Starkist

Starkist Salmon & Tuna Creations
With Recipe For: Salmon Corn Chowder 

I am so excited about these Starkist Creations! I have tried a few and they are so good. They are great for lunch or a quick snack. There are so many to choose from, there are also Kid's Creations. There are a lot of unique flavors as well. Some of the flavors I wasn't sure about, but they worked! I was surprised, like Hot Buffalo for example, it is not something I have even considered, but my family loved it. These are good right out of the pouch, on salads, sandwiches, crackers etc. They are a lot healthier, cheaper and convenient than take out. You can visit Starkist to check out all the different product, I was surprised how many there is to choose from. They also have amazing recipes on their site. All the product are low calorie, high protein, and rich in omega 3's.

I used the Lemon Dill Salmon to make Salmon Corn Chowder (recipe is below) I usually cook up some salmon fillets while the soup cooks in my slow cooker and add it in at the end. I was busy the other day and didn't have time to stop for fresh fillets, so I said i'm just going to try these and see what happens. It was delicious, I obviously prefer the fillets but this is a good substitute if you busy and don't have the time to cook.

I used the Mango Salmon to make fish tacos. I heated up the Salmon in a hot skillet sprayed with a little olive oil. I placed the salmon in warm tortilla and topped it with mango salsa, lettuce and cilantro-lime cream sauce. (recipe will be up on blog soon, be sure to come back and check it out!) These fish tacos were amazing, my hubby keeps asking for them. They have become a weekly meal in our house. 

There is actually a really good recipe for the Hot Buffalo Style Tuna Creation that you can find here! It's basically like a buffalo chicken wrap but with tuna. Lettuce, blue cheese, celery in a tortilla. Like I said before this one I was iffy about this one, but it was yummy and a big hit with the kids.



This one I also used one of the recipes found on Starkist. Salmon Cake Salad. They were really good as well. I have never had a Salmon cake but love crab cakes, so I wanted to give it a try. It is a easy, fast recipe and can be found here! The Pink Salmon is 100% wild caught, which is my preference.


I received these Starkist products in exchange for an honest review.

Recipe For Salmon Corn Chowder:

(I substituted the wild salmon fillets with 6 packs of Starkist Salmon Creations Lemon Dill)

Ingredients:

4 cups bottled clam juice or low-sodium chicken broth

1 lb unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, diced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups of corn 

1 bunch of green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 sprigs dill

12 sprigs parsley

6 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

Grated lemon zest and juice of 1 Lemon

1 - 2 lbs of wild salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon White pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped parsley or dill for topping

Directions: 

Put the clam juice in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until very hot, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes, carrots, celery, green onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a 6-quart slow cooker. Tie the dill, parsley, thyme and bay leaves together with twine and add to the slow cooker. Pour in the hot clam juice; cover and cook on high, 3 1/2 hours.

Stir the heavy cream into the vegetables in the slow cooker, then partially submerge the salmon in the liquid. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.

Discard the herb bundle; season the chowder with salt and pepper. Top with parsley or dill and corn. Serve with a warm baguette, bread sticks or crackers.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan with a Truffle Balsamic Glaze

Eggplant Parmesan is a dish I watched my grandfather make many times growing up. I would never eat it when I was a little girl. But once I was a little older and tried it for the first time, it quickly became one of my favorite dishes. I recently made this for my hubby, who was reluctant to try it, but if i put a balsamic glaze on a plate he will eat anything. He tried and loved it, of course. Another great thing about this meal is that it is easy to make and very affordable.

Tip to finding a good eggplant: Check the eggplant the skin should be bright, shiny and smooth. Look for any brown spots or bruises, this is a sign it has gone bad. Press down on the eggplant skin with your thumb, if the spont indents then springs right back up, the fruit is ripe.

Serves approximately 5 - 10 people

(serves 10 as pictured above)

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

3 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons of milk

1 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cups flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

2 cups marinara sauce, (recipe coming soon)

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves as garnish

1 cup canola oil 

Truffle Balsamic Glaze (Optional) 

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey (you can add more if you prefer)

White truffle oil

Directions for Truffle Balsamic Glaze:

(make this first and place in fridge)

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and simmer 20-30 minutes. Drizzle a small amount of white truffle oil.

Remove from heat and let sauce thicken as it cools.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry, then peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch slices.

Lightly season each slice with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl and cover with a paper towel.

You will need 3 bowls, one to beat the eggs with the milk, one for the breadcrumbs, and one for the flour.

Dip each slice of eggplant into the flour, then the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs being sure to coat completely with each step. Set aside on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Once all the eggplant is coated. Place canola oil in a large frying pan and heat oil over medium high heat until oil is hot enough for frying. About 3 minutes. (I like to put a drop of water in the oil if it sizzles, it is ready. Be sure to be careful!)

Fry 3 pieces of eggplant at a time placing the fried pieces on a separate baking sheet covered with a layer of paper towels to absorb excess oil. Once all the eggplant is fried you can begin to assemble it. In a large baking dish add a thin layer of sauce, just enough to completely cover the bottom.

Place one slice of fried eggplant on the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer. Do not overlap the pieces. Add shredded mozzarella on top of each slice. Then add some grated Parmesan cheese to each slice. Top each piece with another eggplant slice and some marinara sauce. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese to each stack.

 Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add more shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each of the eggplant stack. Place back in the oven uncovered and bake until cheese is melted and browned slightly. Remove from oven and allow the dish to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Garnish each piece with fresh basil leave. And drizzle truffle balsamic reduction around outer edge of plate. Enjoy!

Buffalo Crunch Burgers

Buffalo Crunch Burgers

Buffalo Crunch Burger I had to have this again, after having one at Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace. Because I no longer live in New Jersey I made some myself. It is an Angus burger seasoned with salt and pepper. It is topped with hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles and dressing, watercress, and potato chips on a toasted bun. I highly recommend going there to have one if you are ever in Jersey if not make them yourself, I think mine was just as good!

Ingredients:

4 Kaiser Rolls

1 lb Angus Ground Beef

Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Blue Cheese Dressing

Watercress

Clove of Garlic

Salt & Pepper

Kettle Cooked Chips

Oil

Directions:

1. Make 4 1/4 lb patties, press your thumb down in the center of each patty to make a little dip (this keeps them from shrinking when they cook), season them with salt & pepper.

2. Cook burgers in oil, in a frying pan on med/high heat, and cook to you preference.

3. Rub the rolls with cut garlic clove and brush rolls with butter. Toast in frying pan on med heat.

4. Place burgers on rolls, top with blue cheese dressing, red hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles, watercress and potato chips.

Beef On Weck

Beef On Weck 

My hubby is from Western New York, and he always says how much he misses the food. So with a little help from his family, I made him one of his favorites meals, Beef On Weck. His family sent me the Troyer Chips and Weber's Prepared Horseradish along with the recipe for the rolls. I have to admit this sandwich is pretty amazing, and has become a regular meal in my house. I do cheat during the summer, it is way to hot to make roast beef, so i buy it from a NY deli by my house.

Ingredients for Kummelweck Rolls: 
2 tablespoons coarse salt 

2 tablespoons whole caraway seed

1 cup water 

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1/2 cup water, warmed 

12 hard rolls or Kaiser rolls 

Beef on Weck Ingredients: 

1 cup au jus gravy, reserved from roasting the beef 

20 - 32 ounces cooked roast beef, sliced thinly 

3 ounces prepared horseradish 

Directions:
1. Combine coarse salt and whole caraway seed, Heat 1 cup water to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water and add to boiled water. Return to a boil and thicken until it coats a spoon. Cool and store in refrigerator. 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

3. To make kummelweck rolls, take the rolls and place them on baking sheet. Brush the top of rolls with cornstarch solution and sprinkle with seed mixture. Place in oven for about 3 minutes or until kummelweck dries. 

4. For the Beef on Weck: Heat au jus in saucepan until simmering. Dip sliced roast beef in hot au jus and place on cut kummelweck roll. Top with prepared horseradish and dip the top of the roll in the au jus. Serve with dill pickle and chips.

Caprese Grilled Cheese

Caprese Grilled Cheese 

With A Balsamic Reduction

This is phenomenal and so easy to make. I love caprese salad, we had it a lot growing up in an Italian family. My grandfather always served it with warm homemade Italian bread. Over the years we started making it into sandwiches for lunch. My family and I enjoy this so much I decided to share :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 slices of bread (your choice, but I prefer Italian or sourdough) 

2 tablespoons garlic olive oil 

16 slices mozzarella cheese 

2 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

16 large basil leaves

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey (you can add more if you prefer)

salt & pepper (optional)

Directions for balsamic reduction:

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sauce thicken as it cools.

Directions for sandwiches:

Brush all 8 pieces of bread with garlic olive oil.

Take 4 pieces of bread (oiled side down)

Layer each piece of bread with 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of tomato, 2 basil leaves and another slice of cheese. Then top with remaining pieces of bread (oiled side up)

Cook on a pre heated nonstick pan/skillet over medium, greased with butter (or a drizzle of olive oil) until golden brown on both sides and cheese has melted. 

To serve, drizzle plate with balsamic reduction.