Salmon and fried rice

The key to a great bowl of fried rice is to use cold, day-old rice. Make a large batch of rice the previous day and use the leftover to make fried rice (this recipe calls for 2 C. dry rice). Also, use the special butter! 

Garlic Butter

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic

1 lemon (juiced)

2 tsp. soy sauce  

• Saute the onion and carrots until golden brown. In the last minute or two, add the green onion. Set aside.
• If you are using chicken (or shrimp), heat up some oil and saute your chicken breast. Take it off the heat, dice, and place back into the pan. In the last minute or two of cooking, flavor it with some garlic butter. Mix until chicken is fully coated. Set aside. (You can also add a little terryaki sauce for a treat)
  
• Scramble the eggs use a little butter so it doesn't stick (2-4 depending on side of eggs) and set aside. Cook at a low enough temperature it remains a little fluffy and doesn't dry out.
  
• Now it’s time to assemble the fried rice. Pour safflower oil into a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. Add the rice and mix it well so it gets coated with oil. Add the garlic butter. Stir so that rice gets thoroughly coated in the garlic butter. Add in the vegetables, chicken, and egg. Stir well until combined.
• Season your fried rice with soy sauce, salt, and pepper (to taste). Top with sesame seeds and enjoy.
  

Tilapia with mango salsa

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangoes, cut into cubes

1/2 red onion, minced

1 bunch cilantro, minced

2 jalapenos, seeded, minced

salt and lime juice to flavor

 

 This was a welcome change as well. Lots of fruit and lime coming together to create a fresh bright flavor.  It was nice, but probably won't do this again until some time this summer.

Spicy Crab Soup

Can of crab meat, serano peppers, red bell pepper, creole seasoning or Old Bay, large crushed tomato, 4 C. boxed broth, corn, onions, parsley.

 

Gently saute pepper and onions in a small amount of butter until they are softened.  Add large can of crushed tomatoes and chicken or vegetable broth and increase temperature to medium high.  Add any vegetables you have handy and seasonings. Simmer until vegetables are tender, then add crab meat, warm and serve.  

This was good with rice the first day, and cheese toast the second day.

Miso salmon

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was in the mood for. Also, I just happened to have all these ingredients already (minus the edamame, which I bought because they are cheap) so it wasn't a "special meal project", but if it was I probably would be a bit disappointed.

• 2 Tb. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tb. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 Tb. seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. hoisin sauce 
• 1 tsp. packed light brown sugar 
• 1 pound salmon, skinned and cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces 
• 2 tsp. yellow or white miso 
• 4 tsp. mirin (sweet rice wine) 
• 2 Tb. fresh orange juice 
• 1 ⅓ cups frozen shelled edamame 
• ¼ teaspoon salt

 Arrange an oven rack and preheat broiler. Place a layer of aluminum foil on a baking sheet or broiler pan, and coat with cooking spray. Combine the first 5 ingredients (through brown sugar) in a bowl. Place salmon on foil, and brush with half the soy glaze. Broil 3 minutes; remove from oven, and brush with remaining glaze. Broil 3 minutes more or until salmon is flaky. (This step took me closer to 15 minutes, and gave me plenty of time to make the edamame, but I only cut the salmon into 2 pieces 1/2 lb each) Combine miso, mirin, and orange juice in a blender. Boil edamame in lightly salted water for 3–4 minutes or until tender; drain, reserving 4 tablespoons cooking liquid. Add edamame, reserved water, and salt to blender; pulse. (I used steam in a bag edamame, microwaved it, and dumped the bag's contents - with water in the blender and it worked just fine) Arrange 1/3 cup purée on each of 4 plates. Top with 1 piece of salmon, and drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon soy glaze from baking sheet. Served with a box of Uncle Ben's wild rice pilaf.

Apple Pie

3 C. flour
1 stick Crisco
salt
Chilled water

Makes four small pie tins or two family sized crusts.

Lemon Cashew Tart

Coconut milk
1 envelope gelatin
2 cups raw cashews soaked in a bowl of cold water overnight
4 dates
1 cup dates
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw pecans
1 lemon tested
1/2 c. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Vanilla
Can of coconut milk
Make crust. Puree cashews, milk, salt, vanilla, dates until smooth. In a saucepan heat maple syrup with gelatin. Add to blender. Firms up in about two hours. This does not have the consistency or mouth feel of cheesecake. It has a definite coconut milk after flavor. It makes an interesting nut tart, but a horrible cheesecake replacement.

Banana Ice Cream

Peel and freeze 2 bananas.  Place frozen bananas in blender.  They will go from frozen gravel to banana puree in about 2 minutes.  Banana puree is good with chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, sprinkles, all sorts of things, and they are diary free. Enjoy!


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