Cajun Salmon

 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
  
  
  
  
• INSTRUCTIONS
• Pat salmon fillets dry on both sides with a paper towel. Rub all over with oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning on top of the salmon fillets.
• Heat a pan over medium-high heat, place salmon fillets, skin side-up (if using with skin), and sear the tops for about 4 to 6 minutes, flip the salmon, and cook an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the salmon flakes separate easily. Turn off the heat. Salmon cooking times will vary by the thickness of the salmon pieces.
• While the salmon cooks, combine the softened butter with the remaining 3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (1 tablespoon) in a small dish.
• Place a generous dollop of Cajun butter on top of each salmon fillet, allow it to melt for 30 seconds and plate the salmon. Use the back of a spoon to spread Cajun butter over the top.
• I served it with yellow rice

https://recipemamalinda.blogspot.com/2018/04/yellow-rice.html?m=1

Jerk chicken pasta

 

Jerk chicken pasta 

CHICKEN

• 2 medium chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)

PASTA

• 1 pound cavatappi or penne
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced, then halved
• 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced (preferably red, yellow, orange)
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons jerk seasoning http://recipemamalinda.blogspot.com/2023/09/jerk-seasoning.html?m=1 
• <<click for recipe 
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups half and half (or milk whisked with 1 TBS cornstarch, or evaporated milk mixed with 2 tsps. cornstarch)
• 1 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon (granulated, crushed cubes or Better Than Bouillon)
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

OPTIONAL GARNISHES

• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley
• lime juice

Instructions

• Make cutlets: Slice the chicken through the equator to create 4 fillets. Cover the fillets with plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or the side of a can. Dab the chicken dry with paper towels. 
  
• Season chicken: Lightly rub the chicken with a drizzle of olive oil then season all sides with 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning. Let the chicken rest while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
  
• Cook pasta: Cook pasta in heavily salted water just until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining. Drain, rinse and toss pasta with a drizzle of olive oil; set aside.
  
• Cook chicken: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked to 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil; don’t wipe out the skillet. Wait at least 5 minutes before slicing or chopping the chicken.
  
• Sauté onions and peppers: Add onion, bell peppers and 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning to the chicken drippings and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.
  
• Make sauce: Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 additional minute. Reduce heat to low, then slowly whisk in chicken broth, followed by the half and half (or milk/cornstarch). Stir in the chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened, stirring often.
  
• Add cheeses: Reduce heat to low. Working in batches, stir in the cheddar until melted, followed by Parmesan cheese until melted. You may need to cook for 1-2 minutes on low for the cheeses to completely melt. Stir in the lime juice. 
  
• Combine and season: Chop or slice the chicken and stir it into the sauce followed by the pasta. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste - this will make the pasta come alive! The amount will vary depending on the brand of jerk seasoning used and personal preference. I add ½ teaspoon pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, fresh parsley and lime juice (optional).

Jerk seasoning

 

DIY JERK SEASONING RECIPE

• 
  1 tablespoon garlic powder.  Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic and lends the signature, garlicky flavor that compliments the heat.  
  
  1 tablespoon onion powder.  Onion powder is dehydrated, ground onion to bring the pungent onion flavor.
  
  1 tablespoon brown sugar.  This balances and compliments the heat and warm spices.
  
  2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper. Really spicy blends use dried habanero peppers, but we are sticking with more palatable cayenne pepper.  2 teaspoons is medium spicy and 3 teaspoons is probably more of what you think of as spicy Jerk Seasoning.
  
  2 teaspoons black pepper.  This adds a peppery kick without the fiery heat of cayenne pepper.
  
  2 teaspoons salt.  Use regular table salt. Enough salt is crucial to enhance the rest of the seasonings or your spice blend will taste bland no matter how much it’s loaded with spices!
  
  2 teaspoons smoked paprika. Smoked paprika is rich, mild, sweet, and smoky made from smoked pimento peppers dried over oak fires then crushed.  It is not spicy, just flavorful. 
  
  2 teaspoons ground ginger.   Adds a spicy, zingy depth.
  
  2 teaspoons dried parsley.  The bright, herbaceous, clean and slightly bitter taste cuts through the warm earthiness of the spice blend.
  
  2 teaspoons dried thyme.   The minty earthiness with sharp grass, wood, and floral notes cuts through the warm spices.  
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.  The people of the Caribbean named the berries from pimenta dioica, Jamaica’s allspice tree, allspice because they thought they tasted like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper. Allspice is crucial to the authentic Jerk Seasoning taste because it replicates the pimento wood Jerk seasoned meat is usually cooked on so please don’t skip it!
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Spicy, sweet, warm and woody that’s pungent and slightly bitter.  You use it commonly in baked goods, now see how it adds that something-something to savory dishes as well!
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Just a little goes a long way with nutmeg. It’s nutty, warm and slightly sweet, rounding out the warming spices in a big way.

• Gather seasonings.  Measure out the seasonings and add them to a small bowl. This is the step when you can double or triple the recipe – measure once and enjoy many times over!
  
  Mix the seasonings.  Whisk the seasonings together with a fork or wire whisk until thoroughly combined.  That’s it!

This recipe will make about ½ cup which is perfect to fit in an empty spice jar, small sealable bag or any airtight container.  Once your seasoning is secure, label and store it in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture like the pantry.

Best Meatloaf ever

 Ingredients

For the Meatloaf:

• 2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 White Onion finely diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper finely diced
• 1 1/2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers crushed (approximately 45 crackers)
• 1/2 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 tsp seasoning Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 box of onion soup mix 
• 1/2 cup catsup

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.  Then stir in the crushed Ritz crackers, cheese, milk, onion, green bell pepper, salt and pepper and other spices and catsup .
• Then add in the ground beef and mix well.  You will need to mix by hand based on the thickness of the mixture.
• Place the meat mixture on the prepared pan and form it into a loaf with your hands. Add the topping mixture above 
• Bake for  one hour and 10 minutes 
• Remove from the oven and let the loaf set for 10-15 minutes.
• Then slice, serve and enjoy!

Mini cornbread loaves

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Ground Cornmeal
• 6 tsp Baking powder
• 3/4 tsp Baking soda
• 3 tsp Sugar 
• 2 1/2 cups Buttermilk
• 3 whole Eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 Sticks Butter melted and divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

   Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, all-purpose flour with salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar (if using). I use sugar.

   In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk with eggs until homogenous. Whisking constantly, drizzle in all but 1 tablespoon melted butter.

   Whisk liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just until thoroughly mixed; avoid over-mixing.

   Grease a mini loaf pan generously with butter or spray with no stick spray. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pan. Bake until cornbread is lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 - 40 minutes.

   Let cool for about 15 minutes in the mini loaf pan, or you can order the mini aluminum mini loaf tins from Amazon then when they come out of the oven mix 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of butter together and spread on them and serve warm. Or do like me and eat with some pinto beans! Yum 😋 

   Enjoy!

California wrap

 

• 4 flour tortilla wraps (spinach, vegetable, whole wheat, etc.)
• Your choice of mayonnaise 
• 4 cups of your choice of lettuce
• 8 ounces deli turkey meat
• 4 slices Muenster Sliced Cheese or provolone 
• 8 small slices of tomato
• 8 slices cooked bacon
• 1 medium avocado, pitted and sliced

Instructions

1. Lay out wraps and spread on a thin layer of mayo (or as much as you’d like). Then add lettuce (large butter lettuce leaves work well here, or spinach) about 2-3 slices of turkey breast, Tillamook Muenster Slices, tomato, bacon and avocado.
2. Carefully fold in the sides while rolling and turning the ends in at the same time.
3. Slice wraps in half and store in airtight container or foil until ready to eat. 

Sautéed chicken breast

 

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts , sliced in half

salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 tablespoons butter, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons parsley flakes 

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness and season them with salt and pepper.
  
• In a small mixing bowl, combine Italian seasoning, paprika, and onion powder; rub the chicken breasts with the prepared seasoning. 
  
• Heat olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. 
  
• Add chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook for 6 minutes, undisturbed.
  
• Flip over the chicken breasts and add 1 tablespoon butter; tilt the pan to swirl around the butter while it melts and continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until cooked through. Chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165˚F. 
  
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside; keep it covered.
  
• Reduce heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. 
  
• Add parsley, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 10 seconds.
  
• Pour in the  chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  
• Add the remaining butter to the skillet and stir until the butter is melted. 
  
• Return chicken to the pan and cook for a minute or until just heated through. 
  
• Spoon sauce over the chicken and remove from heat. Serve

Cheesy stuffed meatballs

 

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or Ground turkey 
• 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs- Gluten free (optional)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for presentation 
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes 
• 2 tablespoons basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon  black pepper
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese ball cut into 1/2 inch square pieces or use shredded 

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons  parsley flakes 
• 2 tablespoons  basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

Instructions

• To prepare the meatballs, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or oil.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until combined. 
  
• Using a spoon or scoop, roll meat into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Using your thumb, press into the center to create an indent, place a piece of cheese in the center of the dough ball and then re-roll ball to cover the cheese. Don’t be afraid to use a little extra meat mixture if you need to cover the cheese. Repeat with remaining meat and arrange on baking sheet.
  
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
• While the meatballs are baking, prepare sauce. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. 
  
• Whisk in the cornstarch and optional wine, if desired. Let simmer for 2 additional minutes. 
  
• Add crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil and salt. Stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. 
  
• Once baked meatballs are done, carefully add them to the sauce. On low heat, simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Serve as an appetizer or with vegetables 🥦like I did because I’m on this low carb kick right now and Enjoy!