Grilled Salmon

This recipe comes from Alton Brown's book I'm Just Here for the FOOD. It's the only way I'll eat Salmon, and it's delicious! The work involved is really worth it!

1 Salmon Fillet

2-3 T honey

3 T kosher salt

3 T sugar

Non stick spray

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

Take 2 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil and crimp them together to form a sheet 1 1/2 times longer and 3-4 times the width of the fish. Spread a single layer of plastic wrap over this. Pour the honey into a ramekin and microwave it for 30 seconds.

Mix the sugar and salt, spread half on the plastic wrap in the shape of the fish. Place the fish on top skin side down. Brush the top of the fish with the honey and spread the rest of the sugar salt mixture on top.

Pull the sides of the foil up over the fish and crimp the edges tight, you want this to be as waterproof as possible. Place the fish packet on a cookie sheet and place in the fridge, put another cookie sheet on top and weigh it down with cans, or a phone book. Let it sit for 2-3 hours, (I leave it there while I go to church!)

Heat your grill to 500 degrees.

Remove the fish packet and open it over the sink. There will be a lot of juice. Rinse the fish to remove the cure and dry with paper towels.

I use a cookie cooling rack to cook the fish on so it's easy to remove. A piece of chicken wire would also work. Spray whatever you're cooking it on with a lot of non-stick spray. Put the fish on the rack skin side down and brush with the olive oil. Then just put the rack in the grill. Cook until fish is 140 degrees, or until it flakes easily.

The meat comes easily off the skin, in case your kids REALLY don't like that part of the fish like mine do! :)

Chicken Pot Pie in a Pot

I cheated and went easy on this recipe. Someday I'll post my recipe for really good chicken pot pie, but for today here we go with the easy one. This makes 4 pot pies.

2 cans cream chicken soup

1 bag mixed frozen vegetables

2 c cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

Milk

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits

Cook the vegetables and drain, add the soup, and enough milk to make a smooth texture, (amount varies depending on your brand of soup). Heat through.

Oil the outside of four 4-inch, new Terra Cotta pots. Line the inside with foil, being careful not to cause any holes in the foil.

Fill the pots with chicken and mixture. Cover with a biscuit. I flattened them a little bit so they covered the top completely.

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, or until biscuit is done.

Push in a single stem flower, or a seed packet attached to a Popsicle stick.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, cleaned and trimmed

3 slices bacon

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon dried crumbled leaf basil

1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled leaf oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

olive oil

Combine garlic powder, seasoned salt, basil, oregano, and black pepper; rub seasoning all over the pork tenderloin. Wrap pork with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Coat well with olive oil. Place in a 9x13 pan and bake uncovered in a 375F oven for 1 hour. Make sure the bacon is really done. Remove and wrap in foil. Let stand for 30 minutes before slicing

Creamy Bean and Ham Soup

This is a great way to use up that left over ham we always have after a big Sunday Dinner.

Left Over Ham* cubed
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 pt heavy cream
1 can chicken broth
2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/8 t pepper
1 T Worchesterchire sauce

Mix all ingredients except cream and heat through. Remove from heat and add cream. Return to heat on low until warmed through, you don't want to boil the soup after the cream has been added.

*A great way to cook your ham is to take a butt or shank portion, put it in a turkey bag, and pour a liter of sprite (with sugar) over the top of it. Slip it in the oven at 225 for at least 8 hours. Very inexpensive (if you get the ham on sale) and delicious!

Beef Stroganoff

2 lb inexpensive beef roast cut in cubes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
flour
3 T butter
2 T canola oil
4 T minced shallot
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 lb mushrooms thickly sliced
3-3 1/2 c beef stock
1/2 T Dijon mustard blended into 2T of the beef stock
2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in beef stock
4 T sour cream

1-Place beef cubes in pressure cooker with a little water and pressure cook until they are tender and done*

2-Heat an electric skillet to it's hottest temperature. Add 1 T butter and 1 T oil. Add shallot, garlic and mushroom to the skillet and saute until brown. Add a couple teaspoons flour over the top of the vegetables and toss to coat. Salt and pepper the mixture.

3-Deglaze the pan with a little beef stock, scrape up any stubborn yummy bits on the bottom.

4-Add the meat (drained please),and mustard to the skillet. Add the beef stock to barely cover and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally, and adding another sprinkling of flour if sauce needs to thicken more.

5-Stir in sour cream and serve over egg noodles or rice.

*If you don't have a pressure cooker, brown the meat before you cook the vegetables. Remove it while you saute the mushrooms and add back in in step 4. Increase cooking time to 45 minutes to an hour to make meat fall off the bone tender. You may have to use more beef stock too.

Peanut Chicken Kebobs

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 t cumin powder
1/2 t curry powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 t sugar
1/2 C peanuts (or more to taste)
2 T sesame oil
2 T neutral vegetable oil
2 lb chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes

1-Toast coriander in a skillet until it starts to smoke. Let cool and then grind with a mortar and pestle (or back of spoon in glass bowl, or rolling pin in a ziploc!) Combine other spices in small bowl.

2-Chop peanuts in a food processor until they are small crumbs add spices. While pulsing drizzle in oils to make a paste

3-Rub the paste on the chicken and allow to refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

4-Thread the chicken on skewers. Heat up your broiler and broiler pan (or you can cook them on your grill outside) Turn them often until the past is dark and the chicken is cooked through.

Lobster Tails and Shrimp

The lobster was boiled for 1 minute per ounce of total weight. Easy huh! We dipped it in butter and it was wonderful.

The Shrimp

Uncooked shrimp (1 lb)
For the Brine
1/4 c kosher salt
1/4 c sugar
1 c water
2 c ice
Olive Oil

Shell and devein the shrimp (I make sure when I buy them they are already this way) Place the cleaned shrimp into a bowl withe the brine ingredients and refrigerate for 20-25 minutes.
Place a baking sheet or boiler pan under the oven broiler and preheat for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil.
Place shrimp on to the sizzling sheet pan and return to broiler immdeiately. After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp with a pair of tongs. Return to the broiler for 1 minute. Serve hot or cold.