Salmon with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 6-7 oz salmon fillets with skin
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

  1. Rub salmon w/1 tablespoon olive oil
  2. Squeeze lime over the salmon
  3. Broil salmon 9 minutes
  4. Combine avocado, 4 tablespoons olive oil and lime juice in a small bowl
  5. Season w/salt & pepper
  6. Cover the cooked salmon w/the sauce and serve

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Cup of brown sugar
  • 1 Cup granulated sugar
  • 14 oz chocolate bars (chopped)
  • 3 Cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • (optional) 1.5 Cups of chopped nuts

Directions:

  1. Cream butter, eggs, sugars.
  2. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder together and add to mixture.
  3. Stir in chocolate (and nuts).
  4. Mold into cookies.
  5. Bake 7-9 minutes at 375 degrees.

Pork Tenderloins in a Spiced Apple Sauce

My mom made this meal when we were growing up.  It is one of the few tenderloin meals I have ever liked.

Ingredients:

  • Chopped onion
  • Can of cream of celery
  • 6 ounces of apple juice
  • 1 tspn celery
  • sage
  • 1tspn cinnamon
  •  3-4 oz tenderloins
  • chopped celery
  • chopped apples
  • Can of condensed milk
  • egg noodles

Directions:

  1. Saute  onions.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk cream of celery, apple juice, cinnamon, and sage together.
  3. Add pork to the skillet with the onion.
  4. Add the mixture to skillet.
  5. Cover skillet and simmer for 45 minutes.
  6. Add chopped celery, apple, and condensed milk.
  7. Simmer 10 more minutes.
  8. Cook egg noodles.
  9. Serve pork mixture with noodles.
  10. Enjoy.

Dirt

This is one of Andrew’s favorite desserts.  There is absolutely nothing healthy about it, but is sure does taste good.

Ingredients:

  • Two 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Cups confectioners sugar
  • 2 boxes of vanilla instant pudding
  • 3 cups milk
  • Two 8 oz containers of Cool Whip
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 packages of Oreo cookies (double stuffed is better), crushed with a rolling pin
  • Gummy worms

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, cream confectioners’ sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer, then add the vanilla extract.
  2. Mix milk and pudding in a separate mixing bowl.
  3. Combine these two mixtures in large bowl.
  4. Add Cool Whip and blend together.
  5. In a large clean bowl, put a layer of the Oreo cookie crumbs on the bottom, then add a layer of the mixure.  Keep alternating layers and end with cookie crumbs on the top.
  6. Stick gummy worms down into the cookie mixture to make it look like they are coming up out of the so called dirt.
  7. Serve chilled.

Baked Fish and Chips

If you are counting points for weight watchers, this is equal to 5 points. It serves 4 and takes about an hour to prepare and cook.

Ingredients:

  • 4 5-second sprays of olive oil cooking spray
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
  • 1/4 tsp of salt (sea salt goes along way for flavor and is better in the recipe than table salt)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 20 oz uncooked cod or four 5 oz filets
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 4 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
  3. Place potato wedges on one baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and tender (about 45 minutes).
  4. While wedges cook, season both sides of cod with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Place flour in shallow dish and turn fillets in flour to coat.
  6. In separate shallow dish, whisk milk and mustard. Add fillets and turn to coat.
  7. Add bread crumbs to a third shallow dish. Add fillets and turn to coat.
  8. Transfer fish to second prepared baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake fish until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes). Serve fish and potato wedges with vinegar on the side.

Chicken Satay

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • PEANUT SAUCE
  • 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/4  teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 packet of sugar substitute
  • 1.5 tablespoons  water
  • cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Pound chicken breast between pieces of plastic wrap to uniform thickness.
  2. Rub each breast with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
  3. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook in skillet on both sides until done.
  5. Cut into cubes or strips.
  6. You can put them on skewers if you like.
  7. Make peanut sauce: combine all ingredients for sauce in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.
  8. Dip chicken into sauce.

Andrew and I like to mix the chicken with broccoli and stir it all into a bowl with some sauce.  Then it is a complete meal.  Frozen broccoli works well!

Helms Family Beef BBQ

Beef BBQ is a Helms family staple. It is not too difficult to make and serves 8-12. The bbq has started to gain a following in metro Atlanta.
Ingredients

  • 3 lbs stew meat
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 12 oz soda (cherry coke or dr pepper adds some flavor)
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of beef bouillon granules (cube works as well)
  • 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne)
  • 1 cup catsup
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Cooking Instructions

  1. Place meat into crockpot.
  2. Chop onion, add it to pot.
  3. In a bowl, combine the garlic, soda, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, beef bullion, dry mustard, chili powder, and red pepper.
  4. Mix well and make sure bullion cube is mostly dissolved.
  5. Reserve 1 cup and refrigerate.
  6. Pour the rest of the mixture over meat.
  7. Cook the meat on low for 8-9 hours.
  8. Remove the meat and onion from the crockpot.
  9. Shred the meat with 2 forks.
  10. Combine 1 cup of catsup and 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly until heated.
  11. Pour the catsup and reserved mixture over meat and stir.

Serve on your choice of roll with coleslaw.

Matzah ball soup

I made this for the Seder dinner earlier this year.  I think it is similar to a really hardy chicken noodle (without the chicken).  A lot of people enjoyed the soup.  It was a little scary to make, but if you ever find yourself celebrating passover, you might want to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
  • 2 tsps. salt
  • 6 Tbs. chicken broth + 4 quarts of chicken broth
  • 1 Cup of Matzah meal
  • Vegatables like carrots and celery if you want.

Directions:

  1. Separate yolk and egg whites.
  2. Beat whites until stiff.
  3. Combine yolk, oil, and salt.
  4. Add 6 Tbs. chicken broth to yolks and blend completely.
  5. Very slowly stir in matzah meal (really slowly, slower than you can imagine!!!!!)
  6. Blend in the egg whites.
  7. Let stand in the refrigerator over night.

Bring 4 quarts of broth to a boil, reduce to simmer.   Moisten your fingers and form 1 1/2 inch balls (if it isn’t working, add more matzah meal to make the mixture thicker).  Drop the balls one at a time into the pot.  You will need to rinse your fingers after forming each ball.  Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Do not take the lid off the pot during that time, no matter how tempted you might be to do so.  In addition, you will have to watch the pot carefully, to make sure it is simmering the entire time.

Open-faced Croque-Monsieur (Open-faced Ham and Cheese)

I just made this meal the other night. It is so good. I learned how to make it when I attended a cooking class through William Sonoma. The cheese is really rich, so if you like cheese, you will like this meal. Look for the Gruyère cheese in the fancy cheese section in your grocery store.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Cups of Milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Ground nutmeg, to taste
  • Loaf of country-style bread, sliced
  • 1/2 lb or more of sliced ham
  • 1/2 lb or more of Gruyère cheese

Directions:

For the bèchamel:

  1. In a 2 quart sauce pan over low heat, melt butter.
  2. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  5. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
  6. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the bread slices on the sheet. Layer the ham evenly on the bread. For each sandwich, spread 1-2 Tbs. of the bèchamel over the ham. Sprinkle the shreaded cheese evenly over the bèchamel. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts evenly and browns slightly. Serve immediately.

Tres Leches (3 Milks Cake)

A co-worker of mine suggested that I make this cake for some of our matches during the Gold Cup. It was a huge hit!

Ingredients:

  • Yellow cake (cooled to room temperature) I make two 9-inch rounds and layer the cake.
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 (14-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons light rum
  • Dulce de leche (caramel syrup)

Directions:

Invert the cake into a jelly roll pan or baking tray with a raised edge (something to catch the syrup). Use a fork to pierce holes in the top of the cake. Another option is to cut off a very thin top layer of the cake.

Milk Syrup

Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and rum in a mixing bowl, until well blended. Pour syrup over the cake a little at a time, until it soaks through. This is a cake that demands patience! Pour the milk syrup slowly and let it soak in. Use your fork to help it along a bit, piercing here and there through the syrup until it soaks in. Keep doing this until most of the milk syrup is absorbed. Don’t worry if there is still a pool of syrup around the bottom of the cake, it will gradually soak in. Cover the now syrup-drenched cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours.

Before you serve, spread a layer of dulce de leche on the top of one of the 9-inch cakes. Then put the other 9-inch cake on top. Drizzle more dulce de leche on top of this cake and down the sides of the cake. Be generous on with the dulce de leche.

Enjoy!