Easy Pan Seared Copper River Wild Salmon & Bubbies Tartar Sauce

This evening I made one of my favorite things for dinner...Pan Seared Copper River Salmon. I took 5 fillets out of the freezer before going to bed last night and placed them in the fridge. Three of my pieces were Coho and the two larger pieces were Sockeye. I spent extra time wrapping them before freezing them last year and after wrapping them I placed them in freezer Ziploc bags and removed almost all of the air. They looked just the same as the day I froze them and not a speck of freezer burn or ice crystals. I kept it super simple. I had about 1/2 of a stick left of Kerrygold's Garlic & Herb Butter and used that to cook the salmon with in my large 12" nonstick GreenPan that has a glass lid which I really like because you can keep an eye on what's going on in the pan without opening it. It only took about 10 to 12 minutes to cook (it was still very slightly frozen/icy). I only used 3 ingredients; salmon, butter and pink sea salt. The salmon takes on a beautiful color as it begins its cooking flesh side down; the butter begins to brown and gives it a gorgeous color.

To go with our salmon, I decided to make a small batch of homemade tartar sauce (it's one of hubby's favorites). I typically don't use tartar sauce with salmon because I want to taste the salmon, but I must say...I added about 2 tablespoons to my plate and it was absolutely delicious with the salmon and did not take away from it at all. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed it. I keep Bubbies Dill Pickles, Bread & Butter Pickles and their Sauerkraut in my fridge at all times. Hubby had a piece of the Coho and I had a piece of the Coho and a small piece of the Sockeye so I could try them side by side. The Coho was slightly more mild than the Sockeye but both were delicious. Spike enjoyed a large chunk of the Sockeye broken up and mixed in with his grain free dog food; he absolutely LOVES Copper River Salmon! We usually add chopped boiled chicken breast to his food (Blue Buffalo's Freedom Grain Free) but he was so excited to find salmon in his bowl tonight instead. I've added a few photos of both our salmon and Spike's salmon dinner below as well as included the super easy peasy recipe for both the Pan Seared Salmon and the Bubbies Tartar Sauce. Enjoy!

Best Wild Salmon Ever (Copper River Wild Alaskan)

Best Tartar Sauce Ever

Spike's Salmon Dinner

Easy Pan Seared Copper River Wild Salmon w/ Bubbies Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Salmon
Four 4-ounce pieces of wild salmon (preferably Alaskan), patted dry
4 to 6 tablespoons butter (I used Kerrygold's Garlic & Herb Butter, but plain is fine)
Sea salt, to taste

For the Tartar Sauce
2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
Approximately 1/3 cup diced bread & butter or dill pickles (I used Bubbies Bread & Butter)
1 to 2 tablespoons pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or regular yellow mustard)

Directions:

To prepare salmon:  Heat a large nonstick skillet (or cast iron, if preferred) over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter to skillet. When butter begins to sizzle, swirl the skillet around to evenly coat the bottom. Place salmon fillets flesh side down and cook partially covered for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness (add a couple minutes if partially frozen). When salmon begins to brown, flip fillets over and continue cooking covered over low-medium heat for an additional 4 to 6 minutes (you may need to reduce heat to low if butter begins browning too quickly). During the last couple minutes of cooking, top each fillet with a small pat of butter and season to taste with salt. Salmon is done when it flakes or separates when pressed. If desired, serve with tartar sauce on the side (recipe below).

To prepare tartar sauce:  Combine all tartar sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust to your own taste. Tartar sauce is best if made ahead of time and allowed to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or more to allow flavors to blend. 

        

Thanksgiving Recipes: 12 Breakfast Ideas, 12 Side Dish Ideas, and 16 Dessert Ideas

Well, it's that time of year again for sharing my Thanksgiving recipes. I'm a bit late this year because things have been a little crazy around here. This will be my 6th low carb, wheat free Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe. It just seems so "normal" now that I don't stress about it or worry about what to make since I've recreated so many of my favorite recipes over these last 6 years. I still make a few things for the family that I don't eat but I really don't mind at all because I have plenty of dishes to choose from. If this is your first wheat free Thanksgiving, you might feel like you will never be able to eat your old favorites again...trust me, you will. There are so many options and choices available and so many wheat free recipe conversions of your old favorites. I'm sharing some of my favorites that I have made and enjoyed over these past 6 years.

I've attached 3 different collages of recipes below; 12 Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas, 12 Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas, and 16 Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas. To get to the page where you can have access to the recipes via links under each individual enlarged photo...simply click on the 3 headings over each collage below. That will take you to the blog page where you can scroll through enlarged photos of each dish with a link in the caption underneath each photo to that particular recipe. Certainly you should be able to find something you'd like to try or something you worried you would never be able to enjoy again. I hope you find some new favorites to put on your Thanksgiving table this year. These recipes also work for Christmas dinner, too. From my table to yours....Enjoy!

12 Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas

12 Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas

16 Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

         

Strawberry Mascarpone Dessert Cups - No-Bake & Low Carb

Here's an easy no-bake recipe that I shared on a guest post that I did a while back. It's perfect for this time of year because it requires no baking whatsoever...nada, zip, zero...none! My No-Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Dessert Cups are a healthier and updated, more gourmet-ish version of the old Strawberry Pretzel Salads of yesteryear (which aren't even a salad to begin with...I mean WHO refers to a dessert as a "salad")!

For those that don't know what a "strawberry pretzel salad" is, it's a salty-sweet crust made using crushed pretzels, topped with a no-bake cheesecake-type filling and a final layer of strawberry gelatin and strawberries. Once again, it's a dessert, NOT a salad! It's a delicious, cool, no-bake dessert to help you usher summer out with a bang! To make these extra special, I made them in my cute little Weck Tulip Jelly Jars, but you can make this in a square cake pan as well and simply cut into squares to serve.

Check out my photos for No-Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Dessert Cups below. They have a salty-sweet nut flour crust to take the place of pretzels; it has a to-die-for sugar free vanilla bean mascarpone and cream cheese filling; and it's topped with my Strawberry Chia Jam. It is "knock your socks off" good! The recipe is listed below the phots. Enjoy!

No-Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Dessert Cups

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almond flour

2/3 cup ground walnuts

1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener (or other granular type sweetener)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
6 ounces cream cheese (brick style), room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons confectioner’s style Swerve Sweetener (or preferred sweetener, to taste)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup Strawberry Chia Jam (or other preferred jam or sweetened strawberries)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, ground walnuts, 1/3 cup sweetener, and salt. Add melted butter and cut in with a pastry/dough cutter or fork until crumbly.

In a separate bowl, beat together mascarpone, softened cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream and 6 tablespoons sweetener until smooth. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into filling mixture and add lemon zest; stir until evenly blended.

Divide crust mixture between 6 “6 to 8-ounce sized” custard cups or ramekins. Lightly press or tamp down until packed tightly. Divide cheese filling among custard cups and spread snugly to the inside edges of custard cups. Chill for about 1 hour or until cheese filling is firm. Top with strawberry chia jam and chill until ready to serve.

*Notes: If desired, mixture can be layered in an 8-inch square pan and cut into square to serve. If topping with fresh sweetened strawberries instead of jam, add them at serving time.

           

Berry Cheesecake Tart w/ Butter Pecan Cookie Crust - Festive & Delicious

Here's a re-post of one of my favorite dessert recipes that I created a few years ago with Fourth of July celebrations in mind. I have to tell you...it is one of my favorite dessert recipes that I've created. There are a couple of others that rank up there close...but this one is REALLY...REALLY good! 

It's decorated in festive red, white and blue, but you can design yours however you'd like and use whatever fruits that are your favorite. I used sliced strawberries and fresh blueberries on mine. It is AMAZING...and you are going to love this recipe. It is simple to make. The only baking involved is the 20 to 22 minutes it takes to bake the "butter pecan cookie crust." Trust me, it's worth turning on the oven in July for this one! It has an unbelievable no-bake cheesecake topping and then it's topped with fresh sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries and whipped cream. I sweetened the cookie crust base and the cheesecake topping with Swerve (my favorite non-sugar sweetener) but you can substitute your favorite sweetener if you like. I swear that you would never EVER know that this dessert has no added sugar. Trust me...you could fool all the skeptics with this one! Check out the photos and recipe below. Enjoy!

Behind the Scenes...

Crust before baking

Crust after baking

Cheesecake topping has been spread on the cooled cookie crust

This is the pan I used...how appropriate that it's a "USA Pan" to make a Fourth of July dessert!  If you haven't tried these baking pans before...you will love them. I've been using their loaf pan for a while now and picked this jelly roll pan up and absolutely love it.  I liked it so much I went back and bought a 5-piece set, too. They sell these on Amazon (below)...but if you have a Bed Bath & Beyond nearby, you can get them at a great price and even better if you use their 20% coupon that comes out all the time!

Fresh Berry Tart w/ Butter Pecan Cookie Crust 

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Crust:

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (preferably aluminum free)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener, or preferred granular sweetener

1/4 cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)

3 ounces (brick style) cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pecan meal

For the Cheesecake Topping:

16 ounces brick-style cream cheese (2 8-ounce bricks), slightly softened

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Confectioners Style Sweetener (or preferred confectioners style sweetener

Fruit Topping:
Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

Whipped cream for serving, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 10"x15"x1" jelly roll pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sweetener. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add softened butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients together until blended. Stir in pecan meal.

Using a rubber spatula spread and press dough evenly in pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, until creamy and smooth; stir in cream, vanilla and sweetener.  Beat with hand mixer for about 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth, light and fluffy. Spread topping over top of crust until smooth. Refrigerate for several hours until chilled. Arrange berries on top. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Note: If you are unable to find pecan meal locally, it can be ordered online or you can easily make your own by using the pulse setting of your food processor outfitted with a steel blade. Nut meal is more coarsely textured than flour and should resemble the consistency of cornmeal. The pecan meal provides more texture to the cookie crust.

            

Happy Sunday - Instant Pot Greek Yogurt for Breakfast

Happy Sunday!  A number of you have told me that you are anxious for my Instant Pot recipes since many of you know that I purchased one a few months ago (I have the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 model which is their largest 8-quart version). So, while I haven't written up my Instant Pot recipes yet, I do want you to know that I have used it many times and have been enjoying experimenting with it and plan to start posting them in the near future.

While I don't have this yogurt recipe ready to share with you yet, I thought that since it is what I'm having for breakfast this morning, I'd take a quick photo for you since it just happens to be Greek yogurt that I made using my Instant Pot. I've made it numerous times already and while it is easy as pie to make, it's something that you probably want to make on a day when you are hanging around the house since you need to bring the milk up to a specific temp and often tweak it to get to the right temp. It then needs to cool down to a certain temp before you add starter (fancy word for adding "already made yogurt") and then let it ferment overnight in the Instant Pot. So, while very easy to do, it kind of keeps you close by your kitchen until you get to the fermentation stage which I do for 10 hours in the Instant Pot. I've made it using organic whole milk, 2% milk, etc. and I honestly can't tell much difference between using whole or 2% milk, so I'd use whatever you prefer. So far, every time I've made it, I have made it with 1 gallon of milk because after straining the yogurt to make Greek yogurt, you lose a lot of volume. It was quite shocking to me when I realized how much whey gets strained off; literally several cups of liquid. This batch I'm eating now is made with 2% milk. I swirled a scant tablespoon of no sugar added peach preserves and then topped it with some fresh blackberries. It was delicious. I promise to post my recipe and steps soon. Check out my home made yogurt below. Enjoy!

            

Happy 2017 - Saturday Night's Cheese Head Pizza

Greetings and Happy New Year! Long time, no see, right? I've really, really, REALLY missed blogging, but I took a much needed break and, like it or not...I'm back! If you contacted me and I didn't respond, I apologize because as most of my regular followers know, for the past 4-1/2 years, I have been steadfast in posting almost daily and responding to everyone promptly. 

As some of you know, this past year has been difficult for a multitude of reasons. It's been a year filled with loss, a lot of change, and a whole lot of work. No matter how much we have in front of us to do...we only have 24 hours in a single day to do it. I essentially burned myself out and was just plain exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that rarely (if ever) says no, and I have the tendency to take on more than I should and still maintain some sense of sanity. As many of you know I lost my mother a year ago, and we also moved, which involved both selling a home and purchasing a new home and all of the projects that we had done in the new home once we got moved in. Not to mention, something that I detest immensely...MOVING! I feel like all I did every single day was work, pack, clean and try to keep my home looking like nobody lived there. There was only one little problem was....we did live there! 

As a food blogger, one of the things you understand is what havoc blogging does to your kitchen. Basically, by the time you get done cooking, photographing, writing up your recipe and your blog post...oh, and actually get the chance to eat what you prepared...it looks like a bomb went off in your kitchen; a really big bomb at that. And that scenario repeats itself almost EVERY...SINGLE...DAY! I also work full time and am gone for almost 10 hours a day, so all of this goes on in my "spare time". I have to squeeze a little sleep in there as well and more often than not, never got more than about 4 hours on any given night. Throw in the little fact I also take on various other food projects...some small and some large. Regardless of how much work all of this is, for me it is a labor of love and I really enjoy it. I couldn't or wouldn't have invested this much time in this for all these years in this if I didn't. But this past year, with the addition of both selling my home and buying a new one, and all that entailed just pushed me to my limits and something had to give. But, we are now pretty well settled in and are finally beginning to feel like we don't just work here, but actually live here. 

I decided to start my first post of 2017 off with what I made for dinner this evening and what also happens to be one of my absolute favorite recipes...Cheese Head Pizza! It's one of those recipes that you can serve to all of your friends and family that aren't grain or gluten free as well because you honestly can't tell that it is grain and gluten free. I've made it so frequently now that I can usually make it and bake it and have it on the table in about 30 minutes. I topped tonight's pizza with large sandwich-sized slices of Boar's Head pepperoni, sliced yellow bell peppers and sliced fresh mini San Marzano tomatoes. I've been sick this past week with some kind of virus and am still not feeling too snappy, but tonight's pizza is about the only thing that has actually tasted good to me all week. I actually enjoyed it. I've included the recipe below and a few photos I snapped as well. Oh, and if you didn't already read between the lines...I really missed all of you and wish all of you a very happy and healthy new year! Enjoy! 

Ready for the oven...baked crust 11 minutes, then topped and baked another 10 minutes

Fresh out of the oven

CHEESE HEAD PIZZA – My Take on Fat Head Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella (whole milk or part skim)

3 ounces brick style cream cheese

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (powdery style)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 large egg

1 tablespoon olive oil (to oil hands before pressing out dough)

Desired toppings (pizza sauce, pepperoni, cooked peppers, onions, mushrooms, additional cheese, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. 

Place mozzarella and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Heat cheese in microwave on high for 45 seconds; stir and heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until a hot melty mass of cheese is formed.

While cheese is melting in microwave, stir almond flour, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and egg to bowl of hot melted cheese. Working quickly, fold and stir mixture together with a rubber spatula until a ball of dough is formed (make sure cheese mixture is hot before adding flour and egg).   

Place ball of dough in center of parchment lined baking sheet (or on a non-stick baking sheet or pizza pan). Oil hands with olive oil (*see note/updated instructions below) and press dough out into desired shape (round, oval or rectangular) until about ¼-inch thick or pour the tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough after placing it in the center of baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to press and spread the dough out evenly. Prick holes all over crust surface with a fork to prevent crust from bubbling up. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown (rotate pan half way through for even browning). Remove crust and top with pizza sauce, additional cheese, and any desired toppings. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. Run briefly under the broiler, if browning is desired.

*Note/Update: Rather than oiling hands with olive oil to press dough out, a much easier (and less messy) way to press it out is to pour the tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough after placing it in the center of baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to press and spread the dough out evenly. If necessary, lightly oil the rubber spatula to keep from sticking.

            

Cranberry Pecan Breakfast Twirls - NEW RECIPE!

Today I'm debuting my new recipe for Cranberry Pecan Breakfast Twirls as my guest post for Honeyville...just in time for you to add to your holiday breakfast menus. Cranberries are my favorite fall fruit flavor. I began by making my easy recipe for sugar free Cranberry Orange Coconut Sauce (I omitted the coconut for these rolls but you could leave it in if you prefer). They turned out amazing! I made a Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze (soft frosting) to top half of them with because I actually like them "as is". They go great with a big mug of coffee. They are so very easy to make. To experiment a bit, I placed the sliced unbaked rolls in a round cake pan to bake together like cinnamon rolls (where they spread and touch each other as they bake). I also placed some rolls in a muffin tin and baked them as individual rolls where you get a nice golden brown crust on all the edges, much like traditional pecan twirls. They bake taller and more uniform when baked individually in muffin cups. So, depending on which way you prefer them, you can decide what type of pan to use. To get to the recipe for these beauties, please click here:  Cranberry Pecan Breakfast Twirls.

            

Peach Pecan Muffins - Easy & Dellicious

Today I've got a brand new recipe to share with you. It's special to me for a number of reasons. First, it's made with my favorite almond flour...Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour that has had a place in my pantry for over 4 years now! Second, it's made with two of my favorite Georgia grown ingredients...Georgia pecans and Georgia peaches (and I just happen to live in Georgia)! Last, but not least...this recipe was the very first item to be baked in my new oven in my new house. These delicious muffins embarked on the "maiden voyage" of my new oven. A little silly, I know, but it's true!

These muffins are easy to make and can be made with either fresh, ripe juicy peaches or no sugar added canned peaches. They are lightly sweetened but can easily be made sweeter if that's how you like your muffins (simply increase the sweetener or add a few drops of stevia to boost the sweetness). They are super moist and tender. I store mine in the fridge since they are moist and because it's pretty humid here this time of year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Check out a few photos below. To get to the recipe, please click here: Peach Pecan Muffins. Enjoy!

        

Grilled Mesquite Burgers w/ Bacon Vidalia & Tomato Jam

This evening I made grilled mesquite burgers and my Easy Coleslaw for dinner. We cooked the burgers on the charcoal grill with mesquite wood chips to give them that nice smoky flavor. I seasoned them on one side with McCormicks Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning and then added a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the other side when we flipped them. We cooked them about 5 to 6 minutes per side. What made these burgers extra super duper special and unbelievably delicious was my amazing and easy to make Bacon Vidalia & Tomato Jam. It pushed these burgers over the edge.

I topped the mesquite burgers with sliced spicy Three Alarm Colby Jack Cheese (by Great Midwest) and let it melt a bit, then topped them with a generous dollop of BVT (Bacon Vidalia & Tomato) Jam. It made these burgers crazy good. The jam is so easy to prepare and worth every second that it takes to make it. It has half of a diced Vidalia onion, 6 diced strips of bacon that are cooked until the onions are caramelized and softened and the bacon is cooked. Once the bacon and onions were caramelized and sticky, I tossed in a generous heaped cup of diced multi-colored baby tomatoes (red, yellow, orange, green and dark red) and cooked them down until the liquid and juices had evaporated and it became a thick and rich jam. I stirred in a splash of apple cider vinegar for a little pop. It was absolutely AMAZING on top of the burgers. It's a must try for sure...who needs condiments like ketchup and mustard when you can have BVT Jam instead. I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe for the jam. Enjoy!

Bacon Vidalia Tomato Jam

Ingredients:

1/2 Vidalia onion, diced (or other sweet onion)
6 strips bacon, diced
1 to 1-1/4 cups diced fresh grape, cherry or baby tomatoes
1/2 to 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Pinch sea salt, optional

Directions:

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, add onions and bacon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until bacon is cooked and onions are caramelized, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and continue cooking until juices have cooked off and mixture is thickened. Stir in apple cider vinegar and salt, if desired.