Sesame Chicken and Stir Fried Bok Choy

As with most families, everyone in our house has their own schedule. My Oldest is off to softball practice first. Then it is No Thank You Boy's turn to go to lacrosse. My Middle One heads with a friend out the door to a party. Softball practice is over. Lacrosse practice ends. Next up, The Husband and No Thank You Boy decide to go to the New York Auto Show. Some days I can't plan on anyone but myself to be home at dinner time. Which isn't all that bad sometimes. It is inevitable that when the family gets home though, they will be hungry.

Last night I made enough dinner for 5+ people since I never know who will end up at our dinner table. As the dinner hour rolled around, there were 2 of us to eat it. My Oldest and I enjoyed Sesame Chicken and Stir Fried Bok Choy leaving the others to reheat their homemade takeout when they got home. Asian dishes are a no-brainer in our house. Everyone likes them, and the leftovers heat up as if just made. This is a good dish in that those who want it spicy can add red pepper flakes to their hearts content while the others eat it as prepared.

This meal is good to have on hand for the days when the family is going in 5 different directions all at the same time.

Sesame Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus a little more for garnish
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
a few drops of sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut in bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
scallions, sliced thin for garnish
cooked rice

Mix together all ingredients except for the chicken and pineapple. Place chicken in a large ziploc and add the marinade. Marinate for about 15 - 30 minutes.

Heat a wok or large saute to high. Add the chicken and marinade and cook until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened; about 10 minutes. Add pineapple and just heat through.

Serve over rice and sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and scallions.


Stir Fried Bok Choy

1 large head of bok choy; about 8 cups chopped slightly larger than bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
sesame seeds
red pepper flakes

Heat a wok or large saute pan to high. Add the sesame oil and the bok choy. Stir fry until tender crisp, about 4 - 5 minutes. Toss with soy sauce and sesame seeds and red pepper flakes to taste.

Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks

Yuk! I know that is probably the first thought of many people at the idea of a plateful of Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks. The image that comes to mind is the tv commercial with the fisherman in the yellow raincoat and hat touting how fresh tasting his frozen version of fish sticks are. Frozen fish sticks were pretty much a staple when my kids were toddlers because I thought they were actually eating fish.

This is a baked version of fish sticks, and I'm always a little leery of baked adaptions of foods that taste better fried. But who likes to clean up the mess from frying. Couple that with my wimpy exhaust fan, and I'm not too gung ho to fry up a batch of fish sticks.

I came across a recipe that was developed by John Ash who is a chef, author and cooking instructor. I was attracted by good reviews and the ease of preparation. A few minor changes were made - the original recipe called for halibut, but at $18.00 a pound that wasn't going to happen - and we had fish sticks in the house.

Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks are on the Make Again List at our house. Eaten by all family members and rated "Really good. Make these again" by 4 family members is a successful meal by my terms. No Thank You Boy was the biggest cheerleader for this meal. He ate it three nights in a row. He dipped his fish sticks in marinara sauce.

Tell that fisherman on the tv to go back to sea and bake up some of your own fish sticks.


Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks
adapted from a recipe by John Ash

makes about 30 - 34 fish sticks

1 cup flour
1 cup Italian salad dressing, low calorie
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup yellow cornmeal, coarse ground
2 pounds cod fillets, can use pollack, halibut or grouper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a baking rack in a large baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. This setup enables the fish sticks to be cruncky on all sides.

Place the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the salad dressing and eggs together in another shallow dish to blend. To a third shallow dish add the breadcrumbs and cornmeal. Stir to combine.

Cut the fish into 4" by 1" by 1/2" strips. Dip the fish sticks into flour; then into the egg mixture; then into the crumbs, covering the fish completely. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. They can be coated up to 4 hours ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.

Bake the sticks until they are cooked through, crisp, and firm to the touch, about 15minutes. Transfer them to a platter and serve warm with tartar sauce, ketchup, marinara or lemon wedges.

What's in that Bowl? Creamy Mashed Garlic Cauliflower of Course.

Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

A favorite side dish at our kitchen table is Creamy Mashed Garlic Cauliflower. It ranks right up there with Mashed Potatoes and Macaroni and Cheese.

The Husband was an Atkins guy for a while. Ginormous plates of Gorgonzola topped steak. 6 egg omelets with a pound of cheese. Bacon topped with mayonnaise. I exaggerate, but you get the idea. I went on a one woman crusade to get vegetables into his diet and ripped a recipe out of a magazine at the dentist's office (see below). I thought that there was no way Creamy Mashed Garlic Cauliflower would be appealing. I was wrong. It is one of the most requested side dishes by The Husband, My Oldest and My Middle One. Don't think No Thank You Boy eats this; he doesn't even like mashed potatoes.

The recipe is doubled in my house because it is devoured, and it makes a great leftover. It tastes the same as if just made when it is reheated. One warning though. Your kitchen will stink while the cauliflower is steaming. Open a window or put the exhaust fan on high.

Look. Here is the recipe I actually ripped out of the dentist's magazine. Hope I don't get charged extra.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

"I LOVE VEGGIE BURGERS!"

For some reason, I had an aversion to veggie burgers even before trying them. I think I was turned off by the processed looking ones in the freezer section of the grocery store. Also, when I think of burgers, big, fat, juicy beef ones come to mind. How can vegetables be made into a burger? My Middle One said, "It's on a bun, it's burger-shaped, you can eat it with french fries. It's a burger." OK. I'll go with that explanation. I am now a veggie burger convert.

I made veggie burgers, from a Food & Winerecipe, for one of personal cheffing clients. I was astonished when I tasted a bite. Absolutely delicious. The burgers were full of carrots, potatoes, scallions, corn, mushrooms, and garlic and seasoned with cayenne pepper and cumin. I was so excited that I made a batch when I got home.

I did modify the recipe for my Black Bean and Veggie Burgers and included black beans and spinach. A drizzle of chipolte mayo on mine, blue cheese dressing on The Husband's, and just plain for My Oldest. I got one of my three kids to try the burgers and we gave them rave reviews. Even though No Thank You Boy said, "No thank you," to the burgers, he did comment on the rainbow of colors from all the vegetables. We are adding veggie burgers to our menu. I can't wait to make different versions - Teriyaki Edamame Veggie Burgers, Italian Cannellini Veggie Burgers, and Thai Chile Veggie Burgers.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers
adapted from a recipe in Food & Wine, April 2008

makes 6 4-inch burgers or 18 sliders

2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for cooking the burgers
1 cup corn
2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 potato, peeled and grated
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed - mash 3/4 of the can and leave the remaining beans whole
salt
pepper
1/2 cup panko

whole wheat buns
mini potato rolls
any burger toppings you like - these would be good with guacamole or chipolte mayo

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add corn, mushrooms, and scallions. Cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach, carrot, and potato and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove for the heat and add the mashed and whole beans and the panko. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into burger or slider sized patties and place on a large platter.

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and cook burgers until golden brown and crispy on each side. Serve on a bun, eat it plain, they are great just about any way you would like them.

Meatball Mania

Meatballs. Meatballs. Meatballs everywhere.

Growing up in a large family, the spaghetti that was served had a meat sauce. The sausage or ground beef was browned first and added to my Dad's homemade sauce. Making meatballs for 8 family members was too time consuming - just get dinner on the table.

With a long holiday weekend ahead of me, I had time to whip up a batch of meatballs. They were sitting in the refrigerator just waiting for consumption. An obvious way to to enjoy them is with a fresh marinara sauce and sandwiched on a soft roll (my lunch on Saturday).

I suggest that you mix up a batch and stash them in the refrigerator or the freezer. Then dinner will be ready in a snap with the addition of a tasty sauce. Try Sesame and Soy Glazed Meatballs. Or have Happy Hour with a couple friends and serve Meatballs with Pinot Noir Sauce or my Dad's famous Charlie's Christmas Meatballs. Pack them for lunch with Mushroom and Sage Gravy and your co-workers will be begging for a bite.


My Meatballs
a food processor makes this recipe a snap

makes about 40 meatballs

2 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix - a combination of 1/3 ground beef, pork and veal
1 cup onion, minced in food processor
1 cup celery, minced in food processor
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced in food processor
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into about 40 meatballs and put on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Cool and package for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.


Option #1

Sesame and Soy Glazed Meatballs

a batch of the meatballs you have already made

Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons ginger root, grated
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon corn starch
cooked rice
cooked edamame
2 scallions, sliced thin
sesame seeds

In a saucepan, over medium high heat, combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger root, beef broth, and corn starch. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add meatballs and heat through.

Serve glazed meatballs over rice and a side of steamed edamame. Sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.

Note - if you like a lot of sauce with your meatballs, double the recipe.


Option #2

Meatballs with Pinot Noir Sauce

a batch of the meatballs you have already made

Pinot Noir Sauce:
1 (16-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Pinot Noir wine or other red wine
2 teaspoons hot Chinese mustard or Dijon mustard

In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, add cranberry sauce, brown sugar, Pinot Noir wine, and Chinese mustard; stir to combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add meatballs and heat through. Serve.

Option #3

Charlie's Christmas Meatballs

a batch of the meatballs you have already made

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups ketchup
1 cup bottled chili sauce - like Heinz 57 brand
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Italian spices
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, heat oil and cook onions until tender, about 5 - 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add meatballs and simmer until heated through.

Option #4

Meatballs with Mushroom and Sage Gravy

a batch of meatballs you have already made

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, minced
about 2 cups mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup sherry or white wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup half and half or cream
1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage
salt
pepper
cooked wide, flat egg noodles
chopped fresh parsley

Heat a saucepan to medium high and add butter. When melted, add the shallots and mushrooms and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes until softened. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the mustard, sherry or wine, beef broth, and half and half or cream. Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer to thicken, about 5 - 6 minutes. Stir in the sage and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over noodles and sprinkled with parsley.

Farm Stand Chicken

Farm Stand Chicken

The most difficult aspect of making dinner for many a harried mom is preparing a meal that appeals to the majority of family members. I am not one of those moms who will make a different dinner for each person, but I still try to make something that will be enjoyed by everyone. At least most of the time.

I have been testing a new dinner philosophy in our house for the past few months. With 5 family members, each person brings their own likes and dislikes to the table. In my menu planning, I try to make meals that appeal to those with more sophisticated tastes as well as those that have less adventurous palates. My solution - each meal has something for everyone. Not every family member will eat all parts of the meal, but no one will go away hungry. My meals are generally easy to prepare, but are not usually the typical meatloaf or baked chicken. I try to spice it up a bit. An added bonus is that the Mom/Chef has to do a minimal amount of work to get dinner on the table. Tonight's dinner is a prime example - Farm Stand Chicken with Parmesan and Olive Oil Pasta

Farm Stand Chicken consists of sauteed chicken breasts topped with a melange of sweet corn, chopped tomatoes, scallions, and a sprinkling of grated sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese and vegetable topped chicken is popped in the oven to make it all melty and good. For those family members adverse to most vegetables (No Thank You Boy), the plain chicken with some A-1 sauce was a welcome sight. For the more adventurous remaining family members(this evening it included the myself, My Middle One and My Oldest), we enjoyed the chicken with all the accouterments. A relatively mild side dish of Parmesan and Olive Oil Pasta was tonight's accompaniment to the chicken. The pasta consisted of thin spaghetti cooked and drained and tossed with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a big handful of freshly grated Parmesan and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. For the spicy eaters, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes were added. The pasta-eating family members gobbled it up.

Depending on the alignment of the moon, the shifting tides, and the general level of hormones, the taste preferences of my family members can change on a daily basis. Today was a relatively calm day at the dinner table. Maybe everyone was just really hungry.

Thumbs up for tonight's meal. Everyone got to eat something they liked. The Mom/Chef liked that everyone ate some part of dinner. The Mom/Chef liked that it only took about 30 minutes to prepare. Give my method a try. It's just dinner.

Farm Stand Chicken

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
olive oil
1 cup corn, fresh, canned, or frozen/thawed
1 cup tomato, diced
2 scallions, sliced thin
drizzle of olive oil
about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, or substitute your favorite cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine flour and bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in another shallow dish. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and then in egg and saute for about 3 - 4 minutes per side until nicely browned. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. If chicken is not cooked through at this point finish cooking in a preheated oven for about 5 - 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine corn, tomato, scallions, a drizzle of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Top each one with about 1/4 of the corn mixture and 1/4 of the grated cheese. Bake in oven for about 5 - 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Note: This meal can be made ahead of time. Saute the chicken, let cool and package for the frig. Mix up the corn mixture and keep in the frig. At dinner time, preheat the oven, assemble the chicken breasts and bake. Viola! It's just dinner.

St. Patrick's Day Take 2

As I posted earlier, The Husband requested that I make his favorite Irish dinner more than once a year on St. Patrick's Day. As The Day approached this week, I was not looking forward to making The Dinner again. It is a good meal, but just not one of my all time favorites.

"What can I do to make the most of this meal?" I said to myself. I added a brown sugar and Dijon glaze to the corned beef after it was finished simmering to add a sweet and spicy crust. With a half loaf of Spotted Dog still in the freezer that I could thaw and serve, I made Irish Mashed Potato Rolls as an additional to the bread basket.

No photo of the The Dinner. That is one plate of food I can never make look very appetizing. But, look at those Mashed Potato Rolls. They were amazing! "The highlights of the dinner," said The Husband, "were the rolls and the glaze on the corned beef." The rolls must have be good because he mentioned them before the corned beef. They were moist and slightly dense. A little sweet from the honey and benefited from a brushing of melted butter when they came out of the oven. My Middle One who likes either pb and j crackers or a Caesar salad for lunch each school day offered, "I can't wait to have a sandwich on one of these tomorrow."

I cooked a 4 pound, thick cut corned beef in the traditional simmering manner. When the meat was tender, I placed it on a baking sheet and slathered it with a mixture of 1/3 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Baked it in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes and a nice crusty top formed. This is the only way I will make corned beef from now on. Or until I think of something better.

The rolls would be a welcome addition to the next holiday. Make them for Easter.

Mashed Potato Rolls

makes about 24 large rolls

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/8 cup honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 cups all-purpose flour

Place potato in a small saucepan and fill with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Allow the cooking liquid to cool to about 105 degrees. Mash potato and set aside.

It is recommended to make this dough in a standing mixer with a dough hook. It will mix up in no time.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm cooking liquid. Add the honey, oil, salt, egg, flour and mashed potato. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. The dough will be slightly sticky. It will not form a ball like typically bread recipes. If using a standing mixer - highly recommended - knead on lowest speed until smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Lemony Garbanzo Edamame Salad

Is it almost summer?!#%*&!!!

Getting tried of all the damp, cold weather lately so I enticed my family with a summer menu. Even if it is 35 degrees outside with snow flurries, we can pretend warm weather is right around the corner. Maybe in another 2, 3, 4, or 6 weeks if we are lucky.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches were the main attraction. I paired the sandwiches with a fruit salad for the less adventurous in the group and a Lemony Garbanzo Edamame Salad for those of use wanting more fiber in our diet.

The sandwiches were enjoyed by the whole family. Shredded chicken in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce was sandwiched between not so healthy soft, white rolls. The kids opted out of the Garbanzo and Edamame Salad. Ok with The Husband and I. It left more for us, and we felt we were being really nutritious eating it.

I think I just saw a robin fly by my window. Sunny, warm days must be on their way.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
makes enough for about 6 sandwiches

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 4-ounce can green chilis, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 and 1/4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes)
6 soft, white rolls

Heat a large saucepan to medium high. Add the olive oil and onions and saute for about 8 - 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the green chilis, cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, brown sugar, and chili sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked and shredded chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes. The sauce will get nice and thick.

Serve on rolls. If there are any leftovers, serve on top of a bed of lettuce for lunch the next day,


Lemony Garbanzo and Edamame Salad

1 cup shelled edamame
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1/4 cup vadalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
mixed greens, for serving

Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Pan Roasted Salmon with Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts

A typical Sunday. Wake up to the jingle of the dog's collar as she scratches her ear. Put on my favorite big pink robe. Take the dogs out in the dark, cold morning in my big pink robe. Start the coffee. Turn on my laptop and surf for a while. Eat some yogurt. Decide to exercise. Actually exercise. Shower. Trip to Costco with My Oldest and My Middle One. Make 10 dozen snickerdoodles with My Oldest. *Make dinner. Go to church. Eat dinner in shifts. Pick up My Oldest from CCD. Help No Thank You Boy learn the value of doing homework without complaining. Have a glass of wine. Watch Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (New Line Platinum Series)for about the 10th time. Read. Bedtime.

Mixed in with my Sunday activities was experimenting with a new recipe from the latest issue of Cuisine at Home. This magazine is published bi-monthly and is one of my favorites. It usually has unique, but simple recipes and lots of tips and techniques to try.

Last night, I made Roasted Salmon with Barbecue Beurre Blanc and Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts. It is a meal with a fancy name, but is simple to prepare. A beurre blanc is basically a rich, hot butter sauce made with a reduction of usually wine or other alcohol, onions or shallots with butter whisked in at the end. Sounds too complicated? Doctor up a good barbecue sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray's. You can still call it a Barbecue Beurre Blanc and no one will be the wiser. Heat about 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce in a saucepan and whisk in 3 tablespoons of butter a little at a time. Voila! Barbecue Beurre Blanc.

As usual, I did not follow the recipe as written. The first couple pieces of salmon I cooked according to the recipe directions. They ended up, shall I say, nicely blackened, but not in the traditional blackened sense. Ok. They were burnt. A few adjustments were necessary.

This is a good meal to make ahead. Just under cook the salmon slightly. When reheated in the microwave on 70% power for about 2 minutes, it comes out perfect. The brussels sprouts are a favorite with My Oldest and My Middle One; No Thank You Boy said surprisingly, "No thank you."

All and all the meal was enjoyed by my family. Correction. The Husband will be having his for lunch today. We wait anxiously for his review.

Roasted Salmon with Barbecue Beurre Blanc

for the beurre blanc
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons butter

for the salmon
about 2 pounds of salmon, cut in 6 ounce fillets and skinned - get it at Costco
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
olive oil

Combine ingredients for the beurre blanc - except the butter - in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to half. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter in small chunks. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, cumin, dry mustard, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub on top of each salmon fillet. Sear the salmon in a large, nonstick saute pan in a drizzle of olive oil of medium high heat. The sear takes about 1 minute. Watch closely so the rub doesn't burn and smoke up your whole kitchen. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes or until the salmon is done. The cooking time will depend on how thick your fillets are. My fillets were thin. It may take an additional 2 - 3 minutes if your fillets are thicker. The salmon should be just cooked through.

Remove salmon from pan and serve with a drizzle of the barbecue beurre blanc. Wink. Wink.


Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts



2 containers of brussels sprouts, about 3 cups, trimmed and cut in half
olive oil
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put brussels sprouts in a large rimmed baking sheet and generously drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 minutes, shaking pan half way through the cooking time to redistribute the sprouts.

Remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Add honey and mustard and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beef and Sugar Snap Peas

Where's the beef?

After a week of repeats of family favorites (Chicken Francaise, Perfect Roasted Chicken, and a quick Pasta with Marinara and Ricotta), Thursday night's dinner revolved around my new favorite cut of meat. The Skirt Steak.

My stir frys usually include a protein, (i.e. chicken, beef, shrimp) and a few vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and pea pods. My Beef and Sugar Snap Peas was a little different. It only had 2 main ingredients - Beef and Sugar Snap Peas. I marinated the skirt steak in soy, ginger, garlic and lemon juice, mixed up a quick sauce and started cooking.

4 thumbs up for this dinner. "Great flavor," The Husband commented. "I like the crunch of the peas," offered My Middle One. My Oldest just gobbled her dinner up and was off to watch American Idol. I guess she liked it. No Thank You Boy did not participate in dinner on this night. He was battling a nasty flu and was under quarantine.

All and all a very fast and satisfying dinner. I served a side of Fried Rice and the family was happy. Can't wait for the leftovers for lunch.

Beef and Sugar Snap Peas

for the beef
about 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

for the sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup beef stock

1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
3 cups sugar snap peas
sprinkle of sesame seeds

Combine the ingredients for the beef - soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice in a large ziploc bag. Add the skirt steak and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The longer the marinating time the better.

Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl - cornstarch, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and beef stock. Set aside.

Remove the skirt steak for the refrigerator. Slice against the grain in VERY thin pieces. This is important so that the meat will not be tough. Heat a work of large saute pan to high. Add about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When hot add the steak and cook very quickly; about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove steak and all except about 2 tablespoons of the juice from wok. Add the sugar snap peas to the steak juices in the hot wok and cook quickly, for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the combined sauce ingredients and cook to thicken. Add the steak - without its accumulated juices. (Note -- don't add the extra juice from the steak or the sauce will be too thin). Heat sugar snap peas and steak just to warm. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Double Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

I make at least one bundt cake a week. A great bundt will disappear from my cake stand within 24 hours. This one was just such a cake.

I adapted it from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks The Foster's Market Cookbook: Favorite Recipes for Morning, Noon, and Night. This was one of my go-to cookbooks when I was cooking at a gourmet cafe for a couple years.

The cake was moist, chocolatey, and had slightly more than a hint of raspberry flavor. It is.......

Double Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake


adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook: Favorite Recipes for Morning, Noon, and Night

makes one 10-inch bundt cake

3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
powdered sugar, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. I have been using the Pam Baking Spray lately. Set aside.

Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a standing mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each one. Add vanilla and mix.

Add flour mixture alternately with the milk. Mix until just smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

Spread 1/2 of the batter in the prepared pan. Heat raspberry preserves in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour on top of the batter in the pan. Spread the remaining batter over the preserves to cover.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 - 20 minutes. Turn cake out of pan and cool on baking rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Grilled Soy-Lime Skirt Steak with Roasted Red Onions

Sunday night dinner. After a day of activity, we all gathered around the dining room table for dinner to regroup before the week ahead and prior to softball practice for My Oldest, My Middle One and super coach - The Husband.

On the menu was Grilled Soy-Lime Skirt Steak with Rosted Red Onions. My adventure with skirt steak began from a recipe I picked out of the cookbook A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefsby Jonathon Waxman. As with many cooks, I rarely follow a recipe as exactly written. I changed up the recipe because you can always make a recipe better, can't you?

I picked up about 2 and 1/2 pounds of skirt steak - a new cut of meat for our family. I was a little turned off by the description on the packaging that stated I was buying diaphragm, but I still forged ahead. The cut is similar to flank steak (a family favorite) and is the key ingredient in many platters of fajitas. A super thin cut of meat - cook it on a hot grill very quickly or it will turn into shoe leather.

Grilled Soy-Lime Skirt Steak with Roasted Red Onions was a HIT with our 5 family members and No Thank You Boy's BFF who joined us for dinner. The well-flavored steak was very tender. I will be buying diaphragm again. The onions were sweet and salty with an occasional crispy bite. Also served was steamed cauliflower and broccoli - favorites of the BFF who tried cauliflower for the first time - jasmine rice, and toasted sourdough bread. Memories of dining al fresco on our deck filled my head as I enjoyed our grilled steak dinner. Summer is almost here, right?!

Grilled Soy-Lime Skirt Steak with Roasted Red Onions

adapted from A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs by Jonathon Waxman

2 and 1/2 pounds skirt steak, trim any visible fat
1 heaping tablespoon grated fresh ginger
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 large red onion, slice thin, about two cups
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic. Place marinade and steak in a large ziploc bag and marinate for about 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sliced onions in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, olive oil, and pepper. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the oven and see if the onions would benefit from a sprinkle of salt. Cover with foil to keep warm while steak grills.

Grill steak for about 3 minutes per side on a hot grill. Let rest about 2 - 3 minutes and then slice thin. Drizzle with any accumulated steak juices from when the steak rested and the roasted onions.