Creamy Salmon Piccata

Salmon fillets covered in a creamy, tangy lemon-dill sauce with capers. 

Ingredients:

4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets

1 T olive oil

S&P

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 1/4 cups and 1 T low sodium chicken broth, divided

2 t cornstarch

1/3 cup HWC (heavy whipping cream)

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 T butter

1 T fresh, minced dill

2 T capers

1T fresh, minced parsley

Directions:

Let salmon rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Heat a 12 inch heavy bottom, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Season both sides with S&P.

Place fish in skillet and sear skin side down until golden brown. Carefully flip then continue to cook until salmon is cooked through. 2-3 more minutes.

Transfer salmon to a plate an cover with foil. Leave about a Tablespoon of oil in the skillet, add garlic and saute about a minute.

Pour in 1 1/4 cups of chicken stock and let simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining Tablespoon of broth until smooth.

While whisking pour cornstarch mixture into reduced broth and cook until thickened, about a minute.

Stir in cream, butter, lemon and dill. Remove from heat and add salmon back into the pan.

Spoon sauce over the salmon, sprinkle with capers and parsley and serve.

Sourced: Cooking Classy

Laura's Greek Salad

 

My Greek salad is a beautiful, hearty salad that's almost a complete meal in itself. The genius touch is serving it over a scoop of deli potato salad, which makes it incredibly satisfying and adds this creamy contrast to all the other ingredients. Taking the time to peel the tomatoes and make cucumber flowers (not necessary!) shows this is a salad meant to impress.  Serve with Gyro meat strips, grilled chicken or shrimp. 

Ingredients:

1 head green lettuce

1 large head of Romaine lettuce

1 green bell pepper

6 plum tomatoes (boil for a few seconds and peel skin off)

1 large cumber (make cucumber flowers) 

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1 lb of deli potato salad

1 cup Kalamata olives, drained and quartered

1/2 cup of whole pepperocini, drained 

A sprinkle of fresh oregano and mint (optional)

1/2 cup to 1 cup of Penzey's Greek dressing (made from dressing base)

Directions:

Wash, spin and dry lettuce, tear or chop into bite size pieces. Thinly slice bell pepper, coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes. Make cucumber flowers.

To serve: Place a scoop of potato salad in bottom of salad bowls.  Toss all ingredients. Add dressing and toss again. 

One-Bowl Buttermilk Cake with Raspberry Buttercream Icing

From one of my favorite blogs. The Cafe Sucre Farine 

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1/4 cup butter, very soft

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 t vanilla

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Raspberry Buttercream:

12 fresh raspberries

1 t sugar

6 T butter, very soft

3-4 T 1/2 & 1/2 or milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1-2 drops of red food coloring

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a round or square cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment.

Combine the soft butter and sugar and stir until combined (we use a Danish batter spoon). The mixture will not be smooth and fluffy.

Add the egg and whisk until smooth and fluffy. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the top and whisk until mixture is smooth.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool, then turn out on cake stand.

For the Raspberry Buttercream:

Place berries in a small bowl and mash with a pasty cutter or fork. Add the 1 t of sugar and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Combine the soft butter 1/2 & 1/2 or milk, vanilla and 2 T of the raspberry mixture into a medium sized bowl. Stir together with a sturdy spatula, until well combined. 

Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time and stir until smooth and creamy, with no lumps after each addition. Add a bit more milk if needed. icing should be thick, but spreadable. 

Add 1-2 drops of red food coloring, for a brighter pink coloring.

Spread over top and sides of cake. Decorate with edible flowers or fresh raspberries. 

Sourced from The Cafe Sucrefarine

BANANA-ORANGE MARMALADE BREAD

 I can't recall where I found this recipe - my apologies - but this banana bread has become a real favorite! The secret ingredient is that orange marmalade, which adds this subtle citrus complexity that makes the banana flavor really pop. The coarsely chopped pecans provide great texture, and using self-rising flour gives it this lovely, tender crumb. That sweetened condensed milk frosting is pure genius - it's so smooth and creamy, it creates this beautiful glossy finish that makes it look bakery-worthy.

 

Ingredients:  

Butter for preparing the pan

2 very ripe banana's 

2 large eggs, well beaten

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 heaping T orange Marmalade

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 cups SELF-RISING flour (substitute: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 t of baking powder and 3/4 t salt.)

FROSTING:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a loaf pan.

Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, marmalade, vanilla and pecans and mix well.  Sift in the flour in small batches and stir. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Add frosting ingredients into a small mixing bowl and mix well to remove all lumps, using a had mixer. Pour over cooled cake,