Maple-Glazed Salmon

This is really, truly, my "Go To" salmon dish and have been using it for years.  I have not met one person that doesn't ask me for the recipe.  And if they didnt, I'm not sure I'd trust them! :-)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
1.2 tsp olive oil, or a spritz of oil spray

Preparation:

In a zip lock bag, mix maple syrup and soy sauce.  Arrange filets so that marinade completely covers fish.  Marinate in the refrigerator for as long as possible, but never under 4 hours.

At this point, you can grill, broil or bake (though personally, not trusting baked fish)

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1 1/2 cups dice onion (I buy already diced from freezer section of store)
2 cloves garlic, minced (we use garlic a lot in this family, so I buy the large jar of Spice World minced garlic)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (10 0z) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild  (having just come from the farmers market, I substituted diced heirloom tomatoes)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 0z penne pasta
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions (optional)

Preparation:

Add olive oil to oven safe skillet over medium high heat, or use a regular skillet and then transfer to baking dish when ready to pop in the oven. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper.  Stir.  Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from eat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.  Transfer (if you are not using an oven safe skillet) to a baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions (if using.  There is not way my kids would agree to eat scallions, they're green!)  Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Serves:4

*Derived from Kevin & Amanda's Recipes

Monterey Chicken

Another favorite of our family!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup of bar-b-que sauce
1/4 cup bacon bits (I made my own, nothing like the real thing)
1 cup colby and jack cheese, shredded (or any shredded blend you have on hand, such as Mexican)
1 14oz can Rotel tomatoes, drained
Sliced green onions
Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400.  Pound chicken to flatten.  Season with pepper.  Grill chicken until no longer pink (I used our little indoor grill, in two batches) and place on baking sheet covered with foil.  Top each breast with one tablespoon of bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, green onions, and one tablespoon of bacon bits.  Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Serves: 4

*Derived from All Things Simple

Sausage Biscuit Bites

This a great make-ahead breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 lb breakfast sausage (I like to use the precooked Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (omit if you have picky eaters)
1/4 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper (you can omit this one, too)
12 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or use paper cupcake inserts.

Combine sausage, green onions, and bell pepper in a large skillet.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until evenly browned and crumbled.  If using pre-cooked sausage, cook the onions and bell pepper until tender crisp.  Mix together sausage and vegetables.

Separate biscuit dough into 12 individual biscuits, flatten and press into bottom and sides of muffin cups.  Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together; season with salt and pepper.  Pour over sausage mixture until three-quarters full.  Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until filling is set.  Serves: 12

*Derived from Sam's Club

Asparagus & Shrimp Stir-Fry

Even my kids enjoyed this one and kept asking for the shrimp.  As a result, my lunch today consists of asparagus, mushrooms and bell peppers over rice!  Also, if you're in a rush, you can skip the marinating time of the shrimp.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/2 tsp red chili flakes or favorite hot sauce

1 1/2 tsp grated ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger

3 Tbs soy sauce

1/4 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

Stir Fry:

1 lb large, peeled raw shrimp

4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I used minced garlic & it worked just fine)

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sliced sweet onion

1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends removed

6 oz Portobello or shitake mushrooms, sliced

Preparation:

Combine shrimp, garlic and 1 Tbs of oil in a medium bowl.  Stir to evenly mix and cover.  Refrigerate 1 hour. (This step can be omitted if in time crunch)

Heat 2 Tbs oil in large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  If omitting the marinating time: add the garlic and onion to oil, stir fry about 1 minute.  Add the pepper and mushrooms, stir fry about 5 minutes, or until nearly tender.  Add the asparagus and 1 Tbs of the sauce.  Stir fry 5 to 6 minutes longer, or until asparagus is fork tender.  Transfer vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in wok and add the shrimp.  Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.  Return the vegetables to the pan and drizzle with the remaining sauce (and optional sesame oil) over the vegetables, tossing quick to mix and heat through.  Serve over rice or tofu.

*Derived from Sam's Club