Garland Salmon w/Butter Sauce

If you’re looking for a simple (yet fantastic) way to prepare salmon for one or two people - give this a try.  The sauce stores well in the refrigerator for last-minute throw-on-the-grill convenience.

Several days ago I asked you (HERE) for salmon recipes.  One reader (thanks Nedra!) responded with this one.  It is used at the Garland Salmon Festival to raise funds for the fire station.  I’m not sure where Garland is, but I’d love to visit their Salmon Festival.  Nedra added in her comment that her son (NOT a fish fan) asked for seconds when he sampled it. 

Our ‘box of gold’ arrived from Juneau, Alaska a week ago - packed in one pound packages on ice.  I must say this is the most expensive souvenir I’ve ever purchased, (but it won’t gather dust either)

Nedra mentioned that the salmon is grilled first, and the sauce is poured over after cooking.  That sounded delicious, but I didn’t relish the idea of standing outside in 100° weather (I had just arrived back home freshly chilled from Alaska you know) - so I opted to bake it in the oven as I do my favorite salmon recipe (that link is HERE).  I drizzled a little of the sauce over the salmon before cooking, then really doused it after taking it from the oven.

This is a simple and unique sauce.  You would never guess from the non-gourmet ingredients that it could taste so good.  (And a little butter doesn’t hurt either)  Next time I’ll bite the bullet and stand outside to grill it - but it was fast and easy this way.

These proportions make a LOT of sauce, which I made with one-fourth the quantities listed in the recipe... 


If you'd like to share your favorite salmon recipe, feel free to email or comment and I'll give it a try.

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Basic Beef Brisket

Brisket seems to only appear on the scene twice a year - and it’s been a long time since St. Patrick’s Day.  This method of preparation is almost effortless, and the combination of seasonings so subtle.  Delicious for summer meals served plain, or doused in your favorite BBQ sauce for sandwiches.

You may have heard of brisket on foodie channels - especially when a BBQ competition is featured.  I watch the long process involved in preparing it this way, and it just reaffirms that simple is good. 

This versatile cut of meat can take on many personalities, and when properly prepared it is fork tender.  It can be a little difficult to locate at certain times of year, but summer grilling season seems to be a good time to look for it.  Only one (of many) Costco in the SL Valley carries this cut of beef.

As with most less tender cuts of meat - I focus on plenty of time, low temperature, and no liquid added.  This mixture of seasonings adds just a touch of a smoky flavor, and it will leave you wondering “what’s in here?”

Becky - a friend, fantastic cook, and neighbor of mine - shared this recipe with our ward Relief Society years ago at a Christmas Progressive Dinner.  It is fabulous.  I’ve changed it just a touch (noted in the directions) - and I serve it with BBQ sauce on the side.   I've found that a lot of people like their brisket plain.  When I made this for our Conference Center summer party this week - I served it with Famous Dave’s Rich & Sassy BBQ sauce with steak rolls.  I didn't take the time to figure out how to make the sauce myself - although the so-called “recipe” is floating all over cyberspace.  

This meat stores really well, and freezes without losing much quality (if used within a few months).  Nice to have on hand for when the family is in town, or you're serving a crowd.

For the recipe - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Basil/Lime Buttermilk Grilled Chicken. (That's right... buttermilk)

Can one ever have too many good recipes for chicken on the grill?  I think not...  This recipe keeps your taste-buds busy trying to figure out what the ‘secret’ ingredient is.  It’s actually not ONE, but a combination of flavors that compliment each other so well.  Who knew that buttermilk could be the star of the BBQ grill?

I have several grilled chicken recipes that I use over and over again, but I’m always willing to try another one.  This recipe started out on nibblemethis.com, and then was changed up by plainchicken.blogspot.com, (both awesome sites...)  Being a true ‘tweaker’ by nature, I changed it from there once again.  It's all about personal tastes, you know.  

You know you’ll never find a ‘low-fat’ version of anything on this site, so check out the other links if you are concerned about the fat content.  The addition of a little bit of oil made a big difference because it made the chicken maintain moisture and not stick to the grill.

I’ve found that the humble ziploc bag is a great way to marinade.  I fill a gallon-size ziploc with the chicken, pour the marinade over the top, seal it up, and then slosh it back and forth a few times to distribute the marinade evenly.  I then place it on a half-size baking sheet and - since it’s such a shallow container - it’s fairly easy to fit it in the refrigerator.  

When I’m ready to fire up the grill, a baking sheet is so much more stable to handle than an ice cream bucket or a bowl.  It also gives me a work surface to place my BBQ tools, extra marinade, seasonings, etc...

This chicken was a hit with everyone who tried it.  The fresh basil (which is about the only thing that survived the monsoon in my garden this spring) added such great flavor, and the fresh lime juice/zest gave it just a bit of zing.  

I saved the leftovers and sliced them very thin to serve with salads, leftover potatoes, and even on sandwiches.  I’m not claiming any credit, but hot or cold, this chicken is superb.

For the recipe, photos, and directions - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Balsamic Honey Chicken on Skewers

It’s time for chicken breast to step off stage occasionally to let dark meat shine.  This entire entree takes only 1 Tbs of oil, yet it’s really moist and tender - and that includes frying without a drop of fat.  The marinade caramelizes as it cooks, and there’s no mess to clean up when using a non-stick skillet.

I don’t know how I survived my newlywed days when I had to de-bone chicken.  My children grew up thinking the only bones a chicken has are ‘drumstick’ bones.  (I finally had to tell them the truth about boneless chicken - along with the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa)

I occasionally buy fresh, boneless, skinless chicken thighs at Sam’s Club - and they literally fall apart the longer I cook them.  They’re great for soups, chicken & rice, and lots of other dishes.  But nobody raves about them.  I decided to try to make something memorable with chicken thighs a few days ago.  I think I succeeded.  

When you cube chicken thighs, they are not a pretty sight.  Definitely not like chicken breast that’s all white and perfect.  Just cut off the extra fat, and try to ignore the imperfections.  You won’t recognize them after preparing them this way - kind of like seeing your awkward teenager grow into a swan after middle school.

This sauce shouldn’t be this good because it doesn’t have anything exotic, imported, or snooty in it - and it even has a food storage staple (honey?!)  It doesn’t take forever to marinate, and the sheer fact that the meat is lined up on sticks makes them so EASY to turn as they brown. One quick turn of your wrist and the entire lineup of meat is rotated for easy browning. You could BBQ these, but then you would lose most of the great sauce on the grill - and that would be a shame.  

This recipe made 5-6 skewers of chicken, and one was PLENTY of meat (even for my extra-hungry son who had worked landscaping all day).  Serve with extra honey on the side, (which it really doesn’t need) and toasted sesame seeds to give it even more flavor.

For this recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Crockpot (or NOT) BBQ'ed Ribs - hearty flavor without the grill...

This Taste of Home recipe is everything their title says “Secret’s in the Sauce” BBQ Ribs... It couldn’t be more simple, and the result is a fall-off-the-bone rib that has just the right seasoning. Maybe we were just extra hungry - but the heavenly aroma stopped us in our tracks today after church...

I love using my crockpot, but if I have a choice - I will always bake meat in my oven. Today was cool and pleasant, so I opted for baking these in my Magnalite roaster for the same amount of time at 250 degrees.

It was a bit of a trick finding “cherry preserves” - they only tend to sell off-brands of this variety. You will be hard-pressed to find it in Smucker’s or Knott’s Berry Farm brands. The BBQ sauce is really inexpensive in the summer months. I found Kraft for $1.00 a bottle. I did have to top it off with an extra 1/2 cup of my favorite (Bull’s Eye) because the inexpensive brand didn’t have quite the 2-1/2 cups it called for. It must be the cherry preserves, garlic, and mustard that makes the difference - it was just delicious!

I took mine out of the oven off and on in order to bake the rolls, apple pie, and herbed red potatoes that we had for dinner today also. The “in-and-out” treatment didn’t hurt these a bit. I did remove the lid for the last hour of cooking and it reduced the sauce enough that it was thick and tasty. I wonder how that would work with my crockpot?

For this recipe and photos, go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Carne Asada - so MANY uses!

There’s no reason to eliminate such a flavorful meat as carne asada from a single person’s menu. Once you go to the effort to prepare it, it can be frozen in single serving sizes that can be quickly thawed to put in carne asada tacos, fajitas, pizza, enchiladas, wraps, salads, - you name it! This has a universally appealing marinade that works in any type of meal.

I have always loved this roasted, marinated flank steak from the first time I had it - which was in a quesadilla at Costa Vida restaurant. I’ve since seen it as a topping on pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen, in salad at Cafe Rio, and a host of other uses in several other restaurant chains.

I love this recipe which I first found on barbarabakes.blogspot.com. Check out her beautiful photos there... Thanks Barbara!

I made a few changes to her recipe, as we all do, but for the most part I used it verbatim. We used it in fajitas the first night, and then used my FoodSaver to package the other half to freeze for later. Next, I plan to try to duplicate the pizza I found online that looked so delicious...

For this recipe, photos, and detailed instructions - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("empty nest" tab)

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken - make extra for lunch tomorrow...

I always make extra grilled chicken when I fire up the grill. Leftovers make an excellent addition to pasta, salads, etc... I discovered this recipe as a result of combining two similar recipes - adding the honey really made a difference.

Did you know that cilantro, coriander, and chinese parsley are all the same thing? Whatever you call it, this herb is the perfect compliment to lime - especially when used as a marinade for chicken. This combination is heavenly on the BBQ grill. It can also be used for turkey & beef...

For the recipe, instructions, and photos - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)