Grilled Bruschetta and Salmon

A grilled lunch for a perfect Saturday.

 

 

1 ripe tomato, diced

4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp or so of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Loaf of crusty sourdough bread, cut into thick slices
2 5-oz salmon filets, with skin
Tajin seasoning (we put this on everything!)

Preheat grill to high, about 450˚.

In a small bowl, combine tomato, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and mix; set aside. Prepare toast by brushing both sides of bread slices with EVOO; set aside.

Season skinless side of salmon with Tajin. Place skin side down on grill, allowing to char, about 3-4 minutes. Flip salmon and carefully remove skin. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip filet again and grill 1-2 minutes. Filets should easily flake, do not overcook.

Grill bread for about one minute. Flip bread and move to top rack of grill, away from direct heat. Spoon tomato mixture onto each slice and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Plate salmon over a small bed of baby kale and serve with the bruschetta.

 

Sausages with Greens & Beans and Grilled Garlic Bread

I fell in love with Italian Greens & Beans at our Italian friend’s family dinner and have been making it ever since. Here’s my spin on the dish. This dish is healthy, tasty, cheap and quick… and my hubby loves it!

 

Greens & Beans:

1 large bunch of kale, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ cup broth
2 crushed garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes (Amount depends on how spicy you like it. I usually do 1 tsp.)
1 can cannellini or white kidney beans
Salt & pepper, to taste

Grilled Garlic Toast:

Rustic, crusty bread, sliced (I used a crusty sourdough loaf)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Garlic cloves
Sea salt

Sausages…your favorite kind!

In a large pan, heat EVOO over med-high heat. Add kale and carrots; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add broth, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, pepper flakes and cannellini beans. Mix together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to eat.

While the sausages are grilling, brush one side of each slice of bread with EVOO. Grill bread on both sides. Once bread is toasty, rub oiled side with garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt.

Serve greens and beans with grilled sausages and sprinkle everything with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

 

Note: I know traditional Italian greens and beans don't have carrots, but I like to sneak in as many veggies in every dish whenever possible.

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Kale and Caprese Salad

I love salmon. I can literally eat it every day. I’ve also been on a kale kick. And that’s how this little beauty was created. This was yesterday's healthy lunch.

 

 12-14 oz minced or ground fresh salmon
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp mayo
1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular or panko breadcrumbs too)
1/4 small red onion, minced
½ small red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped

Thinly sliced red onion, 2 or 3 rings
Vinaigrette dressing

2 Ciabatta rolls

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Caprese salad

1 large, ripe tomato, sliced
1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 large fresh basil leaves, sliced

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients for salmon patties. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 patties. Over medium high heat, grill until cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Cut Ciabatta rolls in half and lightly brush insides of rolls with EVOO. Place open sides on grill to lightly toast.

In a small bowl, combine kale and red onion. Toss with vinaigrette.

To plate, make a Caprese salad on one side by layering slices of tomato and mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil leaves.

Assemble salmon burger by placing salmon patty on toasted bottom roll. Top with kale salad and add top roll.

 

 

Culinary Staples of Rochester, New York

When people think of Rochester, NY they probably don’t think of it as a foodie destination or the culinary capital of the North East. Since my husband is from Rochester, we visit this city once a year to see family, not for the food like our other vacations, though there are some samples you have to have when you’re in town. These are the Rochester staples that we always get each time we’re in town, and I’ve recently discovered a third, and I can’t wait to go back to have it again!

First, when we’re in town, my husband and his friends always have to eat a Trash Plate at Empire Hots. I’m embarrassed to admit that I ate this plate sober, and liked it! This plate starts with a generous serving of your choice of home fries, mac salad, or beans… or a combo of two choices. We always go for the home fries and mac salad. Then it’s topped with two hamburger patties with melted cheese (or you can pick from your choice of hotdogs, sausage, pull pork, fried fish, chicken). After it’s is topped with “hot sauce”, which is a meaty mixture in a spicy red sauce, similar to a bean-less hot chili. Lastly, they finish it off with mustard and onions. Voilà, a greasy and delicious Trash Plate!

 

The second Rochester staple that you have to have is a Bill Gray’s cheeseburger. Bill Gray’s…home of the “world’s greatest cheeseburger”. This burger was so loaded that I ate it with a fork and knife and still needed a handful of napkins! You can order the deluxe cheeseburger that comes on a soft fresh baked roll topped with mustard, ketchup, relish, cheese, Bill’s hot sauce, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Finish off your meal, with some Abbott’s frozen custard or a frozen chocolate dipped banana.

 

Last, but definitely not least, is my lastest delicious discovery…Wegman’s Sourdough Miche bread. Amazing. First of all, Wegmans is the greatest grocery store I’ve ever been in. So spectacular that one location actually had their own restaurant across the street, Next Door, which served this amazing bread. The Miche bread is a round loaf made from a blend of whole wheat, white, and rye flours, with a sourdough tang. It literally melts in your mouth and I couldn’t get enough of it. I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area, so I know and love my sourdough bread, but this tops it all. Unfortunately, the grocery store was out of the bread when we stopped by after dinner, and now I can’t wait to get back to Rochester again so this bread can make sweet love to my mouth once again.

 

Salmon Sliders

We had leftover grilled salmon, so for lunch the next day, we decided to make salmon sliders, or open-faced salmon sandwiches.

2 grilled salmon filets, about 6-8 oz

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup mayo

1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular breadcrumbs too)

1/3 small red onion, minced

½ small red bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Goat Cheese Pesto Spread:

4 oz goat cheese

½ Tbsp mayo

1 tsp pesto sauce

Baguette, sliced into ½” pieces  

Garnishes:

Fresh lime juice

Sliced avocado

In a sauté pan, heat ½” of oil over medium high heat. Oil should be about half way up the salmon patty.

While oil heats, use your hands to gently flake apart the salmon into a large bowl. Gently mix in remaining ingredients. Do not over mix or the salmon will turn to mush.  If the mixture is too wet, add more bread. If the mixture is too dry, add more mayo. Using your hands, form 2” patties.

When oil is ready, gently place each patty into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove patties from oil and set on paper towel lined plate, to soak up extra grease.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for spread.

Smear each slice of bread with goat cheese pesto spread and top with a salmon patty. Top each slider with a slice of avocado and squirt of fresh lime juice. Serve with an arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing.

Helpful tips:

How do you know if your oil is ready for frying? Test by dropping a little bit of food into oil, if it sizzles, it’s ready!

Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich

What a delicious Saturday morning!

Servings: 2

6 slices of bacon

4 eggs
Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt & Pepper
4 slices of hearty sourdough bread
Extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ avocado, sliced

In a frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set on a paper towel lined plate; set aside. Wipe grease out of pan.

Add a little butter or EVOO to the pan. Crack the eggs into the pan (try to keep the two sets of eggs together). Once the whites are set and the outer edges are just starting to curl up, flip. Season with salt and pepper. Depending on how soft you like the yolks, remove pan from heat when it’s ready.

In a toaster oven, toast bread. On one side of bread, cover with Cheddar cheese and melt.

To assemble sandwich, stack bacon and eggs on slice of toast with cheese. Add sliced avocado and top with second piece of toast. Cut in half and enjoy with some fresh fruit.

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Goat Cheese Spread

1 large chicken breast or 2 thighs

Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Whole wheat pitas
1 large ripe avocado
2 oz goat cheese (herb flavored)
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
Sprouts
Cucumber, peeled and sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced
Red onion, sliced

In a large zip lock bag, marinate chicken in lemon pepper, thyme and EVOO. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to a couple hours. The longer the better so the marinade has a chance to penetrate deep into the chicken meat.

Grill chicken over medium heat until no longer pink in the middle. Let rest before slicing so all the juices don’t escape. While chicken is cooking make spread.

In a food processor, or bowl with a hand held electric mixer, combine avocado, goat cheese, sour cream and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.

Spread avocado goat cheese mixture onto pita. Cover with sprouts. Layer cucumber slices on one side and bell pepper and onion on the other half. Add sliced chicken over one half. Close like a taco and enjoy.

Serve with a cool couscous salad.

Apple Banana Nut Loaf

1 large ripe banana (about one cup of mashed banana)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Zest from one lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a small bowl, mash banana with a fork. Beat in sugar, then egg and butter. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; add to banana mixture and stir just until flour is moistened. Add apples, nuts and lemon zest; stir just until combined. Pour batter into pan.

Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes.

Let loaf cool before removing from pan. Wrap loaf with aluminum foil and enjoy the next day for breakfast.

Cran-Apple Pecan Bread

1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 apple, peeled & chopped
¼ cup cooking oil
½ cup milk
1 egg
¼ tsp lemon zest
½ cup pecans, chopped

Grease bottom of a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In another bowl combine sugar, apple, cranberries, oil, milk, egg and lemon zest. Add dry mixture to apple mixture. Fold in nuts.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden toothpick is inserted in the middle of the loaf and comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pan, wrap and store over night in the fridge. This allows the flavors to mellow and the loaf to cut easier.

Cranberry Carrot Bread

Talk about random cravings. I woke up this morning craving carrots. First I was going to make fresh carrot-apple juice in the juicer, but the then I busted out my faithful Better Homes and Garden Cook Book and looked up some loaf/bread recipes. I combined a few of the ones listed in the book together and came up with this, which was perfect for breakfast with coffee.



¾ cup of dried cranberries
¼ cup rum
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup finely shredded carrots (3 large carrots)
¼ cup of cooking oil
¾ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar

Grease the bottom of a loaf pan (8”x4”x2”) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl stir together cranberries and rum; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.

In another medium bowl combine egg, carrots and oil. Stir in cranberry mixture. Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. To test if done, insert a wooden toothpick and it should come out clean.

Remove from oven. While bread is still in the pan, brush lemon-sugar mixture over the top of the loaf. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.