Maple-Glazed Salmon with Pineapple

Posted by: Maggie

The weather has been insanely gorgeous here in Virginia over the past several days. Temperatures have been in the low 70s, with bright sunny skies and no humidity to speak of.

I'm trying really hard to enjoy this weather, and to ignore the thoughts of the 95-degree days and humidity that await this area of the country in just a couple short months. For those of you who don't know, I live in Northern Virginia, a few miles outside of Washington, DC. There is a popular misconception that our lovely city was built on a swamp, and while it's technically untrue, it certainly feels accurate from May through September each year. You literally can't walk a block before you start sweating like a whore in church. It's terrible. After 5 summers here, my coping mechanisms include sundresses, ponytails, and copious amounts of cold showering, whining, and complaining. I'm a delight to be around - believe me.

In the interest of celebrating this brief period of nice weather, I wanted to make something light and fresh, instead of the soup recipe that I'd planned to make. I pinned this recipe from Real Simple several weeks ago, and thought it fit the bill perfectly. The original recipe suggests serving this with white rice, which was part of my plan, until I burnt it to an inedible crisp. Oops.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup!)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 6-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat your broiler.

Add maple syrup and mustard to a small saucepan, and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool and thicken for 10 minutes.

Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, and place salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter pineapple and jalapeño around the fish.

Transfer half of the maple dijon glaze to a small container, and brush the remaining half over the fish, discarding any that is leftover. Broil fish for 7-10 minutes, or until it flakes easily and is cooked throughout. My fish was still slightly frozen in the center when I started to cook, so mine took longer than 10 minutes. Start checking for doneness around 7 minutes, because overcooked salmon is dry and icky!

Serve the salmon with the reserved glaze for drizzling.

Printer-friendly
Source: Real Simple

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Posted by: Annie

Boxed cake mixes, boy do you confuse me. I am not supposed to like you, because as someone who enjoys baking I should make everything in the world from scratch (ha!), but when you make a cake as good as this, I must buy you and use you over and over and over again.

I do not exaggerate when I say that this chocolate cake does not taste like anything that comes from a mix. Granted, it is very "jazzed up," but as someone who enjoys the homemade, I always become a little nervous when I see a mix in a recipe. Well, my judgments are over when it comes to this awesome cake! I discovered the recipe back in January and made it for Scott's 30th birthday, and I have made it two additional times since then! It tastes good alone, with ice cream, heated up, from the fridge, and of course as a breakfast treat!

What you will need:

For the cake: 

1 box cake mix (I use Devil's Food Cake)

1 box (3.5 ounces) instant chocolate pudding

2 cups sour cream

3 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (for garnish) 

For the ganache:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil and water on medium speed, until well combined. Next, fold fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Cool cake on a wire rack for fifteen minutes. 

While the cake is cooling, place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan, and bring the cream just to a boil. Pour cream over the chocolate and butter, and stir until smooth.

Once cake is cooled, pour the ganache over the top of the cake and either allow to drizzle down the sides, or spread with a rubber spatula to smooth. (I have done it both ways, and both are equally delish!) Top with mini chocolate chips. 

Printer-friendly

Source: adapted from That's So Yummy 

Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

Posted by: Maggie

I decided after making this pasta salad that fresh dill is my favorite smell in the world. I know I should be telling you how delicious this pasta salad tasted, but I'm really more into talking about the smell. It is intoxicatingly delicious. 

You know how dumb teenagers huff paint and glue? Well, I'm about to start huffing dill. Can someone please turn this scent into a candle or an air-freshener so I can stop making idiotic statements like that? I'm obsessed. 

I'll stop waxing poetic about the smell of dill for 5 seconds to tell you that this pasta salad is not only delicious, but low-fat! The dressing is made of light mayo, cut with some fat-free buttermilk and an epic amount of fresh herbs, instead of straight-up regular mayo, like most pasta salads. This takes about 30 minutes from start to finish to make, including the time it takes for the water to boil. Stupendously easy!

Off to go stick my head in the fridge to sniff the leftover dill...please send help. 

Here's what you'll need:

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta 

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions (omitting salt.) During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add peas and shrimp. Drain, and rinse well with cold water. 

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, chives, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Transfer pasta mixture to a large bowl. Pour dressing onto the pasta, and toss to combine. This is delicious served at room temperature, or chilled. 

Printer-friendly

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light: Best Low-Fat Main Dishes