Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce

I usually don't make fancy salmon recipes.  After all, salmon is absolutely delicious on its own, so why complicate and overpower that flavor?  However, a sale on salmon fillets left me looking for some variety.  

Grilling salmon is actually much easier than I anticipated.  Start with a very well oiled and well heated grill (for quick and distinct grill marks).  Brushing the salmon with oil will also help with sticking.  Judge whether it's ready to flip based on visual cues (about 60% cooked).  The salmon will come up easily when ready.  (Really!)  For more tips head here.

The best part of this recipe is the bonus Lime Butter Sauce recipe.  For my batch I pressed the garlic and used softened butter.  Now I'm looking for alternate uses, such as zucchini, asparagus, etc...

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce

Ingredients

6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin

Olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
6 tablespoons lime butter sauce (below)

Directions

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Brush salmon with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

Lime Butter Sauce

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Original links:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-salmon-with-lime-butter-sauce-1222181
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lime-butter-sauce-1222197

Amazing Omelet Muffins

This recipe caught my eye when someone posted the catchy how-to video on Facebook (also available in the original link).  I decided to try it for myself and was not disappointed.

When I made my first batch, I didn't pre-cook the omelet ingredients.  On the upside this was faster and very tasty.  On the downside there was excess water (from the veggies) that made the result a little soggy.  Next time I'll probably saute the veggies first.

I also found that there wasn't enough egg mixture to cover the omelets, so I had to make more.  I probably made about 6 or 7 eggs worth altogether, but I was using a large Texas 6 cup muffin pan.

According to the original link, you can make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for later.

Amazing Omelet Muffins

Ingredients

4 Eggs
1/4 Cup of Milk
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Oil
Salt & Pepper
Grated Cheese (Your choice, I used Cheddar)
Favorite Omelet fillings (Your choice, I used onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and diced ham)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a frying pan, cook up your favorite omelet ingredients. I chose onions, bell peppers, and diced ham.

Grease a 6 spot muffin tin.

Fill each muffin cup with cooked omelet ingredients.

Top with favorite shredded cheese.

Mix egg, milk, baking powder, oil, and salt & pepper in a bowl.

Pour egg mixture in each muffin cup. You should fill each about 4/5 of the way to the top.

Put in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Take out of oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving or storing.

Original link:
http://tiphero.com/amazing-omelet-muffins

Pumpkin Bars

While making a different pumpkin recipe I found myself with some leftover pumpkin puree and an intriguing recipe on the side of the can, so I figured why not try it?

I ended up making a 1/2 batch and used an 8x8 pan for baking.  This made for thicker bars (more like pumpkin cake) and required more baking time (about 40 minutes).  The result was still delicious.  It was described as slightly savory and not too sweet (although still very sweet and tasty).

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cup melted butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream eggs and sugar.  Add the rest of the ingredients in the order given.  Beat until well mixed.  Pour into a greased 11x17 jelly roll pan.  Bake 25 minutes.  Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Using a hand mixer, blend until well mixed and fluffy.

Roast Beef, Tomato, and Cheddar Sandwich

I love BLT sandwiches - a great way to go through our large tomato crop - but in searching for a little variety I stumbled upon this recipe.  The original recipe calls for wasabi mayonnaise (which can be made easily by mixing a little wasabi powder with mayo).  However, I was out of wasabi, so I went with a different flavor profile and used regular mayo and seasoned with garlic salt.  Very delicious.  I also modified the directions slightly.

Roast Beef, Tomato, and Cheddar Sandwich

Ingredients

Italian bread
Roast beef
Heirloom tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Brush the slices of Italian bread with olive oil and broil until slightly toasted.

On one of the slices, place basil leaves, then roast beef slices, and cheese on that slice.

On the second slice, lightly spread some mayonnaise and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Add tomato slices.

Broil both slices separately and bake until the cheese melts.

When the sandwich is done toasting, put the slices together and enjoy.

Original link:

http://www.food.com/recipe/roast-beef-tomato-and-cheddar-sandwich-395807

Red Sangria

This classic sangria recipe is a party favorite.  However, when we made it, we modified the recipe according to our own tastes.  For example, we were heavy on the simple syrup and light on the brandy.  We used a red blend wine and for fruit we added fresh pears, apples, and peaches cut into small chunks (plus lemons, limes and oranges slices, and, when available, fresh raspberries).  Instead of ice cubes, we used frozen grapes.   

Red Sangria

Ingredients

One 750-milliliter bottle fruity red wine, such as Merlot
4 ounces brandy
3 ounces simple syrup
1 cup mixed chunks of seeded oranges, lemons and limes
Ice

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the red wine, brandy, Simple Syrup and fruit. Refrigerate until the drink is chilled and the flavors are blended, 4 to 8 hours. Serve the sangria in chilled, ice-filled wineglasses.


Original link:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/red-sangria-cocktails-2012

Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

This is another recipe off of Food52's list of recipes that use 3 ingredients or less. It's an incredibly easy and very delicious tomato sauce.  We served it over garlic and basil linguine noodles, and it made an excellent dinner.

As mentioned in the original link, the portions in the ingredient list can easily be modified based on taste and preference.

My plan is to make batches of the sauce now while the garden is full of tomatoes and freeze them for later.  While the sauce itself is very basic, it can be used as is, or you can add basil, garlic, or other ingredients to make a richer sauce depending on your needs.

The recipe below includes instructions for how to prepare fresh tomatoes.  There are other methods available in the original link.  If you'd like additional tips on blanching and peeling tomatoes (my preferred method) check out this link.

Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, prepared as described below, or 2 cups canned imported Italian tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt to taste

Directions

Put either the prepared fresh tomatoes (cut into chunks) or the canned in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until it is thickened to your liking and the fat floats free from the tomato.

Stir from time to time, mashing up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon.

Taste and correct for salt. Before tossing with pasta, you may remove the onion (as Hazan recommended) and save for another use, but many opt to leave it in. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table.

Making Fresh Tomatoes Ready for Sauce (The blanching method)

Use fresh, ripe plum tomatoes (or other varieties, if they are equally ripe and truly fruity, not watery)

Wash the tomatoes and using a sharp knife mark the bottom with an X.  This will encourage the tomatoes skins to peel.

Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or less.  Immediately drain the tomatoes and put them in an ice filled sink or bowl.  Remove the tomatoes.  The skins should peel off easy.  Remove the cores and use as needed.

Original link:

http://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-and-butter

Cajun Jambalaya

I'd never made jambalaya before, and I have to say it was actually pretty easy.  This particular recipe is pretty spicy, so if you want something milder you may want to go easy (very easy) on the cayenne pepper when mixing the Bayou Blast seasoning.  

Be aware that the actual jambalaya recipe only calls for 1 tbsp of Bayou Blast although you'll be mixing up almost 3/4 cup using the recipe below. 

Cajun Jambalaya

Ingredients

12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast)
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well.

In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. 

When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.


Original link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cajun-jambalaya-recipe2.html