BIZZY BAKES

One of the most difficult choices, I have to make, is when we select our dishes for the upcoming months.  I guess, if this was really the most difficult, I would have a pretty easy life with little challenge and that certainly is not true. Regardless, picking recipes when there are so many wonderful ones to choose from and the desire to write down a dozen instead of one, can be frustrating.  It is a good frustration, knowing I will be making these dishes but until I get to that point, the road is bumpy. As the weeks go by and I make my choices and those of the other members, I am happy for these moments of indecision.  I get to eat tasty plates of goodness or at times a disappointing food which i can eliminate from future meals.  Either way, I feel like a winner. When I selected the pasta with smoked salmon and dill sauce, I thought it had cheese so when I got my ingredients together, I was surprised to find this was quite different than what I had expecte...

I must make a confession.  When I see the words, "goat cheese" in a recipe, I almost always make it.  Goat cheese has a delicious flavor and it seems to improve every dish,it is incorporated in.  It certainly worked well with this frittata. Originally, I was using a dish from a magazine but by the time I finished cooking it, there was no real resemblance to the original.  I used spinach instead of asparagus, added in smoked salmon, baked instead of broil, added onion. While this is a frittata which was the original, I can't imagine much else about it that is the same. Hubby and I both ooohed and ahhhed over this.   Veggie Frittata Starring Goat Cheese Ingredients: 2 - 3 cups spinach 1 medium onion, sliced 1 teaspoon chives 1 teaspoon dill 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 ounces soft goat cheese, cut in slices 1 cup smoked salmon, shredded Method: Prehea...

We are big fans of smoked salmon so I knew, we would like this, which we did. I made this, the day after Passover ended and I had not shopped yet so I am missing capers and of all things, lemons. That is what happens after the holiday. I made do with lemon juice but I am sure the zest would have turned this into a more flavorful dish. This is a throw together dish and took little time to make. I don't like mint in this kind of dish so that was eliminated.    Lemon and Dill Smoked Salmon Pasta Ingredients: 200g spaghetti (gluten-free) 1 tablespoon lemon zest  2 tablespoons lemon juice  ⅓ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves 2 slices sliced smoked salmon, torn 1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and chopped 2 green onions (scallions), trimmed and sliced sea salt and cracked black pepper Method: Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and return to t...

Cabbage has been popular in my family for years. Even as a child, I remember cabbage, onions and noodles with some brown sugar and a good shake of black pepper.   For me, cabbage adds crunch and flavor to dishes which need something to shake them up.  I keep a bag of shredded cabbage on hand, most of the time.  Cole slaw also was popular. It seemed, no matter where we went, there was cole slaw, potato salad and macaroni salad which is why, at least macaroni salad is not made often, in my kitchen.  Salads have changed dramatically over the years.  Sure, we still have variations of the tomato and lettuce salad but how many different kinds of lettuce or how many varieties of tomatoes, do we have?  I like using spinach with lettuce or in place of lettuce. I remember the traditional macaroni salad with too much mayo and a few vegetables.  I certainly did not see spaghetti in a salad with soy sauce, sesame oil, peanuts and scallions.   ...

The first Friday of the month has arrived and so has Ina Garten Fridays.  Ina Fridays is a group who cooks recipes from the Barefoot Contessa monthly.  We do have a theme as to what part of the meal is represented.  This month, we are sharing appetizers.  I left my choice to the end of the month and as life would have it, an answer came to me by chance.   My husband went to a Bris (ritual circumcision) in the morning and brought me back a bagel and a large piece of cheese cake.  The day before, looking for appetizers, I had come across this spread but was not enthusiastic.  When I saw the bagel, I thought perfect, I will have it on a bagel.  I only cut up half to make it an appetizer.  It would have been yummy between two halves of the whole bagel. Smoked Salmon Spread (Ina Garten)   (adapted) Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used whipped cream cheese) 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspo...

To continue on in my"use it up" approach to cooking that package of lox (smoked salmon) was just sitting in the refrigerator not being pursued. It is not that we don't like it; we most certainly do. It is that, thankfully, the refrigerator and cupboard are full and there is always something delicious to make. I decided, it was the turn of the smoked salmon to be created with. Actually, Cooking Light did the creating. I was more like a sub-contractor, doing the detail work to make it better. I added the red bell pepper and spinach to the mix and used sour cream instead of whipping cream. I also did not use butter and only used olive oil. We have lots of chives in the garden so that became part of this soup. Whatever I did and whatever the recipe said, the results were astounding. My husband who has been for stopping soup until next Fall, could not stop raving. Smoked Salmon Chowder (adapted from Cooking Light) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil 2 medium potatoes,...

Schedule I am a Brooklyn gal.  My middle name is Lox.  Lox is smoked salmon and I think, it is wonderful.  I know, most people eat lox in a bagel, maybe with cream cheese.  I do that too.  I also use lox in soups, salads, eggs and with vegetables.  When I came across this recipe, it had my name on it, Lox.  So, as Lox, I changed the recipe to add the smoked salmon to the egg mixture rather than on top of it. Latkes with Lox  -  Taste of Home  (adapted) Ingredients 2 cups  finely chopped scallions 1/4 cup  brown rice flour mixture or AP flour 1/2 teaspoon  coarsely ground pepper 4 eggs, lightly beaten 4 pounds  russet potatoes, peeled and shredded 1/4 cup  olive oil 4 ounces  lox olive oil Directions In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  Stir in eggs until blended.  Add potatoes and lox; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large nons...

I am a bit scared that I am in hot water. As you know, I started my Lunch Project to avoid falling into the rut of just grabbing something, for a major meal, lunch. Yesterday was a great success and I enjoyed my tomato dish. Today, I had an even more enjoyable dish, which I will share with you, but this one is not as healthy. I am weighing it out in my mind, one piece of bread without crust, 1/2 cup cheese, onion, 1 potato, 2 eggs, 1 slice of lox and a little milk. Tell me, it is not sinful. Absolutely no additional fat, noting the word additional, and no additional salt, again that word, was included. What if I do this, everyday? I guess, I will just have to look into our Recipe Box and find some healthy recipes to make but I still want some indulgent ones for those days I NEED to indulge myself, yeah sure. Please leave both, some to give me comfort and some to keep me healthy. You are the greatest. Since I eat only kosher food, I can't have milk and meat at the same me...

I love my new Muffin Mondays.  Should I admit to you, I have made three different muffins, in preparation for today? I must share the non-traditional one which we ate for breakfast.  When I saw this recipe, I was sure, it had flour in it plus a little baking powder but it doesn't.  It is egg with the fillings.  Instead of a meat, I used smoked salmon.  I love this and I hope, I make it many more times.  The recipe lends itself to different fillings and seasonings.  It was fun making. I cut part of the recipe in half since this was for two of us.  I left most of the ingredients at the same amount as the full recipe for flavor.  It worked well.  Below is my recipe.  Check Taste of Home for the full recipe. Scrambled Egg Muffins   adapted from Taste of Home    Ingredients 1/4 pound smoked salmon (lox), chopped into small pieces 6 eggs 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1...

I was visiting Honey From Rock and came across a delicious looking recipe for a salmon      quiche with potato and dill.  An hour later, hubby and I were eating a variation of the recipe and it was as delicious as it looked on her blog.  Go to her blog to see the quiche recipe and I will share my version of a casserole with all that goodness. This is the kind of meal, I like, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is food, I simply love and I could eat it, every week, with ease.  I want to try it with sliced tomatoes or with spinach.  I think that would give a nice variation.  If I had plain yogurt, I would have used that instead of the sour cream and plan to do so, in the future. We both enjoyed this immensely.  There is a small piece left and I am wondering which of us will get to it, first. Serve this with a salad of greens for a counterpoint to the casserole.  Yum. Salmon and Potato Breakfast Casserole  ( adapted from Ho...