Pecan Crusted Salmon

When the late Mr. O-P and I were living in Connecticut while we were working at Yale, we had the opportunity to try a lot of different ethnic restaurants, one of which was an African restaurant, Eritrean food specifically. I have to say it didn’t wow me. The bread was like a thick placemat in both appearance and taste. I had ordered pistachio-crusted salmon that was so insipid that it didn’t even taste like salmon.  The idea of nut-crusted salmon, however, appealed to me. The other day when I was chopping pecans, I decided to chop a few more to use on top of salmon for dinner. It was a wonderfully flavorful dish.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

 ¼ c. butter, melted

3 T. Dijon mustard

1½ T. honey

¼ c. panko

1/3 c. finely chopped pecans

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

4 (4-oz.) fillets salmon

Salt, to taste

 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  Pat salmon dry, place on baking sheet that has been lined with a piece of parchment or foil.

 Stir together butter, mustard, and honey in a small bowl;

set aside. Mix together panko, pecans, and parsley in another bowl.

Brush each salmon fillet lightly with the honey mustard mixture.

Generously coat the tops of fillets with panko/pecan mixture.

Bake salmon in the preheated oven until it flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

 * I used Mike’s hot honey

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Mustard Caper Sauce for Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts

 

I happen to be one of those people who likes vegetables, so a little salt and pepper, and a bit of butter, and I’m good to go. But, if you’re one of those people who likes vegetables dressed up a bit, you are going to be over the moon once you taste this sauce. It was created with broccoli in mind, but it’s equally good over sautéed brussels sprouts. This is one of those things that is so good that it’s hard to stop eating it. It‘s also incredibly simple to put together, and company worthy. How often does that happen? Mustard Caper Sauce for Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts

6 T. butter (not unsalted)
1 T.
Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of white pepper
2 T. capers

Place butter, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper into a medium pan over medium heat. As the butter melts, whisk ingredients together until blended. Add capers, stir to combine, and pour immediately over cooked broccoli and serve. This makes enough to cover up to one pound of broccoli or brussels sprouts.

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Two Hearts Salad

 

Here is a simple salad for Memorial Day Monday. There really isn’t much to this considering how delicious and elegant it can be; it can also be dressed down for an every day meal. You can serve it as a side dish in a custard cup or in an ornate bowl. You can serve it over lettuce leaves as I have done here, or chopped mixed greens. You can also serve it in individual leaves of Boston lettuce for easy pickings on a buffet. If you have any of this salad left over (not likely), rinse it and use it in a quiche. I am not kidding! SO GOOD!

Two Hearts Salad

1 14.8-oz. jar Melissa’s Hearts of Palm
1 14.75-oz. jar marinated artichokes, drained, reserve juice
½ c. thinly sliced red onion
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. red wine vinegar

Slice hearts of palm on the diagonal in bite-size pieces, approximately ½ to ¾ inches. Cut artichoke hearts in halves or quarters, depending upon the initial size. Thinly slice red onion (I use a mandolin). Put all vegetables into a medium bowl.

Measure out ½ cup of the reserved juice from the marinated artichokes. Into that stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar. Whisk together until fully emulsified. Pour over vegetables and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Sriracha Honey Chicken Legs

Occasionally, actually more than occasionally if I’m honest, I will be rummaging through the freezer and come up with some real relics. An example of this was a package of pork chops with an expiry date of May, 2016 (I did not eat them). Honestly, I don’t know how they got there. I’m guessing that the late Mr. O-P bought them, and in June of this year he will be gone for six years. Oy! I had not hung onto them for the sake of sentimentality, more likely that they were too frosty to identify, and I didn’t want to risk throwing them away. I know, I know, it’s crazy. This year I told myself that I was going to get rid of things in the freezer, either by putting them to use, or putting them into the trash.

This week I found a package of chicken drumsticks. I didn’t buy them all that long ago, but as soon as I got them home, couldn’t remember why I did. So I pulled them out of the freezer and marinated them in buttermilk in the fridge, while I decided what to do. I always, I repeat ALWAYS, marinate chicken in buttermilk. It makes it so wonderfully juicy no matter how you choose to prepare it. At this point, the search was on for a recipe that looked unique and tasty. I found it at allrecipes.com. This is so easy to put together, without the skin is lower in calories, and the taste is phenomenal!

Sriracha Honey Chicken Legs

Slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com

 2 lb. chicken legs, skin removed

2 T. olive oil

1½ t. dried thyme

1½ t. garlic powder

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. salt

1 t. ground black pepper

3 T. raw honey

3 T. butter

2 T. Sriracha sauce

1½ T. soy sauce

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

 Combine chicken legs, olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix chicken legs until coated and arrange on the baking sheet.

 Combine honey, butter, Sriracha sauce, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until butter is melted and sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes; set aside.

 Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Toss in Honey/Sriracha sauce and return to the oven for 10-15 additional minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads 165°F.

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Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

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I’m going to tell you something that will shock you. It’s something that I don’t tell just everybody because, frankly, I’m a little embarrassed by it. Are you ready? Do you promise to keep your lips sealed after reading this post? OK, here goes: I have a Rice-A-Roni collection. This is no joke. It is on the third shelf of my pantry, sandwiched in between my pasta collection. It’s in the middle because I have my pasta divided; straight noodles are on the left, curly noodles are on the right. I know it’s crazy, but Rice-A-Roni has saved me more often than you can imagine. It is amazingly versatile, comes in a wide variety of flavors, and so many things can be added to it by way of both meat and vegetables, so that it can be served as a side or a main. No, I don’t represent the company; I just love their product.

  Why do I mention this, you may ask? Because, while wandering around on the web, I found this recipe (somewhere, I can’t remember where), and it is a homemade version of Rice-a-Roni. Naturally, I love it! I have made it three times in the past two weeks, each time varying the herbs. It is amazingly easy to make, can be tailored to whatever suits you, and works equally well for a weeknight dinner as it does for company. You must give this a try!

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

 2 T. butter

1 c. uncooked orzo pasta

1¾ c. chicken stock

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Additional fresh basil, for garnish

 Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat; stir in orzo and sauté until lightly browned.

 Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

 Stir in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl and garnish with basil sprigs.

 

Mushroom and Gruyere Pizza

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I am in love with Jacques Pépin, and I’ll tell you what, if his wife, Gloria, didn’t look so formidable, I would give her a run for her money. Like many of you, I have been watching his short videos online wherein he prepares a wonderful dish in seemingly a matter of minutes. These short videos have led me to his books, and now his magnificent Heart and Soul in the Kitchen resides on my shelf of favorites.

Quickly becoming one of my most thumbed, this book is full of recipes that are simple yet elegant. Every one that I have tried is more delicious than the last, and I marvel at how he is able to make the most wonderful things out of the commonest of items. Because I had bought a package of flour tortillas, and then for the life of me couldn’t figure out why, I gave his Mushroom and Gruyere Pizza recipe a shot.

This is stunningly good! It really did go together in just a matter of minutes, the portobello mushrooms made this taste beefy, earthy, and complex, and I cannot thank him enough for giving me an excellent use for my flour tortillas.

Ever since making this, I have become a bit obsessed. Considering the cheese is a given, I found that quite a wide variety of vegetables will do. Essentially, with a package of flour tortillas, some good Gruyere cheese, and an assortment of vegetables, you can make a flavorful, can’t-stop-eating-it pizza in no time. Based upon personal experimentation, some of my favorite combinations are spinach/shallot/hearts of palm; portobello/red onion/spinach; portobello/scallion/bacon; spinach/artichoke/Parmesan.

This recipe makes two, but I can tell you that if you’re only serving one, the leftover filling will last in the refrigerator 1 to 3 days, so you can enjoy it later in the week. Get the kids involved in this, and let them choose their own toppings. This is great fun!

Mushroom and Gruyere Pizza
From Heart and Soul in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin

2 T. olive oil
2 flour tortillas (8 inches across)
1 c. diced Gruyere cheese (about 5 oz.)
3 c. sliced portobello mushrooms (about 6 oz.)
2 scallions, cut into 1” pieces
¼ t. salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Rub 1 teaspoon of olive oil on both sides of the tortillas and place them onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

In a food processor combine the cheese, mushrooms, scallions, salt, and pepper, processing until you have a course purée.

Spread the purée on the tortillas, covering the entire surface of each one. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top.

Bake the pizzas for 12 to 14 minutes until hot, bubbling, and browned on bottom and edges. Cut into quarters and serve.

Café Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream)

I don’t know about you, but I love coffee. I mean, I REALLY love coffee. The first thing I do in the morning, my eyes barely open, is hit the button on the coffee grinder, and start filling the coffee maker with filtered water. My day doesn’t start without it. I like coffee in the morning before breakfast, in the afternoon with a cookie or two (or four if you must know), baked into fudge, cakes, used in barbecue sauce, as a rub on pork chops and steaks, and in this delicious Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream. Easy, festive, and a special treat for your friends over the holidays, make it now and store it in the freezer. I have an ice cream maker, and recommend everyone have one because they are so versatile, but if you don’t, you can easily pour this into a loaf pan and freeze it, and scoop your ice cream from there.

Café Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream)

Adapted from Cafe Fernando and David Lebovitz

1 cup espresso or very strong coffee

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup heavy cream or whole milk

Pinch of coarse ground coffee

Whisk to combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill until cold, and then process in your ice cream maker according to the instructions.

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If you prefer chocolate ice cream, you will love Billie’s Chocolate Ice Cream.

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Creamy Tomato Soup

In the same way in which Franco-American played a big role in my childhood, so did tomato soup. I would have nothing other than Campbell’s tomato soup made with milk, not water. That and a grilled cheese sandwich, and I was in 10-year-old heaven! I still love tomato soup, but now I like it a little more sophisticated than what Campbell's can do. This recipe was pointed out to me by Kitty of Kitty's Kozy Kitchen as having come from the Tupelo Honey Café Cookbook. Because I am absolutely insanely in love with their pimento cheese (you can read about that here), I had to try this soup, and ultimately get the cookbook. You can find one of your own here.

Nothing could be easier than putting this soup together. Honestly, it’s only a little more work than Campbell’s. Like I tend to do, I changed this up a bit, because as I’ve mentioned many times before, when anything Italian or tomato is involved I always add a bit of red wine. So my recipe is adapted from theirs, and all the more delicious due to the hint of red wine. Try it for yourself and see what you think. With cooler weather coming, nothing is more satisfying. To me, it’s tomato soup and grilled cheese, not tea, that is the panacea for all ills.

Creamy Tomato Soup
Adapted from Tupelo Honey Café

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2½ cups water
½ cup dry red wine
2 T. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 t. sugar
1½ t. sea salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Combine tomatoes, water, red wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, sugar and salt in a 4-cup heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil, immediately decrease the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until mixture lightly coats the spoon.  Whisk in the pepper and cream and continue cooking over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended.

Serve garnished with a dollop of pesto and a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese.

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An autumnal version of cream of tomato soup with the addition of pumpkin can be found here.

This post is linked to:

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

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Salted Chocolate Crunch Bites

Admit it, occasionally you get a chocolate craving so fierce, that you will eat chocolate chips right of the bag. I know you’ve done it, so have I. But you can just as easily make a delicious, far more satisfying chocolate snack, in under five minutes. Sound impossible? It isn’t if you use this recipe. I can’t tell you how good these are! It sure beats getting chocolaty fingers from eating the chips straight from the bag with your hot little chocolate-deprived hands. These make chocolate cravings so much more civilized. The dusting of fleur de sel ads a hint of sophistication to your chocolate binge. You’re welcome!

Salted Chocolate Crunch Bites

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
8 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
Fleur de Sel (optional)

Spray a mini muffin pan with Pam; set aside.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl (I use Duralex) melt together butter and chocolate at 30-second increments, stirring after each. This will take anywhere between 1-1/2 and 2 minutes, depending upon the wattage of your microwave. When chocolate is melted, fold in Rice Krispies until evenly coated. Using a cookie scoop, scoop up portions to fill each well in the muffin pan. Dust with Fleur de Sel, if desired. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 12.

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Another delicious and easy no-bake chocolate candy are these Heavenly Hash Clusters, loaded with chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows.

This post is linked to:

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday

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Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

This year, in an effort to get my decorations up early, I pretty much put everything else on the back burner (if you'll pardon the culinary pun), and that includes cooking. So, these days when I make a meal, it has to be quick, easy, and crockpot friendly. This recipe is based upon one I had in the seventies called Angel Chicken. I decided to make it early one morning before I dug into the Christmas decorations, but had failed to thaw chicken overnight in the fridge. What the heck, I thought, as I tossed two rock hard chicken breasts into the slow cooker, stirred together the few other ingredients, and poured them on top.

As the day went on and my weariness increased, the faint aroma of beautifully spiced chicken filled the house. I was so tired that the thought of making something simple like rice or noodles to use as the base for the chicken seemed daunting. So, I went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of Cipolline onions that I had previously blanched, peeled, and frozen, cleaned a handful of large button mushrooms, and quartered them, scrubbed six Ruby Gold Potatoes, halved them, and tossed everything into the pot on top of the simmering chicken. A one-pot meal was certainly in order for the day.

As I spooned everything into a bowl that evening curled up on the couch with my cozy afghan and a fire in the fireplace, I dug in. That's when I decided that this new dish should be called Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken because the flavor was absolute heaven. The chicken was perfectly tender and beautifully seasoned, thanks to the packet of Italian dressing mix. The onions were nicely done as were the mushrooms, the potatoes were like butter. It was the best meal I had had in a long time, and took virtually no effort.

This is a must have for you during this busy holiday season. And it's so good, that I really feel it's company worthy. Maybe not for your elegant dinner parties, but certainly for a Christmas tree decorating party, a cookie making party, movie night, football afternoon, or any gathering where good friends and family get together. You have to try this. 

Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

1-1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts (about 3)

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 8-oz. carton cream cheese with chives and onions

1 can condensed mushroom soup

6 peeled Melissa’s Cipolline onions (or 1 medium yellow onion, quartered)

6 large button mushrooms, quartered

6 Melissa's Ruby Gold Potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine dressing mix, butter, cream cheese, and soup, and pour on top of chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours. Add onions,  mushrooms, and potatoes, and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour.

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This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

 Dishing It & Digging It

   Busy Mondays

 Art of Homemaking Monday
 Full Plate Thursday
  Foodie Friday & Everything Else