Recipes

Ingredients
³⁄₄ cup bourbon
²⁄₃ cup brown sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vinegar (I used red apple balsamic, apple cider would work well too.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¹⁄₂ tablespoon black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine bourbon, sugar, mustard, garlic, honey, vinegar and Worcestershire in small saucepan and stir well.  Bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce to simmer and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until sauce has reduced by half.  Remove from heat. 

2. Heat broiler.  Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Place salmon on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Broil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily. 

3. Brush salmon with glaze.  Serve additional glaze with salmon. 

Comments
This recipe is from How Sweet It Is.  It lead me to the new experience of buying bourbon, I went with Jim Beam since it was the only name I recognized.  The glaze was pretty standard.  It was a bit sweet and would probably go well with pork or chicken when grilling.  I don’t think I’ll rush to make this again in the future, but it’s an easy way to prepare salmon that would go with most side dishes.  I served it with simply sautéed broccoli and rice.

Internet - How Sweet It Is

Ingredients
For Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¹⁄₃ cup raisins
1 cinnamon stick
Salt, to taste
2 large potatoes, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced (or handful of baby carrots)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

For Topping
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₃ cup cold butter, cut into ¹⁄₂ inch cubes
1 tablespoon green onion, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
³⁄₄ cup milk

Instructions
1. Heat oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add onions and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add jalapeno and ginger and cook 1 to 2 minutes.  Add ground beef and cook, stirring to break up large pieces, until cooked through.  Add curry powder, cayenne pepper, raisins, cinnamon stick, potatoes, and carrot.  Add water to cover by 1 inch.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 30 minutes.  Remove cover, increase heat to high, and continue to cook until most of liquid evaporates and curry has thickened. (This takes at least 30 minutes for me.) Stir in peas and cilantro. 

2. Heat oven to 400*F. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry cutter, two knives, or fingers.  Stir in green onion and cilantro.  Add milk and toss with fork to combine.  Knead 10 to 15 times then form dough into golf ball-size balls. 

4. Place dough balls directly on top of curry filling in Dutch oven.  Transfer to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Comments
This recipe comes from Foodess and it was awesome.  I wish that I had doubled it.  The biscuit dough balls were tasty, light, and flavorful.  The curry was grand.  The house was filled with delicious curry smell while it was simmering.  This would probably work quite well with ground lamb too.  This is definitely a winter dish, so I’m glad I was able to sneak it in during one of the last cold weeks of spring. 

The original recipe called for rolling out the dough and cutting it into biscuits, but I’ve got no patience for that.  The dumpling style biscuits worked perfectly, so I’d suggest that you thick with this method if you’re lazy like I am!

Internet - Foodess

Ingredients
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6 ounces each) mahi mahi fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. In a shallow container or ziptop bag, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the container with marinade. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

2. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove fish from container and reserve marinade.  Cook fish 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with fork.  Remove fish to plate and keep warm. 

3. Pour reserved marinade into skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces to glaze consistency.  Spoon glaze over fish and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from allrecipes and I found it while searching for something to do with the Mahi Mahi our grocery store has started to stock.  Yay for new fish!  I served this with stir fried sugar snap peas and rice.  The recipe did yield some extra glaze which I served tableside for the rice and sugar snaps.  It was tasty although perhaps a bit too sweet for our tastes.  I might reduce the amount of honey next time to take that into account.  Overall, though, this is a great, simple and easy fish dish.

Internet - allrecipes

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ pound potatoes, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch cubes
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash nutmeg

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Boil potatoes 8 to 10 minutes, then drain. 

2. Place tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon butter in sauce pan.  Season with black pepper, bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and puree with immersion blender until smooth. 

3. In a second sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth.  Simmer until sauce thickens then add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 

4. Stir tomato puree into white sauce.  Add potatoes to sauce, cover, and simmer, stirring often, until potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Check seasoning and serve.

Comments
This is another great recipe from Kayotic Kitchen.  The potatoes had a great tomato flavor and they reminded me quite a bit of the Bombay Potatoes I used to get in British Indian restaurants.  Adding different seasonings to the sauce could be lovely for future versions of this dish. 

Shown here with Steak Diane.

Internet - Kayotic Kitchen

Ingredients
For the pasta
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen’s fire roasted work great.)
2 red onions, quartered
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, peeled and stems trimmed
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 red bell pepper, quartered
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound short pasta
1 pound ground beef

For the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cup milk
5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Dash nutmeg

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F. 

2. Pour tomatoes into rimmed baking sheet.  Top with onions and sprinkle with sugar.  Spread garlic and tomatoes over vegetables in baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil.  Place bell pepper pieces on top, skin side up.  Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and roast for 45-60 minutes, or until tender and bell pepper skins are starting to char. 

3. Remove vegetables from oven and place bell pepper into ziptop bag.  Seal bag to allow bell peppers to steam.  Reduce oven heat to 350*F. 

4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed by packaging.  Drain. 

5. Season ground beef with salt and pepper.  Sauté in Dutch oven until cooked through.  Remove from Dutch oven and drain. 

7. Remove bell peppers from bag and carefully remove skins.  Transfer all roasted vegetables to Dutch oven and puree with immersion blender. (If you don’t have an immersion blender this can be done in a food processor or blender.) 

8. Return ground beef to Dutch oven with vegetables and simmer 5 minutes.  Check for seasoning.  Stir in pasta and mix well. 

9. In the pot used for pasta, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Slowly add in milk, stirring constantly.  Once sauce thickens add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and dash nutmeg.  Simmer sauce over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. 

10. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and bake until pasta and sauce are bubbly and starting to brown. 

Comments
This recipe is from the always awesome Kayotic Kitchen.  I know it looks like it has a lot of steps, but it really comes together easily once you get the vegetables roasting.  All three of us gobbled this up and enjoyed it quite a bit.  This casserole is definitely a great, comforting, delicious wintertime dish.  Yum.

Internet - Kayotic Kitchen

Ingredients
4 (6 ounces each) beef tenderloin filets (filet mignon)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup half and half
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh chives or parsley leaves, chopped, for garnish

Instructions
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper.  Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat.  Once butter melts, sear steaks for 2 minutes on each side.  Remove to plate. 

2. Add remaining butter to skillet and reduce heat to medium.  Once butter melts, add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes.  Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and half and half.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Return steaks and accumulated juices to pan.  Cook, turning once or twice, until meat is done to your preference, about 1 to 2 minutes a side for medium rare. 

4. Remove steaks to plate.  Add lemon juice to sauce and spoon over meat.  Garnish with chives or parsley if using, and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from Framed Cooks.  Aside from the sauce separating a bit, it was pretty great.  Especially since it’s been quite a while since I’ve cooked filet mignon at home.  The sauce was nice and mustardy and the steak was very flavorful.  As a side note, this filet was from the grass-fed half cow that we picked up late last year.  For the first time, I could definitely taste a huge difference between “normal” cow meat and the grass-fed cow meat. 

Shown here with Potatoes Aurore.

Internet - Framed Cooks

Ingredients
For the marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon sesame oil
¹⁄₂ teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound steak, cut into thin slices (I used a rump steak.)

For the stir fry sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¹⁄₂ tablespoon soy sauce
¹⁄₂ teaspoon white pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons water
¹⁄₂ tablespoon cornstarch

For assembly
1 pound broccoli, cut in florets
2 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
3 inches ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions
1. Combine all marinade ingredients in large container or ziptop bag.  Add steak and stir to coat. 

2. Combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl. 

3. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Boil broccoli for 30 seconds and drain. 

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet or wok over high heat.  Add ginger and green onions and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

5. Add meat and marinade to hot pan.  Cook, stirring, until meat has lost its redness.  Remove meat from pan and set aside on plate. 

6. Add sauce to pan and simmer until thickened.  Return broccoli and beef with accumulated juices to pan and stir until broccoli and beef is well coated with sauce.  Serve over rice or noodles. 

Comments
This recipe is from Fuss Free Cooking.  Beef with Broccoli is a dish that I love, and this turned out pretty well.  I would have liked more broccoli, perhaps a pound and a half would be better next time.  The white pepper was also a little bit overwhelming, so perhaps reducing that next time would be a good idea.  Regardless of those minor tweaks, this was scrumptious and we all enjoyed it!  I served it over cooked noodles.

The original recipe was called Ginger and Shallot Beef with Broccoli, but the pictures in that original post certainly looked like green onions to me!

Internet - Fuss Free Cooking

Ingredients
For teriyaki marinade
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¹⁄₂ cup water
¹⁄₂ cup soy sauce
2 cups pineapple juice
8 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons honey

For sriracha cream sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2-4 tablespoons sriracha

For assembly
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
4 tablespoons cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions
1. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and ¹⁄₂ cup water.  Stir to dissolve cornstarch. 

2. Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and honey in small saucepan.  Bring to simmer over medium heat.  Once brown sugar has melted, add cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens to coat back of spoon.  Remove from heat and cool. 

3. Once sauce cools, transfer to container or ziptop bag with salmon.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. 

4. Heat oven to 400*F. 

5. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk.  Starting with 2 tablespoons, add sriracha until desired level of spice is reached. 

6. Line baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

7. Remove salmon from marinade and place on cutting board.  Carefully slit the side of each piece of salmon, making a long pocket, being careful not to cut through to the other side.  Carefully insert 1 tablespoon cream cheese into each pocket and press fish to seal. 

8. Place salmon in baking dish and sprinkle each piece with ¹⁄₂ tablespoon sesame seeds.  Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. 

9. Serve salmon with sriracha cream sauce and sprinkled with green onions. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Boogie Blog and is inspired by the blogger’s favorite sushi.  I loved it.  Lance loved it.  This dish is delicious.  I did add too much sriracha to the cream sauce and had to increase the mayo and sweetened condensed milk as a result, but it was all good.  I think this would also be a great salmon dish to impress company with, not that I ever get to cook fish for company!  I served the fish with rice.

Protip: Double all the amounts for the teriyaki sauce and save the extra for marinading other meats or as a sauce for stir-frys.

Internet - The Boogie Blog

Ingredients
For the dressing
8 cloves garlic
¹⁄₃ cup parsley
¹⁄₂ cup cilantro
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons sesame seeds
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 sprigs fresh dill
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons fresh mint

For the salad
2 (15 ounces each) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 small cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
¹⁄₂ red onion, diced
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
1. Combine all dressing ingredients in food processor and pulse until pureed, scrapping down sides with rubber spatula as necessary. 

2. Combine all salad ingredients in large bowl, add dressing and stir to combine well.  Refrigerate until chilled before serving.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Comments
I love Tzatziki and I love Falafel.  I had the idea that I’d like to be able to combine the flavors of both of these things in a non-fried salad, so I came up with this recipe.  I ate the salad with pita and also tortillas.  I thought the flavor was great!  It ended up being a bit watery, but I think I could fix that by salting the cucumber and draining it a bit first.  I also made the mistake of using low-sodium chickpeas and ended up adding a bit of salt to make up for it.  I did miss the crunch that regular falafel has, but I think that could be fixed by perhaps roasting the chickpeas first.  Something that I’ll try next time.

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow, since the yellow ones looked best at the store.)
1 ¹⁄₃ cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
¹⁄₄ cup frozen corn kernels
¹⁄₄ cup frozen peas

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté until softened. 

2. Add rice and cook, stirring, until toasted and golden.  Add garlic powder, salt, cumin, and tomato sauce.  Stir until well combined. 

3. Add chicken broth, increase heat to high, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.  Stir in frozen peas and corn.  Cover for 3 minutes until peas and corn have thawed and are warmed through. 

Comments
This recipe is from What’s Cooking, Chicago.  I admit that my usual preparation of Mexican rice involves a box from Zataran’s with some added tomatoes and green onions.  This preparation is significantly better than that method!  The rice was great and went really well with the White Chicken Enchiladas I served it with.  This recipe is definitely a keeper and I don’t think I’ll go back to the boxed variety of rice any time soon. 

Shown here with White Chicken Enchiladas.

Internet - What’s Cookin, Chicago?