Salmon with Lime Dill Aioli

Posted on February 19, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-18_20-07-50_971So it is Monday night, first day of the work week. After running errands and a happy hour for Kris, we did not get home until after 7:00. What to do? How about an easy salmon dinner? Sounds good to us and luckily we had made our Costco run on Sunday and had some nice salmon fillets in the fridge.

Total time for this dish was less than 30 minutes! First cut the salmon into 6-8 ounce fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grab an oven proof skillet. Add olive oil to the pan and heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot add the salmon and cook for about 8 minutes. The salmon should be crisp and golden on the bottom. Transfer to oven and cook an additional 4 minutes. Meanwhile toss a sweet potato in the microwave and cook for 7 minutes on high.

2013-02-19_07-01-40_678While everything is cooking whip together the aioli. Since I did not have any lemons I decided to use a lime. Take 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup finely chopped onion and juice from one lime. Mix together in a small bowl. Add some dill and tarragon to taste, mix well. Pull the salmon out of the oven and serve with aioli and the backed sweet potato. Enjoy!!

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Sea Salt Caramels

Posted on February 16, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-12_20-33-14_720One of our favorite things are the chocolate covered sea salt caramels from Costco. The other night I realized we did not have any in the pantry so thought I would try to make them myself. The best news was I had all the ingredients necessary, so not trip to the store was needed. For my first time making chocolate covered caramels they turned out pretty good. The caramel was a little soft so may need to boil a little longer next time. 2013-02-12_15-37-04_610First get all your ingredients measured and ready to go. This helps as you really need to watch the caramel as it is boiling. I learned to make sure the pot is large enough.2013-02-12_15-54-09_903

The first sauce pan I used had caramel boiling over the top. And let me tell you, hot liquid caramel can make a bit of a mess!, and bring to 257 degrees. The caramel will be a light golden brown.2013-02-12_16-09-04_730Now pour the mixture into an 8×8 pan (9×9 will also work) lined with parchment paper. Also spray the paper with some Pam, to make sure the caramel does not stick.

Let this cool and harden a bit before slicing into small squares.2013-02-12_20-13-20_680Melt some chocolate, I used dark chocolate – 60% cocoa – Let it cool a bit before dipping the caramels.

2013-02-12_20-22-34_979Cover caramel and place on a pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some sea salt chunks on top, let cool and enjoy!!.

Ingredients:

-1 and 1/3 cups cream (light or heavy is okay; we used light)
-2 cups granulated sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/3 cup honey
-6 Tbsp. butter (salted or unsalted is okay)
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-3 tsp. sea salt, divided
-chocolate, for melting and coating the caramel

Instructions:

Line a 8″ square pan (a 9″ pan would be okay too) with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. In a 2 or 3-quart sauce pan, bring the cream to a boil. Add all sugars (sugar, corn syrup, and honey) and return to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook until the mixture reaches 257 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring very frequently. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the butter, vanilla, and two teaspoons of the sea salt; mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and cool.

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Small Bites

Posted on February 12, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-01_20-37-19_482Sometimes Kris and I do not feel like a big meal for dinner. So this night we went with a meal of ‘Small Bites’ which consisted of roasted shrimp, assorted cheese and meats, and our version of hot pecans.

The pecans are amazing and very addictive – be careful if you make these!!2013-02-01_19-31-44_378First step is to beat the egg white until soft and foamy. The egg is properly beaten when no clear liquid remains. 2013-02-01_19-33-35_121Whisk remaining ingredients(recipe below), except pecans, into the egg white. Add pecans and stir to coat.2013-02-01_19-36-47_65Spread mixture onto an ungreased baking pan in a single layer. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir pecans and spread into single layer. Reduce heat to 250 degrees, bake for another 10 minutes and remove from oven. Stir pecans again and place pan on wire racks to cool. Pecans will crisp up as they cool.

2013-02-01_19-21-49_296Easy roast shrimp – Take 1-2 Lbs tail on raw shrimp, spread onto baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper and 1 T olive oil. Toss shrimp to coat evenly. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. You can eat these warm or cold. I like to let the shrimp cool then refrigerate before serving. Once you do shrimp like this you will never by the precooked shrimp again!

Hot Pecans –

Ingredients:
1 large egg white
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups shelled pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat egg white until soft and foamy. Combine remaining ingredients (except pecans) and whisk into egg white. Add pecans, stir to coat, spread on ungreased baking pan.

2. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Stir, toss and separate pecans. Spread into single layer, reduce heat to 250. Return nuts to oven and bake until medium brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from, stir pecans again. Set pan on wire racks to cool. The nuts will crisp up as they cool. Enjoy!

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Steak Night

Posted on February 7, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-05_19-16-51_634Kris and I were not sure what we wanted for dinner so when I stopped by the local grocery store and saw they had KC strips on sale for 6.99 a pound, the choice was clear. Steak! Plus we are in a mini heat wave, with temps in the 20’s it made for a perfect night for grilling.2013-02-05_18-38-51_677To go with the steaks we did grilled mushrooms in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper. Also grilled asparagus with cherry tomatoes. Seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. Good thing about these ingredients they all take the same amount of grilling time! I set the Traeger on high and grilled for about 14 minutes total, flipping the steaks once. High equates to 425 – 450 degress.2013-02-05_19-12-38_70When done just let the steaks rest for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute and enjoy. Cheers!

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Super Bowl Goodies

Posted on February 5, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-03_17-09-56_757For the last few years Kris and I have been going to our friends house to watch the Super Bowl. This year was no different and Rindy and Aaron put out a great spread of eats for the big game. Everything was very tasty and I ate too much!! This year they put out a variety of appetizers we could munch on throughout the game. Lets take a closer look.2013-02-03_17-10-10_498Smoked spicy chicken wings. Aaron prepared these on his new smoker and wow they were great! The rub consisted of chili powder, onion salt, garlic powder, salt, pepper and for a spicy kick – crushed red pepper. No need to add sauce to these – they were spicy good.2013-02-03_17-10-03_813Homemade loaded fries. Aaron made the fries then loaded them up with bacon, cheese and jalapenos. I grabbed a pile of these, added a dollop of sour cream and chowed down. You cannot get fries like these eating out! After these and the wings my mouth was officially on fire.2013-02-03_17-10-16_461Stuffed mushrooms. Thank goodness for Rindy. She made a batch of here stuffed mushrooms that helped cool down the fire. The ‘shrooms were stuffed with cream cheese, bacon and poblano peepers. Baked to a creamy goodness. These were very tasty.2013-02-03_17-10-22_249Deviled eggs. Rindy also put together here famous deviled eggs. These were a nice accompaniment to the other apps. Cold and tasty to counteract the other spicy apps.

For dessert Aaron whipped up a batch of grasshoppers (unfortunately I did not get a picture of these). Ice cream drinks are the best and Aaron makes an excellent grasshopper!

It was a great night of food, football and friends. So what could possibly make it better? Well the last couple years I have been running a Super Bowl Square pool and this year Kristen won the 3rd quarter (500 bones) but Rindy was the big winner, hitting her numbers for the 4th quarter and taking home cool 1000 bones!! We are already looking forward to next years big game. Cheers!

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Ribs

Posted on February 3, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-02-02_19-13-44_928Kristens parents flew back into town after 2 weeks in Cancun. they spent the night so we decided to make a batch of smoked baby back ribs. Nice thing about doing the ribs I was able to put them on the Traeger and while they were cooking Kris and I headed to the airport to pick them up. It was a nice evening, good food and the Cyclones on TV. With Iowa State winning it made the night even better!

2013-02-02_13-36-50_350For the Ribs – make the dry rub. Here is my rub:

1 T salt
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 t smoked paprika
2 T brown sugar2013-02-02_13-45-06_794Rub on ribs, cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for a couple hours. When ready to grill, start your grill and preheat to a temperature of 275 degrees. Total grill time about 4 hours.2013-02-02_17-57-19_743The last hour of cooking will involve wrapping the ribs in foil. Make a mixture of apple juice, melted butter, and brown sugar. Pour the mixture on the foil and top with rack of ribs, meat side down. Wrap tightly and put back on the grill.2013-02-02_17-56-34_709A side of beans is a must when have BBQ ribs. I use Bush’s best baked beans, add a little BBQ sauce and top with 3 strips bacon. Place on the grill, in a cast iron skillet, for the final hour of cooking. 2013-02-02_18-30-22_703While everything was cooking, Kris got us ready to eat with a great set up on the island. Now pull everything off the grill and enjoy!

Ribs –

2013-02-02_19-06-04_609Beans –2013-02-02_19-07-00_313

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Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Posted on February 1, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-01-31_18-14-41_149In order to make fries, you need to be able to slice the potatoes into the correct shape. This potato slicer is the perfect tool for that. There are 2 blades for different thickness to customize your fires. This it the best tool I have found for the job. Simply peel the potato, cut in half and run it through the slicer.2013-01-31_18-16-51_827Perfect cut every time. Thank you Aaron and Rindy for the handy tool. Now just place on a baking sheet, season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees, turning once, until fries are tender. Cook for about 40 minutes total.2013-01-31_18-22-29_953Serve with a burger and you have a simple, tasty dinner. Enjoy!2013-01-31_19-17-37_693

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Grilled Buffalo Wings

Posted on January 30, 2013 by bigm5853

2013-01-29_19-12-35_868I love a big pile of wings! Hot sauce, blue cheese, whats not to love? You can make them a bit healthier than the local bar by grilling them instead of fat frying. That is exactly what we did. Simple to prepare yet very tasty!

2013-01-29_16-41-00_908Rinse wings and dry with paper towels. Throw in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, a little smoked paprika and drizzle with olive oil.

2013-01-29_17-01-39_652Place on a preheated grill. I grill mine for 1 hour at 225 degrees, 45 minutes at 250 and finish for 10 minutes at 325 to get them nice and crispy. That is the great thing about the Traeger grill – you can control them temp with the turn of a knob but still get a great smoky flavor.

2013-01-29_19-11-02_553

When finished, toss in a large bowl add your favorite hot sauce (I use Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce) and enjoy!!

 

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Kitchen Island – Done!!

Posted on January 27, 2013 by bigm5853

Well we got the island done last night about 8:00 o’clock. Had to make one last run to Menards to get a few screws to finish the knobs. After a good cleaning, the kitchen is back to normal! Kris and I are really happy with the results, We might actually be able to cook again. Here are a few pics, showing the before and after from different angles.

Back before –2013-01-20_11-03-39_979After – 2013-01-27_12-38-10_356Front before – 2013-01-20_11-03-49_863After – 2013-01-27_12-04-05_460Here are some more pics of the finished product – 2013-01-27_12-37-34_1672013-01-27_12-27-01_7342013-01-27_12-05-36_8842013-01-27_12-05-58_6382013-01-27_12-04-37_580

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Kitchen Island Day 3

Posted on January 24, 2013 by bigm5853

Today we filled in the nail holes and seams with wood putty. That was more work then expected. Once the putty dries, a good sanding to smooth things out. I did learn that a little putty goes a long way! After the sanding a coat of primer went on.2013-01-23_15-33-40_735We were able to get the first coat of paint and we are looking good now! All that remains is another coat of paint and to finish the doors. Looks like we will definitely be done by Saturday. It will be nice to put everything away.2013-01-23_19-08-00_736

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