In the spirit of eating healthier, I’ve been trying to incorporate fish in the diet a couple times a week. My old go to for fish is battered and deep fried cod but that’s evidently not “healthy” fish. So there’s salmon (which is terrible battered and deep fried) and with proper cooking you can make a pretty healthy meal of it.

The recipe is for 4 6oz portions of salmon but I’ve done the same for 2 and it works out perfect if you use the sauce for the rice. Steam up some broccoli and it’s a healthy and quick meal.

Taken shamelessly from here.

SALMON

• ▢ 4 (6 oz each) salmon filets
• ▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• ▢ 1/4 tsp blackening seasoning (optional)

SAUCE

• ▢ 3 Tbsp butter
• ▢ 2 tsp olive oil
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup honey
• ▢ 3 Tbsp water
• ▢ 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• ▢ 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
• ▢ 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

• Pat salmon dry, then season with salt, pepper, paprika and blackening seasoning (if using). Set aside.
• IMPORTANT: Adjust oven rack to middle position, then preheat broiler. If you broil this with the rack up high the sauce will burn.
• Add butter and oil to a large, oven-safe skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic, water, soy sauce, sriracha, honey and lemon juice and cook 30 seconds or so, until sauce is heated through.
• Add salmon, skin side down (if using salmon with skin), and cook 3 minutes. While salmon cooks, baste frequently with sauce from the pan by spooning it over the top of the salmon.
• Broil salmon on high (my oven is set to 550°F for high) for 5-6 minutes, basting with sauce once during the broil, until salmon is caramelized and cooked to desired doneness.
• Garnish with minced parsley if desired.

Here’s to your health!!!

One would think with my background that I’d have some ability to cook German food. Nope, I can almost grill a brat and my sauerkraut comes in a jar. About a month ago we went to a German restaurant and it was awful, which got me to thinking about making a pork schnitzel. Turns out it’s not that difficult. This recipe is wonderful but rates high on the difficulty level because it’s hard to do both at once. Make sure you have a meet tenderizer for flattening the pork and pre-flatten and season the pork. Then make sauce and then fry the pork. It’s tricky but definitely worth it.

Crispy Pork Schnitzel in a Creamy Dijon Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 pork loin chops, boneless
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter

For the Dijon Gravy:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Large skillet
• Saucepan

Directions:

• Place each pork chop between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness
• Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika
• Dredge each pork chop in flour, then dip in beaten eggs, and coat with breadcrumbs
• Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
• Fry the pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet and keep warm

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• To make the Dijon gravy, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat
• Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes
• Gradually whisk in chicken broth and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes
• Stir in heavy cream and Dijon mustard
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Serve the pork schnitzel topped with the Dijon gravy

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water*

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 tsp peeled and minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)

2 tsp cornstarch

Sesame seeds and chopped green onions, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add in chicken and let brown on bottom about 3 – 4 minutes then flip and continue to cook until center registers about 160 degrees, about 3 minutes longer.
• While chicken is cooking, in a small mixing bowl (or liquid measuring cup) whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cornstarch.
• Stir the sauce in with the cooked chicken and continue to cook and toss until sauce has thickened, about 30 – 60 seconds longer. 
• Serve warm garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

I’ve had a hankering for some RCT’s over the past couple of weeks. But not just the standard, something more than standard RCT’s.

After reviewing the back of the box and several online recipes, I kind of decided to wing it and used this and they came out spectacularly, this is something that I’ll definitely do again and it’s quick and perfect for something to bring for a get together.

Without further ado, Cocoa Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Treats:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 pound of mini marshmallows
• 10 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies

Butter up a 9 x 13 cake pan to make ready for the coated rice.

In a pot big enough for 10 cups of Rice Krispies, melt the butter, then add the peanut butter and melt that, then add marshmallows and until all is incorporated, then add the rice 2 cups at a time until covered evenly and thoroughly.

Add to the cake pan and smooth out, let cool completely, cut, serve, and enjoy.

I figured I’d get this classic into the book because this is a go to for a relatively healthy lunch or snack.
We start with three cans of 5oz tuna in spring water. Now that’s the full weight, drained is 4oz and since we drain it, let’s be honest and call it a quarter pounder of tuna.

Here’s the recipe:

• 3 x 4oz drained tuna
• 3 x hard boiled eggs diced
• ~ 4oz bread & butter pickles diced
• 8 tbs mayonnaise

I personally drain the tuna in a strainer. Notice the 3 to 1 ratio of tuna to pickles. Fold all the ingredients together trying not to mash anything. Chill well and serve on bread, crackers, forks or whatever floats your boat.

I’m not a breakfast person. I’ve nothing against it and under the right circumstances it can be nice. I love the Rise & Shine platter at the Brookside Cafe just up the road. But mostly I completely skip the most important meal of the day.

In my quest for better eating, that’s not the best way to start the day. It has to be quick, easy and not filling enough to put me back to bed. The answer is… you got it, cold oats.

While I can tolerate hot oatmeal, the texture is just bad to me, something about it feels reconstituted and not in a good way if one exists.

Cold oats still feel whole enough that they don’t remind me of something mama bird feeds the chicks. The brown sugar is the right sweet and you can’t go wrong with blueberry’s.

Cold Oats a la Aron

• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 20g frozen blueberry’s
• 1/2 cup oats

Add milk and sugar to a jar, shake vigorously to dissolve sugar in milk. Add in blueberry’s and oats and shake and let sit overnight to 4 days or up until the milk is out of date I would think.

This is the rib rub recipe that I deviate greatly from when I’m getting ready to cook up some ribs.

8 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

This is one of those things I ran across on Facebook but never thought much about it until I thought about it when I was at the store in the baking aisle looking at the sweetened condensed milk and remember it.

We used this recipe from this site and it’s spot on. Super easy to do and it comes out amazing. I did brand name and store brand. The one thing that I really want to figure out how to do is salt it.

I did try to add salt and butter but it doesn’t really heat up well, not in the microwave anyways.

So if you want the whole story, you can find it here where I got the recipe. It’s long and drawn out but let me answer the ‘why do this?’ and then we’ll do the short version of the recipe.

Why Ghee? Well, it has a unique nutty taste and a high smoke point so it is great for covering roasted potatoes for seasoning, it is super in mashed potatoes and can be used to grease up a cast iron for whatever you need to cook.

The recipe: Super simple, take a pound of butter, melt it at a slow boil until all the solids have browned and separated out, then filter through a paper towel. Here’s what it will look like: