Salmon Caprese

Our new flat is right next to some great local shops, including a fish monger. Since I grew up in Utah, a very land locked state, I don't have much experience cooking fish. I asked Amy if she had any good recipes, and this is what she sent me. It was an instant hit at our house so I thought I would pass it on.

Salmon Caprese

1 lbs boneless, skinless wild salmon filet

3 tablespoons pesto sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

4 ripe roma tomatoes, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine pesto and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a separate container. Cut salmon into 4 equal portions and transfer to a non-stick sheet pan. Brush each piece of salmon with the remaining tablespoon of pesto mixture. Top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on four plates, fanning or tiling them into a tight circle in the center of each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle each with pesto mixture allowing it to drip onto the places. Top each with apiece of baked salmon, making sure to include any of the gooey and crispy bits of cheesy goodness. Can be topped with fresh basil leaves if you have some.

I served this with a side of pasta, but it would probably be great with rice, or on it's own. Happy dining!

Garden Vegetable Casserole

1 large baking potato, scrubbed and sliced
1 small or 1 1/2 large eggplant, sliced
2 small or 1 1/2 large zucchini or yellow squash, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic, minced (abt. 3 tsps.)
2 medium onions, sliced (or one large)
2 medium green peppers, seeded and sliced in rings
1/2 tsp. marjoram
3 firm, ripe medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 tsp. dill weed or 1/4 tsp. dill seeds (or 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped)
Olive oil

 Butter a 3-quart casserole dish. Layer sliced potatoes, eggplant, and zucchini in casserole, sprinkling each layer with salt, garlic, olive oil and oregano.  Layer onions and green peppers, sprinkling with salt, garlic, oil and marjoram.  Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven or until vegetables are tender.  Remove cover from casserole; arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with dill weed. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Yield: 8 servings

Zucchini Casserole

 1-1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb (opt.)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp. garlic)
28 oz. can tomatoes (or about 3-4 cups diced tomatoes)
1 green pepper, cut in strips
5-6 small zucchini
2 Tblps. flour
1/2 tsp. each basil, oregano, sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced olives
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups croutons (a flavor you like--opt.)
Parmesan Cheese
Paprika sprinkled atop

Saute meat with onion and garlic in skillet until brown and crumbly. (If you don't use meat, just saute the onion in 1 Tblspn. olive oil.) Drain off fat. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. (If using fresh tomatoes, skip this step.)
Cut tomatoes into small chunks. If using fresh tomatoes, start cooking them down with the onions for about 6 minutes. Add meat with green pepper strips and zucchini cut into 3/4 inch slices.
Combine a small amount of the reserved liquid with flour and stir to make a smooth paste. (If using fresh tomatoes, just stir the flour into the mixture to make a paste that way.) Add seasonings, remaining liquid, sliced olives and cheese. Pour over meat mixture and cook, stirring until smooth and thickened. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole or use same skillet, if it can be put in the oven. Sprinkle atop with croutons if desired. If you omit croutons, loosely cover the casserole with foil while it cooks.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika if you like. Bake an additional 15 minutes.  Yield: 8 servings.  P.S. Dad loved this!!!

Eggplant Pizzas

1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds) peeled and sliced 1/2 " thick. Sprinkle with salt and let the eggplant sweat on cooling racks about 20 minutes. (optional step)
Olive Oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic (about. 1/2 tsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning*  (I just use whatever spices I have on hand that are Italian.)

Italian Seasoning: 2T. Basil, 1 T. Marjoram, 1T. Oregano, 1 1/2 tsp. Rosemary, 1 1/2 tsp. Savory, 1 1/2 tsp. Thyme, 1 scant tsp. Sage

 Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Mist both sides of each eggplant slice with the cooking spray. Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, pepper, tomatoes, and seasoning and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the garlic.  Place a heaping teaspoonful on each eggplant slice. Bake for 10 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 4 small servings.

Grandma Oram's "Meltaway" Cookies

Do not make these cookies. They will MELT the moment they touch your tongue...

1.) Mix together until well-blended:

• 8 oz. melted butter
• 3/4 cup sifted corn starch
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour

2.) Roll dough into small, 1-inch balls (this will be a sticky situation). Bake at 170° C for 10-12 minutes. Whatever you do, don't allow the cookies to brown; the idea is to leave them nice and melty.

3.) Blend well to make icing:

• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Allow cookies to cool, then top each with icing. I like to refrigerate the cookies when they're all done, for optimal melt-in-your-mouth results.

Makes about 4 or 5 dozen bite-sized morsels of delight!

(Photo nicked from thepioneerwoman.com, and featuring different frosting.)

Aunt Karen's Rice and Chicken Casserole

First, cook enough rice to go on the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  (I do 1 1/2 cups dry rice cooked according to directions, which makes abt. 3 cups rice, but some may like less rice.)

2 C. Chicken or turkey, cooked and diced

1 C. Celery, diced

1 small can mushrooms, or abt. 1/3 cup fresh mushrooms, diced

1 Tblspn. Onion, minced

1 Tblspn. Lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. Mayonnaise

1 small can sliced water chestnuts (opt.)

Combine and put over rice.

Top with:  1/3 to 1/2 cups bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs, 1/2 C. sliced or slivered almonds, and either 1 Cup grated cheese or 1/4 to 1/3 C. melted margerine.

Bake at 350 dgrees for about 30 minutes.

Homemade Oreos

These cookies have always been a hit when I make them at home, or when I bring them somewhere, so I thought I would share the recipe with anyone who actually reads this :D

Cookies:
1 package of devils food cake mix
2/3 cup of shortening
2 eggs

Frosting:
8oz package of cream cheese
1 cube of butter (or 1/2 cup margin)
1lb powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Mix together the ingredients for cookies. Roll into quarter sized balls and bake at 350 on a greased cookie cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size) until the cookies have flattened out most of the way. Allow cookies to cool, then frost.