Disgustingly Easy Dijon Salmon

I AM FUCKING DELICIOUS.

Hi! Greg here, long time eater, first time food blogger. I whipped this up the other night and got high marks from my famished guests - perhaps you will too.


salmon fillets
dijon mustard
lemon
extra virgin olive oil
fresh parsley
salt & pepper
that's it, seriously dude.


In a small bowl, mix a couple nice dollops of dijon with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and a teaspoon of olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. On an oiled/buttered pyrite pan or cookie sheet, place your salmon fillets skin side up. Bake approximately five minutes, then, using a spatula, turn the fillets over, and add your dijon sauce on top - as little or as much as you'd like. (I went conservative - but you may want to drown your fish. There's no denying the tastiness!)


Bake another 5-7 minutes - more if you like your salmon over-cooked - remove, garnish with a little fresh parsley, and serve hot. You simply cannot screw this up. Bone ape tits!

Crock Pot Lamb Stew

lamb (1 1/2 lbs) shoulder or stew meat
carrots (4) chopped
celery (4 stalks) chopped
onion (1) chopped
potatoes (3) medium size, diced
thyme fresh
bay leaves (2 leaves)
beef stock (2 cups)
water (1 cup)
olive oil (1 1/2 tbl)
garlic cloves (8)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste


In large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat.  Saute carrots, onions, and celery until they soften and onions become clear.

In another pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil.  Chop 4 cloves of garlic and rub on lamb.  Place lamb in pan and brown all sides.  About 5 minutes.

Dice potatoes into 1" cubes.  Chop the remaining garlic.  Place the lamb and vegetable into the crock pot.  Add the beef broth, water, garlic, potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme.  

Cook for about 4 hours.  It's ready when the lamb meat flakes off.  Remove the bones if you prefer.

Mango Wrapped Sweet & Spicy Bacon

bacon (1/2 lb)
mango (1)
maple syrup
cayenne pepper
crushed red pepper
fennel seeds


This dish is partially inspired by Grub.  If you haven't been to Grub, go now.  Or, at least, after you make this dish.


This one is simple.  Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.  Wrap a cookie tray with foil.  This makes clean up easier.  Now, lay the bacon on the tray.  Brush with maple syrup.  Dust with cayenne pepper and sprinkle very lightly with crushed red pepper and fennel seeds.  A little goes a long way.  Place in oven.


After 10 minutes, remove the bacon.  At this point there may be lots of juice in the tray.  So, you'll want to drain that off carefully.  Brush with maple syrup and dust with cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper (very lightly) and fennel seeds.  Return the oven for about another ten minutes (or until desired crispness).  Remember the bacon continue to cook after take it out.


Cut the mango into slices between 1 1/2" and 2" long.  Once the bacon has cooled enough touch, wrap it around the mango and enjoy.

Fennel Salad

I am giving life without gluten and high GI foods a try. I developed some acne after hitting my late 20s / early 30s, and wanted to give this remedy a whirl after speaking with the lovely Natalie Lapointe. This is day one, and I am already inspired by my forgotten veggie recipes. It's crazy how much there is to eat out of the ground. Even if I eat a snickers tomorrow, it's really nice to shake up my food rut a bit.

Serves 2

fennel bulb (1) sliced paper thin

lemon (1 tbs) freshly juiced

olive oil (splash)

thyme (1 tsp) chopped

parsley (1 tbs) chopped

salt (to taste)

Cut off the fennel fronds, base, and core. Slice paper thin. Throw in everything else and mix with hands.  

If you want, experiment with more thyme and parsley, the flavor changes tremendously with these quantities.

Chicken Soup for the Blogger's Soul

whole chicken (aprox 4lbs) 
onion (1) chopped
celery (1 1/4 cup) chopped
carrots (1 1/4 cup) chopped
water until it covers the top of the chicken
olive olive 
fresh lemon juice (1/4 T) 
bay leaves (3)
garlic cloves (4)
fresh ginger (1/2" piece) sliced
majoram (1 t)
salt (1 t)
black pepper (1 t)
honey (1 T)


Heat oil with medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until they soften. Add water, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. 


Quarter chicken, remove skin, and add to pot along with seasonings. Simmer for 60-75 minutes. 


Remove chicken and let it cool until you can easily handle it. Pull chicken from bones and return the meat to the soup. Let cook at low heat for about 15-30 minutes. Let it cool and adjust seasoning to taste.


You can also cook some pasta and/or potatoes separately and add to soup before serving.

Pasta Bolognese

(From Sarah!) This is an Italian sauce recipe I learned from my friend Cristina, and tweaked a little bit.  The celery is KEY.  And, if you are not a pork eater, you can use more of the other meat, and it is definitely just as good.  Also, I like to splurge on the San Marzano crushed tomatoes - definitely worth the few extra bucks!
 
pasta 
ground beef (1/3 lb)
ground veal (1/3 lb)  
ground pork (1/3 lb)
celery stalks (2-3 stalks) diced finely
carrots (2-3 medium) chopped
onion (1 medium) chopped
garlic (2-3 cloves) crushed
olive oil 
salt & pepper (to taste)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
parsley (to taste)
basil/oregano (if desired, to taste)
crushed tomatoes (2 big cans)


Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a large sauce pot, and heat on medium. Add meat, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and spices to taste. Saute until meat is cooked through, stirring consistently to break up the meat and make sure the veggies don't burn.


When all is cooked, add crushed tomatoes, stir in, and reduce heat to low/medium. Let simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, and adding more spices as needed.


Cook pasta according to directions on package. Serve sauce over pasta and top with grated cheese if you'd like.


*If it tastes a bit bitter, you can always throw a bit of wine or balsamic vinegar in there to sweeten it up!

Meyer Lemon & Thyme Truffles

Matt & I made our local friends various kinds of truffles this year, and this was one of my favorites!  The lemon and thyme give them a little bit of a different spin, so not all may love, but if they suit your tastes, they are a real treat!


70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (9 oz) chopped
Heavy Whipping Cream (1 1/4 cups)
Fresh Thyme Leaves (1 1/2 tsp)
Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice (1 1/2 tsp)
Meyer Lemon Peel (1 tsp) finely chopped
Cocoa Nibs


Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Add Thyme leaves, remove from heat, and let steep for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, stir 7 ounces chocolate in metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water until smooth. Remove from heat. Add 2 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth.


Stir lemon juice and lemon peel into cream. Stir cream into chocolate. Chill truffle base until firm enough to roll, about 3 hours.

Line rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Roll 2 teaspoons truffle base between fingertips into ball. Drop each truffle into a bowl of cocoa nibs, and turn to coat. Transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining truffle base. 

Enjoy!!!!! - Sarah