Hot Honey Salmon

I went down to visit my parents and my sister at her farm for the past week. I let others do the cooking and we ordered lots of yummy takeout. It was a great time but its always good to be home. J stayed behind to work and care for the animals so I wanted to make him a really good dinner last night but also didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time cooking. Yesterday while hurriedly eating lunch I stirred together some honey and sriracha to dip (the kids’) leftover chicken fingers into and thought it would taste really good drizzled over salmon. I added some orange zest and juice to the mix and yes, I was right. This is really good drizzled over salmon.

What you need:

1 lb of salmon ( I don’t recommend sockeye for this recipe but mostly any other kind will do)

Honey

Orange Zest, orange juice

Sriracha Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the salmon. I used a 2:1 ratio of honey to sriracha but use less sriracha if you don’t like it too spicy. Use approximately the same amount of freshly squeezed orange juice as honey (for me this was 1/2 of an orange and 1/2 of the orange zest). Combine the orange juice and zest with the honey and sriracha (for this recipe I used 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp sriracha). This recipe is easy to double or triple depending on how much fish you are cooking. Stir together the sauce and drizzle over top of the fish. I like to bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet so the skin doesn’t stick to the pan. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until the fish is just flaking apart when gently pressed with a fork. Obviously, a bigger piece of fish may take a minute or two longer but keep an eye on it because dry salmon just isn’t as good.

I served this salmon with a really easy salad fall salad of mixed greens, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, sliced beets, apples, roasted almonds, and goat cheese. I made a quick dressing using the other half of the freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp canola oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp of sriracha, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. I just mixed the dressing up in the same bowl that I had mixed the sauce for the salmon. It was zesty and light. This is definitely going in the favorite weeknight meals category, the whole meal came together in about 15 minutes.

Pork Roast with Rosemary and Grapes

I love rosemary, the way it smells is so nostalgic for me because when the weather got chilly my Mom would always bring it indoors and its aroma would fill the kitchen. Cooking with it has a very familiar and comforting appeal. It’s also delicious. Combining rosemary with roasted grapes and caramelized onions is a perfect autumnal flavor combination. This pork roast comes together really easily in just a few steps and will be cooked to perfection in about 30 minutes. You could serve it easily alongside wild rice or roasted potatoes but we enjoyed it will a quick side of mushrooms, wilted arugla, and Gorgonzola cheese. I’ve included the recipes for both below.

2 lb pork roast, skin on

2 sprigs of rosemary, removed from stems and chopped

1 extra sprig of rosemary

3 sprigs of thyme, removed from stems

1 red onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 cups of red seedless grapes

1/2 cup of dry white wine (a dry Pinot Grigio works well)

3-4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

Prepare the pork roast by scoring the skin with a few long scores, be careful not to penetrate the meat and just slash the skin carefully. Coat with about 1 tbsp of olive oil and about 1 tsp each fresh ground salt and pepper. Rub the chopped rosemary and thyme all over the pork and set aside.

Place a cast iron pan (or oven proof pan or roasting dish) over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 3/4 of the red onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like to use a grinder and just add two solid grinds of each). When onions have started to glisten move to the outer edges of the pan and place the pork rest in the center. Let the pork sit approx 3-4 minutes to give it a hard sear and then flip it to the other side for a remaining 3-4 minutes. After the pork is nicely browned on all sides remove the pork to a plate and add about 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan to deglaze the onions. Scrape up all the brown bits and let it simmer for a minute. Place the pork back in the pan and arrange the grapes and onions around it, add in an extra sprig of rosemary and another dash of salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven (set to 350) for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 degrees. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving, be sure to dress the pork slices with pan juices, grapes, and onions.

Mushrooms, Wilted Arugula, and Gorgonzola

1 lb of mushrooms (any type will work)

3-4 cups of fresh arugula

olive oil

butter

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

*remaining 1/4 cup of red onion from above recipe

*remaining 1/4 cup of white wine from above

Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper. Next add your mushrooms and brown. When the mushrooms are almost all the way cooked add white wine and chicken broth and simmer until reduced. When most of the liquid has evaporated add in your arugula and another dash of salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir arugula until it has just softened. Lastly, toss in your Gorgonzola cheese. Serve alongside your roasted pork and grapes.

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin waffle update (10.22.24). My original pumpkin waffle recipe is a few years old and I hadn’t made them in a while. I have updated and adjusted the old recipe and I think its better now. I have been using Birch Benders pancake mix lately, I think it’s fluffier than Kodiak..but I am still a fan of both. I think this would work with Krusteaz, Pearl Milling, Bisquick, or any other popular baking mix out there. This recipe was tested multiple times with Birch Benders. If you try any of the others, let me know how they turn out. My new additions are a teensy bit of nutmeg and a tad more cinnamon sugar. I think it is a more well rounded and slightly sweeter recipe. Adding an egg keeps the batter from separating when you open the waffle maker. Pumpkin has a strong flavor. Serving these with butter and maple syrup is my go-to but the kids like butter and more cinnamon sugar on top.

It can’t be helped, pumpkin season is here and its time to embrace it. It’s a rainy Saturday morning here and we are enjoying pajamas and cuddles. Seeing as I’m still in my stretchy pants, why not indulge in some pumpkin sweetness? I see no reason to make waffles or pancakes from scratch, I’ve done it before and they taste great but it seems like a tedious waste of time on a Saturday morning when I’m trying to hang out with the family. Kodiak Cakes pancake and waffle mix is really tasty and healthy made with whole wheat and oat flour. I think it’s fabulous but you can make these with any mix of your choice. Simply add 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée, and 2 tbsp + 1 tsp of cinnamon sugar (I buy the cinnamon sugar blend for making cinnamon toast on busy mornings...so good!). Cook time varies according to your waffle iron (be sure to coat the pan with vegetable oil or non-stick spray). I added about a minute after the iron said they were done to get extra crispy outside, the inside was still soft and fluffy. These waffles came together in a snap, made the house smell divine, and tasted just right.

Pumpkin Waffles

Scant 1 cup Pancake and Waffle mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

2 tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon sugar blend

1/10 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

Vegetable oil or non stick spray to coat the waffle iron

Cook according to your waffle iron instructions, be sure to use a non-stick spray or brush on vegetable oil prior to adding the batter.