Crunchy Honey Chicken

While I'm always looking for fast recipes out there, that's not the only thing about this recipe that caught my attention.  What really did catch my attention is the title -- I love crunchy. I love honey. I love chicken.  How could it not be delicious?

And delicious it was!  The honey wasn't overpowering but added a light sweetness.  Like most stirfrys, this is a quick meal to make, especially if you have everything prepped beforehand.  But even taking that additional 10 minutes to prep the vegetables and chicken beforehand, this still was a 30 minute meal from start to finish.

My only complaint of the original recipe? 1 clove of garlic. Try four cloves and then come talk to me (well, just don't talk too close to me).   I even added in a freshly minced clove at the very end as well -- this definitely isn't for the faint of heart but if you really love garlic, we thought it was a delicious addition! I also added freshly minced ginger during the cooking as I thought it would play off the sweetness of the honey and bring a little extra spice.  We served this with brown rice for a delicious weeknight meal.


Crunchy Honey Chicken
Taken from: How Sweet It Is

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup cornstarch or flour
• 1-2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced (optional; I omitted)
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup honey plus more for serving
• sesame seeds, for serving
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Prep all veggies (feel free to add or take out whatever you like or have on hand). 
2. In one shallow bowl, lightly beat egg.  In a second shallow bowl, add the cornstarch or flour (the cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). 
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add veggies, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic and minced ginger to skillet (I added the broccoli first and let it cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rest of the veggies since I think broccoli takes longer).  Season with salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened  Add in soy sauce and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.
4. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch.  
5. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, one just cleanup easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining oil.  Add chicken to the skillet (I had to cook the chicken in 2 separate batches) and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until fully cooked through.  Continue with remaining chicken pieces in batches if needed.
6. Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. If you really like garlic, add a freshly minced clove here.  Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice.

Thai Pork Curry

While searching for a last-minute dinner for tonight, I had a few requirements: fast, on-hand ingredients, and an extra bit of spice to combat the last of my cold.  I found an easy Thai shrimp curry dish that looked like it would hit the spot.  I've loved the different kinds of curry that I've had in Thai restaurants before so I didn't mind trying to recreate it at home.

This morning, I double-checked for shrimp in the freezer...only to find no shrimp.  Since my brain had a slight relapse of what ingredients I actually had on hand, I grabbed plan B: pork tenderloin (I had bought 6 pounds of pork tenderloin when it was on a great sale, removed the fat and froze it in 3/4 lb. portions).  Now it would be Thai pork curry.   I threw a pork tenderloin in the fridge to defrost and headed off to work.

It ended up being an amazing plan B. However, I think any meat (or tofu) would be delicious - shrimp, pork, beef, chicken...whatever you happen to have! This curry dish had that slight kick that I wanted and took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  Serving this dish with rice is a must to help soak up the juices.


Thai Pork Curry
Taken from: Food.com
Serves:4

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/2 - 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, sliced thin (if you partially freeze the pork, it makes slicing the pork much easier)
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 lime,  zested and juiced
• 1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3- 4 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced (you can keep seeds and ribs in for more heat or leave out the jalapeno completely for a milder dish)  
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2  red onion, thinly sliced
• 6-8 mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Any additional veggies (optional; I added red cabbage)
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped (optional, I omitted) 
• 1/4  cup cilantro, chopped

1. Heat wok to medium high.  Add oil and then add curry paste, stirring for about 30 seconds. 
2. Add pork, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Add vegetables and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 
3. Stir in coconut milk, lime zest, ginger, garlic and jalapeno. Bring to boil, and cook 2-3 more minutes. 
4. Serve over cooked rice and top with lime juice, cilantro and basil.

Spicy Bean Burritos

I just don't get tired of Mexican.  We make it all the time here.  These spicy bean burritos were delicious, quick and great for our meatless meal of the week.  Beans have tons of protein and fiber which really makes this a satisfying meal. I will be adding this dish to our repetoire of Mexican meals!

Of course, what we love just as much (or possibly more) than the burritos are all the toppings for it -- don't skimp on the guacamole, nonfat yogurt, homemade restaurant-style salsa, lettuce, peppers, jalapeno, cheddar cheese...whatever you love!

Spicy Bean Burritos
Taken from: Annie's Eats
Serves:4

• 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups of cooked dried black beans)
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups of cooked dried pinto beans)
• 6 tbsp. fresh salsa

Some suggestions for burrito fillings:

• 6 (9- or 10-inch) flour, corn or whole wheat tortillas, warmed
• Shredded cheese
• guacamole
• restaurant-style salsa
• green, yellow and/or red bell peppers
• diced tomatoes
• shredded romaine lettuce
• chopped green onions
• nonfat yogurt
• sliced jalapenos (for even more of a kick!)

1. To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.  Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a spoon or fork.
2. Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each bean serving with toppings of your choice.  Roll the tortilla up tightly, burrito style, and serve immediately.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

What a week.  A crazy week at my work, Bryant's final week of surgery and THEN I came down with a bad cold yesterday.  (Let me tell you, I'm actually slightly annoyed to be sick because I haven't really been sick since Bryant and I were married.  That's right, over 18 months.  My streak is over!)

So with all the craziness of our week, the original menu plan also drastically changed (including ordering pizza instead of cooking one night and my paper bag with our entire meal breaking and bursting in the hospital parking lot another night).  However, in all that, there was one amazing meal that might have made up for the rest of the week: balsamic glazed wild salmon, quinoa pilaf, and Brussels sprouts two ways (Brussels sprouts hash and roasted Brussels sprouts). 

This balsamic glazed salmon was absolutely wonderful...one of our favorite meals.  The glaze had sweetness but the vinegar balanced it out nicely and it finished with a nice kick from the red pepper flakes.  It's fast (less than 30 minutes), simple to make with less than 10 ingredients, only uses one skillet, and healthy. The cooking trifecta (fast, healthy and delicious) -- what more could you want?  I will definitely be making this again!

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
Taken from:  America's Test Kitchen 2010 Light & Healthy cookbook
Serves:3-4

• 4 6-oz skinless salmon fillets (preferably wild), about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary (or a large pinch of dried rosemary)
• salt and pepper

-Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
-Carefully lay salmon, skinned-side up, in the skilled and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until side are opaque and thickest part register 125 degrees, about 2-5 minutes longer (depending on the thickness of your salmon).
-Transfer salmon to platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest while making the glaze.
-Glaze: Whisk orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, white vinegar and pepper flakes in a small bowl.
-Wipe out the skillet used for the salmon with a wad of paper towels and return to medium heat. Add the glaze and rosemary to the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook until glaze is thick, syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
-Remove rosemary spring and season  glaze with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the glaze oven the salmon and serve.

Lettuce Wraps

Over the Christmas holiday, Bryant and I went to a happy hour at PF Changs with his brother and sister-in-law.  I hadn't been to PF Changs in years but the one thing I remembered from their menu was their chicken lettuce wraps.  I had to get them and they were delicious.

However, perhaps I'm biased but as good as PF Changs' wraps are, I think mine are better.  So after we got back from the our New Year's trip (and I hadn't gone to the grocery store), this was the first dish I thought of.  We had almost all the ingredients on hand, making it a very simple meal to prepare. Serving it with a little brown rice just topped it off.

As sort of an unspoken New Years resolution, we also finally have a picture of our meal! However, we can't find the camera cord so I don't know how successful we'll be in 2011 of posting pictures...(Update: Finally found it! Just where I last placed it...under the couch.)

Lettuce Wraps
Taken from: Everyday Food
Serves 4

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large shallot (or 1/4 cup onion), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey breast (you could also substitute ground chicken, pork or beef))
• 1 large head of Bibb, Boston, or Romaine lettuce, leaves separated
• grated carrot, chopped cabbage, thinly sliced green onions and sliced lime

-In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Set sauce aside.
-Heat a large skillet or wok over high until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add shallot, ginger, garlic, and chile and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

-Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Add half the sauce to skillet and stir until meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes. 

-Serve in lettuce leaves with remaining sauce, grated carrot, chopped cabbage, thinly sliced green onions and slices of lime.

Sesame Noodles

This meal was great for so many reasons: fast (since I was feeling a bit lazy), adaptable (I threw it any extra vegetables we happened to have in the fridge), delicious (it tasted a lot like chow mein), and healthy.  So really, what's not to like? Although I typically measure every single ingredient in a recipe, even I could handle throwing some ingredients together; it also helped that the end result tasted like I had planned it all along.

With any stir fry, it's really important to have all your ingredients prepped and at hand.  There's just not a lot of time between start to finish to prep any ingredients.  But even including the prep time, this is still can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Sesame Noodles
Serves 4
Feel free to use all kinds of vegetables - cabbage, bell peppers, snow peas, shelled edamame, mushroom, green onions, broccoli (pre-cooked), red onions, carrots, etc.

• 1/2 box of whole wheat spaghetti (approximately 6-8 ounces)
•  2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed through a garlic press)
• fresh ginger, peeled and grated (I used about a 1/2 inch piece)
• 1/2-1 red bell pepper (chopped or cut julienne into thin strips)
• 1/2 -1 green bell pepper (chopped or cut julienne into thin strips)
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/4 napa or red cabbage, cored and cut into thin strips
• Feel free to add/remove any vegetables
• sesame seeds
• crushed red pepper flakes

-Bring water to boil.
-As water heats, prep garlic, ginger and vegetables.
-Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to directions (continue prepping vegetables while the pasta cooks). Drain pasta.
-Heat a large skillet or wok to high heat.   When pan is very hot, add 2 Tbsp oil.
-Add garlic and ginger and stir.  Add vegetables immediately and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
-Add pasta to pot. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar and toss to incorporate all the ingredients.
-Remove from heat and serve with sesame seeds and crushed red peppers.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken & Cornbread

You'll have to excuse me for abandoning this blog for the past 10 days.  It should be inexcusable but I'd argue I had a very, VERY good reason - visitors! Specifically my parents and my sister who flew in for an almost-family reunion (sadly, we were missing a sister and her fiance).  The visit was WONDERFUL! Such a great time and like all good visits, went by much too quickly.

Since I'm a such a planner, I had planned for their visit - options of what to do each day and the meals to make while they're here.  I had even prepped some of the meals before they came.  However, what I didn't plan for was AFTER the visit.  I dropped my sister off at the airport and realized I had neglected to plan what we'd eat for dinner for the next few days until I could get to the grocery store.  I managed to use up some meals from our freezer but Thursday night, I was stuck.  Luckily, I found this recipe for Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken and had all the ingredients already in my kitchen. (I always buy lots of boneless, skinless chicken breast when it's on sale so I remove the fat, divide it into 3/4-lb. portions, wrap each portion in plastic and freeze them - it makes dinner a lot easier that way!) The meal was not only fast and easy to make but also delicious! Perfect for any weeknight meal.  

The cornbread went really well with this chicken recipe, too. I love cornbread, especially with honey (in fact, I even had one of my old coworkers keep honey in our office for when I had cornbread!). While I had tried a different recipe for our Thursday night meal, my dad's recipe is far superior so that's the one I've listed below.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

Taken from: Cooking Light

Serves 4

• 2  teaspoons  garlic powder
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breast because that's what I always have on hand)
• Cooking spray
• 6  tablespoons  honey
• 2  teaspoons  cider vinegar

-Preheat broiler and move rack to top shelf in the oven.
-Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat.
-Place chicken on a broiler pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes (try 3 minutes if using chicken breast) on each side.
-Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush half the honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Cornbread

Taken from: my dad (and the Fannie Farmer cookbook)

Serves: 8

• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk (I use skim)
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil

-Preheat oven to 425. Spray a 8" square baking pan with cooking spray.
-In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).
-Add the milk, eggs and oil and blend well.
-Spoon mixture into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes (top will be slightly brown in spots and the cake should feel firm).
-Cool and cut into squares.

Mongolian Beef

I don't often go out for Chinese.  I like it but it's been years since I've had takeout and have only been to a Chinese restaurant a handful of times since high school.  But I like making Chinese food at home.  And when I saw this recipe, it immediately made our menu plan.  It also didn't hurt that broccoli AND mushrooms were on sale at the grocery store and we have grass-fed beef sold at our farmers market.  What more could you need? It did not disappoint either - this recipe turned out incredibly well (I might or might not have licked my bowl clean)! The brown sugar adds some sweetness but is nicely balanced from the heat of the red pepper flakes.  It's made our 5-star menu and will be a great go-to recipe.

Another plus? Stir fry is almost always a fast-cooking meal which is great when you want a quick (and fairly easy) dinner. But since it's so quick cooking, it's best to have all the ingredients all prepped (vegetables washed and cut, sauce already made, etc), by the wok and ready to go.  Whether you're making this for a quick dinner, a Chinese food fix or both, enjoy!

Mongolian Beef
Taken from: Handle the Heat
Serves 3-4

• 2/3 lb. flank steak, sliced across the grain
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch
•  2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. (heaping) red pepper flakes
• 2-3 large scallions, sliced
• 1-2 broccoli heads
• approx 6-7 mushrooms, sliced (if desired) or any other vegetable (baby corn, thinly sliced carrots, snow peas, etc)
• brown rice, cooked (I often cook rice ahead of time and store in the freezer.  While the Mongolian Beef does its last 4 minutes of cooking, I heat up the rice over the stove or in the microwave.)

-Cut steak fairly thinly across the grain.  Pat the steak pieces with a paper towel to get rid of any moisture. Toss the steak and cornstarch together and then shake off excess cornstarch using a fine strainer.
-Mix together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or large measuring cup.
-Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large fry-pan at medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic.  Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add the soy sauce mixture to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer back to the bowl or measuring cup.
-Heat the wok on medium high and when hot, swirl the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Add the beef and cook, stirring until just browned (approx 1-2 minutes).  Add broccoli and mushrooms to pan (I had precooked my broccoli and mushrooms slightly but I'll try it next time just adding the vegetables raw).
-Pour the sauce back in and let it cook with the meat. Simmer for around 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
-Place beef mixture on top of a bed of brown rice and garnish with scallions.

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce & Week's Menu Plan

I had high expectations for this dish.  It was ranked one of the best recipes on cookinglight.com and when I quickly scanned through of a few of the 150 comments, they all sang its praises and offered no changes.

And they were right - it was delicious.  The sauce was divine.  It's a must to serve it with rice (we had leftover risotto) because it really needs something to soak up the sauce. We kept spooning more sauce onto our plates.  I was even dipping my steamed artichoke leaves into the sauce instead of melted butter! The flavors surprisingly delicate.  There's not much heat to it but I think that adding some crushed red pepper flakes would give it some nice (but not overwhelming) heat.  But I think that's the only change I would make.  Since it's from Cooking Light, it's already a pretty health-conscious meal.  Thank you, Cooking Light!

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce
Taken from: Cooking Light
Serves: 4 (which typically means it serves 3 in our house)

• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil, divided
• 2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1  cup  chopped green onions
• 1  teaspoon  curry powder
• 2  teaspoons  red curry paste
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 4  teaspoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Cooking spray
• 3  cups  hot cooked brown rice
• 4  lime wedges

-Preheat broiler.
-Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.
-Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Week's Menu Plan
Friday: Apple, Cheddar & Ham Panini and Grilled Ham, Pear & Cheese Sandwich

Saturday:  Chicken Piccata with Summer Vegetables

Sunday: Mongolian beef with broccoli, mushrooms with edamame

Monday: pizza margharita

Tuesday: Rotisserie Chicken, Apple Walnut Salad  with buttercup squash

Wednesday: feta salmon cakes with roasted sweet potatoes

Thursday: Spinach & Meat Ravioli

Friday: shrimp & grits

Saturday: sirloin kabobs w/ black eye pea salad, chocolate Guinness cupcakes for dessert 

Sunday: coffee crumb cake for breakfast, chicken tikka masala with brown rice

Monday: Spanish Tortilla with salad, apple pandowdy for dessert

Spicy Chicken & Avocado Sandwich and French Baguettes

This is normally a sandwich for the summer but when a website mentioned a spicy chicken and avocado sandwich recipe, I didn't want to wait.  It just sounded too good. While that particular recipe wasn't to my liking, I found this spicy chicken recipe that sounded perfect for a sandwich.  And since avocados were on sale for 2 for a $1, I couldn't resist.  What a delicious decision! The chicken added a nice kick but was nicely balanced with melted cheese and the creaminess of the avocados.

And a sandwich this good can't have just any bread.  I highly recommend getting a good french baguette from your grocery store or bakery.  Or if you're brave (and/or cheap) enough, here's a mini french baguette recipe.  While the dough didn't rise enough for me, the bread was still so, so good and perfect for this sandwich (even though I made the bread several days in advance). Perhaps you'll have better luck getting a proper rise!

Spicy Chicken and Avocado Sandwich
Taken from: AllRecipes
Serves: 3-4 sandwiches

• 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 - 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3-4 strips

•  sliced avocado
• Romaine lettuce (or any substitute)
• mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice, grated or thinly sliced (we've used part-skim mozzarella and sharp cheddar in the past and both were delicious!)
• sliced tomatoes, pickles or any other topping
• good bread (French baguette recipe below is delicious)

 -For the chicken:

1. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. 
2.  In a medium bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. Rub the chicken breasts with this mixture until coated.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.  

-Meanwhile, slice bread and broil until lightly toasted (about 1-2 minutes).  Add cheese on one half and broil 30 seconds to 1 minute until cheese is melted and bubbling.  
-Make your sandwich to your liking.

French Baguettes
Taken from: AllRecipes
Make 2 regular loves or 4 mini loves

• 1 cup warm water (approx. 100-110 degrees)
• 2 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bread yeast
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

-Mix sugar and yeast together in a small bowl.  Add 1 cup water and let sit 5-10 minutes.  
-In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt.  Add proofed yeast mixture and mix until fully combined (starting with a wooden spoon. Knead for several minutes until no longer sticky.   
-Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
-Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in 4 strips, creating four 8x6 inch rectangles (or make two 8x12 inch rectangles). Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 6 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end.
-Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg white with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Game Day Food: Boneless Buffalo Wings, Homemade Crackers, White Bean Dip

We had a great Saturday yesterday.  Bryant had to work a bit in the morning but it was just enough time for me to get my workout, farmers market visit and all other chores done before he came home.  The rest of the day was spent hanging out and relaxing.  And the evening, of course, was spent watching college football (and the Huskies won!).  I find that lots of unhealthy food is often served during game day.  Luckily, with a few tweaks, you can make several dishes a lot healthier and still keep the taste.  These boneless wings use chicken breast and are baked instead of fried, saving tons of calories and fat. They're really good, too - you can probably get pretty creative with the sauce but my favorite is BBQ and Bryant's is hot sauce.

Another thing we often have while watching a game is crackers.  However, if you're like me (read: cheap), I'm reluctant to shell out $3 for a small box of crackers so I typically only get them when they're on sale AND I have a coupon. However, I stumbled across this great recipe to MAKE my own crackers.  It's only a few ingredients and it doesn't take much time at all!  It's a great basic recipe but you could add so much to it - I used whole wheat flour, oat bran, flaxseed meal and dried rosemary.  You could really get creative with these; I'll definitely be making them again in the future!

Finally, this white bean dip is a great basic dip for the crackers.  I've made this several times before and it's made from just a few healthy ingredients - beans, olive oil and lemon juice. 

Boneless Chicken Wings
Adapted from: AllRecipes
Serves 3-4

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk (I use skim)
• 3/4 - 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1/4 cup sauce (we use 2 Tbsp. hot sauce and 2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter

-Preheat oven to 400 F.Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then coat with cooking spray.
-In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, and then roll in the flour blend. Repeat so that each piece of chicken is double coated. Place on prepared baking sheet.  When all the chicken has been coated, spray top of chicken pieces with cooking spray.
-Cook for 15-20 minutes until tops are slightly browned. 
-Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp hot sauce with 1/2 Tbsp butter in a small bowl.  Microwave sauce on High until melted, 20 to 30 seconds. (If you don't have a microwave, place sauce and butter in an oven-proof ramekin or bowl and put in oven for approximately 2 minutes until butter has mostly melted).  Repeat in a separate bowl/ramekin with 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce and remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter. 
-Once chicken is cooked, place half the chicken in one bowl and half in a second bowl.  Pour BBQ sauce mixture over the first bowl and mix to coat.  Repeat with hot sauce mixture over second bowl of chicken.
-Serve with blue cheese dressing or yogurt sauce, carrots, and celery.



Homemade Wheat Crackers
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 30-40 crackers (if the dough is rolled thin enough)

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (or try substituting oat flour, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, oat bran, white whole wheat, etc or any combination of these)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Any additional add-ins: sesame seeds or other kinds of seeds, dried rosemary or other dried herbs, etc
• kosher or sea salt for sprinkling

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
-In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour (or substitutes), all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and any add-ins. Pour in the oil and water; mix until just blended. 
-On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible - no thicker than 1/8 inch. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet , and mark squares out with a knife, but don't cut through. (I had to cut my dough in half and bake on two baking sheets because I had so much.)
-Prick each cracker with a fork a few times, and sprinkle with salt. 
-Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and light brown. Baking time may be different depending on how thin your crackers are. When cool, remove from baking sheet, and separate into individual crackers.


White Bean Dip
Taken from: Ellie Krieger

• 1 (14-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained OR 3 cups of cooked dried white beans
• 1 garlic clove (if you have roasted garlic, that would be delicious!)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves or dried parsley

-In a food processor, combine the beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth.
-Taste and adjust accordingly. (Add in additional lemon juice, olive oil, salt and/or pepper. You could also thin out a little by adding a little bit of water.)
-Mix in parsley, if desired, and serve with crackers and cut vegetables.

Week's Menu Plan & Tilapia with Lemon Sauce

So I'm surviving my first week of work! Actually, not only surviving but also really enjoying it. Well, I did come home after the first day and just stared blankly at the wall for a good 15 minutes.  But now I'm feeling like I'm getting back into the swing of things.  Since I was tired after the first day, it was great that I had this tilapia recipe planned. It was light, very lemony and so easy to make - even I could muster the energy to make this!

This coming week's menu plan is a combination of using what's already in our fridge/freezer/pantry and using what's still in season and at the farmers market (only 3 weeks left at our local market!).  We're splurging a bit for a meal (read: scallops) but it'll be counter-balanced with some el cheapo dishes (like the black bean tacos).


Week's Menu Plan

Friday: homemade burgers with blue cheese

Saturday: All the necessary game day food - boneless buffalo wings (I make both hot and BBQ; these are great baked in the oven!), celery and carrots with tzatziki or blue cheese sauce, white bean dip with crackers

Dessert: Nanaimo Bars

Sunday: Borscht (beet soup)
 
Monday: stuffed peppers

Tuesday: Spicy Chicken Avocado Sandwich

Wednesday: Crispy Black Bean Taco

Thursday: Seared Sea Scallops with risotto


Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Sauce
Taken from: Cooking Light
Serves: 3-4

If you aren't a big fan of the lemon, I would recommend cutting down on the lemon juice from 1/4 cup to 2 Tbsp.

• 3/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed (completely optional; you could also substitute capers or like myself, completely leave this out.  Next time, I might try to add some dried thyme which is apparently an adequate substitute.)
• 1  teaspoon  butter
• 1  teaspoon  vegetable oil
• 1 lb. tilapia or sole fillets
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  butter
• Lemon wedges (optional, for serving)

-Combine chicken broth, lemon juice and if using, peppercorns (or any substitute).
-Place 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat until butter melts.
While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.
-Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown in pan.
-Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan.
-Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese

I knew Bryant would like this recipe as soon as I saw it.  Steak and blue cheese...it's exactly his kind of recipe.  It didn't hurt that I also threw in a few beets for good measure (beets just happen to be one of his favorite vegetables). I love that it's a salad so you instantly get a few servings of vegetables in for the day (just make sure you're not using iceberg lettuce!).

This recipe also ended up being a blessing in disguise because we didn't end up getting home last night until almost 8 pm.  Luckily, since I had prepped the meat and roasted the beets the day before, all I had to do was cook the meat for a few minutes and shred some lettuce.  And not only was it a quick meal, it was a delicious one! Bryant crowned it a 5-star meal, the highest of praises.  He's already requested that we have it again soon.

We used grass fed beef from our farmers market and it was delicious! It was incredibly flavorful AND it's much better for you.  Obviously, it's more expensive so I only cooked less than half a pound and a little went a long (and very delicious) way.

Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4 (I halved this recipe very easily)

• 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat if necessary, halved crosswise, at room temperature
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (or if you're like me and not a blue cheese fan, use feta cheese as a great substitute)
• 1/2 pound greens - baby arugula, spinach, romaine, etc.
• 3 tablespoons minced chives or finely chopped red onion (you can also use 2 thinly sliced scallions)
• 3-4 beets, previously roasted, peeled and sliced
• Steak Salad Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

-If you want beets, make sure they are fully cooked at this point!
-Pat steak dry; season on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and many grinds of black pepper.
-Ways to prepare steak: 

• In a cast-iron skillet: Heat skillet on medium-high to high and add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, place steak in skillet and do not move it for 3-5 minutes (judge by the thickness of your steak; my steak was thin so 3 minutes was plenty). Turn it once, and cook for another 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (mine only needed 1-2 minutes). You may need to cook your steak halves separately, depending on the size of your pan.
• On a grill: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal or high heat for gas. Oil grill rack, then grill steak, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, 3 to 6 minutes total for medium-rare.

-Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for five minutes.
-Arrange lettuce on a large platter.
-Thinly slice steak on the diagonal, across the grain. Arrange over arugula, then toss halved cherry tomatoes, sliced beets and blue cheese over platter.  Sprinkle with chives/scallions/red onion. Serve with vinaigrette on the side or lightly toss salad just before serving.

Steak Salad Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil

-Whisk ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and adjust ingredients to taste.  Serve on side.

Fish Tacos, Avocado Relish, Black Bean & Corn Salad

We had quite a Mexican fiesta Saturday night! Just how I like it - fish tacos, avocado relish, black bean and corn salad, salsa AND guacamole - light, lots of avocado, and delicious! It also made for great leftovers Sunday night.  And we had so much that I didn't even have to cook and could still send Bryant with a full lunch the next day.

Fish tacos are usually deep fat fried but baking is a much healthier option (however, my one kitchen disaster did come from trying to bake fish and chips instead of frying them...stick to the real thing with that dish!).  But fish tacos were absolutely great.

The black bean and corn salad is really easy to make. This was actually one of the first dishes I ever remember making and my dad really liked it (so perhaps it was one of my first successful dishes). I used fresh corn since it's still in season in California but frozen corn would work, too.  You could add rice (if you'd like), different kinds of beans, different vegetables, different spices...it would be pretty easy to play around with!

Finally, the avocado relish was great with both the fish tacos and the black bean and corn salad (and probably would be great just with tortilla chips, too). It has lots of lime juice so it is a bit tart but very creamy.


Fish Tacos
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 4 (4-6 oz.) cod fillets
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal (or you could use whole wheat Panko)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• (I also added a sprinkling of both cayenne and paprika)

-Preheat oven broiler (500 F).
-Cut cod into thin strips. Toss to combine flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a shallow dish. Coat fish strips in the cornmeal mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
-Broil in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping halfway through, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
-Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage and avocado relish.

Avocado Relish
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno, minced (adjust to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

-To make the avocado relish, toss to combine avocado, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a small bowl. Pour in lime juice and olive oil. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Black Bean & Corn Salad
(This recipe is so old, I'm not even sure where it's from!)

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• 1 tsp. cumin (I added extra cumin and some chili powder, too)
• 3 cups black beans (equivalent to 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups raw corn kernels
• 3/4 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro (or you could do 1/4 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup parsley)
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped

-In a serving bowl, stir olive oil, lime juice and cumin.
-Add rest of ingredients, stirring gently to coat.  Season with salt & pepper.

Baked Tilapia

Part of my standard weekly menu planning is to include one seafood dish and one non-meat dish. When I started doing these menu plans, I thought I might have to really scour the internet and my cookbooks for to find good recipes that fit these categories. Surprisingly, I haven't had any trouble (yet) with finding either recipes!

Our seafood meal for the week was baked tilapia. This is incredibly quick to make - the only prep work is chopping vegetables (although you could always buy pre-chopped or frozen vegetables). It was also really good with very light flavors. Tilapia is very mild (it doesn't have a very "fishy" taste to it) so it would be a good choice even for those who don't usually like fish.

I didn't use measurements for spices - it's really easy to just sprinkle each fillet with the different spices - but in the recipe below, I guessed what measurements I ended up using. Finally, We rounded out the meal with corn on the cob (the corn here is so good we've been having it at least once a week!).


Baked Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables
Taken from: AllRecipes

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  
• salt & pepper
  
• 1 lemon, 1/2 sliced and 1/2 juiced
  
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used store-bought but you could also run a bread slice through a food processor)
  
• vegetables for roasting (I used cauliflower, broccoli and red pepper)

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
-Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and brush with olive oil and squeeze the 1/2 juiced lemon onto the fish.
-Season with spices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Pat bread crumbs on the tops of each fish fillet and spray with cooking spray.
-In a separate baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, arrange the mixed vegetables, cover with olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
-Cover the dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sliced lemon.

Portland Visit & BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Well, I'm back. Back from a WONDERFUL 3 days of visiting my sister in Portland and back to cooking (and writing about it!). First of all, the trip was absolutely wonderful. We had a great mix of doing things and doing nothing. Laura did tons of research on things to do in Portland so after she picked me up at the airport Saturday morning, we picked from her long list of what the area has to offer. We spent Saturday wandering Portland. This included going to brunch at a small place with made-from-scratch breakfast and a violinist who wanders in and plays during brunch hours, trying on bridesmaids dresses, buying groceries and going back to make dinner (and dessert, of course).

After church on Sunday, we headed to Cannon Beach, a beautiful 2-hour drive from Portland. At Cannon Beach, we walked along the ocean, looked at the tidal pools and (I) slightly froze from getting ankle deep in the Pacific Ocean (needless to say, there were no swimmers in the water). Cannon Beach has these amazing 10 or 20-story high rocks jutting out of the water which have become nesting grounds for thousands of sea gulls (and apparently, feeding grounds for bald eagles). Since I'm used to East Coast beaches, I couldn't get over how the evergreens just drop off right at the beach. The Ecola State Park was a quick 5-mile drive from Cannon Beach and was beautiful - full of views and these trails that appear out of nowhere and led us down to the water. It was so beautiful that we went back to Cannon Beach for some seafood and brought it back for a picnic dinner. Monday was also tons of fun with walking the 4T trail in Portland, which takes you along the outskirts of the whole city by trail, tram, trolley and train. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and we had tons of great views of the city and Mount Hood.

But now I'm back - happy to be back with Bryant and back to my kitchen. We had BBQ chicken quesadillas for dinner last night with some (attempted) homemade whole wheat tortillas. I'm still working on the tortilla recipe but the quesadilla recipe is ready to share! It's such an easy and filling meal - the BBQ sauce makes all the difference so make sure to get a good one (we use TJ's Kansas City style but family members have given good reviews of both Stubb's and Sweet Baby Ray's sauces). Also, the chicken can be done ahead of time - I had already cooked and frozen the chicken so it was all ready to go to make this meal even quicker!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 4 whole wheat flour tortillas (if large tortillas, only 2 are necessary)
  
• 1 cup pineapple, cut into small cubes
  
• 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
• Cajun seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese (mozzarella, cheddar or monteray jack are good choices)
• 1/2 jalapeno, sliced into rounds
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• barbecue sauce
  

-Preheat indoor grill pan to medium-high heat OR oven to 400.
-(NOTE: This step can be done ahead of time and refrigerator or frozen until needed.) Sprinkle the chicken with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper and grill until the juices run clear. You can also bring water to a boil and let chicken breasts boil for approximately 10 minutes until registers at 165. Toss the chicken with Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.
-Let chicken rest several minutes before slicing.
-Sprinkle half of the cheese over two tortillas. Top each with half of the grilled chicken, half of the pineapple, and half of the jalapeno rounds. Sprinkle with cilantro and top with the remaining cheese. Place the second tortillas on top (or fold over if have large tortillas).
-Grill on preheated grill pan or panini press until the outside is crisp and the cheese has melted. You can also set your tortillas on a baking sheet and bake for several minutes in the oven. Turn on the broiler and finish off with 1-2 minutes per side until brown spots start to appear.
-Slice and serve with BBQ sauce and, if desired, sour cream and pico de gallo.

Baked Chicken Tenders and Basil Aioli

I love when you can take something that's typically not very healthy and turn it around. Chicken tenders are notorious for being high in calories and fat at fast-food restaurants. However, baking the chicken and substituting whole wheat breadcrumbs and flour (which adds complex carbohydrates and ups the fiber and protein to this dish) are great healthy fixes. This recipe could be great for families; I served the chicken tenders with aioli and marinara for dipping, whole wheat pasta and sauteed zucchini. Delicious! I've also served these tenders with a variety of sauces - barbeque, honey mustard (roughly a 2 to 1 ratio of mustard to honey and then adjust to taste), and buffalo wing sauce (roughly a ratio of 1 to 1 of hot sauce to butter and then add more hot sauce to increase heat to taste). There are so many possibilities out there!

The basil aioli ended up being a surprise hit! I used nonfat greek yogurt instead of mayo to make the recipe both higher in protein and lower in fat. It made it from an indulgent dip to a healthy (but indulgent-tasting) dip. It would be excellent to serve with crudites as well.

Baked Chicken Tenders
Taken From: Love & Olive Oil

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko breadcrumbs (you could also use store-bought whole wheat breadcrumbs OR grind up whole wheat bread in the food processor)
  
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• Cooking spray

-Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
-In a small bowl or shallow dish, season the flour with salt and black pepper, and lightly beat the eggs in a second shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs with basil, garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
-If using chicken breasts, prepare by putting one breast in between two layers of plastic wrap. Pound to an even thickness of approximately 1/2″. Remove plastic and slice into strips.
-Dredge tenders in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken tenders into the egg and then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Spray tenders on rack with cooking spray (this helps them crisp in the oven).
-Bake chicken tenders for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping once part way through the cook time.
-Serve with basil aioli (recipe below), marinara sauce or honey mustard.

Basil Aioli
A great substitute for ranch dressing! I'll also be using this recipe to serve with cut vegetables in the future.
Taken from: Love & Olive Oil

• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (or you could use low-fat)
  
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper, to taste

-Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Blackened Salmon and Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing

Tonight, we'll be having leftovers from Sunday's dinner with Bryant's parents. I had made two pounds of blackened salmon which turned out to be a lot...that's why we can get another full meal out of it! I had served the salmon with corn on the cob and a salad with homemade dressing. It was a great combination of flavors! As a side note, go to your farmers market for corn on the cob - it was some of the best corn we've ever had.

Unfortunately, no more corn tonight but we still have more salad dressing for another salad! This salad dressing is light and easy to make. When we came to CA two months ago, I immediately bought my favorite Trader Joe's balsamic vinaigrette. But after using it once, it's been sitting in our fridge untouched. Why? The amount of sugar in the dressing seemed overwhelming. Bottled salad dressings have added sugar or high fructose corn syrup that just isn't necessary (not to mention added preservatives!). Making your own dressing is not only tastier and so much better for you but it is also more economical, saving you money.

When you make your own dressing, a good rule of thumb is about 2 parts oil to 1 part acid. Lemon juice and vinegars (balsamic and red wine vinegars are both good choices) are great for the acid part of the dressing. Also, you can always adjust to suit your taste!

Finally, both of these recipes are really easy and won't take much time to make. Enjoy!

Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing
Taken from: Herbivoracious

• 2 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 Tb. canola or olive oil (canola is virtually flavorless and was part of the original recipe. However, I think I'll be trying this with olive oil next time!)
• **Add 1/4 tsp. honey, if the dressing is a little too tart for you.

-Combine the lemon juice, mustard and salt in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuosly.
-Taste and add more lemon juice, honey or olive oil as needed.


Blackened Salmon
Taken from: AllRecipes

• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed (approximately 1 lb)
  
• 1/8 cup olive oil (more as needed)

-In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.
-Remove skin and bones from salmon.
-Brush salmon fillets on one side with some of the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture (pressing into fish). Brush over the mixture with olive oil again.
-In a large, heavy skillet, heat over high until skillet is hot. Cook salmon, spice-side down, until blackened, 2-5 minutes. While the first side is cooking, brush uncooked side with olive oil, sprinkle with rest of spices and brush again with olive oil. Turn fillets and continue cooking (2-5 minutes) until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

So I have a confession to make. Typically, we run the dishwasher every 2-3 days. For 2 people! It seems a bit ridiculous to me but in our defense, we do eat almost every meal at home (or bring the leftovers for lunch). Also, I feel like I always end up dirtying quite a few dishes while I cook.

The pecan crusted salmon turned out delicious but the lack of dirty dishes is another reason why this recipe was so great - since it was just a few easy ingredients, there was hardly any cleanup (I believe Bryant was thankful for that, too)!

This recipe was perfect for 2 people and would be easy to double or triple for serving more people.

Pecan Crusted Salmon
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped (I pulsed the pecans in a food processor)
  
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have any fresh parsley so I had to use 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley)
• 2 (4 oz.) salmon fillets (choose wild, not farmed if you can help it)
  
• salt and pepper
• lemon wedges, for serving

-Preheat oven to 400 F.
-In a small bowl, combine mustard and honey. In a separate small bowl, combine bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
-Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Brush top with mustard mixture and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Place in a greased baking dish.
-Bake in preheated oven for 10-20 minutes (10 min per inch of thickness) or until salmon flakes when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.