Glaze for salmon

We made this just for 4 filets and we set some aside before grilling to pour over the salmon after, although it didn't really need it.  Also, we put vegetable oil on the grates to keep it from sticking especially because ours didn't have skin on either side.

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

On the side burner or stove top, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.

Spinach Garlic Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 8oz/240g bags of fresh baby spinach
• salt & pepper
• 8 oz/240g spaghetti (any pasta, great on tortellini)
• ½ cup/40g grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese (plus more for serving)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil In a large deep frying pan on medium high heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook to soften but not quite brown.
3. Add the spinach and saute with the garlic until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
4. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain, and set aside.
5. Add the spinach and garlic mixture to a food processor or blender with the cheese and half of the pasta water. Puree until it forms a sauce (adding more pasta water if needed).
6. Add the and sauce back onto the pan to combine and heat through, again adding more pasta water if needed.
7. Once heated through, taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.serve sprinkled with extra grated cheese.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cups chopped fresh bok choy
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

We paired this with fried rice (found on this blog) and shrimp (took out bok choy when it was done and sautéed shrimp up in same pan).  This could be paired with steak or chicken too.

Crockpot BBQ shredded chicken-

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• ¼ cup Italian dressing
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Season chicken breast lightly ( a small pinch per breast) with some sea salt and place in your crockpot.
2. In a mixing bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well combined.
3. Pour over chicken, cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or 6-7 on low.
4. Once time is up shred with 2 forks, recover and let cook in sauce for about 10-15 more minutes to soak up all that delish flavor.
5. Serve on buns, over rice, in wraps, on a salad or eat a plateful as is or on fresh rolls, topped with coleslaw. (We served it with cornbread casserole found on this blog.)

PERFECT M&M and Chocolate Chip cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 3 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 or 1-1/2 cups Mini M and M’s

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add your flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m’s stirring to combine.
3. With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies

cinnamon bun coffee cake

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup butter, melted

TOPPING

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

GLAZE

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

For topping

1. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
2. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

FOR GLAZE

1. In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thai Spring Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon canola oil or coconut oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1" piece of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 pieces (about 5" each) peeled fresh lemongrass, crushed with the back of a knife
• 2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded or rotissari chicken shredded or we used shrimp 
• 4 baby bok choy or 1 regular boy choy, roughly chopped (approx 1" pieces)
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup small basil leaves or Thai basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons lime juiced (1 small lime)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces dry rice noodles (see Note)
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

PREP:

1. Mince shallots and garlic. Peel ginger and grate into a small dish. Combine garlic and ginger and set aside. 
2. Use back of knife to smash the lemongrass (don't worry, it is being removed from the soup prior to serving!).  
3. Wash Bok Choy and chop into 1" pieces. Measure ¼ cup cilantro leaves and ¼ cup (small) basil leaves and combine in a bowl with salt and lime juice. Weigh 2-ounces of rice noodles and set aside. 

COOK:

1. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add oil.
2. Add shallots; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
3. Add ginger and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 
4. Add chicken broth, stir to loosen any rough bits of garlic, etc. from bottom of pot. Raise heat to bring to a boil. 
5. Once boiling, add smashed lemongrass stalks, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 
6. Remove lemongrass and discard. 
7. Stir in shredded chicken and Bok Choy; simmer 3 minutes. (If using shrimp add after bok choy has been in for a min. or so.)
8. Add dry rice noodles directly to soup, cook for 2 minutes. 
9. Remove from heat and add cilantro, basil, salt and lime juice. Stir to combine. Serve immediately with crushed red pepper flakes sprinkled on top and Enjoy!