Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Today is Kris and Mark's anniversary. So on Sunday, I made them dinner and took my nephew and niece, Luke and Siena out to dinner. I'm not sure what Kris and Mark enjoyed more, the salmon or a dinner without chaos. Either way, they were a very happy mom and dad.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

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Salmon

1 c. balsamic vinegar

2 T. honey

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley, chopped

Cedar plank

Soak cedar plank in water for at least 30 minutes. In small pot, simmer balsamic vinegar and honey until it is thickened and reduced by half. Place cedar plank on long baking sheet and put in 400 degree oven on the top rack for 5 minutes. Remove cedar plank, put salmon on plank, season with salt and pepper and baste with balsamic glaze. Return to oven for 10-12 minutes. Top with chopped parsley.

Omaha Steaks

When I was younger, my grandpa would order Omaha Steaks. He thought they were the best quality steaks. So when I saw an Omaha Steak store recently, I had to check it out. Everything about the store and the steaks remind me of my grandpa. Granted, my grandpa's pockets were deeper than mine are. He would buy filet mignon. My wallet preferred the sirloin steaks.

Stuffed Omaha Steaks

Sirloin steaks

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Provolone cheese slices

Grill seasoning

In skillet, carmelize onion. Using small knife, cut a pocket in the each steak. Stuff steaks with onion and provolone cheese. Season steaks with grill seasoning. In skillet, cook steak on 8-10 minutes per side.

Spanakopita Burger

By the looks of my nephew, Luke, you would think that he is a picky eater who barely eats anything. But that could not be farther from the truth. He especially loves anything involving any kind of meat. Salads on the other hand, he's not too big a fan of. So I was quite impressed with how much he liked a burger with tons of spinach. And I have to say, even though he likes tomatoes, I was surprised at how much he loved these roasted tomatoes.

Spanakopita Burger

2 lb. ground beef

1 c. frozen spinach, thawed

1 T. dried oregano

1 t. dried marjoram

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper

Feta cheese, optional

Squeeze all the liquid from the spinach. Mix all the ingredients together and form into burger patties. Cook to desired doneness.

Roasted Tomatoes

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Roma tomatoes

Fresh parsley, chopped

Balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Feta cheese

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the tomato halves. Mix together balsamic vinegar and parsley. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top with vinegar mixture, olive oil and cheese. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, until tomatoes are tender.

Tzatziki Sauce

Plain yogurt

Grated cucumber

Fresh lemon juice

Minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and let flavors meld.

Chicken Taco Soup

Yesterday was a rainy Sunday. It was also the Cowboy's first regular season game. And what goes more perfectly with a rainy football Sunday than a hearty bowl of soup? Nothing, I say. It also just so happens to be one of my nephew, Luke's favorite meals. With a Cowboy's win, it was all around great.

I know that there are a million versions of taco soup, and I've made it several different ways. So far, this is my favorite version.

Chicken Taco Soup

2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 80z. can tomato sauce

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 c. frozen corn

1 can chicken stock

2 pkg. taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Let soup simmer for 30 minutes. Top with any combination of shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, tortilla chips, etc.

Buckeye Cookies

My best friend's husband went to college at Ohio State. So they threw a party yesterday for the Ohio State vs. USC game. This is the second time that they have had a party for an Ohio State game, and the second time that I have made these cookies. They were a big hit. The outcome of the game is another story.

Buckeye Cookies

adapted from cooks.com

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature

18 oz. smooth peanut butter

1 bx powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla

1 t. water, optional

1 pkg chocolate almond bark

Using electric mixer to cream butter and peanut butter. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. If the filling seems dry, add water. In bowl, melt almond bark over a pot of simmering water. Roll peanut filling into balls, dip in chocolate so a small amount of filling is left exposed to resemble a buckeye. Let almond bark set up.

Beer Marinated Chicken

I have now made this recipe twice. It was great both times, I just haven't been keeping up on posting my recipes. Now even my boyfriend, Stephen, has been neglected this week. I typically cook for him at least once during the week. But that just didn't happen this week. I'm hoping next week won't be quite as busy so I can get back to cooking and blogging.

Beer Marinated Chicken

adapted from Food & Wine

2 lbs. chicken pieces, skin on and bone in

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 in fresh ginger, smashed

1/2 onion, chopped

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 c. Dijon mustard

14 c. oil

1 bottle Shiner black lager beer

1 T. sweet paprika

1 t. ground red pepper

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients except chicken in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken and let marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Grill chicken until cooked through.

BBQ Beef Potato Skins

My boyfriend, Stephen, and I were at a sports bar a couple months ago and decided to split a couple of appetizers. I suggested potato skins and Stephen says, I've never had those, will I like them? I was shocked and confused at how my meat-and-potatoes boy had never experienced the goodness of potato skins. So we had to order them, and of course, he loved them.

For this version of potato skins, I used thinly sliced steak to fill the skins. After I hollowed out the potato skins, I put them back in the oven to get crispy, and I used the leftover potato for mashed potatoes later in the week. Top with your favorite potato skin toppings.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 t. chili powder
2 t. paprika
2 t. onion powder
2 t. garlic powder
3 T. worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 t. dijon mustard
3 chipotles, minced
1 t. adobo sauce

In medium sized pot, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Jerk Marinated Mahi Mahi

Can I just tell you, my abs are so sore from working out with my boyfriend, Stephen, yesterday. But it was all worth it. You see, I made a deal with my boy. I told him that I would workout with him on Tuesday if he went to my hip hop class with me today... And being the good sport that he is, he agreed. He stuck it out for about half of the class before he went back to his comfort of the weights. If it's at all possible, him coming to class made me love him even more! He definitely deserved dinner after that.

Jerk Marinated Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi fillets

Bottled Jerk seasoning

1/4 c. white vinegar

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. vegetable oil

2 habanero peppers, minced

Mix together Jerk seasoning, vinegar, soy sauce, oil and peppers. Marinade fish for at least an hour. Saute in skillet.

My Baby's Birthday

Today is my boyfriend, Stephen's birthday. He had the day off, so I took the afternoon off too. First, I surprised him by taking him to get a massage, which he LOVED. Then we went to the gym together and I worked out with him. My abs are already sore, and we only worked out 6 hours ago... so I might be struggling tomorrow. Then we went to dinner and went back to my house for cake. I would say he had a pretty good birthday!

Chocolate Indulgence Cake