Grilled Rosemary Salmon over Lentils Rustico

Thank goodness all of my kids love salmon. It is one of my favorite foods in the world. I just have to tell you before I loose some of you to my Health and Nutritional info, that the addition of the Sun Dried Tomatoes in this dish was extrordinary!!!  The tomatoes in combination with the lemon and herbs, OH MY! You must try this, it's NOT just another lentil dish.  Not only is salmon super yummy, but I'm sure you've heard how good it is for you too. Salmon is very low in fat and has tons of Omega-3's, an essential fatty acid very important to heart and peripheral vascular health! 

When choosing salmon, make sure you get Wild Salmon, ie. Alaskan or Canadian and NOT Farmed salmon, ie. "Fresh Atlantic".  Not only are farmed fish much more susceptible to diseases from living in cramped conditions, they are fed a diet of grains and fillers not natural to them which alters their chemical makeup. Wild salmon are higher in protein and have a natural healthy balance of Omega-3's to Omega-6's.
Also, farmed raised salmon have very high levels of PBC's, a chemical which is well known to cause cancer.

Ingredients


 1 1/2 c dried  lentils


1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil; divided 


1 Sweet (vidallia) Onion; chopped 


3 Cloves garlic; finely diced


2 teaspoons Ground cumin


1 teaspoon Hot red chili flakes  ( I sprinkle on at the end so the kids don't get any)


1 Carrot,  finely diced 


1 stalk celery, finely diced


4 Roma Tomatoes, diced


1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley 


1/2 teaspoon Pepper 


Salt to taste


1 1/2 lb Fresh Alaskan salmon fillet; skin on


1 ts Chopped fresh rosemary 






 Putting it all together:




 Firsts, peel and smash garlic with the back of a large knife, let it sit for at least 10 minutes so it
releases the * allicin.


Rinse lentils thoroughly. Place in large bowl and soak in cool water for 10 minutes. Place lentils in a large pot with a pinch of sea salt and cover generously with water. Bring to boil and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until just tender. Don't overcook or you'll have lentil soup. Drain well, reserving some liquid to add to combined dish if too dry.


Meanwhile, heat 3 teaspoons oil in large cast iron pot and add onion. Cook gently for 3 minutes. Mince garlic and add to onion. Add cumin and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Add carrot, celery and both dried and fresh tomatoes to skillet. Cook until carrots are just tender, and liquid from tomatoes has reduced. Add drained lentils, parsley, pepper and salt to skillet. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Keep warm.


Brush a second grill pan with remaining 1 tsp  oil. Sprinkle salmon with chopped rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes, skin side UP, or until slightly browned and crusty. Transfer salmon to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or leave in skillet if it is oven proof). Bake in preheated 400F/200C oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just cooked through. It's easy to overcook salmon. Salmon should be just barely pink on the inside when pulled apart with a fork. If you overcook it, it will be dry and tasteless.
Serve salmon on bed of lentils.

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

* I like to provide some important health or nutritional information about

 just 1 Super Food/Ingredient/Spice on most of my posts. I hope you take the time to glance

at them throughout my blog, I try to keep it short and to the point.

HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT ALLICIN

What Is Allicin?

Garlic is not merely a tasty ingredient to add to your favorite Italian dishes. Since ancient times, garlic has been recognized by many diverse civilizations for its variety of medicinal properties. The Egyptian and Roman labourers used garlic in their diet to enhance their physical endurance and in the 20th century, garlic was used to fight against the global influenza pandemic (i.e. flu) of the time.

Today, more than 5,000 scientific publications from all over the world have gradually confirmed the traditionally recognized health benefits of garlic, which include acting as an antibiotic as well as other health advantages like its anti-cholesterol and anti-hypertensive benefits.

Did you know that allicin is effective against fatal infections such as tuberculosis and MRSA?

Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound derived from garlic and provides the greatest reputed health benefits.

Allicin does not occur in "ordinary" garlic, it is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The finer the chopping and the more intensive the crushing, the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal effect.

Allicin starts to degrade immediately after it is produced, so its medical effectiveness decreases over time. Cooking speeds up this degradation and microwaving appears to destroy allicin totally and eliminate any health benefits. 
***  So you should either add garlic to your meals RAW, or only cook for 1-2 minutes!

So for the most powerful medicinal effect, crush a little raw garlic and combine with the cooked food shortly before serving. **Don't overdo it - too much can produce irritation of and possibly even damage to the digestive tract. Remember too that raw, crushed garlic also has the most powerful flavour!

Some information found at:Allicin Facts
  Garlic Central

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Pan Crusted Coriander, Cumin and Mustard Seed Sabel Fish: Weeknight Cooking

It's hard being a mostly pescatarian living in Phoenix, Az. A pescatarian who also happens to hate the heat and loves tall boots, sweaters and scarves. The choices when it comes to seafood here in the southwest are Tilapia, and Salmon which are usually farmed and injected with color and Cod which is my least favorite fish. It's not that I hate it but I find it a tad fishy and usually slightly rubbery for my taste. Maybe I'm having flashbacks from my childhood as well when we ate plain or lemon peppered Cod once or twice a week with broccoli or steamed spinach, gag!

 Like I said, the choices are super slim here in the Phoenix desert when it comes to seafood, go figure, so I make do with what's available and try my best to doctor the fillets up a bit. I have nice conversations with the meat guys at Safeway who are probably tired of me asking for fish other than the aforementioned.

Me: "Do you have any Orange Roughy today?"
Meat Counter Guy: "Nope, it's too fragile a fish."
Me: "Fragile? Oh. How about Sablefish?"
MCG: "Ummm, No."
Me:  sighhh "How about  Wolf Fish?"
MCG:  "Are you serious? What's a Wolf Fish?"
Me: "Never mind. I'll take the Cod please."

Simply toss a tablespoon each of whole cumin, coriander and mustard seeds into a dry cast iron skillet and cook on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes while shaking the pan or stirring with a wooden spatula. Being very careful not to burn!
As soon as they turn dark golden brown remove from the pan.

So since my childhood I've had an aversion to lemon pepper seasoning. Nostalgic gag reflex even from the smell. Funny, I hated fish for a long time, well into my 20's because of the type of fish we were served, how it was prepared (no offense mommy) and how often we had it. Or maybe most kids just hate fish, 2 of mine included, one of my boys says  "Fine, I'll eat it but I'm gonna call it chicken."


Thank goodness I gave fish another try, it's been my main source of protein for over a decade now. I'm constantly trying different types of fish (when I can get my hands on some) and different ways to prepare and season it. This is one of my new favorite ways to flavor up a plain white fish.... like cod. This is such a simple and effective way to make fish taste like a gourmet recipe from a top notch eatery.

Toasting the whole cumin, coriander and mustard seeds really make a huge difference in the flavors. If your a coffee drinker you might appreciate this. Fresh is always best and when talking about herbs and fish it's of the up most importance. 

Place the toasted seeds into a coffee grinder and pulse a few seconds until they turn into a powder. Sprinkle your fish with salt and pepper then generously sprinkle the herbs on both sides. 

Place the fish pieces into a pre-heated skillet with 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 small slab real butter.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side depending on how thick your fish is. When the fish flakes easily with a fork it is done. Don't over cook your fish or it will be dry (and rubbery if it's cod ;)

Serve with a wedge of lemon and fresh chopped parsley. That's it, simple right?

Don't forget your greens! Serve with a big tossed salad or roasted asparagus. 

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Puerto Penasco Ceviche

This is the best ceviche I've ever had. My dad has a house in Las Conchas Mexico that our family loves spending time at. Of course my favorite part is sitting on the beach and eating fresh seafood. My husband and I like to go down to Puerto Penasco to the warf and pick up fresh shrimp and fish to grill while we're there. The little taco stands along the beach serve up some wonderful ceviche, my favorite! They serve theirs with saltine crackers and plenty of ice cold cerveza, Mmmmmmm! I like to use tortilla chips to scoop up my ceviche, probly because I can get more into my mouth at a time!

My friend Lia made some ceviche  for us a long time ago and it was amazing!  I have played around with the ingredients to come up with what I think is the best ceviche recipe ever. 

A couple of tips I've learned when making ceviche:

1. Blanch your seafood quickly in salted, boiling water.  The citric acid in the limes cooks the fish so you would never know you were eating raw fish in fact, it is not raw. The longer you let the fish marinate, it will start to break down and get mushy, this is why I blanch mine in boiling water, it helps cook it a bit without having to sit in the citrus for to long. Does that make sense? ;-/

2. Even though you don't want to let the fish sit in the lime juice by itself for more than a couple of hours, ceviche tasted great the next day when all the other ingredients have had some time to get to know each other!

You Will Need:

Serves  6-8    TIME  2 hours

2  pieces fresh Mahi Mahi (or other firm white fish)

1  pound seafood mix; scallops, calamari and shrimp  (I get mine at Trader Joe's  )

6 limes, juiced

1 bunch cilantro

3 cups tomato juice cocktail {look for one that does not contain High Fructose Corn Syrup!}

1 medium seedless cucumber

1 medium red onion, diced

1-2 fresh jalepenos, veins removed & diced

3 firm, ripe avacado

2 teaspoons red chili salt

1 tabelspoon sea salt for boiling water

Tortilla chips

Putting it all together:

Boil water in a large stock pot, add sea salt. Chop thawed Mahi Mahi into small bite sized pieces. Add fish and seafood mix to stock pot. You want to blanch the seafood for only 30 seconds, NO MORE.  Drain seafood in collander. Spread fish and seafood mix in a deep baking dish, Cover with lime juice and cover with foil.  Place in refridgerator for about 1-2 hours. The longer you let the fish "cook" in the citric acid, the mushier they will get.   Chop cucumber, avacado and onion into small pieces. Chop cilantro. Remove marinated seafood mix from fridge and combine all ingredients except tortillas. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled with tortilla chips. 

This post is linked to Cookin Canuck ~ Wake up with California Avocado

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Baked Orange Roughy with Chopped Basil Pesto Crust

I got this recipe from here.  Kaylen's kitchen has many wonderful recipes I can't wait to try. I'm so upset that my pictures don't do it justice. It was THE best fish recipe I have ever had, and I love fish! This pesto crust was so wonderful. Not overpowering at all. The pine nuts and parmesean cheese just melt in your mouth. My kids all loved this too! Score! I will be making this one often. Thanks Kaylen!

The mild flavor of Orange Roughy or Tilapia make them great choices for those who don't like the "fishy" taste of fish ;-)

You Will Need:

4 white fish fillets, about 6 oz. each

1/3 cup  pine nuts

1/4  cup Parmesan Cheese

1 TBSP  finely minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/4  cup chopped fresh basil

1 TBSP EVOO

Putting it all together:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F Spray individual casserole dishes with non-stick spray or olive oil (use one large casserole dish if you don't have individual ones.) Remove the fish fillets from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature while the oven reheats. (Having the fish at room temperature is very important or it won't cook before the crust topping gets too brown.) Just don't let it sit out for more than 20 minutes for health safety reasons.

Use a large chef's knife to finely chop the pine nuts and mince the garlic.

Mix together chopped pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, finely chopped basil, and EVOO.

Spread  the crust mixture evenly over the surface of each fish fillet.

Bake fish 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness and type of fish you use. For instance, Tilapia will take less time than Halibut. I like to use Orange Roughy, it takes about 13 minutes.  Fish is done as soon as it flakes off easily with a fork. Don't over cook or it will be dry.  Serve hot

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Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks

You will need:

SERVES  6    TIME  15 MINUTES

1 1/2 lbs. mild white fish such as grouper, orange roughy, tilapia or halibut.

1/2 cup milk

1 cup corn meal

1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp black pepper

Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut your fish into strips. Pour milk in a bowl, add fish.

In a bread bag or Ziploc bag, combine cornmeal, brown rice four and seasonings.

ONE AT A TIME, add pieces of fish to bag and shake to coat well.

Put all pieces of fish onto a baking sheet lined with foil (easy clean up). Try to not let them touch each other if possible.

Bake at 400° for about 8-10 minutes. Don't overcook or your fish will be dry.

We like to eat our fish sticks with Tabasco or a sour cream, hot sauce dip. But if you like tarter sauce, knock yourself out! ;-)

Pairs well with my apple slaw and home made baked garlic fries.

 

PRINT THIS RECIPE!

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Pasta Tuna Nicoise: What to Make for Dinner When You Don't Feel Like Making Dinner...

Some days I'm so exhausted from trying to keep 4 kids alive that I have zero desire to make anything for dinner. Apples and popcorn anyone? After I pull myself together {relatively speaking} and take a deep breath I drag myself into the kitchen to see what's in the pantry that can literally be thrown together. This is the biggest reason why I don't keep junk food in the house, to ward off the temptation to eat boxed or frozen dinners which are full of preservatives, additives and nutrient deprived. Where I do cheat is keeping canned beans handy for when I forget to soak and prep dried beans. I also always have brown rice, lentils and whole grain pasta in my pantry. Canned light tuna and canned Alaskan salmon are great pantry staples as well and can be thrown into pasta or rice to make a complete meal in minutes when veggies are added.

Here is one of those dinners that were a big hit with the kiddos and more importantly, healthy and adult friendly as well. When I was little we had tuna casserole once or twice a month. Do you know the casserole I'm talking about? The one with canned tuna, cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas and crushed Ritz crackers sprinkled over top and then served on top of wide egg noodles. Ahhh, now that's nostalgic magic!

Well it was a big treat back in the day and a change from the beans and cornbread or fish and rice that we usually ate. I suppose frugality played a big role in us having that tuna casserole so often for dinner, as did my mom having 4 kids running around the house like wild monkeys as do I. Images of my 5 year old brother putting the car into gear while my mom was closing the garage door and driving it through the garage and into our living room are popping into my head. It's amazing she didn't just throw bird seed at us for dinner.

So, as much as I love to cook and as much as I want to enjoy a really wonderful meal, some days it's just not in the cards. Again, without resorting to Kraft Mac N' Cheese or hot dogs you can easily throw together a fuss free and healthy meal. This pasta is a healthy and adult spin on Tuna Casserole. I omitted the cream of mushroom soup or mayo that's usually in tuna casserole and opted for a light citrus dressing that is flavored with fresh herbs. Spring, pole beans replace the frozen peas since they are in season but feel free to use any veggies you have on hand, frozen works just as well.

TIME  15 MINUTES        SERVES  6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole grain pasta, cooked according to package directions

2-6oz cans light tuna or Alaskan salmon, drained

1-14 oz. can Organic cannelini (white) beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 lb fresh pole beans or snap peas

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

2 teaspoons dried tarragon (goes great with tuna, yum)

1 fresh lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste



Putting  Throwing it All Together:


In a large stock pot bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pole beans and cook for just 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, drain.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl combine tuna, white beans, pole beans, tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, cooked pasta, chives and parsley, toss to combine. Add dressing and toss to coat.

That's it!

What's your favorite 'Fuss Free' dinner?


This post is linked to Kitchen Corners for her May Cook off: Your favorite 'Go To' recipe.

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Tuna and White Bean Cakes with Shaved Spring Asparagus and a Light, Lemon Tarragon Sauce {gluten free}

Question.  How do you make crab cakes when you're craving them like nobodies business but you   a.) don't have any crab and  b.) are on a budget? 

Answer.  You doll up some tuna with fresh herbs, lemon and shaved asparagus, dip it by the forkful with no shame into a tangy lemon, tarragon yogurt sauce and wash it down with a glass of Pinot Grigio.


Delima averted.





Then, just to gloat, you tell yourself that you are being super health conscience because you ate a practically perfect meal by utilizing the antioxidants in the wine and gave your body a good dose of healthy Omega 3's which are hard to come by these days, thereby forgetting all about the fact that you aren't  in fact  having crab cakes.  Pssshhhh, who needs em?

These tuna cakes are easy enough for a Monday night dinner -- or in my case a Tuesday night dinner. Tuesday's, without fail, are the crazy busiest Orthopedic days in surgery for some reason. Coincidentally (or not) it's also when people tend to call in sick, have some sort of emergency or just decide to spend the day soaking up the Spring sunshine (I would choose option 3 but I'm too chicken to make it happen).


This particular Tuesday provided to be all of the above plus an added curve ball. Seeing as we were short staffed (more than usual) I didn't get to work with the Ortho Doc who I usually assist during Makoplasty surgeries. Instead, I ended up doing total hips and knees with a Dr. I hardly ever work with meaning I couldn't rely on my "Auto Pilot" and had to use my memory/mommy brain instead....  at least until my coffee kicked in.... around noon. Not good.


My point,  I am mentally and physically and in all other ways exhausted on most every Tuesday. These tuna cakes are just a tad bit more complicate that spaghetti and meatballs or in our house, spaghetti and Italian sausage. You get the point. They are super easy to throw together.


A few chopped veggies and herbs thrown in a bowl with an egg and a can of tuna and you have yourself a  not so  fancy meal.

How can you not add asparagus to every meal during the Spring? Wait, am I the only one who worships this gorgeous veggie? No wonder since it's cousins are onion and garlic! 

I pulse a bit more than half of the white beans in my food processor and reserve some to add texture. 

Instead of using bread crumbs which you already know are high in gluten and cause bloating, stomach fat and various other ailments, I used finely chopped veggies and green onion and  nutritional yeast to bind the ingredients together. As you can see, they formed patties quite nicely.

If I had to pick one one of my top 3 favorite kitchen tools, my stone baking pan would and will be on the list forever! It browns veggie patties quickly and evenly using NO added oil and cleans by scraping with a spatula and hot water. Good bye fryer! 

{If you are at all interested in purchasing a stone baking sheet or any of my other favorite kitchen gadgets or ingredients, please consider buying through Simply Healthy Family's 'Store' and help support this blog. It's very much appreciated!} 

Using a simple veggie peeler, shave thin strips of asparagus and pile on top of your cooked tuna cakes. There is no need to cook or even blanch the asparagus, it tastes amazing when shaved into such thin strips and pairs perfectly with these tuna cakes. In fact, I found myself nibbling on my pile of curled asparagus while admiring the beautiful purple and green of my favorite vegetable.

Oh, you'll want to cut off the very tips of the asparagus, the spear, and save it for tomorrows salad or stir fry. The tips don't shave well but are conveniently most peoples favorite part.

This light and tangy dressing is the key to these tuna cakes.  I must admit that however healthy and flavorful they are, tuna cakes as well as any other fish cake are a bit dry without some sort of sauce to jazz it up. It makes a mundane meal extraordinary.

Crab cakes usually come with some version of aioli paired with them not only to compliment the flavors, but to add moisture. My tuna cakes are no exception. Instead of aioli, which base is mayo (if you know me, I can't stand mayo) I made a thick and creamy yogurt lemon-tarragon sauce to spoon on top of my cakes.  Not sure which I ate more of, the tuna cakes or the sauce.

TIME    30 MINUTES        SERVES    4-6

INGREDIENTS

2, 6 oz cans of Chunk Light Tuna, drained

1 cup cooked (or 1 can, drained and rinsed) cannellini beans

1 lemon, juiced 

2 eggs

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

2 tablespoons green onion, finely diced

1/4 cup carrot, grated finely (optional, adds sweetness)

2 tablespoons green onion, finely diced

 4 asparagus spears (tips removed and saved for future use) 

2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

1 tablespoon dried Tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

 1 cup Greek yogurt 

1 lemon (from above) zested

1 tablespoon dried Tarragon

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F

In a food processor, pulse 3/4 of the beans until smooth. Spoon beans into a large bowl and add remaining whole beans. Add tuna, eggs, lemon, bell pepper, onion, nutritional yeast, tarragon, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. 

Using hands, shape mixture into small patties and place onto stone baking sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Flip patties over and cook another5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare lemon tarragon sauce by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. 

Shave asparagus as instructed above. 

Remove tuna patties from oven and place on plate.  Dollop with lemon, tarragon sauce and top with shaved asparagus.

Serve with a side of mixed Spring field greens and chilled Pinot Grigio.

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Moroccon Cous Cous with Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar

 What to make for dinner when you don't feel like making dinner.

I decided that I wasn't going to talk about how amazingly delicious this cous cous was. I'm also not going to tell you how simple it is even though it looks all fancy and exotic and some what like an elaborate, artistic masterpiece. I'm also not going to even mention the fact that besides being sweet and tart and complex and lovely, it is light and healthy and nutritionally perfect. No meat necessary. Mum's the word.

Instead, I decided that I was going to talk about balloons. And motherhood. But mostly about balloons.

Every kid loves balloons right? Begs for them at the store. Plays with them at birthday parties and happily marches around the house with one tied to their wrist, squealing in delight.

Not. In. This. House. We have a balloon hater in this house. No, that does not even begin to describe the chaos, turmoil and complete madness that consumes our home when a balloon enters it.

Is there a certain word for severe balloon phobia? There must be, there's a phobia for everything. Does anyone know what the word for fear of balloons is?

My sweet little 4 year old, Nolan, is utterly and completely terrified of balloons for some reason. I thought he'd have gotten over it by now, hopefully he will someday I mean he's only 4... and 1/2. In the beginning I didn't think much of it, 'eh, he's just a little kid, he'll get over it. I mean how often do you run into balloons in every day life? Well let me tell you.

Birthday's, obviously. So a year has gone by since the last birthday party balloon fiasco I didn't think anything of getting some balloons for Jack's 6th birthday a few weeks ago. Bad idea. BAD. Good grief, you can not imagine the torture this poor 4 year old boy went through because of a couple of regular ol' balloons! I spent All morning trying to sympathize, coax, reassure and rationalize with an insanely out of control 4 year old that there was no reason to be afraid of a balloon.

Why is he afraid?

It starts at the store. He's afraid the string is going to come loose and it's going to blow away. You should see his poor little face, genuine fear I tell you. Then, in the car {good Lord, the car ride home!} he completely stiffens up and stresses and cries out in panic the entire time that they are going to blow out of the (closed) windows. Jack, his 6 year old brother who's birthday is causing all the ruckus, is of course perfectly intent on further torturing his little brother; what are brothers for? Jack holds onto his balloon string with one hand while tapping it with his other so that it bops Nolan in the back of the head (3rd row seating) just to aggravate the situation.

Then baby Mona happens to get her hands on Nolan's balloon and with her chubby baby hands begins squeezing the balloon which makes that squeaky balloon sound (which kind of irks me too) and that really sets off poor Nolie. I mean at this point I'm a little unnerved. I don't like seeing my baby this upset. I'm thinking o.k. we're in the drive way, things will get better. No. We get inside and the ceiling fan is on...............................

Have you ever seen a 4 year old have a nervous breakdown? Come completely unglued.  Not pretty. Of course I had to take away the balloons, right? There was no rationalizing with him at this point. This of course upset the birthday boy, Jack.  So,

Give Jack back his balloon.

Take away Jack's balloon after further torture treatment ensues in hallway.

Put both boys to bed to give it a rest (my sanity, not the boys).

Listen to Nolan cry for 20 minutes about how he needs his balloon.

Put the balloon back in Nolan's room and tell him to take a nap and the balloon will be just fine.

Listen to Nolan cry for another 45 minutes about how the balloon is going to pop.

Finally, I pop. I take the balloon out of the room and well, pop it. No more balloons in this house ever!

So today, we stop by Sonic for a treat and what does the car hop/waitress bring to our car window?

A stinking balloon!

Go back up to the beginning of this story and this is what I dealt with all stinking over again today.

I don't get it. He is scared to death of them but is equally upset if I let it fly away or pop it.

The morale of my story is:  Sometimes you just don't have the energy or give a crap to make dinner.

Unfortunately, I hate take-out and boxed meals even more than making dinner when I'm exhausted. So, I come up with a fuss-free, throw together dinner that is still healthy and delicios-O. Cuz that's how I roll. Makes mamma happy.

This is one of those meals. I promise.

So, super simple and you just won't believe how tasty.

Keep things like slivered or sliced almonds, currants or raisins, mixed dried fruit, kalmata or green olives, a variety of canned or dried beans, cous cous, quinoa and millet in your pantry and you will always, always have

the makings of a last minute, throw together dinner.



I would really appreciate it if you could take the time to vote for me to be

one of babble.com's Top 100 Mommy Bloggers of 2011

here

Adapt this recipe how you like it! Here's what I used this time.

Ingredients:

1 cup cous cous

1 cup chicken broth (or water, I like the vitamins in home-made chicken broth)

1/2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1-14 oz. can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup slivered almonds, Raw

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup flat parsley , chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

*1/2 tsp. Mediterranean seasoning

sea salt to taste

Kalmata olives

I found this Orange Muscat Champage vinegar at Trader Joe's. No perservatives, all natural. You could also use: 1/4 cup O.J. 1/4 cup Muscat grape juice (white grape juice), 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar

* use garlic powder, onion flakes, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes etc. I'm loving Braggs Organic 21 seasoning and Sea Kelp delight seasoning.  

Throwing it all Together:

Bring broth to a boil. Add olive oil and cous cous, stir, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least 5 minutes while you get everything else in order.

In a large bowl throw all other ingredients together and toss to combine.

Add cous cous. Toss.

That's it! Bam! Dinner in 10 minutes.

Serve with grilled fish if your really hungry. Serve with a glass of wine if you deserve one. I know I do!

This post is linked to:

La Bella Vita's  Seasonal Saturday's
E Kat's Kitchen  Friday Potluck
Fun with Food Friday

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Chardonnay Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange - In the Crockpot!

I just wanted to make sure that this recipe was front and center. It may have been over looked  in my last post since the title suggested a post about wine and the fact that I was a Mad House Wife {in a cute and love able way}.

I am still dreaming about this recipe. It was perfect in every way. 
It was very simple and fuss free with only a few ingredients and prep work.
It was the most delicious salmon I've ever had in my life, and that's a lot.
The kids ate every bite of their second helpings and happily scooped up the salmon and veggies into their endive lettuce cups. I was thrilled that they were devouring healthy endive and loving it.
Lastly, using a crock pot was genius (I'm not tooting my own horn, I saw the method in Taste of Home magazine). It literally ensures a perfectly cooked and moist salmon.


So here is the recipe. Front and center. Please give it a try, I know you'll love it too.

You can serve the salmon like this for a pretty Hors d'oeuvers or fun, healthy and kid friendly finger foods

or, simply serve the fish over some cous cous.

Cous Cous with cinnamon, curry and currants

You Will Need:


2 lbs. *wild salmon fillet, skinned.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups chardonnay (I used Mad Housewife)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon French grey sea salt

Garnishes:
Endive lettuce cups
1 Orange thinly sliced
Fennel fronds

Putting it all together:

Fold a 36 inch piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to a width slightly larger than the salmon fillet. Place foil in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker with foil ends hanging over the handles.


Combine orange juice, Chardonnay, fennel, onion, capers and salt in the slow cooker. Place salmon on top. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 45-60 minutes.

Test salmon for doneness at 45 minutes by using a fork to gently pull at salmon. When it easily flakes it is done. Test every 5 minutes after 45 min until done.

When salmon is done, remove it from the slow cooker by carefully lifting the ends of the foil and placing it on a platter. Using a fork, scoop into endive cups, crackers or on top of cous cous. Dollop with a bit of Caper Creme Sauce, recipe to follow.



Caper Creme Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers

Tabasco or Hot sauce if you please

Whip cream with sour cream and orange juice until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in capers and onion, season with hot sauce if you like.

Into the slow cooker you go. See you in 45-60 minutes.

capers add the all important salt factor to the fish

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Delicately Sweet and Light Mad House Wife

So, Once upon a time there was a contest... 'of sorts'.

and there was a girl who was not necessarily into contests.... per say.

but then they mentioned it involved wine.

Not just any wine.

but wine labeled 'Mad Housewife' wine.

and the girl knew.

She knew it was meant to be.

She was meant to be involved.

Meant to... share her knowledge in this matter to other housewives, No. To the world.

It stirred her inner creativity. Her, not so inner competitiveness

{so she's been told by less imaginative people}

and so it was.

A not so ordinary, slightly nutty yet totally and completely spectacular in every way

House Wife

found herself in a bit of a predicament. A pickle, if you will.

Should I take the challenge.  Can I?  Dare I?

I Do.

I Did.

Prepare yourselves.

The rules for the competition were simply to write about what type of Mad Housewife you are, using the wine somehow in the post. Hmmmm, the possibilities were endless. I had more than a few crazy ideas spinning around in my head.

For instance; should I be utterly honest? Then I would most definitely be a scatterbrained, tired and desperate Mad House Wife. Who fervently looks forward to her evening hot bubble bath by candle light, or in the complete dark whatever, with earplugs inserted snuggly, book in one hand and glass of Cabernet in the other for a completely blissful 10 WHOLE minutes to herself. Heaven. Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is? He is. The hand off happens so fast when he walks in the door I'm sometimes wondering if it wasn't a door to door salesman I've just shoved my children at. Mamma needs her bubble bath. It's best for everyone.

Or, should I go for a more creative and fun story with a glimpse into my inner flight of fancy?

I could be a polished, put together, sophisticated and demure Mad Housewife who always wears high heels while cooking the perfect dinner and has cocktail parties every weekend with perfect hors d'oeuvres and lovely friends galore while sipping on my sparkling white wine. With always put together, well behaved children who say things like "Yes mother." and "May we please have seconds of your delicious spinach tart?" Ehhhh, who am I kidding? Too many expectations, who can keep that up.

In the end however, reality and children (which I tend to blame for most of my creativity and time constraints) weeded out a few of my more errrrr, interesting ideas. This is not to say that I was not completely thrilled with my end result. I ended up with a new and amazing way to cook my favorite food, salmon. And most importantly I had fun with the whole process and found a wonderful new wine.

The chardonnay was light and slightly sweet, a perfect accompaniment to salmon.

L.O.V.E the wine cork messages.

Did I mention that I very seriously considered packing up my camera, apron and some leftovers and driving to IKEA, which is a 60 minute hop, skip and a jump from our home to take some

 'Vintage' kitchen inspired pictures?

Told Ya. Nutty... In a cute, loveable way.

Alas,

and without further ado my fellow busy and interesting friends, I give you my recipe and also, to enlighten you as to which type of Mad House Wife I am ....

{Trumpets sound off...... Now!}

I, Gwen, mother of four, slightly crazed, totally exhausted and always distracted Mad House Wife.

Can still cook a kick ass, yet delicately light dinner and have her entire family relish in all of it's glory.

Amen.

Before I unleash this baby, I would like to thank Heather, from girlichef for hosting this contest and also, to

Mad Housewife Wine  for, let's be honest, was a big part in my creative inspiration *wink wink, nod nod  and for the delicious outcome of this absolutely perfect dinner that was created using their wine.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange
served in endive cups with caper creme sauce.

I have cooked salmon many, many times in every way possible. So I thought. This time, however, I used a slow cooker to poach the salmon for as long as possible in a sea of oranges and chardonnay.

For a special treat to our taste buds, I added red onion for a gentle kick, fennel for it's interest and unique bite and capers for the ever important salt factor.

I wanted this to be a Delicate and Light meal that was equally as delicious as it was beautiful. One that would be perfect for hors d'oeuvres at any party as it would be simple for an ordinary Sunday family dinner.

Mission accomplished. While this meal looks and sounds fancy, it was ridiculously simple and fuss free.
All I did was throw a few ingredients into my crock pot and about 50 minutes later, dinner was served.
I tell you the little guys eagerly used their endive lettuce cups to scoop up their salmon and veggies. A side dish of Grilled Asparagus and Moroccan Cous Cous made this a frugal feast for Kings.

Cous Cous with cinnamon and currants.

Salmon is best when just cooked through. Honestly, it's a trial and error sort of thing, but a good rule of thumb if your baking/roasting is for every inch thickness your fish is, bake about 8 minutes at 400° F.  No more!




You Will Need:

2 lbs. *wild salmon fillet, skinned.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups chardonnay (I used Mad Housewife)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon French grey sea salt

Garnishes:
1 Orange thinly sliced
Fennel fronds



Fold a 36 inch piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to a width slightly larger than the salmon fillet. Place foil in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker with foil ends hanging over the handles.

Combine orange juice, Chardonnay, fennel, onion, capers and salt in the slow cooker. Place salmon on top. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 45-60 minutes.

Test salmon for doneness at 45 minutes by using a fork to gently pull at salmon. When it easily flakes it is done. Test every 5 minutes after 45 min until done.

When salmon is done, remove it from the slow cooker by carefully lifting the ends of the foil and placing it on a platter. Using a fork, scoop into endive cups, crackers or on top of cous cous. Dollop with a bit of Caper Creme Sauce, recipe to follow.




Caper Creme Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers
Tabasco or Hot sauce if you please

Whip cream with sour cream and orange juice until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in capers and onion, season with hot sauce if you like.

Salmon is very easy to over cook when cooked conventionally.

 Using this slow cooker method literally ensures a perfect salmon every time.

Capers add the all important salt factor to this seafood dish.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange

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