Salmon en Papillote 23 November 2009

Couldn’t find a recipe I liked, so I read several recipes to get the general idea of how to construct this, then went at it.

 

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 large carrot, julienned (can be parboiled, but I like them a bit crunchy)
• 1 medium potato, thinly sliced and parboiled
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs fresh fennel
• salt & pepper

 

Directions

1. Take out two pieces of aluminum foil or parchment paper big enough to make a packet to cook the fish and veggies in.
2. Brush melted butter on the foil up to an inch from each edge.  (Don’t use all the butter)
3. Divide the potato evenly between the two packets, brush more melted butter over the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place a salmon fillet on top of the potatoes in each packet. Brush with more butter.
5. Thinly slice garlic and place on top of fish.  Place fennel sprig (or whatever herb you choose to use) on top of fish.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Divide carrot between the packets and place on top of fish.  Brush with the rest of the butter.
7. Cook at 400F for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.  (Less if you prefer your salmon medium rare-medium).
8. Let sit 5-10 minutes before eating.

 

You could substitute another fresh herb instead of fennel, but I love the flavor combination of fennel and carrots.  Basil or oregano would probably be delicious as well.

Chicken Bites and Creamy Pasta 3 November 2009

Chicken Ingredients:

• boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• olive oil
• pepper
• garlic powder
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 

Chicken Directions:

1. Coat chicken in olive oil, season with pepper and garlic powder.  Let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Mix breadcrumbs and cayenne pepper, coat chicken with mixture.
3. Cook at 475F for 10 minutes.

 

Pasta Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. chicken bullion
• 3 Tbsp. stick butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 lb. chosen pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine is best)

 

Pasta Directions:

1. Cook pasta to desired consistency.
2. Mix remaining ingredients a small saucepan and boil for 10-15 minutes.
3. Pour over pasta and serve.

 

I made with garlic bread – butter, italian seasoning, garlic, & mozzarella cheese.

Stir fry steak 25 October 2009

Made this with fried rice last night, but I ended up not using the recipe I had and made it my own way instead.  Turned out amazingly well, and here’s the recipe.  Would’ve worked really well in the right kind of fajitas, too.  Next time I’m making a lot more, but that’s all the steak we had left.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb steak, cut into thin strips
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. dark molasses
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. Accent seasoning
• 1 tsp. chives (fresh is best, I used onion chives)
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Combine all seasoning ingredients up through chives in a small plastic container.  Close and shake to combine.
2. Give it a taste test, add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add steak, shake to coat.  Marinate for 20-30 minutes.
4. Remove steak from marinade and cook in a little oil in a frying pan.
5. When nearly cooked through, drain off any juices in the pan, season steak with pepper, stir, and allow to finish cooking.

Stuffed Manicotti 20 October 2009

This was my first try at making this by hand.  Turned out delicious!  You can leave the spinach out if it’s not your thing.  Didn’t use a recipe for this, just adapted what i remembered of a lasagna recipe my bf makes.

Ingredients

• 1 box manicotti noodles (14 noodles)
• 15 oz. package ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese (extra if you want to top with it as well)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz. spinach, drained
• 1 jar pasta sauce

Directions

1. Cook pasta slightly under al dente, so they are firm enough to stuff.  Rinse and drain, cool.
2. Mix cheeses, eggs, and spinach.
3. Pipe cheese mixture into shells.  (If you do not have piping bag, use a ziploc with a corner cut off.  Extra pair of hands helps here)
4. Place shells into a buttered or greased 9×13 pan.
5. Top with pasta sauce, whatever kind you prefer.
6. Cook at 350F for 45 minutes.  (add extra mozzarella in the last 15 minutes of cooking if you would like)

Spicy Stir-fry 16 August 2009

Only made this once so I don’t have any measurements for ingredients yet.  (I don’t cook that way)  So delicious I had to write it down immediately.  There are so many flavors in this that work together in perfect harmony.  And there’s just something about the combination of teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds that’s just amazing.

Ingredients

• pasta (I used linguini)
• vegetable oil
• boneless, skinless chicken breast (pork would likely also work well)
• salt & pepper
• red pepper flakes
• vegetables (I used carrots, snow peas, and water chestnuts)
• FRESH chopped green onions
• teriyaki sauce (I used JES Ginger Teriyaki marinade and sauce)
• toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Boil water and cook noodles to taste.
2. Meanwhile, cut chicken breast into1/4 inch pieces, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
3. Chop vegetables as needed.
4. Cook chicken in hot oil in pan.
5. Add vegetables, cook 3 more minutes.  Add green onions, cook 1 more minute.
6. Add teriyaki sauce, stir.
7. Drain noodles and put back in pan.  Add meat, veggies, and sauce mixture to pasta and mix together.
8. Add sesame seeds, mix again.
9. Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.