SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE RICE

Salmon

• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
• 2 pounds salmon fillet
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly.
3. Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pineapple Rice

• 2 cups uncooked basmati rice- {or brown}
  
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; rinse with cool water.
2. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the pineapple, cilantro, bell pepper, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover, and chill. Serve cooled with lime wedges.

Breakfast Cookies

When I was in college I had these dreams of having my own family and fixing them a nice breakfast every morning. I don't know why it was breakfast and not dinner, but that was my dream. Well I married a man who has been eating the same thing forever, chocolate chip eggo waffles with peanut butter and syrup. I did pretty good with James at first. Our friends were amazed when they watched him one morning and I gave them a whole serving of oatmeal and said he would eat the entire thing. And he did. But now James is the pickiest eater in the world and only eats waffles like his dad. So my dreams of fixing breakfast are out the window. But tonight I found this recipe. I made one and James actually ate two bites. It took me about 5 minutes to make it and I ate it for my before bed snack. It didn't sound very good at first. But it was. Anyway we tried the banana chocolate chip one with peanut butter on top. I would like to try the pumpkin one, but I don't think any of the other members of the family would.

Basket 411: Breakfast Cookies

Chicken Fajitas

Notes

Marinating chicken and peppers and onions in a highly flavored marinade and then grilling gives it all the flavor without fat. A spiced creamy yogurt sauce and avocado sauce wrapped in a corn tortilla with fresh cilantro keeps the fajitas healthy and fresh tasting.

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (GF)
  
• 3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno, seeded if desired
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2-pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 orange and/or yellow bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup fat-free Greek Yogurt
• 12 corn tortillas

1. Put the cilantro, lime juice, broth, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, honey, and salt in a blender, puree until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons; do not wash out the blender.

Put chicken breasts in a medium bowl and the peppers and onions in another. Divide the remaining cilantro puree evenly between the chicken and the peppers and onions. Toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables and let stand, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.

2. Add the avocado, 1/2 cup water, and the reserved 2 tablespoons cilantro sauce to the blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a small skillet set over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin and coriander and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the spices over the yogurt and set aside for the flavors to blend. Stir before serving.

4. Preheat a grill for medium-high/direct heat cooking. Oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken and vegetables, turning, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 5 to 8 minutes for the vegetables and 12 to 15 minutes for the chicken. Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Place the tortillas on the grill until just warmed through, about 30 seconds.

5. To assemble the fajitas: slice the onions and peppers into thin strips and then slice the chicken. Place some peppers, onions, chicken and cilantro in a tortilla topped with the spiced yogurt and the avocado sauce.

Killer Artichokes

Since we started getting Bountiful Baskets we have been trying a lot of different things. Some we have had before, broccoli, cabbage, peaches, pears plums... some were new to us: okra, asian pears, cauliflower, green plums...either way I have been searching for new recipes to cook these fruits and veggies in new ways. So far this is my favorite. I love artichokes (I forgot how much since it has probably been 15 years since I have had one fresh) and this is the best artichoke I have ever had. I got the recipe at allrecipies.com here.

2 artichokes, halved and choke scraped out

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 shallot chopped*

1/2 cup butter

*I didn't have a shallot and substituted an onion. It was still really good.

1. Preheat outdoor grill for low heat

2. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the artichokes into the boiling water, add salt and pepper. Throw in half of the garlic and half of the shallot. Boil for about a half hour, or until a fork is easily inserted into the stem of the artichoke. Drain and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the remaining garlic and shallot. Cook just until fragrant then remove from heat.

4. Place the artichokes on the preheated grill. Brush some of the melted butter on them. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes brushing with butter occasionally until lightly toasted. Serve with remaining butter as dipping sauce.

BRISKET

1 tsp. celery salt
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle liquid smoke
1/2 bottle barbecue sauce or use recipe below

Sprinkle onion, garlic, and celery salt on both sides of brisket. Place brisket in low roasting pan with fat side up, pour liquid smoke over brisket. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator over night.

Sprikle salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce over both sides of brisket, cover with foil and bake in oven for 7 hours at 275.
Remove foil and cover with barbecue sauce and bake uncovered 45-60 minutes longer. or
shred and serve with barbecue sauce on the side.


ROCKY MOUNTAIN BRISKET BARBECUE SAUCE
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 14 oz bottle catchup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. celery seed
6 Tbsp. butter

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with sliced or pulled brisket.

Sesame-Orange Shrimp

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rest of the shrimp.
3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, with scallion sprinkled on top.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

• What I did for sherry: mix together 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1 tsp. sugar.
  

Chicken Skewers with Grapes

Chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast; cut into 3/4 inch pieces

Marinade:
2 TBS olive oil
zest lemon (about 1 tsp.)
1 TBS lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix marinade and add chicken. Marinade about 2 hours.

soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes to avoid burning.

load chicken and green grapes on skewer alternately.

Cook on grill or indoor grill pan 3 to 4 minutes each side.

We served this with grilled vegetables. Seasoned with butter, salt and pepper.

Asian Pork Chops

Marinade: 1/2 cup soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Pork: 4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 Fire & Flavor oak grilling plank, soaked (we did not use the plank)

In a bowl combine marinade ingredients. Set aside 1/3 cup for serving and pour the remaining mixture over the pork chops; allow to marinate for 20 minutes.

Preheat grill to high heat. If using charcoal, heat coals on one side of grill only.

Remove pork from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Sear on grell for 2 minutes per side, transfer pork to a plate, and cove loosely with foil. If using charcoal, utilize the cooler side of the grill for planking. Reduce grill temperature to 350 degrees.

Place plank on grill, close lid, and heat for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip plank and place pork on heated side of planks. Close lid and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until interal temperature of pork registers 145 degrees.

Remove pork from grill and tent loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This is the best and DEADLIEST homemade ice cream recipe ever.

5 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 pints half & half
1 quart milk
1 pint whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbs vanilla

Separate 3 eggs, beat egg whites stiff. Beat egg yolks and 2 other eggs. Add sugars, cream, vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Add milk. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker.

Make one gallon.

My mom also used to add it additional things like chocolate chips, etc.

Mexican Rice

This rice was so good and simple.

3 TBS vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup tomato sauce (GF)

2 cups chicken broth (GF)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Carne Asada

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 limes, juiced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

Mix together all ingredients. Use as a marinade for carne asada meat, or flank steak. Marinate for 1 to 8 hours. Overnight is probably best.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Use the meat for tacos, or eat plain with rice.

We cooked the steak whole on the grill then ate it with Mexican rice.

Shrimp Scampi and Artichoke

Ingredients:

2 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 C Shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 to l lb shrimp, shelled and divined
11 oz. frozen artichoke thawed
1/3 C. dry white wine (I used white grape juice)
1/2 lemon

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat,
add shallots, cook for a minute add garlic cook for 2 - 3 minutes careful not to over cook.
stir in shrimp, mix through
add artichoke, stir through
add wine and juice from lemon
let simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are cooked through

add 2 TBS chopped parsley for color and flavor

serve with simple salad and hunk of whole grain italian style bread

simple salad
Open bag of prepared salad

Dressing:
in small dish mix:
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS red wine vinegar
Pinch of: Basil, salt and pepper

pour over salad and serve

Korean-Style Beef Bowl

This recipe is super easy and easily one of Kurt's favorite dishes I make. It's from the Pampered Chef 29 Minutes of Less cookbook -- which is even better for me, because I'm really bad at planning ahead. :) However, if you do plan ahead the steak would probably be even tastier if you started marinating it earlier in the day.

Steak & Marinade:
2 green onions w/tops, divided
1 lb skirt steak - also called flank steak (we've tried other cuts of meat and they don't work as well)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil (I used Olive oil)

Rice & Vegetables:
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (I usually use our Japanese white rice, either would work)
2 medium carrots
2 cups bean sprouts

1. For steak & marinade, thinly slice green onions, reserving 1 tbsp of the tops for garnish; place remaining green onions into bowl.

2. Cut steak crosswise into 2-in (5-cm) pieces. Slice each piece into thin strips, cutting against the grain; add to bowl. Press garlic over beef. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper &; sugar; mix well. Cover & refrigerate until ready to use.

3. As beef marinates, cook rice.

4. Meanwhile, for vegetables, peel carrots; discard skin. Continue peeling carrots to make long ribbons. Place ribbons into ice water until ready to serve

5. To finish steak, add vegetable oil (or what ever type of oil you want to use) to (12-IN/30-CM) SKILLET; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add beef to skillet in a single layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat.

6. Divide rice among serving bowls and serve with beef, carrots and bean sprouts. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Yield: 4 servings

US Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 20gt, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 70mg, carbohydrate 29g, Protein 28g, Sodium 790mg, Fiber 2g

US Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 3 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat (2 carb)

Cheesy Broccoli & Potato Soup

This is a very easy soup to make, and it is very yummy. I got it out of Parents Magazine.

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 onion
1 medium potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups broccoli chopped
3 cups low-salt vegetable stock (GF)
1 cup reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. In a large stockpot, heat oil and saute the onion for 5 to 7 minutes over low to medium heat. Add potatoes, broccoli, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender when pierced with a for.
2. Remove the mixture from stove top; allow to cool a bit. Pour the mixture and cheese into a blender; puree. (Or use a handheld blender to do it right in the stockpot.) Serves 4.

I had to use chicken stock because my grocery store did not have vegetable stock. But I don't think you can tell the difference.

Turkey and Black Bean Chili

From Weight Watchers Pure Comfort cookbook

Hands-On-Prep – 15 min

Cook – 40 min

Serves – 4

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

¾ pound ground skinless turkey

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes

1 T chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

½ cup shredded fat-free sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup fat-free sour cream

¼ cup sliced scallions

Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with the cheese, sour cream, and scallions.

**The cookbook said it gets better the long it sits (up to 2 days in fridge)

Samoan BBQ Chicken

1 part low-sodium soy sauce (we prefer Kikkoman)
2-3 part water
brown sugar to taste
large pulverized onions (we use a food processor or chopper)
fresh garlic buds (crushed)
fresh ginger root (peeled and crushed/ground)
frozen, boneless chicken thighs (Sysco has boxes of flash-frozen thighs for cheap if you're cooking for a big crew)
Calrose white, short-grained rice
shredded cabbage

Mix the soy sauce and water first. For a 3 lb bag of thighs, we mix up about 1/3 of a 26 cup bowl with the water/soy sauce mix first in a large tupperware bowl. I've never measured the exact amounts but it doesn't really matter - it should be to taste. Add the brown sugar and stir until it's slightly sweet. We add about a fistfull or so for a large bowl. Add the onions, garlic and ginger root. Again, it's to taste, but we like the mixture to be fairly full of these to add additional flavor.

Once you're satisfied with the flavor of the sauce, dump the frozen chicken in and let it sit overnight (or about 6 hours if you're prepping on a schedule) in your fridge. The longer you let it soak, the better. If you're only doing it for a few hours, you may not need to refridgerate it. We often do this in a cooler (for mutual activities) and don't refridgerate it at all - just remember to close the lid!

Once it's done marinating, BBQ it (all our Samoan and Tongan friends only use charcoal - gas doesn't give it the right flavor). We pull each piece out dripping wet and baste the others that are on the grill already as you put the new one on. Repeat for all pieces. Flip them often - you're not looking for blackened or dry, just bouncy, juicy meat. If you cook it too long, it'll be too dry. When they're done, toss them in a pan/bowl with a bed of shredded, slightly boiled cabbage on the bottom. Put a lid on to keep them hot and steam the cabbage a bit. It'll absorb the juices too and tastes amazing with the meat and rice.

We use this a lot for our "youf" (Samoan for 'Youth') in our ward. It can easily be made in a large cooler or multiple coolers for any occasion and tastes great with Calrose white rice, and macaroni salad in the true island way. Makes an awesome beach bbq bonfire dinner.

Talofa!

Barbecued Shrimp

2 doz. jumbo shrimp
1/2 lb. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Juice of 1 lemon (3 TBS)

Shell all but tails of shrimp. Mix all ingredients for marinade, add shrimp and marinade for 1 hour. Place shrimp on skewers and barbecue over hot grill, covered with foil, for about 29 minutes.

Try wrapping bacon around shrimp before grilling.

Roasted Red Potatoes

cover a large baking pan (cookie sheet) with foil and spray with no-stick cooking spray.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half (do not peal)
3 tablespoons olive oil, more if desired
SEASONINGS TO TASTE:
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Dried rosemary, crushed
Dried parsley
Dried or fresh minced garlic

Preheat oven to 425.
Fill large bowl with cut potatoes.
Drizzle oil and seasonings over potatoes, stir to coat.
Place potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes, turning half way through baking time
potatoes should be a light golden brown and tender.

Khalbi (Korean Short Ribs) - Family Favorite

Beef short ribs (amount according to family size-left overs are good)

Marinade
1 1/2 cup soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)
3/4 cups sugar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 finger crushed ginger
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons oil

Mix marinade ingredients together, stir to dissolve sugar. Add meat and marinade for 1-2 hours or over night; turn meat occasionally. (use zip lock bags). Remove meat and broil or cook on grill.

Basic Fried Rice

After adding the rice, experiment and stir in your favorite diced cooked meat or vegetable.

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons lard or peanut oil

1 cup chopped green onions
4 cups cold cooked rice

2 tablespoons chicken broth (GF)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)

1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. Beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons lard or peanut oil in a wok over medium heat 1 minute. Pour in beaten eggs. Stir continuously until eggs are cooked dry and separated into small pieces. Remove cooked eggs from wok and set aside.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons lard or peanut oil in wok over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add green onions and rice. Stir-fry 5 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth, remaining salt and soy sauce. Stir to mix well.

5.Stir in cooked eggs, pepper and sesame oil. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.