Sunday, March 15, 2015

Panko-Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

Hello all & happy spring! Ahhh, this weather is just beautiful. As a matter of fact, while I write this post it is just too pretty to be inside. So instead, I'm sitting outside on my porch feeling chilly because it's now 6:00 in the evening, the sun is going down, & the temperature is cooling. But I absolutely refuse to go back inside just yet. I spend enough time inside during the rest of the week!

Spring always makes me start thinking of lighter recipes. Recipes that taste good, but aren't so hearty. Simple ingredients, fairly quick cooking time, etc. I discovered this salmon recipe on Pinterest just a couple of weeks ago and fell head over heels in love with it. My husband & I both love salmon & we love honey mustard flavoring. So I bought a big bag of salmon and we've had it for supper about 3 nights a week for the past 2 weeks! Having it tonight as a matter of fact. :)

Honestly, this recipe is super basic. You combine the mustard, honey, & garlic, then proceed to brush it on both sides of each fillet. Next you just transfer it to the crumb mixture, coat both sides & toss it in the oven - in a dish of course. ;)



It bakes about 13-15 minutes and - DONE! :) I love how easy it is, & how light, & this same recipe works great with chicken breasts or tenders as well if you're not a fish person. :)



Panko-Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

Ingredients:
4 (6oz.) salmon fillets
1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard...)
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9 x 13 glass dish with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together honey, mustard, & garlic. In a seperate dish, mix bread crumbs, parsley, & lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil & toss to coat. 
3. Take one piece of salmon at a time & dip it into the honey mustard mixture, turning to coat both sides. Transfer to the bread crumb dish & do the same. Place fillets in spraying baking dish.
4. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes until the salmon has cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges (optional, but it makes it way prettier :) ).


--Recipe from: cookingclassy.com--



Saturday, March 7, 2015

Onion Strings!

Y'all. These onion strings are the greatest. The. Greatest. I have tried making onion rings in the past & it they just never turned out good. So I gave up on them for a few years. And then, I came across this recipe. The picture made my mouth water & the fact that they were onion strings rather than onion rings really appealed to me. They looked super crispy-crunchy and I just had to try them.

Place very thinly sliced onions in a dish with buttermilk & let them soak for an hour. My dish was a little small - a 9x13 would be good.



After the onions have soaked in the buttermilk, the dry ingredients & seasoning for the onion strings will be mixed together in a bowl.



Then the onions will be tossed in the flour mixture and...




...placed in a Dutch oven of hot oil. 



Fry them until they're golden brown & then - try not to drool, or pass out from excitement, or eat them all at one time! ;) 



These are sooo simple & so good! Great to have with sandwiches, as a topping for a casserole, or on a burger - my favorite option. =D They are packed with flavor & super crispy. I guarantee this recipe will become a favorite in your kitchen! :)

Onion Strings

Ingredients:
1 whole large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tblsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 - 2 qts. Canola oil
black pepper to taste

1. Slice the onion very thin & place in a glass dish with buttermilk. Let soak for 1 hour. 

2. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 375 degrees.

4. Grab some onions, toss them in the flour mixture, & shake off any excess flour.  Drop (carefully!) in the hot oil & fry for a few minutes until they start to turn golden brown.

5. Repeat with the rest of the onions & then DIG IN! :) 

--Recipe from: The Pioneer Woman--