Panko Crusted Salmon

Ina Garten is one of the only Food Network chefs I will watch these days.  She seems like such a genuinely nice person and her food is usually a big hit!

Tonight’s recipe was loosely adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?.  My tweaks include cutting the recipe to make two portions, leaving out the mustard and adding garlic powder.

This was absolutely delicious!  And so easy to make!  This will definitely become a regular in our house.

INGREDIENTS
2 Salmon filets
1/2C. Panko breadcrumbs
Zest from 1 lemon
1T. Parsley, chopped
1 Egg white
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
4T. Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, lemon, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Add 2T. of the olive oil and set aside.

Separate egg white and place in another small bowl.

Brush tops of salmon with egg white and cover with panko mixture.  Press lightly to adhere.

Heat an oven-proof skillet with the remaining 2T. olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add salmon filets, skin side down, and cook 3-4 minutes.

Place skillet in the oven for 5-7 minutes.  Remove and let rest at least 4 minutes before serving.

Husband Rating – 5 out of 5 – “This was awesome!”

Barefoot Cont

DIRECTIONSessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips

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Lemon Chicken

I once read an article that said that if you are cooking for a first date, to make the man lemon chicken (basically, a lemon cut up and inserted into the cavity of a whole chicken).  Evidently, that dish wins over the hearts of men everywhere.

I know I have already won over my hubby’s heart but, tonight, I felt like making Christopher a lovely Sunday night meal to thank him (both for being a wonderful supportive husband while I’m going to culinary school and for taking such good care of me this past week when I was sick with an ear infection).  So, I figured this would be a great ‘thank you meal’  – and it was!

I made a few changes based upon our likes/dislikes.  If you would like to see the original recipe, please click the link below.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats (originally from Simply Recipes).

INGREDIENTS
2T. Lemon zest
1/3C. Freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2t. Fresh parsley, chopped
1t. Salt
1t. Black pepper
1T. Olive oil
2-4lbs. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
2T. Melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.

Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees (if the skin isn’t as crispy as you might like, just crank up the broiler for a few minutes).  Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.  Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Very moist and delicious!”

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Honey Wheat Cookies

Every Friday someone in my office brings breakfast – we have about 50 employees so it works out well that everyone does it about once a year.  This past Friday was my turn.  Usually I bring my Grandmother’s hash brown casserole – everyone loves it and actually asks for it!  But, earlier this week we had a presentation all about wellness and I felt like bringing a casserole full of potatoes, cheese, butter, creamy soup and bread crumbs might not mesh well with the wellness presentation.

So, I went in search of things I could make that were healthier.  I came across these cookies on Stylish Cuisine.  The original recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s book Baking from My Home to Yours.

I managed to substitute margarine and Splenda for the butter and sugar in this recipe and it still turned out fantastically!  I can only imagine how great they are with butter and real sugar!

Don’t be scared of the wheat germ.  We usually have it in the house and will put it on oatmeal or in smoothies – it’s really quite good and you can barely taste it in the cookie (to me, the biggest flavors in these cookies were the lemon and honey).  So tasty!

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4C. All purpose flour
1C. Wheat germ
1t. Baking powder
1/4t. Salt
1/2C. Sugar
2t. Grated lemon zest
1 stick (8T.) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2C. Honey
1 Large egg

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together the flour, 1/2C. of the wheat germ, the baking powder and salt.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, run the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist.  Add the butter and, using the paddle or whisk attachment of a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy or smooth.  Add the honey and beat for another minute or two.  Add the egg and beat for about 2 minutes more, until you have a smooth, light , fluffy mixture.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 2 portions, mixing only until each addition disappears.  Scrape the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap well.  Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Getting ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Put the remaining 1/2C. wheat germ into a bowl.  Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and, working with a spoonful of it at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch balls.

Drop each ball into the wheat germ and turn to coat, then place the balls on one of the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them(these don’t spread).  Use your palm or the bottom of a glass to gently flatten each cookie.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just firm to the touch.  Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Storing: The cookies will keep at room temperature for about 3 days or wrapped airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Surprisingly delicious!!”

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Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball

This was the other treat I decided to bring to our Mother’s Day lunch.  The cheese ball was very tasty – not too sweet, nice and zesty and I don’t think anyone knew I used fat-free cream cheese.  😉

Recipe found on Annie’s Eats – originally from NPR.

INGREDIENTS
10 oz. Cream cheese
2½T. Sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
4t. Freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Graham crackers
Assorted dippers

DIRECTIONS
Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl.  Stir together with a spoon or spatula until well combined and smooth (I used my stand mixer and let it go for about 2-minutes to get it fluffier).  Mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball, wrapped tightly.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.  Reshape if necessary once firm.

Coarsely crush the graham crackers and transfer the crumbs to a plate or bowl.  Roll the cheese ball in the crumbs until evenly coated.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Husband Rating – N/A – (Everyone else at the party gobbled it down quickly, though.  I think it was a hit!)

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Strawberry Lemon Easter Cupcakes

Happy Easter everyone!

This week we had some really bad rain here in CT and our basement flooded.  Awesome!  So, after long nights of cleaning and hunching over a shop vac, I needed some serious baking-therapy and these are what came out!

I admit, I used boxed mix b/c I didn’t have all of the ingredients in the house, but I’m OK with that.  When a girl’s gotta bake, a girl’s gotta bake!

I’m not sure where I got the idea for the frosting ‘nest’…maybe it was original.  I don’t know.  Anyway, any excuse to use Robin Eggs is good enough for me – I love those things!

They’re getting rave reviews from the co-workers as I type!

Please forgive the terrible office lighting.

INGREDIENTS
1 box Strawberry cake mix with necessary eggs/oil/water
1 can Lemon frosting
1 bag Robin Egg candies

DIRECTIONS
Bake cupcakes according to package directions and allow to cool completely.

Empty frosting into a piping bag fitted with your smallest round tip.  Pipe frosting in a large circle all over the top of the cupcake.

Top with 2 Robin Eggs and allow to harden slightly (so the eggs do not slip off) before storing in an airtight container.

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Crispy Lemon Thyme Chicken Cutlets

I’ve been on a thyme kick lately and this is my latest creation using this delicious herb.  It was wonderfully flavored and delightfully crunchy.  Best of all – everything came together in less than 15 minutes!

Panko breadcrumbs are definitely the way to go with this dish.  If you haven’t tried panko yet, grab some next time you’re at the store (it’s right next to the regular breadcrumbs) you will be so glad you did!

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Thin-sliced chicken cutlets
2 Eggs
2T. Water
Olive oil
1 1/2C. Panko breadcrumbs
1 Lemon
Leaves of 6-8 thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Ready two bowls.  In one, add eggs and water and beat together.  In the second bowl add panko, the zest of your lemon, leaves from thyme sprigs, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Pour olive oil into a large skillet and set over medium high heat.  One at a time, dip the chicken into the egg wash then the panko mixture.  Add to the hot skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Remove from skillet, squeeze a little of the reserved lemon juice over the top and enjoy!

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “These were so crispy and really good!”

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Lemon Blueberry Bread

This post will be the first of many for the new WC Ingredient Challenge (the cooking board I frequent decided to start this challenge to get us experimenting with different ingredients – we all select an ingredient, make something with it and blog about it). This time the secret ingredient was blueberries, perfect! It became even more perfect when one of my co-worker’s brought in a big bowl of blueberries that her Father picked from his backyard. Score!

This bread, that I found on Joy of Baking, was delicious! Sweet, tart and cakey. It was a little hard to get out of the pan, but that’s ok.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2C. All-purpose flour
1t. Baking powder
1/4t. Salt
6T. Unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4C. Granulated white sugar
2 Large eggs
1/2t. Pure vanilla extract
1T.Grated lemon zest
1/2C. Milk
1C. Fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze
1/4C. Granulated white sugar
2T. Fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute).  Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour.  Mix only until combined.  Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes (mine took 60), or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack.  Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze.  Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

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Husband Rating – 3.5 out of 5 – “Good, but I think I’d prefer it without the blueberries.”

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Garlic, Lemon and Basil Chicken

Another gem from LovesToEat!  This was super simple and deilsh!  Perfect for a weeknight meal.

(Edited 2/24/10 – New Photo)

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Thin-sliced chicken breasts
1/4C. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4C.  Basil, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
3T.  Grated Parmesan cheese (I used soy parm.)
2T. Vegetable oil
S&P to taste
1.5C. Cooked broccoli
Angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS
Mix together lemon juice, basil (reserve a small amount to stir into the cooked pasta), garlic and oil in a Ziploc bag.  Close and shake to incorporate everything.  Add chicken to the bag and let marinate for 45 minutes.

Heat grill (or indoor grill pan) to medium heat.

Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last 4 minutes of cooking, add broccoli.  Drain (reserve a small amount of pasta water at the end in case the dish is too dry).

Cook chicken until completely cooked through.

Serve chicken on top of the pasta and broccoli mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

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Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “I love basil!”

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Garlic Lemon Pork Loin

I had a pork loin laying around the house that I needed to use.  I knew I wanted it garlicky, so I Googled “Garlic Pork” and found this recipe here.  My pork loin was only 1lb, so I cut all the ingredients in half.  YUM!  This was delish!  We’ll definitely be making it again soon.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 lb Pork Loin roast
1 Head of garlic, pressed (I used 5 cloves)
1T. Kosher salt
1t. Freshly ground black pepper
2t. Chopped rosemary (I didn’t have any so I used parsley)
2 Lemons, juiced
4T. Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the pork loin and marinade at least 4 hours (or overnight) in a large Ziploc bag.

When ready, place roast and marinade in an oven safe dish and bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 155 (our 1lb loin was ready in 45 minutes).

When done, remove the roast from the pan and let rest 5 minutes.

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Basil & Lemon Grilled Swordfish

Swordfish is, without a doubt, our favorite fish (so much so that we served it at our wedding).  This marinade was thrown together randomly one day and we’ve stuck with it ever since.   It’s super simple and very tasty!

INGREDIENTS
1lb Swordfish Steak
1 1/2 T Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1 1/2t Dried Basil
S&P to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the other half for plating)

DIRECTIONS
Marinate swordfish in oil, basil, garlic, S&P and lemon for at least 2 hours.

Remove from marinade and grill until internal temperature reaches 120.

Serve with reserved lemon wedge.

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