Category Archives: Recipes

brown sugar glazed salmon

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I’m about to blow your mind in the salmon world! Honestly, this is what we compare all other salmon recipes to. Seriously. I’ll make a new salmon recipe and ask the husband:

Do you like it?!?

If he responds “Yes, it’s really good.” I’ll ask a follow-up question.

Is it as good as the brown sugar salmon?

And inevitably he will say, “No, what do you think?” and I always reply:

“Yep, I agree… Nothing, compares to that brown sugar salmon!”

So, here it is, the brown sugar salmon amazing goodness. One of my dear friends found it and knew I would love it! It’s been a staple in our home for a couple of years now. My love for all things salmon is a serious one. Maybe I was a bear in a my past life?

Recipe

  • 1 lb fresh salmon (serving size: 4)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
Start by salt & peppering the fish in a foil-lined baking dish.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

While baking fish, add remaining ingredients (brown sugar, mustard, and rice vinegar) together and bring to a boil on the stove top.

Brush glaze onto fish.

Then broil for 1-2 minutes, until done/flakey!

This is our favorite salmon recipe! Super easy, fast, and a quick clean up, too! Enjoy!

If you’re doing Weight Watchers, I found out it’s only 6 point plus points! Healthy and delicious, it can be done!

cucumber water

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Yes, I’m writing a post about water. But not just any water, cucumber water! We discovered this amazing combination in Mexico and brought it home to enjoy all year round. It’s a great alternative if you get sick of just drinking water but don’t want to add artificial flavoring.

Okay get ready… this is what you do. Cut up cucumbers.

Add cucumbers to a pitcher of ice water. Let sit for a couple hours and you’re done!

Drink your water! 8 glasses a day, any way you like it… straight, lemon, lime, orange, or Cucumber!

grilled salmon & avocado cream sauce

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I was on a high school friend’s blog, The Food Driven Life, the other day and had to try another one of her recipes. I love salmon, served anyway I can get it. This recipe looked like a great summer treat. The warm salmon paired with the cool avocado sauce reminds me of putting jeans over my tan skin, during those summer nights growing up in Wisconsin. Weird analogy, probably. Anywho, it’s a fabulous, easy, quick meal, perfect for the summer, and healthy to boot!

Recipe

  • 2 salmon fillets or 2/3 pound of salmon
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 Tbsp light sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp light mayo (optional)
  • 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 1 Tbsp water (optional)

Prepare the salmon by drizzling 1 Tbsp of lemon juice over the salmon and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking. Heat grill to low-medium – you want to cook it slow. Grill the salmon 7 minutes on each side or until orangy-pinkish.

In a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, yogurt, mayo and lemon juice. Mix until creamy.

Stir in dill and optional water.

I omitted the mayo in mine but added the water for perfect consistency.

Spoon cream sauce over salmon and serve.

This is a fun summer treat which I will be sure to bring out throughout the summer months! Enjoy!

turkey burgers

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We purchased The Dolce Living Lean Cookbook and have been really surprised just how delicious the recipes have been.  They focus on lean organic alternatives and here’s our rendition of turkey burgers.

 

Recipe

  • 1/2 lb. lean turkey (we do 93% lean fresh organic ground turkey)
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
  • 1 dash each of sea salt, pepper and oregano

In a larger bowl, combine everything and mix well. It looks a little scary. 

Shape into 4 to 5 palm-sized patties.

The husband places aluminum foil, lightly sprayed on the grill so the patties don’t fall through.

Cover, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink inside. Add cheese if desired.

Serve on bun or wrap.

Optional toppings

  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Sliced Tomato
  • Dill Pickles
  • Avocado
  • Cheese
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
Enjoy!! This is a great burger!

spaghetti pie

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We’ve been eating leftover spaghetti and sauce virtually every day since last weekend’s festivities!! We made a little too much spaghetti for our wine club night and have been paying for it ever since. Honestly, I thought I could never get sick of spaghetti, but I am. We still have one more big pyrex filled with meat sauce, and I didn’t want it to go to waste. Remarkably, I remember a recipe that was a staple from my youth.  Spaghetti pie was one of my mother’s go-to for a great, quick, and easy family meal. It’s an easy dish and can be re-heated throughout the week.

Recipe 

  • 6 oz. spaghetti
  • 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 lb ground beef, browned
  • 1 pint jar spaghetti sauce of your choice
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti as directed and drain.

Stir in 2 Tbsp of butter into spaghetti.  In a small bowl, combine a well-beaten egg and parmesan cheese, then mix into spaghetti.

Press spaghetti into buttered 10″ pie plate to form the crust.

Spread cottage cheese over the spaghetti for the first layer.

Combine ground beef with sauce and spread over cottage cheese layer.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. EASY right!?! Serves 6-8 people. Reheat and it’s even better the next day!

almond biscotti

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I made these biscottis as a party favor for our Italian-themed wine club night.  I was a little nervous to make biscottis (again, it looks fancy), but with a little research, it didn’t seem that challenging.

I used the recipe taken from Smitten Kitchen.

Recipe

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds

1 large egg white

First, position rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

Start by sifting flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.

Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liqueur, and zest in large bowl.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended.
Mix in almonds. I used Honey Toasted Glazed Almonds from Central Market which I chopped in my Cuisinart mini food processor; this machine has been such a versatile tool in my kitchen.
Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Whisk egg white in a small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.
Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices.
Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet.
Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Yum!!
This recipe said you can bake them up to one week ahead of time and they have kept even longer. Store in airtight container at room temperature.  This recipe yields about 40 biscottis!

Considering these were a party favor for our wine night, I bought clear bags and more twine to put them in, Italian colored twine, of course. I added a note to each; “enjoy these homemade biscottis with coffee or wine” and attached them to the bag.

I added the twine and note to each bag of four biscottis to present to our guests.

Yum, right?!  These were surprisingly easy and so yummy.  They have a little hint of orange with the almond, which was also a surprising mix of goodness.  I have ideas of making them again and adding a chocolate drizzle to them!  Either way, they were delicious!

lemon poppyseed scones

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Since buying my French press, I haven’t thought much about eating breakfast. I would whip together whatever would satisfy my empty stomach in the morning but mainly enjoy my coffee. It’s like having to eat the happy meal before getting the toy. I just wanted the toy, or my coffee!!

This was until our brother-in-law come to visit. He loves sweets, and we didn’t have enough in our house to facilitate his weekend visit.  He came home from the grocery store with lemon poppyseed sconces, cookies and cinnamon rolls, classic Scott!! Unfortunately, it was in the afternoon when he came home with the scones, and I didn’t want to make a scene by getting out my French press right then and there.

Scones! Why didn’t I think of that!?!

The next day, I was like a kid on Christmas morning so excited to get my kettle going and warm up those scones. Turns out, they were delicious and my brother-in-law took back a couple containers to Missouri.

Now, my new mission was to try to make my own! And that I did! I recommend a pastry cutter for this recipe; I didn’t have one and used a fork and my fingers, which worked fine but is a little more labor intensive.

Oh, and do not overwork the dough! This was emphasized in the recipe I used from Southern Living. You want that crumbly goodness only scones possess, so minimize mixing and handling the ingredients.

Recipe

Scones

  •  2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons poppyseeds
  • 2 large lemons, zested
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, poppyseeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix. Then add in cubed butter.
Using a pastry cutter (I used a fork and my fingers), cut in butter until mixture resembles a very coarse meal. Pour in heavy cream, then add 1/4 cup lemon juice, stirring just until dough forms.
Using your hands, gather dough together and gently press into a ball. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape into an 8-inch disk.  Yes, I measured it. I think it’s funny it’s a tape measure too.
Next, cut into 8 wedges.  That’s how they get the triangles! Separate so scones are about 1 inch apart.  I would cut them into 16 next time.  I like my scones a little smaller but really, it helps me justify eating more than one. Ha.
Bake until scones are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 – 14 minutes.  Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool for about 20 minutes.  These guys were monster size scones.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and stir until smooth.

Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over cooled scones. They look so pretty!
Get your French press brewing and enjoy!  It’s the perfect marriage!
I said earlier the grocery store version was delicious, well these blow-them-out-of-the-water!! They are amazing… and the size that I was claiming were gi-normous… the hubs had two. Ha!

cup o’ joe

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For a couple of months now, I’ve been jonesin’ for this amazing little appliance.  I experienced this old friend of mine in a cute restaurant called Rise! Instead of saving my Christmas gift certificate for something more substantial, I went down to Crate&Barrel and got the original French press; it was beautiful, and I was SO excited to use it for our lazy Saturday morning ritual! (It’s usually sitting around watching American Pickers and drinking coffee. Seriously my favorite part of the weekend.) 

First, start by scooping coffee grinds into the French press! This is based on coffee preference. Strong is another man’s weak. I prefer 3 scoops.

Heat water to almost boiling. Yep, tea pot AND French press is out. And now we’re fancy!

Look at him waiting patiently!

Pour in water and watch the frothy goodness appear.

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Let sit for 4 minutes.

Replace lid and press down very very slowly. This will push all the coffee grinds to the bottom of the press.

Serve.

And Enjoy! It’s really fun! You should all try!

hard-boiled eggs

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Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make hard-boiled eggs, these little gems have become such a staple in our household for a healthy meal or snack! Sure, everyone can boil water, but this technique is the best way (I have found) to make them the best-they-can-be! The shells fall off easier and the insides are bright yellow (no greenish insides)! I found this technique on Greenlitebites. She’s an adventurous healthy foodie with really fun ideas.

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil on high.

Then drop each egg individually into the water. I use a slotted spoon to gently get them to the bottom of the pot. I usually look over the eggs prior to dropping them into the water for any major cracks. It’s totally fine if there are a couple of cracks; it’s just a little messy! They are usually the first to be eaten, too! You can see in the picture there is one cracked egg (on the left); I cracked it trying to take the picture and hold the spoon at the same time! Oops!

Once all the eggs are in the water (continue boiling – that’s the key!), let them sit for 15 minutes.

Prepare an ice bath, a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

After the 15 minutes are up, put them directly into the ice bath for an hour! I think this is what makes the eggshells fall off!

After an hour, dry them off, and place them in the refrigerator to enjoy! I used to put them in a bowl or place them in the same grocery egg crate they came in.  I would advise marking them with a marker, as I used to do, so you’ll know it’s a hard-boiled egg, but NOW I have this fabulous ceramic egg crate for hard-boiled eggs!  They sell them here and here, if you want your own. So fun. I wish I would have known about the blue crate, I would have got that one! 

Now it’s time to enjoy!  I usually get a paper towel or plate out and roll the egg on its side. The shell falls off in two halves and you’re ready to eat it!!

Add salt and pepper…

Or mustard and pepper (my favorite) …

Enjoy!!

sausage souffle

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I’m really liking this blogging-baking bit. I have always had love for baking and have since discovered my love for taking pictures of food, so this seems like a perfect fit! Plus, it’s fun to share ideas and recipes. Today, I’m presenting a family favorite. My mother always made this dish whenever we came home; we had it Christmas morning, weekends we were all home, and even at my brunch after my wedding. It’s a fan favorite, and I’m pleased to share it with you. Plus, you can sound fancy saying “I made sausage soufflé!”, even though its super easy, hearty, and it gets better every morning!

Recipe

  • 8 – 10 slices of bread (cubed)
  • 3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 lb Jimmy Dean Mild pork sausage
  • 1 lb Lean hamburger (or venison)
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 teas salt & pepper
  • 2 3/4 cups of milk, divided
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup

I start by cubing the bread. I usually use 10 slices and cut the bread using kitchen shears. Place cubed bread into a sprayed 13 x 9 baking pan.

Then, add cheddar cheese to bread.

Fry sausage and hamburger (or venison). I use venison as my hamburger meat, as my husband is a hunter and we have venison available to us all year. It’s a super lean meat and really good. Plus, I feel like at least the deer had a good life running free in the wild; I can’t say the same for the sausage or hamburger. I should really be a vegetarian, I know.

Drain and arrange meat over cheese. The haze on the top corner of the picture is steam!

Once that’s done, beat eggs, add 2 1/4 cups of milk, dry mustard, salt and pepper together in the bowl. The mixture didn’t look that cool, so I took a picture of 4 eggs in my ceramic egg crate! Necessity? Yes.

Pour over sausage and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Just before baking, mix cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of milk. Pour this mixture over the top of the dish.

Bake for one hour! (Start the coffee!)

Enjoy! It will keep for a couple days, and it gets even better each morning!