I know we’ve all been doing more cooking at home. Quick & easy has become a goal. Here’s a delicious, healthy dinner that comes together with 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes total cooking time… and clean up is a snap!

INGREDIENTS
5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced thin
2 pieces of Salmon
12 Asparagus Spears
8 Cherry Tomatoes
4 Lemon Slices
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Dill

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray.
Slice potatoes and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and a little Italian Seasoning.
Place potatoes on lined baking sheet, using 1/3 of the area (as shown below).
Place in oven for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking prepare the asparagus, wash and cut off the tough ends.
Slice the lemon.
When the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, take the baking sheet out and place the salmon on, season with salt, pepper, dill and lemon slices.
Place the asparagus and cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet.
Put baking sheet back in the oven and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
Dinner is ready – plate & enjoy!

We eat salmon at least once a week! It’s so good for you, touted as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Loaded with Vitamin B12 (over 200% of the daily recommended value), Vitamin D, Selenium, Vitamin B3, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Protein, Phosphorus, Vitamin B6, Iodine, Choline, Vitamin B5, Biotin and Potassium. Plus, Omega-3s have been proven to kill cancer cells!

Did I mention that it’s delicious…. Here’s one of my favorite ways to prepare it, and there’s easy clean-up if you use tin foil to cover the baking pan.

INGREDIENTS
2 pieces of Salmon (wild caught is best!)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon, zest and juice
Fresh Dill, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it.
Place your salmon on top.
Drizzle olive oil on top of the salmon.
Evenly coat with lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until just cooked through.
Enjoy!

Oysters… I love them any which way. Usually we eat them raw, but sometimes I crave a cooked oyster, like Oysters Rockefeller or a really light Oyster Stew. I was in the mood to create something different with the oysters. I opened the fridge and saw that we had 3 pieces of leftover bacon from breakfast, and voila – this recipe was born!

It’s so delectable the way the ingredients all meld together with the oysters and oyster juice. Be sure to get a great loaf of crusty bread to fully enjoy this dish!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 stick unsalted Butter, softened
5 Tbsp Parmesan Reggiano, grated
3 pieces of Bacon, cooked and diced small
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, minced
1 tsp fresh Parsley, minced
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp Black Pepper, fresh grated
¼ tsp Paprika
1 dozen Oysters, shucked

Fresh Parsley, as garnish (optional)
Lemon Wedges, as garnish (optional)

METHOD
In a small bowl, mix the butter, parmesan, bacon, garlic, shallot, parsley, oregano, black pepper and paprika.
Set aside
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Shuck the oysters and place on a baking sheet.
Top each oyster with the butter mixture, dividing evenly among the oysters until it is all used.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until bubbly.
Place the oysters on a serving plate and be sure to put all the leftover juice on the plate, as well (for bread dipping!)
Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.
Serve with hot crusty bread.
Enjoy immediately.

I bought some King Crab on sale. I was so excited about the reduced price ($10.00 off per pound) that I bought several pounds. I made crab cakes. I made crab soup. Hmmmm… what to do with the remaining crab? That’s when the thought of crab nachos popped into my head. Oh man, they exceeded my expectations. They were beyond delicious!

Here’s my recipe, no measuring required for the nachos.

INGREDIENTS
Corn Chips
Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded
Crab Meat
Scallions, sliced thin
Corn
Pickled Jalapenos (I used Uncle Gary’s Candied Jalapenos)
Bechamel Sauce, recipe below
Fresh Cilantro, chopped

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place some tin foil on your baking sheet.
Start off with your favorite corn chips and place a generous layer on the baking sheet.
Top chips with a sprinkling of cheese (this will keep the chips from getting soggy).
Evenly distribute crab across the chips and cheese.
Generously cover crab with cheese.
Top with scallions, corn, and pickled jalapenos.
Place in oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
Remove from oven and pour the warm Bechamel Sauce over the nachos.
Top with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!

Pepper Jack Bechamel Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Milk
2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt

METHOD
Place olive oil and butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Quickly whisk in the flour.
Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until a smooth consistency is achieved.
Cook over medium low heat until it comes to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
Place the pepper jack cheese into the hot mixture and stir until melted, combined and thickened.
Stir in the salt.
Remove from heat.
Use in the above recipe for Crab Nachos.
Enjoy!!

Anyone who’s been reading my blog for the past few years knows I’m a seafood lover! This linguine with Clam Sauce is so easy to make. Dinner will be on the table in half an hour… or less!!

This dish must be served with hot crusty bread for dipping! Yes, definitely.  

Makes 2 generous servings.

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Shallot, diced small
5 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 cup White Wine
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 cans of Chopped Clams, with clam juice
A dozen small Clams, such as Littleneck or Manila, washed and scrubbed under cold water
1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
a few dashes of Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1/2 lb. Linguine or other thin pasta, cooked according to package directions

Garnish with 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, fresh grated

METHOD
In a large heavy saucepan, place the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add in the shallot, and saute for a few minutes.
Add in the garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
Stir in the white wine and allow to come to a low boil.
Add in the Italian Seasoning, cans of chopped clams with their juice, the dozen clams, parsley, salt and pepper.
Stir together and place lid on saucepan.
Cook for about 5 minutes.

At this point you can cook your pasta and put the bread in the oven (if you’re having bread).

Check on the clams, stir,and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
All the clams should have opened by now.
Discard any unopened clams.
Stir and taste sauce.
Season with any additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Place 2 single portions of cooked pasta into serving bowls.
Generously top the pasta with clam sauce and place the clams in the shell on top.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Best served with warm crusty bread and chilled white wine.
Enjoy!

This dish looks elegant, but it’s simple… and believe me, it’s super easy to prepare. I love the crunchy pecan crust, and I love that it’s achieved in the oven. Plus, I lined the baking pan with tin foil, so there was no messy pan to clean up afterwards.

You can serve the fish however you’d like, but atop the Roasted Red Pepper Coulis was fabulous. Topped with some micro greens for perfection! It’s one of my favorites.  

Pecan Crusted Mahi

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 portions of Mahi Mahi
pinch of Salt 
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Pecans, crushed

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line your baking dish with tin foil, sprayed with a little olive oil.
Rinse and pat dry the 2 pieces of Mahi.
Lightly salt and set aside.
Break egg into a low shallow dish.
Add about a tablespoon of water and beat until blended.
Set aside.
Place the pecans in a low shallow dish.
Dip fish pieces into the egg to coat, and then into the pecans to cover completely.
Place on prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
If desired, turn the broiler on for a minute or two to brown the crust further…but be sure to keep an eye on it!
Serve Mahi atop Roasted Red Pepper Coulis (recipe below).

Roased Red Pepper Coulis

INGREDIENTS
2 Red Bell Peppers
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash the bell peppers and place them over a low flame, either on your stovetop or bbq grill, turning frequently.
Once the pepper skin is blackened, remove from the flame and place peppers in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the peppers are soft.
Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle the pepper.
Remove the skins, they should come off easily.
Place peppers in the food processor and pulse until somewhat smooth.
Place peppers in a bowl.
Add a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Stir in the olive oil.
Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

I was craving Panang Curry… I mean craving it in a BIG way. Since moving to Tennessee it’s pretty impossible to get a good Panang locally. I’m sure we could drive 40 minutes to Nashville, but that wasn’t in the plan. Meanwhile, my craving was getting intense. There was a place in Santa Monica, CA that we would go to a lot. They served the best Panang with Salmon alongside a serving of Forbidden Rice. I remember the first time we went in there was also my first encounter with Forbidden Rice. Just the name of it made me want to eat it. Yep, I’ve always been a rebel.

So, I didn’t want just any Panang. I wanted the Panang just like I had in Santa Monica… Forbidden Rice and all!! Fortunately, the flavors were etched in my mind and I was able to recreate it here. As my husband and I ate the Panang, we looked at each other and started to laugh. We both agreed that it was the best Panang we had ever had!!

I must admit that when I cook I don’t measure (only for baking). So, trying to remember exactly what I used in the Panang, and what amounts, was a challenge, but I got it. I always suggest that after you’ve made something that you taste it before you serve it. Adjust the seasonings and flavors to your own taste buds. You may want a little more lime juice, extra garlic, no yellow pepper… just leave it out. You get the idea.

Usually my recipes are pretty simple, without a lot of ingredients. There’s just no way to duplicate the flavors of the Panang without all these ingredients. But it comes together quickly and it’s so worth the extra effort. I hope you’ll give my recipe a try and please let me know the outcome!

INGREDIENTS
For Sauce:
1 cup Thai Coconut Curry Broth (brand is College Inn)
1 can Coconut Milk
1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves
2 Garlic Cloves, diced small
2 Carrots, sliced
½ Onion, cut into bite size pieces
½ Red Pepper, cut into bite size pieces
½ Green Pepper, cut into bite size pieces
½ Yellow Pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1 Anaheim Chili, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2 Tbsp Curry Powder
2 tsp Thai Spice Blend (World Market brand)
1 tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
Juice of ½ Lime
¼ cup Basil Leaves, left whole or chop if the leaves are big

For the Salmon:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 pieces of Salmon

METHOD
For the Sauce:
In a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the Thai Coconut Curry Broth, coconut milk and peanut butter, stirring until smooth.
Add the Kaffir lime leaves, garlic cloves, carrots, onion, all the peppers, curry powder, Thai spice blend, turmeric, cumin and fish sauce.
Allow everything to come to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the veggies are tender.
Turn heat off and stir in the lime juice and basil leaves.

For the Salmon:
In a medium frying pan add about 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Over medium heat add the salmon, cooking the skin side first.
Cook for about 2 minutes, and flip it over.
While the topside is cooking, take a fork and gently peel the skin off, being careful not to remove any of the salmon along with it.
Allow fish to continue cooking for about 5 to 7 minutes.

To plate:
Place salmon on plate and cover with Panang Sauce.
Serve with Forbidden Rice, or rice of your choice.

Enjoy!!