Happy Valentine's Day!

Every year since moving to Philly Mr. Lawyer and I hunker down and prepare a fancy salmon meal together. We avoid the restaurant crowds and go out for a nice dinner the following week. It's pretty awesome.

Our Valentine's Day Salmon Tradition!

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

And now on to Year 4!

Pink and Red Fiesta for some holiday cheer!

 Looking good.

 Delicious! This year I went with my Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce, my famous asparagus, and a quinoa-brown rice.

During dinner Mr. Lawyer learned of my inexperience with Tastykake. I've only ever had the kandy kakes. We fixed this by polishing off our bottle of wine, walking down to the Wawa, and purchasing a nice sampling of sugary goodness. Behold our Tastykake and wine paring! Does it get any more Philly than that?

 Although Mr. Lawyer stated that being married to me makes every day Valentine's and therefore he wasn't getting me a gift he showed up with a cheese & chocolate "bouquet" and gorgeous flowers. He received the very thoughtful gift of a renewed subscription to Field & Stream. 

 We popped open some fancy wedding champagne to celebrate our first Valentine's together as a married couple.

 Then we moved all the furniture and brought in all the blankets and pillows to have a camp out. We feasted on our cheese and champagne while watching WALL-E, a movie that has special significance to our time in grad school.

One more awesome Valentine's Day for the books!

It burns!

Why are my lungs burning? Oh right, simmering jalapenos. This recipe was a little underwhelming. The flavor wasn't there for me. You could taste the jalapenos but the sweet orange flavor didn't pop. Of course we've been spoiled with some very flavorful and amazing salmon recipes lately: Sweet & Salty, Asian with Lime Drizzle, and Teriyaki with Sriracha Cream. I think that adding orange zest might have helped bring out the sweet orange flavor.

Jalapeno-Orange Glazed Salmon

(from wearenotmartha.com)

Ingredients:
2 jalapeños, 1 minced, 1 sliced
1/4 cup orange juice (and maybe some zest?!)
1/8 cup honey
2 salmon fillets
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1) Put the minced jalapeño, orange juice, and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 8-10 minutes until it thickens.
2) Brush the salmon lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the jalapeno-orange juice mixture is done simmering, brush about half of the mixture over the salmon.
3) Grill salmon on medium-medium low in frying pan for about 3 minutes on each side.
4) Remove salmon from pan and immediately put jalapeño rounds in grill pan. Turn heat to medium-high and grill until browned.
5) Brush salmon with the remaining jalapeno-orange mixture and top with grilled jalapeno rounds.

Teriyaki Salmon

I've been craving salmon lately and was debating whether I should go with our favorite Asian Salmon with Lime Drizzle or experiment with a new recipe. Luckily my mind was made up when the Mother Unit forwarded me a recipe from her co-worker and blog stalker (Hey Mr. Patrick!). Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce was a hit and will rank as our favorite #2 salmon recipe. The sweetness of a the teriyaki cut the spiciness of the sriracha and made it very enjoyable. You could probably get away without adding the condensed milk to the cream sauce so you don't have a full can of the stuff sitting in your fridge like I currently do (I see some iced coffee in my future). There is a lot of the sriracha sauce leftover but Mr. Lawyer has plans to use it on his breakfast burrito. I thought it made a lot of teriyaki marinade so I reserved a little bit of it and added it to some stir-fried veggies (mushrooms, bok choy, and onion).

Wicket the Wok and I are getting along swimmingly nowadays. After 1+ year and many tears, he's wonderfully seasoned and nothing has stuck to him for months! 

Stir fry those veggies!

Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce

(from damndelicious.net)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 salmon filets
Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Sliced green onions, for garnish
For the Sriracha cream sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Directions:
1. To make the Sriracha cream sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Sriracha and condensed milk in a small bowl. Taste for spiciness and add more Sriracha as needed; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer.
4. Stir in the cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
5. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine the teriyaki marinade and salmon filets; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
7. Place the salmon filets along with the marinade onto the prepared baking dish and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.
8. Serve the salmon immediately with rice and a drizzle of the Sriracha cream sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions

Home Run Salmon!

Winner winner salmon dinner! This dish was excellent and might even beat out my Sweet & Salty Salmon! The Sweet & Salty recipe is a marinade so there was more flavor throughout the fillet but this Lime Drizzle is a glaze so each bite had a more concentrated flavor. And boy what a flavor it was! I think this will be making a regular appearance on my dinner menu. This gets four thumbs up from us!

Asian Salmon with Lime Drizzle

(Pinterest find! From Epicurious)

Ingredients:
1 cup jasmine rice (I used brown rice)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 package baby spinach
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (I used white sesame seeds)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. 

2. Cook rice as directed on package. 

3. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and pepper flakes until garlic is lightly golden, 1 minute. Add syrup, juice and soy sauce; cook until bubbling, 3 minutes. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water; stir into garlic glaze. Cook until slightly thick, 1 minute. 

4. Arrange fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread 1-2 teaspoon glaze over each fillet. Roast until just cooked through, 12 minutes. 

5. In a medium skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add spinach; sauté until just wilted. Remove from pan; set aside. 

6. Divide rice and spinach evenly, top with salmon fillet. Drizzle with remaining sauce; sprinkle each with sesame seeds.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We stuck with our Valentine's tradition of staying home and cooking salmon. In my opinion, this year was the best because I've found a marinade recipe that both of us absolutely love: Sweet and Salty Salmon. It was my second time preparing salmon this way and it didn't disappoint.

I loved showing off my new colorful tableware.

Our Valentine's Day Salmon Tradition!

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3!

It's always served up with asparagus. Can't go wrong with that.

Sweet and Salty Salmon

I've been craving salmon lately and this recipe did the trick. The slightly sweet and salty marinade won us both over. The original recipe is for the grill but we baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Perfection. This one will be making another appearance! I served it up with my asparagus and some couscous. 

Grilled Sweet and Salty Salmon

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

**Or bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees**

Camping in Style!

For the holiday weekend we ventured up to the Finger Lakes for some awesome camping that included hitting up the wineries. Best type of camping ever. As per usual, we camp in style!

You wish your camping food looked like this!

Pine-Smoked & Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:

1 to 2 large handfuls green pine needles
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup grade-B maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons freshly milled black pepper
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, patted dry
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare a medium-high-heat fire, with the flames occasionally licking the grill grate. Let it burn for at least 30 minutes. Whilst the fire heats, soak the pine needles in the bourbon.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the syrup, mustard, and pepper. Season the salmon generously with salt and coat with the glaze.
3. Place a large cast-iron skillet upon the grill grate. Let it heat until very hot. Using tongs or one's own gloved hand, press the needles into the bottom of the skillet, taking care not to drizzle combustible bourbon into the flames, and place the rack on top of the needles. Place the fish on top of the rack and cover the pan. Cook until the fish is just opaque, about 15 minutes for medium. Serve, brushed with additional glaze, if desired.

This is by far the best fish recipe I have had in a long time....maybe ever. We decided it could be replicated by broiling it at home. The bourbon and pine needles was fun but we couldn't taste any flavors from it. The majority of the flavor came form the glaze and man oh man was it yummy. We had salmon AND white fish, both were delicious. Speaking of delicious: those campfire potatoes! The most heavenly thing I have smelled in my whole life was those potatoes and onions cooking mixed in with campfire smoke. My heart is getting all melty just thinking about it. No joke. Most wonderful smell ever (and they tasted good too!)

Campfire Potatoes

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken broth
Directions:
1. Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 in. x 20 in.); dot with butter.
2. Combine the cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes.
3. Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Care to see the rest of our great Camping Adventure to the Finger Lakes? See more pictures after the jump!

Valentine's Day Lovin!

Mr. Lawyer came home and said "What kind of cocktail should we make? I found a recipe for a Frangelico Martini." (We've been trying to experiment with our bar a little more lately). Suddenly, I was struck by inspiration! "What if we use the whipped cream vodka?!" The response? "Done." The inspiration: the last time we went down to NYC to see some college friends we were given a Chocolate Covered Pretzel shot. You lick some salt and take the shot, equal parts Frangelico and whipped cream vodka. It was divine. It actually tasted like a chocolate covered pretzel.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Martini

(inspired by the chocolate covered pretzel shot)

Ingredients:

Frangelico

Whipped Cream Vodka

Salt

Ice

Directions:

1. Combine equal parts Frangelico and vodka with ice in a shaker. Shake and pour into a salt rimmed glass.

We don't really like going out for Valentine's because everything is so packed and you feel rushed. Our tradition the past couple of years is to cook a nice meal together (this is actually a challenge for me as I like to have everything ready as soon as Mr. Lawyer walks through the door). I made my roasted asparagus with a twist. I added some herbs de provence instead of straight salt/pepper/garlic. Mr. Lawyer  did his baked salmon. He lightly covered the fillets with butter, seasoned with pepper and smoked sea salt and baked it at 400 for 15 minutes. It was all washed down with a bottle of our New Hampshire wine we picked up on our September vacation (Stone Gate Vineyard: their website is here!).

I'm loving these orange roses and gerber daisies!

Self Explanatory

Bagels and Lox
(from everyone)

Ingredients:
Bagels
Cream Cheese
Lox
Other things....like onions or capers
Directions:
1. Put it all together and eat it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I started my morning by making surprise Almond Valentine Cookies. This recipe is also known as Candy Cane Cookies but I just shaped mine into hearts instead of candy canes. I was also trying out an almond emulsion instead of extract. Emulsions are often used by professional bakers for a more in your face flavor. They are alcohol free so the flavor doesn't bake off when it's heated. The cookies did come out pretty almond-y!

Almond Valentine Cookies

(Joy of Baking)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsaltedbutter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or almond emulsion!)
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.
2. In a second bowl beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.
3. Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl. To the remaining half add the red food coloring and beat on low speed until well blended.
4. Take a walnut sized piece of red dough and a walnut sized piece of white dough. Separately, roll each color on a lightly floured surface, into a 4-5 inch long rope. Place the two ropes side by side, gently press together, and twist the two ropes to form a spiral. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Shape each cookie into a cane shape or a heart!
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 8-10 minutes.

Almond cookies are a nice alternative to your overly sweet cookie. However, this dough is a pain in the butt to work with and you must have patience when twisting the shapes as it is prone to cracking. The cookies are also very fragile when baked so stick to smaller shapes, not giant hearts that break when you carry them all the way down to city hall.

I also made some chocolate covered strawberries! I had some leftover bittersweet chocolate from my birthday Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes so I heated it up, dipped in my strawberries and boom! I butchered up some milk chocolate with white chocolate Lindt truffles in order to get some white chocolate to decorate them with. Do you know how hard it is to scoop out the insides of a Lindt truffle? Outrageous. I combined these luscious berries with some Bacon Wrapped Scallops to created a platter 'o love and romance.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

(just winging it)

Ingredients:
Strawberries
Dark Chocolate
White Chocolate
Directions:
1. Heat chocolate (I used my ghetto double boiler system consisting of a small frying pan over a pot), once melted dip your strawberries in, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
2. Let them cool a bit while you heat up your white chocolate. Drizzle your white chocolate over your strawberries.
3. Place in the fridge until time to serve.

And because Mr. Lawyer deserves some bonus points he shall be a special kitchen guest! He surprised me with a very yummy dinner of baked salmon (coated with butter, pepper, smoked danish salt and baked at 400 for 15 minutes), my most favorite asparagus (coated in olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper, garlic and baked at 350 until done), and some rice pilaf (from a box). Most impressive and yummy! All washed down with some Catawba wine from Torrey Ridge. (Go NY wine!)

Not food but I love my flowers!