Salmon Teriyaki

When salmon is cheap in Seattle, it's CHEAP! We bought and froze a whole boatlaod (well, not exactly, but quite a bit) and I've been looking for recipes ever since. The agrodolce sauce is good but Aaron was getting tired of it.

Enter this recipe. This isn't the recipe I used - it's the one I will use next time. I'm just using the sauce from the beef stir-fry and using it for the salmon.



The sauce/marinade:

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar if you happen to have it)

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon oriental sesame oil

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, minced



4 4-6 oz. salmon fillets

Combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan and heat just to dissolve the sugar. Let cool to room temperature and then pour over your salmon. Let it marinate at least 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Heat some oil over moderately high heat. Transfer salmon to skillet and cook skin side up, and then flip. Brown on both sides. Add leftover sauce to pan and simmer a bit, about 1-2 minutes.

I served this with rice and some veggies. Super yummy!

Lemon Fettuccine with Broccoli and Pancetta

Did I honestly use what was called for? Nope. Used thin spaghetti because Aaron doesn't like fettuccine. And I did purchase pancetta just because I wanted to. But you don't have to.

4 oz. 1/4-to 1/3 inch-thick slices pancetta or thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/4-to 1/3-inch cubes
5 1/2 cups 1-inch broccoli florets (from 1 pound broccoli crowns)
9 oz. fresh or dried fettuccine
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 T. finely grated lemon peel
2 t. fresh lemon juice
2 t. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute pancetta in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels.

Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling salted (VERY salted) water until crisp-tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to medium bowl. Add pasta to same boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta. Add butter, lemon peel and juice and thyme leaves to pancetta pan (and all that yummy pancetta fat). Add pasta and toss to coat. Add pancetta, broccoli and cheese; toss to blend. Season with pepper and serve.

Okay, the pancetta I purchased was pre-sliced, so I didn't get to have little cubes o' bacon. We just fried it up and crumbled it like bacon on top. I always set a timer for my broccoli. Enjoy it - Laurel loved the lemon flavor.

Keri's Chicken Casserole

I tweaked a recipe I'd found in a magazine last night to make this for dinner. It was really simple to make and tasted really yummy.

1 lb. cooked shredded chicken
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatos & green chilis (Ro-tel)
1 small can diced green chilis
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
sour cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 375.
In a bowl, mix together the chicken, kidney beans, Ro-tel tomatoes, green chilis and onion. Grease a 13x9 inch dish, and layer one cup of crushed tortilla chips along the bottom. Layer half the chiceken mixture over that, followed by half the cheese. Add another layer of chips, then the rest of the chicken and cheese and top with the final cup of tortilla chips. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cheesy is melted and bubbly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top - it tastes good if you mix it into the casserole before eating.

The recipe actually called for adding 1 cup of sour cream to the chicken mixture before cooking, but I forgot which is why we added it on top after cooking. Next time I make it I will try mixing it in. You could also add corn or sauteed veggies to the casserole which would probably be yummy as well.

Hope you like it as much as Josh & I did. :)

Chicken with Vinegar

How often have I said that "it looks complicated but it's really easy" about a recipe? Well, I'm saying it again.
This was delicious. Aaron and I are really liking sauces with our foods - no dry meat around here, thank you.
Serve with mashed potatoes, roast potatoes - whatever you want - and a vegetable.


chicken with vinegar
Gourmet January 2006; originally published 1974

Makes 4 servings.

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine - I used white grape juice and cut the sugar
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (8 fl oz)

Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Cook chicken:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over once, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a small (13- by 9-inch) flameproof roasting pan, arranging it in 1 layer. Once all chicken is browned, roast, uncovered, in oven 15 minutes.

Make sauce while chicken roasts:Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add garlic, shallots, carrot, thyme sprigs (2), and bay leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.Finish sauce and chicken:Add chicken broth to sauce along with any juices from roasting pan and bring to a boil. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve onto chicken in roasting pan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Continue to roast chicken, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes more.Transfer chicken with tongs to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, uncovered, in turned-off oven.Meanwhile, boil sauce in roasting pan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a scant cup, then remove sauce from heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and pour sauce over chicken.

Make sauce while chicken roasts:Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add garlic, shallots, carrot, thyme sprigs (2), and bay leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.Finish sauce and chicken:Add chicken broth to sauce along with any juices from roasting pan and bring to a boil. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve onto chicken in roasting pan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Continue to roast chicken, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes more.Transfer chicken with tongs to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, uncovered, in turned-off oven.Meanwhile, boil sauce in roasting pan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a scant cup, then remove sauce from heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and pour sauce over chicken.

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I just posted a beef and broccoli stir-fry, but it was one that I started a while ago, so it posted further down. It's yummers!
Oh, and please add a label for your recipes - I went ahead and put labels on the previous ones. This makes them easier to find, I think.

Two Awesome Risotto Recipes

To go with Aunt Annette's roasted chicken recipe (which we had last night and it was wonderful!). Aaron and I *heart* risotto. Actually, the whole family does. It's creamy and cheesey and warm and comforting - one of my favorite cold weather foods. Here are our two favorites:

Risotto con Parmigiano-Reggiano
Bon Appétit May 1997
(RISOTTO WITH PARMESAN)
Makes 4 First-Course or 6 Side-Dish Servings.

5 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover saucepan.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; sauté until very tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups warm broth. Boil gently until broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add another 1 cup broth; stir until broth is absorbed. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and shaved Parmesan.

So I didn't have the parsley. Didn't miss it! I had one little lonely shallot and threw that in. Mmm Mmmm good!

Lemon Broccoli Risotto
Gourmet November 1991
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Serves 4

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 pound broccoli, cut into flowerets, quartered if large, and stems cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

In a large saucepan bring the broth and the water to a boil and in the broth simmer the broccoli flowerets for 3 minutes, or until they are just tender. Transfer the flowerets with a skimmer to a bowl and reserve them. To the simmering broth add the broccoli stems, the zest, and the lemon juice and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
While the stems are cooking, in a large heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened and stir in the rice, stirring until each grain is coated with the oil. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth, stems included, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding the broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each portion be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still al dente. (The rice should take about 20 minutes to become al dente.)
Stir in the reserved broccoli flowerets and simmer the risotto, stirring, until the flowerets are heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

A good, quick dinner with leftovers (for our little family anyway). You can use sweet sausage or spicy. I used sweet, thinking my kids would be more likely to eat it if it weren't spicy. They didn't touch it, so next time I'll just use the spicy Italian sausage for Aaron and I to enjoy. If you prep the cheeses and onion ahead of time (Aaron did mine for me) then it comes together really fast.

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (or penne, which is what I used)
1 pound Italian sausage links (sweet or spicy)
1 c. chopped onion (seriously, who measures out a cup? I used a medium yellow)
4 garlic cloves, minced
S & P to taste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
Cooking spray
1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions - you want it on the chewier side since it will be baking too. Drain and set aside.
2. Remove casings from sausage (don't forget this step - I did and it's no fun to try to remove them from hot sausages!). Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine cooked pasta with sausage mixture. Place half of pasta mixture in a 4-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serves about 8 - great with a salad on the side.