75: Honey Salmon Foil Bake

Will and I both really like seafood and I make salmon a lot.  But Will says all the time that he doesn't like sweet salmon, so he wasn't thrilled when he saw I was making Honey Salmon.  I changed the recipe up a bit for him, see what he thought.... 

Ingredients:

~1/8 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
*1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
*1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp thyme 
S&P

The How To:
Preheat oven to 375
Line a baking dish with foil
Grab a separate bowl - whisk honey, garlic, EVOO, vinegars, thyme, S&P
Place salmon (skin side down) on the foil and cover with the mixture
Fold the foil around the salmon until covered
Bake for about 20-25 minutes - until salmon flakes easily with a fork

Will was surprised that this was not a very sweet dish.  It was very flavorful.  Will's exact words were "it's got a lot going on in the flavor department."  I think we both still prefer the blackened salmon dish I usually make, but this might make its way into the rotation from time to time.  This dish was Will approved! 

And yes, Will is wearing the same shirt he wore yesterday.

74: Mushroom Pork Chops

I like to make a quick and easy dinner on Monday nights.  It's a perfect time for Mushroom Pork Chops. Only THREE major ingredients! 

Ingredients:

2 pork chops
1 can cream mushroom soup - reduced sodium
1 tbsp worcestershire 
S&P
*pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

*not pictured

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405
Line a dish with aluminum foil (for easy clean up)
Place the pork chops on the tin foil and cover with soup, worcestershire, cayenne pepper, and S&P
Cook for 45 minutes

Done!  
I served mine alongside a salad and balsamic broccoli (may write this one up someday)

This is such an easy dish and you can make chicken this same way.  Usually I like to add some diced mushrooms or onions to this dish, but I was out.  It still turned out great, and makes a delicious lunch the next day.  I totally forgot to take the after picture, but it was Will approved!  

73: Chicken Paprikash

Back in April, we went on vacation to Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and Budapest.  In each country we tried some of the local cuisine, but we really loved the food most in Hungary.  Once I got back, got over the jet-lag and started planning dinners again I decided to try to find one of the popular Hungarian dishes that we had tried.  I found this recipe for Chicken Paprikash that I decided to try out.

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cubed
S&P
Olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 white onion, diced
1 large garlic clove minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp hot paprika (to taste)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup no fat sour cream brought to room temp
2 cups pasta (I used bowtie)

The How To:
Preheat oven to 400
Season cubed chicken with S&P
Heat oil in a dutch oven and add chicken
Cook until golden brown on both sides and place aside
In dutch oven, add onions and stir frequently until onion becomes opaque ~5 minutes
While onions are cooking, grab a small frying pan and add tomato paste -- stir often and cook until paste becomes fragrant
Add tomato paste to the onions and continue to cook for about a minute
Add garlic and cook another minute or so
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and paprika to the mixture and stir until simmering
Season with S&P
Add chicken and transfer to oven
Bake for 40 minutes 
Remove from oven and let it cool for about 3 minutes
Stir in sour cream
Serve over pasta

This dish was a little more trouble than I typically like to do on a weeknight, but the end result was well-worth it.  This tasted much like I remember a dish I had our first night in Budapest at a local place called, Ételek.  Will and I both really enjoyed it and it was fun to remember our trip.  This dish was Will approved! 

And for fun, here are a few pics from Budapest... 

72: Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

Fish is easy to make, fast to cook, low in calories, and delicious!  Tonight, I tried out parmesan-crusted tilapia, inspired by this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb tilapia filets
1/2 cup parmesan/romano cheese mix
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
olive oil
1/4 tsp chili powder
S&P
*1/2 cup panko

*not shown

The How To:
Preheat oven to 400
Combine cheese, paprika, oregano, parsley, chili powder, panko, and S&P - put mixture in a zip-lock bag
Drizzle fish with olive oil and put in the bag with the cheese mixture
Shake the bag until coated
Line a pan with foil (for easy clean up) then add the fish
Cook for about 15 minutes, until opaque 

This was a super easy, no frills dinner.  But, it was still Will approved! 

71: Beefcake

I won't even start making excuses for why it's been so long since I have posted.  But I promise, Will has been eating.

Today I decided to try something super fast and easy, and Will decided to name it a beefcake.  It was inspired by this recipe for a Beef & Cheese foldover.

Ingredients 

*1 lb ground beef
1/2 white onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
4 tsbp A1
1/2 shredded sharp cheddar 
1 package crescent rolls
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
S&P
*dash of cayenne pepper

*not pictured

The How To
Preheat oven to 375
Brown ground beef in a large skillet with onions, tomatoes, ketchup, a1, and some water
Drain the ground beef, and return to the skillet
Season with S&P and cayenne pepper
On a baking sheet, knead the crescent rolls into the shape of a ball
Place the ground beef on the dough and fold up sides (I had to turn mine over to keep it together)
Bake for 15 minutes or until dough is browned
Top with remaining ground beef mixture, cheese and sour cream

This recipe is nothing to write home about (in my opinion).  But when you need a quick meal this will definitely work.  Will really liked it and even gave it two thumbs up!  He is easier to please than I am.  This meal is Will approved!