Sweet Lemon Salmon

The 'kids' have been making dinner ever since I came home to Oregon. So to continue, I looked up a recipe for orange salmon, but then Katie asked me to do something with lemon in stead. So this is what I found (and it turned out pretty good!): 

4 Salmon Fillets

Juice of an entire Lemon

1 Tb Lemon Zest

2 Tb Brown Sugar

1/4 C of Water

Salt/Pepper (to season fillets)

1 Tb of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm oil in skillet with salmon salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Brown Salmon fillets on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish. 

In a small sauce pan, put lemon juice, water, and brown sugar. Cook on low until sugar is dissolved. Pour over top of salmon and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve while hot and drizzle some of the brown sugar sauce from dish over salmon. 

***Changes made: I split up a clove of garlic over the 4 fillets. ***

Recipe from: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=250781

Biscuits

My birthday this year was really quite wonderful this year. We decorated our house for Christmas. Emily took me out to dinner. And I had a party in the evening. I don't generally like parties, but this one was so fun! More on that with another post, but for now, let talk breakfast. I love biscuits. I know, they aren't the most exciting food, but I really love them. Topped with a little homemade jam or freshly made chunky applesauce...mmm! I make the same recipe Mom does, but I usually use butter instead of the shortening because I am too lazy to wash a measuring cup with shortening goo on it. I really think biscuits are the perfect breakfast for fall or winter mornings.

3 C Flour
1/3 C Butter (can use shortening)
1 TBS Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 C milk (about)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter or shortening until small clumps form. Add milk. Roll out and cut rounds into biscuits. Bake on an ungreased pan at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

I don't like Texas sheetcake, I think the last two times I have tasted an after taste or something.... I had to take a treat to tonight... so I searched the internet, and used the sheetcake pan mom gave me for it's purpose... I think I stand by Katie in liking pies and other such things better then cakes, but it's not bad... even brownies more...

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 Eggland's Best Eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ICING:
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a small
• saucepan, bring butter, cocoa and water to a boil. Immediately
• remove from the heat. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well.
• Stir into cocoa mixture. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in.
• baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick 
• inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa and milk to a boil,
• stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add sugar and vanilla.
• Mix well. Spread over hot cake; immediately sprinkle with nuts. Cool
• completely on a wire rack. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Machu Picchu (Steamed Veggies with Quinoa and Chili Cashew Cream Sauce)

Last year for her birthday, Emily wanted to go to a restaurant in Salt Lake called Cafe Supernatural. It was so so good! The food was so fresh and while it was pretty simple, it was still delicious. We ordered two dishes: the Machu Picchu and the Mesa Azul. The Mesa Azul consisted of a couple of blue corn winter squash tamales with pumpkin seed mole and a side of greens. I am still trying to figure out how to make that one. The other was vegetables with quinoa and a cashew cream sauce. Really good. We decided we wanted to try to make it at home, and came up with this recipe after adapting some of the recipes we saw for cashew cream sauces on the internet. Just because it's simple doesn't mean it isn't good. Try it!

Cashew Cream Sauce
1 1/2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours
juice of 1 lime
1 t chili powder
1 1/2 C vegetable broth (I used bouillon and water)
salt to taste

Drain water from cashews. Blend all ingredients for sauce until smooth. Transfer to small sauce pot and cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir the sauce while warming to prevent it from burning. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Vegetables and quinoa
Assorted Steamed Vegetables: We used a couple carrots, a couple summer squash (zucchini and yellow), 3 or 4 sliced potatoes, and some cauliflower. We steamed each veggie individually.
3 or 4 C cooked quinoa (2 c uncooked quinoa and 4 c water brought to a boil. Cook on low for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.)

To Serve: In a bowl, top quinoa with steamed vegetables. Pour cashew cream sauce over the top of vegetables. Eat and enjoy!

Zucchini/Apple Bread

The last time, at the end of September I stopped at Danny & Fred's house (super late after the RS broadcast) they gave me a zucchini that was the size of my thigh... no joke.. so I used some in a green curry, and the rest has gone to bread & the freezer for future usage ;-) I have made a couple of zucchini bread recipes, but this one always wins for the best tasting one... there is  is also a very ation to do it as apple bread which I have also used and had a lot of people like... it's super simple.. thank you better homes and gardens!

Zucchini Bread

Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices)

Prep 20 minsBake 350°F 50 mins

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup  sugar
• 1 cup  finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
• 1/4 cup  cooking oil
• 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2.In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

from the test kitchenApple Bread:

• Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 cups finely shredded, peeled apple for the shredded zucchini.

nutrition facts (Zucchini Bread)

• cal. (kcal) 147,
 
• Fat, total (g) 6,
 
• chol. (mg) 13,
 
• sat. fat (g) 1,
 
• carb. (g) 21,
• Monosaturated fat (g) 2,
 
• Polyunsaturated fat (g) 3,
 
• fiber (g) 1,
 
• sugar (g) 12,
• pro. (g) 2,
 
• vit. A (IU) 49,
 
• vit. C (mg) 1,
 
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
 
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
• Niacin (mg) 1,
 
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0,
 
• Folate (µg) 8,
 
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0,
 
• sodium (mg) 123,
 
• Potassium (mg) 49,
 
• calcium (mg) 10,
 
• iron (mg) 1,
 
• Starch () 1,
 
• Other Carb () 1,
 
• Fat () 1,
 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/quickbreads/zucchini-bread/

Asian Quinoa Salad

Ok, so I know it looks like all I do is make desserts based on my recent track record of posts, but in reality, I generally am a pretty healthy eater. My roommate and I sign up for Bountiful Baskets each week, and by the end of the week, we are somehow out of all the fruits and vegetables we got at the beginning of the week. Anyway, a few weeks ago, someone gave us 4 cucumbers. Add that to the 3 we already had, and that felt like a lot of cucumbers. I don't really like cucumbers, so I was trying to find a recipe to use them, without making them the feature flavor. I ran across this recipe and decided to try it. It was perfect. The dressing hid the cucumbers well, and there were so many good vegetables in it. The flavors came together just right. This is definitely a keeper. Slightly adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com.

1 1/2 cup quinoa
3 cups water
2 cup chopped red cabbage
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup diced cucumber

For the dressing:
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine water and quinoa  in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and place a lid on pan. Let cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until water has been absorbed. Turn off heat, remove lid, and fluff up quinoa with a fork.
Add quinoa to the remainder of the salad ingredients. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over salad. May serve immediately or refrigerate. 

Apple Pie Bars

Turns out I like pie. Like, a lot. Cake with frosting: no. Pie with or with out ice cream: yes. So when I saw a recipe for apple pie bars, I new I wanted to make them. I just had to wait because you really shouldn't make an entire pan of treats that just you will eat. When I was invited to a "Fall Fiesta Bonfire" last weekend, I knew I wanted to take these. I was not disappointed. I cut the recipe in half so to make them in a 9x13 instead of a jellyroll pan, which made them a little thicker than I think they are supposed to be. Thick or thin, they are still delightful. Adapted from mybakingaddiction.com

Crust
3/4 C unsalted butter

6 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 C flour
dash of salt

Filling
3 lbs tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used granny smith)
3 Tbs brown sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Topping
2 cup oats (quick cooking is better, but I used old fashioned and just processed them a bit)
3/4 C flour
2/3 C brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C cold butter, cut into small cubes
nuts optional

Preheat oven to 375. Line 13x9 with parchment. Combine butter and sugar for crust and beat until fluffy and lighter in texture and color. Slowly add flour and salt and beat until a soft dough forms. Evenly over bottom of the pan and press down to create crust. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool while making remaining parts.
In a large skillet, add apples and brown sugar. Apples should let out some juice, but you may add some water or butter if you are worried about burning. Cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until the apples are soft. Add nutmeg and cinnamon. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated (5-10 min.) Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine everything except butter (and nuts if using.) Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and small clumps begin to form. Add nuts.
Pour apples over the crust. Lightly toss topping evenly over apples. Bake for about 45 min-1 hour, turning the pan halfway through baking process. Cool before cutting and enjoy! 

Blondies

My roommate is in charge of ward prayer, which means we make a lot of treats around here. I am always surprised when I take these to something at how many people really like them. Not that they aren't good, but when I took them a week ago, I think I got asked for the recipe from about 8 people. Considering there where only about 30 people there, it was more than I would have guessed. They don't take a lot of work to make either. So next time you have to take a dessert to something, try these.

Blondies (Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

2 cups packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1 cup chopped nuts (We used hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in eggs one at a time; stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (avoid chocolate chips). Cool slightly on wire rack. Cut into bars while warm.

PLUM KUCHEN

While Dad is getting the graphics together, I get to write my part...This is the basic recipe all of you in the family should have had access to by now, but thought I would include for any others who may be interested. It came by way of a memory for me of something grandma would make in the late summer or early fall with all the plums which were so prolific on our trees.  I have since used the cake portion for other similar stone fruits (mostly apricots) and find it to be a very simple, but good dessert especially for potlucks.  The  picture for this one is of one I made to take to Linger-Longer at the branch; unfortunately the handle on the bag gave way as Dad was trying to carry it and it bit the dust in the parking lot, breaking the dish. This one never made it into anyone's tummy, but I have made four of them this past week.  Most people don't have that much fruit to bake with, so it becomes an unusual, but popular cake at a potluck and is something different than store bought cookies!

½ C. Butter or margarine

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 C. Flour

1 Tsp. Baking powder

1 Tsp. Vanilla or almond extract

¼ Tsp. Salt

¼ C. Cinnamon sugar

1¼ Lbs. Plums

Powdered sugar as desired for garnish

-Mix butter and sugar together until fluffy

-Add eggs, extract

-Gently add flour, baking powder, and salt

-Pour batter into greased 9 X 9 baking dish

-Pit plums and place plum halves in the batter skin-side down covering the

  surface of the  batter

-Bake 350° for 60 minutes or until done

-After baking and while it is still warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

Blackberry Cobbler

Mom brought a blackberry cobbler to the family reunion last weekend. It turned out to be a hit, especially with Uncle Andy. Blackberries seem to have taken over the farm. Almost any other time of year, I would probably be bothered by that, but this year, I am glad I am in town to enjoy them. Now, if I could just figure out how to get them back to Utah!

Berry Mixture
6+ C blackberries
1 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping
1/4 C butter
2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking powder
2 eggs
3/4-1 C milk

Combine blackberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl. Pour into 13x9 baking dish
For the topping, combine butter, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in bowl until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add eggs. Add enough milk so mixture resembles cake batter. Pour batter over berries and bake at 425 for 20-25 min. Drop temperature to 375, and bake another 20 min or until berries are bubbling.

Lemon Herb Quinoa with Green Peas and Basil

Emily and I made this for the first time last August. We took it with us when we went up to the raspberry festival at Bear Lake. It was so good! We had been walking around all day, we were hot, tired and hungry. This filled us up quick, was so refreshing, and easy to eat. The original recipe comes from the Food 52 website.

1 c quinoa
2 c water
1 c green peas
1/4 basil, finely chopped
1/4 c hemp seeds
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 teas lemon juice
1 teas maple syrup
1/4 salt
Pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa is done. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
Combine quinoa, peas, basil and hemp seeds. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over quinoa mixture, and stir to combine. Eat!

Buffalo Chip Cookies

Some years back when we made our first trip to SLC we visited with Sylvia as a family.  She shared this recipe with us as one she really enjoyed as a soft, chocolate drop cookie.  It's even better when the mint chocolate chips are available to purchase during the holidays and are used in place of the white ones!

1 C.  Butter

2/3 C. Brown sugar

3/4 C. White sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Soda

½ tsp. Salt

2/3 C. Cocoa

2 ¼ C. Flour

2 C. White or mint flavored chips

Cream together the first five ingredients

Add dry ingredients

fold in baking chips

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes

Leave on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removing from oven

Place on cooling rack

Makes about 3 dozen

 

Daniel's Chili

We had this at Emily's parent's house when we went up a couple months ago. I think it might be one of my favorite meals eat. It takes a little prep work, but it makes a lot, and you feel really good about what you are eating. Plus, it fills you up really well. I've heard it's good with a baked potato or rice, but I think it is delicious on its own. Try it!

1 onion, chopped
3 zucchini, grated

Terrible picture. Delicious food.  

3 carrots grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
3 bell peppers (assorted colors)
2 Tbs better than bouillon
2 32 oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
2 c kidney beans
2 c black beans
2 c garbanzo beans
2 c corn
1-2 small can green chili peppers
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 c chili powder

Combine onions, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers and chili peppers and 2 c water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, bouillon, and spices in blender. Blend smooth. Pour over vegetables. Add diced tomatoes. Cook on medium another 20 minutes. Add beans and corn and heat through. Serve.

Basic Macaroni & Cheese

I don't really like macaroni and cheese all that much. That is, except when I get sick or when I am really tired. When I get sick I start to crave processed foods more. Which is why it's weird that I wanted macaroni and cheese earlier this week. I wasn't sick. Well, I decided to make some from scratch and it turned out pretty well. Obviously there are tweaks that you can make to this recipe, but for a starting point, I think this makes a  pretty good recipe.





1/3 cup flour
3 tbs butter
2 cups milk (I used almond)
2-3 cups cheese 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 lb. macaroni or other type of pasta (cooked)
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Whisk together flour and butter over medium heat to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk. (If lumps form, whisk until smooth.) Add cheese, salt, chili powder, pepper and nutmeg. Once cheese has melted, add cooked macaroni. Pour into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Simple Almond Cake

I pretty much love this recipe. I can't even guess how many times I have made this simple almond cake. It is so so easy and so good. The recipe for this almond cake is in the ward cookbook from the Woodruffs, but I've seen it a few other places as well. I like to serve it with berries and sometime ice cream. We made it for the missionaries last week and they loved it. To be fair though, they live at the MTC their whole mission so anything that is not cafeteria food is probably amazing. Elder Tucker who has been in the MTC for the past 23 months was so excited at the thought of fruits and vegetables not from a can. The cake was still good, regardless of whether or not your diet consists of cafeteria food.

1/2 C butter, melted and cooled

1 C flour

1 C sugar

2 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

Slivered almonds

Combine butter, flour, sugar, extract and eggs in a bowl. Pour into a pie tin. Sprinkle almonds over batter. You can also sprinkle a spoonful of sugar over the top if desired. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with mixed berries and ice cream if desired.

Citrus Chicken with Soy Sauce

We had an impromptu celebration for Cinco De Mayo and one of our neighbors brought this amazing chicken. Last we had the missionaries over and we decided to try to recreate it. It was good the way we baked it, but I think it would be better if we had grilled it. Either way, try it! It is so so good!

1/3 C soy sauce (I used the Shoyu sauce)

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 orange 

1/2 an onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS cilantro

1 teas cumin

1/3 C soy sauce

1 teas paprika

1/2 teas white pepper

Chicken (3--4 lbs)

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken, cover and marinate in fridge 2-4 hours.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Serve. (Could also grill.)