Pan-Fried Salmon Cakes

 I love how fresh and fancy these are. I often use canned salmon just for the convenience 

Also via my sister in law. Very very good

1 1/2 lbs salmon filets, skin removed

1/4 plain dried breadcrumbs  (I prefer Panko crushed up a bit)

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup grated onion

2 TBSP minced fresh parsley

1 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

3/4 tsp salt

Dredge:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup dried breadcrumbs (I prefer Panko crushed finely)

1/2 cup canola oil (for frying)

Lemon wedges/tarter sauce for serving 

1. Remove any bones from the salmon, if canned don't worry about it. Pulse salmon in food processor unit lfinely minced but not pureed about 4 pulses. 

2. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, the mayo, onion, parsley, lemon juice and salt to form a cohesive mixture. Form into roughly 8 patties about 2 1/2 inches wide. Lay on two plates lined with plastic wrap. Freeze uncovered until firm, about 15 minutes. 

Spread the flour, eggs and remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs into 3 separate shallow dishes. Work with ones at a time dredge through flour, dip into egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they adhere to the fish. 

4. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high until shimmering. Gently lay in skillet and cook until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel and enjoy. 

Fresh Berry Oatmeal

 This is such a refreshing healthy oatmeal my sister in law found. I find mixing the liquid before makes it not separate so the extra step is necessary. 

1/3 can coconut milk

1 TBSP maple syrup

1/2 cup orange juice

stevia or sweetener to taste

Whisk together and pour over 1 cup prepared oatmeal and top with fresh berries and nuts and flax seeds. 

Thai Avocado Salad

Clean food crush (instagram) again "Thai Inspired Avocado Salad"

Dressing:

juice of 2 fresh limes

zest of 1 lime

1 large bunch fresh cilantro leaves

1 TBSP honey or maple syrup

opt. 1 Thai red chilli seeded and chopped

3 fresh garlic cloves peeled and halved

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

2 TBSP avocado oil, olive oil or sesame oil

Salad:

1 head Chinese or Napa Cabbage finely shredded

1/2 small head red cabbage finely shredded

2 medium ripe avocados, sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

3 green onions, sliced

Red Mexican Rice

Another red Mexican rice recipe but less work as my other. 

via https://www.seededatthetable.com/easy-mexican-rice/#wprm-recipe-container-18089

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and cook until translucent (somewhat clear) about 3-4 minutes; stirring frequently.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a rapid boil over high heat.
• Stir once and cover. Turn the heat down to almost low (a little less than medium low) and cook for 25 minutes.  Remove cover and let stand 2-3 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  

Lemon Bars earlier this year

 I tried these and I don't think they were perfect but we couldn't stop eating them. B wanted me to keep it. I can compare with others Ive tried. 

via https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/easy-lemon-bars-recipe/

Crust

• 2 cups + 2 tbsp (276g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 2 1/2 cups (518g) granulated sugar* 
• 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
• 7 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper that sticks up above the sides of the pan, so that you can remove the bars later for easy cutting. Set pan aside.
2. To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and stir to combine completely.
4. Crumble and distribute over the bottom of the pan and press evenly into the bottom so that it’s even.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
6. To make the filling, combine the sugar and flour. Add the eggs, lemon juice and salt and whisk together to combine. Don’t over mix. 
7. Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake for 18-22 minutes or until relatively set. Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
8. Remove bars from pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares. Bars are best when stored well covered, and they’ll last for 5-6 days.

Vegan Lemon Bars

 I made these for Mother's Day for a friend and their lemon flavor is outstanding. They're not as custardy as non but I loved the crust (total perfection) and the topping was still just a lemony tall bite of goodness. She loved them and so did I. 

via https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-lemon-bars/

SHORTBREAD CRUST:

• ▢ 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted (I love country crock plant based olive oil butter)
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

LEMON FILLING:

• ▢ 3/4 cup lemon juice, from about 4 large lemons
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups full fat coconut milk, using mostly the white part (just from one can, only leave a about a cup of clearish liquid left in a cup)
• ▢ 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ tiny pinch of turmeric, optional for color (1/8th teaspoon)

FOR SERVING:

• ▢ powdered sugar, for dusting the tops
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, add the mix together the melted vegan butter, sugar and salt. Add the flour and stir until combined. The dough will be thick. Press it into the pan with your hands, evenly and firmly. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Set aside.
• Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, add the lemon juice, lemon zest if using for even more lemon flavor, sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch + tiny pinch of turmeric for color, if desired. Whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens. (see photos in post above for reference)
• Spread the filling over the crust evenly, using a spatula if needed to smooth. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator for an additional 1-2 hours, or overnight, until set.
• Lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper, dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into 16 squares. 
• Leftover bars will keep for up to 1 week in a covered container in the refrigerator. They freeze well, too. Enjoy!

Broccoli Egg Crustless Quiche

 Clean Food Crush calls these Breakfast Egg + Broccoli bars. I just love them as meal prep. They're a great high protein breakfast I can make ahead and eat all week long. I love using my food processor to chop everything up.

adapted via https://cleanfoodcrush.com/breakfast-egg-broccoli-bars/

• 1 medium-large head of broccoli
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 1/4 onion diced up fine
• 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup oat flour (ground oats) (1/2 cup unground)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sometimes I sprinkle in Veggie sal

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and line a rectangular 8×11-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Using a hand grater, grate the carrots, then set aside.

Hold the broccoli with the stem facing up and separate the florets making downward cuts from the stem.

Very thinly chop the broccoli florets.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add in the broccoli and shredded carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they are tender-crisp.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, crack your eggs and add in oat flour, shredded cheese and seasonings; whisk until well combined. Fold in the sautéed veggies.

Pour this mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, and it’s just set.

Remove from your oven, and allow to cool a bit.

Slice into 8 bars and serve.

These bars are EXCELLENT for meal prep.

Refrigerate in air-tight containers for up to 5 days.

Serve cold or reheated.

Ina Garten Chocolate Icebox Cake

 This is technically the mocha chocolate icebox cake. But I don't do coffee and the cake is just absolutely decadent without. I can't believe I haven't blogged this yet. We had this at my nieces first or 2nd birthday and her Mimi made it. It's my number one kryptonite. I just can't resist chocolatey chip mousey goodness. We had this for Mother's Day and drizzled it with Nutella. oh my! Not to mention it's stupid easy. No baking...unless you forget to buy some flat chocolate chip cookies. 

via https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mocha-chocolate-icebox-cake-recipe-1923360

2 cups cold heavy cream

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese (can sub with cream cheese)

1/2 cup sugar ( a bit less)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Gharidelli 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate's Bake Shop (can do less I forgot it's 5 layers and went with 3 and it was still amazing)

Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish, extra cool whip or whatever to make it pretty, or Nutella for drizzling on top. 


,

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, cocoa powder,  and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.
2. To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

Lemon Bars (Janae's)

 My friend Janae found this recipe and made them for her son's lemonade stand. They were a huge hit. I tried one of her "flops" and it was still stinking delicious. Thicker custardy topping that cuts pretty well. A really sturdy base. I'm a sucker for a good lemon bar and I love trying different recipes. 

via https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-bars-recipe/#tasty-recipes-67259-jump-target

• 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

Lemon Filling

• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan* with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
2. Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). A new step I swear by, this helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.
3. Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined.
4. Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
5. Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
6. Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

---

Notes

1. Glass Dish: Use a ceramic or glass pan. I always detect a slight metallic flavor in the lemon bars when baked in metal pans.
2. Halve the Recipe: Halve each of the ingredients to yield around 12 squares in a 9×9-inch baking pan. Same oven temperature. Bake the crust for 16-18 minutes and the bars for 20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.
3. Sifting: More often than not, the flour doesn’t fully incorporate into the lemon filling unless it’s sifted with the sugar. As directed in the recipe, sift the two together before adding the eggs and lemon juice. I don’t always do this (and didn’t even do it in the video above!) but it’s preferred to avoid any flour lumps. If you have a sifter, it’s worth using. If you forget, it’s not a huge deal. Here is my favorite sifter. You use it again to dust the lemon bars with confectioners’ sugar.
4. Lemon Juice: For exceptional taste, I highly recommend fresh lemon juice.  Or use another fresh-squeezed citrus like grapefruit, blood orange, lime, or regular orange. You can slightly reduce the sugar if using a sweeter citrus. I recommend no less than 1 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar in the filling as it’s needed for structure.
5. Room Temperature: Bringing the eggs and lemon juice to room temperature helps them mix easier into the flour and sugar. However, I never notice a taste or texture difference when using cold. Room temperature or cold, use whichever!

Nutella Mousse

 This is DELICIOUS. I made it for a crepe party. The host shared the recipe with me. This is good for so many things. We had chocolate crepes, it would be great stuffed in strawberries, as a fruit dip, or even cupcake filling. I add more than the 1 cup of Cool-whip because it's pretty stiff. Grab a spoon!

via https://jamiecooksitup.net/2014/04/whipped-nutella-mousse-3-ingredients/

Yield: 2 cups
Recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

1 C Nutella
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 C cool whip

1. Place 1 cup of the Nutella into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 softened package of cream cheese and beat it with hand-held beaters (or you can beat it in your stand mixer) until its nice and smooth.
3. Fold in 1 cup cool whip. Stir it well, making sure everything is well combined.

That's it! Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.