Pistachio Pesto Roasted Salmon

You’re just 2 ingredients away from a moist, flavorful, impressive main course!

Time: 15 minutes            Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 4-6 oz. salmon fillets (I use skinless)
• 1 tbsp Pistachio Pesto

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry. Place on lined baking sheet or glass roasting pan. Evenly distribute 1 1/2 tsp pesto onto each fillet.
• Place in oven on middle rack. Roast for 10-12 minutes (may be more depending on the thickness of your fillet), until flesh flakes easily with a fork.
• Move to top rack of oven and broil on 425F for one minute, just until top reaches golden brown.

Pistachio Pesto

This recipe came about when I had an abundance of fresh herbs to use up before they turned. Toss some with pasta, mix some with mayo for a unique aioli, the sky’s the limit!

Time: 5 minutes            Yield: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

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• 1/3 cup pistachios, shelled
• 1/4-1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup packed fresh basil and chives
• 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste*
• crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
• *My pistachios were salted so I didn’t add any additional salt.

How to make it

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• Place nuts and cheese in food processor fitted with sabatier blade (S-shaped). Pulse a couple times until nuts are chopped. Add garlic and pulse. Add half of herbs & oil, pulse. Add remaining herbs & oil, pulse. Add seasonings and lemon zest if using. Process to desired texture. Add more oil if a looser consistency is desired.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• This may be frozen for later use. Spoon into ice cube tray and freeze. Remove from tray and transfer to plastic freezer bag or the like.

White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

This cookie recipe came about when my beau requested something buttery but didn’t give me much more to go off of. So, we started tossing some ideas around based on what was in the pantry and here is the result. I think these would be lovely with dried cranberries or cherries added as well. These cookies are a great way to celebrate World Pistachio Day!

Time: 20 minutes           Serves: 24

Ingredients

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• 3/4 cup butter, room temp (can probably get away with 1/2 cup but we wanted them very buttery)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugars together. Add milk, extracts, and egg. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until well incorporated.
• Gently fold chocolate chips and nuts into dough. Form balls about 1 tbsp each and lightly flatten (just about half way down). Be sure to leave room between cookies b/c they will spread as they bake.
• Bake in middle rack for 10-15 minutes. 10 minutes will yield softer cookies, 15 more crisp. We baked ours for 12 minutes and they were crispy on the outside and soft in the centers.
• Transfer to cooling rack. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Find interesting facts about pistachios here.

Gumbo Yaya Bake

I have roots in New Orleans, LA and this was my first attempt at a gumbo. I wanted to do something traditional but still unique. My beau said to put this into the regular rotation so I guess he loved it as much as I did! I made it when my mom came to visit and even she was impressed. I done good

Time: 30 min prep, 1 hour total           Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

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• Gumbo

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• 1 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced (I used grilled chicken seasoned with s&p)
• 1 cup Andouille sausage, diced (I used Trader Joe’s chicken andouille)
• 1 tbsp Creole Seasoning Blend or your favorite Creole or Cajun spice blend
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Note: Most traditional gumbo (and many other) recipes start with the Holy Trinity which is onion, celery, and bell peppers. I can’t eat bell peppers but if you can please feel free to use them, diced & added in with the onions & celery.

• Cornbread Topping

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• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola)

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F.

• Gumbo

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• Heat butter in a medium-large sauce pan. Add onion, celery, and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and chicken and stir, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time, stirring to coat evenly. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add seasoning & bay leaves. Add tomatoes with liquid, and stock. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to low. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, but 30+ is best. Remove from heat & remove bay leaves. Spoon mixture into a casserole dish, one deep/large enough so it allows 3 inches space above for topping.

• Cornbread Topping

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• In a medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients, mix well. Add wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Carefully spread batter over gumbo as evenly as possible. Place casserole on a lined baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 25-30 min, or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted (into cornbread layer) comes out clean. Let set for a few minutes before serving.

Shrimp Po’boy Sandwich Wraps

 

I had purchased all of the ingredients I needed to make shrimp po’boy sandwiches but by the time I got around to making them the French bread was too hard, so I improvised and this is what I came up with. The results were great and since the shrimp is fried wrapping it in a tortilla lightens it up a bit, at least that’s what I told myself Feel free to put this on the traditional crusty bread but beware, not many make French bread like they do in New Orleans – flaky on the outside and oh so soft and tender in the middle, ahh.

Time: 15 minutes +chill          Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• Rémoulade Sauce

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• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 1/2 tbsp spicy brown mustard, preferably creole mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated horseradish
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp minced parsley (fresh)

• Shrimp

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• 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails removed (I used Jumbo)
• 1/2 cup corn meal (course stone ground yellow)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning blend
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp milk
• vegetable oil for frying (I used canola)

• To Serve

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• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
• 4 Kosher dill pickles, thinly sliced
• 4 large flour tortillas (I used fire-roasted)

How to make it

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• Rémoulade Sauce

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• Combine all ingredients and mix well. This tastes best after being chilled for some time. I made it 24 hours in advance.

• Shrimp

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• Heat oil in deep fryer or medium stock pot, enough to submerge shrimp completely. I do this over medium to medium-high heat on my stove top.
• Combine flour, cornmeal and seasoning in a bowl, mix to combine.
• Combine egg and milk in another bowl and whisk to combine.
• Dip each shrimp in the egg mixture and then dredge in flour mixture.
• Carefully place shrimp in hot oil and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn if necessary but they should cook on both sides. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.

 

• To Serve

  

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• Divide cabbage, tomato and pickle slices between tortillas. Top with shrimp, about 4-5 per tortilla. Top with Rémoulade. Fold & wrap sandwich burrito style. Secure with toothpicks and cut in half.

 

Creamy Lobster Pasta Nova Scotia Style

An elegant dish that is so simple & quick to prepare – perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day main course.

Time: 15 minutes          Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 4-6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 oz. fresh lobster tail meat, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (can sub vegetable or seafood stock) or half dry white wine
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 3/4 tsp cornstarch
• 4-6 oz. pasta, cooked al dente (I used fusilli)

How to make it

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• Combine stock and cream. Stir in cornstarch and set aside.
• Heat oil until smoking in skillet over medium heat. garlic, mushrooms, lemon juice, mustard powder and salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add lobster, parsley,  and stock mixture. Stir fry until lobster is heated through. Toss with pasta. Enjoy!

5-Ingredient Nutella Cookies

This is a simple recipe that yields delicious cookies! Just sweet enough to satisfy that craving without over doing it. What a wonderful way to celebrate World Nutella Day!

Time: 10 minutes         Serves: 16

Ingredients

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• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp milk

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Form into walnut sized balls. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Pat down to 2-inch discs with ball of hand or bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes until set & toothpick comes out clean.

If you’re wanting more of that smooth hazel-nutty & chocolaty goodness, check out my Nutella Pinwheel Cookies.

Hungarian Poppers with Chevre & Prosciutto

A delicious, different take on a pepper popper appetizer. This summer I had something similar to this in a restaurant in Eugene, OR and have been wanting to make it since, and I’m so glad I did.

Time: 10 minutes          Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 Hungarian wax peppers, cleaned & seeds removed (be careful, though the peppers are mild it’s still a good idea to wear gloves when handling)
• 2 oz. Chevre (goat) cheese, plain or herb & garlic (or more)
• 2 slices of prosciutto (thin)

How to make it

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• Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Divide cheese between 4 pepper halves, spread throughout inside. Wrap each pepper half with prosciutto, be careful not to tear it. Place on baking sheet and broil on 450F for about 2 minutes on each side, or until prosciutto looks crisp enough for your liking. Enjoy!

Cranberry Dijon Pork Chops

Another recipe adapted from one by former Sports Illustrated model Melissa Keller shared on Paula Deen’s show. Along with the cooking method I adjusted the ingredients a bit and these came out perfectly tender, moist, and flavorful.

Time: 10 min prep, 15 min cook          Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• 4 thick cut pork chops (boneless or bone-in, your choice)
• sea salt & black pepper, freshly ground – to taste
• 1/3 cup prepared cranberry sauce*
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• bacon grease or oil to coat a skillet

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Heat bacon grease or oil over medium in a large skillet. Season both sides of chops with salt & pepper. Cook in skillet for 3 minutes on each side.
• Meanwhile, combine cranberry sauce with Dijon mustard and set aside.
• Transfer chops to a baking dish and top with cranberry Dijon sauce. Bake for 15 minutes.
• *For cranberry sauce:
• 12 oz. fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• Bring water and sugar to a boil, whisk to combine. Add cranberries, lower to simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Italian Wedding Soup

Hearty and comforting without being heavy, perfect to warm your belly and heart on a cold winter evening. This is my interpretation of an Italian-American classic. It takes some time but is well worth it.

Time: 1 hour+           Serves: 8+

Ingredients

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• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 leek, well cleaned & trimmed – white and green parts only – cut in half & sliced
• 4 cups small broccoli florets (about 1 average size head broccoli)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound/6 cups packed curly kale, roughly chopped
• Parmesan rinds if you have them
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2/3 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 cup small pasta (I used stars but orzo or Acini di pepe work well)
• 1/2 batch Lemon Herb Turkey Meatballs (mini version)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

How to make it

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• Heat oil in a large stock pot over low-medium heat. Add fennel and saute for 10-12 minutes until beginning to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add leeks and continue to saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add broccoli, kale and Parmesan rinds (if you have them). Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli starts to turn bright green. Add minced garlic to the pot; season with salt, pepper & red pepper and cook stirring for 2-3 min. Pour in chicken stock to cover and add thyme. Bring to a simmer.
• Simmer for at least 30 minutes but up to 1 1/2 hours. Remove thyme branches and Parmesan rinds.
• About ten minutes before ready to serve, brown meatballs in about 1/2 tbsp each canola oil and butter for about 5 minutes. Add to soup pot and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions, it should take about 5 minutes.
• Remove soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve with a couple of spoonfuls of pasta and top with parsley and Parmesan.
• *Note: Serves 8 1 1/2 cup entree portions or 12 1 cup appetizer portions.