Pesto Crusted Salmon

Most nights I don't want to be in the kitchen for longer than 30 minutes. This meal is delicious and quick. This recipe came from the website of our local grocery store, Coles.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/3 cup olive oil
4 salmon fillets
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. To make the pesto, pulse garlic, toasted pine nuts, and basil in a food processor until finely chopped. Add parmesan and mix well. With the food processor engine running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Place salmon fillets onto an oiled baking tray, season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto over the top of each fillet and sprinkle a light layer of breadcrumbs over the pesto. Bake the salmon for 12 minutes or longer depending on the thickness of fillet; it's done when the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with a salad and enjoy this quick dinner!

E: 10
A: 8 - fresh salmon from the grocery store
T: 10
HH: 10

Blueberry Scones

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee is a year long event, but the main celebration was this past weekend. When I think about British culture, high tea and scones immediately come to mind. I made some blueberry scones in honor of you, Queen Elizabeth.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, grated

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

1 1/2 cups blueberries, frozen

raw sugar for sprinkling the tops

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed. Combine the egg and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy.  Add the blueberries to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick.

Shape the dough into a square. Cut the square into quarters then cut again into eighths, diagonally, making triangles. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. 

Recipe adapted from:  La Petite Brioche

E: 8 - My mixer is on the other side of the world

A: 9

T: 9

HH: 10 - scone + cup of coffee = happy husband's brekkie

Melbourne

Eliott and I have officially been living in Sydney for 1 year! Crazy. Year 2 will be dedicated to exploring more of Australia, so we spent a long weekend in Melbourne. This city is wonderful with its food, entertainment, and short flight from Sydney.

Since this blog is dedicated to food, I'll post about our brunches we thoroughly enjoyed. Eliott used Urbanspoon to find a brunch location for us each morning. Our two favorites were Hardware Societe and Seven Seeds. I wish I could eat at these cafes over and over and over again.

Hardware Societe gave me the opportunity to try French cuisine and I ordered the Croque madame. Yum.

At Seven Seeds, I satisfied my sweet tooth with Brioche french toast with spiced baked pears, mascarpone and toasted pecans. Eliott had a fried egg with smoky berkshire bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes and tomato relish on a toasted poppyseed bagel. This cup of coffee was the best flat white I've ever had.

Our last day was quite classy. We had American donuts and Dr. Pepper. I've never been so happy.

See ya soon, Melbourne.

E: 10 - thanks to technology
A: 10 - we walked 10 minutes from our hotel
T: 9 - popular places means lines
HH: 12 - so happy

Homemade Hamburger Helper

MasterChef Australia kicked off this week and I'm already amazed at what the contestants are cooking. I don't understand half of the techniques they use, so I'm happy to watch from the comfort of my couch instead of competing. These foodies would probably laugh at this ordinary Homemade Hamburger Helper as they make recipes with octopus or seaweed. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb elbow macaroni
8 ounces frozen corn
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
14 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Cook meat over medium-high heat in a large skillet until browned. Drain and return to pan. Add all dry seasonings and flour and stir until combined. Add milk, tomato sauce and corn, bring to a boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add macaroni pasta and cheese, toss to coat. 

E: 9 - just as easy as the original Hamburger Helper
A: 9
T: 9 
HH: 9 - he loved it and the leftovers were tasty too

Zesty Pasta Salad

This world is full of salad options. Caesar salad, fruit salad, potato salad, tuna salad, chef salad, bean salad, chicken salad, taco salad, and many more. Here's a zesty pasta salad for you from Betty Crocker herself.

Ingredients:
16 oz corkscrew pasta
1 pound asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
3 medium bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces (I bought red, yellow, & green)
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 

Directions:
Heat 4 quarts water to boiling in a large pot. Cook pasta in boiling water for 11 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water, cook about 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain pasta and asparagus. Rinse with cold water and drain. Mix dressing, basil, and crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add pasta, asparagus, and remaining ingredients. Toss. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Enjoy your zesty pasta salad!

E: 10
A: 9 - fresh veggies = grocery store
T: 10
HH: 10 - He loves this pasta salad! It is zesty, so lessen the crushed red pepper if your tongue is sensitive to spicy foods. 

General Tso's Chicken

I could eat rice every day. It's so good. I'm a big fan of Asian cuisine in general. Speaking of general, I can't get enough of General Tso's chicken. When we visited friends and family at Christmas, we stocked up on General Tso's seasoning mix. 

I'm surprised we got through security with the 10 packets I had stuffed in shoes and pant pockets. This little discovery in the International Food Section of my local Kroger made me happy a couple of years ago. Who knew I would be hoarding them in my suitcase to carry across the world? 

Sunbird Seasonings has a coupon on their website for the American viewers. 

Ingredients:
1 General Tso's Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup flour
1 lb. chicken, cut into chunks
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
rice

Directions:
Start cooking rice. Add flour to resealable plastic bag and toss chicken chunks to coat evenly. Combine seasoning, sugar, soy sauce, and water in a separate bowl. Blend and set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high until hot. Add flour coated chicken and cook until evenly browned. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet with chicken. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency. Serve over cooked rice.

E: 10
A: 9 - I don't have chickens running around the backyard
T: 10
HH: 10 - one of our favorites

Tuna Cakes

I found this recipe over at Kraft Foods recipe website. It's easy and fast.

Ingredients:
2 cans (5 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 package stuffing mix for chicken
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

Directions:
Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet on medium heat. Use 1/3 measuring cup to scoop portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet. Flatten into patties with the back of your spatula. Cook 6 minutes (3 minutes each side) or until golden brown on both sides.

For your amusement, I would like for you to see the comparison between Kraft's photography and mine. Don't judge. They taste good and that's all that matters in this household.

Kraft paid someone to take this photo.

Clearly,  I took this photo.

E: 10

A: 10 - most of these items are kitchen staples
T: 10
HH: 10