Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini

MMM Salmon!  Love Salmon! And when I type or see the word "salmon" I say "sal" "mon".

This is a quick, easy recipe. Admittedly I didn't cook the rice in the oven. Not a fan of rice being cooked in the oven. Mostly because it rarely gets done and it's more "al dente" than I like.  Still, this was a delicious way to fix salmon.

Photo by Epicurious.com

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini
Recipe from Epicurious

• 1/4 c fresh lime juice
• 2 T finely grated lime peel
• 2 T honey
• 2 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 c sliced shallots (about 3 large)
• 1 1/2 c basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)
• 3 1/4 c (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
• 1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).

Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccolini in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

Ropa Vieja - Cuban stewed meat

Wow. I'm a fan. This was such a good meal. So full of flavor and tender beef. Side of rice and tortillas finished the meal.  I love tearing a tortilla up in quarters, stuffing it with a yummy stewed meat and some rice.  Reminds me of my days in Mexico.

This meal was easy and tasty. It uses a lot of ingredients specifically from Goya - because, well, that's the place I got the recipe.  I followed this one completely, minus the bell pepper and sofrito (I couldn't find sofrito in my store and couldn't remember how to actually make a sofrito.)

Ropa Vieja is a main course of shredded and braised beef with plenty of healthy, tasty vegetables, like onions, peppers and olives. This recipe could feed a bunch of people and could be adjusted easily to feed a small army.


Ropa Vieja
Serves 6

• 2 T GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 ½ lbs. flank steak, cut in 3”x 4”pieces
• GOYA Adobo with Pepper, to taste
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2½ cups)
• 1½ green bell peppers, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
• 1 jar (6 oz.) GOYA Sofrito
• 3 tsp GOYA Minced Garlic or 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can (8 oz.) GOYA Tomato Sauce
• 1 packet Sazón GOYA with Coriander and Annatto
• 1 packet GOYA Powdered Beef Bouillon
• ¼ tsp GOYA Ground Black Pepper
• 1 c GOYA Spanish Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, sliced
• 1 jar (2 oz.) GOYA Capers, drained
• 1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 c cooked CANILLA Extra Long Grain Rice

1.	Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add Sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2.	Stir in 3 of cups water, tomato sauce, Sazón, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 – 1½ hours, adding more water in ¼ cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. [Jenn Notes: I probably used about another two cups of water. I had the heat on a little too high and it boiled down quickly. So watch your heat.]
3.	Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

I am not a big fan of coleslaw.  The dressing is often too sweet for me and has a weird combination of flavors.  But I am weird that way.

THIS slaw however, has a nice tang without a lot of sweetness. It's a nice alternative to coleslaw too. I made this for Sunday dinner last night and it was loved by all.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

Photo by Food Network

Recipe from the Food Network
Serves 6-8

• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Garlic-Ginger Paste, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 (10-ounce) bags broccoli slaw
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional, can substitute pomegranate seeds)
• 1/2 cup skinless sliced almonds, toasted

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the broccoli slaw, cranberries, and almonds. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your palate.

Add the slaw, cranberries, and almonds and gently toss. Chill before serving.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 1/2 cup cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup (1/2-inch slices) fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar; it should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir-fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

New York Style Crumb Cake

I took one look at the photo on this blog and I knew I had to make this cake. What's not to like? Cake and crumble!

Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy has quickly become one of my favorite cooking blogs.  Take a gander - you'll get addicted soon too.

The cake has been in the oven for about 30 minutes and it smells so absolutely delicious.  In fact, it sorta smells like apple pie.  I'm not sure I can wait until dessert time at Sunday Dinner tonight to dig into this. 

The original recipe is here.  I've copied it below for your convenience though.

New York-Style Crumb Cake
Recipe from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

For the crumb topping:

• 1 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 T cinnamon
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 c all purpose flour

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cs granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 c sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center position. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

To make the crumb topping, stir together both sugars, the salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed and set the mixture aside.

To make the cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is completely smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat the mixture until it starts to look fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl before each addition, beating only until it is just incorporated.

To assemble the cake, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over the cake. Repeat until you’ve used all of the topping. The layer of topping will be thick.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

 

Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce

I closed out the week with a pasta dish that I was sure would be delicious just based on the photo.  The Pantry Goat came over to help me "taste" this dish and taste it we did.

The overall recipe is boring and didn't seem overly flavorful to me after I read the recipe.  So, I did what I do best and added my 10cents to the dish. At the end of the day it displayed a surprisingly similar appearance and flavor to my other favorite chicken and pasta dish - which it turns out doesn't seem to be on the blog.  That can't be right. I'm gonna keep searching...I know its on here.

Anyhow, I added a few items to this dish and made it way better. You be the judge.

Photo courtesy by Everyday Food

Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce
Recipe from Every Day Food
Serves 6

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 pound pappardelle

Cook chicken with oil after seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes. Add onion and cook 6 min. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 15 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil pappardelle. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Add to sauce and toss pasta with sauce.

Jenn's additions:

5 sliced mushrooms
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

So after I cooked off the onions, I pulled them out of the skillet and sauteed the mushrooms.  I added it all back in, followed the rest of the recipe. When it was done and ready, I tossed in a palm full or so of Parmesan cheese. 

Firecracker Wings

I love Guy Fieri. I watched the Next Food Network Star that season and knew from the beginning I'd buy anything he was selling. Recently I was meandering through Costco with no purpose - always a bad thing - and I found his cookbook. 

I immediately went through it at home and found several recipes to add to the bowl.  This one stood out because of the flavor profile it had.  It just sounded so darn good.

First things first, I didn't do wings. I'm not a wing person and so used chicken breast instead.  I cubed my chicken breasts and BBQ'd them on skewers.  Delicious.

Make this recipe. It's really quite good. It's hot, I won't like. Anything with "Firecracker" in the title should say it's hot. If you're not a spicy person you can easily tone it down by not using all the types of hot sauce in this.


Firecracker Wings
Recipe from Guy Fieri
Serves 4

• 5 lbs chicken wings (or 2 chicken breasts)
• 6 c water
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄3 c chili- garlic sauce
• 1 c honey
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1⁄2 c Sweet Soy Sauce (see recipe below)
• 3 T sriracha sauce
• 1⁄4 c apple cider vinegar (I didn't have apple cider vinegar. Which is weird considering at one point I had 4 bottles.  I used Rice vinegar instead.)
• 1⁄4 c minced ginger
• 1 tsp ground sea salt
• 1 T freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 T minced green onions

Sweet Soy Sauce Recipe
Note: You can buy sweet soy sauce in Asian markets. I figured this recipe was super easy and I had all the ingredients so I opted to make it.

• 1 c soy sauce
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp wasabi powder

Whisk them all together in a bowl.

Cut the wings apart at the joints and discard the tips. In a large glass bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, ¼ cup of the chili- garlic sauce, and ¼ cup of the honey. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the wings and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

To make the basting and dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine the remaining chili- garlic sauce, the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, sriracha, the remaining honey, vinegar, and ginger and mix well. Set aside half of the sauce for serving in order to avoid contamination.

Preheat a grill to medium- high. Drain the wings and season them with sea salt and pepper. Grill the wings until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning as needed. When the wings reach the right color, continue cooking over indirect heat until they’re at the desired doneness, then baste them with the sauce, turning as needed until the wings are glossy and well coated. Garnish the wings with the sesame seeds and green onion and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

Beef Stroganoff

If you've been a reader of this blog, you're aware that I have a Kick Ass recipe for beef stroganoff.  My recipe is GREAT in a pinch. If you need dinner on the table within the hour, that's the recipe for you.

But let's say you have some time to linger.  You have time to braise some meat.  If you find yourself in that situation, I recommend this recipe. You really only need an hour, so it's not like it lasts all day.

This recipe was deep in flavor - I think in part by the 2T of tomato sauce.  It was well rounded, and oh so tasty. 


Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Cuisine At Home
Serves 6

• 1 boneless arm roast, tenderized and cut into 2 inch cubes - I had no idea hat an "arm roast" was so I just bought stew meat and tenderized it.
• All purpose flour
• 2T vegetable oil
• 2c button mushrooms
• 2c cremini mushrooms
• 1T unsalted butter
• 2c diced onion
• 1T tomato paste
• ½ c dry sherry
• ½ c chicken broth
• ½ c beef broth
• 1 c sour cream
• 2T fresh chopped dill

If using an arm or other beef roast cut in two lengthwise and tenderize both strips. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and sear well in the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in butter until golden. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and tomato paste and sauté.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broths and return the beef to the pan. Cover and braise in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to braise another 15 minutes. Prepare egg noodles according to the package directions. Top each serving with dilled sour cream by combining 1c sour cream with 4T chopped fresh dill.

I, personally, like the sour cream mixed into the stroganoff.  I dropped the dill (not a fan) and mixed the cup of sour cream in to the stroganoff before serving.

Coconut Flavored Chicken Soup

Also know as Tom Ka Gai.  I LOVE Tom Ka Gai. It's one of my favorite soups to get during the fall/winter months when I go to Thai food.  It's rich, filling, and oh so good.

I've never been successful making Tom Ka Gai.

Until now.

Martin Yan's recipe is super easy and quick.

The hardest part was finding lemongrass (If you have a Uwajamaya in your area or any Asian food store, I'm sure they'll have it. That's where I found it. In a pinch, I read somewhere you can use lemon rind.)

If you do nothing else this winter, make this soup. You will not be disappointed.

Little note about coconut milk. It can curdle. It curdled on me when I added it to the chicken broth. I'm not a fan of curdled milk. I knew logically it was fine, but it looked gross and the texture is weird.  I was deeply concerned. Then I turned my back and almost over boiled the entire soup.  Turns out boiling makes the curdling go away. So boil this soup long enough to avoid curdling.

Unless you like curdling.
Coconut Flavored Chicken Soup
Recipe from Martin Yan
Makes: 4 servings

• 3/4-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 stalks lemongrass
• 2 slices ginger, each the size of a quarter, lightly crushed
• 3 c chicken broth
• 1 can (13 1/2 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 T fish sauce
• 1/2 c straw mushrooms, drained (I used button mushrooms)
• 3 T lime juice
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 T chopped cilantro
• Thinly slice chicken. Lightly crush bottom 6 inches of lemongrass with the dull side of a kitchen knife; trim and discard remainder.

Place lemongrass, ginger, and broth in a 2-quart pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and add coconut milk, fish sauce; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chicken, lime juice, lime zest, and chili; stir once to separate slices of chicken. Simmer until chicken turns opaque, 4 to 5 minutes.

Just before serving stir in cilantro.