Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

Recipe

I made this recipe a while back and posted it to my blog a while, but decided that I needed to update it as I have a new and better camera and I feel I have gotten better at taking pictures. So I did an updated version of this recipe.

I would have to say that this is probably my most favorite salmon recipe to make. I love the sauce that goes over the salmon. It’s so light and fresh (as my mother in law would say). It is perfect to have on a hot summer day, or in winter when you long for the fresh summer flavors. Make it, you won’t be disappointed…

Salsa:
2 large oranges (I doubled my recipe, so 4 oranges)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square

2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange.

Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment.

Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl.

Add the olive oil,

lemon juice,

cilantro,

scallions,

mint,

capers,

orange zest, lemon zest,

and red pepper flakes.

Toss lightly

and season with salt and pepper,

to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Here is that recipe for you again:

Salsa:
2 large oranges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Orange Chicken

Have you missed me? I haven’t blogged for a while as I have been sicker than sick! SO I am back and cooking again!

Recipe

For the sauce

1 1/2 C water
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1/3 C rice vinegar
1 C packed brown sugar
2 tbsp orange zest

1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
half bunch of green onions, chopped
1 tbsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp water

For the chicken:
1 lb. boneless chicken tenderloins, cut into small bites
1/4-1/2 C cornstarch
2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Combine water,

orange juice, soy sauce,

lemon juice,

vinegar,

brown sugar,

orange zest,

ginger,

garlic,

and green onion in a saucepan

over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil. In a separate bowl, dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch

in 1-2 tbsp of water, and then slowly pour into sauce.

Reduce heat to low and stir until sauce thickens into a syrup-like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

Meanwhile, prepare chicken.

Coat chicken in cornstarch,

adding more cornstarch as needed and then heat oil in another skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces to skillet and brown on all sides,

letting chicken cook threw (work in batches if necessary).

Drain any excess oil before adding sauce mixture to chicken. Try to “coat” both sides of chicken in the sauce and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or noodles if desired.

Citrus Butter Cookies

Recipe

 

 

2 cups (4 Sticks) Salted Butter, Softened

 

1-1/2 cup Sugar
2 whole Large Eggs, Separated

4 cups All-purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons Orange, Lemon, And Lime Zest (approx 1 Tablespoon Each)
2 Tablespoons Orange, Lemon, And/or Lime Juice (2 Tablespoons Total)

Icing
3 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Orange,

Lemon,

And Lime Zest

Juice Of 1/2 Lime
Juice Of 1/2 Lemon
Dash Of Salt
Extra Zest, For Decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until combined.

 

Add egg yolks

 

and mix until combined (set whites aside for the icing.)

 

Add the zest and the flour

and mix

until just combined, then add juice and mix until combined.

Scoop out heaping teaspoons of dough, then roll them into balls

between your hands. Place on a cookie sheet

I had Normy help me with this…

and bake for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep on the cookie sheet for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a spatula and allow to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, combine 1 egg white with the rest of the icing ingredients. Whisk thoroughly until combined, adding either more powdered sugar or more juice until it reaches a pourable but still thick consistency.

Drizzle the icing across the cookies in several lines, then do it again in the other direction. Sprinkle with extra zest before the icing sets.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

You couldn’t pay me to eat this stuff…

It looks like a big blob of yuck!

So I made this instead:
Recipe

1 bag (12 Oz. Bag) Cranberries

1 cup Cranberry Juice (or Orange, Apple Or Any Ot¬her Juice Combination)

1 cup Pure Maple Syrup (not Pancake Syrup!)

3 Tablespoons Juice (you Could Also Do Orange Zest, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice – Anything Citrusy)

Wash bag of cranberries under cool water, then dump into a medium saucepan.

Pour in 1 cup of cranberry juice (or whatever juice you choose).

Pour in 1 cup maple syrup.

Add orange juice (you could also do orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice – anything citrusy).

Stir together and turn heat on high until it reaches a boil.

Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking over lower heat for about 10 minutes, or until the juice is thick. Turn off the heat.

I never really cared for cranberry sauce and then I made this and I actually like it!

Pineapple Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

recipe

2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh orange zest
6 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small sauce pan, over high heat, combine the brown sugar,

soy sauce,

orange zest, pineapple juice

and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken a bit.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the salmon and set in the skillet.

Cook for 3 minutes without moving. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Carefully remove the salmon from the pan and place with the cooked side up in the baking dish. (Alternatively you could use a cast iron skillet, flip the salmon and put the whole pan straight into the oven)

Bake for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and generously brush glaze over the tops of the salmon. Return to oven for 1-2 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Let them EAT!

Baby Strawberry and Honey Pies

With all the craziness from Christmas and New Years, I forgot a recipe I made! Can’t leave anything out!

Recipe

Crust:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 unroll-and-bake refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (recommended: Pillsbury)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 8 medium strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces, to yield about 1 1/4 cups
• 1 egg, beaten
• Special equipment: a 12-count nonstick mini-muffin pan, a 3-inch round cookie cutter, a 2-inch round cookie cutter

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the crust: Spray a 12-count nonstick mini-muffin pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Put a strip of parchment paper, 1-inch wide and 5-inches long into each muffin cup, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides of the cups. Unroll the pie crust and using round cookie cutters, cut out 12 (3-inch) circles and 12 (2-inch) circles of dough. Lightly press the 3-inch circles of dough into the bottom and sides of the prepared muffin cups.

For the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, arrowroot, and orange zest until smooth. Stir in the strawberries.

Spoon the filling into the muffin cups and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with beaten egg. Put the 2-inch circles of dough on top. Using the tines of a fork press the edges of the dough together to seal. Lightly brush the tops of the pastry with the beaten egg. Using the tip of a knife, make a 1/4-inch wide slit in the center of each pie. Bake until the crust is golden, about 14 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes. Using the overhanging parchment paper as handles, remove the pies from the pan. Remove the parchment paper and serve.

The Ultimate Beef Stew

Lately all I want to do is cook foods in my new Le Creuset pot! I am looking for recipes specifically so I can use my dutch oven! I love it!

We spent New Year’s Eve with Friends! I (of Course) Cooked! It (Finally) snowed here and got bitter cold! So I thought what better dish to make than beef stew! But not just any Beef stew! I made Tyler’s Ultimate Beef Stew!

Recipe

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (this cut is also called chuck shoulder pot roast and chuck roast boneless)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy)

• 8 fresh thyme sprigs

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• 9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

• 2 cups frozen pearl onions, a large handful
• 1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2 ( i used Crimini mushrooms)
• Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat.

Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides.

Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits.

Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. I also added one large can of whole San Marzano tomatoes.  Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream.

 

Horseradish Sour Cream:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Chives, finely chopped, as garnish

Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

I also made Champagne Cupcakes, with Champagne Frosting and topped with Chocolate Covered Strawberry (But I can’t tell you the recipe because then people won’t buy them from me)

What did you do for New Years? I was good, only had a couple glasses of wine! I was DD later on in the night, hubby had a little bit too much, I was also the picture taker as I always am. I don’t mind, as long as there are a few good pictures of me. We were mellow this year. We went to our friend James house :

James made my bacon wrapped smokies (well not mine) but the recipe I have: recipe

Allan, (My Hubby in the middle) Normando, James and the shorty in the front is Karen

Allan, Me (In the Middle) James on the right, Karen in the front

Karen can’t eat flour or eggs, so I felt bad that I made cupcake and she couldn’t have any. So I made her some chocolate covered Strawberries and her name in Chocolate.

Me and my typical pose, with cupcakes! Happy New Year!

This is my fav picture I took of the night! James and his cupcake! I also brought sparklers to put in the cupcakes to make it more special and fun! (I think James appreciated it)

Normy and Me!

Priceless!

Me and My cupcake!

Happy New Year Everyone! Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and tries my recipes! Here’s to 2011 and many more yummy recipes! I can’t wait!

new york cheesecake

Recipe Adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/

I have been wanting to make this recipe since summer, it looked so fabulous! The Lemon and Orange zest really add to this cheesecake! By far the BEST cheesecake I have ever made! You bake this as the highest temperature I have ever seen a cheesecake baked. Mine got a little burnt on top. So I chilled it over night and then the next day I took it out and made a Chocolate Ganache and just covered the top of the cheesecake, so you couldn’t see where I burnt it, and the chocolate would help cover the burnt flavor if there was any. (I don’t know, as all I could taste was chocolate)

 

Crumb crust
8 ounces (15 4 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch sheets of graham cracker; yes, I am crazy enough to both count and measure) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Very tall cheesecake filling:
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia is recommended for cheesecakes but if you’ve had success with other brands, feel free to use them again)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

The Recipe calls for a Cherry topping, I did strawberries instead, with Chocolate Ganache.

Make crumb crust: Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and up the sides, stopping one inch shy of the top rim**, of a buttered 9 1/2-inch (or 24 cm) springform pan. You can fill it right away but I like to pop my into the freezer so it quickly sets while I prepare the filling.

Make very tall cheesecake filling: Preheat oven to 550 degrees***. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour and zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, then eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating on low-speed until each ingredient is incorporated. Scrape bowl down between additions; I cannot stress this enough as if you do not, you’ll end up with unmixed stripes of cream cheese. I always find at least one, despite my best efforts.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan (to catch drips). Pour filling into crust (springform pan will be completely full) and baking in baking pan in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes or until puffed. Please watch your cake because some ovens will top-brown very quickly and if yours does too fast, turn the oven down as soon as you catch it. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees (see Note below about my baking drama) and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about one hour more.

Run a knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it and cool the cake completely in springform on a rack, then chill it, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.

Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. If you had any wonky baking issues (see my Note below), you might need to trim the cake flat. I promise not to tell anyone what happened to those scraps, okay?

Do ahead: Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

* You might dial this up by up to another 1/4 cup if you’re using sour cherries. However, if you’re using sour cherries I’m going to assume it is because you like them, and the more tart taste they impart, thus you probably will enjoy this sauce just as much with only 1/4 cup sugar. Look at me, psychologizing!

*** Yes, this is correct, but updated to note 9/12/10 that please, if you are using a Teflon-coated pan, note it’s temperature limit, often around 475, and only start your baking temperature there.

Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen

 

Recipe  (Adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis)

• 2 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) Cornish game hens
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced

• 2 tablespoons orange zest, from 2 medium oranges

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 lemons

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants (didn’t use)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest,

thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries.

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear.

To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates.