BAKED SALMON with Blueberry Salsa & SALMON SPREAD

BAKED SALMON with BLUEBERRY SALSA
served with MOROCCAN RICE
and SALMON SPREAD from the Leftover Salmon!

INGREDIENTS
2 Fresh Salmon Fillets
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon of Grated Fresh Ginger
1/2 C. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Bunch of Chopped Cilantro
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a zip-lock bag, shake well to combine the ingredients
Add your salmon fillets and allow this to marinate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on how you like your salmon).

Top with Blueberry Salsa and serve with Moroccan Rice!

Are those Aliens on my plate?? Yes, they are!! I know it's a busy plate design but these just cracked me up so I bought some.  Then I did an Outer Space Tablescape:

ET did not phone home, he ate and it turned on his heart light......Bwaha!

How to turn this recipe into a Tiny Food?

SMOKED SALMON SPREAD 

from the leftovers salmon!:

INGREDIENTS

6 Oz. Baked or Smoked Salmon*
1 - 8 Oz. Container of Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1 Tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp. Lemon Zest
2 Tsp. Dill Weed
Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Sweet Basil
1/2 Tsp. Prepared Horseradish
Smoked Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix this all together in a small bowl, chill for a few hours to allow the flavors to mingle then enjoy on toasted baguette slices, crackers, toasted flour tortilla triangles or as a dipping sauce for veggies!

*Since I didn't have smoked salmon I added a nice pinch of Smoked Alderwood Sea Salt!

And did I say paired with a Dill Pickle Vodka Shot???? YES! I did!! Naked Jay Vodka makes a truly wonderful dill pickle infused vodka that rocks the casbah with this Smoked Salmon Spread!!

BTW, Here's yet ANOTHER great, easy recipe for leftover salmon:
BAKED SALMON CUPCAKES

Bon Appetweeto!

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BLUEBERRY SALSA, BLUEBERRY NACHOS & BLUEBERRY BOOZE!

FRESH BLUEBERRY SALSA

1/2 C. Fresh, Whole Blueberries
1 C. Fresh Blueberries, Chopped
1/3 C. Chopped Red Onion
1/3 C. Chopped Green* & Yellow Bell Pepper
1/4 C. Cilantro Leaves
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
Sea Salt to Taste
*You may substitute or add Chopped Jalapenos!

Mix this all together and allow to chill for a few hours before serving.

I made this Blueberry Salsa to go with Baked Salmon (recipe for the will be posted tomorrow) and served it with a side of my Moroccan Rice. It was really delicious and full of antioxidants and omega fatty acids, all of which are good for the heart!  And I had extra salsa left over so....

How did I use this Blueberry Salsa in a Tiny Food?

BLUEBERRY NACHOS!

Recipe:

1-8" Flour Tortilla, cut into triangles
My Blueberry Salsa
Fresh Mint Leaves
1/3 C. Mascarpone Cheese
1/3 Tsp. Lemon Zest
1 Tablespoon of Honey

• Cut your tortilla triangles and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until the edges are golden brown, about 5 - 8 minutes.
• Mix together the Mascarpone, lemon zest and honey.
• Add a few leaves of chopped, fresh mint leaves to the Blueberry Salsa.
• When the tortilla triangles are cooled spread an even layer of the Marscarpone cheese mixture on each.
• Spoon on a healthy measure of the mint enhanced Blueberry Salsa.
• Drizzle with a little more honey.
• Garnish with a small sprig of fresh mint.

The Blueberry Nachos would go great with my newly moonshined Blueberry Liqueur (see below) or either of these Blueberry Martinis:

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE MARTINI

BLUEBERRY PIE MARTINI

What else did I do with these beautiful blueberries?

I TURNED THEM INTO BOOZE!

I infused them into some Blueberry Vodka & Blueberry Liqueur!

I have done justice to blueberries!

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MOROCCAN RICE - Internationalize Your Side Dish!

  MOROCCAN RICE (Spice up your side dish with some international flair!)
I love rice but I do get a little tired of plain old white rice no matter what variety.  Lately I've been experimenting with new rice recipes as side dishes for my meals.  In the past few months I've diddled around with Fiesta Rice to go with some Tortilla Encrusted Tilapia, Confetti Rice to go with some Curried Coconut Orange Catfish and a few others. I like adding complementary flavors to rice to go with the main entree.

I also like add-ins like dried fruits, nuts, herbs, spices and replacing the water with flavored liquids like stocks, coconut milk or water, juices and even a dash of wine or champagne.
When I got some lovely Wild Salmon and some gorgeous, fresh blueberries on my last shopping expedition I immediately went to work on a new dish.  The result was my Baked Salmon with Blueberry Salsa and I quickly whipped up the rice below to go with it!
(Pssst - I'll be posting the Blueberry Salsa recipe tomorrow and the Baked Salmon recipe on Friday, so come back for the whole entree!)   INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 Cups of Chicken Stock (or Water) 1 Cup of Jasmine Rice 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil 1/3 C. of Shelled Pistachios 1/3 C. of Diced Red Onions 1 Tsp. Lemon Zest 1/2 C. of Raisins 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon 1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg 1/4 Tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger
DIRECTIONS

• Measure out your stock or water and add the spices and the lemon zest, put aside.
• Heat the olive oil on medium in a saucepan.
• Add the red onions and sweat for 3 or 4 minutes - you want the onions slightly translucent.
• Add the pistachios and saute on medium-high until lightly browned.
• Add your rice and toast for a minute or two.
• Add your spice-lemon-stock/water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes* (or cook according to directions on package).
• Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• Fluff and serve.

*My rice only took 15 minutes and the package directions said 20 so keep an eye on your rice!

  How did I turn this Moroccan Rice into a Tiny Food??  I made Moroccan Rice Balls!!!

I didn't have a recipe so I Googled a few and came across this hilarious and adorable video of Fabio Viviana (@fabioviviani) making rice balls out of overcooked risotto. This wasn't exactly how I did mine since I wasn't using risotto, but I laughed and enjoyed the video so thought you might also.

Here's a basic formula for making Rice Balls (aka Arancini) with leftover rice: BTW - Arancini translates roughly to "little orange" in Italian and they do look a bit like that!

1 Cup of Rice
1 Egg
Seasonings, Spices & Add-Ins
(My Moroccan Rice already had them!)
Roll about 1 tablespoon of this mixture in your hands into a ball.
Optional - roll the ball into some bread crumbs or Panko.
Bake 20 - 30 minutes at 425 degrees F - time depends on size of balls - until GBD (Golden Brown & Delicious)
Serve with a complementary sauce!   Yes, I did serve martinis with the Moroccan Rice Balls - these just screamed Pina Colada Martinis to me! Enjoy and please share the recipes!     Tweet
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PICO DE GALLO with Four Cheese Quesidillas - GAME ON!

  FRESH PICO DE GALLO Served with Four Cheese Quesadillas   When it comes to salsas I am all for fresh.  I don't like bottled or canned versions much at all and I will opt for homemade Pico de Gallo the minute I have some fresh tomatoes and cilantro in the house.  I can make a meal out of fresh Pico de Gallo and some cheese and tortillas which is exactly what I did here and what I plan to do for Superbowl Sunday!
Both my recipes are simple and require only a little time and effort, something that is dear to my heart as I am basically lazy!  When I do have some time off I don't like to spend it slaving away in the kitchen!   Both these recipes will serve between 4 and 5 people:
PICO DE GALLO 5 Beefsteak or Roma Tomatoes, Diced to 1/2" 1 Red Onion, Diced to 1/4" 1 Cucumber, Seeded and Diced to 1/4" 1/2 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped Medium 3 Cloves of Garlic, Crushed 1 Can of Diced Chili Peppers* Juice of 1 Lime Salt & Pepper to Taste Few Sprigs of Cilantro for Garnish
Mix this all up in a bowl and chill until game time!  

    FOUR CHEESE QUESADILLAS 1 Pkg. (8) Large Flour Tortillas 2 Oz. Each of Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar, Queso Blanco and Asadero Cheeses (Sargento makes a nice mix very similar to this called 4 Cheese Mexican!)   My Favorite Optional Add Ins: Chipotle Chilies (you can find these packed in Adobo Sauce) Chorizo, Cooked & Crumbled Grilled or Roasted Chicken, Shredded   Special Tools: Large Skillet or Grill Pan
Place 4 of the tortillas down and sprinkle them liberally with the cheeses and whatever optional fillings you like. Top each of these off with another tortilla then stack in layers of paper towels and cover with a wax paper lined damp tea towel until ready to grill and serve.   When you're ready to serve place your quesadillas onto your skillet or grill and toast until the tortilla is lightly browned and the cheese is melted. (If you want to cheat or like a lighter char on your tortillas, you can microwave them first to get the cheese slightly melted.)  Remove from the heat, cut into 6 to 8 wedges each, add a little extra cheese to the top, serve with a nice helping of the Pico de Gallo and garnish with a cilantro sprig!   I like to add some Guacamole if I have the avocados and I set out bottles of all sorts of hot sauces for those who like a little extra heat.
Serve these up with my GAZPACHO MARTINIS or some of my BEER MARGARITAS and put your game face on for Superbowl Sunday!   Tweet
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ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

  Many moons ago, when I was still a poor drone in Corporate America in Far Away Silicon Valley, my co-workers and I would often hop over to the Tau Tau Restaurant in Sunnyvale for lunch.  They had two dishes there we always ordered, The Tossed Shredded Chicken Salad and the Tau Tau Beef.   To this day I still remember those dishes and crave them from time to time. Since I happened to have a bunch of cilantro and some cooked chicken in my fridge I decided to try to make my own version of the chicken salad. I have to say it turned out pretty good but not quite the same as Tao Tao's recipe.  Still I enjoyed the whole plate and had another serving for dinner!    I didn't have any fried rice noodles so I just quick fried some Basmati rice which I also had already cooked in the fridge and I plated the salad over the rice.  I tossed the dressing together with the ingredients I suspected were in the original though I didn't have the ratios.  Here's my recipe:
ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD inspired by the Shredded Chicken Salad from Tau Tau Restaurant
Dressing
1/4 C. Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Honey
1/8 - 1/4 Tsp. Powdered Ginger
1 Tsp. Trader Joe's 21 Salute Seasoning
2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tsp. Peanut or Sesame Oil (The Sesame adds nice flavor!) 1 C. Chopped Cilantro
1/2 C. Toasted Black Sesame Seeds

Chicken
2 Cooked Chicken Breasts, Cubed
1/2 Lemon
1/2" Piece of Fresh Ginger
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt

Garnish and Presentation
Your Favorite Type of Crispy Asian Noodles (Mine are Fried Rice Noodles)
Bag of Cole Slaw Mix

Crush the ginger and the garlic cloves and toss into your pot filled with enough water to cover the chicken breasts.  Zest the lemon and reserve zest for salad later, squeeze the juice of the lemon into the water, then toss the lemon rind in as well.  Poach your chicken until tender by bringing to boil, then cooking over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, let the chicken stand in the water until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Take chicken out of water and put in a covered container and allow to cool until ready to make the salad.

Warm together the lime juice, sugar and honey for a few seconds to thin the honey for blending, put this in a large mixing bowl. Add the powdered ginger, the TJ's 21 Salute Seasoning, the soy sauce and the oil and whip until well blended.  Add chicken, stir until well coated, toss in the coleslaw mix and the chopped cilantro. Serve on a bed of the crispy noodles, sprinkle on a handful of the toasted sesame seeds and serve. This would go really nicely with my Cilantro Martini.
HOW TO TURN THIS INTO A "TINY FOOD" Deep fry some wonton wrappers then spoon a bit of the salad on top & garnish with the Rice Noodles. Enjoy & let me know if you try this recipe! Tweet
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TORTILLA ENCRUSTED TILAPIA with FIESTA RICE

How About This for Your Sunday Supper?

TORTILLA ENCRUSTED TILAPIA

with FIESTA RICE & CHIPOTLE TARTER SAUCE

This Tortilla Encrusted Fish recipe makes your Tilapia fillet crunchy on the outside, tender & flaky on the inside and puts a nice little zing on your tongue from the spices in the crust!  The Fiesta Rice is a perfect side and I served them both up with a Chipotle Tarter Sauce!

Here's how I did it:

THE TORTILLA ENCRUSTED TILAPIA

4 Tilapia Fillets, washed and dried

1/3 Bag of Tortilla Chips (I used White Corn)

2 Lg. Eggs

Juice of One Lime

2 Tsp. Cumin Powder

2 Tsp. Chili Powder

2 Tsp. Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Tsp. Marjoram

1/2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika

2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

1 Tsp. Black Pepper

4 Tbsp. Flour

Parchment Paper

Aluminum Cooking Sheet

3 Dishes, all slightly larger than the fillets

Food Processor

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Crunch up about 1/3 of a bag of tortilla chips and toss these into your food processor.  Add in 2 Teaspoons of Cumin, Chili Powder and Onion Powder, 1 Teaspoon of Cayenne, 1/2 Teaspoon of Marjoram and Smoked Paprika, 2 Teaspoons of Kosher Salt and 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper, then give this a few pulses until you get it roughly ground. You want it small enough to stick to your fish but not so small as a powder.
3. In one of the dishes mix together the lime juice and the eggs. In another add the flour and in the last pour in your spicy tortilla crumbs.
4. Set up your coating station: Flour, then egg mixture, then crumb mixture last.  Dip each fillet in the flour to coat completely then tap off all the excess. Dip next in the egg mixture and then last into the crumbs and set each fillet on a parchment lined cooking sheet.  Let these rest for about 10 minutes so the coating adheres to the fillets.
5. Bake for 15 minutes in your pre-heated oven.

 FIESTA RICE

2 Cups Low Salt, Fat Free Chicken Broth

1 Cup Basmati Rice

1/4 Each Red Bell Pepper, Orange Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Diced Medium

1 Can of Diced Green Chilis

1/2 Red Onion, Diced

1 Tsp. Crushed Garlic

1/2 Tsp. Cumin and Chili Powder
Zest of One Orange

1 Cup Frozen Corn, Thawed*

1 Cup Diced Tomatoes*
1 - 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Drained*

3 Lg. Sprigs of Fresh Chopped Cilantro,

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Lidded, Medium Sauce Pan

1.  Add your olive oil to your sauce pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add in your bell peppers and onion and saute until slightly caramelized.
2. Add in your diced green chilis, the crushed garlic and your rice and saute for a minute.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, orange zest, diced tomatoes and rice, bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook for ten minutes or until the rice is tender.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the corn and the black beans.
6. Cover and let this stand for 10 minutes.
7. Just before serving sprinkle in the chopped cilantro.

*I choose not to add the tomatoes, black beans and corn this particular evening as I wanted a lighter rice side dish - plus I'd used up my last can of diced tomatoes the night before, lol. 

CHIPOTLE TARTAR SAUCE

1 Cup of Mayonnaise

1/2 Cup of Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce

2 Tbsp. Sweet Pickle Relish

Blend all the ingredients together until mixed. Keep chilled until serving.

GARNISH

Several sprigs of Chives

ORDER OF STEPS

1. I made Blood Orange Margaritas for everyone. What? I'm also The Martini Diva, you think I wouldn't serve a cocktail???
2. I pre-heated my oven.
3. I set up my coating station and baking sheet and got my fish ready.
4. I chopped all the veggies for the rice and got them sautéing. 
5. I coated all my fish fillets and set them on the parchment lined cooking sheet to rest.
6. I added the rice and chicken broth to the rice pot and brought that to a boil then reduced to simmer. (You would also add the tomatoes here but remember I didn't have any.....)
7. I made more Blood Orange Margaritas.
8. Five minutes into the rice cooking I put the fish in the oven to bake.
9. I made the Chipotle Tarter Sauce and chilled it in the fridge.
10. I took the rice off the heat - this is where you would add the corn and the black beans (but I didn't because I just wanted a savory rice.....)
11. I plated and garnished.
12. I served. We ate.
13. I made Spiced Chocolate Martinis for dessert.
14. We drank them.

¡Buen apetito!

(& Salud!)

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CHOCOLATE CAKE TRUFFLES - CAKE POPS RECIPE

  CHOCOLATE CAKE TRUFFLES   These little gems are REALLY easy and are very popular as a pot luck selection.  You can freeze a few for yourself too!     You can also poke a lollipop stick into these (dip the stick in frosting first) and make cake pops. Then get some little cellophane bags & some pretty ribbon and tie up the bag!
Here's the instructions:   INGREDIENTS 1 Box of Chocolate (or whatever flavor you want) Cake Mix 1 Can of Chocolate (or whatever flavor) Butter Cream Frosting 1 Package of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1 Package of White Chocolate Chips Crushed Nuts, Crushed Candies, Sprinkles, Cocoa Powder Etc. 1/4 C +/- Chocolate Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Etc   DIRECTIONS

1. Bake your cake as instructed on the box and allow this to cool completely.
2. If you're adding a liqueur drizzle this over the cooled cake and allow to soak in for half an hour. (Drop the amount of frosting down to one tablespoon if adding liquor or leave out entirely!)
3. Once the cake is cooled, crumble it up loosely, stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter cream frosting and mix together until the mixture forms a nice ball in your hand.  Don't squish the ball too hard, just roll it until it holds the form.
4. If you're making cake POPS instead of truffles it's at this point that you will dip your lollipop stick in some frosting then poke into the ball halfway.
5. Place the balls individually on a sheet pan and place them all in the freezer for an hour.
6. Melt your semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave or double boiler until completely melted, smooth & creamy.
7. Dip each cake ball completely into the melted chocolate. For the cake truffles I used 2 forks and let them drip through until the dripping stopped. For cake pops just tap the stick on the side of the bowl until the dripping stops.
8. If you plan to dip your truffle/pop into nuts or candies, do so now. 
9. Set these on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the fridge so the chocolate will set up quickly.
10. Once the chocolate coating has set you can then melt the white chocolate, put this into a small baggie, clip off a small point on one corner & drizzle over the pops/truffles.
11. When this final drizzle has set up you can bag your cake pops or place your cake truffles into small candy papers.

You can make the cake and the frosting from scratch if you like, though that makes this a less easy/quick recipe.  I used a German Chocolate Cake Mix, Kahlua, Chambord and Milk Chocolate Frosting but imagine the possibilities of using different cake + frosting + liqueur recipes, adding some food coloring to the white chocolate or white frosting and having some fun!    These also make great hostess gifts to take to parties!
Enjoy!   Tweet
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