Aug 14, 2020 | Main Course, Recipes, Seafood
Salmon, that pretty pink fish fillet rich in protein and Omega-3 Fatty Acids is not only good for you it’s delicious too!
I love salmon because of it’s mild flavor making one of the easiest fish to prepare in so many different ways. You can make salmon patties, burgers or cakes; grill salmon steaks and kabobs; use it in fish stew; and fry or bake it topped with all sorts of sauces. In short Salmon is like a blank canvas!
One of my favorite Salmon recipes is Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce. It’s delicious! I serve it with a side of poor man’s pasta (that’s spaghetti or any type of pasta tossed in butter and garlic then sprinkled with parmesan cheese) or if we’re on diets (which we are almost always on) I serve it with grilled asparagus or sauteed spinach. Anyway you serve it this Salmon dish is wonderful!
Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
Ingredients:
1 large Salmon fillet sliced into 3-4 strips (see picture)
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Butter
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 Tsp. Garlic – minced
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Lemons – 1 with juice squeezed out and the other cut in slices for garnish
2 Tbs. Fresh Dill chopped
Directions:
Pat Salmon slices dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a medium to large skillet melt 1 Tbs. butter in the olive oil.
When butter is melted add salmon, cook both sides about 5 minutes per side.
Remove cooked salmon from pan, place on a dish and set aside.
Add garlic to skillet and cook just until it starts to turn brown.
Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet and scrape off any salmon pieces and garlic off the bottom. This is called “deglazing”.
Bring liquid to a simmer and add heavy whipping cream.
Simmer for about 3-4 minutes until sauce starts to thicken a bit.
Place salmon back into skillet to warm up.
Add dill to sauce and spoon over salmon.
Place salmon on serving dish. Pour sauce over salmon garnish with lemon slices to serve.
Seared Salmon in Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
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Seared Salmon in Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
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Jun 18, 2020 | Desserts, No Bake Desserts, Recipes
Looking for something special for your Father’s Day dessert? Try these Mini Strawberries & Cream Trifles.
In case you are wondering exactly what a Trifle is well it’s a British dessert that’s made with layers of sponge cake, custard, fruit, and cream. In other words it’s very similar to a parfait meaning that it’s layers of cake, fruit, and cream.
Trifles can be single serve like your parfaits or they can be done in a large trifle bowl. Either way they look elegant and of course are delicious. They really impress your friends and family!
I prefer individual trifles specially you’ve your serving it to company. Packaged in clear individual cups, by the way you can use clear plastic cups for large dinner parties, they look very impressive.
Although it looks impressive they are pretty simple to make. Seriously you can use store bought cake, berries, and whipped cream! But I prefer to use my homemade Madelienes, homemade Mascarpone Cream (recipe below), Riesling Marinated Strawberries, topped with whipped cream (homemade or store bought). All my ingredients, except homemade whipped cream, can be made in advance so all you have to do just before serving is to put everything together.
My Mini Strawberries & Cream Trifles are a family favorite. It’s also a go to when we have dinner guests over, everyone loves them! But before you can put them together gather your ingredients and put it all together just before serving, you don’t want the cake part too soggy.
Ingredients:
Lady Fingers, Madelienes (Click here for my recipe), Sponge Cake, or Pound Cake – you can use any of these cakes; store bought or home made.
Mascarpone Cream (recipe below)
Riesling Marinated Strawberries (Click here for my recipe)
Whipped Cream (homemade or store bought)
Fresh Mint Leaf for garnish if you want
Directions:
Cut Lady Fingers or Madelienes in halves width wise or if using cakes cut them into cubes.
Place 2-3 pieces of the cake you are using into a wine glass or clear plastic tumbler.
Place a Tablespoon of Mascarpone Cream on top of the cake.
Spoon about a Tablespoon of Marinated Strawberries over the cream, make sure you spoon enough of the liquid so that it gets to the cake at the bottom.
Repeat with another each layer of cake, Mascarpone Cream, and Marinated Strawberries.
Top with whipped cream, place one or two slices of Marinated strawberries or a slice of Lady Finger or Madeliene on top of whipped cream.
Drizzle with some of the liquid from the strawberry marinade. Add a mint leaf if desired for garnish.
Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Mascarpone Chease
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Sugar
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whip until soft peaks form.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Mini Strawberries & Cream Trifle
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Mini Strawberries & Cream Trifle
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May 28, 2020 | Main Course, Poultry, Recipes
Looking for something easy and delicious to make for dinner tonight? How about this one skillet Chicken and Spinach in Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce?
It’s very simple to make using ingredients you probably have in your kitchen. It has meat, veggies, and dairy and when served with a whole wheat pasta your grains are covered too!
I use fresh Basil leaves from my Kitchen Garden and I use chicken thighs because I believe the thighs tend to be juicier, but if you want less fat then use chicken breasts, but pound them into thin pieces so they will cook faster and not get dry. I can whip this up in less than a half hour and my family loves it.
Chicken & Spinach in Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Tbs. Fresh Garlic, minced
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
5-6 Fresh Sweet Basil Leaves (try to use Sweet Basil, Thai Basil has a stronger flavor)
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese for Topping
Pasta or your preferred starch
Directions:
Pat chicken dry with paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt & pepper
Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet
When oil is hot add chicken and cook until both sides are seared about 5 minutes per side
Remove chicken to a plate and set aside
In your now empty skillet add tomato sauce, garlic, and cream
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low to simmer sauce
Stir in Spinach and cook until wilted
Stir in Basil leaves
Return chicken to skillet and raise heat to medium
Cook chicken in the sauce until it is fully cooked, make sure there is no more pink in the thickest part of the thigh
Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Serve with a side of pasta or your starch of choice.
I goes great with Poor Man’s Pasta – that’s a simple dish of spaghetti or any type of pasta that’s tossed in butter and garlic. Sprinkled with parmesan it’s very tasty!
Chicken & Spinach in Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce
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Chicken & Spinach in Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce
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May 31, 2019 | Main Course, Poultry, Recipes
I have been in search of the perfect Chicken Marsala for years. I think one of the best ones I’ve had was at the Trevi Italian Restaurant in the Forum Shops in Las Vegas. I’ve yet to find something similar and believe me I’ve tried it at many different restaurants.
Since I can’t exactly fly off to Vegas every time I’ve a yen for Chicken Marsala I did the next best thing. I wend in search of the best Chicken Marsala recipe I could find. I’ve actually found several that were pretty good, but with a bit of tweaking here and there I was able to come up with this delicious recipe which everyone in my family loves. In fact it’s good enough to serve company which is what I did when my daughter’s in-laws came to visit. They loved it too!
First of all a little background on Chicken Marsala. I know it’s a classic Italian dish offered at many chain Italian restaurants like Magiano’s, Carabba’s, and Olive Garden. Like I said everyone seems to have their own version of this dish! But if you go to a local restaurant in Italy and asked for Chicken Marsala I’m pretty sure they won’t know what that is. I can’t recall seeing this dish at any of the restaurants in Italy, sort of like asking for Fettucine Alfedo, they don’t have that there!
Chicken Marsala is actually an Italian-American dish that is more than likely a variation of the traditional Italian Scaloppina dishes of which there are many versions in Italy. Chicken Marsala dates back from the 19th. Century and originated with English families who lived in Italy where Marsala wine is produced.
The dish is composed of thin slices of chicken breasts that are lightly floured and sauteed in a pan. It is then covered with a sauce made from a Marsala wine reduction. Some recipes call for the addition of mushrooms, herbs, and tomatoes. Really the variations are many, but I prefer the simplest variation with just mushrooms so that I can savor the lovely Marsala sauce.
When I make it at home I prefer to serve it with a simple garlic mashed potato side dish, but you can also serve it with a side of Poor Man’s pasta; a simple yet tasty pasta dish.
Delicious Chicken Marsala
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Delicious Chicken Marsala
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Instructions
Combine Flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
Melt 2 tbs. butter in the olive oil in a frying pan.
Pat chicken dry with paper towel and dredge thru flour mixture
Fry chicken breasts in oil butter mixture until both sides start to turn brown.
Remove from pan and place in a covered dish or pan.
Add 2 tbs. butter to the remaining oil and saute mushrooms until juices come out and mushrooms are cooked.
Add wine, chicken stock, and garlic to the mushrooms and simmer about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half
Add heavy whipping cream and cornstarch mixture to the pan - it should slightly thicken. If it's too thick add up to 1/2 cup of wine to thin to desired consistency.
Return cooked chicken to pan and spoon sauce over it.
Cook on stove top until chicken is heated thru.
Gently stir in 2 tbs. of butter.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Sunday is Father’s Day. Why night surprise dad with this yummy Banana Foster Dutch Baby?
