Salmon Cakes
Ingredient
1 lb salmon fillets
1/4 cup finely chopped onion plus extra for poaching
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for poaching
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, divided
Butter for cooking
Directions
Poach the salmon in simmering, lightly salted water in a deep skillet for 5-6 minutes. Add a few slices of onion, a few sprigs of time , salt and pepper to the poaching liquid.
Drain and flake fish with a fork. Remove any skin and pin bones. Cool slightly. Add the celery onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, mustard lemon juice, ranch dressing, thyme and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Mix well. Divide into 4 equal patties. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Coat the cakes on both sides in the crumbs. Place on a plate and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet and brown the cakes on both sides. Serve with lemon wedges.
Lemon Pasta With Peas
Ingredients
9 oz pkg fresh linguine pasta
Salt
Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup frozen and defrosted peas
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain.
Heat the butter, oil and garlic in the empty pasta pot. When the butter has melted, add the lemon juice, peas and drained pasta. Heat for a minute. Mix well and add the cheese. Stir and serve with salmon cakes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb red snapper fillet, cut into 6 equal pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and oil a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Place the fish fillets in the pan skin side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter, oil and garlic in the microwave about 30 seconds.
Brush the mixture on the fillets and press the Parmesan cheese equally on the fish fillets.
Directions
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Serve with my pasta recipe in the pour titled, Eat Your Vegetables.
I
ngredients
Ratatouille
1/2 cup chopped plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 small eggplant, peeled and finely diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Shells
1 box of jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Sauce
2 cups Marinara Sauce mixed with 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a greased 9×13″ pan, combine garlic, onion, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Place the diced vegetables on top of the onion mixture, but do not combine. Drizzle with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about an hour, or until veggies are softened and beginning to brown slightly. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set them aside.
Cook the shells in boiling salted water for about 9 minutes, or until not quite done (you want them to finish cooking in the oven — that way they won’t be too floppy and overcooked). Drain and place on kitchen towels
In a mixing bowl combine, the stuffing ingredients and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the roasted vegetables.
Scoop a tablespoon or so of ricotta filling into each pasta shell. Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Butter Basted Rib Eyes
Salt
Two 1-inch thick boneless rib eye filet {petet} steaks
4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 large clove of garlic, grated
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Mushroom Sauce
4 oz can of sliced mushrooms, drained
¼ cup red wine
Coarse black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a medium skillet over high heat.
Salt each rib eye on 1 side. Place salt-side down in the pan and sear until brown, about 3 minutes. Salt the top side of the rib eyes and turn over. Cook until brown on the flip side, about 3 more minutes.
Add the butter to the pan and allow it to foam. Add garlic and thyme and baste steaks with butter. Cook, flipping after 2 minutes and continuing to baste until desired internal temperature is reached, about 2 more minutes for medium rare.
Remove steaks to a platter and cover lightly with foil.
Add the mushrooms and wine to the skillet and simmer on low heat, for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and pour over stacks to serve.
Green Salad With Dried Cranberries And Nuts
Salad
4 cups torn Romaine lettuce
1 tomato, diced
¼ of red onion, diced
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup toasted walnuts
1cup croutons
Dressing
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
1tablespoon honey
1teadpoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1garlic clove, grated
½ cup avocado oil
Directions
Make the dressing in a jar, Shake well, and set aside.
Arrange salad ingredients in a salad bowl and drizzle with some of the dressing. Toss until well combined and serve with the steaks.
This sauce has many versions that originated in the Emilia-Romagna province in Italy in the 18 h century. To me, the most authentic recipe comes from Marcella Hazen and that is the version I make.
Classic Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing with the pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 pound ground beef chuck, not too lean
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
For serving: cooked pasta and grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Put the oil, 3 tablespoons of butter, and chopped onion in a heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent. Add the celery and carrot and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables with fat.
Add the meat, a large pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Break the meat up with a fork, stir well, and cook until the meat has lost its raw color.
Add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently until it bubbles.
Add the wine and let it simmer. When the wine has evaporated, stir in the tomatoes.
(Cooking the meat in milk before adding the wine and tomatoes protects it from the acidic bite of the latter.) When they begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface.
Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours (or more—she says more is better), stirring from time to time. If the sauce begins to dry out, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary to keep it from sticking. In the end, there should be no water left, and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste for salt.
Toss with cooked, drained pasta and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve freshly grated cheese at the table.
Braised Pork Chops
2 servings
Ingredients
2 boneless loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 onion sliced thin
½ bell pepper sliced thin
1/4 cup of sliced white mushrooms
1 cup. can of diced Italian tomatoes ( no salt added)
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.
Dredge chops in flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet with ca over.
Brown chops on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add onions, bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes and seasoning and stir well. Add the pork back into the mixture. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pork is tender.
Serve the pork with spaghetti squash and spoon the pan sauce over the pork and squash.
Baked Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Kosher or salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the oven to 375° F.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon. Place on a baking sheet, cut side up, drizzle lightly with the non-fat olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and pepper,.
Bake for about an hour or until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Using a fork, scrape out the squash flesh a little at a time. It will separate into spaghetti-like strands.
Place in a serving dish and toss with the seasonings..
Chicken Parmesan With Pasta and Air-Fryer Broccoli
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil
4 fresh mozzarella cheese slices
For Marinara Sauce, see the recipe below
3 oz fettuccine noodles
Directions
Slice the chicken breast into two thin cutlets. Pound lightly between the plastic to even out the slices. Brush with cutlets with mayonnaise and dredge in bread crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to cook,
Boil salted water in a large saucepan and cook the noodles al dente. Drain
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a 10-inch skillet. Brown the chicken cutlets on both sides. Cover with sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and top each cutlet with 2 slices of cheese. Cover the pan and cook over low until the cheese melts about 2 minutes.
Divide the pasta onto 2 individual plates, and top with some salt sauce. Place the chicken parmesan next to the pasta.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped onion
14 oz container of finely diced Italian tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Simmer the ingredients in a medium saucepan for 30 minutes over low heat.
Air- Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
1 pound broccoli florets cut into evenly sized pieces (about 4 to 5 cups florets,]
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar optional; helps with caramelization
2 tablespoons water
Lemon wedges
Directions
Place the florets in a mixing bowl and top with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and sugar. Toss to coat, making sure to rub the florets evenly with the oil and spices to prevent burning.
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
Add the water to the bottom of the air fryer (it will hiss and splatter). Add the broccoli (if adding toppings, keep the bowl handy and don’t wash it yet). Let cook for 5 minutes.
My air-fryer has an open weave basket, so I place an air-fryer parchment sheet in the basket to help with clean-up.
Remove the basket and with tongs, toss the broccoli. Return it to the air fryer and continue cooking for 5 additional minutes, until crispy outside and tender when pieced with a fork. The cook time will vary based on your air fryer, so keep an eye on it and toss the broccoli every few minutes to promote even crisping.
Serve immediately, or if adding toppings, transfer the broccoli back to the mixing bowl. Top with any other topping suggestions: lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and/or red pepper flakes.
Oven Fried Cod Fillets
2 servings
Ingredients
2 skinless cod fillets, each about 6 oz
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Tatar Sauce and Lemon Wedges for serving
2 servings of frozen French Fries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spread the breadcrumbs on a large flat plate. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Brush a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each fillet. Place the mayonnaise side down on the breadcrumbs. Brush the remaining mayonnaise on the fillets. Turn them over in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.
Place a baking rack on top of a baking sheet covered with a piece of foil. Spray the rack with cooking spray and place the breaded fillets on the rack. Place the pan in the oven and bake the fish for 20 minutes. Serve with Tartar Sauce, French Fries, and Coleslaw.
For the Fries
When you turn on the oven to preheat, place a clean baking sheet with sides in the oven to heat at the same time.
When you place the fish in the oven, put 2 servings of French Fries in the hot pan. Bake with the fish for 20 minutes.
Quick Tartar Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
2tablespoons finely chopped sweet pickles, plus 2 teaspoons pickle juice
1tablespoon drained capers, minced
2teaspoons lemon juice
1teaspoon minced shallot
1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Whisk mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, capers, lemon juice, shallot, and Worcestershire in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Homemade Coleslaw
Ingredients
Slaw
Half a medium head of green cabbage
1 large garden carrot or 2 regular-sized carrots
2 scallions
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
/21 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
Finely shred the cabbages and carrots. Finely chop the scallions.
Add the dressing and stir well/ Cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving.
Classic Manhattan Clam Chowder
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig of thyme
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 bay leaves
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 cups of seafood broth or clam juice
2 10-ounce cans of diced clams, drained with juice reserved
Salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley
Saltine crackers for serving
Directions
Heat the oil in a dutch Oven, Add vegetables and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Add drained clam broth, seafood broth, thyme and celery seed, and bay leaves.
Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender approximately 10 minutes.
When potatoes are tender, stir in tomatoes, and heat them through. Add chopped clams, stirring to combine. Add black pepper to taste. Let chowder come to a simmer, and remove from heat. Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to develop flavor. Reheat it before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.
Homemade Shrimp Po-Boy Sandwiches
3 servings
You can buy the creole seasoning or make your own. See recipe.
Shrimp Seasoning
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1tablespoon olive oil
Rémoulade Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
1 Tablespoonsweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tsp. tarragon or Champagne vinegar
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
A good sprinkle of paprika
Sandwich
½ lb medium shrimp shells removed and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
Creole seasoning
Sliced tomato
Shredded lettuce
3 French bread rolls, about 6 inches long, warmed
Directions
Make the creole seasoning and the Remoulade sauce and set them aside. Preheat the broiler to high.
Place the shrimp and creole seasoning in a ziplock bag. shake and then add the oil. shake again. Cover a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the shrimp in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until curled and light pink. Remove to plate.
To make the sandwiches
Spread some of the Remoulade sauce on both sides of the inside of the rolls. Add sliced tomato and shredded lettuce. Top with 1/3 of the shrimp. serve with a cup of soup.
Pork Seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced dried onions
Combine all ingredients in a jar and stir well. Store in an airtight container.
To use: Stir 4 teaspoons of seasoning into 1 pound of lean ground pork and set aside for the recipe below. Save the remaining seasoning for another recipe.
Pasta Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 lb seasoned pork, see recipe above
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 oz can of whole cherry tomatoes {Cento}
28 oz can fire roasted red pepper strips, undrained
5 fresh basil leaves,
2 pinches of sea salt
Pasta
1 lb bucatini pasta
Parmesan cheese
Directions
For the sauce
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, deep skillet with a cover.
Add the seasoned pork to the pan and cook until lightly brown. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 mi ute. Add the remaining sauce ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, with the cover ajar cover cook the mixture until it thickens for 2 hours.
For the pasta
Cook the pasta according to package directions to just the al dente stage. Using tongs transfer the pasta from the cooking water to the pan with the sauce and cook gently for 2 minutes Serve in pasta bowls topped with grated Parmesan. add a green salad and bread if you want a fuller meal.
