Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil-Garlic Aioli and Basil Viniagrette

Here is another one of Puppy Daddy's favorites. We have some version of this meal every couple of weeks. It's also perfect with crab cakes, which by the way are BOGO at Fresh Market this month on Tuesdays. This makes a simple and light supper, that looks and tastes very fancy! It's a great meal when you come home after a long day because it's so quick and easy.

I like to grill the salmon, but you can cook it in the oven, which I have done if it's raining outside. You could also cook it on a grill pan. Just rub it with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill on medium high heat and don't try to flip it until it comes off the grill without sticking. While it's cooking, make your vinaigrette and aioli. For the vinaigrette I use home-made basil oil which I make during the summer to use up the basil from my plant outside. Just heat up some light olive oil or vegetable oil and drop in a bunch of basil. Let it sit for 1/2 hour. Don't let the oil come to a boil. Let it cool and strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer. Viola, basil oil. It will last a long time in a cool, dry cabinet. Just mix this in a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar ratio with white balsamic vinegar. For the Basil Aioli mix mayonnaise with chopped basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

To serve, put some spring lettuce mix on the plate. Top with vinaigrette, salmon and aioli. Delish!






Ingredients

Salmon fillets
6 TB basil oil
2 -3 TB white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 TB chopped fresh basil
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil + a small amount for grilling salmon
Spring lettuce mix
Salt and pepper

Directions

Brush salmon fillets lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 5-8 until fish lifts easily off grill. Flip and cook for about 3-4 more minutes. While fish is cooking make the vinaigrette and aioli.

Combine basil oil, white balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper to taste in a small jar or bowl.

Combine mayo, garlic, chopped basil and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil to make aioli.

To serve dress spring lettuce mix with vinaigrette. Top with salmon and a dollop of aioli.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Pressed Cuban Sandwich

While I'm on the Cuban food theme, I certainly couldn't leave out the Cuban Sandwich. Lately Tampa and Miami have been feuding over where the first one was made and what the mandatory ingredients are. I don't really care as long as it tastes good and this one is delicious. Puppy daddy swears these are the best!

I believe the secret to a great Cuban Sandwich is the pork and the bread. For my sandwiches I always use my Slow Cooker Mojo Pork and the best Cuban bread I can find. My local grocery store (Publix) makes a pretty good one, but if I could get to the La Segunda Bakery in Tampa for bread, I would definitely have the ultimate sandwich. In fact, I think my next trip to IKEA will require a stop at the bakery!. I know the purists swear by regular yellow mustard and no mayo, but I love the combination of Dijon and mayo, so that's what I use. I also prefer provolone over Swiss, but I've used both. I have also sometimes added salami, which is on a Tampa Cuban. Of, course you must have dill pickle slices.





Start by slicing your bread, adding mustard, mayo and pickles.

I put cheese on both sides of the bread so the sandwich sticks together when it melts. Then add your ham and pork.

Finally, its time to grill the Cubans. I use a flat stove top griddle. Put some softened butter on both sides of the bread. Place them on the griddle and smash them down (press) them with anything you have that's nice and heavy. I use bricks covered with aluminum foil, but you could use a heavy pot, or another griddle if you have one.

Time to eat!

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

Good Cuban Bread

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Sliced dill pickles

Sliced deli ham

Slow Cooker Mojo Pork

Provolone or Swiss cheese

Softened butter

 

Directions

 

Slice bread in half. Slather one inside piece with mayo and mustard. Add pickle slices. Top that half and the other half with cheese. Add ham and pork. Close sandwich. Spread softened butter on the outside of the sandwich. Place it on a medium-high griddle. Press down with a brick until one side is lightly browned. Flip sandwich over and repeat.

 

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

 

 

 

 



Slow Cooker Mojo Pork

I love, love, love Cuban food. We have lots of great Cuban restaurants in our area, but I love finding ways to cook it at home. This recipe is so easy and the pork can be eaten as is or used for many other recipes, like the best Cuban Sandwiches EVER!


 I use pork butt or picnic shoulder. It's inexpensive and very tasty. Just slice up the orange, lemon, lime and onion. Crush or mince about 5 cloves of garlic, and sprinkle the pork with a seasoning salt. I like Badia's Adobo.

Put about half of the citrus and onions on the bottom of the slow cooker, top with crushed garlic. Put the pork in and cover with the rest of the citrus and onion. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Take the pork  out, shred it and add back some of the sauce left in the slow cooker.

YUM!!!!




Be sure to save your left-overs for Cuban Sandwiches or Mojo Pork Tacos!

Ingredients

Pork Butt or Picnic Shoulder
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 medium onion
5 cloves of garlic
seasoning salt

Directions

Slice citrus and onion. Layer half in bottom of slow cooker. Top with crushed or minced garlic. Sprinkle seasoning salt on pork. Place in slow cooker. Top with the other half of the citrus and onion. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Remove pork and shred. Moisten with sauce left in slow cooker.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Slow Cooker Cuban Black Beans

I have been on a decades long quest to find an easy, but authentic Cuban Black Bean recipe. I can find them in lots of local restaurants, but haven't been able to recreate them at home. In fact for the last 15 years I have resorted to buying them canned in the Ethnic Foods section of my grocery store. Finally, I have figured it out. I combined the How to Cook Any Dried Beans in Your Slow Cooker recipe I just pinned on Pinterest with my own version of the Cuban Black Bean recipe from Three Guys from Miami. Easy and delicious! I made these last night with rice and Slow Cooker Mojo Pork. Two slow-cookers...I know!!!! It was a perfect meal, but if you don't have two slow cookers you can make either the beans or the pork the day before. Puppy Daddy says they both taste better the next day!

The first step is to cook your black beans. So easy! Put 1 lb of dry black beans in your slow cooker with 6 cups of water. Do NOT add salt yet. It will keep your beans from getting nice and soft. Cook on high for 4 hours.  Done!

If you like a thicker consistency to your beans you can either take our some and put them in a blender, or use my technique that doesn't require dirtying another large piece of equipment. Just mash some of the beans right in the slow cooker with your potato masher. Next add the seasoning ingredients, onion, green pepper, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook on low for at least another hour. If you're not ready to serve yet you can go a little longer on low, or turn the slow cooker to warm. The longer the beans simmer in the seasonings, the better they taste! Serve over rice and top with more onion if you like!

 

Ingredients

1 lb dry black beans

6 cups water

1 medium- large onion - diced

1 green pepper - diced

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 TB vinegar

1/4 cup  dry white wine

1 TB olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Put dry beans and water in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or until beans are soft. If you want to thicken the consistency of the beans, mash some up in the slow cooker with a potato masher. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for one hour. Serve alone or over rice. Garnish with onion.

 

Whadya think?



Oven Crusted Chicken

Last night's dinner was a request from Puppy Daddy. It is so easy that it's one of my go to recipes when I need something quick and simple. It's also very versatile. You can change up what you use for the crust for lots of different tastes. Last night I used up what was left of the massive crouton overage left from a salad bar party that I hosted.

All you need is chicken breast, mustard, mayonnaise, and something crunchy. Usually I use regular boneless, skinless breast. I pound it out so it's thin and  cut it in half to make two portions because they are so big. This time I used thin cutlets from the store because they were on sale and were cheaper than the regular breasts. For the crunchy I used garlic croutons, but I've also used flavored crackers, potato chips, Doritos, etc. You can also use something less flavored like plain crackers, corn flakes or panko and add in flavor such as dry onion soup mix or any other seasoning blend you like.

To get the right consistency for the crunchy coating just chop you topping in the food processor. If you don't have one you can put it in a plastic storage bag and smash it up.






Now it's time to coat the chicken. Mix your mayo and mustard and put it in one container. Put your crunchy coating in another. First dip your chicken in the mayo and mustard, covering both sides. Then it goes in the crunchy coating. Be sure you get full coverage.

The secret to getting both sides crunchy is cooking on a rack over your baking sheet. This way the heat can get all the way around the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, I like to whip up a dipping sauce. Last night it was honey mustard. Just combine mayo, mustard, a little apple cider vinegar and Splenda. You could also use sugar, but I'm diabetic so I avoid it whenever possible. Ranch dressing also makes a good dipping sauce.

Just 20 minutes in the oven and here's what you get. Yummy and oh so easy!

Ingredients
2 chicken breast cutlets, or one chicken breast pounded thin and cut in two pieces
1 1/2 cup garlic salad croutons
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tb Splenda
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind up croutons in food processor. Combine mayonnaise and mustard. Coat chicken first in mayo/mustard and with ground croutons. Place on a rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is not pink in the center.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Mix first four ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Easy Chicken Verde Tostados

Yep, I'm still using up the left over Chicken Valerie! My family loves Mexican food. My dad introduced it to us when I was in my early teens and he frequently traveled to Texas and New Mexico for business. That was way before Taco Bell, and there were not many Mexican ingredients in grocery stores. In my house there always seemed to be fresh, very spicey salsa for an after school snack. My dad says if it doesn't make your nose run and your cheeks turn red, it's not hot enough! Well this recipe is not spicey, because Puppy Daddy is not into super spicey food, so I always add the spice at the end to just my portion. It does however have salsa, green tomatilla salsa, which is my favorite. You can make it yourself and sometimes I do, but I was looking for something quick and easy, so I used premade salsa verde.

For this recipe you will need corn tortillas, refried beans, cooked shredded or chopped chicken, salsa verde (tomatilla salsa) monterey jack cheese, lettuce tomato, green onions and sour cream. I always add pickeled jalapenos to mine, too! The first step is to heat the chicken up with the salsa verde. Just heat them together in a sauce pan so that the the salsa thickens up a bit.




Next, crisp up your corn tortillas.
This is easy. Just put a little olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot lay the tortillas in and cook each side for about 3-4 minutes until they just start to turn brown. Then let them drain on a rack over some paper towels. I like to sprinkle them with a little salt while they are still hot.




While the tortillas are cooling you can prep your other ingredients. Shred the cheese and chop the veggies.  Heat the refried beans up in the microwave.








Now get your tortillas ready to go into the oven. Just spread some of the warm refried beans on your tortillas. Top with the chicken - salsa mixture and cheese. Put them in a 350 oven until the cheese melts.

Finally top with veggies and sour cream. Yum!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked shredded or chopped chicken

2/3 cup salsa verde (tomatilla salsa)

4 corn tortillas

1 Tb olive oil

salt

1 cup refried beans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup chopped lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup sour cream

pickled jalapenos (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken and salsa verde in a sauce pan. Heat on medium for about 10 minutes or until salsa thickens. Heat olive oil in non-stick skillet on medium high. Cook tortillas for 3-4 minutes on each side until the begin to brown. Remove and place on a rack over paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Heat refried beans until just warm in microwave oven. Spread 1/4 cup of refried beans on each tortilla. Put 1/4 of the chicken, salsa mixture on each tortilla and top with cheese. Cook in oven until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Top each tostado with the rest of the ingredient.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Greek Burgers with Feta, Olive Tzatziki

I have loved Greek food for as long as I can remember and I am blessed to have always lived in an area that has wonderful Greek food. When I was young (a long, long time ago) families only went out to dinner for special occasions, so when it was my birthday and I got to choose the restaraunt, I always chose Louise Pappas, a legendary Greek restaraunt in Tarpon Springs. Though I never had a burger there, but it was the start of my love for Greek food. Now I don't claim to be a great Greek chef like my Greek friends Marianna and Kiki, but I think you'll find this simple recipe will satisfy your Mediteranean cravings. And maybe if we all beg, they will share some their secret recipes with us!

To make the burgers combine ground chuck, Greek seasoning, red wine, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.Sprinkle both sides of the burgers with salt and pepper. These are also delicious with ground lamb or a combination of lamb and beef. Cook the burgers in your favorite method. I love them cooked on a charcoal grill, but tonight I didn't have time for that so I used the gas grill instead.



While the burgers are cooking, make this yummy spread for them. First make the tzatziki sauce by combining Greek Yogurt (I used 2% fat yogurt), lemon juice, grated cucumber, garlic and salt. You will have more tzaziki than you need for the spread, so save it. It makes a fantastic dip for pita chips! To make the spread just add in chopped olives and feta cheese. I love to use a variety of olives that I get at my local grocery store olive bar.

OK, this is important, when making the tzatziki, be sure to remove the seeds from the cucumber. Otherwise it will be too watery. You can do this easily by cutting the cucumber into quarters like a dill pickle. Then just slice out the seed section.





To grate the cucumber I use a Micorplane hand grater, but you could use a box grater as well.

When the burgers are cooked, put them on the bun with the Feta, Olive Tzatziki spread and a couple of slices of cucumber. I served this with a scoop of potato salad and a Greek Peasant salad.

This recipe is for two burgers.

Ingredients
2/3 lb ground chuck
1 Tb red wine
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 Tb Greek seasoning
7 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 Tb lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed, finely chopped or grated
1/4 cup grated, de-seeded cucumber
1/2 cup chopped olives, what ever type you like
1/2 cup chopped feta cheese
2 hamburger buns
4 thin slice of cucumber 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients, being careful not to break down ground meat to much. Form into two patties. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Cook in personally desired method. Top burgers with Olive, Feta Tzatziki Spread and thinly sliced cucumber.

Feta, Olive Tzatziki Spread
Combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, grated cucumber, olives and feta.

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!