Calamansi Baked Salmon

Hello, everyone! This is Sarah popping in again.  I discovered a foodie find so great that I had to tell you about it and share a recipe! 

My husband and I took a day trip into Madison a couple of weeks ago.  We stopped in Penzey's spices (Yum!) on University Ave., and were bringing our bag of delicious goodies back to the car.  We had noticed a vinegar-oil-spirits store next door and were deciding whether we should go in or not.  As  we were deliberating, a big black SUV pulled up next to us and rolled down the window.   Though slightly startled, we were relieved to find a friendly face leaning over towards us.  The driver asked us if we were thinking about going into Vom Fass - the store next door.  When we confirmed her suspicion, she enthusiastically said that we HAVE to go in - even if just to check it out.  That was all the encouragement we needed!  We dropped the spices off in the car and headed to the door.

God bless that sweet stranger.  We had no idea what kind of taste sensations awaited us!  Long story short, we had a great time tasting rich oils and fragrant vinegars and spirits.  The staff was fantastic, and we came home with a few of our favorites.  Calamansi Balsam Vinegar was the first one we tried, and it was our first choice to buy.  It has a rich citrus taste that compliments fish, so I couldn't wait to try it out on some salmon.

If you can't get your hands on some Calamansi, you could try replicating the flavor with a little seasoned rice vinegar and some freshly squeezed tangerine or mandarin juice.

Calamansi  Baked Salmon

1 Tbs. garlic infused olive oil (divided)

2 large Atlantic Wild Salmon fillets

1 Tbs. Vom Fass Calamansi Balsam Vinegar

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

dried thyme (optional - we didn't use this)

 white pepper

real salt

thinly sliced red onion

mixed spring greens salad

parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Pour 2 tsp. garlic infused olive oil on the bottom of an 8x8 (or similar sized) baking dish.  Place salmon fillets skin side down in baking dish.  Pierce filet with fork several times.  Brush fillets with Calamansi vinegar, allowing any extra to pool in the bottom of the baking dish.  Try to get the vinegar into the pierced spots of the fillet!  Brush on remaining garlic olive oil.  Sprinkle with rosemary, as well as white pepper (to taste).  Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Bake 12-15 minutes in prepared oven, or until salmon separates into moist, plump flakes when cut with a fork.  Do not over bake.

Just before serving, place fillets on top of a pile of mixed spring greens.  Pour any extra juices from the pan over the fillets for extra flavor.  Sprinkle with real salt. Top with wafer thin slices of red onion, and optional parsley garnish. 

Serve alongside white rice (we sprinkles ours with black roasted sesame seeds - it was perfect!).

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

I love cupcakes. I don't know about you, but to me, a little cake with icing piled high is irresistible. I found this recipe and knew I had to try it. The original called for espresso powder, which I didn't have. I used instant coffee, and it wasn't as strong as I would like, but it is still really tasty. I hope you enjoy them! :) 

  Mocha Cupcakes & Espresso Buttercream Frosting

      Cupcakes:
                     1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
                     1/3 cup cocoa powder
                     1 tsp. baking powder 
                     1/2 tsp. baking soda
                     1/4 tsp. salt
                     1/2 cup milk
                     1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
                     1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
                     1 tsp. vanilla
                     1/2 cup butter, softened
                     1/2 cup sugar
                     1/2 cup brown sugar
                     1 egg

    Frosting:
                     1 cup butter, softened 
                     2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
                     1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
                     1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
                     1 Tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 350*.
Mix the instant coffee granules and the hot brewed coffee until the instant coffee is dissolved. Set it aside to cool. 
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and set aside.
Now take your coffee, and add the milk and vanilla. Alternate with the flour mixture and add it to the butter and sugars. Mix it until well combined. 
Distribute the batter evenly between paper lined muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool and make the icing. 
In a stand mixer, whip the butter on high speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar gradually, mixing well after each addition. Add the coffee, vanilla, and milk and whip for a few more minutes until it is well combined and smooth. 
Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip with the icing and pipe onto the completely cooled cupcakes. Enjoy! :) 

Recipe adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker 

Mini Oatmeal Breakfast Bites

Hello Everyone!  I am so happy this recipe was delicious.  The reason I am so happy is because I made it up!!!  This recipe, in my opinion, is best either the first day warm or the second day cold.  My mom has made something called baked oatmeal, and these breakfast muffins are reminiscent of that.

Mini Oatmeal Bites

1 cup oat flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1 teaspoon coconut oil + more to grease pan

1/4 cup water

1/8 cup honey

1 small banana

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease mini muffin pan with coconut oil.

Combine all ingredients and fill mini muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I hope these come in handy some time!  My family really enjoyed them!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Hello, everyone! Chicken noodle soup is a classic winter dish. It is really good for those cold winter days when you want to stay inside and keep cozy. This recipe only makes one serving, but you could easily adjust it to make more if you wish. I hope you try it and let us know what you think! Enjoy! :) 

                                               

                Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

                             1 1/2 cup hot water

                             1 chicken bouillon cube

                             1/2 cup elbow macaroni 

                             1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed

                             2 or 3 baby carrots

                             salt, to taste

In a small saucepan, boil the water and add the bouillon cube. Stir until the cube is dissolved. Add the noodles and keep it boiling until the noodles are soft. Add the chicken and carrots and allow it to boil for a minute or two longer. Add as much salt as you like, and enjoy! :) 

Homemade Tortillas

Hello Everyone!  How are you all enjoying the blog?  I hope it has proved helpful!  Today, I made a recipe posted by another blogger.  It did not turn out like their picture led me to believe.  Here is the link to the recipe: Tortillas Recipe. When I first mixed it, the dough was EXTREMELY flaky and dry.  The picture below shows how mine turned out.

I hope you all have better luck than I did!  Comment and tell my partner and I how yours worked out!

Cinnamon Roll Bites

Hello everyone! It has been slightly warmer around here, and we even got a thunderstorm! When I saw this recipe on High Heels and Grills I made these cinnamon roll bites for my dad for Valentine's Day and they tasted surprisingly like cinnamon rolls, without all the complicated process! They are best when they are warm, but you could eat them cold if you want. The ones in the picture don't have glaze on them, but they were good anyways. The glaze just makes it even better! Enjoy!! :) 

                                                       

                            Cinnamon Roll Bites

               Dough:

                              

                         1 1/2 cups water (about 110*)

                         1 Tablespoon active, dry yeast

                         2 Tablespoons sugar

                         1 tsp. salt

                         2 Tablespoons oil

                         3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour

      

                         3/4 cup sugar

                         1/4 cup brown sugar

                         1 Tablespoon cinnamon

                         1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick) 

             Glaze:

       

                        1 cup powdered sugar

                        2-3 Tablespoons milk

                        2 Tablespoons butter, melted

                        1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar and let it sit for five minutes. 

Add the salt and oil and mix until well combined. Gradually add in the flour until the dough is well mixed and no longer sticky. Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl and let it sit until doubled in size. (About an hour) 

Preheat the oven to 375*. 

In a small bowl, melt the butter. In a separate bowl, combine the sugars and cinnamon. Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into a ball. Dip each one into the butter, then the cinnamon sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes. 

Place the balls on a cooling rack and prepare the glaze. 

To make the glaze, simply combine all of the ingredients together until smooth. 

Drizzle the glaze over each of the balls and enjoy! 

I liked mine warm best, because they are softer that way. :) 

Dark Cherry French Toast

Hello Everyone!  How was your Valentine's Day?  My mom made up this french toast.  It was amazing!  I think this is the best french toast on the face of the planet.  I hope you like it as well!

Dark Cherry French Toast

2 cups almond milk

6 extra large eggs

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 T. sugar

1 loaf day-old french bread, cut into 3/4" slices

butter for the pan

Cherry Sauce

one 12 oz. package unsweetened, pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed

2 T. sugar

a couple drops vanilla

Garnish

whip cream

chocolate syrup

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly combine milk, eggs, extracts, and sugar with an electric mixer.  Pour mixture into a large, shallow dish (we used a 4.5 liter corningware dish so that we could soak lots of slices at once).  Lay bread slices in the liquid to soak as needed, turning once.  They should be soaked and a little spongy to the touch, but you don't want them sopping! 

Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add as many slices of bread onto the skillet as will fit at a time. Fry until golden on both sides, flipping the bread when necessary.

For the cherry sauce, lightly process the cherries, extract, and sugar in a food processor or blender.  It shouldn't take long.  There should still be cherry shreds when you are finished.  Alternatively, you could puree the mixture, but we wanted more body in the sauce.

To serve, give each plate a light chocolate drizzle.  Place a few french toast rounds on the plate and top with cherry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.  You could also add a few mini chocolate chips to make it extra special!  Enjoy!

As I said before, this is positively delicious!  I am sure it will be a hit with your family!