Asian Salmon

We love salmon. Especially wild salmon. We have our standby recipes that we make regularly, but are always looking for new and tasty ways to make our favorite fish. This recipe for Asian Grilled Salmon, found on the Food Network website, was a great possibility.

Now, keep in mind that it is January in Chicagoland and grilling is not really an option so I modified the directions to cook the salmon in a skillet on the stove top.

We liked, but did not love this results so I can't say for sure if we will make this again. I am not sure exactly why we didn't like it. It just didn't hit the spot.

Maybe you will have a different result and decide this is one of your favorite dishes.

Asian Salmon
Original recipe source: Food Network web site
Ingredients
3/4 pound of salmon

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic

Lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 2 equal pieces (approximately 6 oz each). Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Heat large skillet to medium/medium high heat. Place the salmon skin side down in the skillet. Discard the marinade the fish sat in. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon may be a bit raw in the center, but the fish will keep cooking as it rests.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, flesh side down and remove the skin and grey fat. Flip fish and place onto serving platter. Spoon the reserve marinade on top. Tent platter with aluminum foil and let fish rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Menu Plan Monday - Success

Another week of following the plan. Another week of getting it right. Wahoo!

Now that we have been menu planning for several months, I can say that it has helped us immensely in keeping our food costs down (since we are buying based on sales and coupons), lowered our entertainment costs (since we are not getting carryout several times a week), has allowed us to enjoy each others company (since we sit down for meals now that we are not eating on the run) and removed some of the stress surrounding answer to the dreaded question..."What are we eating for breakfast/lunch/dinner?"

So to all those who do not yet menu plan, the time is now to get on board. Start small, plan one or two dinners a week. Make sure to include family favorites as well as new recipes that have similar ingredients. There are many great sites that will allow you to input main ingredients and then will give you a list of recipes using those ingredients. allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com, epicurious.com are some of my favorites. For a picky eater like me, this is a great way to slowly expand my horizons.

Well, after all that, I suppose I should get to our menu plan for this week. I still haven't gotten caught up on blogging all the recipes I have already made, so again, we are going back to some of our favorite recipes.

Sunday: Out for dinner (Our realtor is hosting an Open House from 1 to 3, so no time to cook before Mr. Gooch goes to work.)
Monday: Barbacoa Beef in the crockpot for tacos and Chipotle style basmati rice
Tuesday: Forage in the Fridge (FITF)
Wednesday: Lasagna
Thursday: FITF
Friday: Salmon with Lime Lake Shore Drive Seasoning Marinade
Saturday: Tri-tip steaks with Sweet Mesquite Marinade

Sides for all dinners to include a side salad, veggie and starch (if a starch isn't already in the main dish)

Breakfasts will be cereal, muffins, scones or yogurt with homemade granola.

Lunches will be bagels with chicken salad, chicken pita pockets, as well as other things from the fridge and freezer.

Make sure to visit orgjunkie.com to see what others have planned for their week's menu.

Friend Favorite from Ms. Fort - Chardonney Dill Sauce

One weekday afternoon, my good friend Ms. Fort came over for dinner with Mr. Gooch and I. Our only request was she bring with her a recipe for me to blog about. She brought a recipe from a friend of hers to serve over fish, chicken or shrimp.

Ms. Fort and I have been friends for year now, she was even in my wedding. How we met is a crazy story and just one more reason I believe in the whole "Six Degrees of Separation" theory. We met while we were both working for the same company in Chicago. While working at a Firm event, we got to talking about where we grew up. Turns out we both were from Michigan. As we talked more, we found out that we both lived in the same town for several years. Then as we discussed our families and where our families lived, we figured out that when she was little, her parents were friends with my aunt and uncle. They all lived on the same street, which was the same street my grandparents lived on. There is even a chance we played together as little kids. Talk about weird. We always ask ourselves what are the odds that in a city of millions, with hundreds of thousands of companies, we would end up working at the same company that employed thousands, helping out at the same event and start talking about where we were from?

OK, now back to the recipe. We made this to serve over a Parmesan breaded Tilapia.

It was so easy and came together without incident. The only complaint was that the mustard flavor was a bit strong (though I liked the flavor) and it would be better with shrimp (too bad fro Mr. Gooch that I don't eat shellfish).

We will definitely make this again. I have a feeling it will be tasty over chicken too.

Chardonnay Dill Sauce
(source: Steve Kovachevich)
Ingredients
1/2 cup Stoneground Mustard
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbs Chardonnay Wine
2 Tbs Cider Vinegar
2 Tbs Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tsp Dill Weed
1/8 Tsp Black Pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Refrigerate to let flavors blend.

Serve over fish, chicken or shrimp.

Brown Sugar Pork Loin in the Crockpot

I have been trying to expand my meat repertoire and for me that means adding pork to the menu. I never had much pork growing up, other than the occasional piece of bacon or breakfast sausage as well as the Honey Baked Ham on Christmas eve. I don't think I ever had a pork chop, a pork tenderloin or a pork roast until this year. I guess I just love crave the cow and the chicken more than the pig.

But as I have now learned, pork roasts cook very nicely in the crock pot so we have been experimenting. Our first go was the highly recommended Rootbeer Pulled Pork. I mean, how can you go wrong with BBQ sauce and pulled meat, right? We really liked this so have made it several times.

But one cannot make a meat the same way over and over and over again, right? Well, I probably could but Mr. Gooch would go nuts. (He thought is was weird that I brought the same thing for lunch for almost a year.) So my husband's desire for recipe variety meant I was on the hunt for some new recipes for making pork in the crock pot. I found several on http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkroasts/.

The one that Mr. Gooch said sounded the best was the recipe for Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin.

Now, I have to say, I was not a huge fan of this recipe, but Mr. Gooch really liked it. My complaint is that I am not a fan of sweet main dishes. I guess I like my sweetness in the dessert course. My main complaint was that the amount of brown sugar was a bit too much for me. However, it was so easy to make. I may still keep it in the rotation for nights when I won't be home for dinner but Mr. Gooch still wants something other than sandwiches or take out.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin
Source: http://southernfood.about.com
Ingredients
1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds
1 clove garlic, halved
salt and pepper
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (omitted since I am not a cinnamon fan)

Directions
Wash and dry the pork roast, trimming any excess fat.
Rub trimmed roast with garlic halves then season with salt and pepper.
Poke the roast all over with a fork or skewer.

Combine mustard, vinegar and 1 cup of the brown sugar in a small bowl. Once completely mixed, rub all over the roast.

Place roast in crock pot, cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. At this point pour off the excess juices.

combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon (if you would like to include it); Spread the mixture over the top of the roast. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer.

Flowers in the Garden - January Edition

The end of January is coming. That means that we should almost be done with the sub zero temps that have been the norm through most of this month.

The end of January also means that Spring is coming too. Not much longer until there the buds are sprouting and there are real flowers in the garden.

Until then, enjoy the hydrangeas!

Lasagna - Easier Than I Thought

I love pasta and cheese, so it took me a while to get over the shock when I realized that I had never actually made lasagna.

But I decided that I had to try to make a batch since it freezes so well so could be added to the "Make Ahead" list for when the kids are here for spring break and schedules/menu planning can go right out the window.

I searched my Google Reader for an easy recipe and found this recipe on the blog The Organized McTatty. The recipe, with her photos, made it look so easy.

I modified mine slightly since I wanted to make the dish in 2-8x8 pans so we could freeze one for later. This is why I cooked the noodles slightly so they could be cut with kitchen shears to fit the smaller pans. And I love cheese so upped those amounts. Plus, who doesn't like a bit more cheese.

Easy Lasagna

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese, divided
15 oz. Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (usually one large container)
3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 Tablespoons Italian herb blend
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce (at least 24 oz.)
1 cup water
12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook noodles to al dente.

In a large skillet, brown the meat.

While the meat is cooking, in a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cup mozzarella, all the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, the herbs and the egg until it is well blended. Set aside.

Once meat is brown, drain off the fat and return the meat to the skillet. Add in the spaghetti sauce.

Add the cup of water to empty sauce jar, close and shake well to get all the sauce out of the jar. Add water/sauce mixture to the skillet, stirring to mix completely.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish; 3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture onto the noodles and cover with 1 cup of the meat sauce.

Repeat this process twice. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce and cheeses.

Cover with foil.

BAKE for 1 hour, removing foil after 45 min.

Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week we were spot on in terms of following our menu plan for last week. It was an A+.

This week we have a bunch of our favorite recipes since I am so behind in my blogging, I didn't want to add another recipe to post about to the mix.

Sunday: Forage in the Fridge (FITF)
Monday: Chicken in the Crockpot
Tuesday: Spaghetti Pie
Wednesday: Orzo with Sausage and Chicken
Thursday: FITF
Friday: BBQ Salmon
Saturday: Either FITF or out to dinner. It totally depends on what the fridge looks like.

Side Salad will be served at each meal, with a veggie and starch (if not already found in the dish).

Breakfast will be homemade granola and yogurt, bagels and cereal.

Lunches will be whatever can be found in the fridge or freezer.

Visit orgjunkie.com to see what others are planning for their menus.

Homemade Granola - In the Crockpot

I am trying to eat healthier in the new year. One way to do this, I thought, would be to make some homemade granola. That way I knew exactly what was in the mix and there wouldn't be any coconut (I hate coconut).

I found this recipe on A Year of Crockpotting and modified it a bit to meet my needs.

The result was absolutely tasty. I have been eating it instead of chips for a snack and in my yogurt for breakfast. I am sure I will find many other ways to incorporate this tasty treat into my diet.

Crockock Granola
Modified from A Year of Crockpotting
- 5 cups oats (I made separate batches with quick cook and rolled, both turned out tasty)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

Directions
In a 4 or 6 quart crockpot, place all the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

Add butter and honey to dry ingredients, tossing well to mix completely.

Cover, but vent with a wooden spoon.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Stirring this frequently is key since the granola will burn more quickly than you think. I set a timer so I wouldn't forget.

Once cooked, place granola mixture on a cookie sheet and let cool.

Seal well in an air-tight container or Ziplock.

Orzo with Sausage, Chicken and Peppers

After making Crockpot Chicken earlier one week, we had leftover chicken. Not wanting to make our usual Chicken Quesedillas, I hit the Internet and started searching based on ingredients we already had in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

I found something that looked tasty on the Food Network website - Orzo with Sausage, Peppers and Tomatoes. I only needed to modify it to meet my picky eating for it to be perfect.

Orzo with Sausage, Chicken and Peppers
Modified from Food Network Recipe
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 pound orzo pasta
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 ounces (2 links) mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 to 3/4 cup cup shredded chicken
2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried parsley
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a medium saucepan, over high heat boil chicken stock, water and salt. Once boiling, add Orzo and cook per directions. Making sure to stir occasionally. This takes about 8-10 minutes.

At the same time, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and peppers (cut into 1/4 inch strips) sauteing until peppers begin to soften. Remove peppers from heat and place in a large bowl, cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet, cook Italian sausage completely. Once the sausage is cooked, add the shredded chicken to warm through.

Add peppers and garlic back into the skillet along with the red peppers flakes, cooking for several minutes until all ingredients are warm.

Drain the Orzo.

Transfer the Orzo to the large bowl used for the peppers. Add the meat mixture to the Orzo along with the dried parsley, mozzarella cheese seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Add mozzarella cheese.

Mix ingredients well to combine all ingredients.

Serve while warm.

Favorite Travel Photos

Who doesn't like a sunset? This photo was taken in Charlevoix, Michigan at one of our favorite roadside beaches.

Quick and Easy Chicken Pita Pockets

I was in my local Trader Joe's not too long ago and saw some whole wheat pitas. Unable to pass them up, I bought a pack (along with several other things. I mean who can leave that store without a whole bag of tasty treats?), and headed home. Once I got home and checked the cupboard and fridge, I knew exactly what I was going to make. It was going to be of my quick and easy college standby meals.

When reading this recipe, keep in mind that back in the day my cooking skills were pretty limited and I lived in a dorm room with only a mini fridge so any food prep was minimal (to say the least).

Even so, I still love this. You can also put the chicken mixture on a toasted bagel with a piece of cheese melted on top.

Chicken in a Pita
(Source: My brain, in college, when addled by too much reading and not enough Coca-Cola)
Ingredients
1 can cooked chicken
2 Tablespoons Low fat Italian Dressing (you can add more or less depending on your preference)
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan cheese (though I always add more)
any additional spices you prefer (I usually add a bit of garlic powder or seasoned salt and some additional Italian herbs)
Pita (s)
Veggies (like peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots)

Directions
Open and drain can of chicken
Place into a medium sized bowl
Add Italian dressing
Mix completely
Add Parmesan cheese
Mix completely
Cut pita in half so you have 2 pockets
Fill each pocket with the chicken mixture
Add any other raw veggies you desire. (I often add peppers, thinly sliced carrots and cucumbers for some crunch.)

Menu Plan Monday

After a few hiccups last week (mainly due to the weather and a friend coming over for dinner one night), we hit about 80% for the week. All things considered, not that bad.

As the old cliche goes "Tomorrow is another day." The way I look at it, today begins another week and another chance to follow the Menu Plan.

The plan is as follows
Sunday: Forage in the Fridge (FITF)
Monday: Chinese Night (Orange Chicken, Chicken Pot Stickers and Spring Rolls) - All are from Costco freezer section
Tuesday: Baked Mac and Cheese with Andouille Chicken Sausage
Wednesday: Homemade Pizza
Thursday: FITF
Friday: Lasagna
Saturday: FITF/Take Out/Eat Out depending on our mood (and the weather)

Sides for each dinner include sides salad and a veggie. If there is no starch in the main dish, potatoes or rice will accompany.

Lunches are made up of leftovers, sandwiches and micro dinners.

Breakfasts are made up of cereal, oatmeal, toast, yogurt or granola bars.

Don't forget to check out other menu plans on orgjunkie.com.