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Shrimp Fajitas – Thanks to Goya Brand

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I love shrimp. I love Mexican food. So combining the two
seemed like a great idea.  I stock my
pantry with Mexican spices like cumin and also spice blends like those created
by Goya – adobo and sazon along with marinades and chipotle in adobo.  Then I can go to my pantry, grab what I need
and create a flavorful dish with what’s on hand.  In this post like most of my others I’ll give
you recipes inside recipes. Fajitas are made from components so this recipe is
loaded with bonus recipes!


Fajitas are traditionally made from beef or chicken but I
had shrimp on hand, actually shrimp skewers. So I took off the tails and
removed them from the skewers.  Then I
marinated them briefly in Mojo Croillo (I also used Goya brand) which is a
marinade of citrus juices, garlic and spices. 
You only need to marinate the shrimp for about 20 minutes, any longer
and the shrimp will begin to cook in the citrus.

I was able to get frozen onions and red pepper strips on
sale so I thought once those were cooked up and seasoned they would a great
component for the fajitas.  I seasoned
them with some fresh chopped garlic, adobo and sazon. They became a gorgeous
color!
Once the shrimp marinated I cooked them until just firm and
pink.  Don’t overcook them or they will
be chewy.
For a garnish and for added flavor I whipped up some
chipotle mayo.  So easy. In a food
processor I put in about a cup of mayo and one chipotle pepper with a little
bit of the adobo sauce.  Whirl it
together and that’s it!  It gives it a little spice and creaminess to the fajita.
I used my grill pan to warm up the tortillas and then it was
time to build the fajitas.

As promised here’s the recipes
Shrimp Fajita filling
1 ½ pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup Mojo Croillo (I use Goya brand but if you can’t find
it you can use garlic, lime juice and whatever Mexican seasonings you like)
Add the shrimp to the marinade and let them marinate for
about 20 minutes, covered in the fridge. 
After 20 minutes, heat a pan with 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When
hot cook the shrimp (be sure not to add the marinade in the pan with the
shrimp) for just a minute or two until they are firm and pink.
Onion and Pepper topping for fajitas 
1 large onion chopped
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Or 1 package of frozen onion/pepper blend
Adobo seasoning powder
1 Sazon packet
While the shrimp marinate you can prepare the onions and
peppers.  I used a frozen blend but you
can use fresh.  Slice the onion and
peppers. Add to a hot pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When the vegetables are tender season them
with the adobo and sazon packet. Set aside.


Chipotle Mayo
For garnish I do like to add pico de gallo or guacamole but
one of my family’s favorites is Chipotle Mayo, flavorful and simple.
Chipotle in adobo
1 cup mayo, light or full fat
In the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper add 1 cup of
mayo and 1 chipotle pepper along with a little of the adobo sauce.  These are very hot so be careful and use a
small pepper at first. You can taste and add to it.  Season with a little salt and pepper and if
you like – a squeeze of lime.  Make extra
because it is very versatile, you can add it to scrambled eggs or use it for
sandwich spread.

Now it’s time to build the fajitas.
Warm a tortilla on a grill pan.  Add some of the shrimp and vegetables. Now
you can top it the way you like – chipotle mayo, pico de gallo, guacamole.  It’s up to you.
The shrimp will be tender and flavorful with hints of citrus. The vegetables will be tender crisp with the subtle  flavor of Mexican seasonings.  The pico de gallo will give that added sweetness from the tomatoes and the guacamole will add the just the right cooling affect.




Goya makes a variety of seasonings, sauces, and other
Mexican products that will lend that special extra flavor to almost anything
you make.  Go into the international
foods aisle in your local grocery store and see all that is available.  Buy something new and experiment with
different flavors and cuisines. You never know what you might come up with!

#SundaySupper with LAND O LAKES® — Buttery Garlic Knots

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Simple and Fresh with LAND O LAKES® Olive Oil & Sea Salt

Simple and Fresh Summer Recipes

  • Buttery Garlic Knots
  • Compound Butter
  • Roasted Garlic

I’ve been involved with #SundaySupper for a while now and
was excited to hear that the group will be creating recipes for a new product
created by LAND O LAKES® – Butter Olive Oil & Sea Salt.  We were each asked what we thought would be a
creative, delicious recipe to make with the new butter.  Mine is called Buttery Garlic Knots, but they
aren’t like any ordinary Garlic Knots.  
They’re filled with herb and roasted garlic compound butter made with
this new product.  The butter comes in
handy half sticks so bringing it to room temperature is a snap.  It also makes for the perfect portion for
doing a sauce like a béchamel for mac and cheese.
The product is versatile,  it’s not just for making sauces but also for sauteing or frying.
The butter is rich and creamy and lent a delightful texture
to the garlic knots.  They were crispy on
the outside and tender on the inside, like a garlic knot should be.  At the end of this post there will links to
the rest of the #SundaySupper recipes. 
You should be able to create a complete meal from this list from appetizer,
main dish and sides.   LAND O LAKES® not only gave me (and the other
bloggers) a coupon for the full purchase price of the butter but also gave us a
coupon for one lucky readers!  It
could be you!!  Details will follow at
the end of the post.

To make Buttery Garlic Knots:

1 package of premade pizza dough (or you can use your
favorite pizza dough recipe)

2 half sticks of LAND O LAKES®  Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
Assorted fresh herb to equal 2 tablespoons chopped,  I used parsley, oregano and basil
3-4 cloves roasted garlic – recipe follows
Bring the pizza dough and the butter to room
temperature.   Roll the pizza dough out
into a large rectangle. 
Chop the herbs finely, then add the roasted garlic and
mix thoroughly.  Mix with the softened
butter.  

Spread the butter/herb mixture over the rolled out pizza dough, only covering half.


<TIP>  You might not need all of the butter mixture. If the butter is spread too thick it might ooze out of the knot. If you have leftover butter it will keep in a plastic container in your fridge or use it to top grilled chicken or steak.

Fold
the pizza dough over, long end to long end. 

Take a pizza cutter and cut the dough into long slices.  Cut down the center of the dough then cut
each half in half until all the dough is cut into strips. 
Take each piece,
stretch slightly then tie into a knot. 
Fold ends under, to assure that the ends won’t get overdone.



Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.  The garlic knots can be served alone or dipped
into marinara sauce.
The butter will add a creaminess to the knots while the
herbs and the garlic will give just the right extra flavor. 
To make roasted garlic:
Take a head of garlic and cut it in half. Drizzle with olive
oil and wrap it in foil.  Roast in 400
degree oven for 50-60 minutes.  Roasting
the garlic will give it a sweet flavor and a very soft texture that will mix
into the butter and herbs easily.  Don’t worry about the salt in the butter,  it will enhance the flavor of herbs and
garlic.


To win a full purchase coupon for LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea
Salt
just answer this question in the comment section: What is
your favorite Simple and Fresh Summer recipe to make with butter? 
A winner will be picked at random and announced during next week’s #SundaySupper on twitter and this blog.
The contest will run one week so be sure to leave a comment!

Want to join into the #SundaySupper fun?  The fun starts at 3 pm. You can join in by using the hashtag on twitter or by using TweetChat.  Of course the best way is to visit the blogs listed below and try out the recipes.  And don’t forget to enter your comment for a chance to win a full purchase coupon for LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt.






             Ravioli Florentine with Spinach and Butter Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books &Cooks 
I want to thank Isabel of familyfoodie.com for another amazing #SundaySupper opportunity!
Disclosure: The author received a full-value coupon
redeemable for LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, for recipe
development and review purposes.  All
opinions are my own.
About LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt:
Land O’Lakes is expanding its popular line of half-stick butter with the
introduction of LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt. This new
product contains wholesome ingredients: sweet cream, olive oil and sea salt.
LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt is an easy and convenient
way to simply enhance the flavor of your favorite foods. Available in a
premeasured half-stick size, this new product can be used for topping and
cooking a variety of foods, combining the two ingredients consumers often
combine separately when frying or sautéing foods. The delicious taste of butter
and olive oil will add delicious flavor to any dish.


Land O’Lakes Twitter:  @LandOLakesKtchn

Land O’Lakes Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LandOLakes



Loaded Post- OXO 5 Pound Food Scale Review,Recipe and Giveaway!

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If you haven’t heard of OXO let me introduce you to a
company that makes every kitchen tool you will ever need.  They make life in the kitchen not only simple
but pleasant.  Their tools run from
things you would use every day like can openers and slotted spoons, to things that you’re happy you have on hand
when you need them like a salad spinner or a mandolin.
Recently OXO created the Blogger Outreach Program where they
would have bloggers use one of their kitchen items, review it and then have a
giveaway.  I was so happy to be chosen to
participate in this program since it allows me to do my very first ever giveaway!
The product I was sent was the OXO 5 pound food scale.  I’ve struggled with my weight my entire
life.  A food scale makes it easier for
portion control and this food scale has a lot of pluses.
1         Battery
operated.  This scale runs on battery so
you can put it anywhere and not have to worry about being near an outlet.  And the battery is included!!
2.      
Fits in a drawer.  Even though this scale can hold up to 5
pounds of food it’s small enough that you can store it in a drawer, freeing up
valuable counter space.
3.      
 Simple to
use.  The scale doesn’t come with a bowl
like some other scales which is fine, one less thing to store. But I can put
any container I like on it, hit the button, wait for the countdown and that’s
it. 
4.      
 Pull out
display.  The display pulls out and away
from the scale (it’s attached) so that you can read the numbers easier if there
is a glare on them.  Haven’t had to use
this feature but it’s nice to have.

To demonstrate how to use the
scale I decided to make a recipe I think all dieters will appreciate: The Dieters
Dagwood.  You remember Dagwood from the
Sunday comics and the HUGE sandwiches he made. 
Don’t think just because you’re on a diet you can’t have a substantial
sandwich too. 
Here’s how:  
Start with 2 slices of thin bread about 45
calories each. 
Top the bread with 2 ounces each (here’s where the scale comes
in) of shaved  roast beef and ham. Asking
your deli person to shave the meat very thin makes it look like you’re getting
a lot more meat.
 Then top that with 1 ounce (using the scale again) of your
favorite cheese, low fat or not.  Now it’s
time to get crazy with the toppings.
 Most of them have no calories or very few.
Let’s start with thick sliced tomato, lettuce, onions, dill pickles… the list
goes on and on.  
You can use mustard or a
little low fat mayo (I like a little of the real stuff) maybe a squirt of lemon
and salt and pepper.  It’s up to
you. 
 Top it off with the second slice of
bread and you’ve made (with the help of your OXO 5 pound food scale) a Dieter’s
Dagwood.  Grab a bottle of your favorite
low cal drink and you’re set!
If you’d like to win your very own OXO 5 pound food scale ($29.99 value) here’s how:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I want to thank OXO for graciously supplying me with a food scale to review and one for the giveaway.  The opinions in this blog post are my own.
Follow OXO on twitter: @OXO or like them on their facebook page: facebook.com/oxo for all their latest tools and gadgets.

Bargain Hunting- Buying a New Mattress

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I’m a bargain hunter. I like a good deal no matter what it
is that I buy. So when we went to look at a new mattress and box spring for my
daughter’s room we started at one of the major mattress stores.  I’m always hesitant when I go to buy a big
purchase item like this, because the salesmen are always so pushy.  We started at Mega Mattress, which is a store
that is local to the Saratoga area.  
They carry all the major brands so it’s really a one stop shop and since
it was Memorial Weekend we were able to get what I thought was a pretty good
deal.
Mike the salesman wasn’t pushy but gave us a lot of
information and options.  The deal came
in when he told us about buying a floor sample. 
A lot of people might be turned off by buying a floor sample, but as Mike
pointed out, people lay on these mattresses for about 30 seconds; and besides
we could get a plastic protector so she will never actually be lying on the
mattress.  The protector will also ensure
that the mattress lasts longer.
The final deal worked out this way:
She wanted a full size bed. 
After trying out several she decided on a Trump BeautyRest  The best thing about this bed is that not
only does it have individually wrapped coils but it also has a layer of memory
foam.  This bed retails for $1080 but
since we were taking the floor sample (because they are changing out mattresses
in the store) we were able to get it for half price, $540.  We decided to pick it up ourselves since we
live so close and that saved us the $60 delivery fee.  So that actually paid for the plastic sheet
protector.   We added in a new bed frame
for $70 making our total after tax $721.  Not bad for a luxury bed.
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the weekend where you
can find great deals on mattresses and furniture.  But everything has a good time to buy. 
 For example things to buy in June include:
Tools:  With Father’s
Day being in June lots of stores will put tools on sale for the handy dad.
Gym membership:  Think
it’s too late to get in shape?  Not so,
this time of year might be a great time to get a good deal on a gym membership
while everyone else is working out outdoors you can keep cool in the gym and
maybe save some money at the same time.
Dishware:  Since June
is known as “wedding month” it’s also a good month to get good deals on
dishware that would make a nice wedding gift.
Have a money saving idea?
Please feel free to share.

Taste Of Home Cooking Show – May 14th- In Saratoga Springs

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It’s that time again. Time for the Taste of Home Cooking Show,
to be held at the Saratoga City Center.  The show offers live demonstrations of
recipes, gift bags and door prizes. 
There are still tickets available and can be purchased at four Price Chopper
stores- Rt. 50 in Saratoga, Railroad Place, Malta and Wilton. General admission
tickets are $15 and VIP tickets are $60.   
Tickets can also be purchased at the Saratogian  located at 20 Lake Ave. (who is  a sponsor) from 8 am to 5 p.m.  The show will be on May 14th (that’s
a Monday) with the door opening at 4 pm for VIP ticket holders and at 5 pm for
general admission ticket holders. The show will start at 7 pm.
I’ve never been to a Taste of Home Cooking show but I
understand it’s lots of fun with the opportunity to win some pretty great
prizes and of course learn new recipes and techniques from the chefs .   I’ve also read Taste of Home magazine and
have gotten their cookbooks at Price Chopper so I’m sure that the recipes and
techniques will be ones anyone can benefit from.  Personally I prefer a hands-on cooking class,
but the live demonstrations will still give you lots of information and tips.
The Saratoga City Center has had a complete face lift in the
last couple years and now is an expanded venue and is located on Broadway in
downtown Saratoga Springs. 

Cooking from the Garden Recipe – Zucchini “Lasagna”

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This recipe originated when I lived in St Louis and had a
good sized garden. Once you’ve planted zucchini you will realize that it’s very
prolific.  I was trying to come up with
recipes to use it in a new and different way. This is what I came up with – lasagna.
 Now it’s not a true lasagna, its more of
a zucchini parmesan. But I prefer to call it lasagna since I used slices of
zucchini instead of noodles, layered with sauce and cheese.  Whatever you call it, it’s a delicious way to
use your abundance of zucchini.  This
recipe could be made vegetarian very easily by substituting mushrooms for the
sausage. If you do I would add a little sprinkle of fennel seeds just to give
that sausage flavor.
This recipe isn’t a quick recipe so I thought it would be a
good one for #SundaySupper.  I made my
components from scratch but I’m sure that if you want to use ready- made sauce,
that would be fine. But add a splash of red wine, trust me, you’ll thank me
later.

To make zucchini lasagna you’ll need:
4 large zucchini thinly sliced by using a mandolin or a
sharp knife
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
For sauce:
1 large onion diced
Olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
Italian sausage, about 3 links
1 large can crushed tomatoes
Splash of red wine
Dried basil
Dried parsley
Red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Ricotta cheese (2 large rounded spoonfuls)
8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet add enough olive oil to cover the bottom.
Once the oil is hot add slices of zucchini (being sure not to crowd the pan)
and cook until the zucchini is soft. It’s not necessary to brown, just cook
until pliable. These will be used in the place of lasagna noodles.  You will have to cook the zucchini in
batches. As they cook remove them from the pan and set aside.
For the Sauce:
In a large high sided skillet add enough oil to cover the
bottom.  Once the oil is hot add the onion
and cook until translucent but not browned. Once the onions are cooked add the
garlic and season with salt and pepper. 
Cook the garlic for a minute or two. 
Add the sausage to the pan and crumble. 
Once the meat is brown deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine (about ¼
cup) and season with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, dried basil and dried
parsley.  Add the large can of crushed
tomatoes.  Bring the sauce to a boil then
simmer until all the zucchini are cooked. 
Add in a couple of large spoonfuls of ricotta and stir. The sauce will
blush.
To assemble:
Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with enough zucchini “noodles”
to cover.  Ladle the sauce on top of the
noodles, the cover with mozzarella. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients
are used.

Bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or
until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is bubbling.  Serve with some warm, crusty bread and a salad. 
It’s a great way to cook fresh from the garden.  
Happy #SundaySupper!

Pasta Secrets from a Real Italian Mama- Part 2- Ravioli

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“I love to cook with wine and sometimes I even put it in the
food”—Mama Theresa Viva
I don’t consider myself a chef by any means. I’m just a mom
who likes to experiment with recipes and flavors.  I learned to cook by doing, trial and error
or trial by fire in some cases.  I watch
cooking shows (and have since I was a teen – Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Frugal
Gourmet , the whole PBS line up on Saturday mornings) since I learn much better
by seeing rather than reading a recipe. 
That’s why I love to take a hands-on cooking class.
Mama is hard to photograph.  She is constant motion!
I recently had the pleasure of taking a class at Forno Bistro
here in Saratoga Springs with Mama Theresa. I have to admit I had never been to
Forno Bistro before, so I really didn’t know what to expect.  The restaurant itself looked like what I thought a restaurant in Italy would look like.  I was greeted at  the door by Mama. She told me where to hang my
coat and to wash my hands thoroughly. What Mama says you do!
From there we went into one of the dining rooms that was all
set up for the class.  
Mama gives us “the scoop” on what size scoop to use to fill the ravioli
The class is busily filling, folding and crimping the ravioli
The tables were
set up in a square, covered with brown paper. 
Mama stood at one of the tables with her pasta machine and all her
ingredients for making ravioli dough. 
This wasn’t a dry, step by step instructional class.  Mama has anecdotes that range from how and why
she lost weight to her relationship with her Italian husband.  Her humor keeps it light and entertaining
while you’re still learning all her secrets.

Mama
makes her pasta dough in a bowl using a simple spoon.  The dough is made from all purpose flour,
eggs, salt, water and olive oil, with a little bit of a secret ingredient. She
tears fresh basil right into the dough.  The
class was full of tips and tricks like this. 
Mama made some sample ravioli using different techniques to gives us
ideas on what to use to seal the ravioli. Some of them included  simple cookie cutters, pastry wheels, a shrimp
fork, a cutter/crimper tool and a skeleton key that she used to use when she
made ravioli with her grandmother. 


The fillings.
. 
The filling that she prefers is made with ricotta. To make the ricotta filling she recommends that you wrap the ricotta in a towel, weigh it down and let it drain at least overnight.  Then the filling won’t be too wet for the dough.  On top of the ricotta you can add other fillings too, as long as they have been cooked beforehand and cooled. Some suggestions: salami, prosciutto, artichokes, spinach, mushrooms, sausage, and shrimp just to name a few.

Mama uses a simple pasta machine to roll out the sheets of
pasta dough to make the ravioli then she cuts them into squares. Once the dough
is cut, brush with water and fill. To create the ravioli Mama suggests that you
either fold it over and crimp it or use a cutter. She absolutely doesn’t
recommend using a mold that comes in two pieces.

Mama shows 2 of the students how to roll dough with a pasta machine.


Mama
encourages you to experiment with all the fillings and to come up and try the
pasta machine. It’s a complete “hands-on” class.  Get the feel for the dough, use the machine,
try the different cutters and  create a
one of a kind ravioli. 

Some finished ravioli





















At the end of the
class (which ran about 2 hours) we went into the dining room to feast on our
creations.  

Yes, there were as delicious as they look.  Lost count how many I ate!

The dining room was set up with two tables complete with
china and wine glasses.  Once we were all
seated platter after platter of ravioli came out of the kitchen, cooked and
covered in Mama’s marinara sauce.  We
lunched family-style on bread, wine and our delicious ravioli. We passed around
the huge platters of ravioli that came out of the kitchen seemingly
endlessly.  While eating we were able to
chat with each other and fill out a comment card that was left at our place.
 I’d like to share all
the secrets that Mama shared with us, but I think you’ll just have to take the
class yourself to learn them all.  But I
will share a few….
In the instructions for the pasta maker it says never to
wash it. Mama says wash it (once a year) and then put it in a very low oven to
dry. That way it will never rust from being put away wet.
Ravioli can be frozen. Prepare them,  then lay them out on a sheet.  Once frozen then,  store then in a zip top bag.
Be gentle with the ravioli. Cook them in a large pot, with
salt. Bring the water to a boil, add ravioli and stir gently.  Remove with a slotted spoon – no colander.
Lastly, when you serve them – heat your serving platter
first, either in a very low oven or by running under hot water and drying
completely.  You should never put hot
food on a cold platter.
There are many, many more secrets that Mama shares along with
stories and fool proof methods that will have you making ravioli like a true
Italian!  But to get all these secrets,
and have the experience of learning from Mama Theresa well, you’ll just have to
take the class yourself!  If you’re going
to be in Saratoga Springs or live in Saratoga Springs taking a class at Forno
Bistro is the perfect way to spend  a
Saturday afternoon.  Meeting other
foodies, eating delicious food you created yourself in a warm and beautiful
atmosphere. And on top of that you get to meet and learn from Mama Theresa!
Not interested in learning to make ravioli?  Forno Bistro offers other classes too.  Give them a call or check out their website
for more info.  As for me? I need to take
the sauce class so I can top my homemade ravioli!



Learning Pasta Secrets from a Real Italian Mama

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Have you ever wanted to learn the secrets of pasta making from a real Italian Mama?  That’s what I’ll be doing this Saturday at Forno Bistro at 541 Broadway here in Saratoga Springs.  They offer cooking classes where you can learn to throw pizza dough, roll out ravioli and create homemade pasta.  Classes are offered for children and adults.
This will be my first time taking a class there – it will be my first time there — so I’m very curious to see the inside of the restaurant and learn in their kitchen.  Taking a class at a local restaurant, and you’d be surprised how many offer classes, is a great way to get a behind the scenes look at the restaurant and the city or town you live in or visit.  Their classes are held on Saturday mornings, two classes a month for kids and two classes a month for adults.

So come back for the next blog post with lots of photos and maybe an Italian secret or two!!

A Blog Update

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I thought I would quickly write an update on the latest that’s happening with my blog.  Last weekend I got a new computer, a huge 17 inch Samsung laptop.  So far it’s working out well.  I went from a Mac to a PC which I thought would be a lot more foreign to me than it is.  As I use it more I’ll give a complete review.

I’ve been working a lot of hours at my day job (The Ice Cream Man in Greenwich NY) where I’ve been making close to 300 gallons of ice cream a week and decorating up to 100 cakes a week, so I’m way behind on blogging new entries.

 Coming in the next few days will be a recipe review from The Beekman Boys’ Heirloom Cookbook- a complete Sunday Supper menu.  I’ll also being doing a review of the OXO 5 pound scale and hosting a giveaway, (my first!) so come back for a chance to win the same scale.  Lastly I’ll be taking a class at a local Italian restaurant on pasta and ravioli making.  I’m really looking forward to it, should be lots of fun!!

I check my blog stats all day every day and am amazed at the overseas visitors that I receive.  Yesterday I had one from Brunei!!  The internet never ceases to amaze me!  I’m hoping that I continue to receive overseas visitors (as well as the U.S. and Canada) and that from time to time they leave a comment.  I want to thank everyone who visits my blog.  If you ever have a comment or suggestion I’m all ears!!

Homemade Lox-The Perfect Breakfast

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Sometimes recipes are created by a trip to the grocery store and seeing what’s on sale. Sometimes they’re created by a desire to try to replicate something that’s usually considered a restaurant item. And sometimes a recipe is created by trying to flex my culinary muscles.  Well, this recipe came from all those….

At a recent trip to the grocery store I saw some absolutely beautiful salmon at a pretty good price.  I’m not really a salmon fan but my husband and son are.  I wasn’t sure what to do with it, how to cook it. After asking the “seafood guy” for a few recipes I thought — I’d like to try something new.

I did an internet search to see just how complicated it is to make lox — a piece of salmon cured for at least 24 hours in citrus, dill and salt.  I found several simple recipes but decided on trying one by Emeril Lagasse from the Foodnetwork.com website.

The ingredients were something I had most of right at hand: vodka, citrus juice, citrus zest, kosher salt and fresh dill.

The process is simple. Rinse the salmon, pat dry. Mix the curing mixture and spread over salmon.

Wrap it up tight in plastic, and weigh it down so that the curing mixture can draw out the moisture. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  For the complete recipe go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vodka-and-citrus-cured-salmon-recipe/index.html

Then buy a package of bagels and cream cheese and get ready for an amazing breakfast, made easier than you thought.