Lemon Pepper Salmon + Giveaway!

The kind folks at MyBlogSpark and Progresso (General Mills) recently sent me a new cookbook and a box of lemon pepper flavored panko to test out. They also sent me one to give away to a reader!

The cookbook is fantastic! I don’t know that I was ever specifically a Michael Chiarello fan, but this cookbook has tons of delicious, flavorful recipes that I am dying to try!

Additionally, I couldn’t wait to try the lemon pepper panko. My biggest complaint about panko is it always seems a little…well..bland. And I LOVE all things lemon pepper, so how could this go wrong?!

I did, however, cop out on making an original recipe, and instead made the lemon pepper salmon, which is listed on the back of the box.

It was delicious! The lemon pepper panko is very flavorful, and it was fantastic on the salmon.

I’m also excited to try it on chicken, pork, and a white fish! 🙂

Lemon Pepper Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

(Progresso)

1 salmon filet, 1 1/4 lb (about 3/4″ thick)

3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

1/2 cup Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Directions

– Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a baking dish with cooking spray

– Place the salmon skin side down and brush with 1 tbsp butter

– In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, cheese, onions and remaining 2 tbsp butter; press evenly over the salmon

– Bake 15-25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork

Giveaway Instructions!

You can win a package just like the one I received; with the cookbook and a box of lemon pepper panko, courtesy of General Mills and MyBlogSpark!

To enter: Leave a comment below — what’s the best new dish you’ve tried recently??

Deadline: Friday, November 19 at 8:00 pm EST

I will draw one winner Friday evening and post the winner here 🙂

Menu Mondays

Saturday: shredded beef chimichangas, mexican rice; black beans

Sunday: easy chicken cordon bleu, roasted potatoes, green beans

Monday: steak, steamed broccoli, pasta

Tuesday: weeknight paella

Wednesday: leftover chimichangas, mexican rice, black beans

Thursday: leftover easy chicken cordon bleu, garlic rice, salad

Friday: leftover paella

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was a delicious and easy crockpot soup! I got the recipe from my co-worker, and am posting the original below, along with my changes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 6 Servings

4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 garlic clove (I added 2)

2 tbsp margarine (I used 1 tbsp olive oil)

2- 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth

2- 14.5 oz. cans chopped stewed tomatoes and juice (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes and juice)

1 cup salsa – hot, medium, or mild – your preference

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I used 1/4 cup because we’re not big cilantro eaters)

1 tbsp cumin

8 oz cubed monterey jack cheese

sour cream

tortilla chips

rice (optional)

Directions

– Add minced garlic and margarine to the crockpot and saute

– Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, chicken and cumin; stir

– Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours

– Divid cubed cheese into soup bowls and ladle soup over

– Add dollop of sour cream and serve with chips

Changes

– I used shredded cheese, and added it on top of the soup

– To make the soup more substantial, I served it over brown rice

 

 

Menu Mondays

 

Saturday: crockpot chicken tortilla soup

Sunday: California Pizza Kitchen (Copycat) BBQ Pizza

Monday: steak, steamed broccoli, pasta

Tuesday: lemon pepper crusted salmon, wild rice, cauiflower gratin

Wednesday: leftover crockpot chicken tortilla soup

Thursday: ham, risotto and garlic green beans

Friday: BLAT’s (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato!) with coleslaw

Menu Mondays

Saturday: cheddar brauts and cauiflower gratin (which I forgot to photograph and post)

Sunday: made soft pretzels for football for DH and FIL; take-out for dinner

Monday: steak, garlic green beans, pasta

Tuesday: leftover baked ziti

Wednesday: herb-rubbed chicken with creamy orzo

Thursday: baked dutch apple pancake; sausage

Friday: leftover creamy orzo

Waffles of Insane Greatness

….and they truly live up to their name.

These are delicious waffles that can be made the morning you need them — but make sure you are aware that the batter needs to sit for 30 minutes before you cook the waffles!

30 minute wait time or not, these are fantastic, and we’ve actually had them three times before I could get them up on the blog!

*I always, ALWAYS double the recipe, because we eat them leftover. My doubled recipe makes 4 belgian waffle-sized waffles. The recipe below is the original.

Waffles of Insane Greatness

(Annie’s Eats)

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. sugar
½ cup whole milk
½ cup buttermilk (I often use 1 c. milk with a little lemon juice in it…same thing!)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
– In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.

– In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.

– Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.

– Serve immediately.

Yield: depends on the size/shape of your waffle iron

 

Apologies…

My apologies if you start seeing old blog posts in your reader — you can just ignore them. I am working on a blog re-design, and, as a result, am fixing my categories and tags on most of my posts.

This ‘construction’ will be done by November 1st 🙂

Creamy White Chicken Chili

DH has already ranked this as “The Best New Recipe of 2010” —  and 2010 isn’t over yet! LOL

It was simple to throw together, and MEGA flavorful….I think. See, I have this cold…so I’m not sure I’m tasting it 100%. Nonetheless, we both loved it — it will go into the rotation!

Side note: This recipe isn’t spicy…don’t be scared by the 2 cans of chilis…they get dampered down by the creamy add-ins at the end. 🙂

We served it with tortilla chips, but it would also be delicious with cornbread, I think!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

(Eat Live Run)

Serves 4

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 medium onion, small diced

1 T vegetable oil

2 cans cannellini beans, with juice

14.5 ounces chicken broth

2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup half & half

8 ounce reduced fat sour cream

Directions

– Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

– Add the chicken and chopped onion and saute for about six minutes, or until the chicken is seared and the onion is translucent.

– Add the garlic and cook for another three minutes.

– Add the beans, spices, chicken broth and green chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

– Turn off the heat and add the sour cream and half & half. Serve with cheddar cheese and additional sour cream to top.

Menu Mondays

I’ve starting trying to eat out some of the food in our freezer! We originally bought the freezer last year because DH got a deer…and then another deer…and we had to have somewhere to keep the meat! But over the last year, I’ve also been stocking up, making meals, and buying meat in bulk. Result?

I have a full freezer and it’s deer season again. Eep!

So just in case husband comes home with more venison, we’re eating some meat and large items from the freezer this week.

Saturday: out

Sunday: engagement chicken (how’s that for a blast from the past?), mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday: grilled steak, steamed broccoli, pasta

Tuesday: white chicken chili and tortilla chips

Wednesday: shepherd’s pie

Thursday: lasagna for two or baked ziti (both in the freezer!)

Friday: leftover shepherd’s pie

Menu Mondays

Not much to say…next week’s menu is super-simple, as we’ve been on the run here a lot lately!

Saturday: Best friend’s wedding! Out of town

Sunday: Take out pizza

Monday: steak, broccoli, pasta

Tuesday: salmon, wild rice, garlic green beans

Wednesday: chicken meatball subs, salad

Thursday: hot dogs, baked beans (DH request!)

Friday: chicken meatballs…either as subs, or over spaghetti, salad