May 2020 – Buen provecho…2022

10 Minute Canned Salmon Salad

Just in time for summer, maybe…LOL. This is not your traditional salmon salad. I prefer sockeye when I can get it, but you could use whatever you can find. It will last two days in the refrigerator. I am not a canned tuna fan but you could try it…

10 Minute Canned Salmon Salad

Ingredients

1 package (10 oz) carrot matchsticks* (I used two whole carrots julienned)
3 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
3 oz jar capers, drained**
2 cans (8 oz each) wild salmon
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp mayo
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
2 large avocados, diced

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add carrots, bell peppers and capers. Mash salmon a bit with a fork inside the can and add to the salad.

Add parsley, salt, pepper, mayo, Greek yogurt and gently toss to coat. Add avocado and give a few more stirs. Serve cold.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Notes

*A few cups of coarsely shredded carrots would work. **Use any pickled goodies like asparagus, beans, olives etc.

10,000 Visitors!

Thanks to all you Liver and Onion fans for bringing me to this great moment. With 385 posts and over 19000 views from all over the world, including Mexico, Canada, and the US, as well as New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, etc. Too many to recall over the years. Thank you all and Buen Provecho!

Beef Liver with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

First off, I am not including a picture of the finished dish this time? Why? Because it is liver and onions and just the thought of it puts many people off…LOL. BUT… if you love liver and onions you will really like this recipe from Pinterest.

I usually do mine without flour as I am a purist with liver. This recipe was intriguing because it soaked the liver in milk before cooking, supposedly to reduce the strong flavor some people dislike. Let me tell you that this was awesome and my new goto recipe for liver and onions. Here goes…

Beef Liver with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

First, cut the liver into strips and soak them in milk to remove any bitterness.

If you’re following a low-carb diet, you may choose to eliminate the onions for an even lower carb count,but hey… why would you?

1/2 cup milk
1-pound beef liver cut into strips
3 large onions sliced
4 slices bacon
5 tablespoons butter divided
Salt to taste

Add milk to a shallow bowl. Soak liver in the milk for about 20 minutes to remove any bitterness.
Meanwhile, cook your bacon in a large skillet. Drain on paper towels and cut into 1/2″ chunks. Set aside.
Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease and add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the bacon grease in the same skillet.

Add onions and cook over a medium heat stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Remove onions to a dish, sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Pat liver dry and discard the milk.

Return skillet to high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When the butter foam subsides, the butter is hot enough.

Arrange the liver in the pan being certain not to crowd the pan. I worked in two batches. Sauté for 3 minutes regulating the heat so that the butter remains hot, but does not burn. Turn liver over and sauté about 2 minutes more. The inside meat should still be pink.

Serve liver topped with onion and bacon.

Zucchini Lasagna

Quite a while back I had posted a KETO lasagna recipe using zucchini zoodles. Now that we are Keto Conscious I have given myself a little more leeway with what we eat. But…this recipe is really still Keto but assembled in a little different manner, for those who do not own a spiralizer! It was great with a few different ingredients.

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Oven Ready in 9 x 13 pan

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

3 large zucchinis
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
2 teaspoons garlic minced
24-ounce jar marinara or Bolognese sauce
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
fresh basil garnish

Trim both ends off the zucchini.
Use a mandolin to cut the zucchini into 1/8-inch slices. Sprinkle salt over the zucchini slices, then lay them out on a layer of paper towels to drain. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Pat the tops of the zucchini slices with paper towels until dry.
While the zucchini is resting, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking the meat up with a spatula, until beef is browned and cooked through.
Add the onion and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes.
Place the ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, Italian seasoning, egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 2- or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Place 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Add 1/3 of the zucchini slices on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini then top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, then let stand for 5-7 minutes. Cut into slices, then serve.

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Penne alla Vodka

No doubt you have had this dish at any one of thousands of Italian restaurants around the world. It really is quite simple once you have prepared the sauce. You can use canned tomatoes, but in this case I used 2 larger fresh tomatoes, NOT plum. I simply chopped them up. One thing of note – do NOT use more than 3 – 4 tablespoons of vodka, as it will leave the dish bitter…

Penne alla Vodka

Ingredients

28 oz. whole plum tomatoes, undrained OR 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped
3-4 Tablespoons vodka
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons cold butter
Salt/Pepper, to taste
1 lb. Penne
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions

Puree the tomatoes in a blender, food mill, or an immersion blender and set aside. You can decide how chunky or uniform you’d like the tomatoes to be. I simply chopped them up!

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and the basil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and softened.

Turn off the heat.

Add the vodka to the pan and let it sizzle. Turn the heat back to medium and reduce the vodka until there is about a Tablespoon left.

Add the pureed tomatoes and let it simmer for 45 minutes or so, allowing it to reduce and become quite thick.

During the last 12 minutes or so, cook the penne according to package instructions. For saucier pasta, use ¾ lb. instead of the full pound. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.

Add the heavy cream and the red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Add 2 Tablespoons cold butter to the sauce, along with 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir to combine.

Season with salt/pepper if desired.

Add in the drained pasta.

Garnish with roughly chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese and serve!

Steak Bites with Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce

Got the urge to BBQ already and realize that the BBQ is probably dirty from its last use, who knows when in this weather? Treat yourself to this recipe from The Spicy Apron (Pinterest). While it calls for putting the steak on skewers, I modified it and used my frying pan. With the blue cheese sauce, it was awesome! Throw a salad or bake a potato and you have a complete easy meal! Photo is from The Spicy Apron, since I forgot to take a photo when I made this.

Steak Bites with Creamy Blue Cheese

Ingredients

2 Pounds Sirloin Cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt Can use Seasoned Salt
2 Teaspoons Fresh Pepper
4 Ounces Cream Cheese Room Temperature
4 Ounces Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Ounces Crumbled Blue Cheese
2 green onions Sliced crosswise (green parts)

Instructions

Put 6-8 pieces of the beef on each skewer. Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the meat. Heat grill on high. Place skewers on hot grill and sear on each side, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cover with foil. OR…
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and place the steak bites in until slightly golden, choosing how well you want them done. Well…definitely NOT!
Combine cream cheese, cream, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat until heated through. Stir well to combine. Remove from heat and add crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle over cooked beef skewers or in a small dish on the side for dipping. Top with sliced green onions.