Salmon on a bed of rice and spinach

 

I had some leftover brown rice from a few days back and decided to make a variation on Baked Trout with Mushrooms.   I made a bed for the meal with the rice, to which I added more liquid.  Then I layered on fresh spinach, nestling it down into the liquid, a piece of salmon, and topped it with garlic, green onions, bread crumbs, and the butter-oil-lemon juice mix from the original recipe.  It took about 25 minutes at 375.  Delicious!

Stir fry with mchuzi mix

Mchuzi mix is a spice blend in cornstarch that is added to Kenyan soups and stews.  Our Kenyan friends brought us a large jar of the spicy beef flavor mix, and I decided that it would probably be pretty good with one of our classic stir fries too!

Pan roasted chicken breasts

Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts

Ingredients for Fancy Brine
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c vermouth

Brine the chicken pieces in a ziploc bag inside a bowl for about 2 hours. Drain and rinse. In a large skillet, brown chicken topside for about 2 minutes in olive oil. Flip and cook another two minutes. Add broth and vermouth and bring to boil to loosen drippings from pan. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Simmer uncovered, turning in the sauce for another 5 minutes or so.

In search of the perfect carrot cake

I've made carrot cake several different ways.  One of our favorites is an Amish recipe, but I also like my tree-hugger-earthy-crunchy recipe too.  Still searching for the perfect "stop the presses" version though!

We tried Alton Brown's version, and we liked it, but it was actually too much like carrot bread and not enough like carrot cake.  Very very tasty, but just not what I had in mind.  Sorry Alton, I adore you, but I'm probably not going to do this one again.  I've shared the link though in case you want to try it.

However, after asking around, Linda from MO in the Cooking Light forum shared the world's most perfect recipe for frosting that she got from MasterCook.  This frosting is amazing.  I have always found the traditional cream cheese frosting to be too thick and sweet.  This recipe makes a lighter bodied and slightly less sweet version.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c powdered sugar, divided
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
I added some lemon zest

In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream and half the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, the other half of powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat smooth and fold in the whipped cream.

Jamaican jerk turnips

Get ready for a blast of heat!  You can turn it up or down depending upon what variety of peppers you chose, and how many.

Jamaican Jerk Turnips

1 jalapeño or 1/4 habanero pepper, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 t thyme leaves, dried
1 T brown sugar
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/8 t nutmeg
1 t black pepper
Vegetable oil
1/4 c water
About 2 lbs turnips, sliced into 1/4 inch quarter moons
1 T cider vinegar
Scallions, chopped for garnish

In a small glass bowl, mix the jalapeño pepper through the black pepper and set aside.  In a large skillet, heat the oil and water, and add the turnips.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.  Uncover and cook for about 2 minutes until liquid is gone.  Add the spice mixture and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add vinegar and garnish.

Flank steak

What more do you need?  Throw the steak into a ziploc bag in the morning with some tasty marinade and grill it in the evening.  Don't forget to slice thin diagonals across the grain.  What's your favorite marinade?  We usually use some combo of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

Beef stew with Belgian beer

I really like beef stews that use beer in their base.  Yes, burgundy is classic, but beer is wonderful too.   Stella Artois is a good choice for this stew, but you can use any amber or brown ale.

Beef Stew with Belgian Beer

4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 lb boneless chuck or stew beef, cubed
2 onions, chopped
4 c sliced baby bella or cremini mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 - 3 T flour

12 oz Stella Artois (or other amber or brown ale)
2 c carrots, sliced thick
2 c parsnips, peeled and sliced thick
1 c beef broth
2 T Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf
1 t dried thyme
1 t caraway seeds

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp.  Remove bacon and set aside.  Brown meat (half at a time if needed) for about 5 minutes, removing from pan.  Add onions and saute until tender.  Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until about 1/2 the liquid is gone.  Sprinkle flour over liquid and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add beer, scraping the pan.  Add the bacon, beef, and all the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat, simmering for about 2 hours.  Discard bay leaf.