salmon topped tomato and spinach sauce with pasta

Salmon Topped Tomato and Spinach Sauce with Pasta

General
Serves approximately 2 adults and 2 small children. Timing on this recipe is key: You want the salmon to finish just minutes before the noodles are ready. My timing is approximate, is based on a gas stove and noodles which take approximately 15 minutes to cook.

I don't intend to scare anyone off, this recipe is really easy.

Allergy Information
This recipe can be made free of wheat/gluten, corn, soy and dairy. Our family uses brown rice spaghetti noodles and bouillon cubes free of all aforementioned allergens.

In place of egg to thicken sauce, potato starch or other thickening agent may work (not confirmed)

Ingredients

• Olive oil or your preferred cooking oil
• 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 4 handfuls fresh spinach, sliced in ribbons
• 6 - 10 golden cherry/mini tomatoes, halved
• 6 - 10 red cherry/mini tomatoes, halved
• 1 roughly 14 ounce can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large salmon filet
• 4 (roughly) servings spaghetti noodles
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube or similar seasoning equivalent
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Prepare garlic, onion, spinach, tomatoes and egg and set aside
2. Prepare salmon filet, removing skin (assumes not frozen)
3. Warm frying pan (large enough for filet) on medium without placing anything in it until fully heated (roughly 3 min on gas stove)
4. Add approximately 2 tablespoons oil to pan and allow to warm
5. Add salmon, cooking 2 min on each side. Careful of oil splatter. Works well observing with glass lid.
6. Set salmon aside
7. Remove remaining grease from frying pan
8. Return frying pan to stove on medium heat
9. Add approximately 1 tablespoon oil to pan
10. Brown onions and garlic (roughly 5 min)
11. While onions and garlic browning, start boiling water for pasta with single bullion cube. Once water is boiling, add pasta (assumes pasta takes approximately 15 minutes)
12. Once onions and garlic browned, add fresh tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for roughly 3 minutes
13. Add canned tomatoes and juice and simmer for roughly 2 minutes
14. Add spinach, and continue simmering and occasionally stirring
15. Once spinach softened, add salt and pepper to taste
16. Return salmon filet to pan and mostly cover with sauce
17. Allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes
18. Remove salmon from pan and wrap in aluminum foil to keep hot
19. Simmer sauce until noodles are done (should be just a few minutes)
20. Stir in beaten egg and continue stirring until well incorporated and sauce begins to thicken
21. Combine sauce and drained noodles
22. Serve immediately, topping noodles and sauce with salmon

fresh salsa you’ll love

i can’t claim this recipe as my own. i tasted a salsa made by my former co-worker’s wife, asked a few questions and then went from there. her tip was to think of the colors on the flag of mexico when remembering ingredients. i don’t recall her exact ingredients, but here’s what it’s evolved to since then:

ingredients

• ½ red onion
• 2 large tomatoes (or the equivalent of smaller tomatoes. roma tomatoes work well for example.)
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 - 2 limes
• 1 - 3 jalapeños depending on spice desire (1 will make mild/medium)
• 1 - 3 canned chipotle peppers (optional, and also in place of jalapeños for slightly sweeter spice. 1 pepper, when not combined with jalapeños, will make mild)
• 2 cobs of corn
• 1 mango (optional - creates a sweetness in the salsa)
• 1 small can black beans (optional. doesn’t add much in the way of flavor, but adds protein)
• cilantro (really depends on how much you like, start small and if you forgot to pick it up, not really a game breaker)

preparation

1. boil corn, cool, and cut from cob
2. in a medium size mixing bowl, add ¼ cup water and the juice of one line. segments that fall into the water from the lime add great flavor. use your own digression if you’d like a second lime. or add later once you’ve tasted the result.
3. cut 1 - 3 chipotle peppers into small pieces and add to bowl
4. dice 1 - 3 jalapeños and add to bowl
5. stir and set aside
6. dice tomatoes, avocados, red onion, cilantro and mango. add each to bowl as diced, mixing upon adding each ingredient.
7. drain black beans and add to mixture
8. add corn (typically i perform last to allow to cool as much as possible)
9. serve immediately or chill and serve within 24 hours. longer and the avocado will brown.
10. i never add salt of pepper, as the ingredients stand on their own. salt lovers may disagree.

serving suggestions:

• just salsa and chips. good with scoops or hint of lime chips especially
• my kids will eat it simply as a snack in a bowl without anything else
• topping on tacos
• bake or grill fish or chicken
• flour tortillas
• sour cream
• fresh spinach
• shredded cheese

heart-attack corn on the cob

make sure to try both versions

version 1:

ingredients:

corn on the cob

butter

mayonnaise

shredded mexican/fiesta cheese mix (or cotija cheese if you can find it)

cayenne pepper (for spice)

lime (1/4 lime per ear of corn)

directions:

1. grill corn
2. spread butter on each cob
3. liberally spread mayo on each cob 
4. sprinkle with mexican/fiesta shredded cheese
5. lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper (be careful - gets spicy quickly)
6. serve with lime wedges, or lightly sprinkle with lime  (optional)

i found this receipe (and slightly modified it) at http://www.recipezaar.com/251152

version 2:

ingredients:

corn on the cob

butter

queso fresco

cayenne pepper

lime (1/4 lime per ear of corn)

directions:

1. grill corn
2. spread button on each cob
3. liberally spread queso fresco on each cob
4. lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper (be careful - gets spicy quickly)
5. serve with lime wedges, or lightly sprinkle with lime (optional)

i had something similar to this at a denver restaurant called kiva, which sad to say is now closed :(

Orange-Pistachio Wild-Rice Salad

Orange-Pistachio Wild-Rice Salad

Salad Ingredients

• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• ½ cup brown rice
• ¾ cup wild rice
• 2 cups veggie broth (i use chicken broth instead)
• 1 orange, peel and pith removed, segmented and sliced
• 10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Rice:

1. Combine brown and wild rice with broth in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 – 55 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is fully cooked.
4. Remove from heat and cool completely.

2. Pistachios:

1. Toast pistachios in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.
2. Remove from heat and cool completely.

3. Combine salad ingredients once pistachios and rice have cooled.
4. Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Pour dressing over rice mixture and toss.

Original Source: don't recall

homemade spinach fettuccine and alfredo sauce

spinach pasta dough

1. remove stems from 8 oz. fresh spinach
2. cook spinach in boiling water for approximately 2 minutes (until wilted)
3. rinse spinach in cold water
4. squeeze spinach dry
5. puree in blender
6. add two eggs
7. blend well
8. add 2 1/2 cups flour to separate mixing bowl
9. clear pit in center of flour
10. pour spinach / egg mixture in pit
11. mix with hands
12. spread light amount of flour on counter top
13. knead dough until reaches a consistent color and texture
14. form dough into a ball and place in bowl covered by damp cloth
15. allow to sit 10 - 15 minutes
16. pull small ball of dough from bowl and roll flat
17. roll through pasta machine as desired

alfredo sauce

1. melt 4 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan
2. add 4 tablespoons flour
3. cook for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring
4. stir in 1 cup milk
5. stir in 1 cup chicken broth
6. stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella
7. stir in 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8. stir in 5 minced garlic cloves
9. stir in 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
10. stir in 1/2 cup white wine
11. add salt and pepper as desired
12. continue whisking until cheese completely melts to create a smooth sauce

cold day easy soup & sandwich

easy meal on a cold day: chicken and veggie noodle soup + grilled almond-cheese sandwich on rye

soup

ingredients

• 1 small container canned chicken, drained and shredded
• chicken broth (powder, cube or liquid)
• frozen veggies of choice
• elbow noodles; i use brown-rice wheat-free variety
• butter; dairy and soy-free

directions

1. prepare noodles per directions; however using some broth in the water
• drain, place in bowl over a little butter and set aside
2. fill pot with broth (or water + broth cube/powder), judging based on quantity of soup desired
3. bring water to a boil, and add frozen veggies
4. once veggies hot, add some shredded chicken and the buttered noodles

sandwich

ingredients

• a few slices of almond cheese
• butter; dairy and soy-free
• whole rye bread; i use Feldkamp Whole Rye Bread, which is wheat-free

directions

1. warm a small frying pan on medium heat
2. butter bottom of rye bread
3. add cheese slices
4. butter top of rye bread
5. watch closely, flipping multiple times to toast and melt cheese thoroughly

Broccoli Noodle Salad

Dairy, Corn, Soy and Wheat Free

ingredients

• broccoli
• red grapes (sliced in half)
• brown rice elbow macaroni noodles
• sunflower seeds
• poppy seed dressing

directions

1. cook brown rice noodles, or elbow macaroni / bowtie noodles of choice and let cool
2. slice red grapes (choking prevention and also works better in salad)
3. cut broccoli in bite size pieces
4. mix cooled noodles, grapes, broccoli and sunflower seeds
5. drizzle with poppy seed dressing and mix, or cover container and shake for best coverage