Johnny Garlic's Cedar Plank Salmon

This is Guy Fieri's recipe and it's one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. It's certainly wonderful just as written. If however, you just want an delicious, easy meal or don't have a cedar plank you can just bake the salmon and then apply the warm sauce immediately before serving. I bake it at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes and then apply the sauce.


4ea - 6oz Salmon Filet, skinned and deboned

2 t Sea Salt

1 t Pepper, black fresh

4ea - Rosemary sprig, 3” fresh

2ea - Jalapeno, seeded, diced

1 T Garlic, minced

1 c Apricot preserves

1/2 c White wine

3 T Mustard, whole grain

4 pc Parchment paper, 4X4

4 pc Cedar plank, food service quality

1 Lemon, for zesting



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.



In a small sauté pan over medium heat add oil, when oil is hot add jalapenos and sauté until caramelized. Add garlic, before it begins to brown, deglaze pan with white wine. Next add mustard and apricot preserves, simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Let cool.



Place parchment paper on planks, add salmon, lightly salt and pepper, place rosemary sprig on filet, and liberally apply cooled apricot mixture.



Place cedar plank on gas burner and begin to set wood on fire. When plank has begun to smoke, place in oven.

Cook salmon until medium rare, remove from oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving, Garnish with lemon zest.

Yum!

Banana Bread

Use  very ripe bananas for this bread. If your bananas aren't ripe put them in a brown paper bag for a day or so and they'll ripen faster. I used  large bananas for this bread; if yours are small add an extra banana.

Your house is going to smell heavenly.


• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 3 ripe bananas

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add dry ingredients, to the banana mixture and mix just until flour disappears

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing

Moist, delicious, simple.

Blondies

White chocolate, dark chocolate, pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts; it’s up to you. Use 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of chocolate in any combination.

Adapted from Cooks

Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 11 3/4 X 7 1/2-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of foil or parchment paper.  Coat the lined pan with vegetable cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips and the nuts, and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, for about25 minutes. Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely



Ridiculous.

The Best Turkey Burger

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that first appeared in Gourmet in 2004 entitled “Turkey Cheddar Burgers”.

I used a mixture of equal parts white and dark ground turkey from Whole Foods. The dark turkey keeps the burgers moist but it adds fat.

 Make these on an outdoor grill If at all possible.

Now for the cheese… if you have a Whole Foods nearby, you want to use Seaside Cheddar. Seaside mature English cheddar is a cow's milk cheese. It is smooth and nutty with a little bite. It combines both a creamy sharpness and a crunch that comes from the calcium crystals. It is full-bodied and complex with a start, middle and an end. This is an amazing cheese; once you taste it you will never forget it. (If you don’t have a have a Whole Foods near you, from what I have been able to determine this could be similar to what is sold under the name of Coastal Cheddar available at Trader Joes.)

FOR BURGERS

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 lb ground turkey (white and dark meat)

• 2 ½ oz Seaside Cheddar cut into 2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices ( the cheddar must be extra sharp)

• 4 Brioche hamburger rolls

FOR SUN-DRIED TOMATO MAYONNAISE

• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

• 1 tablespoon water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• ACCOMPANIMENT:

lettuce leaves

MAKE MAYONNAISE

• Purée tomatoes with water, vinegar, and salt in a blender or mini food processor, scraping down sides as necessary, then blend in mayonnaise.



MAKE BURGERS:

• Prepare or preheat an outdoor grill.

• Cook shallot in oil with salt and pepper in an 8-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, and then transfer to a bowl. Add turkey and mix gently but thoroughly.

• Turn out turkey mixture onto a sheet of wax paper and divide into 4 equal mounds. Pat 1 mound into a 4-inch patty and top with 1 piece of cheese then put a second mound on top, patting it onto other patty to enclose cheese. Pinch edges together to seal and shape into a single patty.

• Grill burgers, turning over once, until just cooked through (no longer pink), 8 to 9 minutes total.

• While burgers are cooking, lightly toast the Brioche rolls.

ASSEMBLE BURGERS:

• Spread cut sides of rolls with tomato mayonnaise. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce.

Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes and Nicoise Olives

I've been making this tuna for years. It takes almost no time to make so it’s perfect for a rushed weeknight meal and yet it’s special enough for entertaining. You can make as much or as little of the sundried tomato mixture as you like and you can finely chop the ingredients or leave them a little larger as I've done here.

It’s best cooked on an outdoor grill.

3/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped

3/4 cup pitted Nicoise olives- cut in half

A handful of fresh mint, chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 tuna filets

Fresh ground black pepper

Olive oil



Preheat a broiler or grill.

In a bowl stir together the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, mint, garlic and pepper. Add two tablespoons of oil from the sundried tomatoes. 

Brush the tuna with a little olive oil and grill or broil about 2 – 3 minutes per side (do not overcook) .

Plate the tuna and spoon the sundried tomato mixture over the filets.

Enjoy.



 

Brown Rice and Lentil Soup

This is a one of my favorite soups. I like  it  spicy but you can adjust the seasoning to your taste. Lentils are the quintessential comfort food and they are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins and folate. Serve this with some whole grain bread and perhaps a salad...completely satisfying. This soups is wonderful.

I've also made this with jalapeño pepper or hot pepper oil instead of the tobasco sauce. If you use jalapeños just slice them and saute them with the veggies.

adapted from a recipe by Jane Brody


10 cups of water

2 cups lentils

1/2 cup of brown rice

1 tbs olive oil

4 large cloves garlic minced

2 tbs grated ginger

1 cup chopped scallions, including green tops

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tbs white rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

tabasco sauce to taste



In a large pot bring the water to a boil. Stir in the lentils and brown rice and boil over moderate heat for 30 minutes.


In a large skillet ( non-stick if you have it) heat the oil , add the garlic, ginger, scallions, celery, green pepper and parsley and saute until softened.


When the lentils and rice are done, add the vegtables to the pan along with the soy sauce, vinegar, salt and tobasco.



Serves 6-8.

Chicken Adobo - Filipino style

Adobo/Inadobo" − cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. It could also refer to just roasting on a wok, with light oil, garlic and salt, as in adobong mani (peanut adobo).

I was looking for something I could make with ingredients I have in the house today and I came across Chicken Adobo, the national dish of the Phillipines. Adobo is actually a Spanish word meaning marinade. The ingredients in this dish are ones we all know well but the combination was a delightful surprise.

Not only is this quick and easy but it is incredibly delicious. There is no overpowering vinegar taste and the aroma is heavenly. This one is definetely a keeper.

I served it on a bed of couscous and I left the whole peppercorns in the sauce, but you can strain it if you like.


• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 whole garlic bulb , peeled and crushed

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger , grated ( I throw it into the food processor)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3 pounds chicken, cut into pieces



1. Combine the first seven ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add chicken. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, basting the chicken occasionally. After 30 minutes, remove lid and cook until liquid reduces ( by about half)

2. Remove chicken from the pot to a serving plate. Serve chicken hot over rice and drizzle with reserved sauce