Recipes

Pineapple Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

Ingredients
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon orange zest
12 ounces pineapple juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, orange zest, pineapple juice and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt in small sauce pan.  Bring to boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

2. Season salmon with remaining salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook salmon, skin side up, 5 minutes.  Carefully flip and cook another 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Brush salmon with sauce in last two minutes of cooking.  Serve extra sauce at the table if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Sunny Side Up in San Diego.  It’s a fairly simple fish recipe and the fruitiness of the teriyaki adds a nice twist.  The flavors are clean and bright.  I served it with sautéed broccoli and rice.

Internet - Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen is my brand for these.)
1 (10 ounce) container Philadephia Cooking Crème – Santa Fe Flavor
1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Taco shells (soft and/or hand) and taco fixings

Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until chicken shreds easily. 

2. Stir well and serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc. 

Comments
This recipe is from A Year of Slow Cooking.  Slow cooker recipes tend to be ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ for me.  For some things, the slow cooker is amazing.  For others, not so much.  Sadly this recipe fell into the “not so much” category.  While this wasn’t bad, it didn’t seem very taco-y to us.  It seems like it worked better as a dip the following day and we also thought it might work as an enchilada filling.  But, regardless of those “it might works,” I doubt I’ll be making this again in the future. 

I don’t know what it is about slow cookers.  I’m pretty good at telling whether or not we’ll like a recipe just from reading it over, until you put a slow cooker into the equation!

Internet - A Year of Slow Cooking

Pomodoro Fresco Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch red pepper flakes
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
1 pound short pasta (I used rotini, I’m not sure if this was the right choice.)
¹⁄₂ cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions
1. Put tomatoes, garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and oil in large bowl.  Stir well and let sit for 1-2 hours. 

2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta as directed on packaging. Drain well.

3. Add pasta and basil to bowl with tomato sauce, stir well and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Parsley Thief and it reminds me quite a bit of various Pasta Caprese (recipes I’ve made in the past, just without the mozzarella.  It’s pretty basis but completely delicious, a great way to use tomatoes at the peak of summer.  I’d recommend using a more cup-like pasta shape such as shells or orechiette.  The rotini made for a very slippery pasta dish! 

As you can see from the picture, the sauce was pretty thin and tried to take over the entire plate.  I’d suggest eating this from a bowl with a spoon instead of on a plate with a fork. 

Shown here with Baked Pesto Chicken.

Internet - The Parsley Thief

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Ingredients
1 (15-20 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 ¹⁄₂ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
¹⁄₂ cup feta, crumbled
2 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used garlic olive oil.)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Mix together all ingredients in large bowl. 

2. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Once Upon a Cutting Board and contains many things that I love so it’s no surprise that I loved this salad as well.  The recipe came together very quickly and easily and then made delicious lunches for the week.  I did end up doubling the recipe which worked very well.

Internet - Once Upon a Cutting Board

Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad

Ingredients
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¹⁄₂-inch cubes
1 cup fresh parsley
³⁄₄ cup Greek yogurt
¹⁄₄ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₄ cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 eggs, hard boiled peeled and chopped (I use hard boiling instructions from this recipe.)

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in large pot and add water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring water to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain and spread potatoes on a baking sheet to cool. 

2. Meanwhile, place parsley, yogurt, mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, salt, pepper, and eggs into immersion blender cup and blend until smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, just chop everything finely and stir together. 

3. Stir together potatoes and sauce in large bowl.  Chill completely before serving, about 4 hours. 

Comments
This recipe is from [Healthyseasonal(recipes](http://www.healthyseasonal(recipes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=682:creamy-horseradish-potato-salad&catid=75:new-blogs&Itemid=208) and it was very nice.  The combination of yogurt and parsley provided a fresh, almost lemony, flavor that was quite enjoyable.  This potato salad have a lighter feel to it than (recipes I’ve made in the past and I’m going to be tempted to sub out some of the mayo for Greek yogurt when I make my beloved Creamy Potato Salad recipe in the future. 

I found the horseradish to be a bit too strong in this recipe which, sadly, had a negative impact on my enjoyment.  I would definitely reduce the horseradish to 2 tablespoons in the future.  The guys, however, liked it just as it was, so my taste buds might have just been having an off day. 

Shown here with really amazing Smoked Beef Brisket.  Art has finally perfected his method as you can see from the beautiful smoke ring all around these pieces of meat.  YUM.

Internet - Healthseasonal(recipes

Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Ginger and Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 teaspoons ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound pork, cut into thin strips (I used the meat from 2 center cut pork chops.)
¹⁄₄ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1-2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 cups broccoli, cut into florets
Pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions
1. Combine soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, 4 teaspoons ginger and 4 teaspoons garlic in bowl and stir well.  Add pork strips and stir to coat.  Let marinate while preparing other ingredients. 

2. Combine chicken broth, hoisin sauce, and red pepper flakes in small bowl. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add broccoli and stir-fry, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until broccoli begins to become tender.  Remove broccoli to a plate and add more oil to the skillet if necessary. 

4. Add pork and marinating liquid.  Stir-fry pork 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through and slightly brown.  Add remaining garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.  Add broccoli and chicken broth mixture.  Continue cooking until sauce has thickened slightly and meat and vegetables are coated.  Serve with rice, if desired.

Comments
This recipe is from Kalyn’s Kitchen and it was fairly tasty.  The broccoli I used wasn’t awesome, sadly, and that affected the entire dish.  Aside from that, the flavors were good and the pork from the pork chops worked very well.

Internet - Kalyn’s Kitchen

Southwestern Spaghetti

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti, or other pasta
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
32 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F. 

2. Bring large pot (or Dutch oven) of salted water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed on packaging. Drain well. 

3. Combine pasta, milk and eggs in Dutch oven. 

4. Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in large skillet over medium heat.  Drain if necessary and return to skillet.  Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes. 

5. Spread meat sauce over pasta.  Top with cheese and place in oven.  Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. 

Comments
This recipe is from Blog Chef.  The guys really enjoyed it but I wasn’t super enthused.  It had potential, but I believe I’d make some changes in the future.  First off, I’d use a pasta shape that’s easier to stir, like penne.  Then I’d reduce the meat to 1 pound and add some black beans, corn, or some frozen southwest veggie blend that contained black beans and corn.  I think those changes would make the dish quite a bit better.

Internet - Blog Chef

Sour Cream Hamburger Noodle Bake

Ingredients
1 pound egg noodles
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups cottage cheese, creamed (I blended it with my hand blender.)
2 cups sour cream
2 cups green onions, chopped
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed on packaging.  Drain well.

3. Brown meat in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Drain if necessary and return to pot.  Add salt, pepper, garlic salt, and tomato sauce.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in cottage cheese, sour cream, green onions, and pasta.  Top with cheese. 

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is heated through. 

Comments
This recipe is from allrecipes.com.  It’s sort of like homemade Hamburger Helper and it’s pretty much delicious.  The sour cream and cottage cheese add a nice tanginess and, even if you don’t like cottage cheese (which we don’t), it’s fantastic.  We devoured this both at dinner and for leftover lunches the following days.  I used lower fat varieties of cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheese - all worked well.

This is probably more of a winter food than a summer food, but it’s a delicious, filling, and warming meal any time of year.

P.S. Do you like my new pretty red bowls?  We finally (after 14 years) broke enough of the old ones that I had to buy a few new ones!

Internet - allrecipes

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (12-16 ounces) bottle Carolina-Style BBQ sauce (My SIL recommends Bullseye, I use Guy Fieri’s because we couldn’t find Bullseye locally.) 
¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
¹⁄₂ c up white, or other, vinegar
1 teaspoon Montreal Chicken seasoning (The kind by McCormick.)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¹⁄₂ cup water

Instructions
1. Place chicken in slow cooker.  Mix remaining ingredients together in bowl then pour over chicken.  Cook on LOW 6 hours. 

2. Remove chicken from cooker and shred. 

3. Mix together cornstarch and water in small bowl.  Pour cornstarch mixture into slow cooker, stir well, turn slow cooker to HIGH and stir occasionally while sauce thickens.  (I did this while shredding the chicken.)

4. Serve on rolls or other bread. 

Comments
This is another recipe that was passed on to me by my great sister-in-law!  It makes quite a bit of food, so be prepared for leftovers during the week or putting some in the freezer for later. 

I had to use a different brand of BBQ sauce than she recommended because I couldn’t find Bullseye in the store.  Guy Fieri’s was the only stuff that I could find which didn’t also have HFCS in it.  I believe that it’s probably a lot more vinegary than the kind she uses because we felt the end result was more vinegary than we would have liked it to be.  The moral of this story is to know your BBQ sauce!  If you’re using a sauce with a lot of vinegar, tone it down on the stuff you add! 

This was still very tasty and I’m sure I’ll make it again in the future.

Person - Nikki Little

Art's Bruschetta

Ingredients
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup olive oil
1 loaf baguette, cut on bias into slices
1-2 bunches fresh basil, chiffonade
2 tomatoes, cut in half and sliced into half moons
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in half and sliced into half moons

Instructions
1. Heat oven broiler. 

2. Puree garlic cloves and olive oil in small container with immersion blender. 

3. Brush one side of bread with garlic oil, place on baking sheet, and broil until toasted.  Remove bread from oven and top with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.  Return to oven and broil until cheese begins to melt. 

Comments
Art has been making this bruschetta for quite some time although, surprisingly enough, he hadn’t yet made it while I was blogging!  It’s delicious, simple, filled with garlicky goodness.  This is a great way to use up fresh tomatoes and basil during the summertime. 

Shown here with Avgolemono Soup.

Person - Art