Perfect Salmon

I'm always a little nervous about cooking fish. I don't want to go into overkill and make it too overdone, but I don't want to poison my family with raw fish (j to the k). I have been working with a couple of ways to cook salmon and have figured out my favorite and what works best for us.  Baking it!

I also always thought salmon was a more challenging dish to make. After figuring out the right temp and time for baking it, it is just the same or easier than baked chicken breasts. And for my chicken hating husband, definitely more delicious.

At any butcher, you can specify how you want them to cut your salmon. In our case, we just picked a large piece from their selection, cut it in half with a sharp knife at home, and I freeze the rest for a rainy day. Tastes just as good, in my opinion! On this particular day the salmon was on sale! Yah!

I put a piece of foil on the baking sheet, spray with non-stick spray, and put the skin side down. I cook with the skin on, and when you are done you can easily flake the salmon away from the skin when eating or if you are careful not to burn yourself you can peel the skin right off.

Here's what I used;

1 lb salmon (we hungry folks- in all honesty, this could have served 3-4 people)
S&P
Lemon slices (however many you like...I'm not a huge lemony person but 3 was just right)
Olive Oil - drizzled about a tablespoon to coat before I added the s&p and lemon

Preheat your oven to 375. Bake for exactly 22 minutes.

Too good to be true? No, really, it's that easy.

Serve with your favorite beverage - I have taken a comfortable front seat on the Fat Tire bandwagon - and a couple of your fave sides and you are set!

Now that it's grilling weather, my next challenge will be to attempt salmon on the grill.

Now make this over the weekend and tell me how you like it!

Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas

Every year on Valentine's Day, my husband and I get fancy with cooking up a delicious meal at home. This year is the same! I am glad it is on a weekend this year, so I can take my time cooking and sipping wine in my loungewear and new apron (thanks, Miranda!). I have been perusing blogs and links for some recipe ideas. We like to do steaks with a great side or two, with an awesome appetizer to start. Each year it seems the meal gets better and better!!!!

Plus, when you go out to eat on VD there sometimes is a fixed menu. Fix your own menu!

One of my favorite pics!

Some links I am loving:

Ina's Zucchini Gratin

Kevin's Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Real Simple Green Beans

Beautiful Potatoes - How impressive are these? Probably so easy!

Roasted Root Veggies

Some appetizer ideas I have stumbled across:

French Onion and Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms

HOLY CRAP THESE LOOK SO GOOD!

Herbed tomato and roasted garlic tart

Fennel and Pork Sausage Rolls

Bite Size Crab Quiches

These are just a few I have been drooling over. Now to choose which ones to make. :-P

What are your Valentine's Day plans?

Shrimp and Weisenberger Grits

Do yourself a huge favor and make this soon. Perfect comfort food for fall, a great "date night at home", or just because you feel like being fancy. These shrimp and grits were one of the best meals I've ever made, and it only took right around 30-35 minutes to make.

I started off frying off bacon, both for the topping and grease to fry the shrimp in. Everything is better using bacon grease - pancakes especially. Drain the grease off into a container on the side and move pan off the heat. I used a cast iron skillet for frying but you can use whatever your heart desires.

Once I fried up the bacon, I got started on the grits. The package of grits gives standard directions - 4c water to 1 c grits. In my grits, I used 2 cups milk (2% but any will work) and 2 c chicken stock. This is a magical combination. Bring the 4 c of liquid to a simmer then add 1 cup of grits and 1 clove of garlic chopped -the garlic will soften with the grits. Bring to a boil then immediately lower the temperature to low/med. You want to keep an eye on these stirring frequently, and cooking for about 25 minutes. You will feel them tightening up as you stir.  Around 20 minutes in, I covered the grits and let them cook for the last 5 minutes covered up. Remove from heat and add 1/2 c heavy cream and 1 c parmesean cheese (I used grated). You can really use whatever cheese you want. The grits should be thin, but not runny.  To keep warm, you can cover or keep on low heat.  I stirred in a handful of spinach last that wilted down while I cooked the shrimp.

Last step is to cook your shrimp (takes 3-4 minutes).

The only things I seasoned my shrimp with are Old Bay and tabasco sauce. Generously coat your shrimp - you don't have to add salt or pepper since it is in the Old Bay seasoning already.  Pour a little of your reserved bacon grease on the cast iron skillet, and bring heat to medium. Put shrimp on and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes per side or until pink.  Make sure not to overcook your shrimp, because they will also cook a little bit longer when you put them in the hot grits.

Toast up a baguette, top with chopped bacon, and dig in!

Recipe:

Grits recipe from Grits and Greens in Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree

The Grits:
2 c milk
2 c chicken stock
1 garlic clove
1/2 c heavy cream
1 c grated parmesean
1 c yellow grits (I used Weisenberger)
1 c baby spinach

Bring 2c milk and 2c chicken stock to simmer, add grits and garlic. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover with 5 minutes to go.  After 25 minutes, stir in heavy cream and cheese. Add more heavy cream if consistency is too thick. It should be loose but not runny. Add salt to taste if desired. Stir in spinach and set aside.

The Shrimp:
1 lb 40-50 shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails off, thawed
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tbsp tabasco
4 slices thick cut bacon

Cook bacon and reserve grease - drain bacon on paper towel lined plate.
Bring skillet to medium heat with 2 tbsp bacon grease.
Season shrimp with old bay and tabasco
Place on skillet and cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side until pink.

Pour grits into shallow bowl and add cooked shrimp in the center. Top with bacon and serve.

Serves 4.

Let me know if you make this soon and how you liked it!

Homemade Marinara

MUCH, MUCH easier than you think. Now I just need to learn to can stuff and will have this on a whim all the time. So simple, so delicious, and really really easy. Please make this! I know Prego is the solution! I used it up until I made this sauce. Plus, you can say it is homemade!!!!

I actually made some more pasta (whole wheat!) dough the other day but had not made a sauce to go with it yet. Remember, I am a newbie…nothing is always perfect like TV chefs make you think. Was a bit weary about the wheat pasta.. How would the texture be? Would it be mush?  More on that later. Don't you wish sometimes on food network they would cringe when they taste the end result because they messed up? Ok, whatever, I'm the Debbie Downer. But sometimes, your food ain't perfection. It is what it is. This time, it's good.

This marinara is  Giada's and is excellent.  I may have changed a couple of measurements like keeping all the veggies, but it's basically the same. Sweet from the tomatoes, savory, rich, decadent. All you wish for in a great pasta sauce.

I cut Giada's recipe in half (sorta) because it makes a ton and I am just feeding 2!

1/4 c olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (we love garlic in our house), minced
2 carrots chopped
3 celery stalks (they were very small), chopped
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes (we used Hunt's brand it was amazing but any crushed will do!)
2 bay leaves (still used 2 because I love the flavor they give to a sauce)

Add olive oil to your pot- any pot will do!!! - and sweat (stir every 3 minutes until they look glossy) your chopped onions down for about 10 minutes. Giada's recipe tells you to add the garlic as same time as the onions, but I find that makes the garlic burn and turn bitter. I added the garlic after the onions turned translucent. When you add the garlic, add the chopped celery and carrot.  Let those cook and stir every couple of minutes for about 10-15 minutes.

Then, add a 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and stir…. THEN WALK AWAY. Really. For an hour. You have to let all those yummy flavors marry. But really, you are done making the sauce! All you have to do is stir every so often…but yes, you are going to make homemade marinara that quick!

I peeked - and stirred. MMMMMM

You don't have to do this next step, but I did just to make it a little smoother. If you like chunky sauce skip this step.  I used an immersion blender for just a couple of whirls to get it a little smoother. 

Here's my yummy pasta recipe- For the whole wheat pasta I cut the all purpose flour in half and used whole wheat in place. You still need the gluten in the AP flour to make the particular recipe I used work. Here's where it went awry! So, when you freeze your pasta, make SURE you flour it liberally…i mean, coat those babies with more flour than you think. Luckily, I defrosted some dough I hadn't cut into spaghetti yet and did it the right way. See the pic below. Those noodles need to be DRESSED in flour. Just do it. You will thank me later. I thought it looked wrong, but it was soooo right.

My cheat boil - a fry daddy basket :-)

When I boil my pasta I used SALTY SALTY water. 

Ooooh weeeeeee. Doesn't this look excellent? Don't say so if not.

Sprinkle some parm on there. 

Enjoy! Let me know what sauces you like with pasta. Mine obviously are those of the unhealthy variety. :-)