Pink Salmon Croquettes

Ingredients
1 (2.6-ounce) pouch Pink Salmon
1 tablespoon  finely chopped chives
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon  lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon  ground black pepper
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs, divided
Coconut oil, for sauteing
Directions
Place the salmon, chives, mustard, eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 8 rounds packed firmly and set aside on a parchment lined half baking sheet. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Place the remaining bread crumbs into a small bowl. One at a time, coat each round in the Panko on all sides.
Heat enough Coconut  oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat until simmering. Add the croquettes and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to cool.  Allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

*  I used  a half a cup of plain greek yogurt and stirred in 1 tsp. of dill for a dipping sauce.

MAJADRA

1 Cup green  Lentils
1 Cup Rice (basmati)
3 1/2 Cups Water
1 large Onion
11/2 Teaspoon Cumin
 Salt
 Pepper
 Olive Oil
½ cup chopped Parsley


Slice the onions. And fry the onions slowly with  some olive oil until  caramelized  and drain on a paper towel.  

Add lentils, water, a pinch of  salt and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Lentils should be soft to bite, not mushy, drain
    
Cook rice, watch that it does not get to dry.

In a large pan stir fry the cooked rice, lentils in olive oil for  2-3 minutes. Add the onions, cumin, pepper and salt  to taste and parsley and mix together  and serve.

Mayan Couscous

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/4 cups boiling water
 
1 clove unpeeled garlic
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned Mexican  corn, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small Pablano pepper, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Directions
Combine the couscous, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the boiling water and cover. Set aside for 10 minutes.
While waiting for the couscous, cook the unpeeled garlic clove in a small skillet over medium-high heat until toasted and the skin has turned golden-brown. Peel the garlic and mince. Stir the garlic into the couscous along with the black beans, corn, onion, cilantro, pablano pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve warm or allow to cool.

Genoa Pasta Al Pesto

¼ pound of green beans- trimmed, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ pound - small red potatoes sliced

1 box of penne pasta

Olive oil

2 tsp. minced Garlic of garlic

½ cup of pesto homemade or from a jar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Grated parmesan

Boil the green beans for about 2 minutes in a pot of boiling water with olive oil and salt, remove the beans and put them into cold water. Place the potatoes with peel on in the pot of water and cook just until tender. Drain the potatoes, cool them and slice them ¼ inch thick.  Heat a frying pan and add olive oil and the garlic, sauté for about 30 seconds and add in the potatoes and green beans, sauté until tender.

  Mix the pesto and cream and set aside, cook the pasta in salted water drain and toss into a bowl with the pesto mixture, lightly fold in the beans and potatoes and top with parmesan cheese.

Healthy Breakfast cookies

1 cup of whole wheat flour

½ cup of self rising flour

½ cup of grape nut flakes

¼ cup of wheat germ

½ cup walnuts

½ cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup dry cranberries
1/2 cup dry blueberries

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 egg

¼ cup of melted coconut oil

¼ cup of apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Makes about 14 large cookies

Directions…

Mix together egg, vanilla, coconut oil, applesauce and cinnamon.
Then add in the fruit and the nuts and mix and then add the flours, wheat germ and the grape nut flakes and mix together thoroughly

Use a  tablespoon  heaped to drop the cookies on a  baking sheet, moisten your hands to shape and slightly flatten the cookie dough.

About 6-7 cookies per pan.  Bake for about  10 min. or until the cookies are golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for about  5 min. before transferring a plate.


* notes… fruit and  nuts of your choice can  be substituted in the recipe.  Ex.  apricots, dates, golden raisins, choc. chips, almonds, pecans.

Meyer Lemon shortbread mini`s

       Cookie                                                                

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch                                                                                              
1 tablespoon  fresh Meyer lemon juice
2  teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest
    2  sticks softened  butter, (not margarine)
Glaze 

1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
2 o 3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Directions
Combine flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat until dough forms.
Shape dough into two (10-inch) logs on lightly floured surface. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (2 hours).
Heat oven to 350°F. Reshape logs, if necessary. Very important to cut the same size.

   Cut into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.   Leave cookies on the cookie sheets to  cool completely.

Meanwhile, place powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough Meyer lemon juice for desired glazing consistency. Spoon or brush glaze on top of cookies. Let stand until glaze is hardened (15 minutes). Or place  in the refrigerator to set.  These cookies are delicate till they harden, the glaze helps to firm them.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons combine the best attributes of lemons and oranges in a tart citrus fruit that doesn't make your face pucker. Peak season for these lemons begins in November and runs through March. Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between a conventional lemon and a mandarin orange.
They are sweeter than regular lemons, and have a thin rind that's edible. Meyer lemons yield more juice.

Beef tips with Pomegranate Molasses

1 1/2 pound beef tips
1 cup pomegranate molasses
1 bundle fresh thyme

Put the beef  tips in a saute pan and cook over med. to low heat for 25 min.
Stirring occasionally, then after 25 min. turn up the heat till meat starts to sear.
Add the pomegranate molasses and thyme to the pan. Cook until the molasses starts to get thick and syrupy. Turn the beef tips over for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the beef tips  from the pan and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes and remove the thyme bundle.
If the mixture is very thick add a few drops of water to loosen things up.
Drizzle the beef tips  with the reduced molasses  and serve.



Pomegranate  Molasses recipe
 Makes 1 cup of Molasses

Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
For Molasses: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Corn and Israeli Couscous

8 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
1 8oz. Pkg.  of Israeli Couscous, prepared according to package directions
        1 tablespoon olive oil
        2 cups fresh or thawed frozen white corn kernels
        1 shallot, finely chopped
        2 tbls. dried parsley
        1 tsp. chopped cilantro
        1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
        1 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
        1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
        1/4 cup olive oil
        2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
        1 tablespoon honey
        salt and freshly ground pepper
        2 tablespoons finely chopped or dried  mint    
DIRECTIONS
    1.    Prepare the couscous according to the package.
    2.    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the corn, shallot, cilantro  and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the shallot is softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
    3.    Add the couscous to the bowl, along with the bell pepper, serrano, parsley and mint. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey . Add to the couscous and toss. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Apple Chutney

4 cups chopped peeled apples

¼ golden raisins

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup cider vinegar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground mustard

½ tsp. curry powder

½ cup honey 




Directions

In  a med sauce pan , combine all ingredients and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, uncovered  and stirring occasionally for 15 min. or until the  apples are tender.


Take a large wedge of  Brie cheese  and place on a plate and trim of the top rind off the cheese, place in a microwave for  30 -45 seconds, or until the brie just starts to soften.  Pour the Chutney over top and serve with warm with crackers.