Oven Roasted Salmon with Butter and Lemon

Today's recipe is another salmon one I found on the internet. It was quick, easy and delicious! I really liked the lemon flavor, and the salmon was super moist.  (Recipe adapted from here)

Ingredients

• Two lemons, cut into thin slices
• 2 tbsp of butter, cut into thin slices
• 1-1.5 lbs of salmon (skinless and boneless)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Unroll about 2ft of aluminum foil, and lay on an ovenproof baking dish
• Cut lemon into thin slices and make a bed for the salmon to lay on in the  middle of the aluminum foil
• Place butter slices over the top of the salmon
• Fold edges of the aluminum foil up and over the salmon to form a little foil packet
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until salmon is opaque in the middle. 

Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad with Chicken and Nuts

This recipe from PinnchofYum is sooooo good! I honestly made it twice in a row the week I discovered it. I've made a few adaptations along the way that I think make it even better, but the recipe is quite fantastic in its original form. It makes for great leftovers, and I honestly can't decide whether I like it better warm or cold.  (Adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
• 4 cups sliced brussels sprouts (for me it was about 20. I highly recommend using a mandoline/microplane for this!)
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
  
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• juice of 1 orange (I sometimes use 1 tablespoon of frozen orange juice concentrate for an even zestier dressing)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• For the salad:Shred the chicken and brussels sprouts. In a food processor, pulse the nuts a few times until chopped.Note: Shredding the chicken in the food processor is a quick and easy way to get it done.
• For the dressing: In the small skillet, saute the butter, onion and garlic over medium high heat until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to a food processor. Add the orange juice, honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Puree until smooth and creamy. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the Brussels sprouts in the empty sauteed onion pan and place over high heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes until you can smell them and they turn bright green. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, toss the the Brussels sprouts, walnuts, dried cranberries, chicken, and Parmesan.
• Toss the dressing and salad together. Serve warm or cold.

 (Photo from PinchOfYum)

Baked Turkey Meatballs

I never used to be a meatball kinda person, but these have changed my mind. They take a little bit of work to prep but they are sooo worth it in the end. They taste FANTASTIC and are a great way to spice up the boring old spaghetti routine. JoyTheBaker never lets me down! For a gluten free version, I'm thinking about substituting rice or quinoa for the bread chunks.  (Adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 3 slices italian or whole wheat bread, torn into medium chunks (substitute 2 cups cooked rice or quinoa for a gluten free version)
• 1/3 cups milk (any % works, I've even used lactose free)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 - 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
• 3 to 4 cups tomato-based pasta sauce (I like Prego best)

Directions

• Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, pour the milk over the bread crumbs.  Allow to soak for 5 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook until softened and browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Place the ground turkey in a large bowl.  Squeeze any excess milk from the bread.  Add the bread to the turkey and discard the milk.  Add the cooked onions and garlic.  Add the eggs, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, cheese, tomato paste, and parsley.  Use a wooden spoon to work all of the ingredients together.  You may need to get in there with your hands to thoroughly and evenly combine all of the ingredients.
• In two 9×13-inch pans, spread about 2 cup of sauce (1 cup in each pan).  Shape together 24 meatballs.  Each meatball will be about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture.  Use your hands to best shape the meatballs.  Rinse your hands in warm water every few meatballs to keep your hands from getting too sticky.  I found that having slightly damp hands helps tremendously in shaping the balls. Top each meatball with a small spoonful of sauce.
• Bake meatballs for 25 minutes, or until bubbling and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and serve with pasta, or just with sauce and a hearty green salad.  Meatballs will last up to 4 days well wrapped in the refrigerator. 

Test Kitchen - Earl Grey and Vanilla Chai Cupcakes (Gluten Free!)

These cupcakes were delicious!!!! If I hadn't made them myself I would never have believed they were gluten free. Plus, they were insanely easy to whip up. I didn't even bother to frost them they were that good! I'm sure they would be just as good with all Earl Grey or all Chai tea, but I happen to like the combination of the two so that's what  I went with.

Earl Grey and Vanilla Chai Cupcakes (Gluten Free)
This recipe makes 12 regular sized cupcakes. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hot milk (I used 1% lactose free milk)
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags
• 2 Vanilla Chai tea bags
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon xantham gum
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 egg whites, 1 yolk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• Heat milk and add tea bags (I microwaved it for 1 minute). Let steep while preparing rest of the ingredients. 
• Whisk all the dry ingredients together. 
• Add liquids and stir till mixed. 
• Scoop into greased or lined muffin tin.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and no longer jiggly.

Test Kitchen - Soy Marinated Flank Steak

Today's recipe was really easy to make gluten free, all it took was swapping out the soy sauce for tamari (gluten free soy sauce).  The flavor was really good, almost beef jerky-like, and I broiled it instead of grilling it. I served it with white rice and roasted corn. Delish!

Soy Marinated Flank Steak 
(adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 1 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 flank steak (about 1-2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions 

• In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, red-pepper flakes, and pepper. Place steak in dish and cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Swirl dish so that marinade coats the top of steak. Refrigerate 1 hour - overnight, turning steak occasionally. 
• Turn on broiler. Pour excess marinade into a saucepan. Then place steak 2-3 inches away from heat. Broil for 10-15 minutes, turning steak halfway through.
• Meanwhile, simmer excess marinade over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. 
• Let meat rest 5 minutes, then cut across the grain at a slight diagonal to serve. 

Test Kitchen - Steak Fajitas with Fresh Lime

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit a long time ago and completely forgot I had it. It was pretty easy to make gluten free and FODMAP friendly, while still keeping all of the flavor. I substituted corn tortillas for regular tortillas and omitted the guacamole and salsa for myself (I still made some for my sister). I also went ahead and made the onions so that she could have them and even though I didn't eat any myself, word on the streets is, they were delicious. I chose to broil my meat, but I'm sure it would be just as tasty grilled or done in a pan the way the original recipe suggests.

Steak Fajitas with Fresh Lime
(adapted from here)

Ingredients

• 1 flank steak, halved
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 4 limes for me)
• 1 large onion, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed (or garlic salt if FODMAP friendly)
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Corn or Flour tortillas
• Optional Toppings:
• Lettuce
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
• Mexican Cheese Blend
• White rice

Directions 

• Arrange steaks in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish; sprinkle with salt (or garlic salt, if using) and pepper. Combine lime juice, onions, garlic (if using), sriracha and olive oil in medium bowl. Pour mixture over steaks; turn to coat evenly. Let marinate 10 minutes - over night.
• When ready, place steaks and onion mixture into an oven proof baking dish ~2-3 inches away from the heat source. Broil for 12-18 minutes for medium/medium rare.   Cook steaks 1 minute per side. Add tomatoes and basil. Continue cooking steaks to desired doneness. 
• Transfer steaks to work surface and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain at a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Transfer steak to bowl a cover with a dash more lime juice. Serve with tortillas and toppings of your choice.

Test Kitchen - BBQ Pizza with Greek Yogurt Dough

This post is a two parter. The first recipe is for the BBQ Pizza I made using the leftover pulled pork from this post, and the second recipe is for the Greek Yogurt dough I always use when I make homemade pizzas. Now that I'm trying to be gluten free, I'll have to fiddle with this recipe and see if I can come up with a better GF version. I'll admit that this dough (as is) doesn't taste exactly like regular pizza dough, it definitely has a slight tang from the yogurt, but my sister and I still think its a delicious, healthier, substitution. I will also admit that it can be a little tricky to get the bottom of this dough crispy; sometimes it has a slightly undercooked doughy texture in the very middle. But I think this is mostly due to me putting excess toppings on my pizzas. I can't help it, it's all so good! So my recommendation for these pizzas would be less is more when it comes to toppings. And I think BBQ chicken would work just as well on these pizzas.


BBQ Pizza with Greek Yogurt Dough

Ingredients

• BBQ Pulled Pork (or BBQ Chicken)
• BBQ Sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Red Onion
• Cilantro
• Pizza Dough (enough for 1 medium sized pizza)
• 1 Cup Greek Yogurt (the strained kind like Fage or Chobani, NOT Yoplait!)
• 1 Cup Self-Rising Flour (or 1 Cup AP flour + 1 1/4 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• If making the greek yogurt dough, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. At first it will seem like a gooey mess that will never possibly turn into pizza dough, but keep mixing. It will! It should take about 5-7 minutes of kneading to get there. If after that time its still gooey, sprinkle on a bit more flour.
• Roll dough flat (~1/4 in thick) and drizzle both sides with olive oil.
• Cover dough with a thin layer of BBQ sauce, then evenly distribute the pulled pork or chicken. Sprinkle on a thin layer of mozzarella, and garnish with sliced red onion and cilantro.
• Remember: A little bit of topping goes a long way, so don't over do it
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. I like to broil my pizzas for the last few minutes to get the cheese nice and golden brown.