Lemon Zested Brussels Sprouts

With the summer months coming to an end I have to admit I have been enjoying patio season and not in the kitchen as much as normal, a good thing being outside but it does leave you a bit light in the pocket book. I have though been working on and have finally reached the point in sharing a brussels sprout side dish that I think many of you will enjoy. Brussels sprouts is definitely an acquired taste and I can admit until only this year I would not even give this vegetable a look at the grocery store but I could not ignore the health benefits any longer. The brussels sprout is loaded in vitamin K and C, it is also known to lower cholesterol. They should be on most peoples plates more often then they are, so I decided to try a few different ways to cook the sprouts but one thing I found out pretty quick is over cooking will result in a nasty sulfur smell, so make sure you keep an eye and nose when making them. Cutting the stem end helps them cook better and give them a few minutes to air out after doing this before you add them to a boiling pot. Once you have finished boiling the sprouts, pour out the water and run them under cold water. This will stop them from cooking. I choose to add them to a ziploc bag and poured the oil mixture over them shaking well and letting them sit for a few minutes. The lemon zest is the topping that will not only look great but adds that final touch that your palate thanks you for.
 
Inspired by Spark Recipes

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Lemon Zested Brussels Sprouts

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 20 minutes  Servings: 2

Ingredients

Spinach Prosciutto Quesadillas

 I decided to try some home made quesadillas, this is always a dish that I do enjoy when out with friends and just want a quick bite that is not all that filling. I though of what ingredients I wanted to use and a look through my fridge revealed that a trip to the grocers was in store for the near future but I did have lots of spinach and of course prosciutto, which is a dry cured ham that should always be thinly sliced. I grabbed some soft whole wheat tortilla shells and of course some shredded mozzarella cheese. When I started off this recipe I was thinking I would be pan grilling but then I figured I would add a twist and decided to pan fry them in a skillet with a bit of vegetable oil. The quesadillas should be cooked quickly once the oil is hot or you will burn them and they will become inedible. You can choose just about any other ingredients that you want to fill up the quesadilla, just remember to keep all the ingredients to one side so you can fold the tortilla shell. The quesadillas turned out terrific, you can have the as an appetizer or a light meal and if you don't want them too greasy use a paper towel to soak some of it up, for an extra kick at some hot sauce to the finish product..

Inspired by Dairy Goodness

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Spinach Prosciutto Quesadilla Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 2 minutes  Servings: 2 

Ingredients

Panko Crusted Salmon

I love to keep the fish rolling on my recipe blog and this time I have decided to give a panko mixture a try, I can't say often enough how I enjoy incorporating fish into my weekly meals. I mix and match spices to give my palate that taste that it enjoys when I am eating fish but you should feel free to add the spices that you enjoy to really make this salmon recipe yours. The one ingredient I always feel you can't go without when cooking fish is butter. I like to use the unsalted variety, so make sure you include it with your ingredients if you chose to go a little different on the spice selection. You can also use regular bread crumbs or kelloggs if you do not happen to have panko in your pantry. Fresh dill weed works best but if you do not have any dry works fine. A baking pan is what you need to use when you bake the salmon in the oven and if you don't happen to have one you can always use a baking dish, just remember to cover it up with tin foil, this will help the fish cook better. This recipe came out great and is so quick to make its a perfect weeknight meal that will not only impress you but any guests you may chose to feed.

Inspired by Family

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Panko Crusted Salmon Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 18 minutes  Servings: 4

Ingredients

Ground Turkey Burger with Sauteed Mushroom Mix

You can never go wrong with a cut of ground meat, its inexpensive and you can do so many things with it. I decided to grab some lean turkey meat at the grocers and take a stab at making some burgers from scratch. I enjoy a good bbq but unfortunately I don't have the luxury of it by living in a sky box, so I do the next best thing and that's bake the ground meat. The important thing to do when your baking is to make sure you place the meat on a wire rack so that the grease drips to the bottom of your baking pan and all your left with is the delicious turkey burger. I also though it would be great to go a different route then having a bun and made a delicious sauteed mushroom mix to base the burger. I always like to mix and match ingredients and you can omit any you don't like and add those that you do. When your done and ready to hoover your food feel free to add some sweet relish or even dijon mustard to the ground turkey and layer it as you see above it adds that much more to the meal.

Inspired by Food.com

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Ground Turkey Burger with Sauteed Mushroom Mix Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time 25 minutes  Servings: 4

Ingredients

Sirloin Steak Gourmet Sandwich

I love a good sirloin sandwich, they are very quick and easy to make but that doesn't mean you can't dress up your sandwich if you have the time to do. I don't always have the time to make what amounts to a more gourmet style steak sandwich but when I do it adds that much more to the taste and quality of what your eating and your taste buds will thank you for it. You have to start off with the proper bun, my first choice is a good whole wheat kaiser bun but a ciabatta bun would work well also. Then add your favourite slice of cheese, stay away from single slices, remember we are going gourmet style. A cut of top sirloin that you can cook on the grill or grill pan and if you have a food processor this will make the BBQ jalapeno sauce simpler. I also like to make a marinade for the sirloin and a separate bowl will be needed for this.
A best practice to remember is that the beef should be cooked to a medium doneness so that it breaks easily as you bite into the sandwich and cut the meat, well done meat just does not cut it, we are making a gourmet style sandwich not a rubber meat bun.

Inspired by Cuisine Tonight 

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Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 20 minutes  Servings: 2

Ingredients 

Maple Raisin Tart

 I decided that with Mother's Day on the horizon I would surprise my mother with a treat, so I decided to try something that my mom would enjoy and that's something sweet. I personally am not much of a sweet/dessert eater but I know many out there can be and in moderation I guess it can be okay. I have not made many desserts in the past and can say that the first time I tried this I learned that you should keep the pie shell in the foil while it cooks. The second time though was a charm and I even enjoyed a piece myself with the family who gave me rave reviews. I made sure to search all over the net trying to find something that my mom would enjoy and I substituted some of the ingredients for healthier choices like raisins. The pie shell that I chose was flaky as I feel a pie should be, the messier the better and to top it off once your ready to serve, add a scoop of your favourite ice cream or whip cream. I think all the mothers out there would appreciate an effort from their kids and hope all you moms enjoyed your special day.

Inspired by Checkout 51

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Maple Raisin Tart Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 55 minutes  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Sauteed Spicy Greens

Its been a while since I have added a side dish recipe to go along with some of the main entrees I have posted, I figured a side dish that is quick, easy and full of nutritional value that goes along with any entree from fish, to meat, to chicken would be ideal to add at this time. Green beans are one of my favourite vegetables, they are packed calcium and potassium and are a good source of vitamin A, C and K. When I was growing up my family always made sure that we had a side of something healthy even if it included things that I enjoyed eating. This green bean recipe is all about steaming and then a quick sautee. You will need a basket that fits a pot add a bit of water into the pot to start the steaming process of the greens, once they are tender to your liking, you can throw out the water and cook/sautee the greens in the same pot, this keeps things a little cleaner. I decided to use ingredients that my taste buds would enjoy but you may like to experiment as thats what cooking is all about.

Inspired by FoodNetwork

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Sauteed Spicy Greens Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes  Cook Time: 12 minutes  Serves: 2

Ingredients

Broiled Salmon with Lemon Garlic Rub

Well since I got such a great response with my last fish recipe I though I would share another, for those that have been following me now for a bit of time you all know that my family are big fans of fish and one of the better and tastier fishes is salmon. You can mix and match so many different ingredients and cooking styles when it comes to salmon that this fish is always such a good choice to eat. Salmon is right up there with my favourite fish to cook and of course eat. You can decide to use a baking dish or pan to broil the salmon, then load the salmon up with minced garlic and lemon rind. This will give it the taste that many of you will enjoy. A little seasoning and your done, it is such a quick and easy recipe that people will thing you actually spend quite a bit of time on it. Serve with lemon wedges or even orange wedges depending on which you may prefer.

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Broiled Salmon with Lemon Garlic Rub

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 7 minutes  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Blackened Sole Fish

As spring approaches and for those that may have over indulged during a harsh and cold winter, its a great time to bring a healthy dish of fish back into your menu. I had the luxury of having my family serve plenty of different kinds of fish when I was growing up, some weeks we would eat more fish then any type of meat and it was always seasoned to perfection accompanied by a special side of vegetables. I inherited this trait as I have gotten older except that I chose to always make sure that I bake or broil the fish over any type of pan frying. You can use a baking dish or baking sheet to cook the fish and make sure you select a type of white fish. I've gone with sole as this is one of my favourite types of white fish. The spices make a great combination of taste and flavour, I recommend using some all purpose seasoning but it could have a bit of a kick for some.

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Blackened Sole Fish Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 5 minutes  Servings: 4

Ingredients