Apple Crisp

Jan 9, 2012 by lovelypantry

For those that don’t know me, I have a deep love for my family. I suppose it only gets magnified knowing that I’m so far away from them. But it warms my heart whenever we do get a chance to talk and catch up with each other. I’m always so happy to help with any recipes or techniques should they inquire. Recently, my cousin called me with a question that was so simple, but somehow I didn’t have an answer for her. She had an apple and wanted to know if I had any recipes for a single apple. I looked for recipes for a while just to satisfy that desire to have a recipe for a single apple 🙂 Although I did not find exactly what I was looking for, I played around with the basic concept of apple crisp and came up with my own version. I did it quite a few times until my husband and I agreed that we had arrived at something special. So thanks to Kim, I’m able to share this recipe today.

I wanted to keep the ingredients as simple as possible and good for you too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon look so beautiful together…

 

 

 

 

The result is a very clean and lean Apple Crisp that I’ve enjoyed many times. Thanks, Kim!

 

 

 

 

Have a great week everyone!

~Lyn

 

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Steamed Salmon with Lemon and Thyme

Oct 24, 2011 by lovelypantry

I will forever consider myself to be a lifelong learner. If I’m not learning new things, I’m not growing. Ever since I discovered my love for cooking and healthy eating, my desire to learn new recipes, foods, and techniques has grown tremendously.

I am very fond of Salmon and  I’ve prepared it in various ways, but how long before I’ve exhausted all the methods that I know? Steaming fish seems simple enough if you have a steamer of some kind. But what if you don’t? How can Salmon be steamed with just a few items that you already have in your kitchen? I recently learned of a very simple technique where I enjoyed the entire process in its simplicity.

Salmon really is a beautiful fish.

 

 

The original recipe called for fresh Dill which I did not have at hand (surprise, surprise). Instead, I used some Thyme that I had drying which did the trick perfectly.

 

Ingredients:

2 Salmon Fillets

1 Lemon, thinly sliced

Few Sprigs Thyme

1 Red (Or green, or yellow…) Sweet Pepper, thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper

1 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning

 

Preparation:

1 Large Skillet

1 Plate that fits into the skillet leaving some space around the diameter (an inch is good)

Aluminium foil rolled and formed into a ring

Water

 

Place foil ring into the skillet with some water. The foil itself should not be submerged at all. Place the plate on top of the foil, pressing down gently, ensuring stability.

 

 

Line the plate with a few slices of lemon. I used 2 rows with 3 slices in each. Add the Salmon on top of the lemon. Add the thyme (or fresh herb of your choice) between the fillets. Season the salmon with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasoning. Go light. Salmon does not need to be over-seasoned.

Place a few slices of sweet pepper on top of the salmon so that they overlap.

 

 

Did I mention that Salmon is a beautiful fish?

 

 

Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. This should take about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the salmon is cooked though. This should take about 15 minutes more.

 

 

The salmon is cooked when it is no longer pink and flakes easily with a fork. The smell is wonderful. You probably won’t be able to wait too long before you have this. I suggest you have your plate ready!

 

 

I served the salmon with some string beans. I enjoyed it. I know that you will too. You can use this technique with any fish, and try using different seasoning. Cooking is a journey in experiments. Give this a try!

 

 

I’d like to thank Everyday Food for sharing this technique and allowing me to share it with my readers.

 

Until next time, take care of you.

 

~Lyn

 

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Herbed Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

May 23, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I got this recipe from the back of the Chicken Broth carton. Recipes are just everywhere!

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup uncooked dry broad Egg Noodles

3 (approx 3/4lb) Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 Box (900ml) Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 1/2 Cup sliced celery

1 1/2 Cup half-moon sliced carrots

2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Salt & Pepper to season the chicken before cooking.

 

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package directions – al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat large heavy-bottomed soup pot, lightly coated with cooking spray, at medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken. Add broth, celery and carrots. Heat to a boil. Cut or tear chicken into chunks.

Stir in the chicken, noodles, lemon juice, garlic and oregano leaves. Reduce heat to low.

Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley (and pepper, if desired) and serve.

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Chicken Meatballs & Spinach Pesto Linguine

May 22, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I love a good meatball. I found a recipe by Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real) and gave it a try. WIN!

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean ground chicken

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Egg, whisked

3 Tblsp unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp Hungarian or Hot Paprika

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Chopped fresh oregano leaves, about 1 small sprig

1 Tblsp chopped fresh Thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

1 Lemon, zested

1 Tblsp Unsalted Butter

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix the chicken, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, onion powder, oregano, thyme, brown sugar, lemon zest, 2 pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Form into mini-meatballs, slightly smaller that a golf ball. It should make 28-30 meatballs. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper.

Warm the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Transfer the meatballs to the pan and do not disturb for 3 minutes in order to brown well. Turn, cooking another 3 minutes without disturbing. Keep cooking until browned and cooked on all sides, but still juicy and plump with a spring to the touch. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Serve atop Spinach Pesto Linguine, if desired.

 

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Herbed Salmon, Sweet Potato & Asparagus

May 14, 2011 by lovelypantry

I was glad to try this recipe since at the time, salmon was still fairly new to me. The thought of breading a salmon fillet excited me  –  perhaps because I don’t see many recipes like this. I was pleasantly surprised about how this salmon came out. I’d make it again and again. Its perfect for entertaining. People will admire the attractiveness and simplicity. The awesome thing is that I had excess of the combined herbs. I had separated the mixture into 2 portions and stored the unused portion in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2 Tblsp Fresh Thyme, Chopped

3 Tblsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

1/4 Tsp Salt

3 Tblsp Butter, Melted, Divided

1/2 Salmon Fillet (4 Slices)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F Degrees.

In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, thyme, lemon zest and salt. Combine well. Add 2 Tblsp butter and toss lightly to coat. Set aside.

Pat salmon dry. Place skin side down (you can get slices with the skin already removed) in a greased baking dish. Brush with remaining butter. Cover with crumb mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with mashed sweet potato and steamed asparagus. Enjoy.

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