Delicious Baked Salmon w/Capers, Lemon and Thyme

Here's the salmon scoop:  

If it's wild, it's not Atlantic, 

if it's Atlantic, it's not wild; 

if it's Pacific...

get to know your fishmonger well!

  

Atlantic salmon is farm-raised, and almost all Atlantic salmon sold in grocery stores is farm-raised.  Wild Atlantic salmon is an endangered species, fishing for it is prohibited in this country.  

To add to the confusion ~ there are 5 species of wild Pacific salmon, rely on your fishmonger...
  
Whatever...  I love salmon and  for dinner, this time I opted for a simple version of the fish.

Brush the salmon with melted butter, then arrange lemon slices, capers and thyme over the top.

This is simplicity ~ hassle-free delicious salmon to go with your favorite sides! 


Baked Salmon w/Capers, Lemon and Thyme
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds slab of salmon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 lemon, sliced thin
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and seasoned pepper
Non-stick cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 400º.
Coat a baking sheet with spray.
Place salmon on baking sheet, skin side down.
Brush the salmon with butter, and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange lemon slices, capers and thyme over top.
Bake in 400º for about 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve

ENJOY!

Tomorrow night is Game 1 of the World Series!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bill and I have enjoyed 

the bounty from several 

neighbors' gardens this summer, 

and my way of saying thanks 

is to bake sweet treats for them ~

they all have a sweet tooth…

I recently made a double batch of these great crunchy peanut butter cookies.  If you like peanut butter, you will love these cookies.

The recipe is adapted from my old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.   I added a little salt and semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus demerara sugar for sprinkling on top before baking. 

Demerara sugar adds a sweet crunch to the cookie, substitute granulated sugar for rolling, if you prefer. 

There’s always room for a cookie or two!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
Printable recipe

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups flour
12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Demerara sugar for rolling

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
Add granulated and brown sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  
Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Beat in as much flour with the mixer as you can, stir in remaining flour and chocolate chips.
Shape dough into 1” balls.
Roll in demerara sugar to coat.
Place balls 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, or till bottoms are lightly browned.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies


Enjoy!

  


 And...

Stuffed Chicken Breasts w/Wild Rice and Raisins

Even the most ardent lover of chicken breasts will eventually get bored with them.  

Here enters the cure for the chicken breast blues!

If you’ve never stuffed chicken breasts, it’s much easier than you imagine.  The options are unlimited, and this is my easy version:

A few bread cubes, a little wild rice, raisins and seasonings… 

Lay the chicken flat on your cutting board and on the top side, place the knife half way between the top and the bottom and slice a pocket into the chicken breast; laterally without cutting through and open pocket.  There's no need to secure with toothpicks when stuffed, it will lay flat.

Fill with stuffing, bake and Voila! 

Easy, peasy and delicious, no more chicken breast blues!



Stuffed Chicken Breasts w/Wild Rice and Raisins
Printable recipe  

4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Bread Stuffing w Wild Rice and Raisins

Ingredients:

½ cup wild rice
2 cups water
½ cup seasoned bread cubes
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup raisins
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons orange juice
Sea salt
Seasoned black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine rice and water in a large saucepan, and cook according to rice instructions.
Mix with bread cubes, onion powder and raisins.
Stir together melted butter and orange juice, add to the other mixture and combine well, set aside.
Make a small slit in each chicken breast to form a pocket, open it and gently lay flat with cut side up.
Fill the chicken breasts with the stuffing mixture and place on baking pan that is coated with cooking spray.
Season chicken liberally with sea salt and seasoned pepper.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 
Serve warm.


Enjoy!



 

GO CUBBIES!!!

Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes

Should you not be a veggie lover,

this tempting little dish will 

turn on your taste buds

making you forget 

you’re eating 

vegetables!

It’s a great side dish of roasted broccoli and tomatoes tossed with Mediterranean ingredients just before serving.

If you’ve never roasted vegetables, it will blow your mind with how delicious the finished dish tastes. 

Roasting brings out the vegetables rich flavors while preserving nutritional value.  

This is a simple easy side dish for any meal.  It’s filled with bite-size chunks of colorful vegetables with that good Mediterranean flavor.

I bet it disappears quickly at your house too!

Oops!  Remembered to remove lens cap, forgot to change camera settings!   (◔◡◔)

Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

12 ounces broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
1 large tomato, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed

Method:

Preheat oven to 450°.
On a baking sheet, toss broccoli, tomatoes, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
Bake until broccoli starts to brown, 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Toss with roasted vegetables.
Serve warm.


Enjoy!