Smoked Salmon and Roasted Padron Peppers

Yummy Smoked Salmon

Ryan: "I made a rub of two parts salt, one part pepper, one part sugar. I rubbed the salmon down with it and let it get to room temp. On the grill: I put all of the coals on one corner of the grill and put a little pan of water on the other side, next to the hot coals. The water helps to regulate the temperature throughout the BBQ. Before I put the grill on, I sprayed it with pan so the salmon wouldn't stick. I kind of messed around with the temperature a little bit by opening and closing the top and bottom vents of the BBQ to get it just right. We do not have a thermometer set up for our grill yet, so just right means, hot enough so that I could feel the heat but cool enough that I could keep my hand over it. Before I put the salmon on, I added a handful of applewood chips to the coals. These chips had been soaking in water for a while to keep them from burning. I cooked it for an hour over the water side of the grill, or in BBQ terms; indirect heat. I also added water to the left over rub to make a little "mop" or basting liquid. I applied it about every twenty minutes. I took off the grill and let it rest for about ten minutes before I split it in two!"

The amazing Padron Peppers:

These peppers are ridiculously easy and so good! Maybe as not kid friendly as some of our other side dishes but very tasty, not spicy and super fun to eat!

So we used our cast iron skillet for these little beauties as well. I got it screaming hot, put a little tiny bit of olive oil in it and tossed the peppers in. Once in they cooked for about ten minutes total. I turned them every once in a while so they got browned but not burned. Right before serving, I added generous pinch of salt and two cloves of finely chopped garlic. Tossed the garlic and peppers around a little bit and then threw them on the plate with the smoked salmon and some fresh summer melon. 

Delicious 

Criticisms:

The heat was a little too high on the salmon so the outside was just a little too cripsy. Overall it was really good, but in the future it would be better cooler and longer. 

Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables

So I have been craving some more wintery meals lately and this one is one of my favorites. Its super simple and pretty easy make for those of you who like homey meals and don't like to spend the time over a stove! I actually asked my mom to make this chicken dish for my birthday dinner, like three years in a row! Another great thing about roasting whole chickens is that they are usually a great price and you can usually use them for more than one meal in a week (sandwiches, tacos etc.). You can also use the bones to make stock, which is a nice little trick (if you like spending your time over a stove :) )

For the Veggies:

So I happened to have a napping baby and really wanted to relax, so I sat at my kitchen table, poured myself a glass of juice, put on some trashy tv show, and then peeled and chopped my veggies. I honestly love "lazy" afternoons like this when I can relax and get things done at the same time.

A few carrots

One sweet potato

One turnip

One yellow beet

One yellow onion

7 ish Garlic cloves

Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper

You really can use any root veggie you want, these just happen to be my favorite. 

Peel and dice all the veggies so they are about the same size. Fun fact side note, my dog Pepper happens to LOVE veggies, so while I watched my show, I peeled the veggies and put the peels in a bowl and set it on the floor for her to eat while I chopped them up. I think she likes my lazy cooking days as much as I do! Anyway, any size you like will do, just make sure they are all the same size so they will be able to roast together and be done at the same time. Put the veggies into a Pyrex or baking dish, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw them into the oven at 450. 

Now for the Chicken:

1 Roasting chicken

5 Cloves roughly chopped garlic

Salt and Pepper

2 TBL Honey

1TBL Lime Juice

2TBL Soy Sauce

Once you put your veggies in, start on your chicken. Take it out of the wrapper. Make sure all of the giblets or anything extra are taken out. Rinse your chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel. Put your chicken right into your Pyrex or roasting pan. I know staring at a whole chicken may seem daunting but it really isn't that hard at all! (Why do you think Costco sells them for like 5 dollars?!) Just slide you hand under the skin so it pulls away from the breast. Go ahead and stick that garlic right under there so its between the breast and the skin. You can also add some thyme under there, I just didn't have any. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper (an the cavity if you want). Then throw that chicken in the oven with your veggies and turn the oven down to 350.

While your chicken and veggies are in the oven, mix the honey, soy sauce, and lime juice. For the last 15 minutes of cooking, brush your chicken with this mixture. It is what gives this chicken its super crispy, brown delicious skin. I know in the photo below it looks a little burnt, but it really wasn't, it was just perfect!  I roasted my chicken for about an hour, but the rule of thumb is about 20 minutes a pound (my chicken was 3 pounds). Another way to tell if your chicken is done is by using a meat thermometer. Chicken is done at 165 degrees or until the juices of the chicken are running clear. 

While your chicken is cooking make sure to keep an eye on your veggies. They may get done before your chicken but for this 3 pound bird they were fork tender at the exact same time my chicken was finished. You can give the veggies an occasional toss too if you think they might be getting too brown on the top or the bottom, but this meal should be one of those "set it, and forget it" type deals. 

Now, cut up that bird, throw those veggies on a plate and enjoy this easy roast chicken and root vegetables as if it were winter outside! 

Scallops and Sauteed Spinach

So after our big shopping trip on Sunday we came home and had this delicious meal! 

One of Ryan's and my favorite things is scallops. I could honestly have them any day of the week. This time we did these lovely scallops from Berkeley Bowl along with sauteed spinach with bacon, never a bad thing. We also just got some hand-me-down seasoned cast iron pans. My guess is you will be seeing a lot of pictures with these new beauties. 

The great thing about scallops AND spinach is that they are both super quick to cook. Scallops can be a little fickle but spinach, on the other hand, is super easy. For this recipe we started with the spinach. First we took some left over bacon from a recipe earlier this week, chopped it up with some onions and sauteed them together. Once the bacon and onions are cooked to your liking, take them out and set aside. Then add a bunch of spinach to the pan with all of the bacon bits and goodness in the bottom. You should always add more than you think because it cooks down a ton! Once the spinach is cooked and the extra moisture is cooked off, add the bacon and onions back in. Season to your liking with salt and pepper and enjoy with what ever you want, pork, beef, chicken, and even scallops!

When cooking scallops there are some very important things to remember. 

1. Make sure your scallops are fresh and still smell fresh

2. Make sure your scallops are very dry. We leave ours on a paper towel for a while so it soaks up any extra moisture. 

3. Cook your scallops at a very high heat

4. Cook your scallops quickly and get off the heat as soon as you think they might be done. They are super easy to over cook!

We sauteed our scallops in our cast iron pan. If you don't have one we recommend using a non-stick skillet unless you are great with a regular skillet, they just have the tendency to stick if you don't cook them at the perfect temperature. I like to cook mine in butter, but Ryan does a better job at trying to keep us healthy : ) He likes to use high heat avocado oil or olive oil. Again, get your pan and oil super hot, add your scallops and cook for about two minutes on each side. When looking at the side of the scallop you can see how cooked through they are, take them off well before you think they are all cooked through otherwise they will be over cooked for sure. Season and enjoy!

MMM SCALLOPS AND BACON... Could you ever have a better pairing?!