Grandma's Kitchen Table

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Seared Salmon on Coconut Spinach

      My seventy-second recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Seared Salmon on Coconut Spinach, was chosen by Chaya, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Off the Shelf:  Cooking from the Pantry, on page 116, you can also find it online here. 

      The ingredient list: salmon, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, red chili peppers, Asian chili paste, coconut cream, lemon juice, and spinach. 

      Oh, this is a spicy recipe, full of flavor with the various chili combinations and that slight coconutty flavor from the coconut cream.  I am not always a great lover of highly spiced food but cooking with food groups and needing to go outside the comfort zone once in awhile has made me a more diversified eater.  Lately I have been upping the spice factor in recipes, what's with that?  For years I have been decreasing it and now all of a sudden, I am enjoying spicy foods like never before. 

      The recipe works great for a busy weeknight as everything comes together quickly and doesn't take more than a few minutes to cook.  Although DH specified that we should cook the salmon one minute on each side, I found this was not enough and went with 3 minutes on each side to get it to the state we like.  The spinach took about three minutes after the sauce was made which took maybe 5 minutes total, so dinner in under 20 minutes is a great deal, especially when it was so flavorful.  Before he even finished, Mark said he would happily eat this one often. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here. Sarah's post is here.  Next is Sarah's choice, Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Butter, found on page 86 in DH's Modern Classics 1 cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Leek, Ricotta, and Mushroom Frittata

      My seventy-first recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Leek, Ricotta, and Mushroom Frittata, was chosen by Margaret, and is found at DH's site online here. 

      The ingredient list: butter, leeks, mushrooms, ricotta, salt, pepper, eggs, cream, and arugula. 

      This is a great recipe, probably a repeat soon for brunch, we had it for dinner one night with a salad and it worked perfect for that as well.  The recipe is easy to follow and doesn't take long to complete, the assembled ingredients get placed into the oven to bake and you can use the time to tidy up the kitchen and set the table, so it's all good time-wise. 

      There is something magical that happens when you saute onions (leeks) and mushrooms in a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper.  People start circling the kitchen when the aroma starts wafting through the house...it's one of those things that seems to be hard to resist here and the anticipation builds as it bakes in the oven.  Everyone comes to the table ravenous and there are never any leftovers.  Yep, definitely a repeat.
      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here. Margaret's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Chaya's choice, Seared Salmon on Coconut Spinach, found on page 116 in DH's Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Baked Fish Fillets with Tomatoes

      My seventieth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Baked Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, was chosen by me, and is found on page 110 in DH's cookbook Modern Classics 1 and you can also find the recipe online here.  

      The ingredient list: tomatoes, lemon zest, garlic, capers, olive oil, fish, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

      This is an incredibly easy and quick recipe for a weeknight as it all just gets placed into a baking vessel and placed into the oven to cook.  It's also a great dish to serve when you want something healthy and lean.  I never used to like fish and tomatoes together, or even touching, but somewhere along the line that all changed and now I'm finding myself choosing more recipes that combine the two. 

      Served with a little rice and a side salad, it made the perfect weeknight meal for the two of us.  Which brings me to why on earth I actually purchased three fillets...maybe I was still thinking Matt was home for the summer.  Regardless, we ended up with an additional piece of fish which I warmed up for lunch two days later and it was just as delightful as the first night, maybe more so as the flavors were able to get well-acquainted in that time, so that old advice about fish not warming up well doesn't hold true here.  Good to know...for the next time I miscount the number of people who will actually be eating dinner here any given evening. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Sarah's post is here (and as a bonus, you get to see Sarah's new place in China!).  Next is Margaret's choice, Leek, Ricotta, and Mushroom Frittata, found online at DH's site here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Corn Cakes

      My sixty-eighth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Corn Cakes, was chosen by Gaye, and is found on page 82 in DH's cookbook Modern Classics 1.  My sixty-ninth recipe is the accompanying Tomato Chutney recipe found on page 174 of the book. 

      The ingredient list for the corn cakes:  corn, bacon, onion, flour, eggs, milk, cheddar cheese, parsley, baking powder, and salt.  The ingredient list for the tomato chutney:  tomatoes, onion, malt vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. 

      These are really good and addictive, so don't make too many and you won't be too tempted to eat more than you should.  And if you really don't want to like them so much, whatever you do, don't make the tomato chutney to serve with them because THAT is really really addictive and just encourages you to have another corn cake slathered with chutney.  Can you tell these recipes were a big hit here?  Well, they were.  And they were both incredibly easy to make so I need to forget that part for awhile and save the indulgence for an occasion when I know that others will be here to eat them up leaving no leftovers, because yes, indeed, leftovers heat up extremely well and are just as tasty the second round. 

      I can think of many many uses for that tomato chutney other than just eating a spoonful of it, so you can bet that is going to be somewhat of a staple around here for fish, meat, chicken, and probably things I haven't thought of yet. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is my choice, Baked Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, found on page 110 in DH's cookbook Modern Classics 1. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Roasted Sweet Potato Pasta

      My sixty-seventh recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Roasted Sweet Potato Pasta, was chosen by Chaya, and is found online at DH's site here. 

      The ingredient list: sweet potatoes, roma tomatoes, olive oil, linguini, spinach, parmesan, salt and pepper, feta, and olive oil. 

      Pasta dishes are an easy sell around here.  This one was no exception. I will admit, that I was curious how we were going to like sweet potatoes and roma tomatoes in the same recipe, but I have to say, that it works and they are really good together. Roasting just does something special to vegetables, doesn't it? 

      This is an easy dish to put together, you can work on the pasta while the veggies are roasting and then bring it all together at the end so while the roasting and pasta making time seem to add up, you can be doing other things while each is happening.  Definitely a repeat...all that roasty goodness with pasta is just wonderful. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Next is Gaye's choice, Corn Cakes, found on page 82 in DH's cookbook Modern Classics 1. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Honey Cakes

      My sixty-sixth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Honey Cakes, was chosen by Margaret, and is found on page 170 of Off the Shelf:  Cooking from the Pantry. 

      The ingredient list: butter, sugar, honey, eggs, flour, baking powder, and double cream. 

      Margaret loves to bake, that's how we first met, baking in the TWD group.  I can't tell you how many baking recipes we have done for the various groups in the past six years that we have baked together, and sometimes just baking together on our own, but I do feel it must be in the hundreds at this point.  It is never a surprise to me when we submit our selections and Margaret chooses a baked goodie with the preface, "We haven't done any baked goods in awhile, so I choose...."  This was one of those times. 

      The little cake is very nice and the honey taste definitely is prevalent and welcome, I do love honey flavor in baked goods.  Drizzling more on top of the cream icing was even a sweeter deal. 

      My only other observation is that the little cake seemed a tad bit dry...that said, I am getting used to a new oven and it is quite possible that I should be adjusting my recipes (baking times and temperatures) and I will learn that as I go along, so I still need to experiment a bit with baking in the new oven, after 21 years with the old one, I have a lot to learn.  The extra honey drizzled on the outside made it moist and an all-around success.  Would I make these again?  Oh, yeah, these would be a good choice for a nice weeknight treat anytime. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Chaya's choice, Roasted Sweet Potato Pasta, found online at DH's site here. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Pear, Rocket, and Blue Cheese Salad

      My sixty-fifth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Pear, Rocket, and Blue Cheese Salad, was chosen by me, and is found on page 52 of Modern Classics 1. 

      The ingredient list: Italian bread, rocket (arugula), fennel, pears, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt and cracked black pepper. 

      This is a terrible photo...you will do much better with arranging and photographing this salad than I did for sure.  My general ability in arranging salads is not all that great as it always seems to me I just gather all the ingredients and toss them on the plate, salad ingredients being what they are sometimes are difficult to line up or make them look "composed."  At least in my world.  Everyone eats salad differently anyway...some get a little of each ingredient on the fork before raising it to eat it, so really you would just arrange it all yourself anyway, right?  No?  Okay, I tried. 

      The flavors in this salad work so deliciously together...just a perfect combination for a lovely set of flavors with the slightly bitter taste of the arugula, the sweetness of the pears, the tang of the vinegar, the creamy goodness of the blue cheese, and that slight licorice/anise taste of the fresh fennel.  I have only recently been eating fruit in my salads occasionally, so this is a good find.  Previously I always regarded salad and fruit courses separately...it's nice to have them together once in awhile.  I would start with this recipe if you need convincing.

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Margaret's choice, Honey Cakes, found on page 170 of Donna Hay's Off the Shelf:  Cooking from the Pantry cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Green Curry Chicken with Sweet Potato

      My sixty-fourth recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Green Curry Chicken with Sweet Potato, was chosen by Gaye, and is found on page 134 of Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry. 

      The ingredient list: sweet potato, peanut oil, Thai green curry paste, chicken breasts, chicken stock, coconut cream, Kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro. 

      I couldn't find Kaffir leaves so I apologize for that omission straight off as I am certain that they would have made this recipe even more delicious than it was without them.  As is, the chicken was moist and flavorful, and it paired really well with the sweet potatoes, which surprised me as I was not expecting to like the combination particularly well for some odd reason.  I like both chicken and sweet potatoes, it just never dawned on me to put them together with curry flavoring and have it be a success.  And it was a success here. I liked the mild green curry paste and coconut milk flavor that was imparted to the chicken and it tasted nicely with the sweet potatoes as well.

      There are a few steps to this recipe, none of them difficult or time consuming, but I was happy to have made it on a weekend rather than on a weeknight when things are a little more rushed time-wise.  Would I make this one again?  Probably so as the combination was delightful and I would like to find Kaffir leaves and give it a try with those to see what flavors that would bring to the dish. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here. Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is my choice, Pear, Rocket, and Bleu Cheese Salad, found on page 52 of Donna Hay's Modern Classics 1 cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Spinach with Sesame Dressing

      My sixty-third recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Spinach with Sesame Dressing, my choice, found on page 82 of Modern Classics 1. 

      The ingredient list:  English spinach, sesame seeds, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water. 

      Unlike the Brussels Sprouts from a few weeks ago, I knew this spinach recipe would be a hit with the family as we all really like spinach cooked with this texture.  Most unusual with DH recipes, I could not get this one to work out as stated in the book.  Immersing the spinach in water as suggested in the recipe, even for less than 5 seconds, rinsing it, squeezing out the moisture, etc.,  resulted in spinach that looked completely cooked, so I arranged some on a plate, microwaved it for 20 seconds and it looked like the picture in the book. Either way, it tasted great as I ate the rejects, of course.

      The dressing was simple to make and delicious, I would make it again as it goes great with the spinach, adding a nice boost of Asian type flavor which I enjoy, the sesame seeds give it a nutty flavor as well, I'm pairing it next with baked/steamed fish.  It's a quick flavorful dressing to serve with any type of salad. 

      Wonder what the others thought?  Gaye's post is here. Chaya's post is here.  Sarah's post is here.  Next is Gaye's choice, Green Curry Chicken with Sweet Potato, found on page 134 of Donna Hay's Off the Shelf cookbook. Join us and leave a link to your post, no commitment required.

Sunday's Snippets

Mark and Matt out in Irvine, California at US Open where Matt officially turned 21!
READING:  I would love to say that I am reading any number of excellent books that are lined up on my bedside table just waiting for me, but the truth is that all week I have been reading bits and pieces relating to new appliances, etc., none of which I was absolutely certain how to operate.  Between that and unpacking, my reading time has been almost non-existent. Soon to be corrected.  

SWIMMING NEWS:  IU Men's Swimming & Diving, and also the IU Women's Swimming & Diving, have started the season already and are not only practicing but in the process of interviewing possible new recruits for next year, so it's a busy time in Bloomington.  Matt ended his sophomore year last spring with some wonderful accomplishments...being selected All Big Ten, All Big Ten Academic, and All American. His 800 Freestyle Relay Team also broke the IU school record, which was very exciting. Over the summer he was home helping with the move and practiced with his CSC team, attending the US Open in late July and achieving new best times to end the long course season.  Now back at IU he is gearing up for what he hopes will be a great Junior year with the team.

Matt, Eric, Jimmie, and Steve with IU record-breaking 800 Freestyle Relay last spring.

Matt and Daniel at US Open this summer enjoying dinner and drinks...Daniel at age 22 and able to order more than iced tea...Matt needing to wait for an official birthday drink until his 21st birthday the last day of July.

Okay, it's official, Matt is 21...birthday dinner in California during US Open.

COOKING BYTES:   Things have been at sixes and sevens with the move this summer...but I am finally reunited with my cookbooks, cooking/baking equipment, and a renewed interest in joining my blogging group friends in the quest for learning new recipes and techniques.  They have all been making marvelous things in my absence and I've been missing out!

FAV NEW FIND:  Lots of favorite new finds as we are enjoying discoveries a new area brings.  Probably the most of favorite of everyone is that after 36 years of commuting to work, Mark is now able to walk to work in just a few minutes and is enjoying the extra time added to his days with the non-commute! 

FAV THIS PAST WEEK:  Getting most of the boxes unpacked, things put away, everything in working order, etc.
WEEK IN REVIEW:  We closed on the selling of our house of over 21 years the Friday before last and spent this past week getting settled into the new place.  Got to spend some time with Matt in Bloomington, some time at GCHS subbing senior history re Russian Revolution, and generally just trying to get everyone organized in new spaces (Matt has a new apartment and a new roommate at IU this year, Lee).  

LOOKING FORWARD TO:   We have traded in lawn care, house maintenance, pool maintenance, and life in the suburbs for a stint living downtown in Indianapolis in a luxury apartment on the canal.  It's a year of adventure, at the end of the year we might continue or we might opt back for suburban living in a much smaller house with a much smaller lawn, etc. but we thought there was no better time to try something new and different than when one is between bouts of house ownership and living in a small space is good practice for downsizing!

OH, AND...Happy 56th birthday to my sister Karen, who as she always reminds me, "will always be younger than you." Hope it's happy and joyous, filled with celebration and fun!