Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
In a bowl, stir together couscous, cucumber and onion. Stir in the dressing and mix well. Gently stir in the salmon, feta, and parsley. Serve. Yield: 2 servings if that is all you’re eating.
NOTE: This recipe started at dishingouthealth.com. I adjusted it to what I had on-hand. I have salmon, lots and lots of salmon. I had leftover couscous from dinner two nights ago during the Snowpocalypse power outage that lasted 24 hours (8pm Wednesday to 8pm Thursday). We got 30+ inches of snow from 3pm Wednesday to 3pm Friday. The nice thing about having a gas range is all you need is a match and you can eat a simple dinner like leftover African Salmon Peanut Soup over couscous. But then I discovered I had made too much couscous in the dark. So, rather than throwing it away, I shoved it into the refrigerator when the power came back on. And then I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and voila here we are. This Mediterranean Salmon Salad is really tasty and we had a nice lunch today while staring at the white winter wonderland around us.
Melt butter in oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Stir in olive oil and flour. Continue heating and stirring until the onion and flour mixture has formed a paste. Stir in the milk. Continue stirring until the mixture is bubbling. Stir in pumpkin and spices until evenly mixed. Stir in the cheese a handful at a time until it is melted and you have a smooth sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the cauliflower florets until all are well coated with sauce. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. If you would like the top to brown more, pop the dish under a broiler for a few minutes. Serve!
NOTE: It’s funny how one thing leads to another. My cousin texted me that she had made my Pumpkin Apple Muffins. I thought that sounded really good, so I made them, too. But then I had a cup of leftover pumpkin. What to do, what to do. This recipe from wellandfull.com sounded like just the ticket to use the leftover pumpkin. And since I’ve been perfecting my Mac and Cheese recipe, I happened to have Gruyere on hand as well. Amazing! This Pumpkin Cauliflower Gratin is rich and really delicious. I liked that I didn’t have to cook the cauliflower ahead of time.
1-1/2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded (or sharp yellow cheddar as pictured)
8 oz. macaroni pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1-1/4 cups half n half
1 tsp. salt
Pepper
Dash of paprika
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare an 8″ square baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray.
Mix the cheeses together. Set aside.
Cook macaroni pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Rinse lightly. Drain. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, make a roux by melting the butter and mixing in the flour. Stir over heat until bubbly. Stir in milk and half n half. Heat while stirring until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper to taste, and paprika. Stir in 1/2 cup mixed cheese. Stir in another 1/2 cup of cheese. At this point, withdraw approximately 1-1/2 cups of sauce from the saucepan and set it aside.
Stir the pasta into the sauce that remains in the saucepan. Pour half the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup mixed cheese. Add the other half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes at 325 degrees F until cheese is melty and bubbly.
Reheat the sauce you set aside and ladle some over the top of the individual servings of Mac and Cheese as you serve them.
This is simply awesome with my Barbecue-Style Pulled Pork. One half the bowl pulled pork and the other half mac and cheese with extra sauce. You’re welcome.
Note: on October 11, 2022 I stood in line for what seemed like forever (probably an hour) at Hash Smash in London’s Borough Market. All I knew was that I wanted to eat local cheese for my first time in England and we were in the cheese section of the market. We couldn’t get through to the front of the line to see what we were getting, we just took a spots at the end of the queue and waited to see what was being served. It did not disappoint. Mac and Cheese with Barbecue Pulled Pork sounds so American, but I have never had such deliciously cheesy pasta as that day on the sidewalk, eating out of paper baskets with plastic forks. I’ve been trying to recreate the dish for the past year and this is close. Very, very close. The recipe begins at the chunky chef. Lastly, I apologize for the poor photo. I keep forgetting to take a picture before we dive into it.
These are two separate dishes that I typically serve together. I’ll tell you how to make the Chicken Adobo first, then scroll down to see the Pancit Canton recipe. [Just so you know, this is NOT traditional Chicken Adobo. This is a tasty, vinegary, fast way to serve boneless, skinless chicken breast that goes well with Pancit Canton.]
Chicken Adobo Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 minced garlic cloves
1-1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
In a medium skillet mix all the ingredients together very well. Cover and bring to simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering until all the liquid is absorbed. Voila, done.
Pancit Canton Ingredients
2 cups broth (any kind — I’ve used both vegetable and chicken)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup chopped scallion, or onion, sliced crosswise
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups thinly sliced, or julienned, vegetables (cabbage, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, celery, bell pepper, tomato, peas, snow peas — anything you like)
8 oz. package Pancit Canton (flour stick) wheat noodles
2 sliced scallions, sliced crosswise
In a small bowl, mix together the broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a VERY large skillet, heat oil and stir fry the 1/2 cup scallion and the garlic until soft, just a minute or so. Stir in the 2 cups of vegetables that you’ve selected. Let that cook a few minutes, or more, to soften. [I like my vegetables really soft. I cover the skillet for awhile so the vegetables steam.] Stir in the sauce that was set aside. Bring to a boil. Place the noodles into the skillet. Press and fold them, turning over and over, until they have mostly absorbed the liquid. It may be easiest to cover for a minute or so. Once the liquid has been fully absorbed, it’s finished! Sprinkle the top with the two sliced scallions and serve warm.
I like to sprinkle the Chicken Adobo over the Pancit Canton in my bowl. Yummy!
1/2 cup smoked salmon chunks, set aside a small amount for top garnish
1/2 package (1 roll) puff pastry
1/2 beaten egg (second one)
Rhubarb Puffs Ingredients
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 beaten egg (first one)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 package (1 roll) puff pastry
2/3 cup rhubarb sauce (thick) or jam
1/2 beaten egg (second one)
For either type of puffs . . .
Mix together the first five ingredients. Do not overbeat. (For the salmon puffs, also lightly stir in the smoked salmon chunks.) Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. For each recipe, spray nine muffin cups with non-stick spray.
Unroll a puff pastry sheet on a floured board and, using a floured rolling pin, smooth the surface of the pastry. Cut the pastry sheet into nine identical pieces. Place each piece into a prepared muffin cup, pressing lightly so it sits fully into the bottom of the cup. Spread any overhang out flat.
Divide the ricotta mixture evenly into the pastry lined cups and lightly smooth it out.
Using a pastry brush, brush the dough of each pastry cup with beaten egg.
For the salmon puffs, place a small piece of smoked salmon decoratively atop each cup’s ricotta mixture.
For the rhubarb puffs, spoon about a tablespoon of rhubarb sauce or jam on top of each cup’s ricotta mixture.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Watch that they do not burn nor are still raw on the bottom. Let them bake until very well browned. Each batch yields 9 puffs.
NOTES: Ricotta filling ingredients should be at room temperature. I’ve been wanting to try this for quite awhile. I have used puff pastry only once before, so I’m really pleased at how these turned out. I didn’t want 18 desserts or 18 salmon appetizers, so splitting this into two different types of tartlets was the way to go. I used home made ricotta and home smoked salmon. Also home made rhubarb sauce. One could use any variety of foods: cream cheese or even pastry cream instead of ricotta, shrimp instead of salmon, strawberry instead of rhubarb . . . the possibilities are endless. These were very easy to make and the preparation was quite fast. As long as you had everything you needed, it would probably take half an hour from start to finish. They don’t save well. You will want to eat them the same day. Perhaps they could be reheated and crisped up from refrigeration, but I do not know. There weren’t enough left to try it. Always a good thing!
In a saucepan, mix together rhubarb and 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand for about half hour while the rhubarb macerates. When the time is up, place the saucepan over heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and let simmer until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat. When it’s reached a manageable temperature, put the rhubarb into a small food processor or blender and blend until it is an extremely fine puree. Scoop it into a small bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, mix together the cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to simmer, and let it continue to bubble for three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, then stir in rhubarb puree. Mix together very well.
Pour into serving dishes. This makes about 4 4-oz servings.
NOTE: I started with The Kiwi Cook’s recipe, but I made a lot of changes like reducing the recipe because there are only two of us and I streamlined the process. If you need to serve more people and have a bountiful amount of rhubarb, by all means multiply the recipe.
1 lb. hot-smoked salmon, flaked, with bones and skin removed
3 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
12 oz. cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup farmer’s “quark” cheese (or ricotta)
Egg Wash ingredients
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
Dough: Heat milk to 110 degrees. I use a stand mixer for this next part. Pour milk into the bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top and stir around a bit. Wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to dissolve. Stir in sugar, salt, butter, and egg. Mix until well combined. Using the dough hook, stir in 2 cups flour. On low speed, over the course of ten minutes, let the gluten build while occasionally adding more flour. Once the dough is smooth to the touch by using the least amount of flour possible, set the dough aside to rise to double in size, about an hour and a half.
Filling: While the dough is rising, melt butter in a skillet and saute onions in butter until they are translucent. Do not brown the onions. Remove from heat and let cool.
Place the flaked salmon into a large bowl and stir in the onion and dill. In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy. Stir in garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper until well mixed. Gently stir in farmer’s cheese. It’s okay to have lumps, don’t overmix. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the flaked salmon mixture. Again, do not overmix.
Assembly: Prepare a couple baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat or by greasing. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. To prevent them from drying out, cover the pieces you are not working with. Roll the first piece into a 7″ by 4″ rectangle. Lay about 1/2 scant cup of filling along 3/4 the length of the dough. Pull the dough up each side of the filling and press along to the top to seal. Make sure not to get filling onto the edges of the dough or it may not seal. The 1/4 length without filling, press flat. Make sure the seam is sealed very well. Using a sharp floured knife, cut the flat part in half to form the tail. Move it to a prepared baking sheet. Using a finger, gently press little indentations along side the seam on each side. Repeat with the remaining seven pieces of dough. Cover the baking sheets. Let stand until puffy, about 30 minutes. This is easiest to see on the tails.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the egg wash by mixing together an egg and water. Brush the egg wash carefully over each puffy piroshki. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about ten minutes before serving. Yum!
NOTES: This recipe originates with Tatyana’s Everyday Food. Tatyana has an excellent video of how to make these. Be certain to seal them well or they may split open. Yes, this is experience talking to you. Piroshki’s are like calzone. The bread is meant to be thin and the filling generous. I smoked my own salmon and I made my own farmer’s (ricotta) cheese. These Piroshkis make a very filling lunch. They freeze well.
Dressing: In a small saucepan heat the olive oil. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes until garlic and ginger are fragrant. Stir in honey, vinegar, and orange zest. When it starts to foam, remove from heat and set aside.
Salmon: Season the salmon with your favorite rub or seasoning salt or just salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet to hot hot. Sear the salmon quickly on both sides. Cook all the way through until it easily flakes with a fork. Remove from heat and set aside.
Salad Assembly: In separate bowls lay out beds of lettuce. Sprinkle around the orange, cucumber, avocado, and red onion. Place the salmon pieces on top. Just before serving, pour the warm dressing over the bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with pistachios. Serve.
YIELD: 2 large bowls as a main dish or more small ones.
NOTES: This delectable beauty comes from Gimme Some Oven. She uses almonds and sesame seeds instead of pistachios. It looks so good, but I went with the pistachios instead. Make sure to use a hearty lettuce, like romaine or iceberg, so it doesn’t get soggy under the warm dressing. I used a pre-measured frozen ginger mash, so it didn’t take very long to saute the garlic and ginger together. I prepped all the dressing ingredients ahead so I could just add them without having to stop mid-process. This was amazingly delicious.
In a large bowl stir together cauliflower, cabbage, onion and bacon. In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayo, sugar, vinegar, Parmesan, and pepper. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the vegetable mixture until well combined. Serves 4-6.
NOTES: This recipe came from my friend, Jo, back in the ages when we were young mothers together. I haven’t made it in years until today. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, so decided to do it! For the ingredients, I use white wine vinegar and shredded Parmesan. My bacon rashers are small, and I think adding more bacon wouldn’t hurt a thing. What doesn’t taste better with bacon? This recipe can be made a day ahead of time and kept under refrigeration until ready to serve. It can also be easily multiplied if serving a crowd.
