Lemon Beurre Blanc

I recently had a banquet where there was a lot of salmon left over, and I brought it home. Tonight, I made a lemon beurre blanc to eat with the the salmon, and it was delicious - even Tom thought so!

Lemon Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion or 2 medium shallots, super finely diced (about ¼ cup diced)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (from 2 medium or 1 large lemons)
• ¼ cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay or pino grigio
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup 8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, combine ¼ cup finely diced onion, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup wine and simmer over medium heat until reduced to a thick mixture (7-8 min).
2. Whisk in &frac1;2 cup cream and as soon as it comes to a simmer, reduce to low heat and slowly whisk in the 8 Tbsp butter, one tablespoon at a time (whisking constantly). Add ¼ tsp salt or to taste and remove from heat. Cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.

I, of course, didn't have any heavy cream, so I found a heavy cream substitute and used that:

Heavy Cream Substitute

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 T flour

Directions:

1. Melt 1/3 cup butter on the stove, or in the microwave; allow it to cool slightly; then, slowly pour the butter into ¾ cup milk, stirring constantly, so the milk doesn’t curdle. Add one tablespoon of flour to thicken the substitute, if using low-fat milk. This will help to bring it to the consistency of heavy cream. Use in place of one cup of heavy cream in any dish that does not call for the cream to be whipped.

Clam Chowder

I'm losing steam and am running out of Tidewater produce! Tonight I made Clam Chowder.

This dish used cream and celery from the Tidewater.

Crab Mac and Cheese

Tonight, I made Mac and Cheese, but with a twist - I added crab meat!

Tom loved, loved, loved it - I thought it was okay. I guess crab in mac and cheese just isn't my thing.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

So, after making Scallops Alfredo for Tom, I made a dish I've made several times before for myself - Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.

This dish used green peppers and mushrooms from the Tidewater.

Scallops Alfredo

I got this one right on the second try!

After my earlier "miss," Tom requested some creamy scallop pasta for dinner. Last night, I attempted a different cream sauce, but it had too much butter his taste (but it was much better after I drained it). Tonight, with a little bit more tweaking, I made a successful dish using scallops, linguine and cream.

Scallops in a Parmesan Cream Sauce

Tonight, I had my first real "miss" with my experimentation.

I had hoped to replicate in some way the Tidewater's Cajun Scallop Alfredo dish, but change it up a little to replicate a pasta dish that I love at Ruby Tuesday's. I cooked the scallops, and using a recipe for a Parmesan cream sauce that I found on the internet, I made what I thought would be a really good dish. Nope, too much Parmesan. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. This dish used linguine, scallops, cream and tomatoes from the Tidewater.

Fresh Veggies

I didn't do anything too creative today, we just worked on leftovers, but I did slice up cucumbers and celery and ate them with tomatoes and peanut butter.

Neptune Pasta Salad

How did I use the Tidewater produce tonight?

Well, I used lettuce and tomatoes in a ham sandwich and cavatappi, ranch dressing and tomatoes in Neptune Pasta Salad.

Herbed Broccoli

For tonight's installment of No- to Low-Spend February, in addition to ham, I made Herbed Broccoli, a dish from the Betty Crocker cookbook.

This used broccoli and tomatoes from Tidewater and ham that I've had in the freezer.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

I kicked off No- to Low-Spend February by making Bacon Wrapped Scallops and salad.

I wrapped bacon around scallops, secured them with toothpicks, then baked them for 25 minutes at 475&F. They were served alongside salad made with leaf lettuce, salad mix, cucumbers, tomatoes and mushrooms.
There's still enough of both to make more of each.

No- or Low-Spend February

It was brought to my attention by Wanda that this is No- to Low-Spend February. Well, I really need that right now, since the Tidewater Grille is closing for a month and a half. Yesterday, servers who were working were allowed to take any food that had not been bought, so I went in this morning and picked up a whole lot of free produce and other yummy items. I'll be attempting to use the following items sometime this month:

• leaf lettuce
• salad mix
• broccoli
• tomatoes
• celery
• cucumbers
• green peppers
• red peppers
• mushrooms
• limes
• oranges
• orange juice
• ranch dressing
• milk
• heavy cream
• linguine
• cavatappi
• scallops

I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Pork Schnitzel

Tom and I were on a cruise earlier this month, and I was surprised to see Tom enjoy the Pork Schnitzel that was served one day. We asked the chef how he prepared it, and it seemed easy enough, so I tried it out tonight.

Pork Schnitzel

Ingredients

• pork
• salt, pepper, and paprika
• flour
• eggs
• Panko bread crumbs
• olive oil
• butter

Directions

1. Prepare the pork by placing it between two pieces of plastic wrap. With a mallet or heavy pot, pound the living daylight out of the pork. You want it to be very thin when you're done - about 1/8 - 1/4 inch. Remove the plastic wrap and season the pork with salt, pepper and paprika.
2. In three seperate large flat dishes (I used cake and pie pans), place flour, eggs and Panko bread crumbs. Dip pounded and seasoned pork into flour, then eggs, then finally Panko bread crumbs. Try to ensure that the pork is evenly coated at each stage of the process.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil. Fry each cutlet for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Be careful not to overcook the pork, because the Panko might burn, and as you cook more pork, you will need to replenish the butter/olive oil in the pan. Tom liked it, I liked it - I'll definitely make this dish again.

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

I wanted tilapia for dinner tonight, so I found a recipe for Parmesan Broiled Tilapia to try out.

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets (defrosted if frozen)
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1½ tablespoons mayonnaise or dressing
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 1 teaspoon dill, fresh
• seasoning salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Turn broiler onto high and adjust oven rack to the top.
2. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the tilapia. Set aside.
3. Place tilapia fillets on a foil lined pan. Broil for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, flip over and divide the parmesan mixture over the uncooked sides of the tilapia.
5. Return to the oven and broil an additional 3-4 minutes making sure not to over cook the fish.

I felt like this was a good recipe, but not excellent. There was a nice bit of parmesan flavor and just a hint of lemon. Since I halved the recipe, I only used a sprinkling of dried dill - I think I should have used more.

Butter Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Mom had visited a while back, and while she was here, she bought some sweet potatoes. She ate some of them, but when she went home, she left what she hadn't eaten behind for us. Today, I decided to cook them up and made Butter Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

Butter Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil, melted and cooled
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Peel the sweet potatoes if desired and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds.
2. Place the rounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter (or ghee or coconut oil), sprinkle with the salt, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer, with at least 1/2 inch between the rounds.
3. Roast for 20 minutes. Using tongs, flip the rounds, then roast for 20 minutes more.

Tom and I both liked them, but Tom felt like they needed a little bit of sweetness. Sprinkling each round with a little cinnamon sugar helped with the desire for a little sweetness. He also topped one with a little bit of cool margarine. I thought that they were good as is. The exteriors were a little harder and the interiors were super soft.

Imitation Crab Salad

Tom and I plan to attend the 2021 Cache Across Maryland picnic tomorrow, so I decided to bring sliders filled with Imitation Crab Salad.

Imitation Crab Salad

• 1 pound imitation crab meat
• ½ c celery, finely chopped
• 3 T red onion, finely chopped
• ½ t Old Bay seasoning
• 2 t lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste
• ½ c mayonnaise
• 1½ T fresh dill, chopped (or 1½ t dried dill)

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.
2. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 2 days.
3. Sprinkle with additional chopped dill for garnish if desired.

When Tom tried it, his response was, "I could eat this for lunch for the rest of my life." I can't expect more than that!

Baked Tilapia with Dijon Mayo Sauce

I decided to make tilapia for dinner tonight, and although I stuck with the usual "Tilapia with Old Bay and Butter" for Tom, I found a recipe for Baked Tilapia with Dijon Mayo Sauce to try for myself.

Baked Tilapia with Dijon Mayo Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 large tilapia filets (about 1 pound total)
• ½ cup real mayonnaise
• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease the bottom of a shallow baking dish.
2. Pat the tilapia filets dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle both sides of each with salt and pepper to taste. Place them in the baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Spoon half of the mixture on each tilapia fillet and spread it out to coat the tops evenly.
4. Bake the tilapia filets for 10 minutes and then serve immediately.

I liked it. It was creamy with a delicate flavor, but there was a little too much pepper for me, so if I make this one again, I'd cut the black pepper in half.

Brown Butter-Glazed Green Beans

Happy Thanksgiving!

I recently received the Food Network Magazine in the mail, and saw a recipe that I thought I'd like to try. With Thanksgiving approaching, and needing a vegetable dish for dinner, I decided to give the Brown Butter-Glazed Green Beans a try.

Brown Butter-Glazed Green Beans

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1½ pounds thin green beans or haricots verts, trimmed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 sprig oregano, plus 1½ teaspoons finely chopped oregano leaves
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for topping
• Flaky salt, for topping

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the oregano sprig and red pepper flakes. Cook, swirling the pot, until the butter is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green beans and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to cook, tossing, until the green beans are glazed, 2 to 3 minutes. Discaard the oregano sprig, then add the oregano leaves to the pot and toss. Top with flaky salt and more red pepper flakes.

I thought that the dish was good, but I would have liked it to have more browned butter flavor. Tom, on the other hand, thought that the beans tasted funny - even the raw one I tried to get him to eat earlier in the day.

Chicken Cream Cheese Croissants

Last week, I was looking for something to do with chicken, and came across this recipe. I had tonight off, so I gave it a try.

Chicken Cream Cheese Croissants

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken, see recipe below
• 2 pop cans croissants
• 1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 bunch green onions
• ¼ cup bell pepper, chopped and diced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 egg *optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until blended. Add milk. Mixture will be chunky if cream cheese is not softened. It's okay. Add in shredded chicken, diced green onions, diced green bell pepper, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
3. On a cutting board, unroll one tube of croissants. They are all pre-cut, so with your fingers, pinch together the cut lines. You will be make 4 rectangles out of the 8 croissants.
4. On each rectangle, place ¼ cup of mixture in the center of the croissant and bring corners together and pinch to close.
5. (Optional) In a seperate bowl, whisk egg and brush egg over each croissant.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.

How to make Shredded Chicken

1. Place 1 cup water or chicken broth in bottom of Instant Pot or pressure cooker
2. Place 2 chicken breasts in Instant Pot on trivet
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken breasts
4. Sprinkle crushed garlic on chicken
5. Close Instant Pot lid and check to make sure pressure valve is closed
6. Set on Manual (Pressure Cook) High for 18 minutes
7. Allow a 20 minute natural release
8. Remove chicken breasts and one at a time shred chicken with forks
9. Use in a meal, or package and freeze for later use

In order to make it more palatable for Tom, I substituted celery for the green onion. Tom said it was delicious, but he would have liked it to have more meat and less cream cheese. I would have liked it to have a little bit more flavor, but I did like how they were easy to eat - like what I would imagine a handpie to be.

Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs

I finally decided to fix chicken for dinner tonight and didn't have the ingredients to make anything that I'd tried before, so I found a new recipe on Pinterest - Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs.

Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs OR 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Spice blend
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp each salt & pepper
• Optional side dish of mixed veggies
  • 1 head broccoli, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced

Instructions

• BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Pat chicken thighs dry then cover with spice blend.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs, skin facing down. Bake for 25 minutes, then flip over and broil on high for 1-2 minutes if you're looking for extra crispy skin (optional...watch closely to make sure they don't burn!) Serve and enjoy!
• BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs with bottom area facing down. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake 8 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
• IF ADDING VEGGIES
  1. Toss veggies with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt. Add to baking sheet with chicken about halfway through cooking time (you only want the veggies to cook for about 10-12 minutes). Remove with cooked chicken, then serve and enjoy!

I thought that they were good and Tom said that they were tasty. I served them with Brussels sprouts and Sam's Choice Mushroom Risotto - I can't believe how much Tom loves that risotto. Why? Because he says he hates mushrooms. I guess if it's chopped up into tiny pieces, it's a little less objectionable. He didn't even mind the garlic and onion in this dish, probably because it was in powder form. I guess that's the trick, huh?

Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese

I had some spaghetti squash, and while browsing Pinterest, I found this recipe. I was cut from work tonight, so it was a perfect time to try it out.

Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash:

• 2 small/medium spaghetti squash about 2 lbs each
• 1 TBS olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic salt (or to taste)
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS all-purpose flour* (or gluten-free all-purpose flour, tapioca flour or cornstarch)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 ½ cups Cabot Shredded Cheddar cheese divided.

Instructions
Roast the spaghetti squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut both spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds (scoop them out with a metal spoon).
3. Brush the inside with olive oil (or spray with an olive oil spray) and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
4. Place cut-side down in a baking dish.
5. Fill baking dish ¼” with water.
6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes or until the squash is soft to the touch (it will compress down when pushed lightly).
8. Remove from the oven and turn the cut-side to the top.
9. Let cool.
10. Use a fork to shred the spaghetti squash, being careful not to poke holes in the shell.
11. Leave shredded spaghetti squash in the shell while you make the cheese sauce.

Make the cheese sauce:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour sea salt and garlic powder. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
5. Whisk constantly until ingredients just start to brown (about 1-2 minutes).
6. Add milk and whisk until mixture is smooth.
7. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken (about 3-5 minutes).
8. Once mixture is thick, add 2 cups of shredded cheese and whisk until the cheese is completely melted.
9. Once cheese sauce is smooth, remove the saucepan from the heat.

Putting it together:

1. Distribute cheese sauce evenly among the four halves of shredded spaghetti squash (with the size squashes I had, I used about ½ cup plus 2 TBS of cheese sauce for each of the four halves).
2. Use a fork to gently stir the cheese sauce into each half of shredded spaghetti squash.
3. Once the sauce is evenly distributed in the squash, use the fork or a spatula to smooth out the surface of each squash half.
4. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese on the top is melted and lightly brown.
5. Serve warm!

Tom wouldn't even try it, shocker! I thought it was okay. There wasn't a whole lot of flavor, but could it be because for cheese I used half gourmet sharp cheddar blend and half provolone?