Sriracha Lemon Salmon

Light & Tasty!  This recipes serves 4. 

Ingredients:

4 - 4oz. salmon fillets, skin removed

Juice from 1 med. lemon about 1/3 cup

1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. chopped green onion

In a bowl whisk together lemon juice, water, honey and sriracha.  Place salmon in a baking dish or zip lock bag.  Pour half the mixture over the salmon.  Save the other half for later.  Let it marinate for 30 mins.

Place pre-marinated salmon on a greased broiler pan.  Sprinkle salt over Salmon fillets.  Broil on Low for about 6-7 mins. each side.  Till Salmon is cooked through and flaky.  Pour remaining marinade over cooked Salmon and sprinkle cilantro and green onion over each fillet.  

Enjoy!

Triple Layer Mint Oreo Brownies

These are delicious!  Be prepared, one is probably not enough!  I found this recipe on loveveggiesandyoga.com. On their website they have step by step how to make everything about this from scratch (ex:brownie mix and frosting)  

I took the semi-homemade approach.  This recipe makes 24 brownies.

1- 7oz. jar marshmallow fluff

1/8 tsp. mint extract

8 drops of green food coloring

1 box of brownie mix

1 - 17oz. package of mint oreo cookies, hand crumbled

3/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted

1 cup vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, stir together marshmallow fluff, mint extract and 4 drops of green food coloring or until you achieve a light green minty color.  In a separate larger bowl, prepare brownie mix as directed on the box, using water, oil, eggs and fold in 10 hand crumbled oreos.

Spread brownie batter in prepared pan.  Drop about 1/2 cup of green minty marshmallow mix onto brownie batter and reserve the remainder.

Gently pull a table knife through the batter in S-shape curves for a swirled design.

Bake for 23-25 mins, bake until brownies are set.  Taking care not to over bake.  Cool completely about 1 hour.  While brownies are cooling in a small bowl, take 1 cup of store bought vanilla frosting and stir it till it's fluffy.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate chips.  (Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir and microwave it 30 seconds longer; stir until smooth, taking care not to scorch it as white chocolate scorches easily.)  Add the melted white chocolate to the vanilla frosting and then add it all to the reserved green minty marshmallow mixture.  Stir in 4 more drops of green food coloring to keep it a light green color.  Spread it over the cooled brownies.

Sprinkle with 18 hand crumbled oreos, slightly pressing them into the green minty layer.  Allow top layer to set fully before slicing and serving.  I waited 3 hours before slicing mine.  You can store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container or store them in your freezer for up to 3 months.  PS - Mine didn't last long enough to store!  They were all gone in two days!

Enjoy!

Corned Beef

This is the way I make my St. Patty's Day dinner every year.  Serves 6.

1 - 5lb. corned beef brisket

water 

1 - 12oz. bottle of Guinness beer

Place corned beef brisket in pot on your stove top. Sprinkle the brisket with the spice packet that's included.  Pour water over the top of the meat till it covers 3/4 of the brisket.

Pour bottle of beer over the top of the brisket.

Cover and let it low boil for 4 hours.  After 2 hours (halfway) check the water level.  Add 2 more cups of water if the water level is below half the brisket. Cover and return to low boil.

Pull the meat out of the pot.  Let it rest on the cutting board for 5 mins. Slice the meat going against the grain.

 Serve with your classic roasted red potatoes, carrots, onion and cabbage.  Or you can use it to make sandwiches.  Great for left-overs.  Or corned beef and hash with eggs the next morning.  Enjoy!

Clean Eating; Cauliflower Soup

With the start of a New Year my family (Kelli's) decided to really focus on eating more healthy..... the best way we discovered to do this was by "Eating Clean". We follow these two rules.... one, the food we eat must come from mother nature and two, it must of had a mother.  Meaning it had to of grown out of the ground or off a tree/plant and something had to give birth to it (i.e....eggs, fish...etc.) It has started with baby steps, each day we try and make the best menu decision for our family. There are a lot of great website that have "clean" recipes to get you started. Here is a very simple soup that has great taste!

Cauliflower Soup with Sweet Potato, Beets and Radish Baked Veggies

1 tsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Yellow Onion, Minced

1-2 Slice of Canadian Bacon (or omit meat)

1 cup of chopped Baby Portabella Mushrooms

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary

1 Head of Fresh Cauliflower, Cut into Florets

2 cups of Reduced Sodium, Gluten Free Vegetable Broth

1 cup of Almond Milk

Heat in a large stockpot, Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic, Canadian Bacon, Mushrooms and Rosemary. Cook for 5-10 min. until onions are soft and the rosemary is fragrant. 

Add the Cauliflower, veg. broth and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer. Cover and turn heat to low, let it cook for 10-15 min. until the cauliflower is tender. Then Pour it all into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Crumble the veg. chips on top and serve hot!! Yum!

Vegetable Baked Chips

Slice 

1 Sweet Potato

2 Beets

3 Radishes

Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 400. spread out on baking sheet. Put the veggies on the baking sheet and lightly salt. Put in oven for 25 min. Let cool and then eat!

Enjoy!

Craw Fish Bisque

This is delicious!  We are treated to it once a year.  It's thick, buttery and has a little bit of a kick to it! This recipe comes from my cousin Nathan Jacobsen.  He has made this bisque for us 2 or 3 years in a row now around Thanksgiving!  Thank you for sharing your recipe Nathan!

2 lbs. chopped craw fish

1 cup chopped yellow onion

4 sticks butter

2 cups flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 bunch finely chopped green onion

8 cups half & half

4 tsp. garlic powder

4 tsp. onion powder

2-4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a stock pot over medium high heat saute the chopped yellow onion in all the butter till soft.  Stir in flour, keep stirring for 2 mins. so that all the flour and butter are mixed well together. Stir in broth slowly.  Add a little at a time to the flour butter mixture so that it doesn't become lumpy.  Stir and let it come together for 5 mins.  Add in chopped craw fish and green onion.  Stir and let it come together for 5 mins.  Stir in half & half, 5 mins.  Stir in seasonings.  Cook all together for 20 mins., stir occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Let it stand for 5 mins and then serve.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

The BEST sweet potato casserole I've ever had comes from my brother-in-law's grandma in North Carolina, Grandma Gill.  Thank you Mimi for sharing your recipe with us!  If you usually don't like sweet potato casserole, I highly recommend you try this recipe and give sweet potato casserole One Last Chance!

Casserole

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. flour

Dash of cinnamon

Topping

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

 Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Peel your sweet potatoes. Cut them up into big chunks.  Place sweet potato chunks in a pot with 8 cups of water on the stove and boil till soft.  Drain and mash them.  In a mixing bowl add 1/3 cup melted butter to the mashed sweet potatoes.  Stir in sugar and salt.  Beat in eggs, vanilla and flour.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x9 casserole dish.

For the topping mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins.  Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Bake

Here is another Haynes family favorite!  In fact if you ask my brother what he wants for his birthday dinner he'll still say, "Tuna noodle bake."  I think I've been making this dish since I was 10 years old, with the help of my mom of course.  It is from my childhood cookbook, For Good Measure.  This recipe can easily be doubled and cooked in a 9x13 dish.

6 oz. wide egg noodles

1- 12oz. can of tuna, drained

1- 10oz can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of milk

2 cups crushed ruffles classic potato chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook noodles according to package but drain noodles when done, rinse with hot water, drain again.  Pour cooked noodles into a buttered 9x9 baking dish.  Spread tuna over the cooked noodles.  Mix soup and milk together, pour over top of the tuna.  Top with crushed potato chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Butterscotch Bars

This comes from my favorite cookbook!  My aunt Jan bought me my very first cookbook for my 7th birthday!  For Good Measure, a cookbook for children.  I love the very simple but tasty recipes that come from this book.

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp maple extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (you choose)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.  Add sugar. Melt butter and mix in.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in vanilla, maple flavoring and nuts.  Spread in a buttered 9x9 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 mins.  Let them completely cool and cut into squares.  They are so delicious!  Enjoy!

Autumn Apple & Cheddar Salad with Pecans

As the weather gets colder I find myself eating less and less salad.  Here is an easy salad using the tastes and ingredients of  Autumn. Serves 6

12 cups of leafy baby greens

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1 large McIntosh apple, cored and cut into 18 wedges

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/3 cup of your favorite Italian salad dressing

In a large bowl combine greens, grapes and apple wedges.  Add your favorite Italian salad dressing.  You can use less dressing or more depending on how you like it. Toss gently to coat.  Arrange salad on individual plates sprinkle each serving with cheese and pecans.

Enjoy!

Pimento Cheese.... It's a Southern Thing.

For most of you, you already know that my husband was born and raised in the South, North Carolina to be exact. For him Pimento Cheese was a staple in his house. When we lived there for two and half years his grandmother would serve pimento cheese at least once a week and if it wasn't on the dinner table for a meal it was in the refrigerator for a "any time of day" snack.

To be honest, at first I didn't touch the stuff....cheese, mayo and pimento's....bla! But as time passed and it was obvious that it was always going to be apart of a meal...hahaha.... it grew on me and now I love it! 

We recently took a trip to North Carolina (hadn't been back in a year) and his grandmother, as tradition would have it, had a fresh batch of pimento cheese waiting for us :) 

Not having the recipe written down, counting on my memory of watching his grandmother put a little bit of this and a little bit of that into her pimento cheese, yesterday's pimento cheese batch was a success! (according to Chris..... and I must say he's a little bit of a pimento cheese snob)  

Pimento Cheese goes great with a bowl of soup or chili served on a cracker or slice of french bread.... Also, as a sandwich or cheese ball (for party's) No matter how you serve it or eat it, it's delicious! And yes, it may be a "Southern Thing" but in my family it's become a "Traditional Thing" Enjoy!! 

Pimento Cheese

1- 8 oz. block Cheese, shredded

1- small jar of Pimento's

1 - 2tbsp. of Mayo (just enough to bind everything together)

black pepper

Combined all the ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate until cold (20 min.) and serve.  

ps. if you live where they sell the "premade" pimento cheese in the deli section at your grocery store, don't buy it.... homemade so much better plus you can control the ingredients and quality! 

Applesauce Coffee Cake

Made this for the first time last week for the Mother's In Touch group at church.  It turned out great!  

So I thought I would share it with you.  Serves 9

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 beaten eggs

1 cup applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl combine 3/4 cup flour and sugar; cut in 1/2 cup butter.  Till it resembles coarse crumbs.  For topping, remove 1/2 cup crumb mixture into a separate bowl; stir in nuts, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon.  Cut 1 more tbsp of butter into the topping mixture. Set aside.

To remaining crumb mixture add remaining flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add beaten eggs, applesauce and vanilla; beat till well blended.  Pour batter into a greased 9x9 pan.

Sprinkle topping on batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Torte

I found this recipe while searching through my old Pampered Chef cookbooks.  It is easy and delicious!  One small slice will completely satisfy your sweet tooth.  The first time I made it I didn't even get to try a slice because it was gone in an instant!  Serves 14-16

Nonstick cooking spray with flour

1 pkg (18-21oz) traditional or chewy brownie mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

6 pkg (1.5 oz each) peanut butter cup candies

1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter morsels

2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray torte plans with nonstick cooking spray with flour.  Place 8 in. circles of parchment paper over centers of pans; set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine brownie mix, eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, water and peanut butter; mix well.  Divide batter into two pans, spreading to edges.  Bake 10-12 mins or until centers feel firm to the touch.

Meanwhile using a knife, dice peanut butter cups; set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl combine peanut butter morsels and remaining 1 Tbsp oil; microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, till all are melted and smooth.  Spoon 1/4 cup of peanut butter mixture into a resealable plastic bag; set aside.  Fold marshmallows into remaining peanut butter mixture.

Remove pans from oven to a cooling rack.  Let brownies stand in pans 4 minutes.  To Assemble torte, invert one brownie well-side up onto a platter of your choice. Using a spoon, spread marshmallow filling into brownie well.

  

Take the second brownie and place it well-side up on top of the bottom layer.  Evenly distribute diced peanut butter cup into the brownie well.  Trim the corner off the plastic bag to allow melted peanut butter mixture to flow through; drizzle over torte.  You can serve immediately or make ahead one day prior to serving.  

Enjoy!

Fresh Roasted Green Beans

I like cooking my fresh green beans this way.  It's easy, it's different and the kids like it!

Serves 4

4 handfuls fresh green beans

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Wash green beans and cut off ends.  You can cut green beans in half too or leave them long.  Pat dry the green beans with a paper towel.  Lay green beans in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over green beans.  Roll them around so they are evenly coated in the oil.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Place in the 425 degree oven for 10-12 mins.  Green beans will be slightly brown but still crunchy.  Serve with your dinner.  Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Kalua Pork

I never realized I could make something like this at home.  My friend Robin made this for a ladies luncheon that I attended.  It was delicious!  I had to try making it for myself and my family.  Everyone loved it!  There are very few ingredients, it can be made ahead and it makes great left-overs.  Sign me up!  This recipe is a combination of how Robin cooks it and how a cookbook says to cook it.  Serves 8.

5 lb. boneless pork butt roast

2 1/2 Tbsp. Hawaiian alaea salt (sub kosher salt if needed)

2 Tbsp. liquid smoke

2 cups water

2 bananas

Preheat oven to 330 degrees.  Using a small knife make little cuts in the pork butt.  Rub the pork butt with 1 Tbsp. of the liquid smoke.  Then rub the pork butt with 2 1/2 Tbsp of the Hawaiian salt.

I could not find banana leaves to wrap my pork in so I used an actual banana.  Wash the bananas then cut the ends off.  Place the bananas on top of the meat.

The next step is to completely seal the pork butt with tin foil.  Wrap it all up.  Place the meat in a roasting pan. Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan and 1 Tbsp. of the liquid smoke.

Cook at 330 degrees for 4 hours.  You want to cook it for 45 mins. per pound.  When it's done unwrap the pork and cool sligthly. You can throw the banana away. 

  

Shred pork and place in large bowl.  You can take some of the left over juices from the bottom of the roasting pan and pour over the top of the shredded pork. Serve with your favorite Hawaiian style sides.  Enjoy!  Or in this case...Aloha!

For another meal idea you can freeze the shredded pork meat and re-heat it another day in the crock pot.  Pour a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce over the pork and let it slow cook for a couple hours or more.  Serve on sandwich rolls.  Delicious & Easy!

  

Rice & Black Bean Salad

 I love all the vegetables and flavors in this salad.  It's light but filling.  This is a wonderful side salad that would compliment any grilled meat.  

Serves 6-8 people.

Lime Vinaigrette

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh herbs, such as oregano, Italian parsley, chives, or a combination

3/4 cup olive oil

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

 In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and mustard.  Add the garlic and herbs, and whisk in the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Use immediately or refrigerate, covered for up to 3-4 days.

Rice & Black Bean Salad

2 cups canned black beans, drained

2 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Kernels from 2 ears of cooked fresh corn

1 cup Lime Vinaigrette

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne

3 Tbsp. minced cilantro leaves

1 red onion, diced

2 small zucchini, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 gold or orange bell pepper, diced

1 poblano chile, diced

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

Let the cooked rice and corn cool to room temperature.  Put the beans, rice and corn in a large bowl and toss together lightly.  Make the dressing:  In a small bowl, combine the vinaigrette, cumin, cayenne and half the cilantro.  Spoon half of the dressing over the rice mixture and toss lightly.

Put the onion, zucchini, bell peppers, and poblano in a medium bowl, pour the rest of the dressing over and toss.  Let both the rice mixture and the onion mixture rest for 30 min.  

Add the onion mixture to the rice mixture.  Toss together lightly and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the rest of the cilantro over the salad and serve immediately.  The salad can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature before serving.  Enjoy!