Seared Salmon with Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Sauce

Posted on by September 12, 2024

9/10/2024 – This recipe was easy and tasted great using ingredients we normally have on hand. It was inspired by Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork.

Ingredients

  • ~1 tbsp extra virgin Spanish olive oil
  • 2 fresh salmon fillets ~7 oz each About 1″ thick with skin on.
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1-2 cups sliced portabello mushrooms
  • ~1/2 cup white wine
  • ~1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups fresh spinach. Next time use 3 cups.
  • 1/2+ cup Greek yogurt – Set out early to come to room temperature.
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • lemon slices

Instructions

  1. Begin by finely mincing garlic, finely dicing 1 small onion.
  2. Season salmon with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  3. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a medium-high heat and add extra virgin Spanish olive oil, once the oil get´s hot add the fillets of salmon seasoned side down After 3 minutes of cooking flip the fillets, after a total cooking time of 6 minutes remove the fillets from the pan and cover with foil paper.
  4. Using the same pan with the same heat add the minced garlic and diced onions and mix with the rendered fat from the salmon and EVO. After about 1 minute add the sliced mushrooms and mix them around. After 3 minutes season everything with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and add white wine and fresh lemon juice, cook for a little over a minute, then add fresh spinach, mix it around and cook until it welts and all the liquids have evaporated, between 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat
  5. After leaving everything to cool off for 5 minutes add 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt at room temperature and season with sea salt, mix everything together until well combined, add the cooked salmon fillets back to the pan and heat it with a low heat, cook for 5 minutes until everything is warm
  6. Serve directly from the pan, garnish with a couple slices of lemon and freshly chopped parsley

Crustless Quiche with Spinach and Mushrooms

Posted on by July 14, 2024

From The Mediterranean Dish here.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 ounces Fontina cheese or mozzarella
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • ½ medium yellow onion, minced
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil and set it on a baking sheet.
  2. Whisk the eggs and cube the cheese: In a large bowl, aggressively whisk together the eggs and milk. Cube the Fontina cheese and set aside.
  3. Prepare the vegetables: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms shrink and the onions are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your mushrooms. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add the spinach, stir until wilted, this should take about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
  4. Combine: Add the cooked vegetables to the pie plate, sprinkle with the cubed cheese, and pour the egg mixture over the top. It should be full up to the rim. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
  5. Bake: Set the timer for 35 minutes and bake until the center is set. Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Potato Salad

Posted on by July 18, 2024

7/10/2024 – This recipe makes a unique potato salad that is mayo free and very flavorful. It was inspired by the recipe at Southern Living here combined with Lauren Miyashiro’s Dad’s secret ingredient (pimento stuffed olives) here. Serve warm.

Ingredients

Image from Southern Living
  • 1½ lbs. baby red potatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 6 scallions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped. Save the drippings.
  • 4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil from the garden
  • ½ cup approx. chopped pimento-stuffed green olives

Directions

  1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Roast potatoes: In a medium bowl, toss together the potatoes and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Evenly spread the potatoes out on the prepared sheet. [Try using the bacon drippings.]
  3. Bake 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Turn and continue to bake until light golden and tender, about 10 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with the mustard and vinegar.
  5. Combine potatoes and dressing: Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled potatoes, scallions, celery, bacon, bacon drippings, tarragon, and parsley, and toss to coat.
  6. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Let the salad come to room temperature before serving then warm in the microwave.

Mary’s Roasted Tomato Salsa 2024

Posted on by July 10, 2024

7/9/2024 – We again made tomato salsa with tomatoes from the garden that have been ripening on the butcher block for a week or so. This time was like the others this year with roasting in the convection oven. We did try one batch in the Recteq smoker that is posted here. All of them were made with a blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc. as listed below. They all turned out great and this recipe should be used again and improved. We collected the flavorful liquid left in the sheet pan and made soup that was also frozen.

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Smoked-Tomato Salsa on the Recteq

Posted on by June 29, 2024

6/27/2024 – This was the second prep. What was done in the first is shown below on 6/23/2024. This prep also turned out well and the quantities are identified a bit better. The tomatoes used were fully ripe and hence the salsa turned out a bit sweet. The jalapenos did not provide any noticeable heat.

Ingredients per Half Baking Sheet

  • half-baking sheet of tomatoes cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 2 large jalapeño peppers quartered, seeded, and laid on top of the tomatoes
  • 1.5 medium-sized red onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt to taste

Directions

  1. Preheated Recteq to 220°F. Smoked tomatoes and jalapeños in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 350°F for about 30 minutes.
  2. While smoking, place onion, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until chopped but not fine. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lemon juice, and salt in the food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine.

6/23/2024 – This was good and was inspired by the recipe here.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 2 jalapeño peppers
  • 1 medium-sized red onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheated Recteq to 225°F. Smoke tomatoes and jalapeños, in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 300°F for about 30 minutes.*
  2. While smoking, placed onion, cilantro, oregano, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lime juice, and salt in food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine. Cover; chill at least 45 minutes before serving.

Next time:

  • * After an hour, raise the temp to 350 to roast the tomatoes and peppers.
  • Try mixing in corn, ripe avocado, black beans, (smoked) bell peppers, and more.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Posted on by June 25, 2024

6/24/2025 – This made a great soup with tomatoes from the garden inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe here. Mary made a double batch to give to friends who do not like “spicy” foods.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste,basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat,and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
  4. Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left.
  5. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

Tuna Noodle Casserole ToTry

Posted on by June 21, 2024

From Southern Living here. Skip the canned soup and make a fresher version of classic tuna noodle casserole. By Jessica Harlan | Updated on May 5, 2024
6/21/24, 9:28 AM southernliving.com/tuna-noodle-casserole-7113556

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 8 oz. wide egg noodles
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 (5 oz. each) cans chunk light tuna, drained
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 16 butter crackers, such as Ritz (about half a sleeve)
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish; set aside.
  2. Cook the egg noodles to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When it foams, add the onion and cook
  4. until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has a nutty smell. Slowly whisk the milk in, a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir the Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into the milk mixture. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the tuna and frozen peas, then add the cooked noodles, stirring to make sure the noodles are completely coated with the sauce.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 15 minutes.
  8. While the casserole is cooking, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, crush the crackers with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and the garlic powder to the crushed crackers. Drizzle the mixture with the melted butter and toss to coat.
  9. Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the cracker mixture, then bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the topping is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Posted on by June 25, 2024

 6/21/2024 – Recipe below turned out good made with chips. Inspired by the one at Southern Living Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 (10-oz.) can Rotel diced tomato and green chiles
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 pinches garlic powder
  • 2 pinches ground black pepper
  • 12 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces or restaurant-style unflavored chips
  • 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté bell pepper and onion 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and the next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
  2. Layer one-third of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of the chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Greek Potato Salad

Posted on by June 13, 2024

6/13/2024 – This was the second time Mary made this great salad that was inspired by the recipe here. Mary says it is the best potato salad she has ever had.

Ingredients

For the Potato Salad:

  • 3 pounds small yellow potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 tablespoon salt. [This time put in 2 heaping spoonfuls with the little wooden spoon on the kosher salt container. The final prep was salty enough.]
  • ½ cup chopped red onions or shallots
  • 3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves – Left out as did not have on hand.
  • ½ cup chopped dill or one 0.75 oz. container of dill from Publix with stems removed
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, halved

For the Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Next time try at least double.
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the (unpeeled) potatoes and one tablespoon of salt. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender when poked, about 15-20 minutes (the time will depend on their size). If the potatoes vary in size, remove in batches, starting with the smallest, until they are all cooked through.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking, until all ingredients are well combined.
  3. Gently drain the cooked potatoes and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
  4. Cut the potatoes into 1 to 1½-inch cubes, and place them in a large bowl.
  5. Add the red and green onions, parsley, dill, and olives. Whisk the vinaigrette one more time, then pour it over the potatoes. Gently toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  6. Serve while still slightly warm or at room temperature.

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles***

Posted on by December 5, 2024

6/5/2019 – The recipe below was inspired by the “Easy Sweet and Spicy Bread and Butter Pickles” recipe at PinchAndSwirl.com. We liked it a lot and will make it again.

6/12/2024 – Made this recipe and found the pickles to be GREAT on 7/17/2024. Six months later on 12/5/2024 we opened a quart and found the pickles to still be GREAT.

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