Roasted Salmon and Sweet Pepper Coulis with Parmesan and Pea Baked Risotto

Every so often, the husband and I decide to have an in-house date night.  We light some candles, put on something nice, I attempt to stay awake for an entire movie, and of course, I make a nice dinner.  And last night was one of those nights.

Now, I don't love roasted red peppers.  I often will pick them off my plate and let the hubs enjoy them.  However, tonight's salmon recipe featured a red pepper sauce I actually liked.  The sweetness of the peppers was pretty muted out and was accompanied by fresh basil, really was a delicious, and surprisingly light sauce.  The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth tender and really paired well with the sauce.

As a side dish, I went for a risotto.  I know everyone shies away from risotto because of how long it takes to cook and how much stirring is involved, but this one was baked!  Rice and broth in my magic pot, and into the oven it went.  45 minutes later, out it came and in went the cheese and peas.  Easy-peasy.

The best thing about this meal, other than how delicious it really was, is that it was SO easy to make.  Nothing to putz with - few ingredients and not much clean up.  And, to top off the night, the hubs came home mid-afternoon with dark chocolate covered strawberries and oreos!  A successful night in!

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper Coulis

Roasted Salmon and Sweet Pepper Coulis
with Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto

What You Need:

• 2 roasted red peppers
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 2 tbsp julienned fresh basil
• 2 6-oz salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

How You Do It:

1. In blender, puree roasted red peppers.  Slowing add in olive oil and puree until smooth.  Transfer to small sauce pan.
2. Heat vegetable oil and butter in oven-safe pan.  Add salmon and bake  at 425* for 5 minutes.  Flip salmon and bake an additional 5 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
3. While salmon bakes, slowly heat red pepper sauce.  Once heated through, stir in basil.
4. To plate, spoon sauce on plate, top with salmon, and drizzle with remaining sauce.

Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 c arborio rice
• 4 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 c grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into cubes

How You Do It:

1. In a deep, covered 10-cup baking dish, mix rice and broth.  
2. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and stir in butter, parmesan, and peas.
4. Cover, and let sit until peas are heated through.

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper Coulis and Baked Parmesan and Pea Risotto recipes adapted from EzraPoundCake.com.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

Last night’s dinner was one of those meals I love to prepare: a one-pot wonder.  I used a cutting board, chef’s knife, liquid measuring cup (only used for water, so no washing necessary!), a spatula, and a deep covered skillet.  That’s it!

And this one-pot wonder didn't even require an extra vegetable or side dish – it was all in there!  Toasted couscous with veggies cooked right in, and the salmon steamed right on top, it really was one of the easier salmon dishes I've made in a while.  And other than lacking garlic, which I will add to the couscous next time, this really had a great, light flavor.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

Salmon with Toasted Couscous

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/3 c pistachios
• 1 cup dried Israeli Couscous
• 1 ½ c water
• Dried oregano and parsley, to taste
• 4 6-oz salmon filets
• Black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, optional

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add couscous, bell pepper, pistachios, and shallot.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the couscous is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in dried oregano and parsley to taste. (I used about five shakes each)
3. Place salmon on top of the couscous, reducing the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until salmon is cooked through and the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve salmon on top of couscous with a lemon wedge.

Salmon with Toasted Couscous recipe adapted from EatingWell.com.

Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner

Remember back when I mentioned my two best girlfriends were coming to town?  Well, they since have both come and sadly, gone.  While I had good intentions of making dinner for both, when my childhood bestie was in, traffic was so horrendous, by the time I got home from work, there was not a chance of us waiting another 45 minutes for me to whip together dinner.  We opted for our favorite Italian place.

However, this past weekend when my BFF arrived for a Pre-Christmas Weekend in NYC, I made sure there was dinner on the table.  Dinner by request, in fact.  Not only did we spend the day in the City, but upon arriving home, we broke out the China for a fancy-schmancy dinner.  And not just any dinner: a Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner.

Complete with chicken soup and matzah balls, brisket, sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli, I’d say dinner was a hit.  And – to top it off, Funfetti Whoopie Pies!  I think we were all in heaven. 

Below you’ll find the recipe for the sweet potatoes – my grandmother’s recipe – so sweet, so delicious.  You’ll also find the Funfetti Whoopie Pies recipe, which was something special for my BFF (once my mother offered to make her a birthday cake and all she wanted was Funfetti!).  And an added bonus – us in front of a pretty tree nestled inside the outdoor vestibule of a hotel in the City.

Hoping you all enjoyed the holiday – whichever you do or do not celebrate – and are gearing up for a great New Year’s Eve celebration, like us.

Pre-Christmas Chanukkah Dinner 

Candied Sweet Potatoes

What You Need:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• ¾ c brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ c water

How You Do It:

1. Boil whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes until fork-tender.
2. Once cool enough to handle, peel skin off potatoes and cut into ½ moons.
3. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and water.
4. Place sliced potatoes in large baking dish and mix with sauce.
5. Bake 350* 20-30 minutes or until desired doneness.
   (Note, the sauce will not thicken and the potatoes can stay in the oven as long as necessary.)

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

What You Need:

• 1 box Funfetti cake mix
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 can Ranibow Chip frosting

How You Do It:

1. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 375° for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
4. Spread frosting over back side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another.
5. Let frosting set and cookies fully cool, then store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe from my grandma.

Funfetti Whoopie Pies recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.

Chicken Parm Meatballs

Tonight's recipe was a winner.  How do I know?  It was the first time our friends' son tried my cooking and all he kept saying was "these are really good!"  He at three.  THREE!

I, too was happy.  I'd been meaning to try an adapted version of this one since I tore the page out of an old issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine (RIP), and was not disappointed.  While the original recipe requires frying the meatballs, I opted for baking them instead.  To achieve the crispiness, I simply lightly sprayed the meatballs with cooking spray - worked like a charm.

Cutting into the cooked meatballs, we were greeted with oozing cheese - what could be wrong?!  Top a pile of noodles with some sauce, a couple meatballs, and a sprinkle of parmesan, and you're good to go!

Thank you, Everyday Food, you will be missed...

Chicken Parm Meatballs

Chicken Parm Meatballs

What You Need:

• 2 lb ground chicken (I used turkey)
• 1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 c milk
• 25 bite-size balls fresh mozzarella
• 1 c panko breadcrumbs

How You Do It:

1. Combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, and milk in large bowl.
2. Separate into 25 balls.
3. Press mozzarella ball in middle and roll to cover.
4. Roll in panko and place on baking sheet.
5. Once all meatballs are stuffed and covered in panko, lightly spray with cooking spray.
6. Bake 25 minutes at 400* or until chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Parm Meatballs recipe adapted from Everyday Food Magazine.

Jamie's Beer Dip

Happy Chanukkah everyone!

Tonight we're headed to a Chanukkah party at one of my husband's colleague's house.  And you know though the host always says you don't need to bring anything, you never listen.  The plan was always to bring a bottle of wine, but I can't stop there.  Not upon first meeting these folks!

So into the arsenal of appetizer/snacks recipes I went.  Not finding anything I was willing to debut at the party, I emailed and texted my mother for help.  She listed off a couple of good ideas before hitting the jackpot: Jamie's Beer Dip.

Now, I must give credit where credit is due.  In now way is this my recipe nor have I doctored it in any way.  It's amazing just how she made it the first time.  Jamie and I used to work together when I was in high school and every so often our store would have a pot-luck day and Jamie would make this amazing dip.  Beer, cheese, ranch... what could be wrong?!  Nothing.  And what goes better with beer than pretzels?!

Jamie's Beer Dip

Jamie's Beer Dip

What You Need:

• 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 packet dry ranch dip mix
• 1/2 bottle beer

How You Do It:

1. Mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, and dry ranch until well-combined (I used my standing mixer).
2. Add beer and mix.
3. Chill until ready to serve.

Oh, and did you see what my amazing husband got me for the first night of Chanukkah?!

On the first night of Chanukkah
my true love gave to me,
a Donald Driver football jersey!

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

For a solid week now I've wanted a Chiptole burrito.  So instead of spending the 10 minutes waiting in the lunch line and the $10 for something I would only regret for the remainder of the afternoon, I took to the inter-web to find a recipe for the chicken and made my own.

Much much much to my happiness, the burrito bowls (who really needs the tortilla anyway?) were exactly what I hoped for.  The chicken had amazing flavor and we had all the fixings for what turned out to be a filling and healthy dinner.

Just a note, and another selfless pitch for The Pampered Chef, on the chicken.  The original recipe, and in the restaurants themselves, the chicken is grilled.  While we very well could have fired 'er up tonight, I took to the microwave.  Yes, you heard me right - the microwave.  I'm telling you - in 6 minutes flat, I had cooked the moistest chicken I could have imagined - in the microwave!  Get yourself one of these Magic Pots - you won't be sorry.  And remember, if you don't already have a The Pampered Chef consultant, contact mine!

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

What You Need for the Chicken:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Suggested Fixings:

• Brown rice
• Lettuce
• Mexicorn
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Sour Cream
• Salsa

How You Do It:

1. Combine oil, spices, and chicken in large ziploc bag.  Let marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
2. Cook chicken; cut into bite-size pieces. (See my note above)
3. Assemble salad with desired fixings.

Chicken recipe adapted from The Star Tribune

A Recurring Dilemma...

Within the next three weeks, my two best friends are coming to visit.  One for business (we're just an added bonus!) and one for pleasure.  Both will have dinner at our house.  Thus, my recurring dilemma: what to make for dinner!

It sounds like an asinine problem, I know.  And my husband likes to joke about it, but I take this seriously!  In my heart of hearts, I know whatever I put on the table will be fine - but as much as I love to cook, I love it when others enjoy what I put on the table.

I rack my brain for recipes I've made and loved... or recipes I've made and others loved... or recipes I flagged to try (and oh, are there are lot of those).  I go around and around and around... What type of cuisine?  What theme?  What will they like?  What won't they like?  Should I make something new or something I've made before?  What if I made something and it doesn't turn out? (Just ask my husband what happens when I make something I'm not happy with, oy!) The debating goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on... you get the idea.

Then, finally, I choose.  I guess, second guess, even third guess my decision...  [This is about when my husband tells me to relax and just go with it!] and a shopping list is made.  But it's not easy.  It's never easy.  Even making a weekly menu and grocery list for just the two of us is a struggle.  

So now, two of my favorite people in the whole wide world are coming for dinner and while it should a no-brainer, these are my best friends after-all, I'm back to that same ol' question: what should I make...

So I ask you... what should I make?!