Lemon pepper salmon en croute

Lemon pepper salmon en croute

Salmon en croute sounds like a dish you would order in a french restaurant and pay big bucks for it. I'll tell you a secret, its really quick and easy and all you need is a piece of salmon, a dough and some kind of a sauce to use for "glue". Here is my version, enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 slices of salmon fillet ,skin off sprinkled with juice of half a lemon to take away "fishiness"

1 T oil

4 5" flaky dough squares

3 T mayo

2 t lemon pepper spice mix

1 t lemon juice

1 egg 

Preheat oven to 375

Place flaky dough squares on cookie sheet. Mix mayo with lemon pepper spice mix and lemon juice. Spread a small line of the mixture across each square. Cut slits 1" apart on each side to create strips for braiding. 

Heat up a frying pan with 1T oil and fry each salmon about 30 seconds each side, until they are light pink. Put aside to cool. Once salmon cooled off, place each slice on top of the mayo mixture across each flaky dough square. 

 Start "braiding" by taking first strip of dough and folding over salmon and continuing with the other side overlapping each other. When you get to last piece just tuck it under the fish in order not to open up by baking

Beat up egg and add few drops of water to egg mixture. Brush each piece lightly with eggs

Bake it for 20 minutes or until its golden brown.

Bon appetit! 

Sesame-soy marinated grilled chicken cutlet with roasted two tone potatoes and apple onion marmalade

Sesame-soy marinated grilled chicken cutlet with roasted two tone potatoes and apple onion marmalade

Tonight I wanted to try my new apple onion marmalade (see recipe in previous post), so i needed a quick and easy chicken recipe and some simple side dish to make the marmalade shine. Toasted sesame oil is one of my favorite flavors when it comes to marinating.Even a few drops could have such a strong flavor in any marinade. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

4 slices of thin chicken cutlet

Marinade:

3 T sesame oil

3 T soy sauce

1 T sugar (or xyletol

2 scallions thinly sliced

1 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

Mix all ingredients for marinate in a ziplock bag and place cutlets inside. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Heat grill pan (if you dont have than frying pan), Grill cutlets for 5-6 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and has grilled marks.

Two tone roasted potato:

3 small red potatoes, washed and scrubbed, cut into 1/4 inch slices (i use crinkle cutter)

3 small white potatoes washed and scrubbed, cut into 1/4 inch slices (i use crinkle cutter)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T oil

Preheat oven to 400

Place all potato slices onto greased cookie sheet, sprinkle it with oil, salt and pepper, make sure all pieces are well coated

Bake it for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and crispy

Apple onion marmalade (jam)

Apple onion marmalade 

(perfect for your Tu B'shvat menu)

There are certain foods that you usually see in fancy restaurants menu and most people would never think of recreating it in their own kitchen or probably would forget about it by the time they get to their car outside the restaurant. Well I am the opposite, I love tasting new flavors, diffferent recipes  and try to recreate it. This is my version of apple onion marmalade that I saw once on a menu, but i did my personal twist on it by adding craisins. It could be used as a condiment on any steak or chicken dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 T oil

1 large red onions, diced

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t ground allspice

1/4 cup craisins (optional)

Directions

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the apple juice and stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the apples, salt, pepper and allspice. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the apples are tender, about 10-12 minutes. As my personal twist add craisins and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they soften up a little.

Serve warm or at room temperature

Bon appetit

Creamy mushroom chicken pot pie

Creamy mushroom chicken pot pie

This recipe started off as my regular easy creamy mushroom chicken ragout that I usually mix with either farfel or some noodles, but ended up as a pot pie this time. The flaky puff pastry on top takes it up to a whole new different level. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped

1 t crushed garlic

2 T oil

16 oz canned mushroom chopped small 

1 lb cubed chicken cutlets

2 T flour

salt and pepper to taste

3 T osem mushroom soup mix

flaky dough squares (I used the 5" squares)

1 egg beaten

Instructions:

Heat oil and sautee onions for 5-6 minutes. Add mushrooms and sautee for another 10 minutes. Cover chicken cubes in flour and add it to the pan. Brown chicken cubes each side for a few minutes, Mix mushroom soup mix with 2 cups of hot water and pour it over the chicken and musrhoom sautee. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes. 

Heat oven to 375

Put each portion of chicken with mushroom and some sauce in oven proof ramekins. Spread flaky dough squares over the top and stretch it over the edges of the ramekins.Cut a few small holes for more even baking.

 Brush top of flaky dough with eggs and bake it on 375 for 15-20 minutes, until dough is golden brown and all puffed 

Bon appetit

Pastrami salad with "642" dressing

Pastrami salad with "642" dressing

This salad I recently ate by my friend Rikki on Chanukkah and since than I was so in the mood of copying it. As simple as it is, the flavors are the perfect combination for a refreshing, light, crunchy salad. The dressing as my friend calls  the "642 dressing", its really easy to memorize. Enjoy!

Ingredients per serving

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

3 oz pastrami cut up thinly

few slices of red onion

1/4 cup pommegranate seeds

642 dressing (enough for about 3-4 servings)

6 T oil

4 T vinegar

2 T sugar or substitute ( I use xyletol)

Shake all ingredients in a container 

Instructions:

Mix salad ingredients and pour dressing over it. As simple as that!

Bon appetit!

Hearty lentil bean meat stew

Hearty lentil bean meat stew

The night before the famous Juno snow "blizzard" I was talking to my hubby about next day's supper planning. He said, with such a weather all I need is a good hot n spicy soup. So this is when I decided to make such a 3 in 1 meal. Its a soup, meat and side dish all in one bowl. Since I made it in a 12qt pot there was enough to give for friends and family too, after all sharing is caring! Enjoy this easy and delicious recipe. 

3 T oil

1 leek thinly sliced

2-3 cloves crushed garlic

2 carrots cut into 1/2" circles

2 parsnips cut into 1/2" circles

3 celery sticks cut incro 1/2" slices

2 sweet potatoes cut into 1" chunks

2 cups frozen butternut squash cubes (add it half hour before done)

1 bunch italian parsley (washed well and tied in a soup bag)

1 cup barley

1 cup lentil

1 can of red kidney beans

2-3 meat bones or knuckle bones

2  turkey necks (optional)

1 lb beef stew

3 T paprika

1 T cayenne pepper (if you like some heat)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T osem beef soup mix

3 T Hawaij spice (see pic bellow)

Hawaij spice mix

Instructions:

Heat oil in 12qt pot. Add leek and garlic and sautee for 5-6 minutes. Add rest of the vegetables and sautee for additional 8-10 minutes.Remove all vegetables from pot and put aside. Add meat bones and beef stew and brown all sides (5-6minutes). Put all vegetables back in the pot and add all spices and barley, Fill up pot with water and let it cook on medium high for 2 hours, Add lentil and canned beans and cook for an additional hour. Serve it hot!  

Bon appetit!

90 second Brownie

90 second Brownie

It's cold and snowing outside and all you feel like doing is bundle up on your couch with a good book or movie and just relax. Kids are all asleep or at least in bed, the house is all quiet  And than comes the craving for something yummy for your well deserved midnight snack! This recipe is perfect for those sweet cravings, easy to make and just melts in your mouth from the richness of the cocoa. Just be careful, it is really hot when ready, so even though its hard to resist when you smell the fresh brownie, its not worth burning your tongue! For fancier presentation you can serve it with a scoop of ice cream or with more fruits on the side


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons margarine (or butter if made dairy)
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (not the imitation)
• 1 dash salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 
  

Instructions:

• In a 12 oz coffee mug (microwave safe), add water, melted margarine, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well. Add cocoa powder, whisk well. Add sugar, whisk well. Add flour, whisk well. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Careful not to overcook. Enjoy with a spoon. Careful brownie will be hot.