Salmon Tacos

 5-6 corn tortillas
7-10 oz salmon fillet
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced

few handfuls of baby spinach
cilantro sprigs
canned corn, drained
cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to the lowest setting. Place tortillas on a baking sheet in the oven to warm.

Season salmon fillet on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle about 1 minute.

Place salmon into the skillet and sear for 3-5 minutes or until it easily releases from the skillet. Flip over, turn heat to low, and cook another 3 minutes. It's ready when it flakes easily. Remove the salmon from the skillet.

Add the spinach and cilantro to the hot skillet and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add in the corn and heat through.

Shred the salmon with two forks, then return to the skillet to heat through. 

Top warmed tortillas with salmon, greens, and corn. Add cheese if you want to. Quick and tasty meal!

Peanut Satay

1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
14 oz can of garbanzos, drained
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 a box of spaghetti noodles
1 Tbsp peanuts, chopped


Satay Sauce:
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Peanut butter
3 tsp. Honey
3 tsp. Lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scatter the broccoli and garbanzo beans on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir around to make sure everything coated.

Roast for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Cook noodles for about 8 minutes, until just undercooked. Remove from heat.

Add the noodles and sauce to a large skillet on low heat. Heat through. Add in the broccoli and beans. Make sure it’s all heated through.

Top with crushed peanuts. Serve hot!

Gingerbread Cookies

*Plan ahead... needs to chill

Dough

4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Before baking

1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. molasses

Icing
3 large egg whites
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix in the egg and molasses.

After baking

On low speed, mix in half the flour mixture, then repeat until well combined.

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a quarter-inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread men or whatever shape you want them to be using the cooking cutter. Place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.

Freeze the cookies for 15 minutes.

Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch and look dry, about 10 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar until thick and smooth, about 5-6 minutes.

Beat in the honey, salt, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute.

If it's too thin, add 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add 1/2 tsp. water.

Decorate how you want! This last time we did Baby Yoda.

Recipe courtesy of Rosanna Pansino

Fluffy Japanese Pancakes

1 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 c. milk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Cooking spray
Maple syrup, for serving

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla, and yolk in a medium bowl until well combined

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed until stiff peaks form.

Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the flour-milk mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. Take care not to overmix.

Lightly spray the inside of four 3-inch by 2 inch ring molds with cooking spray.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium low heat. Put the prepared ring molds in the middle of the skillet and fill each with 1/2 c. of batter. It should fill each ring mold about halfway.

Cover the skillet with the lid and cook until the batter rises to the tops of the ring molds and is golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Release the bottom of the pancakes with a spatula. Grasp the sides of the ring molds with tongs to stabilize them then carefully flip.

Cover and cook until golden on the other side, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer to a plate and remove the mold. Serve with syrup or butter or whatever you like.

The pancakes should be eaten before they deflate.

Lightly spray the ring molds and coat the skillet again, and repeat with the remaining batter. Enjoy!

These pancakes are super filling!

Recipe courtesy of The Food Network

Chicken Pot Pie

 * Plan ahead, dough needs to chill

 Crusts

350g flour, plus extra for dusting
175g cold butter, plus extra for greasing
6 tbsp cold water

Filling

4 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 c. carrots, sliced small
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pepper to taste
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. frozen corn

To make the crusts: Place flour in a bowl and grate in the cold butter. 

Use a pastry cutter to incorporate the flour and butter together. Occasionally shake the bowl to bring any large pieces of fat to the surface. It should look like breadcrumbs.

Add about 6 tablespoons cold water, a spoonful at a time. Mix with a knife between each spoonful.

Enough water has been added when the mixture just begins to hold together in a soft mass.

Gently gather the pastry together against the side of the bowl and turn it out onto the work surface.

Gently shape the pastry and pat it into a rough ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove half the pastry from the cling film. Re-wrap the pastry that you’re not using immediately in cling film so it doesn’t dry out.

Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Flatten the pastry. Working from the center out, roll out the pastry into a circle, about 14inches across. Between each rolling, turn the pastry a quarter turn and dust the rolling pin with flour if sticky. Don’t stretch the pastry or turn it over.

With floured hands, fold the pastry in half, then in half again, to resemble a fan shape. Place it in the pie plate with the point in the center. This will help minimize stretching. Do not grease the pan before putting in the pastry; it is unnecessary and can cause the pastry to stick.

Unfold the pastry and ease it into the pie plate without stretching or pulling. Do not worry about the pastry hanging over the edge, because this will be trimmed later.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425 F.

Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, carrots, onion, and seasonings. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring often.

Add the flour. Stir well, until no dry flour remains. 

Slowly stir in the cream, then the chicken broth. Cook until bubbling and thick, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and corn. Let this cool for 15 minutes before filling the pie. 

While the filling is cooling, roll out the second ball of dough for the top of the pie. 

Spoon the cooled filling into the pie crust in the pie plate. Top with the second crust. Seal the edges of the pie crust together. Cut 3-4 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Trim the edges a little, leaving a little overlap.

Place the pie plate on a baking sheet with a rim. Bake 30 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven. 

Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe courtesy of Mary Berry and thewholesomedish.com

Pumpkin Curry

2 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 mini bell peppers, sliced and de-seeded
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
4-5 handfuls of baby spinach
can of water chestnuts, drained
1 c. broccoli, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
pinch of sugar

pinch of cinnamon
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. curry powder
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of white pepper
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. lemon juice
cashews
hot rice

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute another minute.

Add the bell peppers and saute another minute.

Add in the pumpkin puree and stir well.

Add in the spinach and stir until wilted.

Add in the chestnuts and broccoli, and stir until coated.

Pour in the coconut milk and soy sauce. Stir well.

Add in the sugar and seasonings. Stir to mix. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the temperature and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes on medium low heat.

Test to see if the seasonings are how you want them.

Add in the lemon juice. Stir in.

Serve over hot rice with cashews on top. Chopped or whole. Roasted, raw, or salted. Up to you! This curry is delightful!

The Best Guacamole

This is definitely a recipe for a party! It's absolutely a crowd pleaser!

5 avocados
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 large red onion, finely minced
1/2 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
2 pinches of kosher salt
2-3 tsp. whole milk

Mix by hand with a fork, smashing avocados as you combine.

Let sit before eating.

The milk in the recipe will keep the guac from browning for a day.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. paprika
 1/4 c. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. butter
1 can enchilada sauce
9-12 small corn tortillas
lots of cheddar cheese


In a small bowl, stir together the seasonings. Season both sides of the chicken.

Add broth and butter to slow cooker. Mash the butter up a bit to disperse.

Add the chicken to the slow cooker, overlapping only as much as necessary.

Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred. Rinse out crock pot.

Layer some enchilada sauce, then shredded chicken, then 3-4 tortillas, then cheese, repeat 2 times.

Cover and cook on low until cheese is melted and everything is heated through, about 25 minutes. Serve hot!



Recipe inspired by thereciperebel.com and Courtney Munnell

The Best Lemon Loaf

Loaf

Cooking spray
flour
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. canola or veg oil
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp. lemon extract (note, NOT tsp.)
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Lemon Glaze

1 c. confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency

To make the loaf: Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray then flour. Set aside.

Add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream to a large bowl, then whisk vigorously until smooth and combined.

Drizzle in the oil while whisking to combine.

Add the lemon zest and extract, and whisk to combine.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. Don't overmix. If there's a few lumps, it's okay.

Turn the batter out into prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for about 50-52 minutes or until top is domed, set, and toothpick comes out clean.

In the last 10 minutes of baking, tent pan with foil to prevent excessive browning on the top and sides of bread before the center cooks through.

Allow loaf to cool in the pan on top of a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely before glazing.

To make the lemon glaze: In a small bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, and slowly drizzle in the lemon juice while whisking until smooth and combined and desired consistency.

Evenly drizzle glaze over bread before slicing and serving.

Plum Flognarde

Butter or cooking spray
7-8 ripe plums
1/2 c. + 6 Tbsp. sugar, divided
2-3 Tbsp. cognac
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. whole milk
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Butter a tart pan or cast iron skillet. Cut a circular piece of parchment paper and place on the bottom of the pan, spraying under and over with cooking spray. Set aside

Cut each plum in half crosswise and remove the pit. Slice the plums into thin slices. Combine the sliced plums with cognac and 2-3 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine flour, 1/2 c. sugar, salt, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, and liquid from plums. Pulse until incorporated and consistent in texture.

Pour batter into prepared tart pan. Bake for 25 minutes until batter is set.

When you remove from the oven, flognarde will be puffed and overflowing. It will sink rapidly within a few seconds. At this point, arrange sliced plums on the flognarde, starting on the outside rim and working your way to the middle. Sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp. sugar over the top of the plums and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Let cool before serving.

Recipe courtesy of newblooming.com