January 17, 2010
Salmon Croquettes
I’m about to go where I’ve never gone before. It involves salmon. Um, well, it involves salmon from a shelf stable pouch. (I implore you to keep reading; this has a happy ending.) About a week ago I spotted a recipe for salmon croquettes which I tore out and tucked into my bulging “to make” folder. Earlier this week I was attempting to plan a few nights’ dinner menus and pulled out the salmon recipe (which I could not get out of my head) to complete my grocery list. And then I saw it. Something I hadn’t noticed before. Listed among the panko breadcrumbs and seasonings was this: 2 6-oz pouches of boneless salmon. Quel horreur! Why does pouched (or canned, for that matter) salmon give me the heebee jeebees? Tuna in a pouch is no problem. We are on very good terms. In fact, we meet for lunch about twice a week. But salmon in a pouch? Something about it seemed illegal.
Read more…
January 15, 2010
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic
I don’t have fond childhood memories of cauliflower. It’s not that I have bad memories of the vegetable, I just don’t recall knocking my brothers over as we (picture in slow motion, for effect) charged the dinner table to devour the steaming bowl of, well, steamed cauliflower. That’s how we usually ate it, steamed and topped with a little S&P. I can now appreciate that my mom didn’t serve it swimming in melted butter or margarine. To this day I actually prefer my steamed vegetables without the butter. I’ve since tried cauliflower in many different forms: gratin-ed, mashed, pureed, etc. And my indifference towards cauliflower continued, that is to say until I tossed it in a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and threw it in the oven to roast for half an hour. Who knew you could roast cauliflower? Well why didn’t you tell me sooner?
Read more…
January 13, 2010
Sundried Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad
And finally, I’d like to thank the block of stinky Maytag blue cheese for this next recipe. I could not have done it without you, old Blue. You’ve been terrific, truly, but if I had to smell you one more time upon opening the refrigerator to retrieve the soy milk, well, I fear it would have been the end for us. But look at you now! What a lovely salad you make! And to think I once passed you by for a salty feta or tangy goat cheese. I’m ashamed and wholeheartedly apologize. Henceforth, I shall vow to never leave you stranded in the cheese drawer without proper wrapping. Evidently, one ziploc sandwich bag is not enough.
Read more…
January 11, 2010
Peanut Butter Granola
Define: off the chain
1. (adj.) awesome
2. (adj.) out of control
3. (adj.) no longer on the chain
4. (adj.) a term used to describe peanut butter granola
You may have guessed I like love peanut butter. Coming up with interesting ways to incorporate it into recipes is sort of an ongoing obsession. So while I continue working out the kinks in a lightened-up Asian noodle salad recipe, I share with you my latest concoction: peanut butter granola. I served this granola at a recent brunch, after which a close friend playfully deemed it “off the chain”. Those of you who know me (and said friend) would agree I’m (we’re) not exactly one(s) to use the expression in passing. Though, I’m having an embarrassing amount of fun thinking about how it would sound in casual conversation…
Read more…
January 8, 2010
Chunky Bars
It’s Friday! We’ve made it through the first week of 2010 with flying colors! This calls for a celebration. And what’s a party without a little chocolate? Besides, I thought it was high time for an indulgence, so I give you my take on Chunky bars, all grown up. As a kid I loved Nestle’s Chunky bars, even though I was usually a solid-chocolate-with-no-added-frills kinda girl. But the combo of milk chocolate, peanuts and raisins pretty much rocked. This version is a bit more mature, and richer. A small square satisfies even the most unrelenting sweet tooth (aka mine).
Read more…
