Salmon Tacos

Tonight we grilled fresh salmon and made salmon tacos. I made homemade flour tortillas (an easy recipe I found which is 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsps baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp vegetable oil. Add 3/4 cup warm milk and let the Kitchen-aid run on knead for a good 2 -3 minutes. Let sit in covered bowl for 20 minutes; separate into 8 or so balls and let sit (covered) another 10 minutes. Roll thin and then grill or fry in a cast iron pan. We tried grilling them for the first time and it was great - at least in terms of ease. They seemed a little heavier than when I've cooked them inside on the cast iron pan.

I added a marinade for the salmon (olive oil, lime juice, cumin, honey, chili pepper, apple cider vinegar) - it was okay. Not sure I'd do the same thing again - didn't really add anything.

I also made a sauce of yogurt, mayo, lime juice, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh cilantro. It was okay; again, not great.

And of course guacamole - mmmm. Can't go wrong with guac.

Served the tacos with left over kale salad. For desert we had fresh watermelon.

Salmon, Kale Salad, and Roasted Potatoes

After our (one-day) camping trip, we had a lovely dinner at home. It was BBQ'd salmon, kale salad and roasted potatoes.

Salmon - start with some really good fresh salmon, a little bit of salt and seasonings, and BBQ on the grill.

Roasted Potatoes - slice up some potatoes, some olive oil, salt, fresh oregano and rosemary. Roast in a 350 degree oven until soft but also

Kale Salad - a favorite recipe for our house.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940

Only change we make is to not add the black pepper.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

3/4 to 1 pound lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

The Usual

There is a running joke with my neighbors that they guess roasted chicken when asked what I'll be having for dinner and be correct pretty much every time. That is definitely my fall back dish. Last night, we had roasted chicken (whole chicken stuffed with lemon and salt, roasted at 425 for first 20 minutes and then 400 until it reaches the right temp), roasted butternut squash, and steamed broccoli. For dessert the boys had fresh cherries, peaches and strawberries and we all shared some left over cookies from Sunday.

Mother's Day Feast

Mother's Day started with a brunch consisting of our favorite (at home) French toast (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creme-Brulee-French-Toast-15213). J made this the night before and even "went for it" by using the half n half as the recipe calls for (normally, I'll either do whole milk or some combo of low fat milk and half and half). That and some fresh juiced OJ from oranges in our backyard (and juiced by S!). Topped off with some fresh steamed asparagus and some fresh strawberries and blueberries from the Farmer's market that morning. mmm.

Dinner was late but tasty... J BBQ'd some lamb chops (one of my favorites) and I have to say he did a fabulous job. I put together a quick marinade/basting sauce of olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh mint, pressed garlic, and salt. With no recipe! Along with the lamb chops we had roasted potatoes and kale salad (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940) - one of our go-to green side dishes. Some fresh peaches and cherries and also a sugar cookie from the Farmer's market and I'd count that as a great Mother's Day fest.

Butternut Gnocchi with Lemon Sage Butter

I can't find where I got this recipe from... but it is a keeper.

Serves 4 to 6 (I'd say 4)

Gnocchi

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grounded

Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whole fresh sage leaves

zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1. Cook squash in boiling water until tender (I steamed mine vs boiling)

2. Gently puree squash by pressing through a sieve or gently mashing with a potato masher (I used a potato ricer and it made things super easy)

3. Put puree into large sauce pan with 2 tbsp butter. Cook gently, stirring until the squash has dried a bit. Then remove from heat.

4. Add the flour, yolk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until combined and the dough forms a soft ball. You might need to add more flour (I did) if it's sticky.

5. Knead a few times on a floured board and let rest 10 minutes or so.

6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut the gnocchi in strips about as wide as your index finger. Roll the strip in flour to coat. Cut each strip into a bit-sized piece.

7. Roll the piece down a fork, pressing lightly with your finger (I skipped this step - it is purely for aesthetics)

8. Put a large pot of water onto boil.

9. As the water heats, make the sauce by melting the butter in a small sauce pan along with the sage. Simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest (I skipped lemon zest as I didn't have any)

10. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water, adding only a few at a time so the water doesn't cool.

11. When the gnocchi is done, it rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.

12. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Verdict: tasty! The boys love this dish. Only deviations I made from the recipe were to use 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I could probably even use 1 cup white whole wheat, 1/2 cup white next time and see how it goes) and not using the lemon zest. There were no leftovers. Served with some sausage meatballs and a big green salad.

Cuban Black Beans and Yellow Rice

My neighbor mentioned this dish once and I thought I wanted to try it, so I went to my trusted foodblogsearch.com and wound up taking parts from a couple of different recipes.

For the Cuban Black Beans, I had heard of making these in a crock pot so I definitely sought out a recipe that went that direction. I found this one and it couldn't have been easier or tastier: http://slow-cooker-collection.yumsugar.com/Slow-Cooker-Cuban-Black-Beans-Rice-530398

Cuban Black Beans and Rice
From Bettycrocker.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes about 6 servings.

1 pound dried black beans (2 cups), sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large bell pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
2 cups Progresso® diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño chilies
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked rice

1. Mix all ingredients except rice in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions.
4. Serve beans over rice.

For the Yellow Rice, I found this recipe when searching for the black bean recipe and took just the Yellow Rice part of the dish (and also it gave me the idea of serving this with guacamole): http://skinnybovineskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-of-week-cuban-black-beans-and.html

yellow rice
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bullion
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups long grain rice

In a medium saucepan, heat the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. add the water, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. add the rice and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Verdict: definitely a keeper. We had a couple of slightly older neighborhood kids over and one loved the rice and both loved the beans. My boys weren't thrilled about the rice but loved the beans. J and I loved the rice and the beans. Such an easy and inexpensive dish to make. I put everything except for the water and tomatoes in the crock pot the night before and then added the water and tomatoes just before I turned on the crock pot. I don't think you can overcook which is nice if you need to turn your crock pot on earlier in the morning. For the Black Beans, I made the following changes: didn't add the jalapenos, used a whole 16 ounce can of chopped tomatoes rather than 2 cups from a 28-oz can, added only 3 garlic cloves and put them through the press rather than chopping them, and used a yellow pepper rather than a green one. Would probably do those same changes again just because it all turned out so good and so now I don't want to change it up.

Made plenty! We fed 2 adults and 4 kids and still had plenty of left over black beans (probably enough for a small dinner for 4 or a couple of lunches). There wasn't any yellow rice left-overs.

Spaghetti O's

I had no idea what I was making for dinner tonight and I was starting late so I had that already against me... I looked in the pantry and saw a box of O shaped pasta and decided to go to my favorite foodblogsearch.com and look up spaghetti o's, with no idea if there would be anything. Luckily for me (and the family), I found this one: http://feedyourvegetarian.blogspot.com/2007/09/homemade-spaghettios.html

/2 lb ring shaped pasta
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup milk
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
1 6-oz can of tomato paste
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter under medium flame in a saucepan. Add flour and stir about 2 minutes. Add onion to the saucepan, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Whisk in milk, oregano, basil, and parsley. Bring to a gentle boil.
Whisk in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. If the sauce is too thick, add a ladelful of pasta water. Bring to a simmer.
Stir in the shredded cheese. Salt and pepper to taste
Finally, add the cooked, drained noodles and stir to combine well.

Serves 4.

Verdict: I think I used too much pasta (box was 12 ounces) but otherwise this was a keeper for sure. The boys loved it and both told me they loved tonight's dinner (and that I was the bestest cook). I served this with little sausage meatballs (essentially just ground Italian sausage shaped into tiny balls and cooked) and fresh green beans. Also, serving size says serves 4 but the four of us had dinner and I'm pretty sure we have enough left overs we could all 4 have the same dinner again and possibly still have leftovers. Also, I didn't have canned tomato paste and so I used the super concentrated kind in the tube. I have no idea if I put enough in but it still worked.

First Post - Shrimp Tacos

I finally realized maybe it would be best to start a blog so I can remember when I find a good recipe... so here it goes. Tonight we had a friend and his son over for dinner and I decided to make Shrimp Tacos. Off to foodblogsearch.com (I love that site!) and I found a couple yummy sounding recipes but finally settled on this one - http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/09/16/tequila-lime-shrimp-tacos-with-chipotle-cream/ from Recipe Girl.

TEQUILA LIME SHRIMP TACOS W/ CHIPOTLE CREAM
www.RecipeGirl.com

1 ½ lbs large, raw shrimp, peeled & de-veined (tails removed)

MARINADE:
juice and rind of 1 medium orange
juice and rind of 2 medium limes
¼ cup tequila
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE:
8 ounces sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (seeded & chopped)
1 tsp. adobo sauce (from the can)
½ tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
½ red onion, sliced

FOR SERVING:
8 soft-taco-size flour tortillas, warmed
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Marinate Shrimp:
Place all marinade ingredients in large zip bag. Add shrimp, zip closed and move bag around to coat shrimp. Place flat in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning every so often to make sure marinade is reaching all shrimp.

Prepare Sauce:
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.

Cook the shrimp:
Heat oil in large skillet to medium-heat. Saute bell pepper and onion until slightly charred. Drain shrimp from marinade and add to pan. Stir often, and cook just until shrimp turn pink and curl up. Remove from heat.

Assemble tacos:
In warmed tortillas, place shrimp, peppers & onions. Add lettuce, drizzle with chipotle cream sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4 (2 tacos per person)

Verdict: tasty. Shrimp part wasn't all that fancy or special but they still turned out good. Probably would take better if I had a pan for the grill versus just sauteing them. The chipotle sauce - that was awesome. Definitely a great sauce for any fish-type taco. Didn't add the sauteed onion or red pepper. We did add guacamole, shredded cheese, homemade flour tortillas, chopped tomatoes, and an avocado salsa. We had kale salad as our side. Will most likely make this again - I may play around a little with adding some spices to the shrimp marinade (maybe cumin).