Nordic Open Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwiches from theviewfromgreatisland.com/

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1-DSC_0131thinly sliced pumpernickel or rye bread, sometimes called cocktail bread
butter at room temperature
homemade dilled mayonnaise (recipe below)
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
thin slices of smoked salmon
microgreens
edible flowers
lemon for garnish
dilled mayonnaise
1 pastuerized egg, at room temperature
1 cup mildly flavored olive oil, also room temperature
a handful of fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
a squeeze of lemon

Set oven to 400F
Cut the slices of bread into smaller rectangles. You can make them bite sized, if you like. Spread a very thin layer of soft butter on each slice and toast in the oven for a few minutes until they just start to get crisp. This step is optional, you can also use the bread un-toasted.

Spread a little dilled mayonnaise onto each slice of bread, then top that with a slice of smoked salmon.

Add microgreens, and then season with a little salt and pepper. Garnish with an edible flower, and serve with small wedges of lemon.

To make the homemade mayonnaise: Put the room temperature egg, oil and dill in a jar just large enough to fit an immersion blender. Put the blender down to the bottom of the jar, and turn it on, slowly raising the blade as it emulsifies the mixture. This will only take about 30 seconds. Once it turns to mayo, stop the blending. You can then stir in the salt and pepper, and a little lemon juice, if you like.

15-Minute Lazy Noodles from woksoflife.com

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12 oz. dried wheat noodles (almost any noodle will do––even spaghetti)
1-2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oilnoodle-recipe-13
1 pound ground fake meat
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, heat the wok over high heat, and and add a tablespoon or two of oil. Add the ground meat, and stir-fry until browned and slightly crispy.

Add the onion and garlic, and continue to cook over high heat until the onions are slightly softened and browned at the edges. Stir in the spinach until it’s just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Add to a bowl, along with the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and chili oil (if using). Toss with the onion, meat, and spinach mixture. Serve!

 

Savory smoked salmon cheese cake from theviewfromgreatisland.com

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savory-smoked-salmon-cheesecake-21crust
1/4 cup panko, or Japanese, breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
1 tsp finely minced fresh dill
1 Tbsp finely grated smoked Gouda cheese
butter for greasing the pans

cheesecake
1 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
an 8-oz package of cream cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Smoked Gouda cheese
1 Tbsp finely minced dill
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
a 4.5 oz package of Morey’s Wild Smoked Salmon
sour cream topping
1 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 325F
Butter 2 small cheesecake pans (mine are 4.5 inches in diameter) and wrap the bottoms and sides with foil to prevent leakage in the water bath.
Mix the bread crumbs with the tablespoon of cheese and dill, use your fingers to lightly toss them to combine. Coat the bottom and sides of each pan with the mixture. Sprinkle any remaining crumbs along the bottom of each pan.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a skillet and saute the shallots for about 5 minutes until they are translucent. Set aside to cool.
Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and run the machine briefly to soften it. Blend in the eggs and process until well combined.
Add the cooled shallots, smoked Gouda, dill, salt, and lemon juice to the bowl and pulse several times to combine.
Add the smoked salmon to the bowl, breaking it up into large chunks as you add it. Pulse the machine a few more times, just until everything is well combined but not pureed. You want a little bit of texture in the mixture.
Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans, smoothing over the top with a flat knife.
Set the pans in a baking dish. Pour an inch or two of hot water into the baking dish to form a water bath.
Bake the cheesecakes for about 50 minutes, or until they are no longer jiggly in the center and the tops feel firm.
Let the cheesecakes cool before removing them from the pans and ‘frosting.
Make the sour cream topping by whisking together the sour cream and lemon juice. Spread over the top of the cooled cheesecakes.
Decorate the cakes with some sprigs of fresh dill and tiny blossoms. Serve with crackers and lemon wedges.

website with great photos: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/savory-smoked-salmon-cheesecake/

shrimp and cauliflower curry from Floyd Cardoz

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  • 1 1/2 pounds144-145_Shrimp-Curry-with-Cauliflower_0/680 grams (21–25 count) head-on shrimp
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, finely ground
  • 1 serrano chile, sliced lengthwise in half
  • 1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets
  • One and a half 13.5-fluid-ounce cans Chaokoh-brand coconut milk (stir well before measuring)

1. Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp, reserving both. Devein the shrimp and rinse them well. Season the shrimp with salt and refrigerate.

2. Place the shrimp heads and shells in a medium saucepan, add cold water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 3 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain the stock and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, and pepper and cook until the garlic is lightly colored and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the reserved stock, the chile, tamarind paste, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the cauliflower is just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Stir in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard the serrano, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.

Changing It Up

Sometimes I make this with fish instead of shrimp, using one 4- to 5-ounce (113- to 142-gram) halibut or fluke steak per person. (The steaks come from cutting a whole fish crosswise into 1/2 – to 1-inch-thick slices. It’s a very pretty cut, resulting in a nice oblong shape with a bone in the middle and the skin ringing the steak.) Use fish stock or plain water in place of the shrimp stock; the fish’s bones and skin add depth and richness to the curry, just as the shrimp shells do. Add the fish steaks where the recipe instructs you to add the shrimp and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

 

Green goddess dip from 12tomatoes.com

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  • 1/2 cgreen-goddess-11-475x338up fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  1. Place dill, parsley, basil, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and salt in food processor and pulse until finely ground.
  2. While pulsing, slowly drizzle in olive oil and blend until mixture is smooth.
  3. Fold in Greek yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  4. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
  5. Serve with chips or vegetables, or use as an aioli and spread on sandwiches or wraps.
  6. adapted from the NY Times

 

Tamari Roasted Almonds

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  • download3 cups whole unblanched almonds
  • 1⁄4 cup tamari or Braggs aminos or soy sauce
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Spread almonds in one layer on a baking sheet (you may need two pans) – bake 15 minutes.
  3. While baking, mix tamari and sugar in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.
  4. Add hot almonds to bowl and stir to coat. Let sit in bowl 5 min, stirring occasionally.
  5. Return almonds to baking sheets (use slotted spoon so you don’t get too much liquid).
  6. Bake 12 minutes, stir and rotate tray, then bake 12 more minutes until almonds are dark brown.
  7. Remove from oven, cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Linguine with shrimp scampi from Ina

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VegetaIG0511_linguine-with-shrimp-scampi_s4x3.jpg.rend.snigalleryslideble oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Spinach & Ricotta-stuffed shells from 12tomatoes.com

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24 jumbo pasta shells or lShellsumaconi
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta
4 cups fresh spinach
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to packaging directions, or until just al dente. Reserve pasta water, drain and set aside.
Return pasta water to heat and blanch spinach until just wilted. 30-60 seconds, or until bright green.
Remove spinach from boiling water and immediately place in an ice bath to prevent further cooking.
Drain spinach, then place in a large bowl and mix together with ricotta.
Season generously with salt and pepper, then transfer mixture to food processor or blender and pulse until spinach is chopped into small pieces.
Fold 1 cup mozzarella cheese into ricotta mixture, then use a spoon to stuff your shells with cheesy spinach filling. Place stuffed shells in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk in flour to create a roux.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until mixture is smooth and paste-like.
While continuing to whisk, slowly mix in heavy cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
Add remaining mozzarella and cook until completely incorporated. Season with lemon juice, nutmeg and salt.
Pour sauce over stuffed shells, then sprinkle parmesan over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then serve hot.

 

 

Magic custard cake from tasteerecipe.com/

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Screen-Shot-2015-02-21-at-7.26.45-PM4 eggs (whites separated from yolks), room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
8 Tablespoons butter, melted (I used Land O’Lakes unsalted butter)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
powdered sugar for dusting cake

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.
  2. Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins. Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
  4. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Cauliflower Gratin from 12tomatoes.com

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  • 422533034_xl tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups hot milk
  • 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
  • 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
    2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch or two of salt, followed by the cauliflower florets. Let them cook for five to six minutes ñ you want them to be tender but still firm. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
    3. While the cauliflower is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. Then, add the hot milk and stir everything until it starts to boil.
    4. Whisk the milk for about a minute, until it thickens, and then take it off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of Gruyere. Stir everything together until blended well.
    5. Spray an 8×11 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, then add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture to the dish. Then, add all of the drained cauliflower, followed by the rest of the sauce.
      1. Mix the remaining Gruyere cheese with the bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top as well.
      2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.