Aaaannnndd we're back...

...with salmon, no less. I'm a mom, no other explanation needed for my

long absence.

We eat a lot of salmon around these parts. It has become our go-to meal. Because it's fish it defrosts super fast, it cooks super fast and it's super good for you. Oh, and it is super versatile.

I forget why we even eat other things....

Let's break it down. Salmon is high in protein, omega-3s, and Vitamin D (winter food anyone?). Also, because salmon is so popular, its harvesting is a bit of a sensitive subject for the planet. Farming salmon causes a great deal of underwater deforestation which endangers other species of fish. This is the very reason that buying wild-caught salmon is the best way to go. Believe it or not super Targets carry wild-caught salmon for a good price. Go get it now.

Ok, so you have your earth-friendly-good-for-you salmon, now what?

Wicked Easy Salmon

Serves 3

3 fillets of salmon

salt and pepper to taste

Pam Oil spray

1. Spray non-stick pan with Pam. Place salmon in pan then salt and pepper to taste. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn salmon over and continue cooking salmon with cover on pan for another 5 minutes.

Ok you've found me out. This isn't a recipe so much as a technique but it's a good one to have in your back pocket when you're in a pinch. Add any sauce whatsoever to this fish and you've got a fancy meal.

Poor Man's Cakes

I think that the best part of writing a cookbook would be coming up with awesome dish names.

This dish is a mix of a lot of different recipes. It came about because I love crab cakes but can't really afford crab, nor is good fresh crab easy to find. So I developed tuna cakes or rather tuna cakes developed themselves.

I don't know if the same holds true for crab cakes, but I've found tuna cakes to be a great vehicle for leftover things. You just chop them your leftover vegetable in little pieces (or if it's corn, not so much) and stick it in your tuna cake. I realize not everyone loves tuna, but if you are a tuna fan, this is a great inexpensive dish. If I do say so myself.

Sorry about the not-so-awesome picture, but it was this or a half-eaten one.

Tuna Cakes

Makes about 8 patties (about 2.5 in. in diameter)

1 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tblsp parsley, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 pinches cayanne pepper

half a lemon or lime, juiced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cans tuna, drained

2 cups panko bread crumbs*

canola oil

1. Heat up a little of the canola oil, about 1 tblsp, over medium-high heat in a medium non-stick pan and add the onion and red-pepper. Cook until soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 1 minute until garlic is fragrant a little soft. Set aside and let cool.

2. In a large bowl gently mix the parsley, dijon, mayonnaise, cayanne, lime and tuna. Add the onion/pepper mixture to their bowl. Then add 1/3 a cup of the panko crumbs. Mix gently again.

3. Place a good amount of canola oil in a non-stick pan and heat over medium heat. There should be enough oil so that the pan is easily coated and your patties don't get all blackened, but make sure they also aren't swimming in oil.

4. Place the remaining 1 2/3 cups of panko crumbs on a plate. With your hands, shape your patties so that they're between 2-3 inches in diameter and about 1/2 an inch thick. Lightly coat the patties with the panko crumbs and place in the hot oil.

5. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes or until a deep golden brown on each side. Mine got a little darker than that but they tasted perfectly fine. Repeat with all the patties and place on a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil. And... you're set!

We usually eat these with whatever sauce is hanging around the house, more than likely salsa. Go ahead and try your own garnishes.

*Panko crumbs are Japanese style crumbs (they are used on tempura) that are starting to get easy to find. Their texture is so much more crunchy and satisfying than the regular kind. Go get them and use them on everything.

Reflections with a Side of Regret

Five things I've learned from writing a food blog - so far:

1. When developing/tweaking a recipe, it is handy to have a pen and paper at the ready so that you can take notes and not get the difference between tsp and tbsp all wrong.

2. Pen and papers will combust when placed too close to the stove.

3. Do not let a toddler add salt to anything.

4. When letting a toddler "help" you cook, they will inevitably attempt to brush their teeth with a steak knife.

5. The FedEx guy carrying your husband's birthday present DOES NOT take precedent over the meat you are browning.

Learn from my mistakes, friends, learn from my mistakes.

Enjitomatadas

This is a dish I remembered from my youth and the memory of it made my mouth salivate. The name of it literally means, "tomatoed." A vegetarian dish is rare in Mexican cuisine but this is a delicious and filling veggie-friendly treat. If a bit involved. Don't worry, we'll hold hands through the whole thing.

One thing to add about Mexicans is that we like our garnishes. I know, it's not enough that you already made kind of an involved dish, now you have to make garnishes for it. But trust me, the garnishes really make a dish, and you'll be left with something a little hollow if you skip them. Something to think about.

Now, there are easier ways to make this sauce (don't worry this isn't so complicated), but I wanted to layer flavors and it worked out pretty well. The sauce is supposed to be simple and just add a refreshing tomatoey flavor to the tacos.

To the tomato sauce!

Maybe someday I'll remember to take a picture BEFORE I start eating.

Enjitomatadas (Filled with Beans)

Serves 2 -with leftovers

Canola Oil

Corn tortillas

2 cans of black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (or veggie broth)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tomato Sauce (recipe to follow)

Garnishes:

Crumbled Queso Fresco

Thinly sliced onion

Sour Cream

1. Start my making the beans. Heat about a tablespoon of canola oil in a 3 quart pot over medium-high heat. Sautee onions until soft and translucent then add garlic, cumin, oregano and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add beans and broth, stir to combine all ingredients. Lower heat to medium and simmer for about 20 mins, until beans start to soften and are easy to mash with the back of a spoon.

3. Mash beans vigorously with a potato masher until fairly smooth. Sometimes when I'm lazy they don't turn out so smooth...Keep beans on the heat if you want them a little thick if not take off the heat and set aside.

4. Heat about 5 tablespoons oil in a medium non-stick pan for the tortillas on medium high heat. You want your tortillas to be coated but not dripping in oil. Check to see if oil is ready by placing a small portion of a tortilla in the oil, if it sizzles it's good to go. If not, then keep waiting.

5. With tongs carefully place a tortilla in the oil and cook for about 30 seconds or until it starts to become just golden. Then flip and repeat with other side of tortilla. Tortilla needs to still be soft in the middle but a bit crispy on the edges. It's ok. It takes practice.

6. Once your tortilla is ready, shake off the excess oil then put on a plate. Scoop a spoonful of beans onto half of your tortilla then fold tortilla in half. Repeat with as many tortillas as your beans will let you, adding more oil when necessary. We eat about 4 or 5 per person.

7. When finished with the tortilla/bean tacos cover your tacos with the Tomato Sauce and garnishes and enjoy immediately.

Tomato Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

Canola Oil

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tblsp tomato paste

1 can of tomato sauce

1 large tomato, roughly chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1. Heat about 1 tblsp of canola oil on medium in a small saucepan and add onion. Cook until translucent.

2. Add garlic and cook for about 30 sec then add tomato paste, cook for another 30 seconds.

3. Add chopped tomato and tomato sauce and make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up all the nice brown bits. Bring to a boil and boil for about 1-2 minutes.

4. Remove sauce from heat and place in a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Return sauce to heat then add broth, cumin and oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes then take off heat and you're ready to ladle it on top of the tortillas.

You'll have leftover sauce but with if you can make a delicious alphabet soup. Stay tuned!

Eating With Your Eyes

You know how people on the Food Network are always telling you eat with your eyes first and your mouth second? Or did I make that up?

Anyway, it's true as evidenced by my making something I saw in a movie. Come to think of it, this is the second dish I've pulled from a movie. The first being a bagel Mel Gibson mentions on the smash hit, "What Women Want."

I think everyone that saw "Julie and Julia" will agree that the bruschetta Julie makes at the beginning of the movie made all of our stomachs start to grumble - then by the end of the movie we were ready to fly to France and move into a tiny bistro kitchen and live under the fridge in the hope of getting scraps.

No need. I kind of improvised this recipe and it turned out delicious so here it is. Please, please, please make sure you're using the best and freshest ingredients you can get your hands on. This recipe is so basic that without the best summer tomatoes and real basil it's going to be just meh. Don't settle for meh-ness!

Multi-Colored Tomato Bruschetta

Serves 2 (as a side)

3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 medium orange tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 medium red tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 tblsp fresh basil, chopped

Kosher Salt (Texture and taste are better than table salt) and Pepper

Butter

1 small baguette, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces

1. In a small non-stick pan heat the olive oil on low heat. Add garlic and cook on low for about a minute, just to flavor the oil. Make sure the garlic does not burn in any way, shape or form.

2. In a medium bowl put in orange tomatoes, red tomatoes and basil. Add olive oil/garlic mixture. Toss gently to coat tomatoes then add basil and toss gently again. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Cover and put mixture aside to let flavors develop.

3. Meanwhile, in the same pan that you used for olive oil, melt about a teaspoon of butter or a small slice of butter on medium high heat. Then place a few slices of bread in the butter side by side and cook until one side has browned slightly. Remember not to crowd the bread.

4. Repeat on other side of bread slices and repeat until all the bread has been toasted with butter.

5. Put tomatoes on bread and feel happy.

I really do hope this recipe delights you the way it delighted me. It's so simple, yet so satisfying and a good reminder that the best way to make a great meal is to start with incredible ingredients.

Fresh ingredients are not only delicious but all the better for you. The longer a vegetable sits in the grocery store the more nutrients it loses, not to mention flavor. If you can, shop at farmer's markets, join a CSA or even just try to buy what's local at your grocery store. Your taste buds, stomach and health will thank you.

Quinoa: Magic? Or Cousin of the Tumbleweed?

Both actually. Quinoa is a wonderful grain-like thing I discovered a few years ago and I have never looked back. I call it a grain-like thing because that's exactly what it is. It's not quite a grain or a seed. And it's related to the tumbleweed. Make of that what you will.

Anyway, it turns out our friend quinoa is a superfood. It is a good source of fiber and phosphorous and it is high in iron and magnesium. It is a complete protein and has a very unique set of amino acids. It has a ton of folate (holla at my preggos!) and is gluten-free. It's pretty tasteless so you can put it in anything. It makes a fantastic gluten-free substitute to couscous. I mean, what more could you want out of a grain-like thingie?

So a few words about this salad: Brandon and I are partial to rib-eye steak but it's pretty marbled, so if you don't want to fight with the fat as you're cutting it, just get a sirloin. Or make it vegetarian by omitting the steak entirely.

Also, I do all of the seasoning on this salad at the very end when everything is on my plate and I'm about to eat it. I add olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper much like I would to a green salad. I put those ingredients on this recipe but please feel free to add your own fixins'. Different types of vinegar, steak sauces, you name it. And let me know how it goes!

Cold Steak and Quinoa Salad

Serves 4

1 cups quinoa

1 ½ cups of water

Steak - about 10 oz.

Canola Oil

1 red pepper, sliced

2 red onions, sliced

2 cups halved Cherry tomatoes

2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped

Feta cheese to taste, I like alot

Olive oil for drizzling

Red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa by placing it in a 3 quart(ish) pot and adding the water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until water evaporates and quinoa is cooked through – about 10 minutes. Quinoa should be transparent when fully cooked, unless you bought red quinoa....then it'll be maroonish. When cooked, place quinoa in a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, cook steak on a non-stick pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Do not tent in foil, this overcooks your steak, just put steak on a plate and walk away. Once steak has cooled and rested for about 20 minutes, slice thinly perpendicular to the grain of the steak and set aside or refrigerate if you so choose.

3. In a medium pan heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot it should move around the pan easily, like water. Once the oil is hot, place the red pepper and cook, stirringly often, until soft, but not falling apart - about 4 minutes.

4. Once the red pepper is done remove from heat and place in the bowl with the quinoa. Return pan to heat and repeat process with the onions, adding more oil if necessary. Then add the onions to bowl containing the quinoa and the peppers.

5. Add cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and parsley to quinoa bowl and mix gently. Spoon quinoa salad onto a plate and top with a few pieces of steak, and then drizzle with olive oil and bit of red wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this cold, or at least at room temperature. The steak and the salad keep really well so please eat the leftovers. Or I will.

Salsalicious

Poor Father-in-Law is going to get a beating on this blog. It's his own fault for not knowing the difference between a CLOVE of garlic and a HEAD of garlic. You may imagine his surprise when tasting his first attempt at salsa tasted something like skunk (garlic and skunk spray share chemicals).

CLOVE= one little segment from the head

ANYWAY, one day I was at the grocery store looking for Mexican soda and I overheard a couple discussing what kind of salsa they wanted to purchase. I stood behind them long after I had found my soda baffled at their process. "It's just salsa," I kept thinking, "just go home and make some."

There are a ton of ways to make salsa and unfortunately I don't know all of them though they are all a variation of the same ingredients. Such as these:

Can you guess what's missing? That's right. The kick. Who knows why I didn't have any chiles on hand, but it's true. For your salsa, make sure you have some.

Ok now, let's get one this straight: roasting makes everything better. Especially salsa. So before you blend all your ingredients together throw the tomato, onion and chiles on a super hot pan and let them char a little. Their flavors will deepen and sweeten and you'll be glad you took the extra step.

So now, to the blender!

Easy Every Day Salsa

1 large tomato

1/4 onion

1 CLOVE of garlic

1 small-ish sprig of cilantro

1 tblsp of salt, more to taste

1 serrano pepper for a medium salsa, then go up from there with your comfort level

1. After roasting ingredients throw them all in a blender with a pulse button. Pulse ingredients until salsa is desired consistency. I like a watery salsa that I can pour onto my tacos.
2. Optional Extra Step: I like to fry my salsa sometimes, just to intensify it a little more. Just pour salsa onto hot pan with about a teaspoon of oil and cook until it has thickened a bit.

Salsa is great on anything, tacos, sandwiches, tortilla chips, nachos, chicken-fried steak, chicken, pork, fish, and roasted veggies. And so much more.

Please go out and experiment with your own salsa and let me know how it goes.