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

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

This dish was such a hit with one of my good friends that she requested the recipe, and then made it three times to take to summer gatherings in a week!  Incredibly easy!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen corn, cooked
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Dressing:

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1 tbs resh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I personally don't like cilantro, so I used parsley)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preparation:

Combine corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion in a large bowl.  Mix together dressing in another bowl, pour over salad.  Gently toss to mix.

*Derived from Paula Deen

Spicy Korean chicken

Everyone in the family loved this dish!  The kids aren't completely sold on spicy yet, so I left the Sriracha out, though it was on the table for my husband and my use.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs Sriracha

1 tbs corn starch

2 tbs vegetable oil divided

1 small broccoli head cut into bite sized pieces (I used frozen b/c it was already cut up)

1 bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces

2 carrots peeled and sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms (I always use the pre-sliced shrooms, saves a few minutes of slicing)

1 hand full of snow peas

1/2 onion cut into bite sized pieces

1 teaspoon grated ginger (I use Gourmet Garden ginger spice blend that comes in a tube, found in the produce section.  Huge time saver)

1 garlic clove minced (or use all ready minced from a bottle)

2 boneless skinless chicken breast strips cut into bite sized pieces

1 tbs toasted Sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, whisk together sou sauce, water, vinegar, Sriracha (if using), and corn starch.  Set aside.  In a wok or large skilled, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium high.  Stir all vegetables until crisp tender, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from wok and keep warm.  Add remaining oil and heat.  Add ginger and garlic, then add the chicken.  Stir fry until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and stir until thickened.  Return vegetables to the pan, toss to coat in the sauce.  Sprinkle the Sesame seeds over the top and serve with rice.

*Derived from: So Tasty, So Yummy