Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce

Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce

Still catching up here. This recipe goes back to early summer when Jessica and her littles arrived, minus their dad who was traveling. We were looking for easy meals and this one checked all the boxes. Quick. Easy. Delicious. And it was flavors that Jessica would never do at home. We have to be real and acknowledge food dislikes when cooking for a family. Lucky for her, in our house we LIKE lemon and dill!

I'm including the baking directions for the salmon, but this is really all about the sauce. You can prepare the salmon filets by your favorite method. Bake it. Grill it. Air fry it. Next on my "to try" list is cooking them in the air fryer. We'll see how that goes.

BAKED SALMON with EASY LEMON DILL SAUCE

4 (6-oz) salmon fillets 

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Lemon Dill Sauce:

1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon milk--any kind is fine, including non-dairy options

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

If salmon is especially cold, let it rest at room temp for 15 to 20 minutes. Blot salmon dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 400º. Place salmon in a baking dish or on baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle olive oil over tops of filets. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until salmon is opaque and flaky with pulled apart with a fork.

While salmon is baking, combine all sauce ingredients. Whish until well blended.

Serve baked salmon with your favorite green vegetable. Top each filet with the lemon dill sauce and a sprinkle of fresh finely chopped dill or parsley.

To make our meal even easier, we zapped a pouch of rice in the microwave. I don't remember now which kind we used, but there are so many choices of rice and grains and rice/grain blends on the shelf. I don't use these products often, but every now and then they fill a need.

 

Fall Comes To The Lake

The first noticeable display of fall color.

A little pre-Halloween creation from a friendly spider.

We had an unexpected weekend with family. 

(So what if it involved some significant car trouble.)

It was glorious. (Except for the car problem.)

We drove down to the lake for lunch and ended up staying for dinner and breakfast the next morning. And then we came home with leftovers. It's a long, long story. But all you need to know is that should you find yourself with a couple of pieces of leftover grilled salmon, you can make a delicious, quick supper for 2 or 3 folks.

This is basic "fridge foraging." But this worked really well. Warmed over salmon didn't sound particularly appetizing. But when I combined the leftover salmon with a very few ingredients I had on hand, it was surprisingly good supper. I expected good. But this was GOOD!

Here is all I did. Use this as a starting point for your own creation.

SALMON LINGUINE w/SPINACH

2 pieces of leftover grilled salmon

1/2 box whole wheat linguine

1 jar Rao's Alfredo sauce

baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, remove skin from salmon and break it apart into chunks. In a skillet, warm Alfredo sauce over low heat. A few minutes before pasta is done, stir in salmon and baby spinach. 

When pasta is done, use spaghetti lifter and move linguine from the pot directly into the skillet. Stir to combine. Continue to heat gently for a minute or two, until spinach is wilted.

That's it. It almost took longer to write the directions than it did to make the dish.  We will do this again, On purpose.

 

Crab Cakes For Two (With Leftovers For Lunch)

Crab cakes

Yesterday was Mother's Day. It's that day when all the social media is flooded with pictures of family gatherings. Well, our family is too far apart for a one day get together so there were no big family pictures for us. I did enjoy FaceTime visits with the daughters and granddaughters. Thank goodness for technology.

But we decided to have a celebration for two. There are many ways to make a day special. I finally tried a recipe that I've had printed out for ages. We normally think of crab cakes as a restaurant treat but I thought I'd try making them at home. And while these are not as good as the ones at Pawleys Island Tavern (theirs are THE best,) they were very good. Good enough that I'm posting this recipe here so I won't lose it.

Another big plus for this recipe is that it can be assembled early in the day and refrigerated until it's time to cook and then the cooking is quick. And most of the kitchen clean up was done in the morning.

CRAB CAKES

2 large eggs

1 celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1-lb fresh jumbo crabmeat, well drained and picked over

1 cup panko breadcrumbs 

1/4 cup canola oil

In a large bowl, mix eggs, celery, onion, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire and Old Bay until combined well. Fold in crabmeat and panko crumbs. Shape into 12 small patties, about 1/4 cup each, and place on a tray lined with parchment. Cover tray and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. (I think refrigerating most of the day helped the patties stay together.)

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium. Add 6 crab cakes and cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side. Move cooked crab cakes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and put in warming drawer (or oven warmed to 250º and turned off) while the last 6 are cooked. 

Serve immediately with Remoulade (or tartar sauce) and lemon wedges.

I used another crab cake recipe months ago and figured out that for me, it worked better to break up the big solid lumps of crabmeat a little. I know that might be sacrilegious to do that after paying a premium for the lump meat. But that's how I like it. I still leave big pieces, just not huge ones.

After dinner last night I looked up the price of fresh lump crabmeat at Whole Foods. It was $45 per pound. This won't be a meal we have often, but it certainly could be a celebration meal for 6. The price would be comparable to serving steaks. I think these would make an excellent luncheon dish for you and your 5 closest friends. Serve the crab cakes on a nice salad of mixed greens instead of with dinner sides.

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To keep you (and me) from digging back through the recipes here to find the recipe for the remoulade sauce, here it is again.

REMOULADE SAUCE 

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning 

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped 

1 tablespoon horseradish sauce 

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (I used German mustard) 

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon Texas Pete hot sauce (or to taste) 

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients and store in refrigerator.

 

Spring Break 2021

Last night's twilight

I've been quiet here on the blog because we've been on spring break. Actually it's Mommy and J-Daddy and the little girls who have truly had a school spring break. They opted to spend their vacation at the farm. So we came down to the lake to let them have full use of our house and yard and farm. It's been great all around. 

Like so many grandparents this past year, our time with the grandchildren has been nearly non-existent. We had not been close enough to touch them in almost a year. It was splendid to get to hug those little girls. Even if we had our masks on. 

Easter Dinner

Our lake house is only 45 minutes away from the farm so we've able to see them several times. The first time was on Easter Sunday. We were invited to our own back yard for Easter dinner. We are still being careful until everyone is fully vaccinated, so our backyard became the dining room. And it was perfect. Not too hot or humid. Not too cold. No mosquitos yet. "Delightful" is the word that comes to mind. We don't get many days like this.

Red velvet birthday cake

Baby Girl had a birthday just a couple of days before they came to the farm, so we saved the celebration until we were together. Last year she had the first Zoom birthday party of the lockdown. This was so much more fun. They got to the farm on Saturday afternoon. How J-Daddy managed to bake a cake in time for Sunday lunch, I'm not sure. It was delicious. I'll share the recipe soon.

Grilled Atlantic char, kale salad & grits topped w/prosciutto

Let me make it clear that our son-in-law was the main chef this week. This was his idea of a vacation. He enjoys cooking and especially enjoys cooking in my big kitchen. We were happy to be dinner guests. At our own house. Seriously. I could get used to this. (Mommy says she's ready to hand the holiday cooking back to me!)

After dinner that particular evening, we enjoyed dancing on the patio to some easy jazz. I loved it when Baby Girl told me, "This is a glorious night." Yes. Yes it was. We made some good memories this week. 

They have done some serious memory making of their own at the farm, too. We have lots of space there for riding bikes, scooters and roller skating. Two swings hang from the huge old oak tree in our front yard. And there is a river way back behind our house.

Riverside nap

They hiked across the field and through the woods to the river several times. A picnic by the river was a big treat one day. And at night the sky at the farm is really dark. Not much light pollution in the country. So they could look at the stars and find constellations.

See the red kite? 

Another day, kite flying was the activity. The pasture right beside the house is a perfect kite flying space. They are absolutely positive they set a record for flying the highest kite. One car passing by slowed down to watch the red kite gliding high above the ground. 

Meanwhile, here at the lake we've had a lovely time. It's quiet here in early spring. But with enough fishermen passing for us to not feel isolated. It is also the short weather window when we can leave the doors open and enjoy letting the outside come inside. I can sit comfortably inside and watch the sunlight sparkling on the water and hear the birds. Bliss!

Daddy-O fished. He even caught a couple. I brought my knitting and...call me crazy...but I bought a keyboard to leave down here so that I could keep practicing. My latest hobby? Learning to play jazz piano. If nothing else it's great brain exercise to try and learn a new way of playing. (It will be a better hobby when I get an adaptor to plug in my headphones. Daddy-O is getting tired of the ballad I've played about a thousand times this week.)

Lobster tail, baked sweet potato & broccoli

One night I was the single backyard guest. Daddy-O had a dinner meeting. Boy, did he miss a good meal. I have never cooked lobster of any kind. And surely never imagined having one in my back yard. 

Blueberry pie

The recipe for this blueberry pie is here on the blog. It's always a winner. And as pie goes, it's pretty easy to make. Nothing to peel or slice. J-Daddy has made this many times. I'm always happy to be around when he bakes one.

Low country boil & hush puppies

One evening they drove down to the lake. And brought the fixings with them and cooked supper down here. Could life get any better? Like I said earlier—I could get used to this. We love low country boil (recipe is in the index here) and the open pavilion here at the lake is the kind of place where this casual meal tastes best. It turned out to be a cool night so we rummaged around and found some of Mimi's sweatshirts for the girls. And rolled the sleeves way up. Why do kids love wearing borrowed clothes that are way too big?

It was too windy to stay on the pier very long. But they did have fun blowing giant bubbles. I can't wait for them to come back in the summer and do this again when the wind is not in charge of how big the bubbles are.

The nights we did not have dinner together, I would get pictures of what was happening in my kitchen at home. Yes. J-Daddy makes sushi, too. I think he has two more meals before their vacation is over. I will wait patiently to see photos of the last two dinners. He did some serious menu planning to make this all work out.

Then it will be time for all of us to pack and head back home to our respective homes. And my kitchen won't know what's happened next week when the only things being cooked are just plain ordinary food. We will miss them terribly. But goodness it's been fun!

I don't know about you, but I wanted to document the mask wearing. Many years from now, we need to remember this year and all of the ways COVID changed our lives. You know about the terrible things it brought to many. But some good things have come about, too. While others are itching to travel again, I have decided it doesn't get much better than here where we live. I learned that Dorothy was right—there's no place like home.

 

Cold Supper For Hot Weather

It's August. It's hot. It's humid. I am not craving hot meals. This is a wonderful cold supper. Make it ahead so it will have time to chill. When I went down to Mommy's new house last week to help paint, she had this salad (left from her supper the night before) for a quick lunch the day I got there. She said that all of her family loved it. I made it several times years ago and we loved it. Then the recipe moved out of my rotation. We had kind of forgotten about it. It is time for me to bring it back. Thanks, Mommy, for the reminder.

SHRIMP & PASTA SALAD

1/4 cup mayonnaise
oregano to taste
16-oz spaghetti, cooked, drained, hot (whole wheat pasta is nice here)
8-oz feta cheese, crumbled (a 6-oz pkg is okay, too)
6 spring onions, chopped (or green onions)
10-12 cherry tomatoes, sliced or large dice
16-oz shrimp, cooked & peeled
1 cup light Italian dressing

Combine the mayonnaise and oregano in a large bowl and mix well.
Add hot cooked spaghetti and toss to coat.
Add the feta cheese, spring onions, tomatoes and shrimp and mix well.
Pour the salad dressing over the shrimp/pasta mixture and mix well.
Chill, covered, for 6 hours
Serve cold.

Mommy used frozen salad size shrimp for this and that was a great choice. I have used large shrimp. Buy whatever is on sale. Follow the directions on the bag for proper thawing. Or, if you're in a hurry, these directions from my cousin Audrey work well, too. To thaw: bring a pot of water (about 2-qt) to boil. Add frozen shrimp. When water returns to boil, drain and cover shrimp with ice cubes to cool. We've all done this with good results, too.

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking this would be awfully good to take to someone. Right now there seem to be plenty of folks who could use a meal. This makes a generous amount of salad, so one recipe could be divided---supper for friends and supper for us. Perfect.

For the record, Big Sister and I did a good job in her room. She and I painted and she learned lots of "how-tos" as we worked. I told her I'm trying to work myself out of a job!

Patty Cake, Patty Cake

The couple of local restaurants we frequent probably wonder if we've moved. Or died. With a three-year-old and a three-month-old here all summer, it has been infinitely easier to cook supper than to go out to eat. Getting there is production in itself and then we need eat in a hurry, in hopes that we finish before the baby cries. 

I've cooked a lot of suppers in the last two months. A whole lot. But somehow I managed to forget about this one. When our two girls were growing up, this was one of the rare things they both loved. And in Mommy's household, it's the same way. It is one of the very favorite things she makes. Her husband says it tastes like the ones his grandmother used to make. That is high praise.

Daughter Jessica also makes the same recipe but says she figured out her friends liked it only if she said she was making "salmon cakes." The word "patty" seems to bother the city crowd. We are not that fancy on the farm. You can call them patties or cakes. They are delicious with either name!

It is easy to keep a can of salmon in the pantry for those days when you're out of nearly everything. Like I was today. When I spied the can of salmon, I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't have to make another trip to the store this afternoon. 

 SALMON PATTIES

1 (14.75-oz.) can of pink salmon (my mother called it a "tall can")
1 egg
2/3 cup Bisquick
2 tablespoons of minced onion (optional)
cooking oil (canola, corn, or peanut, etc.)

Pour salmon and liquid into mixing bowl. Remove the round bones (and I like to remove most of the skin, too.) Stir in the remaining ingredients. Let sit a few minutes while oil in heating.

Heat about a 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet. Spoon salmon mixture into medium-hot oil and shape into patties. Let brown on one side, then carefully turn over and brown the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Makes 8 salmon patties


We like this with mashed potatoes, English peas and cole slaw. Today I made cucumber salad instead of slaw since we have fresh cucumbers in our garden.

I knew Little Sister really loved this. She watched me take the platter full of salmon patties from the warming drawer and asked with a big smile on her face, eyes wide in anticipation, "Is that my plate?"

I will tell you that both of my daughters have discovered small cans of boneless, skinless salmon. It takes three cans to equal the "tall" can that I use. I don't particularly mind putting my hands into the salmon to remove the bones and such. But if that bothers you, you can buy the kind they do.

Family Fun On The Fourth

My "week of the 4th" started with a few days at the beach with Little Sister and her family. She was so little the last time she went, she didn't remember seeing the ocean. So she was tremendously excited this trip. Baby Girl and I spent most of our time on the porch, rocking as we listened to the ocean.

But for our family, the main event for the 4th of July is time at the lake.

Little Sister had her first lessons in boating.

Then on the actual day—July 4th—we had 20 family members join us for lunch.

The food is always good but the company is even better.

This year we had 5 children under four which was loads of fun.

Remember this blueberry pie? 

The recipe was good enough for a repeat.

There was paddle ball, and juggling, and hammock swinging 

and dazzling fireworks on our own pier later on.

And there was time for paddling, too.

Sometimes a slow boat is better than the motor boat.

Little Sister did her paddling on dry land 

and had just as much fun as anyone.

They made lots stops on their "trip" to explore the yard 

and gather leaves and stones in buckets.

Little Sister is blessed with loads of imagination.

But Jessica gets the "best aunt" award for finally taking little one 

out on her first real kayak ride.

After lots of BBQ and hot dogs, it was time for a menu change. We've had this recipe stuck on the wall at the lake since 2007 (according to the date on the computer print out.) I knew I was saving it for a reason. This one pot dinner is one of the easiest meals to cook as well as one of the most delicious. It was the perfect meal for our last night at the lake. We've eaten this South Carolina dish many times, but it was the first time we cooked it ourselves.

LOW COUNTRY BOIL (also known as Frogmore Stew)

4 quarts cold water

1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

2-1/2 pounds small red potatoes

4 ears of corn, shucked, each cut into 4 pieces

2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1-1/2 inch slices

2 pounds medium shrimp, deveined, in the shell

In a large stockpot, combine water, Old Bay seasoning, the 1 tbsp of salt, celery, onion, garlic and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 10-20 minutes.

Add corn and sausage to the pot and simmer until corn is tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt.

Strain and serve immediately. (Daddy-O cooked this in a pot with a basket that lifted out. Made the serving easy.)

It is traditionally served by pouring the food out on newspapers spread on a picnic table outside, but we opted for paper plates and LOTS of napkins on our porch. There are as many variations for this as there are cooks. You can search for the recipe by both names and check out some recipes from other folks.