Baked Salmon

Have I ever mentioned that I love salmon? One of my favorites. I like it smoked, sashimi, sushi, teriyaki, bbq’d, steamed, baked, roasted, fried, etc. The only time I don’t like salmon is when it is overcooked. I’ll eat it canned, but only in a salmon salad sandwich (I would prefer tuna though).

I got this recipe from Spoon It On a few years back (yes, I get a lot of recipes from her, because our kitchen motto is the same: quick, easy, and delicious)

Baked Salmon ~ Adapted from Spoon It On

I don't measure my ingredients, I adjust according to taste and my experience from previous attempts.

Salmon – fillet or steaks, I used a whole fillet of salmon here
1/2 to 1 lemon, sliced
1/2 stick butter ** see note below
seasoning salt ***see note below
steak spice *** see note below

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

1. Rinse and pat dry salmon fillet. Place in roasting pan or pan that allows the salmon to lay without overlapping except where the fillet is thin. The pan needs to have sides so that when you cover it with tin foil, the foil doesn't touch the fish.

2. Slice a lemon and set aside. (Just cut enough for the size of your fish)

3. Cut half a stick of butter into squares (If you like it more buttery, then cut more)

4. Sprinkle seasoning salt, steak spice over salmon (I season generously because my first attempt making this was too bland).

5. Place lemon slices on salmon nicely spaced apart (for more lemony flavour you can squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the fish).

6. Place butter on salmon, once again spaced evenly on salmon (I line the butter every 1.5 inches along the length of the salmon and on top of the lemon slices).

7. Cover with tin foil and bake until desired doneness (I usually bake for 40 minutes but that's because it is the entire side of 1 salmon. If you use a smaller piece, it will be done anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes. It is done when the salmon flakes when you stick a fork in the thickest part of the fillet though I like mine to still be a little "pink" there).

** For a healthier option, drizzle olive oil and use less butter or completely omit butter if you want

*** You can basically use any seasoning you like. Try Montreal Steak Spice, Garlic Plus, Mrs. Dash, Italian seasoning…the list is endless. Or even try herbs such as dill, oregano, etc. And you can garnish with parsley or cilantro when ready to serve. In the past, in place of the steak spice and seasoning salt, I've tried using lemon pepper seasoning (don't over season with this mix as it is a strong one).

Spoon It On's Easy Banana Bread

Spoon It On claims that this banana bread is really easy. So, was it easy? Very easy! I got this recipe from her a few years back and I make it any time I have more-than-freckled bananas sitting on the counter.

Secrets to making Easy Banana Bread:

1. The more ripe the bananas the sweeter they are and the easier it'll be to mash them.

2. The potato masher. Rather than using a fork I use a potato masher. It only takes 50 strokes to get all the ingredients incorporated and into the oven. So a bowl, masher, measuring cup is all you need to wash.

3. Double the recipe! You're doing the work for one, so why not make 2 banana breads? Clean up is the same and you can either freeze the extra loaf or gift it to someone special.

Easy Banana Bread ~ Spoon It On
makes 1 loaf

1/2 C mayonnaise or salad dressing (do not use non-fat)
1 egg
3 ripe medium bananas
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 C chocolate chips (optional)

**A healthy option: Though I didn't do it this time, I usually add 1/2 C of quick oats to the recipe to up the health factor. I find that you don't need to adjust the recipe for this addition. Put it in with the dry ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare your loaf pans either by lining with parchment paper and spraying with non-stick spray or greasing the pan and lightly dust it with flour (I use non-stick loaf pans so there is no need to prep the pans).

Measure mayonnaise, egg, and bananas into a medium bowl and mash until bananas are combined with the mayo and egg.

In a separate bowl (I just meaure the ingredients into the banana mixture so that I don't have an extra bowl to wash), combine remaining ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix with fork or masher until everything is incorporated.

If using nuts or chocolate chips, be sure to toss them in a teaspoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.

Stir nuts/chocolate chips into batter.

Pour into 9” x 5” (2L) greased or floured loaf pan.

I made 1 loaf without nuts/chocolate chips and the other with. Before putting the chocolate chips into the doubled batter, I poured the batter into one loaf pan. I then added chocolate chips into the bowl and stirred. I then poured the chocolate chip batter into the other loaf pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Lychee Cupcakes

After seeing it on a lot of food blogs, I ordered my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule.

As soon as I saw Lychee Cupakes, the Asian in me knew I had to make it. Unfortunately, I can't share the recipe with you since I followed the recipe exactly.

I was really amazed that after cooling, the cupcakes didn't deflate. They were nice and round.

Aren't they beautiful in their shiny coating of coconut glaze? They would've looked a lot prettier with a colorful flower (made from fondant or a real one).

How did they taste? They tasted delicious and you could taste a hint of lychee and coconut. Not at all overpowering. The coconut glaze was out of this world. My 4-year old son really liked them - he ate 2 cupcakes in one sitting.

Would I make them again? Probably not. These were really dense cupcakes. I like my cupcakes to be light, with a fine crumb. However, I will be making use of the coconut glaze recipe on cookies, cupcakes and cakes. All was not lost.

I can't wait to try the other recipes in the book.

Sai Mai Lo with Mango Pulp

Sai Mai Lo is an Asian tapioca sweet dessert soup. I've been making it for over 10 years (on and off) and it is still one of my favorites. It is so easy to make and it is inexpensive too. This makes a lot.

Ingredients:

18 C (4.5 litres) of water
3/4 to 1 C rock sugar (I use about 3/4 of a box)
1 C tapioca pearls
2-3 C water
1 can coconut milk (approx 400 mL)
1 can evaporated milk (approx 370 mL)
mango pulp (optional)

1. In a large pot, bring 4.5 L of water to a boil. Add rock sugar. Stir occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, bring the 2-3 C of water to a boil (I do this in a kettle). Place tapioca pearls in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl. Pour the 2-3 C of boiling water over the tapioca and stir lightly. Let soak for approximately 5 minutes. This starts the cooking process for the pearls and may help in preventing clumps (I still get a lot of clumps though). Though I've never tried, this step may be skipped. If you do opt out of this step omit the 2-3 C of water.

3. Test the sugar mixture to see if it is sweet enough for you. You will still be adding 4 more cups of liquid to this so if it is a little more on the sweet side, it is okay. Add tapioca to the pot and cook on medium-low heat. Cook and stir until tapioca becomes clear. If the tapioca is clumpy, use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break them up. DO NOT cover the pot as it will boil over (I learned that the hard way and that was with the stove turned off!).

4. Remove from heat and if you want, you can put the pot in an ice bath (I'm usually in a rush to eat it and I like this dessert chilled). Stir in the coconut milk and evaporated milk to the pot. It is ready to eat. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.

5. For some variation, try adding fruit. This time I tried it with mango pulp. Some people like taro root in their sai mai lo. For this variation, add 2 C cubed taro root to the pot of water in step 1 and bring to a boil. Once the taro is cooked, add the rock sugar and continue at step 2. Use a masher to mash the taro and in turn breaking up any tapioca clumps.

Note: All ingredients can be adjusted to your liking. For example, if you like it to have more of a coconut taste, add more coconut milk. If you like it thinner, use more water next time or if you like it thicker, use less water. These measurements are the way I like my sai mai lo but there is no right or wrong way.

This dessert is great served chilled on a hot summer day = )

Cantaloupe

I had a small cantaloupe sitting on the counter that was way past its prime so I cut it up following the pictorial but left the melon in large pieces. I put it in a container and left it in the fridge to chill. The next morning I placed the melon into the blender and whirred it up into a smoothie. No sweeteners, no fillers, no ice, nada. Just pure cantaloupe.


It wasn't juicy, it wasn't watery. The best way to describe it? It was kind of milkshake-like. Luscious and yummy.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Nirvana

I was catching up on some blogs when I came across Cake On the Brain's post on her recent cookie making venture. Anyone who knows me knows I love, L.O.V.E., chocolate. So when she called her cookies Chocolate Chip Cookie Nirvana I knew I had to make these. I did change the recipe a bit and, well, they didn't turn out the way they were supposed to. Who knew that the cookie dough-to-chocolate chip ratio could throw it all off? Not me! How can you go wrong with more chocolate? I guess I was too chocolate-hungry. So I am posting the recipe, but please don't follow my changes and you'll be in nirvana as Cakebrain was when she made these.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Nirvana

makes 3 dozen ridiculously large cookies

by Cakebrain adapted from Jacques Torres' A Year in Chocolate

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 t salt

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 T granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 t pure vanilla extract

1 2/3 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup milk chocolate chips)

1 cup white chocolate pieces (I used white chocolate chips)

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have ready 2 nonstick cookie sheets, or line 2 regular cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
• In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and beat just until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. When all of the flour mixture has been incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate (this was so hard to do).
• To shape the cookies, using a tablespoon, scoop out a heaping spoonful of the dough and, using the palms of your hands, form it into a 3-inch ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart (my batch didn't flatten out during baking so next time - yes, I haven't given up on this recipe yet - I would flatten them before putting them in the oven).
• Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven, transfer the cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.
• Store, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

This recipe really does make an enormous amount of cookies. I baked only half the batch and rolled and froze the rest of the dough into balls to be baked another day.

Shop 4 A Cause

Angela of Oh She Glows is having a 1-day charity auction where all proceeds are going to The Canadian Cancer Society. There are 47 items and the bidding starts at 8 am today. Happy bidding!!!

Super Easy Pecan Bark Squares

I made Danica's pecan bark and they are to.die.for.!!!! It's so easy too!

Super Easy Pecan Bark Squares
(makes 24 + squares)

1 C chopped pecans
1 C brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 C butter, unsalted
24-30 graham squares

Make room in the freezer to fit a cookie sheet.

Place oven rack at the middle level. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Optional: Spread pecans on a cookie sheet and roast pecans in oven. Toss nuts after 5 minutes and roast for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay graham squares side by side (do not overlap) making sure the entire cookie sheet is covered. Spread pecans over the graham squares. Set aside.

In a 2-quart (small) saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and STIR until butter mixture boils. Allow mixture to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over graham squares and pecans and put cookie sheet in oven for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, immediately place cookie sheet in freezer and chill for about an hour to overnight. Take cookie sheet out of freezer and break into squares or smaller pieces. There is no need to refridgerate.

This recipe is easily doubled - just remember to use a larger saucepan and set the oven racks to the 1/3 and 2/3 level.

Note: Because I made a double batch, and I'm super glad I did, I broke them into squares and put them into freezer bags. I keep my stash in the freezer and they're ready to eat (no need to defrost).


So go make them - you won't regret it unless you're watching your waistline because they are so addictive.

The next time I make them I will be drizzling chocolate (white/milk/dark) - drizzle chocolate and allow chocolate to harden before breaking.

When I make another Marscapone Cheesecake I will be putting these into the food processor to make a crust. Mmmmm! Just the thought is making my mouth water. Okay...I've got to end this post so that I can go grab myself another piece of bark.