Parchment Baked Salmon

 Do you ever feel that your salmon always comes out too dry? Too little flavor? Well, FINALLY the perfect, simple way to cook salmon that always comes out super moist and flavorful. A friend made this one night for us and I never looked back. I've made it twice now and it has not disappointed. An added perk...clean up is a breeze! I intend to try the parchment cooking method with many other fish in the future. Bon appetit!

https://www.thecandidadiet.com/wprm_print/178139

Homemade Flat Bread and Onion Jam

 The Hubs and I have found ourselves in a new home with new rules this winter. Our purchase of a Swedish Tulikivi soapstone stove has afforded us a lot of fun new culinary adventures, in particular pizza and flat bread. Think brick oven...While I often make pizza dough, I have been experimenting with other doughs and this recipe, infused with fresh herbs, lent itself to further exploration. I will certainly be trying this in the future with many other combinations, but we settled on fresh thyme mixed into the dough, homemade carmelized onion jam (which has become one of our staples. I love the herbs infused in this one), prosciutto and goat cheese. The onion jam is a delicious sweet/tart addition to any kind of bread topping and certainly brings a lot of flavor to the table! Bon appetit and don't be afraid to explore...

 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/homemade-flat-bread-recipe2-2013334

 

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caramelized-onion-jam

 

Note pictures show flat bread as described as well as pizza....

Empanadas

 I have really fallen off the wagon lately with new and exciting culinary adventures, but I must post a few that we have enjoyed. This recipe for beef empanadas was very authentic, I thought, to the ones we enjoyed in Peru. I don't have a dough press like the one shown, but simply rolled the dough out and filled it, crimped it and it was fine. I do like the fact that these are baked and not fried as clean up was much easier (notice I don't mention the health aspect here). Super yummy and we served them with fresh salsa and sour cream. Bon appetit!

https://www.mylatinatable.com/the-best-mexican-style-baked-beef-empanadas/

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH JALAPENO VINAIGRETTE

I dearly love scallops, but rarely get them. Tonight was a treat. Such a simple meal, but such depth of flavor. The sweet citrus against the hot jalapeno was a mouth pleaser like no other. Super clean and super flavorful. Bon appetit. 2020 new recipe #68.
https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/chef-johns-best-seafood-recipes/?slide=75fed9f9-addc-4297-a5b6-b380d944118b#75fed9f9-addc-4297-a5b6-b380d944118b

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

That moment when you tell your BFF that you will make her birthday cake, but you live in an 800 square foot apartment and you realize you didn't bring your cake pans with you....what to do???? Make her chocolate zucchini bread instead of chocolate zucchini cake. No photos, but what an easy fix to a birthday dilemma. You see, the friend in question is all about the cake!!!!  This one was a good one and even delicious for breakfast. Bon appetit! 2020 new recipe #62.

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread/

4TH OF JULY COVID STYLE

Another 2020 Covid weekend and the holiday couldn't keep us indoors. We practically lived outdoors all weekend with our friends and family, social distancing. No selfies, but lots of delicious food. My contributions included Sun Dried Tomato Mediteranean Zucchini Noodle Salad. I love spiraled zucchini noodles and the sun dried tomatoes packed a lot of flavor.  Lots of depth of flavors with the artichoke hearts, olives, parmesan....The vegetarians in the family loved it!

https://wholeandheavenlyoven.com/2016/05/16/easy-mediterranean-zucchini-noodle-salad/

(No photos taken, but it was lovely).

The next picnic was a winner with Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. I have to admit, one of our friends cannot eat pork so I improvised and combined a few recipes (below) and used chicken instead. The biggest part of Banh Mi is really good bread, lots of pickled veges and well seasoned meat. They were the perfect picnic food and a huge hit.

https://www.bhg.com/recipe/pack-and-go-hoagies/   (The idea...)
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/187342/banh-mi/  (The pickling juice)
https://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-banh-mi-436310  (The chicken marinade)

We did proceed the sandwiches with the most delicious spring rolls with a yummy almond sauce. I had never had an almond sauce, but think I prefer it to the peanut sauce. Super fresh and bright. I will need to find out if one of my devices can julienne cut because we could eat these every day except that the amount of work to cut all the veges is outrageous. I added shrimp, but either with or without would be fine.

https://www.bhg.com/recipe/veggie-spring-rolls-with-almond-sauce/

(I think this is the sauce; I forgot to copy it originally, but if not here is another recipe I use a lot from Cookie and Kate....

https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-spring-rolls-recipe/

I love her recipes and this one is a home run exactly as is....

For greens I did a lovely mixed green salad with dried tart cherries, red onion, toasted pecans, parmesan and a lovely Balsamic vinaigrette. Super yummy.

The final recipe was a trendy summer holiday dessert...Whoopie Pies. I made the chocolate and the lemon ones. Both super yummy and another big hit.

https://www.bhg.com/recipe/cream-pie-whoopie-pies/

Covid can't keep us down. And who doesn't love a good picnic???? 2020 recipes #49-53.

Cornbread

Covid allowed me the opportunity to clean an old iron skillet I got at a yardsale years ago. What followed, of course, was cornbread. WHO doesn't love cornbread from an iron skillet? This one I've made twice now and it has been super easy and delicious both times. Great with a little honey drizzled on top. 2020 new recipe #41. Bon appetit!

https://damndelicious.net/2019/11/12/buttermilk-cornbread/