Blackened Salmon with Blue Cheese Sauce

I am always looking for salmon recipes. I love the fish, but sometimes it can end up dried out. This recipe keeps salmon nice and moist while adding a little heat. I used my trusty cast-iron skillet because, well, it's perfect for blackening, but any oven-safe skillet will do here. The blue cheese sauce is equally good over roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. I have offered two blue cheese sauces below. One is original to the recipe, while the other is a healthier one, which I used. Recipe courtesy of The Food Network.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, for frying
• 4 (6-ounce) portions skinless and boneless salmon fillets

Blue Cheese Sauce:
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, black pepper, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Season each piece of fish with the rub.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. Once the butter has melted, add the fish and cook about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the whole pan to the oven and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes.

For the sauce:
Place the white wine into a medium saucepan and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and allow to reduce. Add the blue cheese and whisk until smooth. Serve on top of the salmon.

Lighter blue cheese sauce:
Mix equal amounts of blue cheese crumbles and lowfat butter milk. Stir with a fork while breaking up the blue cheese, until smooth. Add a splash of worchestershire sauce and a spoonful or so of light sour cream, if it needs a little thickening.

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Cheesy Hash Brown Bake

This might just be the most perfect dish for leftover chili. During the Fall/Winter, my husband makes chili about half a dozen times. He always makes a ton and we have leftovers for the entire week. Sometimes we top baked potatoes with leftovers or make chili dogs, but this might be our new fave. So the next time you have leftover chili, try this quick and easy dish. Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food.

4 cups leftover chili
1 bag (16 ounces) fresh or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed if frozen
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425, with rack set in upper third. Divide chili among four individual baking dishes (10 to 12 ounces each). Set aside.
2. Place potatoes in a double layer of paper towels; squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Scatter potato mixture over chili. Place baking dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and chili is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.
Cook's Note
You can also make this in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in an oven heated to 425 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly.

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Super Bowl 2012 Snacks

Here are two items I am making for Super Bowl Sunday, in case you need a couple of ideas. First up is a Beer-Cheese Dip from Food Network Magazine.

Pulse 1/2 pound cubed extra-sharp white cheddar in a food processor until finely chopped. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, a pinch each of salt and sugar, and 1/2 cup pilsner beer. Process until smooth. It's as easy as that. Serve with pretzels, crackers, chunks of bread, and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cooked potatoes, etc.

The second dish I am making is Bacon-Cheddar Crescent Pinwheels, utilizing Pillsburgy refrigerated Crescent rolls.

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
¼ cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
¼ cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle.
Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions.
Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

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Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

This dish was adapted from a Food Network Kitchens recipe. My husband and I are on a big soup kick, and it hasn't even really cooled off that much here. I have a whole list of soups that I plan to make this fall and winter season. This one will definitely make a reappearance.

What You'll Need:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

How to make it:
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

Add the cheese in batches to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. (I didn't need to do this.) Ladle into the bowls and garnish with cheese. Serve with some crusty bread.

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Chicken Tostados with Fresh Salsa

My husband and I love the blackened chicken tostados at Tijuana Flats, so I thought we should try making them at home. I must say, our first attempt was pretty successful. My husband did a great job blackening the chicken and making fresh salsa, but I was the mastermind behind the whole thing!

What you’ll need:
Olive oil
Corn tortillas (about 2-3 per person)
1 lb chicken cutlets
Blackened seasoning (we used a combo of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt and pepper)
1 can refried beans
Queso Fresco (a Mexican crumbling cheese that I have only seen at Super Walmart) or you could substitute Monterey jack cheese
Toppings: hot sauce, salsa (see our recipe below), sour cream (my favorite condiment in the whole world), guacamole, jalepeno peppers, green or red onion

How to make them:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a basting or pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Place evenly on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 15 minutes, until crispy, turn halfway through.

Meanwhile, season the chicken cutlets with the blackening spices - cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place in a cast iron skillet if you have one or you can use a nonstick skillet with the just a little bit of oil. Preheat the skillet to medium-high to high. Cook on both sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Remove from the pan. Let cool slightly, then chop up.

Heat the refried beans in a saucepan on the stove. When the tortillas are done, spread a little refried beans on the tortillas, top with some chicken, crumbled queso and additional toppings of your choice.

What you’ll need for the salsa:
4 vine ripened tomatoes, cut into smaller chunks
Half a large white onion, cut into smaller chunks
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
A handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
If you like it spicier, add a jalepeno, remove the seeds and ribs

How to make it:
Place the tomato chunks, onion, and garlic (and jalapeno if using) into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until it reaches the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper, add the cilantro and pulse a couple of more times to incorporate.


You could also use ground beef, ground turkey or sirloin instead of blackened chicken.

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Making Butter

When I joined the group High Hopes in High Heels, I won a free "lunch box" from this great restaurant/market in South Tampa called Datz Deli. They hold these lunch boxes often and what they consist of is a three-course lunch plus a cooking instruction. So yesterday a few friends and my husband joined me at our lunch box where Datz's chef Nikki and cheese expert Travis fed us a delicious three course lunch and showed us how to make fresh mozzarella, ricotta and butter.

As an avid cheese lover this experience was incredible and Datz (it was my first visit) is one of the best places I have ever been. I wish I could work there, no I wish I could live there. Not only can you eat there, drink there and learn something there, you can buy awesome baked goods, cheeses, beers, wine, olive oil, vinegars, honey, pasta, coffee, etc., etc., etc. The owners really have something special going on.

Alright, so cheese and butter making. I never realized how easy it is to make fresh butter. But now that I do, you can be sure I'll be making it all the time now. To make fresh butter, you just take a jar. I'd start out with a small one. Fill it with ultra heavy cream, leaving a little space on the top. You can add a little sea salt if you'd like. Twist the lid on the jar and shake, shake, shake. It takes awhile, so keep shaking until it separates, forming into a solid. I would say it takes about 20 minutes. Your arm will be tired, but trust me, it is soooo worth it.

Our three course lunch consisted of panzanella salad, an easy salad that you can throw just about anything in, but typically it uses old bread, tomato and basil. We also had some of our fresh mozzarella and cucumbers in it. Our second course was a wonderful meat and cheese platter with different cheeses, cured and fresh meats like salami, candied walnuts, olives and various other items. Our final course was a cheese dessert. They took the fresh ricotta we made and served it with fresh blueberries drizzled with a lemon honey. So simple, yet so delicious.

It was such an amazing Saturday afternoon that I won't soon forget. Great friends and great food. Doesn't get much better.

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