Onion Roasted Potatoes

This is an old standby recipe for us and we love it. When I pulled these out of the oven last night I got a big hug around my legs from Carina (age 5) and was told that I was the "the best!"

Onion Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs any type of potatoes
1 tsp salt (I prefer kosher salt for this)
1 envelope Lipton's dry onion soup mix
2-3T olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Slice your potatoes into 1" pieces
3. Sprinkle on salt and soup mix
4. Drizzle on olive oil and mix till all is evenly coated
5. Roast for 30 minutes in the oven - or longer, they only get better as they carmelize

When you serve them be sure to scrape up the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.

Skirt Steak with Peppers, Raisins, and Almonds

We had this Skirt Steak with Peppers, Raisins, and Almonds for dinner tonight, and I had a hard time limiting my portions.
Notes 1) The recipe says it's Cuban-inspired, but I found the hint and cinnamon and cloves along with the raisins and almonds to be more Moroccan, but not so much so as to scare off American eaters - just 100% delicious.
2) I used my new favorite cut of meat the flat iron steak and I didn't use the full 1 3/4 lbs called for in the recipe. I think that would be too high of a meat/peppers ratio. I used about 1 lb.
3) I used golden raisins. I think they are more tender and work better in this kind of dish.
4) I served it with simple steamed broccoli and Onion Roasted Potatoes (see next entry)

Bon Appetit!

Toasted Barley Minestrone

This soup was delcious and loaded with fiber! It is a great meatless option and you do not miss the meat one bit. The recipe is from Good Housekeeping. Notes 1) Don't skip the pesto. It adds a lot of flavor and the soup would just kind of be so-so without it. 2)Don't be scared by the cabbage. After the meal, my husband was busing dishes (yes, he's a keeper 'eh?) when he spotted the leftover cabbage on the counter and said "This had cabbage in it?" 3) The recipe for the pesto calls for Romano cheese. I used good-quality Paremesan and it was delicious. If you still have a green bottle of Kraft Paremesan in your pantry please stop reading this blog, get up, go to your kitchen and throw it away. Thank you. You can buy inexpensive good-quality Parmesan at Trader Joe's. 4) The pesto recipe says to blend it up in a mini-processor. I used my regular blender. I had to poke the leaves around a few times, but we got there. Instead of stirring this in to each individual bowl, just stir it into the whole pot before serving. That way the pesto doesn't get all used up at meal time and leave the leftovers naked. Let me know what you think!

Quick Beef & Broccoli

Wow, chinese food at home in about the same amount of time as it would take to order and go and get it. This is a delicious, super-fast and easy recipe for Quick Beef and Broccoli. The recipe calls for a bag of frozen broccoli - do your taste buds a favor and just steam some fresh broccoli - the difference in taste and texture is well worth the extra three minutes. Get that going while you slice the beef. I like the new cut that available now "Flat Iron Steak" for this dish. It is as tender as a Filet Mignon at a fraction of the cost. When you toss it with the cornstarch it's not going to look like it does when you've dredged it in flour since you're only using 1 1/2 T of flour, but just go with it. You don't want to add more cornstarch. Also, when you add the soy sauce and water to the pan, be sure to scrape up on the goodies off the bottom of the pan. Not only will that add flavor, but much of it is cornstarch that will thicken your sauce.

I served this with the Brown Rice Medley featured below.

Greens with Goat Cheese and Tangerine Vinaigrette

This is a winner salad. The goodies in it make it tempting to even non-salad lovers. The recipe tells you to take the membranes off the tangerine sections and squeeze them for juice. I tried it this way and also with the membranes on and it was fine and less work. Just juice a half of a tangerine and cut up the other sections into the salad. Do use the zest - it's worth the small effort. Use a microplane grater (available about everywhere now) for best results and to be sure to leave the bitter pith behind. Blood orange also works well in this recipe and are available in the markets right now. Don't be afraid of the goat cheese. A lot of people think this is stinky cheese, but it's not - it's more mild than feta and is delicious and buttery. Trader Joes carries an excellent brand. I also like their "Herb Salad Mix" as the greens in this salad.

Brown Rice Medley from Trader Joe's

If you live in an area of the country without a Trader Joe's, well, I am truly sorry for you are missing out on a true culinary convenience. One of my lastest finds is Brown Rice Medley that includes parboiled brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds. It looks beautiful on the plate and tastes great! What an easy and delicious way to serve whole grains. Follow the instructions on the package using chicken broth instead of water and add 1/2 tsp of salt. When simmering, simmer it at pretty good heat or it will take longer than the 45 minutes listed on the package.

Gigi Salmon with a Brown Rice Medley and Tangerine Vinaigrette Salad

We had a divine dinner the other night. So good, that I had to make it again for my Mom for lunch the next day. I will post the main dish recipe here, look for the next two entries for the side dishes.

Gigi Salmon

1 slab salmon (wild-caught best, choose sockeye over coho if given choice)
3/4 powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar

Line a cookie sheet with AL foil and lay fish right down the center, skin side down. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, ginger & garlic. Rub down with olive oil, pat on brown sugar.

Bake in 350 oven for about 15 minutes - check for doneness (no translucent looking fish at the center of the thickest part). Watch carefully - you want it done, but fish will dry out quickly if overbaked.

Serve with Tangerine Vinaigrette Salad and Brown Rice Medley

Devour.