I really enjoy most any seafood and salmon is one of the most readily available where I live, at something close to a reasonable price. I can get it fresh or frozen, most any time. I also have a preference for Asian flavored foods and this simple recipe combines the Asian taste with the enjoyment of salmon.
INGREDIENTS
4 Fillets of Salmon (Fresh or Thawed from frozen)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Clove Fresh Garlic (Chopped and Minced)
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger (Chopped and Minced)
1 Teaspoon Cornstarch
1 Lemon for Serving
PREPARE MARINADE
Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a bowl. Make sure the brown sugar is completely dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Transfer the marinade into a plastic ziplock bag, large enough to hold the salmon fillets.
Rinse the salmon fillets and pat them dry. Add them to the marinade, making sure the marinade thoroughly coats the fish fillets. Place the bag with the salmon fillets in the refrigerator, leaving them there for at least 20 minutes. Turn the bag once or twice to make sure the marinade thoroughly saturates the fish.
COOKING
You may cook the salmon fillets on either a an outdoor grill or the oven broiler. I have used both. Save the marinade to be used when serving. When cooking, use medium heat. Place the fish on the broiler pan or grill skin side down. Fish is very easy to overcook, so watch the salmon fillets closely!!! When the flesh is flaky, the fish is cooked and ready. The skin will easily remove from the fish when it's properly cooked.
SERVING
Teriyaki grilled salmon goes very well with steamed rice. As a suggestion, place the salmon fillet on top of a bed of steamed rice. Put the saved marinade into a small saucepan and mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water in a separate container. Heat the marinade and when it starts to boil, stir in the cornstarch/water mix. Stir well until boiling, then remove from heat. Pour marinade over salmon and bed of steamed rice. Lemon wedges may be served on the side, if desired. Enjoy!!
I hope you enjoy the taste of Teriyaki salmon and if you do, please feel free to share the recipe with friends and family. It's another healthy meal alternative and easy to prepare. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at: stan.kain@gmail.com You may also enjoy many of the other recipes I share on my recipe blog.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Easy Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich
As something quick and easy for lunch, it's hard to beat a grilled cheese sandwich. I enjoy them, but not the old "Velveeta" generic version, where the cheese resembles some sort of plastic material and there's really not much taste. With just a bit more effort, you can make a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich that is healthier and better tasting. I make a few different versions, but here's one of the standards and always is a good choice!
INGREDIENTS
2 Slices of bread of your choice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto
2 Slices Mozzarella Cheese sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 Tomato sliced 1/4 inch thick (I like Roma Tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Heat a skillet on medium heat
Brush the outside of each slice of bread with olive oil
Brush the inside of each slice of bread with Basil Pesto
Place cheese slices on the inside of one slice of bread
Top the cheese slices with sliced tomato
Add salt and pepper to taste
Place the second slice of bread, Pesto side down, on top of the tomato slices
COOKING
Place the sandwich into the heated skillet and and allow bread to brown and toast before turning over. Turn sandwich over and allow the other slice of bread to toast and the cheese to melt. Remove sandwich from the skillet and enjoy while it's hot and the cheese is melted.
NOTE
While the skillet is an old standby and has been used for years, my favorite way to make grilled sandwiches is to use my sandwich grilling press. It looks a bit like a waffle iron and seals the edges of the sandwich while it cooks. The light comes on as soon as the sandwich is done, so there's no doubt and the sandwich is cut into two sections while cooking. While the cooking process is the same, the sandwich is more appealing to the eye and easier to handle!
I hope you will give the Caprese Grilled Sandwich a try. It's a tasty alternative and really is no more trouble to prepare. If you enjoy the recipe, please feel free to share it with family and friends. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com I also invite you to check out my recipe blog where you will find many healthy, inexpensive and easy recipes to try. I offer a lot of good tips about cooking and many vegetarian alternatives to using red meat. You may be surprised at how delicious they really are!!!
INGREDIENTS
2 Slices of bread of your choice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto
2 Slices Mozzarella Cheese sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 Tomato sliced 1/4 inch thick (I like Roma Tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Heat a skillet on medium heat
Brush the outside of each slice of bread with olive oil
Brush the inside of each slice of bread with Basil Pesto
Place cheese slices on the inside of one slice of bread
Top the cheese slices with sliced tomato
Add salt and pepper to taste
Place the second slice of bread, Pesto side down, on top of the tomato slices
COOKING
Place the sandwich into the heated skillet and and allow bread to brown and toast before turning over. Turn sandwich over and allow the other slice of bread to toast and the cheese to melt. Remove sandwich from the skillet and enjoy while it's hot and the cheese is melted.
NOTE
While the skillet is an old standby and has been used for years, my favorite way to make grilled sandwiches is to use my sandwich grilling press. It looks a bit like a waffle iron and seals the edges of the sandwich while it cooks. The light comes on as soon as the sandwich is done, so there's no doubt and the sandwich is cut into two sections while cooking. While the cooking process is the same, the sandwich is more appealing to the eye and easier to handle!
I hope you will give the Caprese Grilled Sandwich a try. It's a tasty alternative and really is no more trouble to prepare. If you enjoy the recipe, please feel free to share it with family and friends. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com I also invite you to check out my recipe blog where you will find many healthy, inexpensive and easy recipes to try. I offer a lot of good tips about cooking and many vegetarian alternatives to using red meat. You may be surprised at how delicious they really are!!!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Vegetarian Beef Jerky
This is a great recipe if you're trying to cut back on meat in your diet but still miss some of the old favorites. It's also great for someone who is vegetarian or enjoys a healthy vegetable snack. Two of my favorite meat substitutes are Portobello mushrooms and Eggplant. I use them in a lot of recipes because they mimic the taste and texture of meat and whatever you choose for flavor. Eggplant will take on the flavor of most anything you like and it's a healthy, inexpensive vegetable to use.
I've cut way back in the use of beef, especially, in my diet and use the alternative mushrooms and eggplant. One of my favorites is a Portobello mushroom Beef Stroganoff and the recipe is here in the recipe blog. I've had rave reviews from people who've eaten it here. They can't tell the difference! Since eggplant is so versatile, I thought I'd share a great eggplant alternative for beef jerky. Naturally, you can make a marinade out of anything you like....even using beef stock to amplify the beef flavoring, if you like. It's all a matter of taste. I'll share the marinade I like here and it is very "beef like" without any meat product. The texture of the eggplant is very close to meat jerky and I think you will enjoy it!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Eggplant
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
PREPARATION
Slice the eggplant into 1/8th inch thick slices. Cut into piece about 2 inches by 3 inches in size for easy drying.
Make a marinade using the Soy Sauce, Honey and Liquid Smoke. When mixed together, pour into a large Ziplock plastic bag. Add the sliced eggplant to the bag and make sure the marinade covers all of the eggplant. Place the bag of eggplant in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning the bag once or twice to make sure the eggplant is thoroughly marinated.
MAKING JERKY
When the eggplant is marinated, remove it and discard the marinade. It's time to dry the eggplant and turn it into jerky. The easiest way is to use a dehydrator, if you have one. It's one of the handiest items I have in the kitchen and I use it for a lot of foods and herbs. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can always dry the eggplant in the oven. Just remember it will take longer to dry.
If you're using an oven, place the slices of eggplant on baking racks....one layer deep. Set the oven at 115 F degrees or as low as you can set it. Whether you're using a dehydrator or the oven, keep checking the eggplant for dryness. The eggplant is ready once it's dry and chewy. You can put the extra eggplant jerky in Ziplock bags, sealing out the air and it will keep for about a month. You'll probably eat it up well before that!
Anyway, this is a good basic recipe and a marinade I use. Feel free to use your own imagination and taste to flavor the eggplant the way you like. Eggplant is very forgiving and accepts most any flavor you add. This is one of the qualities I really like about it!!
Please feel free to share the recipe with family and friends if you enjoy it. If you have any questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Please visit my recipe blog and try some of the healthy, easy and inexpensive recipes I share there. I really try to focus on healthy alternatives in cooking and sharing foods from many different cultures. Enjoy!!!
I've cut way back in the use of beef, especially, in my diet and use the alternative mushrooms and eggplant. One of my favorites is a Portobello mushroom Beef Stroganoff and the recipe is here in the recipe blog. I've had rave reviews from people who've eaten it here. They can't tell the difference! Since eggplant is so versatile, I thought I'd share a great eggplant alternative for beef jerky. Naturally, you can make a marinade out of anything you like....even using beef stock to amplify the beef flavoring, if you like. It's all a matter of taste. I'll share the marinade I like here and it is very "beef like" without any meat product. The texture of the eggplant is very close to meat jerky and I think you will enjoy it!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Eggplant
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
PREPARATION
Slice the eggplant into 1/8th inch thick slices. Cut into piece about 2 inches by 3 inches in size for easy drying.
Make a marinade using the Soy Sauce, Honey and Liquid Smoke. When mixed together, pour into a large Ziplock plastic bag. Add the sliced eggplant to the bag and make sure the marinade covers all of the eggplant. Place the bag of eggplant in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning the bag once or twice to make sure the eggplant is thoroughly marinated.
MAKING JERKY
When the eggplant is marinated, remove it and discard the marinade. It's time to dry the eggplant and turn it into jerky. The easiest way is to use a dehydrator, if you have one. It's one of the handiest items I have in the kitchen and I use it for a lot of foods and herbs. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can always dry the eggplant in the oven. Just remember it will take longer to dry.
If you're using an oven, place the slices of eggplant on baking racks....one layer deep. Set the oven at 115 F degrees or as low as you can set it. Whether you're using a dehydrator or the oven, keep checking the eggplant for dryness. The eggplant is ready once it's dry and chewy. You can put the extra eggplant jerky in Ziplock bags, sealing out the air and it will keep for about a month. You'll probably eat it up well before that!
Anyway, this is a good basic recipe and a marinade I use. Feel free to use your own imagination and taste to flavor the eggplant the way you like. Eggplant is very forgiving and accepts most any flavor you add. This is one of the qualities I really like about it!!
Please feel free to share the recipe with family and friends if you enjoy it. If you have any questions, you may email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com Please visit my recipe blog and try some of the healthy, easy and inexpensive recipes I share there. I really try to focus on healthy alternatives in cooking and sharing foods from many different cultures. Enjoy!!!
Monday, May 22, 2017
Awesome Crispy Chicken Wings
Okay, I'm the first one to admit that I've never been a fan of chicken wings. Most of the time, I just give them to the cats. I've tried them many ways, including soaked in some sort of sauce. I've never liked the texture of the skin, all the fat and grease, nor the overwhelming amount of sauce. There never seems to be a lot of flavor I like, either.
Recently, however, there's been a big change in the chicken wing attitude around here!!! Something I do like is very crispy skin on chicken and I much prefer baking or other means of preparing over frying. I fix a lot of baked and smoked chicken here....both are favorites.
I've found a little secret to preparing the most awesome chicken wings...ever!! So much so, I've been buying this bargain cut of chicken by the 4 pound bag!! It's simply become my favorite chicken meal and the flavor, texture and fat content is perfect, while the meat is juicy and delightful! Best of all, they are so easy to prepare!!! Perfect chicken wings is more a matter of simple preparation and cooking in a slightly different way than usual.
I'm going to share this great recipe with you, but remind you that following the instructions is absolutely essential to ending up with the best wings ever! Here we go!
INGREDIENTS
10 -12 Chicken Wings
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Dipping Sauce of your Choice (Optional)
PREPARATION
Make sure the wings are completely thawed if they've been frozen. Rinse them in plain water and let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 F degrees. Place a baking rack in a deep tray or dish so the wings are evenly heated and there is room for fat to drip without the wings being marinated in the removed fat.
The following is an IMPORTANT step! Place the chicken wings in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking powder....NOT baking SODA!!! over the wings. Then, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the wings. This is about the right about for 10 -12 average chicken wings. Now, dive right in with your hands and mix the wings, baking powder and salt together so all are well mixed and the wings have all been in contact with the added ingredients. The baking powder and salt aren't meant to coat the chicken...just merely contact the skin. Take your time and make sure this step is done well.
Place the chicken wings onto the baking rack, allowing some space between them. Put the pan into the preheated oven.
COOKING
Allow the chicken wings to cook in the 250 F degree oven for 30 minutes. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP! This step will not cook the wings, but will heat the fat in the wings, allowing it to melt and be removed from the wings. It will also allow the baking powder and salt to work on the chicken skin.
At the end of the 30 minutes, increase the temperature of the oven to 425 F degrees and cook the wings for another 40 minutes. At the end of the first 20 minutes, I suggest flipping the wings over in the baking pan, allowing for them to be more crispy in the end.
At the end of the 40 minute cook cycle, remove the wings from the oven and allow them to rest 5 minutes before serving. You will note that the skin on the wings is tight and crispy brown, while the wings are still juicy. There will be no rubbery chicken skin and fat on the finished wings.
Personally, I love them served just this way...right out of the oven! I've also found that they are great with a good barbecue sauce served as a dipping sauce. My Sweet and Sour Pineapple sauce is also a great dipping sauce. You'll find the recipe on my blog. You may also have your own favorite dipping sauce and I'm sure most any sauce would be delicious!
I really can't recommend this recipe enough! I hope you will give it a try! If you enjoy it, feel free to share with friends and family and let others know about your experience. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at: stan.kain@gmail.com
Recently, however, there's been a big change in the chicken wing attitude around here!!! Something I do like is very crispy skin on chicken and I much prefer baking or other means of preparing over frying. I fix a lot of baked and smoked chicken here....both are favorites.
I've found a little secret to preparing the most awesome chicken wings...ever!! So much so, I've been buying this bargain cut of chicken by the 4 pound bag!! It's simply become my favorite chicken meal and the flavor, texture and fat content is perfect, while the meat is juicy and delightful! Best of all, they are so easy to prepare!!! Perfect chicken wings is more a matter of simple preparation and cooking in a slightly different way than usual.
I'm going to share this great recipe with you, but remind you that following the instructions is absolutely essential to ending up with the best wings ever! Here we go!
INGREDIENTS
10 -12 Chicken Wings
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Dipping Sauce of your Choice (Optional)
PREPARATION
Make sure the wings are completely thawed if they've been frozen. Rinse them in plain water and let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 F degrees. Place a baking rack in a deep tray or dish so the wings are evenly heated and there is room for fat to drip without the wings being marinated in the removed fat.
The following is an IMPORTANT step! Place the chicken wings in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking powder....NOT baking SODA!!! over the wings. Then, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the wings. This is about the right about for 10 -12 average chicken wings. Now, dive right in with your hands and mix the wings, baking powder and salt together so all are well mixed and the wings have all been in contact with the added ingredients. The baking powder and salt aren't meant to coat the chicken...just merely contact the skin. Take your time and make sure this step is done well.
Place the chicken wings onto the baking rack, allowing some space between them. Put the pan into the preheated oven.
COOKING
Allow the chicken wings to cook in the 250 F degree oven for 30 minutes. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP! This step will not cook the wings, but will heat the fat in the wings, allowing it to melt and be removed from the wings. It will also allow the baking powder and salt to work on the chicken skin.
At the end of the 30 minutes, increase the temperature of the oven to 425 F degrees and cook the wings for another 40 minutes. At the end of the first 20 minutes, I suggest flipping the wings over in the baking pan, allowing for them to be more crispy in the end.
At the end of the 40 minute cook cycle, remove the wings from the oven and allow them to rest 5 minutes before serving. You will note that the skin on the wings is tight and crispy brown, while the wings are still juicy. There will be no rubbery chicken skin and fat on the finished wings.
Personally, I love them served just this way...right out of the oven! I've also found that they are great with a good barbecue sauce served as a dipping sauce. My Sweet and Sour Pineapple sauce is also a great dipping sauce. You'll find the recipe on my blog. You may also have your own favorite dipping sauce and I'm sure most any sauce would be delicious!
I really can't recommend this recipe enough! I hope you will give it a try! If you enjoy it, feel free to share with friends and family and let others know about your experience. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at: stan.kain@gmail.com
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