Monday, September 8, 2008

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish

I like to keep from getting bogged down in the chicken rut by making sure that we do a fish at least one night every week, sometimes it goes every two weeks. But it still helps to keep our menu fresh and fun. I really like this recipe because its sweet yet spicy and when paired with coconut rice your taste buds don't believe that you're eating healthy!

Menu: Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish and coconut rice

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pineapple
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets





  1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.

  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, chili powder, and black pepper, stirring well; sprinkle evenly over fish. Add fish to pan, skin side up; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pineapple mixture.



Quick Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
To prepare rice, rinse with cold water; drain. Combine rice, coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir once. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes; stir in onions.

Super yummy and super simple salmon dinner. Now eat up!

Recipe and photo courtesy of CookingLight

Menu Plan Monday - September 8


Phew last week was a whirlwind! As a former waitress I will say with great emphasis that I was in the WEEDS! Mostly it was while at work so by the time I got home I was to tired to do anything. You should see my house, it's a wreck. On second thought I'd never let anyone see that disaster. The Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas were delicious, a little too sweet for our tastes though. I think next time we'll leave the remaining marinade out of the cream sauce. Other than that everything went just as planned with the exception of my sandwich on Saturday. I forgot to take the meat out of the crockpot before I left for the rehearsal and of course hubby didn't even think about it. So that was a bust. I'll be trying it again another time when I can babysit it. This week should be calm in comparison so I'll be trying out lots of new yummy meals.

Monday
Dinner: Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish served with coconut rice

Another great CookingLight recipe:
Tangy, spicy and fruity, this inviting recipe belies its simple preparation. Seed the jalapeño pepper if you prefer a milder dish, and serve over coconut rice accompanied by a crunchy salad.

Recipe and photo courtesy of CookingLight.com


Tuesday
Dinner: The Best Lasagna Ever!, crisp ceasar salad and garlic bread
I'm always looking for a great lasagna recipes, not sure why it's been so hard to find one that I'm in love with, so I'm giving the Pioneer Woman's lasagna a shot. Seems pretty simple and simple is always a win in my book.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman

Wednesday
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Piccata, garlic mashed potatoes and seasoned peas

My take on chicken piccata, adding artichoke hearts and using my favorite cooking convenience, my crockpot.

Recipe and photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com


Thursday
Dinner: Chicken Spaghetti and steamed green beans

Another recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I'm trying out some of her recipes because I know she feeds a large crew and well I need all the leftovers I can get this week since the boys will be fending for themselves this weekend.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman


Friday - Rehearsal for tomorrow's wedding, I'll be home late but the boys will have stuff ready for them.
Dinner: Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops with Orange-Pineapple Gravy

Found this recipe on the FoodNetwork but I think I'm going to play around with it and turn it into a crockpot recipe and add boxed stuffing to it. I'm not making any promises on this concoction but in my head it sounds delish!

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Saturday - Another wedding so the boys will be fending for themselves.
Breakfast: FFY
Lunch:FFY
Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday
Breakfast: Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole (you'll think you died and went to heaven)
Lunch: Sandwiches, if we really need anything after breakfast
Dinner: "Already Married Chicken", roasted potatoes and asparagus (an advanced version of "Engagement Chicken" for those gals who have already "scored" their man and are looking for a diamond upgrade or of course just want to be sweet)

And of course here's your shopping list for the week....



As always, stay turned for the recipes to be posted bright & early each morning, or the night before.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Crockpot Bourbon Chicken

After many raves and reviews of how great this recipe was I finally got around to picking up some chicken legs and decided to give it a try. I didn't really prepare for this recipe well other than getting the chicken. I actually barely looked at it before putting it on our schedule and I should have known better. So last night when I threw it all in the crockpot, well I didn't have all the ingredients. Oh well here's how it went I combined version 1 and version 2 ingredients based on what and what quantities I had on hand....

Menu: Bourbon Chicken over rice, steamed broccoli

Crack on Rice (aka Bourbon Chicken)

Version 1 Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces (I used chicken legs instead)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tablespoons ketchup or chili sauce (depending on how hot you like stuff)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar


Version 2 Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 small hot chili pepper, slit open, seeds removed (I used dried)


Set the crockpot on low between 4 to 6 hours.

Dump everything in the crockpot and walk away. I ended up adding a 2nd tbsp of cornstarch since the sauce wasn't getting thick enough.

So now it's all ready for dinner tonight and all I have to do is fix a few servings of white rice (or brown) and pop a steamer bag of broccoli in the microwave and we're ready to go. I can't wait!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

My Favorite Things: Part 5

I apologize in advance for last week's edition getting skipped. In all the chaos of back-to-school traffic, late nights at the office and monster being exhausted and well quite frankly a monster since changing rooms in daycare I barely had time to eat. So instead to fix it I'll do another double edition! Stay Tuned.....


I originally stumbled upon these outrageous collars at the TipJunkie. It was love at first sight, and that really says something because I had been searching for the perfect collar for my 100 lb chocolate stud-muffin for YEARS! Yes, you heard me right, I said years. Because after all a collar is the most important part of a dog's identity, it reflects who they are. It reflects who their owner is, what type of relationship they have and the dog's place in the world. Ok, I know I'm putting way too much into this but for some reason it mattered to me. When Noah, that's my beast's name, was a puppy I found the cutest collar that was red and white floral patterned. Think surfer dude. And it was a great fit because he's laid back and goofy, so as he grew I just kept getting the next size up of the collar. It was HIS collar and he wore it well. But after the years it got gross and was discontinued. I looked high and I looked low for a collar that would be right for my mini bear but to no avail and I quietly gave up my search. Noah was getting old and you know it would be fine to have an old collar too, or at least I told myself. Until the day I found Mimi.

Not only are the collars unique and very hip looking, the were born out of the love for a rescue pup. Handmade and no two are exactly alike. They are tough and sturdy using large D-rings with contoured buckles.

Because Noah's a hip cat, check that, I mean hip dog, I had to go with the "hip dog Jackson collar". It reminds me of his old surfer collar but it's still manly enough with it's yellow, green, brown and blue combo. And I can already tell the difference this fashionable collar has made on my pup. Before he was old and worn out like his poor collar, but the minute I snapped this "puppy" around his neck it's like he got a burst of energy and pride again. He struts around the house and neighborhood like he's the handsome dog he has always been.

Now I know we've all got precious pooches so show them some love and catch the great Summer Sale at Mimi Green. You can save 15% off of orders over $50 by using the coupon code MIMI50+ at checkout. And tell her Michelle and Noah sent you ;)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Smiles like this are contagious!


I can't help but smile and giggle whenever I see this picture of my lil monster. Makes me wish I could remember when I was as carefree and got such joy out of a simple thing like swinging. Whenever he's being a true monster I try to remember this face :)

Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce

I apologize for the late posting of this - I don't know what happen, lost track of time and forgot, hey today's not Monday, it's Tuesday! So on that note, the first day back after a long weekend can mean a rushed and hectic day so dinner needs to be something quick and simple. These yummy salmon cakes are a fresh approach to the traditional. With less fat and more kick they'll get your taste buds jumping and butt in gear ready for the rest of the week. I'm serving them with a big heaping of yummy bean salad. What goes better than smooth and creamy than something crunchy?

Menu: Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce, Asian Style 3 Bean Salad

Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce

Ingredients:
6 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
2 (15-ounce) cans salmon, drained, skin and bones remove
d
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped canned water chestnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce, recipe follows


  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over a medium heat.
  2. Add 6 patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
  3. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.
  4. Remove crusts from the bread, break into pieces, and process in a food processor until you get a fine bread crumb. In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork.
  5. Add the egg and mix well.
  6. Finely chop 4 of the scallions and add to the bowl. Add the water chestnuts, cilantro, pepper, and the bread crumbs and mix well.
  7. Shape the mixture into 12 patties.

    Chop the remaining 1 scallion. Serve salmon cakes with the sauce and garnish with scallion.

Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce:

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 6 tablespoons nonfat Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

If using regular yogurt place the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel. Put the strainer over a bowl and place in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 30 minutes.
Place drained yogurt or Greek-style yogurt into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Whisk until smooth.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Asian Style 3 Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound string beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame (green soy beans)
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup 100 percent fruit apricot preserves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 scallions, sliced
Salt

  1. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, sugar and ginger. Add the black beans and scallions to the other beans, drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Season with salt, to taste.
  2. Put the string beans and frozen edamame into a steamer basket and steam them for 4 minutes. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and put them into the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes or longer.
Oh I'm so hungry I gotta get in the kitchen and make these babies up!

Photos and recipes courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Monday, September 1, 2008

Menu Plan Monday - September 1st


Last week's menu went off primarily without a hitch. The only night that got shuffled around was Friday, because I didn't feel like cooking so we ordered a pizza instead. And then made the breakfast pizza for breakfast instead! On Saturday evening we ended up trying out a new restaurant down the street, Lochrann's. It was amazing! It's a traditional Irish pub and they serve traditional Irish items like Shepherd's Pie and Corned Beef Sandwiches. I had a sandwich called the Lochrann and I fell in love, I keep talking about how yummy the Guinness gravy is. I'm going to try to recreate it this week. This upcoming weekend will be kind of hectic since I won't be home alot. I'll be checking on my parents' dog while they're out of town and then I've got a wedding to work on Sunday so the boys will be fending for themselves, hopefully without much fuss because I'll have quick meals for them to reheat.

Monday - Labor Day!
Breakfast: Cereal
Labor Day Party:
  • Bush's Baked Beans








Photos and recipes courtesy of FoodNetwork.com


Tuesday
Dinner: Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce and Asian-Style 3 Bean Salad

A fresh take on the traditional salmon patties. Out with the fat and in with the cool and healthy. I'm serving it with a heaping full of antioxidants and energy.

Photo and recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com



Wednesday
Dinner: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish style rice & a kicked up salad

I saw this yummy recipe on Kim's blog and knew we just had to try it out. It sounds perfect for my husband who loves anything that is cooked in a casserole dish and contains salsa and tortillas.

I'll serve it up with quick and easy boxed rice and a tradi
tional Mexican restaurant style salad of avocado, tomatoes and lettuce.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Kim

Thursday
Dinner: Crockpot Bourbon Chicken, broccoli

This recipe is known as "crack over rice" by a group of my friends. It's so good you'll become addicted to it and keep coming back for more. This will be our first official time trying the infamous recipe by Katie. And as usual we'll be adapting to the crockpot instead.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Katie

Friday
Dinner: FFY

My parents are oot so I'll be stopping by their house after work to look after their puppy Taylor. I'll be spending the night so that I can feed her in the morning as well, so the boys will be left to their own defenses, heaven help them.

Saturday
Breakfast: FFY
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: "Take Me Back to Ireland" Sandwich with chips

Traditional beef tips sauteed with caramelized onions, Guinness gravy served over a hot toasted hoagie with melted Swiss cheese.

Sunday
Breakfast: FFY
Lunch: FFY
Dinner: Crockpot meal? Will figure out in a bit and post.

No shopping list this week, the template's at work and I don't have much time to recreate it today. I'll update it on Tuesday.

As always, stay turned for the recipes to be posted bright & early each morning, or the night before.