Quality Eats Made Simple

Well Seasoned Salmon Fillets

Since I have taken up the cause of cooking at home more, I have fallen in love with a couple of things that might shock my mother...fish and Brussels Sprouts.

I find that I really enjoy the taste of skin on Salmon fillets. Many cooks get a bit freaked out about these but, they should not be if they follow a couple of easy steps. Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  I like to cook mine on a foil line stone tray (even heat transfer and easy clean up) that has been spritzed with olive oil.  Place the fillet skin side down and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is cooked through, which should take 12 to 15 minutes.  Using a pair of tongs and a gentle touch, rock the fillet back-and-forth to release it from the skin.  Once plated you can add some lightly herbed butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Bacon really does make everything better. I am confident that, if my Mom had added bacon to the sprouts, I would have loved eating them. She did not but, I have come to appreciate them nonetheless.  My version starts with buying some bacon trimmings from Trader Joe's. These are not pretty enough for your breakfast table but, they are perfect to add some flavor to the much maligned veggie.  

Mmm, Bacon!

At the risk of alienating anyone who enjoys the goodness that is all things bacon, I do spend some time pulling the fully fat parts out of the mix (remember, these are trimmings so the package includes pieces that have zero meat).  Cook the remainder down as you normally would in a large skillet. Once cooked, drain off excess fat and dice the cooked pieces.

Add the sliced (I used pre-sliced) sprouts to the large skillet, season with salt & pepper, and stir in the bacon bits that you just made. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until caramelized. Toss in a bit of lemon juice and serve.

No Driver Tipping Required...

I have so been craving pizza. Maybe it is the fact that I live just down the road from an Oregano's and drive past it at least twice a day. Maybe it is just the reaction of being uber-productive today and getting a bunch of things done around the homestead. Regardless, tonight is pizza night in our house but, we aren't calling Domino's or driving down to our favorite Italian haunt. Nope, we are making our own.  We had the cheese in the fridge so we just grabbed some pepperoni, pizza sauce, and whole wheat pizza dough from fresh & easy. 

Pull the dough out of the fridge and start preheating your oven to 450 degree about 20 minutes before you want to start cooking. While the oven is warming and the dough is coming up to room temperature, slice four Dorot garlic and four Dorot basil cubes into paper thin slices. Once the 20 minutes is up, roll out the dough into a circle...be sure to use flour or lightly oiled parchment paper so it doesn't stick to everything it touches. Laddle out the sauce into the center and spread out across the dough in a circular motion.  Sprinkle oregano onto the sauce, add the thinly sliced basil and garlic randomly on top. Now evenly layer on the cheese and put the pepperoni on evenly.

The trick is even layers of everything - dough, sauce, toppings, etc so you don't have uncooked parts (which is not good eats).  Place into your oven for 12 minutes - allow to cool a bit before cutting and you are all good to go.

No tipping of drivers needed - you are, however, welcome to send me money.

The Best Burger Ever!

Yup, I said it.  Yup, I get that it is a throwdown and I just don't care. If you had been here, you would agree...

This all started at the store earlier today.  I decided that I wanted a turkey burger tonight. That one choice lead to a ripple effect that ends in me making bold statements on the internet. I knew I had Swiss cheese, burger seasoning, and whole grain mustard at home, so it really came down to the bun.

I would have been happy with a whole wheat bun but, walking the aisles of my local fresh & easy and I saw them.  The planets aligned, angels sang, if it had been more convenient after the "Battle of New York" the Avengers would have picked this over shawarma. I came across a four pack of pretzel rolls - which matched the quantity of burger patties I had in the cart. To go along with this master piece in the making, I grabbed a broccoli & cranberry salad kit. Simple, refreshing and easy - just throw the contents in a bowl and mix.

The burgers went on the preheated grill and I ground some burger seasoning over the top. While the first side is cooking, I gently sliced the buns. Once you turn the patties and grind some more seasoning on the newly exposed side. Place the bun halves, cut side down, on the top rack of your grill.  Pull these just before you pull your burger patties.

I put a slice of Swiss on the bun base and garnished the crowns with a light skim of the mustard (a little goes a long way).  Plate the salad you mixed and you too will join me in singing the praises of this burger (that you created in seven minutes). Bonus points awarded for how well the pairs with some Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer.

Garlic Herb Chicken Breast with Whole Wheat Three Cheese Tortellini and Green Veggie Medley

On Monday I mentioned that I spent less than $25 at fresh & easy and got enough for two dinners. The first dinner was good - this one was great.  Like the first, this was all packaged food but, you wouldn't know it by the end result.

The chicken was straight from the package to the pre-heated grill. The folks at fresh & easy did the heavy lifting of the marinade - so six minutes on each side and you are good to go. The veggies are also simple, it includes the herb butter - just poke a couple of holes in the plastic and toss in a microwave for three minutes.

The pasta was easy but, modified - instead of boiling the whole wheat shells in just plain water and olive oil, I added a some basil and garlic (with my favorite Dorat cubes) to kick-it up a notch.  One tip I'll share for when you work with stuffed pasta, don't dump the package in, gently place a few at a time into the water. Oh, and though you start with a rapid, rolling boil, reduce slightly to prevent them from tumbling around and breaking open (which is not good eats).

Twelve minutes - great meal - and none of it was faux food.  I dare you to get that from a drive thru.

Chipotle Mango Chicken Breast with Mediterranean Vegetables and Chicken Flavored Brown Rice

First full day back from the vacation is a reminder that there is a small price to pay for emptying the fridge prior to leaving for the Toastmasters International Convention in Cincinnati.  Given that this is a short week (I fly out to Oakland on Thursday), I solved this with a quick stop at a fresh & easy near the site in North Phoenix that I have been working from...

For under $25, I managed to grab enough for two dinners (tonight and Wednesday - have a PDG Advisory Committee on Tuesday). Tonight's dinner featured Chipotle Mango Chicken. Nothing complicated from my end - preheat grill, open package, place chicken breasts on grate, flip after five minutes, remove after five more minutes.

The sides are just as easy - first up, remove the plastic cover and label from the metal tray. Place on grill - jostle contents a couple of times with a pair of tongs, remove when you pull the chicken. The rice was a pre-packed, chicken flavored, brown rice. Vent the top and place in a microwave for 90 seconds.

There you go - dinner in just twelve minutes...

Roasted Smokey Pork Tenderloin with Mixed Squash Saute and Garlic Basil Brown Rice

I find that activities, like cooking help me process the world around me. Today, was a rough day for some good friends - in some instances, I just don't have the words to express how much I want them to know that I support them unconditionally. Tonight's dinner wasn't a quick one but, I could do a lot of processing and the end product was certainly worth the wait...

Start with the tenderloin.  Follow the instructions for preheating your oven, what type of pan to use, etc. Ignore the timing instructions - remember, we cook meats to temperature - not time.  If you haven't done so, go and buy a decent digital probe thermometer. You do not need to spend a zillion dollars but, you will love the way this investment pays off with perfectly cooked, juicy meat. insert the probe into the center of the loin and put in the oven (in this case 375 degrees) - cook to 160 degrees (which means you should pull it from the oven when the internal temp reaches 155 degrees.

While the loin is cooking let's turn our attention to the squash.  Heat a couple tablespoons of EVOO to high heat.  Add sliced squash and/or zucchini, some diced red onions, butter, and seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and cook to the texture you desire (in my case, medium firm). The brown rice is my simple, boil-in-the-bag brown rice (from fresh and easy of course) that was cooked with three Dorot basil and three garlic cubes.

If you paid attention to the cooking instructions for the tenderloin, then you pulled the meat from the oven about five degrees before the final temp. Once you hit that temp, you are ready to slice and enjoy...

Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Basil Brown Rice and Asparagus

Simple "Cheats" to Simplify Dinner 

I am working from the North Phoenix office for at least the next week. On a good day, this is a minimum of a 45 minute drive from my home - since I didn't leave until about 5:30 tonight it equaled an hour plus on the wonderful traffic gorged freeways that are the arteries of the Phoenix area. Every fiber of my being wanted me to consider a drive thru experience for sustenance but, I knew what I had waiting for me at home and I was looking forward to cooking. 

Don't Forget to Add the Seasoning

Maybe it is the result of watching Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, maybe it the fact that I haven't really enjoyed a decent piece of Salmon since leaving Alaska in May, likely it is the fact that I found Salmon fillets on sale at fresh & easy over the weekend but, I was bound and determined to have fish tonight.  I get that fish can be scary for some to cook - let's face it, cook it wrong and it just goes wrong on so many levels. Follow these simple steps and you can produce a fresh dinner in roughly 15 minutes...

Boil in Bag Brown Rice - Genius

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees - move rack to center position
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in large skillet to medium high heat
3. Place boil in bag brown rice (yes, fresh & easy sells it and it is the perfect portion size) into 1 quart of water - add 4 Dorot Basil cubes - bring to boil and let cook for 10 minutes. The basil cubes will break apart in the boiling water and "infuse" the rice - I thought it added a nice layer to offset the earthy taste of 
4. Place Salmon fillets in oil - cook for 2 minutes on each side. Lightly season each side with salt and pepper. Oh, not that I would know from personal experience, but this would be a good time to find your spatter shield...
5. Place a layer of parchment paper on your cooking stone - trust me, you do not want to skip this step. If you do not have a stone - get one!  Seriously, spend the money and get one to at least cook your pizzas (future post) - you will notice a difference in the end result (aka - your food will be more evenly cooked).
6. Remove Salmon to the stone - drizzle with balsamic glaze (you could reduce some balsamic to a glaze or you can buy a bottle from fresh & easy - I opted to buy the bottle, you pick your own path here) - place in oven for 4 minutes on each side.
7. Place your fresh asparagus into the oil recently vacated by the Salmon (hope you still have that spatter shield handy) - reduce the heat to medium - and add 4 Dorot garlic cubes. Sautee for three to four minutes - turning frequently to prevent charring.
8. Remove rice from water, drain and plate - do not be alarmed that much of the basil will remain behind in the water, it has done the job it needed to and the rice is flavored.
9. Plate the asparagus on top of the rice - use tongs to plate - you do not want to get oil from the pan on the plate.
10. Remove Salmon from the oven, plate and enjoy...