Baked Dijon Salmon

I am going to be going on a blog hiatus for a little while. I am going to Vancouver from March 28 - April 5 and regrettably there will not be a kitchen (or time) for me to cook, take pictures and blog. So for the last two days before I go away, Steve and I decided to make two of our favorite dishes: Baked Dijon Salmon (we have made this many times before, but have never posted it) and Pulled Pork Sandwiches (those will be made tomorrow night).

The Baked Dijon Salmon recipe is so easy to make and is very delicious! I originally found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and then I altered it slightly based on what I had in my cupboards.

Here are the ingredients you need for this recipe:

• 1/8 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
• 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/8 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons parsley (I use freeze dried)
• 2 salmon fillets
• Sat and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon for garnish (or sometime I like to just squirt some lemon juice - from the bottle - onto mine for extra taste)

And here is how you bring it all together:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F / 200 C
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter and honey mustard. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans and parsley.
3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with the butter-honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on the tops of the fillets.
4. Bake salmon 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

This is one of the simplest recipes I have ever made and one of the most enjoyable. I highly recommend this, not only as a delicious salmon recipe, but as a general great recipe.

Bon appetit & enjoy!

Greek Salsa Chicken

This recipe is delicious! It's tasty, easy and colorful - just perfect to spice up your usual go-to meal ideas.

I found this recipe on Pinterest - Sweet Pea Kitchen - and had to try it - we made it on Friday night and it was a great way to celebrate another successful and productive work week.

Here is what you will need:

For the salsa:

• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives - we don't like these so we left them out
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano

 For the chicken:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - we only used 2
• Pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste - we just used our basic table salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons cut into wedges

And here is how you bring it all together:

1.  Preheat oven to 450
2. In a large bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, olives (if you like them), parsley, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and oregano. Cover and chill in fridge.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken, about 2 minutes each side; remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken to coat. Place the squeezed lemon wedges around the chicken breasts. Roast until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer chicken and lemons to a large platter. Top with salsa.

Note - the side dish we made was 'Sweedish Potatoes' - I found this recipe on Pinterest, but you can find their recipe here.

Everyone should give this recipe a try!

Bon appetit and enjoy!

Timesaver Beef & Tomato

On Wednesday night we both worked late so we decided that we needed to make a meal that would not take long and luckily we had found a recipe that would fit that bill - Timesaver Beef & Tomato - from the Cook with Campbells website.

I have posted recipes before the from Cook with Campbells website and I have enjoyed every meal that I have made so far. This recipe was good for what we were looking for - something quick and had an element of comfort after a long day. The only thing we both decided to add was ketchup (needed a hint of sugar).

Here are the ingredients you need for this recipe:

• 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (we used macaroni)
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (we left these out)
• 1 medium onion chopped (we used 2 shallots instead - that was what we had in our cupboard)
• 1 can Campbell's condensed tomato soup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves (we used dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

And here is how to bring it all together:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, without salt. Drain and set aside.
• Brown beef, mushrooms (if you choose to use them) and onion at medium to high heat in large skillet, stirring often.
• Stir in mixture of soup, water, oregano and garlic powder. Heat to a boil, stirring often. Add cooked pasta. Reduce heat to low.
• Simmer, covered, until mixture is heated through - about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese and sprinkle with chopped herbs or cracked black pepper, if desired (we love pepper so we add lots of it to everything)

This recipe fit the bill perfectly and I would try it again - and I may even try it with some of the substitutions that they list on the website as well.

Bon appetit and enjoy!

Breaded Pork Chops with Sage Cream Gravy

As you may know I like to stock up on meat when it goes on sale. Steve and I had taken a look through our freezer last weekend and noticed that we still had a few pork chops left over from the last stock-up-sale. And in an effort to continue to try new recipes I turned to Pinterest. I found this recipe, Breaded Pork Chops with Sage Cream Gravy, on the 'Taste and Tell' blog.

The recipe is not complicated and only has a short-medium list of ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups milk, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
• Four boneless pork chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the directions for this recipe, please see the linked blog above.

This recipe did not meet our expectations. We have been making several recipes that require breading and have become very comfortable with it. The new element to this recipe for us was the sage cream gravy and that is where the recipe truly did not meet our expectations. The indicated measurements for the gravy ingredients lead to the gravy being chalky and bland - there was no flavour!

However, Steve and I were able to turn the gravy around. We opened the spice cupboard and started adding everything we could think of to make it taste better, and unfortunately I did not write any of it down.

I would NOT recommend this recipe as is, but I would encourage you to find a great sage cream gravy and let me know about it - I haven't given up on the idea of this recipe, but I have given up on this recipe.

Chicken Parmesan on a Monday Night

We're back! I stayed up late last night and came up with a list of dishes to make this week and I decided to start it off with Chicken Parmesan. I had made this recipe before, but it was before the New Year, so the blog had not been created yet. This recipe is delicious and doesn't require too many ingredients. It does require patients and a careful eye (my fire alarm tends to go off if I am broiling anything or if anything starts to even slightly get crispy - like panko bread crumbs).

Here are the ingredients for this dish:

• 1 large chicken breast (we had an extremely large chicken breast and were just cooking for us)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg white, beaten slightly
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or more depending on how sauce-y you are feeling)
• 6 slices of mozzarella (from a fresh mozzarella 'ball')
• Basil leaves (fresh or dried) - optional

And here is how you bring it all together:

• Preheat the broiler
• Place the chicken breast(s) in a ziploc bag and seal. Place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter, place the ziploc bag with the chicken onto of the waxed paper, and then place another sheet of waxed paper on top. Use either a meat mallet or something else as effective (I use my rolling pin) and pound the chicken until it is uniformly 1/2" (or thinner) thick. Season with salt and pepper
• Place the egg white in a shallow bowl and beat lightly
• Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan and Italian seasoning on a large plate
• Dip the chicken breast(s) in the egg white, coat both sides, and then place in the bread crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so that they completely cover the chicken
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on the first side before turning (or the bread crumb mixture will just fall off). The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes
• Transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet (I prefer to cover my baking sheets with tin foil because it helps make the clean up that much easier)
• Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken breast(s), then top with mozzarella and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
• Serve garnished with basil (optional)

This is a fun recipe to try and is not complicated. We love the combination of the juicy chicken, crunchy bread crumbs and the soft creamy texture of the melted mozzarella. I recommend that you give this one a try! Bon appetit!

The original recipe (I have made some changes) is from:
Cook This, Not That! - Kitchen Survival Guide
The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution
David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding
Rodale Inc. 2010
Chicken Parmesan
Page 276

Dessert with the Bicycle Thief

I posted last night about my Friday night adventure with Steve's family to The Bicycle Thief; however, I forgot to mention that we also had dessert! And of course, it was delicious!

Steve ad I shared a triple layer treat that had a chocolate base, raspberry gelato and white chocolate - so good!

Steve's mom had a breath taking tiramisu and Steve's Aunt had a beautifully crafted strawberry shortbread cake.

So in closing, all dishes we tried (from appetizers to the dessert) were stunning! Can't wait to go back!

Dinning Out with The Bicycle Thief

Welcome back to the blog, it has been awhile, but that's just what happens when life gets busy. The last week did not have me trying any new dishes in my own kitchen, but I did try lots of new dishes in other kitchens - restaurants (everyone needs to test another persons' cooking every now and again). This past weekend we decided to leave our kitchen alone and visit a few restaurants, here is what I thought of one of them:

The Bicycle Thief - Bishop's Landing

On Friday night Steve and I went out for dinner with his family to The Bicycle Thief in Bishop's Landing. It was our first time there, but Steve's family had been there before and had a raving review of all the dishes they had tried. I was very excited to try this restaurant, because I have always enjoyed all of the Bertossi  Group restaurants (especially Bish when it existed, where The Bicycle Thief now is). At Bish, my favorite dish was ravioli and I was hopeful that it may somehow have made its way onto the menu at the new restaurant.

Here is the full list of everything I tasted (when you're with family and friends, you can eat off each others' plates):

1st / 2nd Gear:

• Crusted pan seared Scallops, smoked chili espagnole sauce
• Shaved Fennel, orange sections, Baby spinach, homemade ricotta, sea salted
  honey roasted Almonds, zesty orange vinaigrette
• Red Ravioli filled with ricotta, Mascarpone, spinach, fresh herbs, light cream sauce
  Please note - this ravioli is absolutely decadent and delicious, you MUST order this when you go there!

High Gear:

• Veal Scaloppine Parmigiana, topped with prosciutto di San Daniele, smoked Provolone, San Marzano tomato sauce
  Please note - this was my main course and was outstanding! I highly recommend it!
• Handmade Ravioloni stuffed with Fresh Lobster, mascarpone, chives, shelled Lobster garnish,
  Parmigiano fonduta, dusted with crispy crumbs
• Peppercorn crusted Beef Tenderloin Tagliata, carpaccio-style, drizzled with E.V. olive oil,  12-year old Balsamic, whole Mushroom & Vidalia onion sauté, sea salted hand cut Frites
  (the presentation of this dish was lovely!)

Our meals were beyond 'tasty' they were truly delectable. Every moment of our evening at The Bicycle Thief was perfect, from having a table by the fire, to having a manager come over and welcome us all to the restaurant, to our server being the perfect combination of attentive, stealth-like, and welcoming.

It was a wonderful evening of family and food. I encourage everyone to make time for nights like the one we shared on Friday night!

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

After a very busy week, and not being very active in the kitchen up until this point, we decided to make a new dish for Thursday night's supper. Steve was the main chef for this dish and really did a great job. We found the recipe on the Cook with Campbell's website and thought that it would be nice to try making our own roasted red pepper sauce (we enjoy having it at restaurants, but had never made our own at home).

This recipe is a great opportunity to learn how to make your own roasted red pepper. Steve and I were surprised to learn that in order to make a roasted red pepper you need to have the outside blackened, then you let it sweat for awhile, and then you remove off the blackened  peel. Now we have something new in our culinary toolkit!

For the complete list of ingredients and directions please click here.

This dish was absolutely delicious! The sauce was light and worked well with both the chicken and our sides (rice and vegetables). I highly recommend this recipe.

Bon appetit and enjoy!

There Are Still Dirty Dishes!

Good evening everyone!

Just wanted to make a quick post to let you all know that:
1. I am still alive/still eating
2. I have not been making many posts lately because I have been eating leftovers, making recipes I have already posted on the blog, and I did venture to a restaurant over the weekend.

However, I am hopeful that over the next few days there should be a new post or two coming, so stay tuned!

In the mean time, enjoy what you're having for dinner!
Bon appetit!