Salmon w/ a Lemon Dill Sauce and Cauliflower Mashed

I am trying to practice using my new Canon Rebel, so I went down by the CT river this morning and attempted a few sunrise pictures. I also went to the far end of Evergreen Rd where I tried to take a few shots of the sunset. I still have a lot to learn as you can see these photographs are far from professional! I wish I had more time to learn about the camera but school must come FIRST. 

Anyways I've been craving salmon and mashed potatoes and I stumbled upon a few good recipe's today. I slightly modified them but you can find the links to them below.  Brian was skeptical at first to try the cauliflower mash but I knew he would like it. Although he def enjoyed his sweet potato much more.

 

Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce

Original Recipe

 Marinade (I marinated the salmon for about an hour)

• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed 
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 lb salmon fillets, cut into 2 pieces
• I also sprinkled chili garlic spice (we use this on everything!)

Lemon-Dill Sauce

• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper 

Directions-

Using a oiled grill or grill pan place the salmon skin side down, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes on med-high heat. Then top with the Lemon-Dill Sauce or have the sauce on the side.

Find the Cauliflower mashed here.

Instead of using buttermilk or sour cream, I used Greek yogurt instead.

Kale Chips...surprisingly amazing!!

 After having Moe's for lunch today I had to have a light dinner. So Brian and I had an oatmeal banana protein shake and kale chips. Light but satisfying! Next time I am craving salty crunchy chips I will settle for these! I was so surprised how good they were! Brian agreed.

Kale Chips:

• 1/2 a head of Kale
• Sea Salt
• Chili Garlic Seasoning(or whatever seasoning you prefer)
• 2 tbsp of olive oil(next time I will prob just use 1 tbsp)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the kale leaves and remove leaves from thick stem. Tear into 2 to 3 inch leaves. In a medium size bowl, toss kale with olive oil and seasoning. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter the leaves evenly on the sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Flip after 5 minutes of cooking. Pay careful attention while they cook because they burn easily.

Splurging for the Playoffs (Ground Turkey Nachos+Guacamole)

So happy I was able to break away from my school work and make a few Sunday Funday apps for the playoffs! After a night out with my good friend Gabby, Brian, and his roommates there was no way we could pass up the idea of homemade nachos and guacamole. It def hit the spot.

 Guacamole:

What you need:

• 4 ripe avocados (halved)
• 2 limes(juiced)
• 1/2 red onion(diced)
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• salt+pepper, to taste
• 2 jalapenos(diced) 
• 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro

Place the pulp from the avocados in a medium bowl and mash with a fork leaving some large chunks. Add garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, red onion, jalapenos and mix thoroughly.
Place the pit of avocado in the guacamole if you are serving at a later time to keep the guacamole from browning.

Adapted from Skinnytaste

 Ground Turkey Nachos

• 1 lb of Ground Turkey
• 1 Hot or Mild Taco Seasoning Packet
• 1/2 cup of black beans
• 2 Jalapenos(diced)
• Fresh Salsa(pico de gallo)
• Mexican Cheese mix
• Tostito Chips

Brown turkey in a skillet. Once browned add taco seasoning mix with 3/4 cup of water. Place tostito chips on a baking sheet and top with cooked turkey. Then scatter with the rest of ingredients above. Bake at 450 degrees for 5-6 minutes.
 

Hope you had a great weekend!

Buffalo Chicken Burger and Green Bean Fries

Let me tell you I LOVE buffalo wings and blue cheese and this burger was the best alternative to satisfy my cravings! It only took 10 minutes to prepare and the burger tasted heavenly. But I can't take all the credit for making this delicious dinner because Brian did most of the work! All I did was prepare the patties and he did the grilling. You MUST try these!! They went well with a side of roasted green bean fries.

 Makes 4 burgers

 Ingredients:
1lb of ground chicken
1/2  teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 cup of buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
1 celery stalk (diced)
1/4 cup of diced onion
1/4 cup of blue cheese crumbles
Lettuce + Tomato
4 whole wheat buns

Preheat grill or skillet.

In a large bowl combine ground chicken, salt, pepper, onion, celery, parmesan, blue cheese crumbles, and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until just combined. Form into 4 patties.

Grill or pan-fry patties until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. 

Place burgers on whole wheat buns with lettuce, tomato, a drizzle of hot sauce, and a few blue cheese crumbles. 

ENJOY!

A Bachelorette + A Pico De Gallo Recipe

This past weekend I headed to Boston for my friend Jill's Bachelorette. We had a really good time! We stayed at the Millennium Hotel next to Faneuil Hall, I highly recommend it. 

It had a great view of the marketplace and was walking distance to all the popular attractions!

 

We started the celebration off having lunch at Cheer's and did a little shopping at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

 Then we brought the festivities to the hotel room where the Bachelorette party really got started...

After the champagne, lingerie gifts, and penis games...we headed to dinner at Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, which was to die for! I loved the Orange Pomegranate Mojito and Spicy Cucumber Margarita. They were AMAZING!

The guacamole was as good as it looks!

 And to finish off the incredible dinner we had these beautiful tequila shots in honor of Jill!

After dinner, we danced the night away at Ned Devine's, which is an Irish Pub in Faneuil Hall. There was an awesome live band, 3 different bars, and a huge dance floor!

In the morning, the festivities continued with some cocktail's  and Brunch at The Living Room.

Then we walked over to Mike's Pastry to pick up some of the best cannoli's you could ever have!

I can't think of a better way to end Jill's Last Fling Before the Ring!! ;)

 Pico De Gallo 

Ingredients:

• 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes
• 1/2 whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
• 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Salt To Taste

Directions:
Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature.

Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely.

Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.
Squeeze the juice of one lime into the bowl.

Add salt to taste and stir again.

 Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

A Healthier General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients: 

I doubled the recipe below and it served 4 of us with one serving leftover. It was me and 3 guys who like to eat ;)

Chicken: 

• 1lb of Boneless, Chicken Thighs or Breasts (cut into pieces) 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of Sesame Oil 
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce 
• 2 Whole Large Egg White 
• 1/4 cup of Cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp. Canola or Vegetable Oil 

 Sauce: 

• 1 tbsp of Peanut, Canola, or Vegetable Oil 
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced 
• 2 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger Root 
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth or Stock 
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce 
• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar 
• Tablespoon of Red Pepper Flakes 
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch 
• 1 tbsp Chinese Chili Garlic Sauce 

Served with: 

• Brown Rice 

• Roasted Broccoli 

• Garnished with Scallions 

Directions- 

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 large egg whites, and 1/4 cup of cornstarch until a thick mixture forms.

2. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir until evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of chicken stock, and 3 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of chili garlic sauce, 1 tbsp of corn starch, and red pepper flakes, until smooth. (sauce mixture)


4. Next begin cooking the sauce. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about a minute. Then add the sauce mixture above to the skillet, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick. Once thickened, lower heat and keep skillet over low burner partially covered to keep warm.

5. In a separate large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. One the oil is simmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, making sure to not crowd the pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside.

6. Then add all the cooked chicken to the prepared sauce and toss to coat. (If desired add steamed broccoli to coat with sauce as well.)

7. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve over brown rice.

adapted from Martha Stewart

New Years in Vermont

Brian and I headed to Killington, VT on Sunday morning and spent the next few days watching football, drinking Switchback beer, playing pool, making homemade pizza, and lounging around in our sweats. I'd say it was great way to start the New Year! I'm slightly disappointed we didn't go out to the bars on New Years Eve but we had just as much fun staying in and watching the movie "Grown Ups", drinking champagne, and watching the ball drop in Times Square.

Earlier that day we all piled into the car and headed to The Longtrail Brewery for lunch. We ate fried onion strings, hot wings, and drank plenty of cold beers. I think we ended the year just right! :)

A Winter Wonderland

 

Sunday Football...

Homemade pizza with Gram.

 

 Gram knows all the secrets.

Deliciousness.

 Cheers Happy New Year!