Sounds a Bit Fishy to Me...

Well, it sure has been a while since I have posted and boy have I missed it. It's funny how life happens and sometimes the things you love most need to be pushed aside for the things that need to be done. Over the last few months I have embraced the things from my past and the people and things that have influenced me the most and made me who I am. One memory that I cherish most is of my time spent in Oregon with my Grandparents and extended family. I spent many summers in Oregon and some of that time was spent salmon fishing. My grandmothers recipe for salmon was simple; tin foil, margarine and old bay seasoning and it was delicious. My recipe for salmon is a bit different and is derived from one by Giada De Lauretiis. It is healthy, tasty, simple and satisfying. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Baked Salmon in Foil Packets

Ingredients:

4 (5-6 oz) Salmon Fillets

2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, diced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

 

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes .
• Place a salmon fillet, on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap around the salmon and top with the tomato mixture from the bowl. You may want to pull the sides of the foil up in order to prevent the mixture from running onto your counter.
• Twist the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape so that the salmon and toppings are sealed nicely within.
•  Repeat this process until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet.
•  Place the packets  large baking sheet.
• Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Remove the packets from the baking sheet using tongs or a spatula, unwrap and serve.

Which came first, the Armadillo or the Egg?

I like Duck Dynasty. I like the family and the life they seem to lead in Monroe, LA. I love their American story. To me, making something out of nothing is the American dream, the success of  Duck Commander is what so many of us in this great country strive for. To create something that we are passionate about and become successful doing and making what we love. I think it's phenomenal and I think we all have the potential to do the same thing and that there is one of the many reasons I am oh so proud to live in our amazing nation. God bless the U.S.A. Just so you know in the back of my head I am hearing the chant "USA, USA, USA!", that's right I am fully capable of creating my own imaginary audience and I love that about me!
Anyway, when I found that Duck Commander had released a cooking video a few years ago, of course I had to buy it. I am really glad I did. The recipes are simple and really quite tasty. One recipe that caught my attention was the Armadillo Eggs. Everything savory dish I make ends up on the spicy side and when I saw the jalapeno wrapped in sausage, wrapped in bacon I knew immediately this recipe was for me. This is a fantastic appetizer, lunch, side dish or tailgate treat. This time I stuck to the Duck Commander recipe, but next time I will use Andouille sausage because, honestly, that just sounds super rad!

 

Duck Commander's Armadillo Eggs

Ingredients:
6 to 8 large jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 pounds breakfast sausage
1 pound bacon, the thinner the better
1 stick butter, melted

Fill your cored jalapenos halves with cream cheese.

 

 

Wrap the filled jalapenos with the bacon

 

Directions:

• Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese.
• Take a small handful of your breakfast sausage and form into a small, flat patty.
• Mold sausage around each jalapeno half, making sure to cover the entire pepper.
•  Wrap each sausage wrapped pepper with a slice of the thin bacon.
• Cook the eggs on an open grill until the sausage is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
•  If you don't have an outdoor grill, bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven and then broil until the bacon is crispy.
• Once the bacon is crispy, remove the armadillo eggs from the grill or oven and cover with melted butter.
• Enjoy!

 

Here we go!

 

 

 

 

Yum!




Rediscovering Lost Treasures...

This year for Christmas I received an unexpected treasure, a very special old cookbook. If you follow my blog then you know that I covet old cookbooks and am a hoarder of sorts (check out my What's Old is New Again... entry). I couldn't wait to open it up and peruse the recipes of yesteryear. When I opened the cover to my delight I found that the previous owner had taken the time to clip recipes out of her local paper and glue them into the book. The book was originally published in 1931 and most of the news paper clippings are from the 1940's and early 1950's. I think that she probably lived in either Kansas or Nebraska (or both) because that seems to be where the clippings are from. Of course this makes me love her even more as my Mom's family is from Nebraska and that state has always held a special place in my heart. My lovely Midwestern matriarch, this is of course all in my head, but, nonetheless how I think of her, took the time to add helpful hints in her own hand that I will take with me. Her handwriting reminds me of my grandmother's and I love it. This book was clearly important to someone, someone who like me had a love of cooking. It is really amazing how this same book has connected the two of us through it's recipes. I will never know who she was, but, I like to imagine that she is looking down smiling as I cook the recipes that she so lovingly added to the pages of this wonderful treasure. This deliciously sweet, fresh and juicy dessert is one of those recipes that she added, it caught my eye almost immediately and boy am I glad it did. I tweaked it a tiny bit, but, not too much. This recipe is fantastic and easy, I will be making it again and again and hope you will do the same!

 

The Household Searchlight Recipe Book

The Household Magazine

Topeka, Kansas 1935

 

 

The original clipped recipe, carefully glued in place by our matriarch.

 

 

 

 

Banana Pineapple Whip

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed bananas

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbs lemon juice

1 20 oz. can  pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup of shredded, sweetened coconut

2-3 additional sliced bananas, for garnish

 



 

Directions:

• Combine bananas, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil.
• Remove from heat and place in refrigerator until chilled.
• Once the mixture is nicely chilled remove from fridge and add your pineapple chunks.
• Make your whipped cream in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
• Fold the fresh whipped cream into the banana and pineapple mixture. Garnish with additional sliced bananas and coconut and serve in your favorite dish! Enjoy!
• Serves about 4