Parmesan Crusted Salmon

What you’ll need!

4 6oz Salmon fillets

2.5 tbsp mayonnaise

2.5 tbsp plain greek yogurt

2 .5 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp fresh chives (or finely chopped green onion)

Seasoning of choice ( I used pepper, Tony’s. Mrs. Dash garlic & herb)

Simon Says...

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, parmesan, chives, and pepper.

3. If your salmon is skinned, place them in a pan of your choice, lightly greased. Then lightly coat top and bottom with seasoning (Tony’s and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb)

4. Spread the mixture evenly across the top of the fillets. Sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top so that it will brown a little.

5. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through (depends on the size of your salmon. I baked mine on the top rack so that it could brown better also.

6. Also adjust the recipe to how many servings and how large your salmon is. Just equal parts of mayo, yogurt, and parmesan and you’re good!

It’s really quick and easy and tasty! If you have any more questions just let me know!

Also I chose to serve my salmon with a tomato, cucumber, and feta salad. If you want the instructions on how to make that as well just comment below and I will add it to this post.

Side note: Its always better to get fresh ingredients if you can. No frozen salmon, fresh parmesan (refrigerated) It makes a big difference!

Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

What you'll need!!!

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon ( I didn’t use any, I did add a cap full of lemon juice though)
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk*** ( I chose low fat buttermilk)

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

Simon Says..

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

I wish I had a better picture of this, but I was taking it to work for breakfast! It was even suggested that it could be eaten with turkey sausage, we may try that! I've been asked if you could substitute the  blueberries for another berry, I haven't tried it, but maybe you are willing to get adventurous in your kitchen. I DO, however, have a recipe for a strawberry yogurt cake that I will be posting soon!! Stay tuned...until then EAT!!

Parmesan Chicken Meatballs

What you'll need!

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
2 tbsps chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup Parm
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
zest of 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper as you like ( I used Tony's and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella (12 thin slices)
Your favosrite alfredo sauce

Simon Says...

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while setting the rack to the upper third part of oven.
2. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together first 10 ingredients.
3. Shape into tennis-ball size balls and place separated a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. In a small bowl, mix your favorite alfredo sauce with olive oil.
5. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the meatballs from oven.
7. Spoon some sauce on top of each meatball and cover each with a slice of cheese.
8. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
9. Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan.

I chose to serve my meatballs with angel hair pasta, a little alfredo sauce and fresh spinach leaves! I also thought about having them  on a sandwich if there were leftovers, they were GONE! Let me know if you choose to make them!

Pecan Pie Bars

What you'll need!

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup butter, slightly chilled (I used unsalted butter; add 1/4 tsp. salt if using unsalted butter)

Filling

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup butter (I used unsalted butter; add 1/8 tsp. salt if using unsalted butter)

3 tablespoons whipping cream

3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Simon Says...

1. Heat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with foil, lightly mist with nonstick spray, and set pan aside.
2. Make crust: In bowl of electric mixer, mix flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter using the paddle (or use a pastry blender or fork if you don’t have an electric mixer) just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture on bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven (leave oven on) and cool.
3. Make filling: Bring brown sugar, honey, butter and whipping cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle pecans over prepared crust, evenly pour hot filling over pecans, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from oven, cool completely, and then lift foil to remove cookies from pan onto a cutting board. Peel off and discard foil, and cut cookies into 60 pieces.

 Eat up!! I enjoyed mine with a little Blue Bell Homemade vanilla!

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

What you'll need!

1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 large egg

16-ounces ricotta cheese

10-ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further (or 10 ounces chopped fresh spinach)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 28-ounce can tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid, tomatoes broken up (or your favorite tomato or pasta sauce)

2 9x13 shallow baking dishes

Simon Says...

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.
3.  Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.
4.  Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.
At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)
5. Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.



Cake Cake Cake Cake Cake POPS!!!

What you'll need:

Your favorite cake mix {and ingredients listed on box}

1 package of bakers chocolate (white)

Candy sticks {from Walmat}

Styrofoam (so the cake pops can “set”)

Foil

Vegetable Oil Spray

Shortening {large spoon full}

Simon Says...

1. Line your cake pan with foil and then grease the foil with vegetable oil spray.

2. Follow the recipe on your cake mix and bake your cake as directed.

3. Allow the cake to cool.

4. Put your baked cake in a large mixing bowl.

5. Use your hands to crumble the entire cake.

6. Add about 1/2 of the package of  frosting to the crumbled cake.The frosting is what acts as a glue to hold the cake balls together.

7. Use your hands to mix the frosting evenly throughout the crumbled cake mix until the cake mix is well moistened. ( The cake should now be able to stay in a shaped mound).

8.       Roll your cake mix into 1 inch balls using the palms of your hands. (I got about 25 balls)

The chocolate drizzle

1. Follow the melting instructions on the package, and once heated, add a spoonful of shortening and stir until dissolved.

2. Take a cake pop stick and dip it into the chocolate about an inch, and then stick it into your cake balls. Give chocolate time to set! Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

3. Next take a spoon and drizzle the white chocolate over your cake balls, stick into your styrofoam until the drizzle has set.