and easy.

1 pkg corn bread (I use Jiffy), prepared
2 - 6 1/2 oz cans crab meat or pkg frozen
1 cup white or cheese sauce
1/4 sherry
1 tsp salt
cheese

Prepare corn bread per pkg directions.
Place thin layer of corn bread in bottom of greased baking dish (maybe and 8 " square or round casserole). Cover with crab. pour sauce w/sherry over meat. salt and pepper. Cover mixture with cheese (cheddar, amarican, provolone, whatever).  Bake at 350 deg for 20 minutes. Garnish with paprika.

white sauce: in small saucepan, melt 2 T butter. Stir in 2T flour and whisk away for a minute or two while the roux binds (medium heat).  Add 1 - 1/14 cups milk and whisk over medium heat until it thickens (just a few minutes.)  Add sherry and some cheese - maybe 1/2 cup.

Maple Granola

from a Wonderland of Words

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts (the granola in the picture has hazelnuts, but I often use walnuts, pecans or almonds)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup dried fruit (the granola in the picture has dried cherries, but I often use dried blueberries, cranberries, or raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Toss the oats, nuts, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Put the oil, maple syrup, and water in a small bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Add the vanilla and almond extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and toss to coat.   Spread out over baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes, stir to make sure it cooks evenly, and then bake another 25-30 minutes, or until granola is golden brown.   Sprinkle dried fruit over mixture and let cool completely.

Zucchini Patties

by Buddy Valastro

INGREDIENTS

2	medium zucchini
1	teaspoon kosher salt
1	tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1‑1/2	tablespoons chopped mint
2	tablespoons minced shallot
2	cloves garlic, minced
big pinch	red pepper flakes
1/2	cup crumbled ricotta salata
2	tablespoons grated pecorino, plus additional for garnish
2	large eggs, beaten
3	tablespoons all purpose flour
olive oil for frying

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Trim ends from zucchini and grate on the large holes of a grater. Toss with the salt and let drain in a colander while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a bowl, combine the parsley, mint, shallot, garlic, red pepper, ricotta, and pecorino. Squeeze the zucchini dry in a towel and combine with the ingredients in the bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs and flour.
4. Heat a large skillet and pour in oil to 1/4". Drop scant 1/4 cups of batter in to the oil and fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Plate and finish with a grating of pecorino.

This recipe appears in: Italian

Tofu Cacciatore

"This is a super-healthy, vegetarian version of an Italian favorite. As I describe below, be sure to really "press" the excess liquid out of your tofu to ensure that it absorbs the wonderful flavor of the sauce. Don't be afraid to put something really heavy on it to draw out the moisture. Cast iron pan works great! Also, don't limit yourself to just tofu here. I made this for both vegetarians and meat eaters. Make the sauce as written, and then substitute half the amount of tofu with 4 boneless chicken breasts. Then I bake for about an hour, in separate dishes, of course."

Ingredients

• 2 lbs firm tofu
• 1 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup flour, for dredging
• grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese, for topping

Directions

1. To press tofu: For best results, tofu should be"pressed" in order to remove excess liquid and absorb the flavors of the marinade.
2. Press tofu block between two plates, weighted down with a cast iron pan, large bowl of water, or heavy cans, for about 30 minutes.
3. Halfway through, you may dump the plate of water and flip the tofu block.
4. For an even meatier texture, place the pressed tofu slices in the freezer until ready to use.
5. For the cacciatore: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Coat a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium low.
7. Add onion and bell peppers and cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
8. Add garlic, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper, if using, and stir to coat the vegetables evenly.
9. Next, add the diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
10. Mix well and bring sauce mixture to a boil.
11. Reduce heat to low, and simmer the sauce covered for about 15 minutes.
12. While sauce simmers, cut the block of pressed tofu into ½ inch thick slices.
13. Mix flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
14. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium low heat.
15. Dredge the tofu slices in the seasoned flour; be sure to tap off the excess.
16. Place slices into skillet, and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
17. Watch that the pan doesn’t get too hot, and lower the heat if necessary.
18. This step needs to be done in two batches.
19. Be sure to re-coat the pan with spray for the second batch.
20. As the tofu slices are finished browning, place them in a baking dish in a single layer.
21. Pour tomato pepper sauce over tofu, sprinkle generously with Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired, and cover dish with foil.
22. Bake until heated through (about 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours) The longer the tofu bakes, the more flavor it will absorb.
23. Serve hot.

Tuna Loaf

2  - 7 oz cans tuna fish, drained
1   can cream of celery soup
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp lemon juice

Sauce:
2/3 - 1 cup milk
1 can cream of celery soup

Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with Pam. Combine tuna, soup, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. Bake @350 degrees for 3/4 - 1 hour. Combine milk and soup to make sauce.  Pour over sliced loaf.

Mac and Cheese

Barefoot Contessa Family Style

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Baja Lasagna

An old Richard Simons favorite  from  Deal-A-Meal!

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans Ready Cut tomatoes
3 oz. canned diced green chilies
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 2/3 cups drained, canned pinto or kidney beans
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
8 corn tortillas, cut in 1" wide strips
8 oz (2 cups) shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In non-stick skillet coated with non-stick stray, saute onion about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes, chilies, mushrooms, beans and chili powder and cumin. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

In 11 X 7 casserole, arrange 1/3 of the tortilla strips in single layer.

Set aside a little of the cheese for garnishing.

Pour 1/4 of the tomato mixture and 1/3 of the cheese over tortilla strips. Repeat layers, ending with sour cream and last 1/4 of tomato mixture.  Top with reserved cheese.

Bake 30 minutes.

Serves 8; 301 calories

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes

 from Realsimple.com

Con Poulos

Serves 4
Hands-on Time: 20m
Total Time: 8hr 20m

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• sour cream, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid), beans, sweet potato, and 1 cup water.

2. Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, on low for 7 to 8 hours  or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).

3. Serve the chili with the sour cream, scallions, radishes, and tortilla chips.

Tip

The chili can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: Serves 4
Calories 240; Fat 2g; Sat Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1217mg; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 47g; Sugar 13g; Fiber 13g; Iron 4mg; Calcium 134mg

Pierogi

courtesy of Carol Aylward

see Pinterest (Christmas board) for my preferred potato and cabbage fillings.  Also KA flour site comments had some good ones. KA dough recipe is similar - 2 C flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 whole egg, 1/2 c sour cream, 4T butter.  Old school Polish cooks swear they never heard of using sour cream or butter. I had better luck with Carol's recipe than those without sour cream so i might consider using a whole egg instead of 2 yolks - end up with lots of whites otherwise!  The one i tried last year had a cup of hot water with butter melted in it - not good!

2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl. With dough hook, knead till soft.  Roll out thin.  Using a glass or can, cut circles (2 - 3") or cut into cubes with ravioli cutter.  Add 1 tsp filling to each cube. Fold and seal.  Place in boiling water and cook for 8 minutes (ready when they float to top.) Remove from water, drain, saute in butter.
Note: if freezing, place on parchment covered tray (do not boil) and flash freeze; store in ziploc.

Cabbage filling:
1 large can sauerkraut, drained
1 onion, diced
salt pork or bacon
Fry salt pork/bacon and onion until crisp.  Cook sauerkraut for about 5 minutes. Combine.

Potato filling:
8 medium potatoes, cooked, drained, mashed
salt and pepper
cheese (shredded cheddar or farmers cheese)
Combine; season. Use 1 tsp in each pillow

Trumbull Kitchen: Chef Morton's Potato and Sweet Potato Latke Recipes

Potato Latkes

1# russet potatoes, peeled and grated

½ cup white onion, grated

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup oil

Mix together onions and potatoes, wring out in a dish towel, making sure to remove all liquid

Combine with egg and salt

Make patties in the palm of your hand

Fry over medium heat in a nonstick pan until golden brown

Sweet Potato Latkes

1# sweet potatoes, grated

2 each scallions, chopped

1/3 cup flour (all-purpose)

2 eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup oil

Wring out potatoes in a dish towel, making sure to remove all liquid

Combine with eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together

Combine with sweet potatoes

Fry over medium heat in a non-stick pan until golden brown

Eggplant Parmesan

From Cooking Light, October 1995 (update 2010: last week, I grilled the sliced eggplant, then layered in pan, sprinkled some bread crumbs over all, covered with sauce, baked, added mozzarella cheese last 5 minutes. Awesome!)

Ingredients
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1-pound) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.

Place eggplant in a large bowl; add water to cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well; blot dry with paper towels. Combine 1/4 cup water and egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese; stir well. Dip eggplant in egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place half of eggplant on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and broil 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant. Set eggplant aside.

Spread half of tomato mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant over sauce; top with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, eggplant, and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information
Calories:298 (26% from fat)
Fat:8.5g (sat 5g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.4g)
Protein:19.2g
Carbohydrate:38.8g
Fiber:2.6g
Cholesterol:27mg
Iron:2.8mg
Sodium:818mg
Calcium:422mg