Salmon with Creamed Spinach

My latest project with this blog is to make my family do all the work for me.

First up---my brother in law, Bob. He really likes cooking.



Today is his 27th birthday, and so I'd like to share a favourite recipe from the Amorgowich house.
(Bob doesn't measure things so all times and measurements are approximate)

Salmon with Creamed Spinach

Preheat oven to 350˚

Rub cookie sheet with thin layer of olive oil.

Mix together equal parts panko and FRESH parm (about ¾ cup each) in melted butter (good tbsp).

Cut salmon into single serving sizes and season with salt and pepper. Top each with panko mixture and bake for ONLY 12 – 15 minutes and let rest.

Meanwhile, make basmati rice (not white rice, never white rice).

Wash a bag of spinach. Put wet spinach in pot at medium heat until slightly wilted ~3 minutes. Squeeze most of moisture out of spinach and return to pot. Add ½ cup of cream and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper (of course). Reheat on medium low for 5 – 10 minutes, adding more cream if required.

To serve, start with a base of rice, top with creamed spinach (don’t forget some of that green cream) and then with serving of salmon.

Thanks Bob for sharing this great recipe!

Bonus: Saucy Quinoa Bake

2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cooked quinoa
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella, divided
1 1/2-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved (for a quick way to cut them, go here)
1 large bunch fresh basil, cut into ribbons


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa. Fold in half of the mozzarella and half of the tomatoes, then chop 8-12 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds or shredded mozzarella and the remaining tomatoes.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil ribbons. Allow to sit five minutes and then serve.

Crazy Weeknight #8 Tex Mex Chicken & Rice

One of the other recipes with instant rice. The other 2 are here and here.
You may substitute cooked rice for the instant and omit the broth.

Tex Mex Chicken & Rice

1 tsp + 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 can corn
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp taco seasoning (I just sprinkle chicken generously with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper)
2 c uncooked instant white rice
2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c salsa verde
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 c grated mexican cheese

sour cream, avocado, tomatoes

Add 1 tsp oil to 12" non stick skillet; heat over medium high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Drain corn. Pat dry with paper towels. Add corn to skillet in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 5 minutes or until caramelized on one side. Transfer corn to bowl.
As corn cooks, chop chicken into chunks. Combine with seasoning in a bowl. Add to skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to bowl with corn.
Add remaining tbsp oil to skillet. Add rice; stir until well coated with oil. Add broth and salsa; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover skillet; reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, chop cilantro.
Return corn and chicken to skillet and stir. Sprinkle with cheese, cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and other toppings as desired (sour cream, avocado, etc).

Bonus Dish....Quinoa Bake

Crazy Weeknight #7 Eggs!

Eggs sound boring, I know. But its about what you put into them. I'm assuming everyone knows how to scramble eggs, so I am just going to make some recommendations of things to add into them.

• Fry up some chopped leeks first, then add eggs with chopped prosciutto. Top with goat cheese.
• When egg is almost cooked, add about 1/2 -1 cup cooked quinoa
• Make it Mexican!
• Wilt some spinach, add eggs, top with feta
• Serve with toast spread with herb butter (just add some favourite herbs to a pat of butter)

Last but not least....Tex Mex Chicken & Rice

Crazy Weeknight #6 Pork Pineapple Fried Rice

Deliciously quick!
from America's Test Kitchen

Pork Pineapple Fried Rice

2 boneless center-cut pork chops, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Asian chili-garlic sauce
4 tsp vegetable oil
6 green onions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1/4" pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 8 oz can of pineapple chunks, drained and chopped, 3 tbsp juice reserved
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cups cooked rice

Combine pork, 2 tbsp soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until well browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Add remaining oil to empty pan and cook green onion whites until just softened, about 1 minute. Add eggs and cook, stirring vigorously, until scrambled, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with pork.
Add hoisin sauce, pineapple chunks, reserved juice, sesame oil, remaining soy sauce and rice to empty pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in green onion green parts and pork and egg mixture and toss until heated through, about 1 minute.

On deck.....Eggs!

Crazy Weeknight #5 Chicken Burritos

This isn't a super quick meal, but you can easily make it ahead of time and just heat in the oven when you're ready.
Credit goes to my sister Rachel who always gets pegged as the originator of the recipe, when really its my sister Monica.

Chicken Burritos
2-3 cooked, chopped chicken breasts
1 c sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 1/2 c grated cheese
1/2 c each chopped green and red pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped green onions
1 can corn, drained
10 fajita wraps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together and divide among wraps. Roll up and place in 9x13 pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes until heated through.

Tomorrow's recipe....Pork Pineapple Fried Rice

Crazy Weeknight #4 Mish Mash "Paella"

This is from a Chatelaine magazine from a few years back. I omitted the olives because they didn't taste right in this dish (well, in my humble opinion). If you want to, add some sliced ones to the skillet with the tomato.

Mish Mash "Paella"

1/2 pkg of frozen, uncooked shrimp (get the peeled kind to make your life easier)

2 hot Italian or chorizo sausages

1 onion

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp hot chili flakes (or 1 jalapeno finely chopped if you so desire)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 1/4 c chicken broth (approx 10 oz)

1 cup couscous

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

Place shrimp in a colander and rinse under cold water until thawed. Pat dry with a paper towel. Thickly slice sausage. Oil a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Add sausage to pan and stir often until lightly browned (about 4-5 minutes). Coarsely chop onion and add to sausages. Stir frequently until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

While the onion and sausages are cooking, chop the tomato, garlic and jalapeno (if using). Add to pan along with the oregano and paprika. Stir occasionally until tomato starts to break down—about 2 minutes. Add broth and shrimp, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil. As soon as shrimp turns pink, stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with parsley.

Up next....Chicken Burritos