Pumpkin Seed Tilapia

This recipe was created in collaboration with my sister. I made her my pecan salmon, and she thought it would be a good idea to make the same thing for those who may be allergic to nuts. (It is actually one of the top allergies in the world). So, we kept thinking of what we could use instead of pecans that would still have that great nutty flavor. She suggested shelled pumpkin seeds, and what a great idea. Shelled pumpkin seeds taste very similar to sunflower seeds, which have a nutty quality to them, and no danger of death for those who are allergic. I actually prepared this exactly the same way as my pecan salmon. Depending on the thickness, I may cook the tilapia a little less than the salmon. Regardless, this is another great quick meal idea. I like to serve it with a lemon pepper butter sauce, and we tried it with some plain orzo. I think an orzo salad would be even better. (Using sunflower seeds instead of shelled pumpkin seeds is also an option).

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse is one of the lightest ways to eat chocolate. The reason I like this particular recipe is because of it's ease, the raspberry sauce topping, and I've seen some recipes that use egg whites and I'd rather not deal with raw eggs. I have made this many times, and it's been a hit every time. To give it a fresher feeling, I also like to top it with fresh raspberries. I found this recipe in an old Better Homes and Gardens, and you can find it at http://recipes.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R081606 . This mousse is so light and fluffy, I hope you enjoy it!

Lemon Fried Goat Cheese Salad

This recipe was created after dining in a great little restaurant in Frederick, Maryland called Acacia. They had a wonderful, soft, brined chicken quarter, served over a lemony salad with goat cheese. It was delicious, light, and extremely satisfying. So, I wondered how I could make my rendition of this at home, perhaps a little quicker, and this is what I came up with. You can easily make this recipe for one or many, here is what you need, on a per person basis. Be forewarned, goat cheese is very pungent and has a tang to it, perhaps described as a little sour. There are people who love it and people who hate it, you may want to try it ahead of time.

Ingredients:

3 raw chicken tenders (per person)

lemon pepper

butter

spring mix salad

walnuts

lemon vinaigrette

1 oz. goat cheese ( per person)

1 1/4 tsp heavy cream (per person)

flour

egg

italian bread crumbs (or bread crumbs and a little italian seasoning)

water

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but most of these I have sitting around my house and it is still quick to throw together. Here goes. Throw a little butter in a small skillet, on medium high heat. Throw in the chicken and sprinkle with the lemon pepper (to taste), brown on all sides and cook through. Assemble salad with spring mix on bottom, pour over vinaigrette and sprinkle with walnuts. Don't place chicken on top yet, you do not want the salad to wilt under the heat of the chicken. Now for the star of the salad, the fried goat cheese balls. Take the goat cheese and mix with the heavy cream to give a consistency you can roll into a ball. Add a few walnuts and make two balls per ounce. Roll them in the flour making sure to coat all sides, then roll in an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 3 -4 tsp water), then roll in the italian bread crumbs (or bread crumbs with a small pinch of italian seasoning mixed in). You can use a deep fryer if you have one, or use the smallest saucepan you have and fill with cooking oil a little over 1/2 inch high. Heat to about 360 degrees and place cheese balls in. Fry for approximately 30 to 35 seconds per side. If the cheese starts to come out they are done. Top salad with chicken and fried goat cheese and eat. ***I have also seen restaurants serve fried goat cheese balls as tapas (spanish hor devours) with a little shallot vinaigrette (also great).***

Aunt Betty's Apple Crisp

There's nothing simpler to throw together than a crisp or a crumble and there's nothing that says home cooked better than an apple pie. So here's the best of both worlds. It's a warm apple filling covered in a very crisp crust reminiscent of sugar cookies and topped with some vanilla ice cream. Plus it makes the whole house smell great!

Ingredients:

5 Granny Smith apples

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup + 1 TBS sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

butter

vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 cooking dish with butter. Core and peel the apples and cut into slices (Approx. 12 slices per apple). Mix the apples with the 1/4 cup + 1 TBS of sugar and the 1 tsp cinnamon, toss with your hands. Place in the greased baking dish. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until they are consistently blended. Add the beaten egg and oil, once again stir until combined. Crumble over the top of the apple slices in the baking dish. Place small pieces of butter over the top, a few inches apart, about 2 tsp total. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove, let cool a little, but serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas

Inspired by the recent Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman, Montana, I had to recreate the frozen bananas they had there. Typically, I've always dipped the bananas in chocolate and froze them after, however, at the festival they dipped the already frozen bananas in a warm chocolate and I must say they were by far better. The warm of the chocolate and the cold banana complemented each other as well as the fact that the flavor of chocolate comes out much more when it is room temperature or warmer. So here's the easiest recipe to recreate this at home.

Ingredients:

bananas

1 large bag of chocolate chips ( I use semisweet, you can use whatever type you like)

1 cup water

toppings (your choice)

wooden skewers (Popsicle sticks)

Stick the wooden skewers into the peeled bananas and freeze on some wax paper overnight. After they are frozen and ready to dip, melt the chocolate and water either in a crock pot on low, over a double boiler, or even in the microwave. Make sure the temperature is low you do not want to burn the chocolate. Wait until it is an even liquid consistency, and dip the bananas. Sprinkle over any toppings you may want ( i.e. sprinkles, nuts, etc). Eat immediately, the chocolate will start to harden from the chill of the banana.

Pecan Salmon

This is a super quick recipe for those who have no time but feel like an amazing meal. It is extremely versatile and can be made into a healthy dish or a little more indulgent one. Personally, I enjoy this pecan salmon over garlic mashed potatoes with a red wine or balsamic vinegar reduction. It could just as easily be served over a bed of greens with a lemon or even a raspberry vinaigrette. Either way, it makes a delicious quick meal.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb salmon

1 1/4 cup pecans

salt

pepper

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS butter

Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into 4 equal pieces. Wash and pat dry. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of each piece. Place pecans in food processor and chop into small pieces. Place pecan pieces in a shallow bowl and roll the salmon in the pecans. You may have to press the pecans into the salmon surface to get them to stick. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet to medium heat. Lay salmon pieces in the skillet and cook on each side for 4 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon pieces) flipping only once. You may need to turn the temperature down slightly in order not to burn the nuts on the outside before cooking the inside. Once done, serve with garlic mashed potatoes or over a bed of lettuce. ***Note*** This can of course be made with any nut of your preference, I chose pecans because they have a natural sweetness to them. Also, the amount of olive oil and butter can be adjusted to your liking, or to that of your healthy conscience.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

A Pavlova is basically a large meringue disk, topped with various things. To my surprise, the inside has a very soft and light consistency making it a great dessert when you are craving chocolate, but not the heaviness of a brownie or cake. It was originally created for the ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova, and there is still debate whether it was originally created in New Zealand or Australia. Regardless, it is still very popular in both regions. This recipe originally came from Nigella Lawson from the Food Network at http://nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=211. I have since then changed quite a few things to my taste. So here is my recipe for it.

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

1 cup of sugar

3 TBS cocoa powder

1 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 oz dark chocolate ( I use the 60% cocoa) + some to grate over the top for decoration

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 TBS powdered sugar

2 pints raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Chop the two ounces of chocolate into a mixture of fine powder and very small bits. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar little by little while continuing to mix. It should have shiny stiff peaks. Add the cocoa, vinegar, and chopped chocolate, and fold in with a spatula. Once thoroughly mixed, pile in the middle of the parchment lined cookie sheet, making approximately a 9 inch diameter circle. (It will grow in size when it cooks). When the oven is preheated, turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and place the pavlova inside. Cook for approximately 1 hour. Once it is done, turn the oven off, and open the door allowing it to cool while in the oven, for about an hour. In the mean time you can make your whipped cream by placing 1 cup of heavy cream into the mixer and mixing until it forms stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar and mix again until blended. To assemble, once it is cooled, place pavlova on serving tray, layer the whipped cream on top, then place the raspberries on whipped cream. Last, shave some chocolate with a potato peeler over the top. Enjoy! It should be made the same day you plan to eat it, however, I have refrigerated it over night, and found it to be wonderful the next morning. By doing this it does lose it crispy exterior and turns more into a light bread pudding consistency, (a little soggy) but it still tastes amazing.