Salmon wrapped in Prosciutto

I made this last night as a welcome home dinner for Patrick. It was soooo yummy! The salmon was very tendor and juicy. I cannot believe I got Patrick to eat lentils either!!! (He doesn't like any type of beans) I love it when he eats healthy!

9 ounces lentils

4 (8-ounce) salmon fillets skinned and pin-boned

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices of prosciutto

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 good handfuls mixed herbs (flat-leaf parsley, basil, and cilantro)

chopped 3 large handfuls spinach, chopped

dried rosemary

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the lentils into a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Season the salmon fillets with a little pepper and rosemary before wrapping them in the prosciutto slices. Leave some of the flesh exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for around 10 minutes until the prosciutto is golden. Feel free to cook the salmon for less time if pinker is to your liking. Drain away most of the water from the lentils and season carefully with salt, pepper, the lemon juice and olive oil. Just before serving, stir the herbs and spinach into the lentils on a high heat, until wilted. Enjoy (cause we surely did!)

Menu Plan Monday

I'm getting organized and am planning our weekly menus. Here it goes (let's see if I can stick to it). Im only planning dinner since we eat cereal for breakfast and never know what lunch will bring.

Monday

Salmon wrapped in parma ham

Lentils with spinach & basil

Salad

Tuesday

Stuffed chicken breasts

Mushroom rice

Veggies

Wednesday

Taco salad

Thursday

Chicken with mushroom sauce over rice

Veggies

Friday

Date night - we're eating out!

Saturday

Roasted chicken

Roasted potatoes

Sauteed carrots

Garlic bread

Sunday

Leftovers

The Cook's Thesaurus

I found this website and have fallen in love! Everything you need to know about food.

http://www.foodsubs.com/

Enjoy!!!

Sushi

I was craving sushi today so I made a philadelphia roll for myself. I forgot to add the cucumber but it was good anyway!

Easy Lasagna

I had a friend over for dinner tonight. Since Patrick is out of town, of course I had to make a dish with tomatoes... LASAGNA!!

Love it, L-O-V-E it! I usually make my own sauce but I went the easy way this time and bought a ready made jar (just as good!)

Ingredients:

1 jar marinara sauce of your liking

1 box lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 med tub ricotta

1-2 pkgs shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup beef broth

1 egg

pinch of salt

few pinches of pepper

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Cook noodles per package instructions

Directions:

(For Sauce)

1. Saute zucchini in olive oil until soft, add pinch of pepper (set aside)

2. Cook ground beef with garlic until beef is browned, drain fat

3. Add marinara sauce to ground beef then mix in beef broth and zuchinni.

4. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

In a bowl mix ricotta, egg and salt & pepper together.

In 9 X 12 baking dish, layer lasagna as follows.

1.Ladle meat sauce at the bottom of pan

2.Place noodles over meat sauce

3.Spread ricotta cheese mix over noodles

4.Add shredded mozzarella cheese

(Top layer should noodles with mozzarella cheese.)

Cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes (or until sauce is bubbling). Remove foil and cook for additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

I got this recipe from Liz (Mommy Chef) and it was so delicious! I added black pepper to the recipe and made the dumplings big since that's our favorite part.

Liz's Chicken and Dumplings

1 fryer, cut up
6-8 cups water
8 chicken bouillion cubes
1 stick butter
few pinches of black pepper

Dumplings
2 cups flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
pinch of salt water

1.Boil the water and add bouillion, chicken, black pepper and butter
2.Boil the chicken until cooked all the way through and remove to a plate, reserving all the broth
3. Skim the broth and discard fat
4.When chicken has cooled a bit shred into bite size pieces and add back to broth
5. bring the broth and chicken back to a boil and slowly add dumplings
6. Bring the heat down to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes on low heat until the stew becomes thick

Dumplings
1. In a large mixing bowl using your hands mix the flour, oil and salt.Gradually add enough water to make a dough.
2.Using a rolling pin and a well floured surface roll out the dough very thin and cut into @ 1 in strips with a very sharp knife. Add to boiling chicken stock

Boxwood Cafe in London

Last December Patrick & I and our good friends went to Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe. I am obsessed with Gordon and absolutely love his cooking ideas and shows. We had the Boxwood taster menu, which was a 7-course meal. We started with lobster bisque, which was delightful (even Patrick loved it although it was too red for him) LOL. Also served was mushroom salad, fish, lamb. I can't remember everything exactly now that it's been 7 months, but I do know we want to go back. :) We may go for my birthday to another one of Gordon's restaurants. I can't wait!!!

Salmon Finger Sandwiches

I love these sandwiches! They are so yummy (and very summery).

Toast the bread and cut off crusts. Mix chives and cream cheese then spread on each side of toasts. Cut 1 small avocado into thin slices, squeeze 1/2 lemon onto avocados and toss. Place salmon on cream cheese then lay avocado slices on top. Cut into 4 triangle and ENJOY!!!

Foodie Blog Roll

I made it to The Foodie Blog Roll! YAY! Check out all of the awesome food blogs to the right of my page. :) Enjoy!!

Mini Meat Loaves w/ Mushroom & Cheese Sauce

Another great idea from Food Network. The sauce is a bit rich, but it was yummy. I didn't have fresh sage so I substituted dried rosemary. Also substituted portabello mushrooms for shitake and used 1/2 gorgonzola and 1/2 emmental cheese.



Ingredients:
Salt
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef (or veal)
1 large egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
4 to 6 sprigs fresh sage, thinly sliced
Black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 to 12 cremini (baby portobello mushrooms)
quartered 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 to 1/3 pound Gorgonzola, depending on how cheesy you like it

Directions:
Combine ground meats with egg, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup cheese, sage (or rosemary), salt, and black pepper. Form 4 (1-inch thick) oval shaped meat loaves. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Brown meatloaves 2 to 3 minutes on each side then transfer to a nonstick baking sheet and finish in the oven, 6 to 8 minutes. Return skillet to heat, add another turn of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and the mushrooms and the garlic. Cook mushrooms until dark and tender, 5 to 6 minutes, then add salt and pepper and 1 cup chicken stock to deglaze the pan.

While the mushrooms cook, melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepot. Add flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce the sauce a few minutes to thicken a bit. Add the milk sauce to the mushrooms, stir in cheeses to melt.

I served this with mashed potatoes, green beans and caesar salad.

Chicken with Mexican Rice

Since Patrick is out of town I'm making as many tomato infested recipes as possible. LOL This is a recipe my Grandmother taught me. I like it best with short grain rice, but I can't find it here.



Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 small can tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
1/4 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 pinches of cumin seed
Salt to taste
4-6 pieces of chicken


Directions:
Cook chicken as desired (only cook half way cause you will add to rice later)
Add oil to large frying pan and bring to med heat
Add rice and onion. Fry rice until golden brown.
In a mortal & pestal mash garlic & cumin seed (you can use powders and add later, but it tastes better this way)
Add the garlic & cumin to the rice and onion. Stir for about 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato sauce and cook for about a minute
Now you will want to add the chicken broth. Cover with broth until rice is completly covered.
Add salt a little at a time and test it to your liking.
Place the chicken pieces into the rice and cover.
Put on simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until all of the broth has evaporated.

Linguini with Shrimp and Lemon Sauce

If you don't like lemon, then this is not the recipe for you. I saw Giada de Laurentils make this on Food Network a while back and thought I'd give it a try. Her recipe does not call for red pepper or butter, but I added both. Also, her recipe called for arugula, but I only had spinach so I used that instead.




Ingredients:

For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:
1/2 to 1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


For the lemon oil:
Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. I roasted red bell pepper and added it to the shallots and garlic to sautee them a bit. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper (I added 1 tablespoon butter as well). Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. I served this with garlic bread.

Homemade Tortillas

My Grandmother is well known for her yummy Tex-Mex food. Along with other Mexican dishes, she has shown me how to make tortillas by hand. Once you try these you'll never want another store bought tortilla!! :) I can't wait to show our future children what their Great-Grandmother has taught me.

Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup baking powder
4 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup shortening or lard
1-2 cups boiling water

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and shortening in large mixing bowl. Add hot water a little bit at a time as it will be very hot. Keep mixing water until you get a dough (masa) that is a playdough like consistency. (You may need to add flour as you go along.) This is what it should look like at this point.






Next you will want to separate the dough mix into small patties.





Once you have made all of the patties (should be approx 12-18 depending on how big you would like the tortillas to be), roll them out with a rolling pin into circular shapes (good luck on this- my Grandmother said it took her years to perfect) I'm still working on it. LOL



Once you have all of your patties rolled out, it's time to cook them. After you have done this a few times you'll be able to roll and cook at the same time. ;) Heat a hot plate or a non-stick cooking pan to med-high heat. You will know when to turn the tortilla over in the pan because little bubbles will form on the face up side. Once you see the bubbles flip the tortilla over and cook for another 30 sec- 1 min.




Be sure to put the tortillas in a container with a lid or cover with foil. Here is the final results. A fav snack from my Grandmother are tortillas with cheese. Tonight I will use these for soft tacos.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about making these! Have fun! :)

Easy Tortilla Soup

Easy Tortilla Soup

I created this soup when I was a bachlorette. LOL It's super easy and super yummy!

1 can Chicken and rice soup (I used Progresso)
1 can Medium heat Rotel Tomatoes & Chiles
Cheese of your choice - I used sharp cheddar
Tostado chips

Heat chicken soup & rotel together
Once you service each bowl, add cheese and chips.

Enjoy!

Tuna Steak

Tuna Steak
I made tuna steaks with this light, fresh "sauce" over it. My husband and I like our tuna rare so I only cooked each side for 2 minutes on an inside grill. I served this with homemade mashed potatoes, caesar salad and buttered garlic rolls. I don't have exact measurements of the ingredients for the sauce (sorry!).

Sauce
2 avocados
1 pkg cherry tomatoes
1/2 pkg brie cheese
green onion or red onion
cilantro
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
a few dashes of salt & pepper
olive oil
1 lemon

Chop first 6 ingredients and mix together. Add olive oil, lemon and S&P to taste. I just threw this together so you can add or take away as desired. Enjoy! :)

I love to cook!

Since I love to cook I thought I'd join the crowd and create a recipe blog. I'm so excited! :)