This is a recipe Don and I discovered on the Food Network website during our first year of living together. We made it many times during that first year and often come back to it still. The minty cucumber salad compliments the roasted salmon deliciously and the sesame crust makes for a beautiful presentation. If you want to get really fancy, try laying down alternate of regular and black sesame seeds. Than press the salmon flesh into the seeds for a tiger stripe like effect.

Roasted Salmon with Chile Minted Cucumbers

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 1 small hot house cucumber, sliced thin
• 1/2 fresh red chile, sliced thin
• 1 handful fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) salmon fillet, without skin
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the cucumber, chile, and mint in a mixing bowl. Pour in the vinegar, sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together so the cucumbers are well coated in the vinegar, the cucumbers will soften and the flavors deepen as it sits.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season both sides of the salmon with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the sesame seeds. Place a cast iron or regular ovenproof skillet on the stove over medium heat. Coat the pan with the oil and when it is nice and hot, lay the salmon in the pan, sesame seed-side down. Sear the salmon for 3 minutes, then stick it in the oven and roast for 10 minutes until it's just cooked through. Serve the salmon on a pile of the chile minted cucumbers.

Peanut Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry

This recipe (see end of post) was originally inspired by one I found on MyRecipes.com, but I made my own version of it when I discovered that Tofu at Fresh and Easy was less than a dollar. I cheated by buying ready made bottled peanut thai sauce, but next time I make it (prob later this week) I think I will try the South Beach Diet version that Jeremy and Katy make. It's excellent and goes like this:

1/4 c creamy peanut butter
3 T soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 T canola oil
8 ounces tofu or tempeh
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 bunch of scallions, chopped

whisk together the peanut butter, 2 T of soy sauce, and the rice vinegar until smooth. Heat 1/2 T of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add remaining soy sauce and toss to coat. Transfer tofu to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, scallions, and bell peppers; cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add tofu and peanut butter mixture, toss until all ingredients are well coated, and serve.

Peanut-Broccoli Stir-fry


Prep: 30 min., Stand: 55 min., Cook: 10 min.


1 (16-oz.) package firm tofu
2 cups uncooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup carrot sticks
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Garnish: lime wedges

1. Place tofu between 2 flat plates. Weight the top with a heavy can. (Sides of tofu should be bulging slightly but not cracking.) Let stand 45 minutes; discard liquid. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Prepare rice according to package directions, adding 1/2 tsp. salt.

3. Meanwhile, combine vegetable broth and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Add tofu, and toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove tofu from marinade, reserving marinade.

4. Heat oils in a nonstick skillet or wok over high heat 1 minute. Add tofu, and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove tofu. Add broccoli and carrot sticks; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add reserved marinade, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened; stir in cooked tofu. Serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

CALORIES 400 (0.0% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 2.1g,mono 3.8g,poly 2.7g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 188mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58g; SODIUM 633mg; PROTEIN 15.3g; FIBER 5.8g

Southern Living, JANUARY 2008

"Nothing this healthy should taste this good!"

Enough said.

Zucchini, Olive, and Cheese Quesadillas
from Cooking Light, October 2001

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 fat-free flour tortillas (8-inch)
1/2 cup preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces) divided
1/2 cup diced tomato, divided
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives, divided
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce) divided

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add zucchini; sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in oregano, salt, and pepper.

Wipe pan clean with paper towels, and coat with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to pan, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Top with half of the zucchini mixture, 1/4 cup tomato, 2 tablespoons olives, 2 tablespoons feta, and 1 tortilla. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Carefully turn quesadilla; cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Place quesadilla on a cutting board; cut in half using a serrated knife. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, mozzarella, zucchini mixture, tomato, olives, and feta. Serve warm.

Artichoke-and-Red Pepper Pizza

I'm finding myself with a busy schedule these days and have fallen behind on the cooking blog. I've also started a new blog called LA Cheapskate in which I've been featuring a lot of great tasting economical recipes, finding new ways to cook and enjoy amazing food for less. However, I've also realized that I've reached a milestone with the cooking blog. Camille and I started this blog together on November 7th of 2007. A whole year and a half ago! It's now become not just a fun place to share recipes, but an important resource and collection for me to reference back on when trying to think of what to plan for dinner. So even though I've already posted some of these on my other blog, I want to repost them here so I'll be able to reference them all together here in the future.

This incredible sauce-less vegetarian pizza was recently featured on my other blog here. We have fallen in love with Fresh & Easy's refrigerated Pizza Dough and this recipe really lets it shine. Be sure to cook the crust before putting on the toppings and then just put in long enough for the cheese to melt and bubble a bit.


Artichoke-and-Red Pepper Pizza


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1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (2.5-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cracked pepper (optional)

Unroll pizza dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Bake at 425° for 5 minutes; set aside.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add red bell pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in artichokes and mushrooms.

Sprinkle half of cheese over prepared pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly over cheese, and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with cracked pepper, if desired. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Yield: 16 appetizers (serving size: 1 appetizer)

CALORIES 101 (32% from fat); FAT 3.6g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 103mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.7g; SODIUM 256mg; PROTEIN 4.8g; FIBER 0.3g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1995

Breakfast Fit For a Queen

I have been swimming 3 to 4 times a week and been starving since I started. I don't know what it is, but I'm burning so many more calories now and my body is craving good food that has some carbs. I've also been craving french toast but a healthier version, one that's not sitting in fat and butter for minutes on end. I turned to MyRecipes and found this recipe that was completely satisfying. It's a great brunch recipe and would taste fantastic with bacon (not so healthy) and mimosas (be sure to drink water too!) When I own a B&B someday, this will definitely be on the menu!

.

French Toast For A Queen

from Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cooking oil spray
8 slices sweet French or challah bread, about 1 inch thick
Powdered sugar
Maple syrup
Orange wedges

Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, whisk to blend eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Lightly mist a 10- by 15-inch nonstick pan with cooking oil spray.
3. Soak bread thoroughly on each side, a few pieces at a time, in egg mixture.
4. Place slices slightly apart in a single layer in baking pan.
5. Bake in a 500° oven until toast is golden on bottom, about 5 minutes. With a wide spatula, turn slices over and bake until other side is browned, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer hot French toast to plates.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with maple syrup, and serve with orange wedges, squeezing juice onto toast.

.

CKS Note: I didn't have any oranges or powdered sugar, and frankly, you don't need them. I also realized I was out of vanilla extract so I used almond extract instead and it gave the dish a really nice flavor.

Light and Summery

Matt and I have been having an adverse reaction to spaghetti sauce, and really, cooked tomatoes altogether. Pizza is no longer an appealing option so it has been a fun challenge for me to find fresh tomato sauces that taste good, are comforting, and easy on the digestive system. A few weeks ago I found a large amount of dill for a great price at the farmers market. I had so much leftover that I had to go digging around on the Internet to find another recipe to use up the rest! Luckily, I found one that matched our needs and I've made it twice this week. I'd use fresh parsley and dill if you can, it makes all the difference. I think next time I'll add another clove of garlic, and maybe some cooked chicken too, right before serving. This would also taste excellent with homemade pesto and/or grilled shrimp! You could even dice the tomatoes a little more and serve on baguette slices - bruschetta!

Fresh Tomato Dill Pasta
from Cooks.com

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. diced ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dill weed
2 tsp. finely minced shallot or green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. thin pasta noodles (such as linguine, angel hair or spaghetti), cooked

Directions:
In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, parsley, dill, shallot and garlic. Gradually stir in olive oil.

For best flavor, let sauce sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. When ready to serve, add salt and pepper; toss with hot cooked pasta.

Makes 2 to 4 servings (about 3 1/2 cups sauce).

Purrrfect Pancakes

Matt is not a pancake fan, and yet it is a breakfast staple of mine. Growing up, Sunday mornings were my favorite because Mom made either homemade pancakes or waffles, sometimes served with homemade raspberry or strawberry jam (there's only a few left now in the freezer). Sometimes she'd even surprise us with bacon or sausage as a side, and as always, orange juice to drink (they didn't have organic juice in those days). It's one of my favorite memories and many emotions are tied to them, happy ones of course. The house was always so warm and snuggly on those mornings, and Mom, Dad and I (and Katie too when she finally arrived) would talk about the week that we had and the week that was coming up.

But I digress...

In search of more breakfast recipes, I came across one for Lemon Ricotta Cheese pancakes. What really got me excited was that this was not a standard pancake recipe. Sure, it involves buttermilk, but the flavors are totally different and the buttermilk adds a nice tartness that balances out the lemon. The ricotta adds depth and texture. I reccomend serving these on warm plates with strawberry or raspberry jam and a side of bacon never hurts!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
from Sunset Magazine

Notes: This is our adaptation of Crest Cafe's (San Diego, California) lemon-ricotta pancakes, which are served with fresh strawberries and bananas. Top the bananas with a sprinkling of grated lemon peel and offer warm maple syrup to drizzle over the fruit and cakes.


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Salad oil (I used Canola oil which worked just fine)

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, and lemon peel to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in ricotta cheese.

2. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With a flexible spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter just until they are incorporated.

3. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350°); when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Drop batter in 1/2-cup portions onto the griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn cakes with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to cook remaining pancakes.

4. Serve pancakes as cooked, or keep warm in a single layer on baking sheets in a 200° oven for up to 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes about 8 pancakes; 4 servings

CALORIES 318 (21% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.6g); CHOLESTEROL 116mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 13g; FIBER 1.4g