Recipes

Creamy Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients
5 ¹⁄₄ ounces cream of mushroom soup (I prefer Healthy Request)
¹⁄₂ cup milk
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
32 ounces frozen tater tots, thawed
¹⁄₂ cup cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend, shredded
¹⁄₂ cup French’s fried onions

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. In large bowl, mix soup, milk, ranch dressing, chives, pepper, and parsley.  Toss tater tots in mixture then pour into 12 by 9-inch baking dish. 

3. Sprinkle tater tot mixture with cheese and fried onions.  Bake 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and tater tots are crispy.

Comments
This recipe is from The Village Cook.  I’ve made it twice now.  The recipe didn’t have a dish size, so I made it in a 9x12 the first time.  The second time I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9x12 as well.  Art wasn’t around for both experiments, but Lance and I both preferred the single recipe in a 9x12.  We felt that when it was doubled, it was too deep and we missed out and all of the crispy edges and top.  So the verdict is to make this in a 9x12 as my recipe states.  If you want to double it, use two 9x12s! 

We all thought this was super tasty, but tater tots are amazing so that’s no surprise.  I’ll look forward to making this again in the future. 

Shown here with the best Meatloaf ever.

Internet - The Village Cook

Sugar-Seared Salmon with Cream Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
¹⁄₄ cup unsalted butter
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
¹⁄₄ cup half and half

Instructions
1. Mix sugar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in small bowl.  Spray salmon with cooking spray then sprinkle salmon with sugar mixture. 

2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add salmon and cook until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Transfer salmon to plate. 

3. Add wine and half and half to skillet.  Increase heat to high and boil until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.  Spoon sauce over salmon and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from epicurious.com and it was very tasty.  The sauce had a ton of flavor and the salmon was quite nice.  It’s a fairly simple preparation which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight meal. 

Shown here with Stir-Fried Green Beans with Soy.

Internet - Epicurious

Salmon with Wasabi Sauce and Bok Choy

Ingredients
For the sauce
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-3 teaspoons wasabi powder
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the fish
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounces each) salmon fillets

For bok choy
¹⁄₂ cup mirin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¹⁄₂ cup water
1 ¹⁄₄ pound bok choy, cut into pieces

Instructions
1. Combine mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, wasabi, ginger, 1 tablespoon water in immersion blender cup and blend until smooth.  Thin with more water if desired.  Season with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season salmon with salt and pepper.  Place in skillet and cook until done, 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove salmon from skillet. 

3. Add mirin, soy sauce and water to skillet and bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Add bok choy and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.  Discard liquid before serving. 

4. Serve salmon with wasabi sauce and bok choy. 

Comments
This recipe is from Just Recipes and I’m in love with the sauce.  Lance isn’t much of a sauce person so I laid claim to most all of it.  Amazing stuff.  I’ll be making it in the future for other simply seared fish.  It’s got a great light and fresh taste that just went perfectly with everything.  I served my fish and bok choy with rice.

Internet - Just Recipes

Saffron Risotto with Pancetta, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
¹⁄₂ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and sausage crumbled (about 2 links)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 ¹⁄₂ cups fresh tomatoes, diced
Pinch saffron (optional)
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add pancetta and cook until crisp.  Remove from pan to paper towel lined plate.  Add sausage to pan and cook, stirring, until completely browned and cooked through.  Remove to plate with pancetta, leaving grease in pan. 

2. Add onion to pan and cook until translucent.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add rice and stir until rice is coated.  Add tomatoes.  Add saffron, rubbing between fingers to crush while adding.  Stir well. 

3. Add wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed.  Add ¹⁄₂-1 cup of broth and cook, stirring often, until broth is completely absorbed.  Repeat process until all broth has been added and absorbed and rice is tender. 

4. Reduce heat to low and stir in pancetta, sausage, cream, Parmesan, and parsley.  Garnish with additional Parmesan if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Mrs. Regueiro’s Plate and I’d actually forgotten it had saffron in it until now, when I’m posting it.  The saffron doesn’t shine in this dish at all, so I’ll omit it next time.  Otherwise, this recipe is great.  We all loved the risotto, it was a pretty complete meal with a salad.  Leftovers went pretty quickly and we all enjoyed it quite a bit!

Internet - Mrs. Requeiro’s Plate

Fiesta Chicken and Rice

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
1 cup rice
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
¹⁄₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken broth
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Instructions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned, about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove to cutting board and cool slightly before cutting into cubes. 

2. Add rice, onion, and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt to skillet.  Cook, stirring frequently, until rice is toasted and onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in chicken, cover skillet, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

3. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese and green onions.  Cover until cheese is melted and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.  Sadly, I managed to forget bell pepper but, since I had green beans in the fridge, I used those.  Obviously this gave the dish a different flavor, but I thought it was pretty tasty.  But, I don’t think this dish is a keeper.  I’ve made a number of Tex-Mex type casseroles that are much better, so this one wouldn’t be the one I’d choose to make when I was in the mood for such things.  It’s tasty and fine, but nothing spectacular.

Internet - Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Oil Poached Salmon

Ingredients
3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2-3 cups olive oil (use enough to just cover salmon)
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed and diced
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

Instructions
1. Place herbs, garlic, and olive oil in 10-12 inch skillet.  Heat oil over medium-low heat until gently bubbling.  Slide salmon into skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 4 minutes.  Carefully add tomatoes, cover again, and finish cooking salmon, about 10 to 15 minutes more depending on thickness of fish.  Fish is done when instant read thermometer reads 135*F. 

2. Remove from heat and uncover.  Let salmon stand in oil for 10 minutes before serving with tomatoes and garlic. 

Comments
This recipe is from 5 second rule.  Lance thought it was a little bland, but I thought that all the good flavors from the poaching oil really came through.  I used a very light olive oil, not the rich, green stuff I usually use because 3 cups is quite pricey!   We also both are deciding that we prefer seared salmon to other methods of cooking.  This was very tasty, but we like that sear, it adds a lot of flavor! 

Shown here with Pasta with Green Tomato Sauce.

Internet - 5 Second Rule

Potato Bacon Casserole

Ingredients
4 cups shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed if frozen
¹⁄₂ cup onion, finely chopped
8 ounces bacon, cut into pieces and cooked until crisp
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons seasoned salt (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning.)

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F.  Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. 

2. Layer ¹⁄₂ potatoes, ¹⁄₂ onion, ¹⁄₂ bacon and ¹⁄₂ cheese in dish then repeat layers.  Combine evaporated milk, egg, and seasoned salt in small bowl then pour evenly over potato mixture. 

3. Cover and bake 55 to 60 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Very Best Baking and was, well, disappointing.  It was wet and a bit flavorless despite the good ingredients.  I think I might have preferred this if it had been made in a 9x12 instead since it might have had the chance to get a bit crispier that way.  I tried to heat up leftovers in a skillet too in order to get things crispy, but I was still displeased.  I think I’ll stick to Funeral Potatoes in the future. 

Shown here with scrambled eggs.

Internet - Very Best Baking

Top Round Roast Beef

Ingredients
4-5 pound top round roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F. 

2. Rub oil into meat then season well, on all sides, with salt and pepper.  Place on rack set into rimmed baking sheet. 

3. Roast 30 minutes then decrease heat to 300*F and roast until instant read thermometer reads 125*F, about 10 minutes per pound. 

4. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.  Wrap in foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the amazing The River Cottage Meat Book which was a Christmas present from our awesome friend, Brian.  What a great book.  I used it while figuring out what cuts of meat to order with our recent bulk meat order.  While I was using it for research, I marked this recipe as a “must make soon.”  Wow, am I glad I did!  This roast beef was perfect. 

I served it as open face simple sandwiches using homemade bread, local lettuce and tomatoes, red onion, and a bit of mayonnaise and mustard.  Best roast beef sandwich I’ve ever eaten.  YUM.  I’m not sure off the top of my head how many top round roasts we got with our cow order, but I might be using this recipe for all of them. 

Shown here with Bread.

The River Cottage Meat Book

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, diced
12 ounces bacon, diced
1 pound white beans, dried NOT canned (Navy or great northern.)
¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
¹⁄₂ cup molasses
¹⁄₄ cup Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups water
Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions
1. Place onion and bacon in slow cooker.  Check beans for stones then rinse and place on top of bacon. 

2. Mix brown sugar, molasses, mustard, black pepper, and water in large bowl.  Pour sauce over beans.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or until beans are tender. 

3. Stir beans well then add salt to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon.  Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from Budget Bytes.  I really liked baked beans as a kid and I’ve been interested in making them for a while.  These were nice and bacony but there was a weird taste that I couldn’t pinpoint, an almost burnt sort of taste.  These were good, but I’m not sure if I’d make them again due to that weird taste. 

Shown here with smoked ribs.  It’s hard to post recipes for smoked foods since they’re pretty simple.  In this case we slathered the ribs with mustard, spread a rub over them, and smoked them at 220*F until they reached about 165*F, around 4 to 5 hours.  They were great.

Internet - Budget Bytes

Salmon with Quinoa and Toasted Seeds

Ingredients
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
6-8 ounces baby spinach
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed and diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
4 tablespoons mint leaves, finely chopped
6 tablespoons sunflower seeds
6 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (The raw green sort, also known as pepitas.)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and pepper
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions
1. Bring water or broth to boil in medium saucepan.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Place spinach on top of quinoa and cover to steam while preparing the rest of the meal. 

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add salmon and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked to your liking.  Remove to plate. 

3. Add remaining 4 tablespoons oil to large skillet and heat.  Add celery, onion, parsley, cilantro, and mint.  Cook, stirring constantly, until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add all seeds, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Continue cooking 2 minutes.  Add sugar or honey and stir well.  Add salmon, quinoa and spinach to skillet and stir well to heat. 

4. Serve and top with dollop of yogurt, if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Holly and Rose and it’s one of those that I was totally looking forward to.  Sadly, it was a flop and I’m not sure why.  At first I thought that it could have just used some acid, like lemon juice, but I added lemon juice to leftovers the next day and it was insufficient to make everything taste good.  I really like all the ingredients in this dish, so I’m not sure where it went wrong, but it just wasn’t that great.  Oh well - can’t win them all.

Internet - Holly and Rose