This salmon is super easy to prepare and bake. it’s delicious and nutritious.
the key is: don’t overcook it.
my expert fisherman father-in-law taught me this technique and it’s perfect every time!
salmon fillet – any size that fits in your glass baking dish. 2 T. olive oil
½ t. salt
1/3 c. chilled butter, sliced into thin slices
2 T. lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
1)preheat oven to 390°. 2)drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil in a glass baking dish. 3)place salmon fillet in dish over oil. 4)sprinkle top of salmon lightly with ½ teaspoon salt and as much minced garlic as you like. (if you don’t like garlic, leave it out entirely and it’ll still be delicious.) 5)evenly place thin slices of butter on top of salmon and squeeze about 2 tablespoons lemon juice over it. 6)place dish in preheated oven and set your timer for 11 minutes. 7)at 11 minutes, remove salmon from oven and using a sharp knife, slice in to the salmon just about 1/8″ deep, running knife straight down the center line.you should see a bit of clear juice fill the little “ditch” that you’ve just created. quickly place the salmon back in the oven.set your timer for 2 minutes. after 2 minutes, pull out the salmon and check for doneness. the ditch should be filled with an opaque liquid. if it’s still clear juice, you need to give it another minute. from this point on, only put it back in for 1 minute at a time. it’s done when the liquid is opaque and the fish flakes when you separate it gently w/ a fork & knife. don’t overcook it!
Last year, Fall of 2007, I became obsessed with Tortilla Soup. I probably made it every week. It’s delicious, nutritious, makes enough to feed my family 3 meals, fun to put toppings on (everyone is happy with their own little creation), smells good, and the list goes on. I ordered it at every Mexican restaurant I went to last Fall and Winter, but this recipe is the BEST!
1 T. canola oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
/2 tsp. red chili flakes
8 cups chicken broth
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
juice of 1 lime
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken
1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Toppings: avocado, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, salsa, tortilla chips (store bought or homemade!)
1) Cut 2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breast &/or thigh into 1/4″ strips. Cut a lime in half. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 the lime over the chicken. Set other half lime aside for later. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and crush 2 cloves of garlic onto the chicken. Mix all well together in bowl and set aside.
2) Heat 1 T. canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add 6 cloves crushed garlic, 1 T. salt, 1 t. cumin and 1/2 t. red chili flakes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3) Add 8 c. chicken broth, can diced tomatoes and the juice of half of the lime you set aside in step 1. Increase heat to a gentle simmer and cook 20 minutes.
4) Puree soup in batches in a blender. Return soup to pot and resume simmering. Add the chicken that has been marinating in the lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in 1 c. cilantro.
5) Serve with toppings of your choice — this is the fun part! — avocado, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, fresh diced tomatoes, lime wedges, salsa, tortilla chips (store bought or homemade!)
Optional: 1 package small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips. You’ll only need these if you’re making homemade tortilla strips. To save time, store bought tortilla chips work great too!
Note: To make homemade tortillas strips, pour 1 in. of vegetable oil into a frying pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add one-third of the tortillas strips and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a paper towel-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips in tow batches. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt.
i would have to say that we have turkey burgers pretty much every week at our house. they’re super easy to prepare ahead, if I’ve got extra time i can make them “gourmet burgers” (add caramelized onion, sautéed mushroom, avocado, fresh tomato, pineapple, etc.) and they’re a satisfying meal for both adults and children!
approximately 1½ pounds of ground turkey, ground chicken (or even ground beef) – this amount feeds a family of 5
your favorite cheese, sliced
hamburger buns – 1 per burger!
additional ingredients: avocado slices, caramelized onion **, sautéed mushroom, pineapple slices, ketchup, mustard, bar-b-que sauce, mayo, anything your family likes to pile on their burgers.
1)lightly spray broiling pan with cooking oil.
2)form meat into patties – one for each member of your family. place on lightly oiled broiling pan.(can be prepared to this point the morning of or the night before!)
3)preheat broiler for at least 5 minutes.
4)broil patties on first side for 5 minutes.
5)flip patties over, broil on other side for 5 additional minutes. at this point, check for doneness, which, of course, will vary depending on ovens, thickness of patties, type of meat. you’ll have to judge. may need to flip over and repeat steps 4 and 5.
6)just when patties are done, place slices of cheese over patties and return under broiler for just a minute or two until cheese is bubbly and golden.
7)serve on to heated buns and pile high with delicious toppings! (the more veggies, the better!)
** note: to caramelize onions, i just heat up my cast iron skillet quite hot, add about 1-2 Tablespoons canola oil, and lay sliced onions on the skillet. don’t stir them for at least 5 minutes. flip over, and again, don’t stir them for 5 more minutes. you want them to get really brown and toasty. the sugars from the onion will cook and “caramelize” the onion. no additional ingredients are necessary. keep cooking until they reach your desired degree of caramelization. (is that a word?)
I am amazed at what a difference a little bit of fresh cilantro & fresh onion makes when added to a container of store-bought salsa. Finely chop some fresh cilantro and a sweet onion and stir them right in with your salsa. For those of you who like fruit in your salsa, you could also try chopping up some fresh peaches (they’re so good right now!) mangoes &/or pineapple and add those to your family’s favorite store-bought salsa. You won’t believe the huge difference that such a small addition makes. Enjoy!
Kids + summer = hungry all the time. Food prices are up, and so are the appetites of my kids and their friends. How do I cope? Popcorn. It’s quick, easy, and cheap. I’m not referring to the expensive microwave wannabe rubbish that leaves that weird filmy substance in your mouth after you eat it. I’m talking popcorn made the old fashioned way (like in the late 80’s when they also made good music!).
I use all natural (no gmo) organically grown popping corn and canola oil. Then I add melted butter and sprinkle salt to complete the tasty treat. It’s a snack I feel good about – whole foods, all natural, gluten free, sugar-free, preservative-free, costing free (or close to). You can do this in a deep pan with a lid, or get an oil popper like the one I use in the above video.
The house smells good when its popping. The kids get excited to gobble it up (often with a little help from mom and dad). It has truly been a fun family treat that we share over a movie, in our backyard, and often down at the local waterfront park when the weather is nice. It’s simple to pop a batch and eat right at home, or put it in a clean paper sack, mix in the butter and salt, shake it up, and go.
I’ve stolen yet another wonderful recipe from a friend! Out of the goodness of her heart, my friend Alissa brought over a frozen dish that has now become a Family Favorite dinner. It’s delicious, Gluten-Free, easy to make, easy to freeze & make later, and the kids and parents all devour it. You gotta love that! You’ll need corn tortillas, salsa verde, refried beans, cooked chicken breast and cheese. Those are the basics, and you can go from there. In a casserole dish, pour 1-2 Tablespoons canola oil. Place a layer of corn tortillas in the bottom of the dish. (You don’t even have to cut them up.) Now pour green salsa over the tortillas, oh, I’d say about 1/8″ thick. Now add a few thin scoops of refried beans (we prefer black beans w/ jalapeno), some cooked chicken breast and some shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat the whole process again: tortillas, salsa, beans, chicken, cheese. That’s IT! Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Now, for those of you who like to spice up your food, this is a great recipe to enhance w/ your favorites. Add fresh minced garlic to the chicken layer, add taco seasoning to the refried beans, bake your chicken w/ cumin sprinkled on top, or add a can of olives or diced jalapenos. You could also sneak in some extra veggies and your family wouldn’t know the difference. Try some shredded zucchini, carrots or onions. A three-cheese blend would also be delicious to kick up the flavor. Yum, yum, easy and tasty!
I have a new favorite kitchen trick, but it’s not a food prep tip, it’s a beauty secret! When I’ve been doing lots of cooking, cleaning & gardening, my hands get soooo dry. I hesitate to slather on lotion during the day, just to have to wash it off 5 minutes later before I touch food. I really don’t want our turkey burgers to taste like moisturizing hand cream — yuck. So, here’s what I do: pour about 1/2 t. of olive oil right out of the bottle in my kitchen, rub it in to my hands really well and wait about 3 minutes before going on to my next task. (If I get a little too much on my hands, my elbows can always use a little extra help …) It doesn’t matter if I touch food, wash with soap, the oil stays on my hands and helps to keep them silky soft. Simple!
The Huevo Sandwichero is a glorious lunch delight. Julie wanted me to “handle” the Cinco De Mayo menu this year which included primarily Tacos de carne asada (grilled beef tacos) and Tacos de pollo (chicken tacos). This is the base for the Huevo Sandwichero.
I’ve tried to recreate the delicious flavors generated from our local Taco Bus. As far as I can tell, a large part of the secret is in the garnishings. In this case I cut up a white onion, red radishes, fresh cilantro, lime slices, and ripe avocado.
For the Cinco De Mayo festivities, we ate the above on corn tortillas with fresh chicken and flank steak (with secret rub). Delicious! But after the party, I had a load of garnishings all cut up and ready to go, but no more meat and tortillas. That’s when the Huevo Sanwichero emerged.
I scrambled an egg (lightly salted and black peppered), and toasted a piece of fresh sourdough bread. Then layered the garnishings from the Cinco De Mayo party. I’m telling you this sandwich is amazing. My plan is to live off of it until the garnishings dissappear completely.
Stretching the garnishings has made me want to not only “handle” Cinco De Mayo again, but bring in the garnishings for Huevos Sandwhicheros on the Cinco de each montho (at least once a month).
You can make delicious candied nuts right in your own kitchen! quickly make any salad extra-special with a handful of homemade candied nuts. these are also really good over yogurt w/ some fresh fruit or sprinkled on your oatmeal for breakfast. a little cellophane bag of these tied off with a pretty ribbon makes a great hostess gift. take a bowl of your candied nuts to book club for a guilt-free gluten-free sweet treat. your kids will gobble up a handful of these almonds; they’re another great way to sneak in some protein for a sweet and satisfying snack.
Make a few batches of candied nuts all at one time. use almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, or a mix of all your favorites. they store well in air-tight containers. hint: be sure they are totally cooled and have had a chance to sit and dry for at least a couple of hours before storing them in the airtight containers!
there are many different ways of making candied nuts. you’ll find oodles of recipes for candied nuts on the internet. try some with hot savory spices for even more nutty fun. here are a couple of my favorites to get you started:
using raw unsalted nuts: melt a little butter (3-4 T), some brown or white sugar (1/4 cup or a bit less), and a dash of salt on the stove top in a large pan. stir until the sugar is well-dissolved. stir in 3-4 cups of your favorite nuts. once the nuts are well-coated with the butter/sugar mixture, transfer them to a 9×13 glass baking dish. bake at low temps (250/275 degrees) for a couple of hours, or until they reach desired crispiness, stirring every 1/2 hour. transfer to waxed paper as soon as you take them out of the oven so they can cool and dry well.
water + sugar + raw pecans: warm up 2-3 cups of water in a pan on the stove. once warm, add 3-4 cups of raw pecans. keep the pan on the burner, but turn off the heat. let sit for a couple of minutes until nuts have had a chance to “soak up” a bit of water. drain the water. now, stir in about 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a dash of salt. stir gently until the nuts are well-coated with the sugar. transfer nuts to a 9×13 glass baking dish. bake at low temps (250/275) for a couple of hours, or until they reach desired crispiness, stirring every 1/2 hour. transfer to waxed paper to cool.
here’s a fancier recipe using molasses! Place 2 c. water and 2 c. sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. add 4 c. pecans and return to a boil. lower the heat and simmer two minutes. drain well. discard the syrup. place the pecans onto a baking sheet and into a 325F oven. every two minutes, stir the nuts around to assure even cooking. when the nuts begin to slightly brown, remove from the oven and place into a large bowl with 2 tsp. molasses. stir and shake the bowl until the nuts are evenly coated with the molasses. place the nuts back onto the baking sheet and return to the oven. bake several minutes until evenly browned. remove from the oven and dump the nuts into the bowl to cool.
honey-roasted almonds- here’s a sugar-free option: spread 2 c. raw almonds in a 9×13 glass baking dish. place dish in cold oven on middle rack. turn oven on to 350F and roast 12-20 min., stirring occasionally, until well roasted. over medium heat in a medium saucepan, heat 1/4 c. honey and 2 T. butter to boiling. reduce heat to medium low, simmer 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. pull almonds out of oven and drizzle honey syrup evenly over almonds. stir well. return to oven for more cooking, about 2-3 min. remove from oven and using a slotted spoon, transfer almonds to waxed paper to cool. optional sugar-addition: sprinkle w/ raw turbinado sugar for a crunchy outer layer.
Yum! delicious, simple and to top it all off, your home will smell soooooooooo good for hours while (and after) these nuts are baking!
Next time you make a batch of your favorite cookies, and you have some extra dough that you don’t need to bake right away, try this: rip off a sheet of waxed paper, about 12 x 12″. scoop out enough cookie dough onto the waxed paper to make approximately 1 sheet of cookies. (a rough estimate; don’t worry too much about exact amounts) using slightly floured hands, roll the dough into a log about 2″ in diameter, about 8″ in length. roll the waxed paper firmly around the dough log, put a dab of tape at the seams to keep it together. you’ll have some waxed paper hanging off each end of the log — fold that up and over and tape down. now place in a ziploc bag and freeze.
when you’re ready for some fresh oven-baked cookies, just remove 1 log from the freezer, cut the dough into cookie-size slices, place on your cookie sheet, and bake as directed for your recipe. (if you’re cooking them from totally frozen, you may need to allow an extra minute or two to the cooking time.) These also make great hostess gifts if you put a cute label on, or tie a bit of twine with a little tag to indicate what type of cookie it is. or, if you know a friend is having company at her house for the weekend, a cookie-dough log is a thoughtful way to say, “hope you and your guests have a great weekend!” also, if you have unexpected company, pop one out of the freezer, and voila, you’ve got a plate of fresh cookies in 12 to 18 minutes!
after 2 minutes, pull out the salmon and check for doneness. the ditch should be filled with an opaque liquid. if it’s still clear juice, you need to give it another minute. from this point on, only put it back in for 1 minute at a time. it’s done when the liquid is opaque and the fish flakes when you separate it gently w/ a fork & knife. don’t overcook it!
