Salmon Croquettes

I've been travelling again and just got back Friday night. It's been nothing but eating out for a week. I went grocery shopping today and spent an insane amount at Trader Joe's. On the plus side, I have a shot at eating some good home cooked meals this week.


1 can traditional pack Alaska salmon, (skinless, boneless salmon), drained and
chunked
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons fat-free or low-fat mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 egg white
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

In a medium bowl, combine salmon, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, bread crumbs, green
onions, egg white, lemon juice and seasoning. Mix well; shape into six 1/2-inch
thick patties. Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until
hot. Add salmon croquettes; cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and mustard. Serve sauce
and lemon wedges with croquettes.

Cupcakes!

At work, we have board meetings once a month. My board happens to be made up of a lot of foodies. (My kind of people!) In fact our board meetings tend to have about 20 minutes worth of "work" stuff and 40 minutes of socializing and eating. Since today is also my birthday, I decided to make cupcakes. Normally, I'd make a cake (I don't care how old you are, everyone needs a cake on their birthday), but since I've been scrambling at night teaching summer school, cupcakes were a bit less time consuming. And made for a great dinner last night!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes
(makes 2 dozen)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, combing the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Then in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and water. Bring to a boil and make sure all the butter is melted. Remove from heat and add this to the flour mixture. Combine well.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Then pour into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. (Test with toothpicks) After the cupcakes cool, frost with buttercream frosting and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Peas and Endives

This appetizer is perfect for the spring and summer time. It tastes light and so fresh! I have made this many times for people and it tends to go fast!

1 bag frozen peas, defrosted
4 ounces sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Endive spears, ends trimmed

In a food processor, combine the peas, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Mince well, and the fill the endive spears with the pea filling.

Red Snapper

My father has been determined to get me to eat fish since I was a kid. Other than shrimp, calamari, and the occasional crab (all fried, thank you very much), I avoid fish. Tastes too fishy. Considering I don't like the taste of fish, it kind of rules out most types of fish. Last weekend, my dad was visiting, and he cooked tilapia and red snapper for me. Both prepared the same exact way. The tilapia...way too fishy. Took one bite, and yeah, that was it for me. The red snapper, on the other hand, was actually pretty good. I recreated it tonight for dinner...with my father on the phone, walking me through it step-by-step. Other than the crap wontons, this was the first time I've ever made fish. Then again, that canned crab was pre-cooked, so yeah, first time. Thank you, Dad!

1 red snapper fillet
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Panko (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 small tomato, chopped

Preheat the oven to broil. Heat a pan under medium heat. Add butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the red snapper, meat side down. Cook until the meat starts to turn white. Then flip. Continue to cook until the skin begins to brown.

In a small bowl, combine the panko and parsley. Then top the fish with the panko. Broil until the panko starts to brown. Remove and then top with the tomatoes. Bake for another couple of minutes until the tomatoes are hot. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Potato, Onion, and Thyme Frittata

Last weekend when my father was in town visiting, he gave me a new pan (he shares my love of cooking). This pan is quite fun since it is a cheft toss, meaning the side opposite of the handle is deeper than the other side. This makes it super easy to toss veggies and whatnot. With it being Sunday morning and I was actually home with time to cook a decent breakfast, I decided I needed to cook something I could toss and use up some of the fresh eggs I got at the farmers market yesterday. A frittata was what followed. Quite yummy if I may say so myself!

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
3 small dutch potatoes, chopped small
Salt and pepper
4 eggs, scrambled
2 tablespoons thyme

Boil the chopped potatoes in water for about 7 minutes until they are very soft. Drain.

Preheat the oven under broil.

Heat your awesome pan over medium-high heat and cook 1 tablespoon oil and onions a few minutes until they soften (do not allow to brown). Add the potatoes and cook until lightly browned (about another five minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, scramble the eggs and add in the thyme. Add the potato and onion mixture to the bowl and combine.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and heat under medium heat. Add the egg and potato mixture to the pan. Cook until the edges are set.

Then place the pan (make sure it's oven safe) into the oven and broil until the top is set. Do not allow to brown or burn. This takes about 3-4 minutes.

I garnished it with some chives. Serve and enjoy!

Proscuitto Sandwiches

Welcome back to blogging! Life + work = crazy = Lauren really missing sleep = no blogging. That pretty much sums up what's been going on. A couple of weeks ago (or is it a few weeks now??) I made a bunch of food for my church's prom. Yup, my church has prom and yes, I dressed up. :-) There were about 35-40 people or so there, so I got to cook in my church's industrial kitchen...I must have one of these...and it seemed to be a success!


1/2 cup water
1/8 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup small onion, sliced very thinly
Italian bread, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing
1 large apple, thinly sliced
6 ounces Gouda, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard
1/2 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced


In small saucepan, bring water, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and onion to a boil. Cook for about three minutes. Let sit in the liquid and return to room temperature.

Lightly brush the sliced bread rounds with olive oil and toast in the oven until lightly browned.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a small amount of mustard, top with slice of gouda, apple, and some onions. Wrap with the prosciutto.

Hint: After slicing the apple, let sit in lemon water to prevent browning. This is good especially if you're making these ahead!

Pancakes!

Something about weekends makes me want to make bigger breakfasts. Maybe it's the fact that I actually have more time in the morning to make something rather than just grabbing the closest bagel.


1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk * If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Let stand for about ten minutes before using.

Combing all the ingredients and mix until smooth. In a large saute pan, spray with cooking spray and heat under medium heat. Pour the about two tablespoons of batter into the pan. I always like to add a little cinnamon to them at this point. More flavor! Serve when golden brown on each side.