With my youngest brother just starting college in a different city five hours away (after finishing at a community college), I decided I just had to make cookies and send some to him.

But what kind of cookies to make and mail? A few people (including my daughter) voted for chocolate chip cookies. Now, I was a little afraid of the result of the heat of the Florida sun beating down on the box of cookies. Can you imagine? Melted chocolate chip cookies?

Cookie dough, before the oatmeal, pecans and raisins were added. Note the real vanilla in the corner.

Erring on the side of caution, not knowing how long the mail would take to deliver them, I made oatmeal pecan raisin cookies.

I found a great recipe by Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa), and whipped them up. These are for cookie lovers, and I think they are a great cookie for males. These are big, honking cookies. They’re definitely not dainty. And they’re absolutely delicious.

Cookies, about to go in the oven.

What makes these cookies really stand out is that you toast the pecans in the oven, let them cool, then rough chop them and add them last to the cookie mix. The toasted pecans are simply amazing and add a certain je ne saus quoi to the treat.

The best part is the cookies did not taste stale when they finally got to my brother, 7 days after I mailed them. Don’t ask why it took so long. I’m still wondering myself. And just think, the post office may stop delivering mail on Saturday’s. Now that would throw an even bigger monkey wrench into mailing cookies!

Photo by Kelly Estes

Salmon Putanesca

It’s a very common problem. Thankfully, after taking a 3-hour cooking class on various ways to cook fish, I’m more confident about serving up a delicious seafood meal! The Salmon Putanesca dish we cooked that evening wowed me.

When you go to buy fish, whether it’s for Salmon Putanesca or another dish, don’t let the seafood person make you take the tail of the fish, head chef Michael Ramsey counseled. The seafood person in the grocery store will give you the fillets he wants to ‘move,’ unless you tell him or her exactly what you want.

And since fish tends to be pricier than meat, tell the seafood guy what you’d like: four 6 ounce fillets with no ‘tail.’ That thin piece on the fish that cooks more quickly than the rest of the fish and tastes very overdone? That’s the tail you don’t want. Calling ahead may save you time and frustration at the seafood counter, depending on the service at the store you frequent.

Waiting for the liquid in the salmon putanesca to reduce by half.

I found this advice from a seasoned chef, given at a recent cooking class, fascinating and helpful. My classmates and I liked his reasoning of not paying for the part of the fish (the tail) that no one wants. Why should you have to take the tail part, when you’re paying a pretty penny for fish?

My favorite recipe of the evening was the Salmon Putanesca. The flavors of the anchovy, Kalamata olives, and spices created an amazing flavor and dish.

One person in the class accidentally dumped about 1 Tablespoon of crushed red pepper in their salmon dish, adding some heat and spice to the very air. People (including myself) started coughing. Thankfully a couple windows were opened to clear the air a little.

We had no time to make a side dish, but next time I’ll serve the Salmon Putanesca over pasta.

Even though two tablespoons of butter are used in the preparation of four salmon filets, the Salmon Putanesca racks up high points in my book. Doing the math, you’re dishing up 1/2 tablespoon butter per serving of salmon. Not bad.

Salmon Putanesca

*recipe by Chef Michael Ramsey

• 4 6 oz. filets of salmon, skinned
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil; regular olive oil is better able to withstand high heat, according to the chef)
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or less, depending on how spicy you like it)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives
• 1 Tablespoon capers, drained
• 1 anchovy, minced
• 1 cup fresh tomato, diced
• 4 ounces chicken stock
• 4 ounces dry white wine
• 1 Tablespoon basil, chiffonade
• fresh cracked pepper to taste (no need to add salt, due to saltiness of ingredients)
• 2 Tablespoons butter

1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on high heat until it just begins to smoke. Carefully place the filets in the pan, one at a time, shaking the pan between to prevent sticking. Allow the filets to sear undisturbed one minute.

2. Carefully turn the filets over in the pan in the order that they went in, again shaking the pan to prevent sticking.

3. After one minute, remove the filets and place on serving plates.

4. Quickly add the shallots, olives and capers.

5. Then add the garlic, crushed red pepper and anchovy, stirring constantly.

6. Add tomatoes and saute for 30 seconds.

7. Add the white wine and chicken stock, and reduce the liquid by half.

8. If a more well-done temperature is desired, place the salmon back in the pan at this time (I certainly did, for about 4 more minutes). Once the liquid has reduced by half, add the basil and butter, and stir until the butter is incorporated. Serve over the salmon.

When I purchase fish next time, we’ll see what kind of pushback I get from the purveyor about no tail on my salmon!

Irish brown bread, just baked.

Last fall, my husband and I enjoyed the International Food & Wine Festival (the kids, not so much). I bought a cookbook as a memento.

Irish bread dough after the dough hook was done with it!

You won’t be surprised to learn that I’m always on the lookout for awesome cookbooks, and I happened upon a compilation of tested recipes for the home cook at Epcot, aptly named Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Cookbook.

Being part Irish, I love bread, and was happy to find a recipe for Irish brown bread in that cookbook. Despite my best efforts, my new cookbook got shelved until just recently, when I finally made sure I had all the needed ingredients to make the Irish brown bread. Even better, I realized after reading the recipe that I could do it in my Kitchen Aid mixer using my dough hook, instead of kneading the dough by hand!

Bread dough in the pan, with oatmeal in center, ready to bake.

This is a very easy bread to make. I think what took the longest is getting all my dry ingredients together. Twenty minutes, and I had the bread dough in the pan, and in the 400 degree oven.

This Irish brown bread is delightful; it’s rustic and a little sweet from the dark brown sugar it contains. Perfect as an appetizer, as one of my favorite Downtown Disney restaurants, Raglan Road, serves it, or alongside a meat and potatoes dinner. Apparently this Irish brown bread is delicious with a cold glass of Guinness beer. I’ll leave that assessment up to you beer drinkers out there.

Irish Brown Bread~recipe from 2009 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Cookbook

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking Irish oatmeal, plus 1 tablespoon (not instant oatmeal; I used 1-minute quick cooking Quaker Oats oatmeal)
• 1/4 cup wheat or oat bran (I used oat bran)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (make sure to use dark, not light sugar)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x4x3-inch loaf pan.

(Following are my directions to make the bread using a stand mixer; feel free to make the bread by hand, as the original recipe instructs).

1. Combine the dry ingredients (flour through dark brown sugar) in a bowl. Stir with fork to blend. Attach dough hook to stand mixer, and then pour dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Blend dry ingredients on low for up to a minute.
2. Combine canola oil and buttermilk in a measuring cup.
3. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk and oil mixture into the ‘well.’ Combine for 1-2 minutes on low using the dough attachment, or until a soft dough forms. Continue to combine until the dough is smooth.
4. Scrape batter into greased pan, and using the back of a metal spoon, make a 1/2-inch long well down the middle of the dough. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of oatmeal along the center.
5. Bake 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed into middle of bread. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack in the bread pan for 10 minutes.

What’s your favorite bread to make as an accompaniment to dinner? And are you contemplating attending the next Food & Wine Festival at Epcot this fall?

Photo by Kelly Estes

Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and flavored to the nines, these fish cakes are a delight to eat.

Thankfully, the fish cakes appeal to both kids and adults. Have you had fish cakes before? If not, you’re in for a treat when you make this fish entree!

A few weeks ago, I picked up two 12 ounce bags of frozen cod at the local grocery store. Lucky for me, the special was buy one get one free on the bags of frozen fish. I also wanted to make a horseradish dip to go with the fish cakes, so I procured items for the dip as well.

The only drawback to the Joy of Cooking recipe I tweaked and used for the fish cakes is it can seem to take forever to make them if you don’t broil the fish ahead of time. In order to avoid that feeling, I broiled the cod in the morning, and after it cooled a little, refrigerated the cooked fish in the refrigerator until closer to dinnertime.

Also, I prepared the horseradish sauce in the morning, and lightened it using a combination of fat free and reduced fat sour cream. I also omitted the hot red pepper sauce, as the result would’ve been too spicy for our family. And, I knew from past experience that the horseradish cream recipe can easily be halved (it makes quite a lot).

In doing some of the cooking ahead of time, the prepping for the fish cakes seems much easier. I love it when making an involved entree seems simple!

If you like it spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper to the breading mixture. If not, do what I did. I omitted the ground red pepper from the fish mixture, and reduced the amount of salt by 1/4 teaspoon. I also used Progresso plain bread crumbs, not homemade bread crumbs. I found that in using prepared bread crumbs I only needed 1 cup instead of the 2 cups called for in the original recipe. I also used light mayonnaise instead of regular. In all, this is a great Joy of Cooking recipe, and one that lends itself well to lightening and reducing sodium if needed.

Because the fish cakes you form contain the cooked fish, they saute very fast. Amazingly, you only need to cook them two minutes each side.

Broiling the fish

Preheat to broil

Place cod fillets on a broiler pan (about 1 1/2 pounds fresh or defrosted cod for 4 servings). Lightly season with a small pinch of kosher salt. Place a pat of butter on top of each fillet. Broil for 7 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before putting in a container and refrigerating the cod for later.

Horseradish Cream

• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 tablespoon drained horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh dill
• small pinch of salt, to taste

Mix above ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate the sauce until needed.

Fish Cakes

serves 4 (2 fish cakes per person)

Combine thoroughly in a large bowl:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked and flaked fish (an oily fish makes the cake more moist; salmon, snapper, halibut and cod are recommended)
• 5 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

On a big plate spread out

• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Once the mixture is well combined, form 8 fish cakes. Be sure to firmly press together the fish cakes so they do not fall apart. Place each fish patty into the breadcrumbs so that all sides are coated with breadcrumbs.

Over medium heat, in a cast iron pan or other large skillet, put:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (add more if need be)

Put fish cakes into the hot skillet. You’ll probably end up doing two batches like me (4 fish cakes each batch). Cook fish patties ’til browned on both sides, about 2 minutes each side. Serve with the delicious horseradish cream sauce. I like to serve brown rice, black beans, and a fresh green salad with this dish. Enjoy!

Photo by Kelly Estes

My family loved this recipe. We came home ‘starving’ after a longer than usual mass. I was thankful my husband had started this crockpot recipe early Sunday morning, so that brunch would be ready when we got home. When we arrived back home, the aroma in our kitchen from this Sausage and Potato Bake was wonderful!

The smokiness and slight spiciness of the turkey smoked sausage permeates the entire dish and adds an addictive, delicious flavor. The crunch of the corn is also delightful, and something my kids loved. I served the Sausage and Potato bake with a few sliced Ugly Ripe Tomatoes (sprinkled with a little salt and pepper). There was one serving left; my 7-year-old claimed it for her breakfast the next morning.

Crockpot Sausage and Potato Bake

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours, 5 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
• 14 oz. turkey smoked sausage, sliced (the Lite smoked sausage contained more fat than the turkey smoked sausage, so be sure to read the labels!)
• 10 3/4 oz. can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced sodium Beef broth
• 16 oz. frozen hash browns

Directions

Put all ingredients into crockpot. Stir. Make sure the smoked sausage is not touching the sides of the crockpot, as it may get overcooked there.

Cook on high for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Photo by Kelly Estes

What is it about Asian food that compels you to keep eating? I suspect it has a lot to do with the saltiness and the sweetness that is in most Asian dishes.

Recently I made Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs for the first time, and they turned out perfectly. I love it when that happens! Sometimes I try a new recipe and it doesn’t work out (that’s always a bummer).

So, if you have a hankering for P.F. Chang’s this weekend, but can’t indulge for one reason or another, try making the Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs. They were so good that my kids didn’t complain about the shiitake mushrooms or scallions which were part of the dish. In fact, there was no complaining. There was only silence, murmurs of “delicious,” “awesome,” and “wow.”

Just thinking about the taste of that dish makes me want to try a twist on it this weekend. I’ll post about the results next week. What are some of your favorite, lip-smacking dishes that you’ve had in a restaurant, and would like to replicate at home? Your answers are ideas for me to rustle up recipe solutions in the kitchen.

So, think about it. What dishes would you like to be able to cook up with ease in your kitchen?

All this healthy cooking and baking has me hankering for just a little unhealthy treat. Trouble is, I just can’t bring myself to cook something for dinner that is not low-fat. I’d be messing up my husband’s streak of eating nutritious, low-fat, or at least lower in fat meals.

But a girl can dream about cupcakes or a nice pot roast, right? Come with me on my imaginary food journey.

Becky of English Mum shared her mum’s recipe for marmalade, and it had me salivating over the possibility of making marmalade (which I’ve never done) and having it on a whole wheat bagel one morning. Rebecca Crump of Ezra Pound Cake had the most divine looking panna cotta with blackberry sauce that made my mouth start watering over the very thought of sneaking even one bite of that dessert. Oooh, but let’s move on to entrees. One cannot eat dessert all day!

I happened upon Wanna-be Lasagna from Kitchen Stewardship, and I was happily surprised to find a lower fat, Italian recipe that looked delicious. I’ve been trying to find more meatless recipes (with Lent coming up) and I found one that I’d love to try: a veggie muffaletta. A tip of the hat to Kona Gallagher at CliqueClack Food for what looks like a delicious meat-free sandwich.

I am starting to feel hungry looking at all that good food, so I must go. Mmmmm. I couldn’t help myself and I made blueberry pecan oatmeal muffins. I’m afraid they are not low-fat. What food are you pining to have?

Photo by Kelly Estes