Who Lived Under The Pineapple Under The Sea?

A salmon! I couldn't help it, while thinking of something to do with pineapple, I couldn't get the Spongebob Squarepants song out of my head ;)

Soooo... while looking to make use of my fresh veggies, plus making my husband happy (he's not a fan of veggies), I made Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon from Cooking Light. As you may already know, I don't eat fish, but he gave it the thumbs up. I changed up the recipe a bit to suit his tastes, I'll definitely be making this one again, and I'm sure that the sauce would be great on chicken as well. I served this with brown rice and stir fried veggies.

Pineapple Teriyiaki Salmon

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grated orange rind (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of salmon with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over and place in oven; bake at 400° for 3 minutes. Remove from oven; brush 1 tablespoon sauce over each fillet. Return to oven, and cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. (I baked the salmon about 2 1/2 minutes longer, meanwhile I brought the remaining sauce to a boil and stirred some cornstarch slurry and simmered till thickened, then brushed on top of the salmon and baked for 30 more seconds, creating a glaze) Sprinkle with orange rind, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 salmon fillet)CALORIES 339 (41% from fat); FAT 15.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 7g,poly 3.9g); PROTEIN 36.8g; CHOLESTEROL 87mg; CALCIUM 34mg; SODIUM 644mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.2g Cooking Light, MAY 2006

Stir Fried Veggies with Pineapple

These amounts were approximate, I tend to improvise when doing stir fries.

Veggies:

1 cup baby carrots, sliced in half
1 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets
4 oz pineapple chunks, sliced in half (I used canned)
orange zest

Stir fry till tender crisp in a teaspoon of vegetable oil, I add the carrots first, cook for 2 minutes, then add the rest and stir fry for 3 minutes.

Sauce:
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp pineapple juice
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
cornstarch slurry (cornstarch plus water)

Mix all ingredients and set aside till veggies are almost done. Add mixture to veggies and bring to a boil, add slurry and let boil till thickened. Sprinkle with orange zest.

Semi-Homemade Garlic Bread

No, this isn't one of Sandra Lee's recipes from the Food Network, but I did find this from another chef Ina Garten, from the Barefoot Contessa. After spending a lot of time cooking a homemade pasta dish, I didn't want to serve frozen garlic bread with it. I have made a semi-homemade versions before where I put butter & herbs on an Italian loaf, but I loved this version. It looks rustic, homemade, and soooooo good. Next time I'll try using roasted garlic or garlic paste, and fresh basil.

Garlic Bread

Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 12 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings

6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves (I used 2 tbsp dried oregano)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil (I used 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 basil olive oil)
1 loaf ciabatta bread (I used an Italian loaf)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

Pow...I Mean Pao!!

Kung Pao - it's a staple @ chinese restaurants. I've never tried it, but Jamie loves it, so I found this recipe from i shot the chef. It turned out perfect, and it was so quick and easy, and I served this with brown rice.

Kung Pao Recipe

Marinade
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 c chicken stock

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 dried red chilis, with stems and seeds removed (I used red pepper flakes, didn't have chilis)
1/2 inch piece of ginger, smashed
1 clove garlic, smashed (I used 3 cloves)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced (I used green pepper)
1/4 c roasted or fried peanuts
2 tbsp chicken stock and 1 tsp corn starch combined in small bowl (slurry)

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a plastic ziploc bag along with the sliced chicken breast. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.

2. Combine all sauce ingredients in another small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the peanut oil and sesame oil in a wok over high heat, until just smoking. Add the chilis, ginger and garlic and stirfry for about1 minute. Add half of the marinated chicken and quickly stirfry until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the wok and place on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the chicken and remove from the wok. Discard the smashed garlic and ginger. Add the sliced red pepper and stirfry for about 2 minutes until almost tender.

4. Add the chicken back to the wok, along with the sauce ingredients and the peanuts. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and corn starch slurry and allow to simmer for at least 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve over steamed rice.

Makes 4 Servings
Note: It is important to have all ingredients prepared and handy before you begin cooking, as this cooks very quickly.

Skip The Drive-Thru, Stay In The Kitchen!

Burgers & fries = my favorite fast food. I know how bad it is, which is why I rarely have them, but the cravings are still there! So these versions of my faves are yummy alternatives, since I'm using my Cuisinart Griddler (which doesn't dry up lean meat) for the burgers, and the oven for the fries. I switched up regular potatoes with sweet potatoes -I've made them a few times, each time trying something different, but I have yet to get them as crispy as I have accomplished with white potatoes. (But they were yummy!) And the burger, well I love experimenting with different ingredients & toppings!

BBQ Burgers with Grilled Onions

1/2 lb extra lean (90/10) ground sirloin
1.5 tbsp shredded 2% milk cheddar cheese, divided
garlic salt & pepper to taste
1/2-1 tsp BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby's Ray's)
1 tsp grated yellow onion
a few pieces of yellow onions cut in wide slices, drizzled with a dash of extra virgin olive oil

Plus buns & favorite toppings

Mix all ingredients together, but only add 1 tbsp of the shredded cheese. For into two equal patties, and make a slight indentation in the center of each, to help prevent a bulge in the middle while cooking.

Grill on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, I leave it on longer since I like mine well-done. Put the onions on the grill till soft & caramelized. If desired, about 2 minutes before burgers are done, place the remaining shredded cheese on top of each burger, place another type of sliced cheese (American, etc) on top of the burger and melt. I also like to toast the buns (I use whole wheat or lite) I topped my burgers with grilled onions, sliced roma tomatoes, Boston lettuce & a pickle.

Sweet Potato Fries
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

2-3 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled I used 1 large potato
Oil and Spice Rub
Tbsp of Earth Balance, melted (vegan margarine) I used 1tbsp Smart Balance spread, and 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp Paprika I omitted
1/4 tsp Chili Powder I omitted
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes I omitted
1/4 tsp Salt, Black Pepper I used garlic salt
I used 1 tsp dried parsley & 1.5 tsp of grill seasoning

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Slice potatoes into thin fry shapes with a large chef’s knife. Mix melted earth balance and spices together and toss the potatoes in it. Place oiled/spiced fries on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper (they might stick to foil). Do NOT crowd the pan - you want space between every fry. Bake for 20 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Place potatoes under the broiler, turning every minute or so and keeping a close eye on them. Broil them for as long as you can without incinerating them. Serve immediately or you’ll lose any crispiness you achieved. Goes great with ketchup or a creamy vegan mayo.

Tag - I'm It!

I've been tagged by Renea from Sweet Savory Southern, to give 5 random facts about myself.

1. I LOVE pizza, I could (and have) eaten it for breakfast, lunch & dinner!!!

2. I was born & lived in Canada my entire lfe, up until 2 years ago, and now live in Michigan - but apparently I still have an accent - and no - not all Canadians say "eh?" all the time.

3. I have watched the soap General Hospital ever since I can remember, I even went to morning kindergarten so I would be home to watch it in the afternoon.

4. I was an extra in a Canadian tv show when I was about 10 years old - blink a couple of times, and you may have missed me!

5. I've met retired Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, who brought us on a tour of Joe Louis Arena. I'm a HUGE Wings fan - I was in heaven ;)

Thai Chicken in the Purple Kitchen

Jamie LOVES California Pizza Kitchen's Thai Chicken Pizza, and since the one closest is not open yet, I decided to try a copycat recipe from Recipezaar. According to Jamie, it not only tasted like it but maybe even better it was exactly like the restaturant. So whether you love CPK, or just trying different pizzas, this is the recipe for you!

California Pizza Kitchen Thai Chicken Pizza

makes two pizzas, I halved the ingredients to make one

Ingredients:
Spicy peanut sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced ginger (or more if you wish)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vietnamese chili sauce (or dried chili flakes)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water

Thai chicken pieces:
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

For the pizza:
1 pizza dough, use your own recipe I used Trader Joe's fresh dough
corn meal or flour, for handling
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 scallions, slivered diagonally
1/2 cup white bean sprouts
1/4 cup shredded carrots, chopped roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Combine sauce ingredients in a small pan over med. heat.
Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute. I had to add some more water, it was a little thick
Divide into 2 portions for use on chicken and pizza; set aside.

To make Thai chicken:

Cook the chicken in olive oil over med-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes do not overcook.
Set aside in refrigerator until chilled through.
Once chilled, coat the chicken with 1/4cup sauce.
Set aside in refrigerator.

To make the pizza:

Use a large spoon to spread 1/4cup sauce evenly over pizza dough within the rim.
Cover sauce with 3/4 cup cheese.
Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by half the green onions, bean sprouts, and carrots, respectively.
Sprinkle an additional 1/4cup cheese over the toppings and top the pizza with 1 tbsp chopped peanuts.

Transfer the pizza to oven; bake until crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbly, 9 to 10 min.
When cooked through, remove pizza from oven.
Sprinkle 1tbsp chopped cilantro over the hot cheesy surface.
Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza.

Saucy!

In an effort to limit fried foods, but still enjoy some goodies, I came across this recipe on one of my favorite sites, Allrecipes. It was easy & turned out perfectly, and would be a great snack while watching the game.

Becki's Oven Barbecue Chicken
Submitted by: ABBIECROMER Rated: 4 out of 5 by 170 members
Yields: 5 servings

"This popular appetizer features oven-baked chicken wings smothered with a traditional, home-made sauce of ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar and mustard."

INGREDIENTS:
10 chicken wings
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
I added 1 tbsp garlic powder to the sauce mixture

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add onion powder, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Dilute ketchup with water and add to saucepan mixture. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Place chicken wings in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour saucepan mixture over chicken. Bake, uncovered, (I put covered with foil and removed halfway during cooking, and I basted the wings a few times) in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. (I let it cook for another 5 minutes)