Herbed Smoked Salmon Yogurt Cheese Spread

Have you made yogurt cheese?  It is a great way to make your yogurt thicker to any degree.  Just pour into a fine cheese cloth, tie the ends, let it hang and drip into a bowl (I use a wide vase)  A short drip of 2-4 hours will just give you a creamier yogurt like a Greek yogurt.  4-6 hours yields a great sour cream replacement that makes great veggie dips.  To make a cream cheese consistency, you will need to drip for 6 hours, open cloth, scrape, stir and turn contents to loosen, then drip 4 more hours. For this recipe I used a cheese somewhere between sour cream and cream cheese.

4 ounces smoked salmon

1 small shallot, finely minced

¼ cup fresh herbs, minced

4 ounces yogurt cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld.  Spread on a fresh English muffin.
links; Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Monday Mania, Happy Homemaker Monday, Menu Plan Monday

Soaked English Muffins

English muffins are in the same category as most bread products.  Like pitas and tortillas, it is impossible to find a store bought variety made with healthful ingredients, properly prepared that tastes good.

These are great to just eat with butter and honey, or make little sandwiches with.  We like smoked salmon, egg and cheese J.

2 cups spelt flour
¾ cup kefir or buttermilk
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Combine spelt, kefir and honey, mix well.  Let soak on counter about 12 hours.  Combine baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Sprinkle over soaking flour, mix well.

Heat skillet to medium (about 275 degrees).  Form dough into rustic biscut shapes.  Place on dry, preheated skillet.  Cook 4 minutes, carefully flip and cook 4 minutes on second side.  Split with a fork, serve warm.  Toast to reheat.
links; Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday, GCC Recipe Swap

Smoked Salmon Avocado Salad with Garlic-Lime Dressing

I have learned to love smoked salmon the last couple years, especially with eggs.  It is expensive, so it is a good thing that la little goes a long way.

This salad is my new favorite; I ordered a similar one at a small lunch spot called “J’Box” in California.  It is a great combination of salty fish, sweet tomatoes and sour, creamy dressing.  I threw in a good bid of purslane because it is so abundant in my garden right now, but could easily be replaced with baby spinach, or omitted

For all leafy salads make sure to dry the lettuce thoroughly and toss the dressing with the greens only, then add the rest.  This makes it easier to get even servings instead of ending up with all the heavy stuff at the bottom of the bowl.  And always dress a salad when possible.  Dressing drizzled on after it is on the plate is so uneven and diminishes the quality of the salad.  If you are traveling with the salad keep the toppings in a separate container than the greens.  Dress no more than 30 minutes prior to serving.  Softer lettuces like green leaf should be no more than 10 minutes as they wilt faster.  If you are feeding a crowd and want to be able to save the left over salad, dress only a portion at a time and refresh with more salad, dressing and toppings as needed.

1 large head of romaine or 6 cups of mixed greens

1 cup purslane (optional)

¼ lb smoked salmon sliced or flaked

1 large avocado, diced

20 small grape tomatoes, halved

½ inch slice of red onion, sliced very thin.

Dressing

1/3 cup homemade mayonnaise

juice and zest from 1 lime

1 garlic clove, pressed

¼ teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients for dressing and toss well with lettuce and purslane.  Top with salmon, avocado, tomatoes and onion, lightly toss and serve.

Links: Whole Foods for the Holiday's, Tuesday Twister, Meatless Monday, Monday Mania, Wholesome Whole Foods and Homemaker Monday

Creamed Leeks

I have been pulling some cute leeks out of my garden, anything smaller that regular grocery store size are labeled “cute.” I think their growth was stunted from the first two months they grew without any fertilizer in beautiful black soil with a high pH and that was major lacking in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. They taste as good as ever and having used up all my potatoes (lest you think I am lying, those are turnips in the background) and not really being soup season anymore, I have created a new way to use this cute winter crop.

As pictured here, I served it on top of salmon (Costco’s Wild Atlantic). This adds great flavor to a simply prepared piece of fish or chicken. As a stand alone side dish, I spooned the creamed leeks into small crème brulee dishes. Any little ramekin would do, or a pie dish to serve the whole family. I sprinkled each one with swiss cheese and bread crumbs and broiled for 2 minutes. We have a little toaster oven that works great for this. It is really yummy! We have a rule that anything you pick from the garden, you have to eat. Layne has been busy pulling up leeks.

3 regular or 8 “cute” leeks
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ cup cream

Cut off leek roots and spilt in half lengthwise. Swish around in a bowl of water to get all the dirt out. Chop into small pieces, discarding the dark green parts that are tough. Melt butter in pan over medium high heat. Add leeks and cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Turn heat down to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every three minutes or so. Add salt, pepper and cream. Stir and continue to cook until the dish is thick and all water has evaporated. Serve over a simply prepared fillet of fish or chicken.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister, Whole Foods for the Holiday's and Real Food Wednesday hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Fish Stroganoff

Years ago when we had Dish Network, 30 Minute Meals was my favorite program. My recipe creating skills blossomed during that time. I never even realized how much Ms. Ray had to do with said blossoming until I saw this recipe. My mom had seen her make it on her show and liked how it sounded with all the vegetables and all (I guess it’s hereditary) so we looked it up and made it for dinner.

The recipe is very versatile. Use any veggies you have on hand; green beans, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini carrots, peppers, mushrooms, peas, corn, onions…We have had it with a different combination of veggies each time, but one thing that makes the meal for me is a nice fillet of fish.Wild salmon and smoked tuna or wahoo are divine, but even a can of tuna would be quite lovely.

½ pound brown rice rotini noodles, cooked with ½ cup starchy water reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small chunks

1/2 pound carrots, sliced or julienned

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 cup sour cream

½ pound cooked fish, broken up

2 teaspoons dill

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil, cook 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and carrots and continue cooking for another 1 minute. Push the veggies to the sides of the pan to make a well and drop in the butter to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock, mustard, reserved pasta-cooking water and sour cream to the pan and whisk to combine and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Add the cooked pasta, fish, dill, parsley and lemon juice to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Who has influenced your cooking skills?

Pear Salsa

You may have noticed we are big fans of fish tacos. I make them with tilapia, crappie, perch, cod, dorado and salmon. I put them on corn, flour, soft and crispy tortillas. I top them with sauces, traditional tomato salsas, tropical salsas and here I share my new fave. We had this with black beans, avocados, cabbage and dorado on THE tortillas—DELISH.

2 firm pears, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, minced
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
½ small red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
½ bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients, let flavors combine 1 hour before serving. Strain off juices if necessary.

This salsa goes really well with fish in tacos or just served on a fillet of broiled fish.

Tuna Melts

I think the Mom’s (not mine of coarse) of the 80’s era made their kids think nobody in their right mind could possibly like tuna. My husband still has a hard time believing he really DOES like the stuff. Every time we have tuna melts he says “This is good. Next time, remind me I really like tuna melts.” Actually, after all the reminding and making this recipe a part of our regular monthly menu, he not only remembers but request it.

The ingredient list is all things that are typically on hand, sometimes I might have to sub yellow onion for green. It is nice to have a few quick meals that can be thrown together on those days I needed to make it to the store but just didn’t.

Bumble Bee or Chicken of the Sea brands are not my favorite, so try some different brands to see what you like. Also, tuna can be packed in oil or water. Most of the time the oil is low quality, like soybean, if you come across some in olive oil-YUM. Otherwise, water is fine. Albacore is going to be less fishy than light tuna, but also more dry and pricey. So find your best fit and apply it here:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Herbs De Provence or dill
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cans tuna, drained
1 bunch green onions, sliced
6 slices of bread, toasted
1 ½ cup shredded cheese

Saute carrots and celery in oil 5 minutes. Add garlic seasonings and flour, combine thoroughly. Let flour cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk while stirring. Once thickened add veganaise, tuna and onions. Pile mixture in toasted bread laid out on a cookie sheet. Top with cheese and broil until melted and bubbly.

This recipe can be extended with grains like brown rice, white quinoa or millet if you need to feed a couple extra people.

Wellington

A fancy pants main dish that is intensely rich. Though very simple to make, the presentation of this savory stuffed puff pastry is spectacular. Puff pastry is a dough made by layering butter in flour. When it cooks, steam puffs the dough while the fat makes it all crispy. The end result is buttery, flaky goodness. I get my puff pastry from Trader Joe's, it is made with real butter. Other brands are made with hydrogenated soybean oil, which I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole.

Now, this is not an A plus on the healthy meal scale; the pastry is made with white flour and the fat content is out of proportion, but it is made with real food. It is important, that even when indulging to keep your food real so that your body doesn't get all gunked up with toxins(hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup) and chemicals (food dyes, msg) from man-made "foods."

Chicken is a crowd pleaser, so this is what I have listed in the recipe. But salmon is divine.

2 sheets puff pastry (10x10)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 lb. chicken, cubed, cooked and drained of excess moisture
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water (this is an "egg wash"

Thaw pastry sheets. Saute onion and pepper in olive oil, cook through. Add spinach, stir to wilt. Salt and set mixture aside to cool slightly. Mix cream cheese and mustard in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Working on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicon mat, lay out 2 sheets of puff pastry. Spread chicken on half of each sheet, dividing evenly and leaving a half inch at the edges. Top chicken with vegetable mixture and spoon cheese mixture on top. Fold each pastry over, corner to corner, you may have to stretch the dough a bit. Fork around the edges to seal. Brush the dough evenly with the egg wash, gently cut 3-1 inch slits in each of the wellingtons. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut each wellington in half for 4 large servings.

Salmon and Green Bean Pasta

Waiting for tomatoes to grow is torture, they take so long. Green beans become the perfect buffer in this gardening lull, right now these are flourishing. I love a good and fresh bean. When you look for them in the store they should be firm, air pockets mean they are over matured and will be tough. Also look for dull, crisp beans with taunt skin, wrinkles means the beans are old which makes them rubbery. If there are no acceptable beans to be found, peas are a nice alternative, but you will want to use a different shaped pasta (like elbow or rotini) to keep the peas from all migrating to the bottom of your bowl.


8 ounces pound whole wheat linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces salmon
1 pound green beans, cut in half
½ teaspoon salt
1 inch ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, pressed
6 green onions, sliced
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
½ cup cilantro, chopped


Cook pasta al dente. Heat oil in large pan on medium high heat, place fish skin side up in pan. Spread green beans around the fish, cover. After 3 minutes flip the fish, stir the beans, cover and reduce heat to low for 3 more minutes. Remove fish from pan, raise heat to medium and cook the garlic, ginger and onions for one minute. Mix together soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and cayenne. Add mixture to pan, combine with pasta and cilantro. Remove the skin and break up the fish with a fork, then mix in with pasta.

links; Whole Foods for the Holidays

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Yogurt Sauce

Ever eaten something at a restaurant and thought, “I can make this”? These tacos were inspired by an entrée at On the Border, it has become one of our favorite meals. It is a little elaborate, but everything but the fish can be prepared ahead of time. I have to say, these are delish. Even my brother in law who is an avid fish hater enjoyed these.

We eat fish quite often and have found that quality counts. My dad brings us crappie from his Minnesota fishing trips, and a fisherman in our ward shares his surplus. I highly recommend making friends with a fisherman, it is very rewarding. When buying fish I look for 2 things; does the sales person know anything about the fish? Was it previously frozen? Farm raised or wild caught? When was it cleaned? If they don’t know, assume the worse. I look for fresh fish, cleaned same day. If it is frozen, I want to buy it frozen. Frozen fish is usually cleaned and frozen right on the boat which is great for quality, but if it has been thawing in the grocers’ open case for days the quality has diminished. I prefer wild caught, but is not as important as the other issues. I also like the fish in the frozen foods sections that are in vacuum sealed packages. Costco has nice frozen salmon and tilapia for around $6 per pound which can be worth the convenience.

Fish
1 lb. white fish (tilapia, cod, dad’s crappie), cut into 1 inch thick strips
½ cup rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons light olive oil
Combine flour, salt and peppers. Dredge fish strips. Fry in heated oil

Cabbage Mix
1 shredded carrot
1 ½ cups shredded cabbage
Combine.

½ cup cheddar cheese

Pico de gallo:
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tablespoon chopped onions
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
Combine all ingredients, let set 20 minutes.

Chipotle Yogurt Sauce:
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons honey
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
Place all ingredients in blender on high, blend well. Store in a air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes a great salad dressing for Southwestern salads.

Assembly:
Tortilla. Cabbage mix. Sauce. Fish. Cheese, Pico.
Enjoy.