Tag Archives: dinner

Mango Salsa!

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This is an easy recipe I put together. It’s not really a chip dip type of salsa, more of a meal topper! You can put it over any type of grilled meat or vegetable, oven roasted chicken and in my case the salmon recipe from my previous post. It would even work great mixed in with a salad as a dressing alternative. The recipe is extremely quick and can even be made ahead of time. The longer the “salsa” sits in the refrigerator the better. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

1 Cup of diced fresh mango

1 diced roma tomato

1 small shallot minced

handful of fresh mint

a pinch of salt and pepper

2 tablespoon of honey

juice of 2 lemons (be sure to remove any seeds!)

So… I’m not going to go through a long explanation of how to prepare the salsa. You basically throw all of the ingredients into a bowl, mix together and it’s done! So quick and easy you can do it with your eyes closed (but please don’t if you’re holding a knife ;) ). Give it at least 30 mins in the refrigerator for all of the flavors to mend. Let me know what you think !

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Game Winning Salmon!

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I hope I don’t jinx myself with the title, but this salmon recipe is truly delicious and my husband did win a big game the night after I made this meal… so I’m sticking with the title.

This is another great quick and easy salmon recipe that takes about 30 mins total. I am all about a sweet and savory dinner. This recipe is just that! I cut out majority of the bad fat by using coconut oil. The fish came out moist and buttery without using any actual butter. Perfect! I paired it with a delicious homemade mango salsa which I will post the recipe for following this post. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

*** I also paired the fish with oven roasted asparagus. place the asparagus in a baking sheet drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt (any salt will work but I love using the coarse sea salt) bake in the oven at 425 for about 15 mins. ***

Ingredients

6 salmon fillets (6oz each) – i used king salmon

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp of both freshly grated ginger and garlic

3/4 cup of brown sugar

handful of coarsely chopped pecans

2 tbsp of coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 425. Place your salmon fillets in a baking dish and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to coat the fillets. Add your ginger and garlic to the fillets. In a bowl combine your pecans, brown sugar and coconut oil to form a paste. Place the mixture over top of the fillets and pat it down to ensure good coverage. Pop the baking dish in the oven for about 20 mins. The brown sugar mixture will bake and bubble up to form the most delicious crust on top of the salmon. Its that easy! Yummy! (serves 6!)

Try it and comment below and let me know what you think :) Be sure to top it with the mango salsa. It is such a good pairing! Enjoy!

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24 Til’ 24

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So… I’m turning 24 in exactly 24 hours! I can’t believe it. I’ve learned so much this past year. I’ve some how grown to feel comfortable with myself/ in my own skin. I think it has something to do with motherhood and realizing that I can’t control every situation and everything that happens. I’ve become a go with the flow kind of gal… somewhat. The small things make me happy now. A baby giggle, a smile, a hug, dinner(while watching our favorite show during Riley’s nap time) and  prayer with my husband. Those are the things that truly bring joy into my life at this point. I’ve had to change my career path over the past couple of years. I am completely at peace with that decision and feel like i’ve found my way now through a lot of prayer and a lot of living in the moment and enjoying what God has placed in front of me. At this point being able to cherish the priceless moments with my little family is the best birthday gift I could ask for and I am so grateful that I get to do that. It’s going to be interesting to see what 24 has in store for me. I’m ready for ya so BRING IT ON!

We celebrated a a little early since Stephen has a game on my actual birthday. We went to my favorite restaurant… wait for it… OSHA THAI on 2nd street in San Francisco. I love that place. We definitely over ate and I have no problems with that. We had bacon wrapped scallops, crispy calamari and ahi tuna for appetizers. For dinner we had Kurobuta pork belly, crab fried rice and a land and sea mix of sea bass and filet! Oh and sangria to drink!!! Needless to say after all of that I was stuffed (and still am). I ALWAYS have room for dessert though. I actually look at the dessert menu before the actual dinner menu (anybody else do that?!). I had a chocolate soufflé with thai tea ice cream for dessert. I ate it so fast that I forgot to take a picture! I want to thank my husband for making me a happy lady and taking me to my favorite restaurant tonight, and also to Riley for sleeping through the whole meal! I’ve attached a couple of iPhone photos from the evening. Enjoy!

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Oven Roasted Brown Sugar Chicken

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This is a recipe  I would ALWAYS ask my mom to make for me as a child. It’s hearty, delicious and is easy to make. I make double when I make this chicken dish as it tastes even more flavorful the 2nd day (and the third). Try it and let me know what you think! Enjoy!

*** I paired this dish with sautéed broccolini and thai jasmine rice that I made with organic light coconut milk instead of water. I try and use fresh organic ingredients as often as I can.***

Ingredients

4 Chicken Quarters

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped shallots

3 cloves chopped garlic

3/4 cup chicken stock/broth

1 cup low sodium soy

2 cups brown sugar

1 heaping tbsp freshly chopped ginger

Directions  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a dutch pot on med high to high heat with your butter and olive oil. Generously salt and pepper your chicken quarters. Brown the skin of your chicken in the pot for about 2 mins on each side until it’s crisp and golden brown. Remove the chicken quarters and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the shallots and garlic. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Scrape down all of the sides to make sure you get all of the delicious seasonings and flavors into the broth (I’m hungry already!). Add in the soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger. Simmer the sauce for about 5-10 mins. Add the chicken quarters back into the pot, place the lid on and bake for 45min to an hour. The chicken will be flavorful and falling off the bone. Mmm mmm mmmm!

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Cabbage Soup W/Meatballs (Don’t knock it until you try it )

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This is my version of Paula Deen’s Cabbage Soup. After making the original recipe, I found that it need some changes (in my opinion). This recipe takes a little bit of preparation, but it is well worth it. Give it a try and tell me what you think. I literally just finished licking the bottom of my soup bowl (no, seriously). Enjoy!

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Meatballs: 
2lbs ground turkey

1 cup of uncooked rice

1 tablespoon of salt

1  teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 onion minced

2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce

Soup: 

3 cloves garlic minced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 a yellow onion diced

1 6oz can of tomato paste

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of ketchup

28 oz can of whole tomatoes with juice

1 medium cabbage sliced

1 cup of beef broth(stock)

1/2 cup of water

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 cup of monterey jack (cheddar will work as well)

1/2 cup of raisins

Directions

Combine all of the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix together (USE YOUR HANDS PEOPLE!). Form into walnut sized balls and set aside! Time to make the soup!… In a large stock pot heat your oil over medium high heat, add your garlic and onions and sweat the onions until they are translucent (about a min or two). Then add your tomato paste, whole tomatoes w/ the juice, ketchup, brown sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a fast simmer. This should take about 8 to mins.  Transfer your soup mix into the blender and blend on low for about 30 seconds (or until the whole tomatoes are crushed). Transfer back into the pot and add in your cabbage simmering on medium low heat for another 10 mins (Until cabbage has reduced in size). Now add in the beef stock and water to thin the soup (you can play around with the consistency ). Add in the meatballs and continue to simmer for 20 to 25 mins. This gives the rice enough time to cook as well as the meat. Add in the raisins and cheese when the soup is done cooking but still hot! I garnished mine with avocado, but a nice crusty french or sourdough bread would go great too!

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I did today!

 

 

 

 

Easy Salmon Marinade!

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I am always on the hunt for delicious recipes. Most of the time I want something quick and easy that doesn’t lack flavor. I think that my easy salmon marinade gets the job done. Try it and let me know what you think!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

combine in a sandwich bag or bowl the following ingredients:

4 Cloves chopped garlic

1/2 a small onion finely chopped

1/2 cup of Mirin

2 tbs Low Sodium Soy

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

Juice of an orange and a lime

Mix all of the ingredients together and voila, your marinade is done.

This is enough marinade for 1.5-2 lbs of Salmon

Salt and Pepper the fish to your liking, Pour the marinade over the fish and bake for 15-20 mins! It’s that easy, and it’s sure to please!

I paired my salmon with asparagus, roasted potatoes and cheddar mushrooms.

Enjoy!

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