Gingered Honey Salmon

You have not had good salmon until you've tried this recipe. It's AMAZING! Both my 6 year-old and my 7 year-old requested this recipe for their birthday dinners, and no, they are not that strange! It's that good! We often eat it with Parmesan Cous Cous, but it's good with rice pilaf too.

Gingered Honey Salmon

Ingredients:
1/3 C orange juice
1/3 C soy sauce
¼ C honey
1 green onion, chopped
1 t ground ginger
1 t garlic powder
1 salmon fillet (1 ½ lbs and ¾” thick)

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Set aside 1/3 C for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add salmon and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 30 min, turning once or twice. Drain and discard marinade. Place salmon skin side down on grill. Grill, covered, over med-hot heat for 5 min. Baste with reserved marinade. Grill 10-15 min longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting frequently.

Serving: 4-6
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking J/A 1999 p. 28

Not the best picture...just trying to add color with my native Australian bird towel...if I could only afford a food photographer! What's with the shadow? You'd think it was my first day with a camera! :)

Biscuit Cheese Pizza

When you need a quick, kid-friendly lunch, give this recipe a try. We made these while the cousin's were visiting last week and everyone heartily enjoyed them. I think the recipe below is one I've copied from the Sunday coupons section. It's the same recipe as the link above with just a little more detail. If you want A LOT of great pizza ideas, check out Pillsbury's site...so many recipes to choose. Yum!

Grands Pepperoni Pizzas

Ingredients:
1 can (16.3 oz.) Pillsbury Grands (any variety)
1 C pizza sauce
2 C ( 8 oz.) mozzarella cheese
½ pkg (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Press each biscuit into 6 in. round. Place on 2 large or 3 small greased cookie sheets. Top each biscuit with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Bake 10-15 minutes or until bottoms are deep golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Veggie Lover’s Pizza: Omit pepperoni. Cook chopped onions, sliced mushrooms and sliced red bell pepper in 1 T olive oil about 5 minutes or until limp. Top each biscuit with pizza sauce, cheese and veggie mixture.

Tropical Pizzas: Omit pizza sauce and pepperoni; increase cheese to 2 cups. Top each biscuit with cheese, canned pineapple tidbits, diced green bell pepper and sliced Canadian bacon or ham.

Yield: 8 pizzas.

Recipe Given By: Pillsbury

Veranikas

My husband is of German descent and his family has several traditional recipes that were passed down through the generations. Veranikas is one of them. Whenever we can get our hands on authentic German sausage to make this meal, our family is thrilled. It's not exactly healthy, but we call it soul food around here. Everyone gets involved when making this meal; that's part of the fun of it, as you can see below. We made the meal on vacation in FL with all 20+ Martens'-truly memorable & yummy!

Veranikas

Ingredients:
3 egg whites and yolks, separated
½ C milk
1/8 C sour cream
2 C flour plus
1 t. salt
¾ - 1 pint dry cottage cheese or hoop cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
German sausage or ham slices
Evaporated milk

In a large bowl whip 3 egg whites, add ½ C milk & whip again. Add about 1/8 C sour cream. Add 2 C flour and 1 t. salt. Mix and use enough flour to knead.

Filling: Mix ¾ to 1 pint dry cottage cheese (hoop cheese), 3 egg yolks, salt and pepper to taste. Roll out half of dough on floured board. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture on rolled out dough, fold over and cut with cookie cutter or water glass. Pinch edges together. Have pan of boiling salted water ready and drop in one at a time. Cook until they rise to the top, then carefully lift out of the water. Fry in oil – lightly brown on each side.

Sauce: If no German sausage is available, fry slices of ham and remove. Put enough flour in pan to soak up grease, then add evaporated milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then serve over fried veranikas.

Serving:
Recipe Given By: the Grandma's Martens

Hint: In northern VA hoop cheese is called Farmer's cheese. It is much tastier than cottage cheese by far. We cut rounds out with a large cup and then fill them with the cheese mixture-like filling ravioli.

Two cuties working on Veranika's to take on vacation.

Dad Martens' dinner plate on vacation.

Gotta' Watch Sam!

I ran across this cooking show on FitTV with Sam, the Cooking Guy, as the star. He is SO funny, but best of all, he makes delicious food that is simple and good for you. Really.

I taped several episodes of this new show and had my boys watch it late one night this past week and we can't wait to give some of Sam's recipes a try. When we get to one, I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, please go to Sam's site and check out some of the recipes for yourself. If you get DiscoveryHealth or FitTV try to find a show and let me know what you think of this crazy guy. I hope you'll love him! Just click here to learn more.

PS. If you watch the video on the site, it DOES NOT do Sam justice. Just watch one episode...the burger one was mouth-watering, the pasta one - oh, my! I wish I could remember the one in which he talked about when to get a haircut...might have been the burger one...anyway, hope you'll give him a try. You can also see him cook here - click on recipes with videos. (the Ice Cream Sandwich Deal is funny.)

Cheesy Wild Rice Soup

Fast...Easy...Yummy!

Cheesy Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
1 pkg (6 oz) quick-cook long grain & wild rice mix (I use Uncle Ben's)
4 C milk
1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of potato soup
8 oz. process American cheese, cubed
½ lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large saucepan, prepare rice according to pkg directions. Stir in milk, soup and cheese; mix well. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with bacon.

Serving: 6-8
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking J/F 2000 p. 39

Mom's Macaroni Salad

This is a unique macaroni salad, with the touch of ketchup added. The final color is a light salmon, but it, truly, is very delicious. Mom M.'s original recipe used smaller portions, but we just cook up a whole pound of macaroni shells and the salad is gone within two-three days. If you give this one a try give it lots of taste tests as you add ingredients and make it your own.

Mom M’s Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta shells, cooked & rinsed in cold water
5 eggs (2 sliced on top)
1 large dill pickle (dice very small)
3/4 C plus, mayonnaise
ketchup to light pink
2 T. pickle juice
1 red onion (5 thin slices)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients ½ hour before serving.

Recipe Given By: Mom Martens, (quantity of ingredients adjusted)

Hint: Can get dry the next day, add mayo.

Chicken Carbonara

You have to love a child that says as you're filling your dinner plate, "Wait, Mama, don't you want to take a picture for your blog?" Thank You, Katie!! :)

Chicken Carbonara

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. Uncle Ben’s garlic & butter rice
10 oz. bacon, 1 inch sliced
1 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced
1 t. garlic, minced
1 C heavy cream
1 C frozen petite peas, thawed, drained
2 oz. parmesan cheese, shaved
3 green onion, thinly sliced

Cook rice to pkg. directions. Cook bacon until crisp; drain off all but 2 T. of drippings. Season chicken with salt and pepper as desired. Add chicken, sauté until seared on all sides. Add garlic and cream; simmer until it begins to thicken. Add peas, continue to cook until peas are heated through. Stir in enough cheese to thicken to sauce consistency. Serve over rice; garnish with onion; top with cheese, if desired.

Serving: 4
Recipe Given By: Quick-Cooking M/J ’99, p. 61