Salmon with Spinach Fettuccine

Tonight I used a cookbook, I bought in Alaska.  I found it very interesting.  I often find myself looking down on canned or frozen foods.  But in Alaska, it is probably necessary.  Also in today’s paper they pointed out that using canned meat and frozen vegetables is a way to save money. 

Ingredients:

1-15.5 oz can salmon

Milk (under 1 ¾ c, see directions)

1 1/2 C mushrooms, sliced (I bought too many portabella mushrooms for the pizza, so I used them)

3 T butter

¼ C flour

¼ C white wine

¼ C Parmesan cheese, grated

2 T minced dried parsley

1 t dried dill weed

Salt and pepper

¾ # spinach fettuccine noodles, cooked and drained

Directions:

1.      Drain salmon, reserving liquid; break into large chunks.

2.      Add milk to reserved liquid to measure 1 ¾ C.

3.      Sauté onion and mushrooms in butter until onion is tender. 

4.      Add flour; cook and stir on low heat until blended.  Remove from heat; add milk mixture and wine.  Heat and stir until mixture comes to a boil; simmer 2 minutes or until thickened. 

5.      Carefully stir in salmon, Parmesan cheese, parsley and dill. 

6.      Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7.      Serve over hot spinach fettuccine. 

This meal serves 6.  I cooked ½ # of fettuccine and saved ¼ of the sauce.  This more than filled Jim and I feel that as a side, we can use the leftover with another meal.  Whether you are into saving money or not, this was very good.

Slow Cooker Shredded Korean Beef Tacos

I got up early to start this crock pot dish.  This comes from the Year of Slow Cooking web site.  We were going to Brentwood to take a second look at the townhouse I found there.  We were gone most of the day.  Hint to those of you who try this, leave it on under your exhaust fan.  Poor Max spent the day smelling this delicious aroma.  He was wild by the time we returned. 

Ingredients:

3-4# beef roast (trimmed chuck roast)

½ C brown sugar

1/3 C soy sauce (I used reduced salt)

Head of garlic peeled but leave cloves intact (10)

½ onion diced

1” fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1T sesame oil

1 whole jalapeno, diced

Corn or flour tortillas

Directions:

1.      Throw everything in, any order, a 6 qt. slow cooker.  Or in my case the size I have, whatever size that is. 

2.      Cook on low for 10 hours. 

3.      Serve on corn or flour tortillas with white or brown rice and shredded cabbage.

We skipped the rice but made the slaw below.  We have enough left over for 3 more meals.  Yes, even with Jim eating. 

Shredded cabbage

Ingredients:

1 bag shredded coleslaw from the grocery store’s produce section

1 T soy sauce

2 T seasoned rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.      Toss together and serve immediately.

This got rave reviews and Jim liked it.  I can’t comment as I was in such a foul mood that I could have being served by Paul Bocuse himself and not tasted a thing.  My current southern experience is Yes Mam, No Mam, Thank you Mam, turn around so I can stab you in the back Mam!  Everyone is so polite. 

Pan-Steamed Caulifloer with Pasta

The night we had the shrimp pizza I offered to make it or cauliflower pasta.  Jim looked at me like I was insane and we had the pizza.  Three nights later I was feeling better and I made the following pasta.  I got this recipe from Wegman’s magazine, so we had to improvise in this Wegmans free zone.  I will tell you the alternates I used. 

Ingredients:

1- 17.6 oz Italian Classics Barilotti, cooked per pkg directions (I used a rigatoni pasta, but you could also use a spiral pasta) 

½ C Panko bread crumbs

 2 T + ¼ C EVOO

½ C Pecorino Romano cheese

1T chopped garlic

3 anchovy fillets

½ T Chinese hot sauce

2 # cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

½ C water

1 t salt

2 T chopped fresh parsley (I was out so I used dry)

Black pepper

Directions:

1.       Put pasta pot on the burner.  Add salt to the water and cook the pasta. 

2.       Combine panko and 2 T EVOO in a small bowl.  Toast in a small pan stirring constantly about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.  Toss with grated cheese in the bowl. 

3.       Heat EVOO, garlic, anchovies and hot pepper sauce on med-low.  Cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes, until anchovy fillets are dissolved. 

4.       Raise heat to High.  Add cauliflower, water, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes or until water is evaporated.  Adjust heat so cauliflower does not burn.  Turn off heat.

5.       Add cooked pasta to cauliflower, stir to combine.  Add half of panko/cheese mixture and parsley to pan.  Stir, season to taste with pepper. 

6.       To serve, garnish with remaining panko/cheese mixture.

Jim was surprised at how much he liked this dish.  It was very easy. This ould be a beef or pork side dish or as we had it a one pot meal. 

Split Pea Soup

In between my last post and here we have had my shrimp pizza and turkey burgers.  I added Weber’s Gourmet burger seasoning to the turkey and thought the burgers were better than usual.  I have written my shrimp pizza recipe about a year ago.  It is the best pizza ever.  Jim really likes it.

We were at the store looking for easy soups that I would like for lunch.  Jim only likes Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.  Anyway, they did not have split pea soup.  So I bought some dried peas and a ham hock and made my own.   We ate it with Costco Volcano Shrimp.  The shrimp were just ok.  The following recipe is from the Joy of cooking.  We have three servings frozen for future lunches. 

Ingredients:

2 C dried split peas

10 C water

Ham bone or a smoked ham hock

½ C onion chopped

1 C chopped celery with leaves

½ C chopped carrots

1 garlic clove

1 bay leaf

1 t sugar

A dash of cayenne or a pot of red pepper ( I used my fresh red pepper, dried from Matt)

¼ t thyme

Directions:

I’ve made this soup a million times and do not necessarily follow their directions.  So the following is the way I make it.

1.       Place 10 C of water, the split peas and ham hock in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on a low setting for 3 hours.

2.       Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered for another hour. 

3.       Remove the ham hock and bones.  Shred the meat and throw away the fat and bones. 

4.       Use a submersion blender and blend the soup.  Add in the shredded meat.  Serve immediately or store in the freezer. 

Since I use a ham hock, I have never added salt and it is plenty salty for me. 

Cashew, Coconut, and Pumpkin Curry

This is actually a very easy meal to make, but giving my current situation, I was a little worn out.  We both liked the meal very much and it would definitely serve 4.  We actually have leftovers and Jim had two huge helpings.  It was called a Vegan Curry in Sunset October issue. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ qt. 1 ½” chunks pumpkin, we used a pie pumpkin, 3#

1 t kosher salt divided

3 T vegetable oil, divided

1 onion, halved and cut into half-moons

1-2 red or green Serrano chilies, minced (I used the ones Matt gave me that I had dried)

1 cinnamon stick, 2 1/2”long

20 fresh curry leaves or 6 dried bay leaves (What are the chances of finding curry leaves in TN?)

1 t each of turmeric and cumin seeds

1 can (14.5 oz.) coconut milk

1 C lightly salted cashews

1 T lemon juice

Steamed basmati rice

Directions:

1.       Sprinkle pumpkin with ½ t salt.  Heat 1 T oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Brown half the pumpkin in oil, turning once, 6-8 minutes; reduce heat if pumpkin starts getting dark.  Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 1T oil and the remaining pumpkin.

2.        Heat remaining 1T oil meanwhile in another large frying pan over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 12-15 minutes.   Transfer half to a bowl.

3.       Add chilies, cinnamon, bay leaves, to onion in pan.  Cook stirring often, until the spices are very fragrant.   Add turmeric, cumin and remaining ½ t salt and cook, stirring until all is very fragrant.   

4.       Return pumpkin to the pan and add coconut milk.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until pumpkin is tender, 5-10 minutes.

5.       Stir in cashews and lemon juice. 

6.       Top with reserved onions. 

I knew I would like this meal, but was really surprised when Jim actually liked it.  Last night was Halloween.  We had 7 trick-or-treaters, very disappointing.