Salmon Success

Salmon Success

Oh my heck the other day I made some of the best tasting food that I've had in a long time!!!

Recently I've been watching the food channel again---oh my I love that channel, it inspires me to cook and bake with new and exciting ingredients, well new for me any way.

I didn't have any of the ingredients that the chefs were using on the food channel so I started to get out my recipe books. I have a lot--many with great pictures and excellent directions. My eye caught this recipe called Salmon patties with Hollandaise Sauce. Of course I changed it to my liking.

For the longest time I really haven't like Salmon until recently when I've learned how to cook it correctly--thank you my sweet friend Gudrun.

The recipe called for canned Salmon, but we didn't have any canned, because neither of us like it that way. What we did have was 2 frozen fillets. Salmon is just not that good frozen either, so I thought this might just be the perfect way to use the Salmon. I took the Salmon out and I boiled it so that it was cooked and than I added the ingredients to make the best patties that I have had in a long time.

The Salmon Patties had the texture and almost taste of a crab cake---oh my heck it was so delish!!!! The cakes were good by themselves, but when we added the hollandaise sauce---my goodness I thought I had died and gone to heaven--honestly

Salmon Patties
2 1/2 - 3c Salmon (if it's not already chopped, chop it for the recipe)
2 c Home made wheat bread crumbs (this is just bread toasted and ground up--nothing for)
1c home made corn muffin bread crumbs (I made corn muffins the other day that turned out a bit too dry so I just ground some up)
2/3c celery
1/2c onion
3-4 eggs (this is to make the mixture stick together to make a nice patties)

Combine all ingredients. Make into patties. Put patties on a hot pan that has oil and cook until both sides are nice and brown.

Hollandaise Sauce
1/2c butter
1 lemon
3 egg yolks

You will need to use a double boiler; I use a mixing bowl that fits well on top of a pan with boiling water.

Juice your lemon (some people like lesson than a whole lemon, but I love the lemon zing in my sauce, perfect for sea food!!!) Place you lemon juice and egg yolks in a bowl and mix.

Place bowl on the top of the double boiler and continually mix. Add 1/3 of the butter and allow to melt into sauce. After melted completely add 1/3 again. After all butter is added the sauce, the sauce should look creamy, if it doesn't allow the pan to get warmer and cont stir.

To Serve the Patties
Place a patty on either a toasted English muffin or on toasted bread. On top of the patty spoon a tablespoon of sauce on top---you will not regret this recipe!!!

Pictures of the finished product

Apple Pie Multi Grain Muffins

These muffins taste like apple pie—they are so yummy, especially if eaten right out of the oven. They’re a little crunchy due to the uncooked Multi Grain hot cereal, if you like it to be less crunchy you can make the muffin batter the night before and allow the mix to sit in the refrigerator over night to allow the grain to soak up some moisture—this will make the grains less crunchy—you may have to add a small amount of liquid the next day if the mixture is too thick.

Apple Pie Multi Grain Muffins

1/3 c Granola

1/3 c Red River Cereal (not cooked) (any Multi Grain hot cereal will do)

2 c Oatmeal (not cooked)

2 c Wheat Flour

1 ½ tsp Cinnamon (or more depending on your taste)

1 tsp salt

2 Tb Thrive Egg Powder + 2 Tb water (this can be substituted by using 2 eggs)

1Tb Coconut Oil

1/3 c Honey

1 Quart of Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings) 

1 ½ c Liquid from Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings) + ½ c (If there is not enough liquid from your Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings) use water---this may or may not be needed depending on elevation)

2 Tbls Baking Powder

Grease or line muffin pan and preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Drain 1 Quart of Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings)  making sure to put the liquid and apples on the side to be use later in the recipe

Mix 2Tb of Thrive Egg Powder and 2Tb water, this equals 2 raw eggs.

Leaving liquid from Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings), Baking Powder, and Apples to the side mix all remaining ingredients (including the eggs).

Add 1 ½ c of liquid from Apple Pie Filling (Pancake Toppings) to mixture. Add more liquid/water to the mixture if it is too thick.

Add Apples and Baking Powder to mixture and mix well. Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the baking powder to start to raise the mixture---this will allow the muffins to be nice and airy and moist.

Fill muffin cups with about ¼ c of mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Aunt Violets Cheesecake with a Twist and Dan's B-Day Request

When I think of cheesecake I usually think of New York Style with a light graham cracker crust

New York Style to me is thick, dry and rich

Aunt Violet was my Uncle Jerry's first wife and from what I understand from my gram, mom and uncle she was a fabulous cook, specially when it came to baked goods. I don't remember ever meeting her and I'm not sure if she is still alive---I've tried to get into contact with her with no success.

Aunt Violets cheesecake is not New York style, but more like a French style--smooth, creamy and extremely easy to make

My twist on Aunt Violets recipe is the crust---she says to use a gram cracker crust but instead I make a granola crust--oh yah--it turned out very good too

Making the crust---I'm not going to tell you how to make a crust but, just say to use a gram cracker crust recipe but instead of using gram crackers all ground up, use granola ground up

 Granola Crust ready to go

When I asked Dan what he wanted for his birthday---a cake, pie or cheese cake he said he wanted this

And here is the Birthday boy getting ready to eat he cheese cake---who says you can't have your cake and eat it too???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET HEART!!!