Our Valentine's Day Dinner

Pineapple and Soy Glazed Salmon

Avocado and Strawberries with Honey Vinaigrette

Spinach with Sesame Dressing (Aona No Goma-Ae)

White Coconut Cake

WOW!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup(s) pineapple juice

2 tablespoon(s) low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup(s) dry sherry

1 teaspoon(s) light brown sugar

2 tablespoon(s) miso

4  (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets (I used Shetland Salmon from Scotland)

1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

Marinate the salmon: In a medium saucepan over high heat, cook the pineapple juice, soy sauce, and sherry for 20 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 5 more minutes. Using a whisk, stir in miso. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool. Season the salmon fillets with the pepper and place them in a shallow baking dish. Pour the pineapple glaze over the salmon fillets, turning to coat each side, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roast the fillets: Place the salmon on the top shelf of the oven and cook until the flesh turns opaque -- about 7 minutes. Change the oven temperature setting to broil and cook until the glaze begins to brown -- 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. I served it on a sheet of Nori.

~From Country Living Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon(s) honey
• 3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1/8  sea salt
•  teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
• 2  avocados , peeled, pitted and cut into wedges
• 8 ounce(s) strawberries, halved

Directions

1. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper together.
2. Arrange the avocados and strawberries on 6 salad plates.
3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit salad. Serve immediately.

~From Country Living Magazine

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• a few grains salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg white
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

1. Cream the shortening with the sugar and vanilla.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients and beat in alternately with the milk.
3. Fold in egg white, whipped stiff.
4. Transfer to a small oiled loaf pan or a 9-inch layer cake pan. Sprinkle the coconut over the top.
5. Bake in a moderate oven (350--375 degrees) about 30 minutes.

~From "Table for Two" by Ida Bailey Allen (Garden City Publishing Co. Inc., 1947)

Susan made the cake. I made the other dishes. It was all delicious!!!

Kenchin-Jiru (Miso, Tofu, Vegetable Chowder)

Simply satisfying and delicious!

This delicious chowder contains, tofu, a variety of vegetables, and some chicken in a miso broth.

Ingredients

3-4 ounces cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into half rounds
1 small stick celery, cut into half rounds
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon sesame oil
5 cups dashi or chicken broth (I used homemade chicken broth)
1 tablespoon sake
4 heaping teaspoons miso
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 cake firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes
2 green onions, chopped
Dried Japanese red chili pepper (I used red pepper flakes)

Directions

In a large skillet, saute to carrot, onion, and celery over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. When all the ingredients are well coated with oil, add the broth. When the broth comes to a boil, remove any scum on the surface, add sake, and lower heat. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of miso in a few tablespoons of broth and add to skillet. When vegetables have softened, add soy sauce, chicken, tofu, and the remaining miso dissolved in broth. Serve with green onions and a dash of red pepper flakes.

~Based on a recipe from a great cookbook; Japanese Family-Style Recipes by Hiroko Urakami.

Vegetable & Corn Chowder

Delicious!

Ingredients

1tbsp vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups broccoli florets
3 cups corn (I used frozen.)
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the milk and stock.

3. Add the broccoli and corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in the cheese until it melts.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon the chowder into warmed serving bowls.

Pasta with Clams and Tomatoes

By far, one of the best pasta recipes. And so simple.

From the book, Canyon Ranch Cooking, Bringing the Spa Home.

Ingredients

8 ounces of your favorite pasta (I used Farfalle)
13 ounces canned chopped clams, undrained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed or mined
28 ounces canned ready-cut tomatoes, drained (I used a box of POMI)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
(I added as a topping chopped arugula--lots of it!)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender but still very firm. Drain thoroughly and return to the same pot. Add all the liquid from the cans of clams, reserving the drained clams to add later. Simmer until most of the clam juice has been absorbed, about 3 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet or saucepan just until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the tomatoes, pepper, rosemary, and sage, mix well and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained clams. And the mixture to the pasta and toss thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

WOW!

Potatoes and Peas; Sukhe Aloo Mattar

Based on the recipe from "Pure & Simple, Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine" by Vidhu Mittal.

This is a tremendous cookbook and I highly recommend that you add it to your collection! It is easy-to-understand and filled with beautiful photographs on every page.

This dish was wonderful and I had hoped there would be leftovers so that I could make a frittata with the potatoes and sea; alas, the three of us ate it all!

Ingredients

4 Potatoes, medium-sized, boiled, peeled, cut into 1" cubes (I used red and didn't peel)
1/2 cup Green peas, boiled (I used 1 cup frozen sweet peas)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 pinch Asafetida (I didn't have it so I didn't use it)
1 tsp Cumin seeds (I used ground Cumin)
3/4 tsp Ginger paste (I used ground Ginger)
1/4 tsp Turmeric poweder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
2 Tomatoes, medium-sized, grated (I seeded and diced)
2 tsp Ground coriander
1/4 tsp Garam masala
2 tbsp Cilantro Leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in pan for 30 seconds; add asafetida, cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and grated tomato; cook until oil separates. Add cut potatoes and mix well.
2. Add cilantro, salt, garam masala and cook for 5 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan for 30 seconds; add cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp ginger pasta, green peas, salt and pepper; cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
4. Mix with prepared potatoes. Serve hot.

I served this with Roast Chicken and Caramelized Onions.

Canyon Ranch Bread

I quote from the book, Canyon Ranch Cooking, Bringing the Spa Home:

"We have been serving this coarse-textured, low-fat bread since the day we opened in Tucson. It is so popular with our guests that many of them order loaves of it to take home with them when they leave. It is especially good toasted and spread with a little of our Fitness Cheese or Fresh Apple Butter (both recipes are in this outstanding cookbook).

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons fructose
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Spray a standard-size (9 x 5 inch) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine the flour, bran. baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well. Add the raisins and mix again.
4. Combine the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in another bowl and mix.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until moist.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the bread, while still in the pan, on its side on a wire rack to cool.
7. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

It was delicious!

Stuffed Artichokes

I love artichokes.

I grew up eating artichokes.

My parents made them all the time. They were always the special appetizer at Christmas and Easter.

My brother, now a Poet Laureate and author of over 20 books of poetry, would always say "It might choke Artie but it won't choke Stymie". This quote from one of our favorite TV shows, The Little Rascals. AH, a poet's beginning begins somewhere!

I most often now use artichokes on pizza as pictured here:

Artichoke, Caper, Roasted Red Pepper, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza

I last made Stuffed Artichokes on New Year's Eve. They were delicious.

Here is a basic and simple recipe for 2 (And please feel free to improvise):

1/2-1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2-1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves; 2 whole and 1 chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

(We also add cooked sausage or ground meat (if we have it around).

2 artichokes, trimmed, left whole, chokes removed (put 1/2 of lemon juice into each cavity)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Par-boil artichokes (I do this for about 30 minutes). Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, meat (if adding meat) and oil in medium bowl.  Mix in lemon juice, oregano, parsley, chopped garlic and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 whole garlic clove into each artichoke cavity. Stuff artichokes (Do this by putting stuffing between leaves and into cavity). Bake in tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water till tender.