My best salmon ever (Pecan Crusted)

"Mom this is your best job of salmon ever!"
That is what Nathan told me last night at dinner. This recipe is one of our favorites.

Large Filet Salmon

salt and pepper

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. butter, melted

1 1/2 Tbs. honey

1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (or any nut--last night we used walnuts because that's what we had)

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

lemon slices

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper.  Place on greased baking sheet or dish.  I would suggest lining with tinfoil or parchment.  

Combine mustard, butter, and honey.  Pour over salmon.  Combine breadcrumbs, pecans, and parsley.  Spoon on top.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet.  My filet was probably 1 and 1/3 pounds, and we had plenty of the sauce and bread crumb topping.  

The lemon juiced over it adds the perfect tang.  This salmon is rich and delicious.  

Serves about 4. 

(Recipe adapted from Southern Living Easy Weeknight Favorites)

We love salmon!

I try to serve salmon once a week.  I prefer wild salmon for health and taste, but most of the time we buy farmed as that is what is more readily available.  If it is very fresh, it is still so delicious!  I do salmon really simple, usually baked at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on how thick it is.  I like to put Penzy's Northwoods seasoning on it, or just salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.  I have other salmon recipes which I will try to share in the future but those are my go to ones.  My kids gobble it up!

This meal was perfect!! I love this potato recipe and I followed this recipe for coleslaw and it was delicious!

Ugh I can't figure out how to rotate this!!

Here's my version of the potato recipe

• 1 pound potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
• 2 pound sweet potatoes (or more)
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, whole
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts (I didn't add this but it sounds good if I had them!)

Directions:

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 450ºF.

2. 2

   Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Combine potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, butter, and olive oil in a large bowl and mix well.

3. 3

   Spoon mixture into a 15 × 10-inch roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. Place on bottom rack of oven.

4. 4

   Roast mixture, stirring twice, for 25 minutes.  Add garlic half way through. 

5. 5

   Add hazelnuts to potato mixture and mix well. Roast, stirring twice, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
   
   
   I didn't follow the exact times; just roasted until some bits were brown and toasty and almost burnt, but not quite.  I used my big turkey roaster pan and it worked great.  

Puxtawany Phil

Nathan wanted to make this after seeing it in the family fun magazine. It's a bit past Groundhogs day but we are still talking about that strange tradition. I made homemade chocolate pudding. It was really thick and rich and I'd like to try something a little lighter in taste and texture so I will be on the lookout for another Chocolate pudding recipe, from scratch of course.

Post Script

I just ate some leftover pudding this morning.  I take it back about being too heavy. It was delicious!! I guess it all depends on the mood, but around 11 am is a perfect time for a few bites of rich pudding.  Still, I think I will try a few recipes to see if I might find a less dense and rich pudding just to change things up.  Here's the recipe I followed for very rich and chocolaty pudding:

2 1/2 cups milk

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 Tbs. cornstarch

4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, (scant 1 cup)  (I used 1 cup of Kirklands semisweet chocolate chips)

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped for topping 

Pour all but 2 Tbs of the milk into a saucepan and warm gently over medium heat until small bubbles begin to appear at the pans edges.

Meanwhile, combined the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a bowl.  Stir in the remaining 2 Tbs milk to form a paste.  Using a whisk, vigorously stir the hot milk into the egg mixture.  Then pour the mixture back into the pan.  Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  When the mixture reaches a boil, continue whisking constantly for 1 full minute.

Remove from heat and add chocolates and vanilla extract.  Whisk until smooth. 

Pour into dishes and let cool.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Top with whipped cream before serving if desired.  Or make a fun pudding cup treat with your kids :)  

Ultra rich hot cocoa

Some like it rich!!  I tried this recipe from Bon Appetit and it was delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large pinch of kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 72% cacao), chopped
• 1/3 cup (loosely packed) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 pints peppermint or mint chip ice cream

Preparation

• Combine milk, 1/2 cup cream, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water in a large heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate and cocoa powder; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture just comes to a boil. 
• Whisk remaining 1/2 cup cream in a small bowl until firm peaks form.
• Remove vanilla bean from hot cocoa; discard. Transfer cocoa to a blender and purée until thick and foamy, about 2 minutes.
• Scoop ice cream into teacups; pour hot cocoa into cups, dividing evenly. Top each with a small dollop of whipped cream. 

whoopie pies vs. macaroons

Bon Appetit featured an article on the next cupcake: whoopies pies or French macaroons

I used their recipe for the French Macaroon with raspberry buttercream and a Family Fun recipe for the whoopie pie. My vote was for the whoopie pie, but I would like to make macaroons again to see if I can get them better. Mine spread thin instead of up.

My friend and I made the whoopie pies together for a church event. They were a hit. We quadrupled the cake recipe and more than quadrupled the filling. I like lots of filling!

Whoopie Pies: (From family Fun Magazine)

Ingredients

• CAKES
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup softened butter

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• FILLING
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow crème
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Red food coloring (optional)

Click Here for the macaroon recipe

Creamy Caesar Dressing

I found this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling (an awesome cookbook) and I love it!


1 medium garlic clove
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (Like Hellman's)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black papper

Roughly chop the garlic, and then sprinkle the salt on top. Using both the sharp edge and the flat side of the knife blade, crush the garlic and salt together to create a paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and add the remaining dressing ingredients. Mix well. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Always a favorite in the fall! I made this the other day for a postpartum visit. Along with the risotto I made a cesaser salad and apple cake.
This take a lot of time so I only make it once a year!

Ingredients:

• 7 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh sage
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups butternut squash puree (I just cook a squash in the oven and make my own)
  
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2/3 cup caramelized onions
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add 1 Tbs. of the sage and heat until the butter browns. Strain the butter into a small bowl and discard the sage. Cover the bowl to keep the butter warm.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the caramelized onions and rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. sage and the rosemary. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. butter, the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately. Serves 6.

From Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.