Bacon-Wrapped Salmon with Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes

Recipe & picture courtesy of Rachael Ray

Serves 4

• 2 pounds small red-skinned or yukon gold potatoes
• Salt
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• A few sprigs thyme
• One 3-inch piece lemon peel
• Pepper
• Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
• 4 slices black-pepper bacon
• 1 head broccoli, cut into spears
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce)

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°. In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain; return to the pot.
2. While the potatoes are working, in a saucepan, combine the chicken broth, cream, thyme sprigs and lemon peel and steep over medium-low heat. Pour over the drained potatoes and mash together; season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
3. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, then wrap each fillet with the bacon. Arrange the fish on a broiler pan and roast until the bacon is almost crisp and the fish is almost firm, about 12 minutes.
4. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, ginger, garlic, EVOO and crushed red pepper; season with salt. Roast in the lower third of the oven until tender, about 12 minutes.
5. In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup and tamari to a boil. Baste the salmon liberally with the glaze and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with the mashed potatoes and broccoli.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Sesame Pork Rice

Recipe & picture courtesy of My Recipes

Makes 4 servings

• 2 (3 1/2-ounce) bags boil-in-bag long-grain rice
• 1 pound boneless center-cut loin pork chops, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic, divided
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger, divided
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Cook rice according to package directions; omit salt. Drain well; set aside.
2. While rice cooks, toss pork with 1/2 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 teaspoon ginger. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 teaspoon ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and vinegar; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in pork; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

**Personal Review: This was very simple to make – it tasted pretty good too – although I think I will add a scrambled egg, onions and other “goodies” to this the next time I make it.**

Festive Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe & picture courtesy of Shape

Serves 4

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lightly salted butter
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• Decorations (dried currants, chopped pistachios, cinnamon candies, or colored sprinkles)

Icing

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Food coloring (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, combine flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Whisk until well blended and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter for 5 minutes. Add molasses and egg; beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture. Divide dough into two flattened disks and seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (shiny side down). On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough at a time until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Decorate with currants, nuts, candies, or sprinkles. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then place on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Icing

1. In a medium bowl, blend confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Divide into smaller bowls and tint with food coloring, if desired.
2. Spread icing onto cookies, or put into a heavy-duty plastic bag with a tiny hole snipped in one corner to pipe onto cookies.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Spicy-Sweet Pork Tenderloin

Recipe & picture courtesy of My Recipes

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
• 1/3 cup bottled salsa
• 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Flatten each pork piece to 1/2-inch thickness using your fingertips. Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mixture evenly over pork slices. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.
3. Add salsa and preserves to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve pork with salsa mixture, and sprinkle with cilantro.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Ice-Cream Pumpkin Pie

Recipe courtesy of National Geographic Kids

• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash of nutmeg
• dash of ground cloves
• graham cracker pie crust

1. Let the ice cream soften
2. Mix together the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves.
3. Stir in the ice cream.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the crust.
5. Cover and freeze for four hours or until firm.

**Personal Review: Awesome, a friend of mine made this with her daughter when I first tried it.  I asked for the recipe and cannot wait to make this on my own.  I love it!**

California Roll Salad

Recipe & picture courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Serves 4

• 1 package(s) (8.8-ounce) precooked white rice in microwavable cups
• 3 tablespoon(s) seasoned light rice vinegar
• 1 head(s) Boston lettuce
• 1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 pound(s) surimi (imitation crabmeat), broken into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) slivered pickled ginger

1. Prepare rice as label directs. Pour rice into medium bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon vinegar; set aside.
2. Arrange lettuce leaves on large platter. Top leaves with seasoned rice, cucumber and avocado slices, and surimi.
3. In cup, mix together soy sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons seasoned vinegar.
4. To serve, drizzle soy dressing over salad; sprinkle ginger on top.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Stuffed Steak

Recipe courtesy of Better Recipes

Serves 4

Marinade

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 c rice wine

Steak

• 4 thickly sliced Sirloin Steaks
• 4 Green Peppers, chopped
• 4 Onions, chopped
• 8 oz. box mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut up

1. Mix ingredients for Marinade.
2. Cut a pocket sideways into the steak (not all the way through.) Add steak to marinade. Allow to marinate for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.
3. Lightly saute Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms and Garlic in a little olive oil. Lift meat from marinade; discard marinade. S
4. poon about HALF of the peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic inside the pocket. Grill on your Foreman or on outside Grill. When steak is nearly done, add about HALF of the cheese into the side of the steak.
5. After grilling, serve steaks topped with the remaining sauteed vegetables and cheese.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Orange Beef and Broccoli

Recipe & picture courtesy of Redbook

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min

• 3 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup(s) chicken broth
• 1/4 cup(s) Asian orange sauce or citrus stir-fry sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) garlic paste
• 3 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 6 small whole dried chiles or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 navel orange
• 1 pound(s) beef sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch slices (1/2-inch thick)
• 1 bag(s) (16-ounce) broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup(s) shredded carrots
• Cooked rice

1. Remove the peel from orange (colored part only) using a vegetable peeler and reserve; juice orange and reserve.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, and egg white until blended; add beef strips; toss to coat.
3. Cook broccoli in microwave with 2 tablespoons water in a microwave-safe bowl covered with vented plastic wrap 2 to 3 minutes on high, or until crisp-tender. Drain; refresh under cold water; reserve.
4. Combine the remaining orange juice and cornstarch, broth, orange sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
5. Drain beef; heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in 2 batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; add orange peel and whole chiles and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until peel and chiles begin to darken and smell fragrant. Pour reserved orange sauce mixture into skillet and cook, stirring, until bubbly and sauce starts to thicken. Add broccoli, beef, and carrot; continue to cook 2 minutes, stirring, until hot and coated with sauce. Serve over cooked rice.

**Personal Review: This was really simple to make – cooked quickly.  Go easy on the red pepper flakes though – wow what a kick!  I also added a bit more orange juice than what I got from the orange itself – I’m glad I did, I really liked the orange hint the meat had!**