The Seafood Kitchen: Pesto Salmon

Adding seafood into my diet has always seemed intimidating. I've gotten shrimp down now and now I am trying salmon. This was an easy recipe to start. I did have to play around with the cook time a bit.

The ingredients:

1 salmon. Fillet 

1/4 C pesto

1 TBSP lemon juice

Coarse Salt and pepper 

Olive oil

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On baking sheet add a drizzle of olive oil.

Place fillet skin down and add a pink of coarse salt and pepper.

Drizzle with lemon juice.

Top with pesto in a thick coating.

Bake for apprx 20 minutes until opaque and flaky.

Notes: 

You can use skin on or skinless.

My oven too about 20 minutes you can start at less and check and add more time if needed.

Add Veggies as a side on the same baking sheet for a 1 pan meal.

The Spicy Kitchen: Harissa Brussel Sprouts

These are pretty spicy but you can adjust the harissa for less heat.

The ingredients:

Chopped brussel sprouts

2 TBSP harrisa or less

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

Pinch of salt

Olive oil

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine well.

Add to baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon juice.

The Veggie Kitchen: Mustard and Feta Brussel Sprouts

This is an original recipe. This was good if you like a bit of tang. A new way to enjoy one of my go to veggies.

The ingredients:

1-2 C brussel sprouts sliced

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C coarse or creole mustard

1 tsp black garlic

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 C crumbled feta

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a ziploc bag, add all the ingredients except the feta.

Smooth around to coat the brussel sprouts.

Add to a greased baking dish and top with the feta and toss with a spoon to combine.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Notes:

You can change up the mustard. I think any would work except for the yellow mustard. I used creole mustard.

You can garnish with parmesan or crushed red pepper.

The Soup Kitchen: Cheesy Poblano Soup

Soup season is just about here! I love making soups for lunch especially suring the fall and winter. For a bit of fall, I added a bit of pumpkin. 

The ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

1lb ground chicken

Chorizo sausage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

4 poblano peppers roasted and diced

1 can rotel

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 TBSP pumpkin puree

6 C chicken broth

4 oz cream cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

The recipe:

Brown chicken and chorizo in oil and add the garlic and onion powder.

Add to crockpot.

Add the pumpkin puree and poblanos and mix to combine.

Add all the other ingredients except the cream cheese.

Cook on HI for 3 hours.

Halfway through add the cream cheese and mix until well combined. 

Notes:

I add a parmesan cheese rind for added flavor.

If you want more pumpkin flavor you can add the whole can. I limit the amount to keep carbs lower. 

Once the cream cheese is added I find a wisk works well to combine everything.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, or cilantro. For some crunch, add crackers, cheese crisps, or some pepitas might work well. 

The Veggie Kitchen: Cucumber and Sweet Pepper Salad

This is a refreshing g side dish on those hot days when you want to limit oven time. Super easy and quick but not a typical salad.

The ingredients:

Mini sweet peppers sliced

Seedless cucumber sliced and quartered

Olive oil

White wine vinegar

Salt 

Pepper

Silk chili

Parmesan cheese grated

The recipe:

Add peppers and cucumbers to a bowl

Make the dressing with the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and chili and shake well.

Drizzle veggies with the dressing and top with parmesan. 

Stir to mix well.

Notes:

I don't use sugar in my dressings so to make less tart I use more oil than vinegar. If you want it more tart use more vinegar instead.

This dressing shaker by oxo is great. It holds 1 C but for this recipe I used about 1/4 C. You just add everything, shake, and pour.

BTW, Valerie Bertinelli used this shaker on her show and she is the one that mention adding more vinegar or oil to adjust the tartness of the dressing.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Roasted Poblano and Bacon Egg Bake

The roasted poblanos smelled so good  roasting. Poblanos aren't an item I get all the time but when I see them I grab them. 

The ingredients:

12 eggs

Crumbled bacon

3 roasted poblanos diced

Hatch green chile powder

Mustard

1 tsp garlic powder

Baking powder

Heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Pepperjack cheese shredded

Smoked papridiced.

To roast the poblanos, cut in half lengthwise, place skin up on baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Place in ziploc bag to cool for 15 minutes.

Remove seeds and skin and dice.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a greased baking dish add the crumbled bacon and poblanos.

Top with shredded cheese.

In a bowl, combine eggs, mustard, heavy cream, garlic, hatch chile, baking powder, and salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture into the baking dish.

Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Bake for 30 minutes.

The Low Carb Kitchen: Shepherds Pie with Cauliflower Mash

I've been wanting to try this forever. I was a bit intimidated but it ended up not being too hard just used a lot of dishes. For the cauliflower mash I used the Paula Deen recipe shared earlier.

The ingredients:

1 lb ground lamb

1 C celery

1 C diced bell pepper

1 can drained green beans

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 C chicken or beef broth

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried savory

1 tsp dried rosemary

Salt and pepper

1 tsp xanthum gum

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a Dutch oven or pot, brown ground lamb with onion powder and garlic powder.

Add Veggies and cook until softened.

Add the tomato paste, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and herbs and mix to combine.

Add the broth and salt and pepper to taste.

To thicken, add the xanthum gum.

Cook until thickened.

Layer the dish and cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes. 

Notes:

Assemble by dishing the meat mixture in ramekins and layering cauliflower mash on top. Top with shredded cheese and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

You can swap savory for thyme.

You can use whatever veggies you wish- carrots and peas are traditional.

To make these into individual servings I used these large ramekins. You can serve all in one pot if you desire. I like making them this way so for the leftovers I can bake when ready.