Garlicky Broiled Salmon and Tomatoes

I got this recipe from Real Simple a few months ago. They promoted it as a 15-minute dinner, and they are not kidding. Quick, easy and delicious!

4  6-ounce pieces skinless salmon fillet

4 medium tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 teaspoon paprika, preferably hot

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

8 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Heat broiler. Place the salmon and tomatoes, cut-side up, in a broiler-proof roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the salmon with the paprika.

Drizzle the salmon and tomatoes with the oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Scatter the thyme and garlic over the top.

Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout and the tomatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate Orange Muffins

These are perfect after school snack. This recipe makes 12 regular muffins or 36 miniature muffins. I love to make the miniature muffins because they are so dang cute.

2 medium-size oranges -- cleaned
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter at room temp.
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I have used sour cream)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups or use baking cups.


Finely zest the oranges and chop the chocolate into small bits with a knife

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add orange zest.

Stir in the yogurt, orange juice, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well, the batter will be quite liquid.


Sprinkle flour, then chocolate, over batter. Fold gently, just enough to blend in flour.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. For the mini muffins bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

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Here is an alternative method to make these yummy muffins. It saves me time.

Use the pulse lever of the food processor to coarsely chop the chocolate. Tip out onto waxed paper.

Remove orange peel and place in the food processor with the sugar. Process for about 40 seconds or until finely chopped. Add butter and process a few seconds until creamy. Add eggs one at a time processing after each addition. Add yogurt, oj, baking powder and baking soda. Process a few seconds to blend. Fold in flour & chocolate. Continue as above.

Green Chile Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 can chicken
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper, to taste
(Optional: I add 4 cubes* cauliflower, 1 cube* of zucchini)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in potatoes and carrots; cook one minute. Stir in flour; continue cooking for one minute.
2. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in milk, chiles, and celery salt; heat to simmering. Add chicken and optional vegetable cubes. Add cheeses; stir and heat just until cheeses melt. Do not boil. Add pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls and eat!

*I am still making vegetable purees and freezing them in ice cube trays. Griffin will still eat a bowl full of vegetable puree at almost every meal. I have been putting these "vegetable cubes" in everything I make, soups, pasta, on pizza, even in scrambled eggs. So you may see these in other recipes.

Tennille's website picks

Here are a few great websites!

www.picky-palate.com The great thing about this
website is that there is so much to choose from. New
recipes are added almost daily, main dishes and
lots of desserts.

www.downrightdelish.wordpress.com This one has
lots of recipes also, and rates them from easy to
difficult.

Foodie websites you want to share?

Hey girls...I thought we could keep a running list of good food/cooking websites as a resource for when we need ideas! To share a website, either just leave a comment here or make a new post giving the link and a short review of the website (and/or list some favorite recipes from it). I'll make sure it gets a permanent spot on the sidebar.

I've started the list with a few for you to search and browse.

A new one I've been looking at recently is The Rookie Cookie. Lots of good stuff here covering the whole range of feeding a family. If you're wondering how to make meals more healthful (i.e. using brown rice, quinoa, flaxseed, etc.), she has tasty-looking options.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is awesome. I don't know if anything on this site is necessarily healthy, but it all looks delicious. She's entertaining to boot.


Another blog I like: This Week for Dinner. Her blog isn't exactly organized well, but at least there is a link to look at only Recipes (she has a "Menus" link as well...over two years' worth of meal planning...lots of ideas!).