Sometimes Simple, Sometimes Grand, Always Declicious
Now I realize there are a million and one recipes for spinach artichoke dip out there, really I do. But dag nabbit; it’s a woman’s prerogative to have a serious flavor craving and, in turn, follow said craving, all the way to the ooey gooey dip bowl conclusion. You know I’m right because you’ve been there yourself. Don’t try and deny it, we both know better. Allow me to set the scene.
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Risotto is one of those dishes that people shy away from because they think it’s too difficult to cook. Honestly though, aside from the stirring aspect of the whole experience, I find it to be one of my favorite meals to serve for the family. It has that magical property of tasting like you added a bucket of lusciously “bad for you” cream to the mix when really it’s just a combination of chicken broth, white wine and starch from the pasta. Best of all, you can pretty much add any protein, vegetable or fungus into the pot, in effect creating a one dish meal that results in a simple and straightforward weeknight dinner.
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A new week calls for a fresh line up of recipes and this go round I determined it high time we dove into the land of crepes. Crepes, for me, are the best of all worlds. They’re versatile, they’re stuffable and, greatest of all, they’re delectable. They work well for company because you can make them ahead of time and they work well for kids because they’re fun to eat.
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Summer is coming to an end and while not everything was a success over at my little community garden plot, the basil thrived. Never mind that I didn’t even plant basil. Hey, if it shows up in my 10 ft. sq. plot, it’s fair game.
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We’re back! Disney was scorching hot, utterly enchanting, completely over-crowded, and positively thrilling all rolled up into one fabulously magical package. Next time we’ll pick a much slightly less popular week to experience the house of the mouse; even if it means pulling the kids out of school for a couple days (shhh… don’t tell Nick’s teacher I said that). That being said, watching the younger set experience the wonder of it all was well worth the trouble. Especially the little ones. When my one year old niece, Taylor, met Snow White for the first time, you would have thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She ran full on into her arms and just sank into pure joy. It was enough to make the entire over-heated, impatient line of Disney goers let out a collective “awwww.” I guarantee you’ve never witnessed sheer bliss like this.
All in all it was a fun week. I have to say, though, that I am happy to be back home and back to the blog. I really missed you guys! To kick off the week I’m popping up a killer Asian Salmon burger that’s easy on the palate and doesn’t take much effort in the kitchen. The dipping sauce is the real gem in this one. Pour a little over the top of the burger and then serve a little more on the side for extra dipping. It’s as close to “one year old meets childhood idol” bliss as you can get.
To cook up a batch of burgers, you’ll first grab a pound of salmon and cut it into manageable chunks. Throw it into your food processor and pulse until you are left with no big pieces.
Next up you’ll add some Asian inspiration and mix it in by hand (or spoon if you don’t like to get your hands dirty).
Form it into four large patties and get ready to cook these beauties up. Heat a little sesame oil over an open flame and when it’s good and hot, cook up your patties until they’re a beautiful golden brown on both sides. Yum yum.
While your patties are cooking, grab up a few sauce ingredients; some mayo, sour cream, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and green onions. Mix it all together.
You ready for this? Toast up a bun, pop one of those beautiful salmon burgers on top, spoon a little sauce over the seafood ensemble and bite into pure bliss. Snow White would be oh so proud.
Total Time: 30 min
For the Salmon Burgers:
1 Pound Salmon
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 tsp Powdered Ginger
1 tsp Oyster Sauce
1 Green Onion, Chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, Chopped (about 5 leaves worth)
11/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
For the Ginger Lime Sauce:
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Powdered Ginger
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Green Onion, Chopped
1/4 Lime, Juiced
Cut the salmon into large hunks and pulse it in a food processor until no large pieces remain.
Add to the salmon the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, green onion, and basil.
Combine ingredients well and form 4 large patties from mixture.
Heat up the sesame oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat and add in the patties. Cook for about 10 minutes flipping once half way through.
To make the sauce, add together all the above listed ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour a spoonful of sauce over the top of the finished salmon burger and serve inside a toasted bun.
I’m thrilled to have Christy from Fudge Ripple as a guest poster for Mommie Cooks today! Her unique writing style drew me instantly into her blog and the delicious recipes keep me coming back for more. I hope you enjoy reading and tasting her delicious creations as much as I do. When you’re finished here, be sure to stop over and check out her blog. I promise you won’t be disappointed. On with the show!
when i received Julie’s kind invitation
to share a recipe with all of you
i got so excited
i had so many ideas about what i should share
and this one stuck
a recipe
that brings back memories of my wonderful
grandma
today
i share with you
spaghetti alla vodka
made with vodka soaked tomatoes
this is really simple. peel tomatoes and cram into a jar, use a skewer to secure tomatoes if they start to float to the top. fill the jar with vodka and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. i make several jars because i like to use the tomatoes and the vodka for my sauce. leftover vodka is really great for a bloody mary pick me up.
spaghetti alla vodka
1 lb spaghetti or pasta of choice
olive oil
1/2 of small onion–finely diced
2 garlic cloves–finely diced
6-8 basil leaves–chiffonade
1 large tin peeled whole tomatoes or combination of vodka soaked tomatoes and tinned tomatoes to equal about 4 cups whole
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup tomato soaked vodka (or other vodka you have on hand)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
cook pasta in salted water, according to package instructions. cook onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat. meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender and pulse until it is smooth. do not allow the onions and garlic to brown, but let them begin to soften and become translucent. at this point, add the tomatoes and vodka and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. add the basil, red pepper flakes and heavy cream and allow to heat through. stir in parmesan, then toss drained pasta in. if the sauce seems too thick, use a bit of the pasta water. shave a bit of parmesan on top of each individual serving, along with additional crushed red pepper, if you like spicy.
