Grilled Salmon and Rice Pilaf

I recently have been wanting to cook with more fish since it is so healthy and I want a different protein than chicken, pork and some beef (which I barely eat). Chicken and beef especially because of how a lot of the animals are taken care of I'll just say. So you can't go wrong with salmon. Who doesn't like salmon?

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, and along with other people who have saved the recipe on that site, I agree it tastes wonderful. It is a grilling recipe but it tastes good sautéed if the weather is not cooperating too. With the soy salty taste and the sweet brown sugar, its the perfect combination!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat grill for medium heat.

4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade.

Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/ Cream cheese Frosting

Ok so you know when you are trying a Paula Dean recipe it is going to be good because her recipes are definitely not healthy ones... She loves butter lol. But don't worry the only butter in this is in the frosting. Which is the best part haha! But seriously, these are amazing! Best cupcakes ever!

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 8-oz. can of crushed pineapple, well drained
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Small pinch of ground cloves
• 3 cups grated carrots, grate on larger side of cheese grater
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• For Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fresh coconut, shaved and toasted for garnish (optional)

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars, pineapple and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and small pinch of ground cloves. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into muffin tin lined with beautiful paper or foil liners. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 min. Let cupcakes cool completely. While cooling, prepare frosting.

Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pile the frosting high on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the toasted coconut if desired.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad w/ Poppyseed Dressing

• On Easter sunday I made this salad and everyone loved it. I love salads with fruit so I put a little extra strawberries in there...
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• Ingredients:
• 2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
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Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.

Bourbon-Pecan Pumpkin Butter Pie

I got this recipe from Williams-Sonoma. Excellent.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups (about 1 1/3 jars) pecan pumpkin butter
• 1 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbs. evaporated milk
• 3 Tbs. bourbon
• 1 prebaked and cooled deep-dish piecrust (see related recipe at left)
• Whipped cream for serving

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven. Place a cookie sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 325°F. (The pie dish will sit on the cookie sheet, which will help the bottom of the crust to brown.)

In a large bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add the pecan pumpkin butter, evaporated milk and bourbon and whisk until well combined. Pour the filling into the prebaked piecrust and bake until the center of the pie is just set, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Check the crust after 30 minutes; if the edges begin to brown too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 4 hours before serving. If making in advance, cover the cooled pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to overnight.

To serve, cut the pie into slices and serve with whipped cream. Serves 8 to 10.

Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Chives

• Ingredients:
• 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 Tbs. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 3 Tbs. minced fresh chives
• 8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and cooked until crispy
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Place the garlic cloves on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Fold over the foil to enclose the garlic and roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. When the cloves are cool enough to handle, peel them and mince enough garlic to measure 1 Tbs. Reserve any remaining garlic for another use.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pot. Add the 1 Tbs. salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Set the pot over low heat, add the half-and-half, butter and the 1 Tbs. roasted garlic and whisk until the butter melts. Set a potato ricer over the pot and pass the potatoes through in batches. Using a silicone spatula, fold the potatoes into the liquid until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the chives and bacon, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 8-10

My Chicken Sauce

If you want just to cook a simple lemony chicken kind of meal I use these ingredients for lemon herb chicken. I have a habit of not really measuring for this sauce because I mix it up every time. But this is basically what I put in it

2 TB Olive oil

Chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onions (depends on how much chicken I am cooking)

1 TB butter

1 TB mustard

2 TB White wine

1 TB Lemon juice

Lemon pepper seasoning

Clove of garlic

Tortilla Casserole

This recipe is a combination of my best friends tortilla casserole and my own. My friend Sierra is partially spanish and makes some amazing mexican recipes.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream of mushroom

3/4 cup Medium Pace Salsa

4 small white corn tortillas

Tortilla chips

2-4 cooked chicken (dice) - (I use my canned chicken that Dustin and I make every year.)

Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Mix both creams and salsa. Put a little on the bottom of baking dish. (13x9)

2. Layer 2 tortillas, chicken, half cheese and then the rest of the sauce.

3. Tear other 2 tortillas into pieces and spread. Crinkle 2 small handfulls of chips and sprinkle over the dish. Put the rest of the cheese on top and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Oven Temperature: 375

Risotto with Butternut squash, leeks and basil

I made this recipe over the holidays this last Christmas and the butternut squash taste definitely made it a very holiday-ish dish. Risotto is my favorite kind of rice. It is very creamy and almost like pasta.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 2 1/4 pounds squash)
1 bundle of green onions- chopped/diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups arborio rice
4 14-ounce cans (or more) vegetable broth
1 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer squash to medium bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, green onions, and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes.

3. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 servings.

Takes about an hour to cook.

Capellini Pomodoro

If any of you have been to Olive Garden and know their menu well you might have tried this simple pasta recipe. It is one of their smaller calorie pastas. Very simple but has a yummy italian taste. I was able to find this recipe and I would love to share it with you.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 pounds plum tomatoes - seeded/diced

1 oz fresh basil leaves -minced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 oz parmesan cheese

12 0z dry angel hair pasta - cooked

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive poil and garlic. (Cook garlic until it is white)

2. Add tomatoes and pepper. Heat through stirring for 2-3 minutes.

3. Tomatoes shouldn't lose shape. Remove from heat.

4. Transfer hot cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss with tomato mix, basil and half of parmesan cheese.

5. Serve with remaining cheese.

Marinated Salsa Tomatoes

I LOVE heirloom tomatoes. They remind me of when I did catering and had heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella for a salad. It is very fast and easy to prepare.

6 large heirloom tomatoes

1 (16 0z) container fresh salsa ( I use Costco's salsa)

1 (4 0z) can diced green chiles

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar dressing

2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Core and slice tomatoes. Arrange them in an overlapping pattern or in stacks of alternate colors on a large plate.

2. Stir together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over tomatoes.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Wa-la!! You have a tomato salad.

Sweet Chili

3 lb my dads pork sausage

1 lb Jimmy Dean hot sausage

4 texas sweet onions

1 green pepper

2 large cans dark red kidney beans

1 can northern beans

1 can chili beans

1 can black beans

1 large can Bushes baked beans ( I use the vegetarian one)

2 bottles Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ sauce

Garlic

Chili powder

Salt & Pepper

Basil

Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Brown sausage in large pot (12 qt). Chop onions and green pepper in food processor and add to meat once brown. Add garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, basil, italian seasoning and cook for 5-10 minutes until onions are partially cooked. Add 2 bottles of BBQ sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Add all cans of beans, including the fluid in the can. Cook until hot, and then simmer until ready to eat.

This makes a TON of chili so if you do not want to make that much, divide the recipe in half. I like to make extra to put in little sandwich bags and I freeze them (laying flat down) for easy quick meals.

Shepherds Pie

I made Shepherds Pie tonight for Sunday dinner and it was delish!!!

I got it from wholeliving.com. Some healthy recipes honestly taste pretty eh... But this was not that kind of taste. Plus I used my dads pork sausage instead of turkey sausage. I can't make anything without it. Best sausage meat ever.

Anyway, you have to try this recipe. It's one of my new favorite comfort foods.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• FOR THE TOPPING
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 parsnips (6 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• FOR THE FILLING
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds italian sausage ( I use my dads pork sausage)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• Dash of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 6 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the topping: Place potatoes and parsnips in a medium saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, and bring to a simmer. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Pass potatoes and parsnips through a ricer. Stir in yogurt and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper.
2. Make the filling: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Add turkey; cook, breaking up any large pieces, for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the thyme, and chili powder; season with pepper. Whisk together cornstarch and reserved 2 cups cooking liquid; add to turkey. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in peas. Transfer to a 2-quart round or oval baking dish; top with potatoes. Bake until bubbling and top is browned, 35 minutes.