Baked Wild Salmon w/ Israeli Couscous Pilaf and Baked Broccoflower Cauliflower Mix

Found some very fresh wild salmon with deep dark orange flesh at the fish market this morning so in order not to ruin the flavor of the salmon I baked it with a simple rosemary gremolata and served it with a couscous pilaf. Not getting enough vegetables in your diet? Don't worry this recipe has 4 different ones spread throughout it. Once all the prep work is done this recipe is ready to eat in about 25 minutes.

This recipe serves two

Baked Salmon
2 - 4oz wild salmon fillets
2 TBS - chopped fresh rosemary
2 TBS - chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp olive oil

Israeli Couscous Pilaf
1 cup - Israeli couscous
1 - garlic clove chopped finely
1/4 cup chopped onion
8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp -salt
1 TBS - blended oil or canola oil
1/2 cup - frozen peas
1 - yellow squash cut into rounds then quartered
1/4 cup - Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 cups - chicken stock
1/4 cup -dry white wine

Baked Broccoflower Cauliflower Mix
1 - head Broccoflower
1/4 - head cauliflower
2 TBS - olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Finely chop the rosemary and parsley. Combine with the lemon zest, salt, pepper, and oil. once combined generously spread over the top of each salmon fillet. Place on a baking sheet and set aside. Don't place in fridge as you want it at room temperature when you cook it. 

In a sauce pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. When hot add the onion, thyme, and salt and saute for 2-3 minutes. Next add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Next add the couscous and toast for 1-2 minutes. Simultaneously combine the chicken stock and wine and heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. When warm add it to the pot and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook the couscous covered for 12-15 minutes then uncover for the last 5 minutes. When done take off the heat and stir in the peas, squash and Parmesan. Cover and set aside. The couscous will need about 5 minutes to heat the vegetables.

Break down both the Broccoflower and Cauliflower into medium size florets. Lightly coat with oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark flip the vegetables so they brown on both sides. When there are 6 minutes left place the salmon in the oven. The salmon should be just cooked through when done. Depending on your thickness yours may take longer.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Why waste your money on manufactured chicken nuggets for your you and your kids when for approximately $5 you can make 2 dozen fresh homemade nuggets where you personally control the ingredients. A 10-piece chicken nugget at your local fast food restaurant has almost 500 cal and 30 grams of fat plus all those ingredients you can't pronounce. Here is what's in mine:

Ingredients:
1 - Pkg boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup - grated Parmesan cheese
1 - egg
1/4 cup - fresh parsley
1/4 cup - fresh chives
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 TBS - Dijon mustard
2 tsp - Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp - Soy sauce
1 tsp - black pepper
1 tsp - salt

Breading:
3 - eggs, beaten
2 - cups panko bread crumbs
1 - cup all purpose flour

Place all the nugget ingredients in a food processor and process till smooth or about 1-2 minutes depending on the power of your food processor. The texture will appear semi smooth and on the wet side.

In 3-separate bowls place the flour, egg, and panko. Take approximately 2-3 TBS of the chicken mixture and form into a nugget. Coat with the flour, then egg wash, then the panko. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The nugget will feel very flimsy, but once your freeze it all will be good.  Continue the process until all the mixture is gone. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2-4 hrs till frozen. Once frozen store nuggets in a freezer bag until ready to use.

You have several options when it comes to cooking these nuggets. You can bake, broil, pan fry or deep fry. Personally I always bake them to keep the calories down. Pre heat your oven to 350, place a frozen nugget on a baking sheet and cook for 15 min. Flip the nugget and cook for another 15 min. If the nuggets are not brown place them under the broiler for a couple minutes till brown.

Greek Pizza

Just about anything you can think of can become a pizza! So today I made one version of a Greek pizza complete with lamb, red pepper, red onion, feta and yogurt sauce. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 - 12 inch pizza dough (homemade, store bought, etc)
1 cup - browned ground lamb
2 - small tomatoes sliced into rounds
1/2 - red pepper, julienne
1/4 - red onion, sliced into half moons
3/4 cup - crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup - hummus
Dried oregano
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Olive oil
Yogurt sauce (see Greek Tostada blog for recipe)

Based on your type of pizza crust your oven temperature may be different. For my homemade crust I pre heat my oven between 450-470 degrees with a my pizza stone on the bottom rack at least 1-hr prior to baking the pizza. This allows for the stone to get good and hot.

Spread the hummus over the pizza crust leaving about a 1 inch rim. Spread the tomatoes, red peppers, and red onions over the hummus. On top of the vegetables sprinkle the lamb and the feta. Generously sprinkle oregano and garlic powder on top of the pizza. Grind some fresh black pepper on top of the pizza and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. You can add a pinch of salt if you'd like, but I don't find it necessary as the feta is pretty salty.

Cook the pizza for approximately 12 minutes until the crust is golden brown. When done drizzle the top of the pizza with the yogurt sauce and allow the pizza to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Greek Tostada

A twist on a Latin American dish made with the flavors of Greece and the Mediterranean. I chose to stick with tortillas as opposed to pita because I think pita makes the dish too bready and takes away from the other flavors.

Ingredients:

8 – corn tortillas

½ lb – ground lamb

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 – zucchini

½ - red pepper, julienne

2 – tomatoes (sliced into round then quartered)

¼ - red onion sliced

4 TBS – hummus

Feta cheese

1 TBS – oil (Veg or Canola)

Yogurt Sauce

½ cup plain yogurt

10- 15 mint leaves chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 TBS – extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

Pinch of salt and pepper

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with the oil. When hot, brown the lamb with the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. When browned, drain off the fat and set the lamb aside. Lay out 4-tortillas on a cookie sheet. Spread hummus over the top of each of them. Cover the hummus with a few slices of zucchini, red pepper, red onion and tomato. Top the vegetables with some lamb and a couple TBS of feta. Take the last 4-tortillas and spread hummus on one side of them and place on top of vegetable lamb mixture hummus side up. Cover the top of the second tortilla with the vegetables, lamb, and feta. Place the cookie sheet in the over and bake 12-15 minutes.

When done drizzle the tostada with yogurt sauce (recipe below)

Yogurt Sauce: Mix the yogurt, mint, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1-hr to allow for the flavors to develop.

Mac-n-Cheese

Packed with 2lbs of cheesy goodness my mac-n-cheese isn't for the calorie conscious. This dish requires 1 mixing bowl and a baking dish making clean-up quick and easy.

Ingredients:
1 lb - pasta (shells, rotini, elbows, bow ties, etc) 
8 oz - sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz - Gruyere cheese, shredded
8 oz - Fontina cheese, shredded
8 oz tub - Mascarpone cheese
3 TBS - cornstarch or flour
1 - egg
1 - egg yolk
2 TBS - Dijon mustard
2 - cloves garlic minced fine
1/2 - small onion minced fine
1/4 tsp - nutmeg
1 tsp - salt
1 tsp - pepper
1/4 cup - bread crumbs or panko
1/4 cup - Parmesan cheese

Cheese Note: You can use whatever kinds of cheese you wish. I often change it up my self.

Preheat oven to 350.

For this recipe you can use whatever pasta shape you like. I prefer shapes that have textures (rotini, shells) which allow the cheese to get in and around the pasta. Whatever pasta you choose cook it 1 to 2 minutes less than the box directions. You want it slightly under done as it will continue to cook when it's in the oven. It's important you make your cheese mixture before your pasta is done as you add the hot pasta to the cheese mixture.

In a mixing bowl place the cheddar, Gruyere, Fontina, and the cornstarch/ flour. Using your hands, gently mix the cornstarch with the cheese. The cornstarch keeps the cheese from clumping together and helps thicken the dish. Once combined, mix in the Mascarpone, eggs, mustard, garlic, onion, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Set aside until your pasta is done.

Once the pasta is done drain it and pour it into the cheese mixture. Gently mix the pasta into the cheese. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese. Once thoroughly combined pour the pasta mixture into a lightly greased baking dish and top with the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. When done uncover and place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the top is brown. Let sit for 15 minutes prior to cutting.

No-Meat Balls

Having spent the better part of a month not eating meat has made me get creative when it comes to creating dinner options. I decided I wanted to tackle the classic spaghetti and meatballs minus the pasta and meat. What I came up with are these vegetable balls served over spaghetti squash. These pillow soft meatball substitutes are light, refreshing, and packed with flavor.

Vegetable balls served over spaghetti squash

Ingredients:
1 can - Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 - red bell pepper
1 - small yellow onion
1 - small zucchini
1 - small eggplant (peeled)
3 - gloves of garlic
1 cup - grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups - panko bread crumbs
2 TBS - chopped fresh mint
2 TBS - chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp - salt
1 tsp - pepper
1 TBS - olive oil
Canola oil for pan frying

In a food processor puree the chickpeas until smooth and set aside in a large mixing bowl along with the Parmesan cheese, panko, mint, and parsley. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Chop the pepper, eggplant, onion, zucchini, and garlic into large chunks and place into the food processor. Use the food processor to chop the vegetables into a texture of a fine dice.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat with the olive oil. When hot place all the diced vegetables, salt and pepper in the pan and saute for 15 minutes. You want to let as much liquid as possible evaporate out of the vegetables. After 15 minutes place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and let cool.

Once cool combine the vegetables and the chickpea mixture thoroughly. Using your hand or a scoop form 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Depending on the size of your vegetables you should get 30-34 vegetable balls.

At this point you can either freeze the balls on the cookie sheet for later or cook some. When ready to cook heat a large saute pan over medium heat with enough canola oil to cover halfway up the ball. Fry each ball for about 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. As they cook they become pretty soft so flip them carefully. When done cooking place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Serve over top spaghetti squash with your favorite tomato sauce. To make the spaghetti squash, split it in half, clean out the seeds, season the inside with some oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish inside facing down and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. When done use a fork to scrape out the flesh.

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

Butternut Squash and Chickpea curry is a hearty filling vegetarian meal. The butternut squash gives the curry a slight sweetness which pairs well against the spicy flavor profile. Serve over lemon infused rice and the citrus notes of the lemon brighten the entire dish.

Ingredients:
1 small (~ 2 lbs) - butternut squash peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can (1 3/4 cups) - chickpeas rinsed well (you can used dry chickpeas just make sure you soak overnight)
1 can (14.5 oz) - diced tomatoes and their juice
1 - medium sized yellow onion diced
3 - cloves of garlic (grated) 
1 tsp - grated fresh ginger 
1 cup - water
1 TBS - garam masala
2 tsp - cumin seeds
1 tsp - coriander seeds
1/2 tsp - fennel seeds
1 tsp - turmeric powder
1 tsp - salt
1/2 tsp - chili powder
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1 TBS - oil (Canola or Olive)
2 TBS - fresh chopped cilantro

Heat your cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a dry pan over medium heat just until you start to smell them. This helps release the flavors. Once warm crush them using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. If you don't have seed just substitute powder.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saute pan or braising pan. When the oil is hot add the onion, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, and chili powder. Cook for about 3 minutes and then add the grated ginger and garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and add the butternut squash, tomatoes, and water. Cover the pan and allow to cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes uncover the pan and add the chickpeas. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the squash is cooked through. When the squash is done add the garam masala and cilantro.

If you want to thicken up your curry use your spoon to mash up some of the squash and chickpeas in the pan. Stir it in to combine. Serve over rice with some naan bread on the side.

Quick and simple lemon rice
Make your favorite rice recipe. Once done while still hot stir in the zest of one lemon and 1/2 its juice. You can also add a handful of cilantro to add more flavor. Let sit for about 5 minutes covered.