Hot Honey Orange Salmon

Simple and delicious, perfectly sweet and a teensy bit spicy. This is one of my favorite simple ways to prepare salmon. The sriracha and honey complement the salmon but do not mask its flavor. The sauce may seem very spicy if you taste it alone but drizzling it on top of the salmon balances it out nicely.

What you need:

1 tbsp sriracha

zest half an orange (about 1 tsp)

juice of half an orange

2 tbsp honey

salt and pepper

1 lb of Atlantic salmon

Mix the first four ingredients and microwave for 30 seconds to make it easier to combine. Preheat oven to 400° and sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Pour honey orange mixture evenly on top of the salmon. Bake for 10-12 minutes if portioned out into small filets or 15-18 minutes for one large piece of salmon. Keep an eye on it, it’s finished when internal temperature is 145°. I like to flash broil it for just about 1 minute at the end to lightly caramelize the top, but be quick so you don’t burn it!

This pairs really well with sesame snow peas :

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp butter

8 oz fresh snow peas

pinch of salt and pepper

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat in a shallow pan. Stir at around 2-3 minutes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The peas should remain bright green and vibrant.

Tuna Cakes

Tuna cakes may seem humble in appearance or ingredients but they are worthy in flavor. These come together in 15 minutes from start to finish and you probably have everything on hand to make them. I fry them in a combination of canola oil and olive oil because I think olive oil can taste over powering. If you love olive oil, just use it but be careful not to make it too hot because it will burn faster than vegetable or canola oil.

What you need:

2 cans of Albacore tuna

1 scallion

1/2 a red pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper

1/4 cup panko

1 egg

Tartar Sauce:

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp capers and juices

1-2 tsp lemon juice (light squeeze of 1/2 a lemon)

1/2 tsp salt and pinch of pepper

2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp dried

Mix all together and allow 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.

(would also be good with a little dijonaisse…mayo and dijon mixed together or even a little spicy mayo if you wanted to mix together some

sriracha or harissa paste in with mayo for something different)

Begin by finely chopping the red bell pepper and scallion and add it to a mixing bowl. Add one whole egg, panko, herbs, salt and pepper. Rinse and drain the tuna. Mix it all together with a spoon and form into patties. It’s ok to press tightly or use a ring to form them.

Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and turn to medium heat. It should be hot but not smoking, just gentle bubbles in the oil. Allow the oil to warm up and then carefully add the patties one at a time. Allow to cook for 5 minutes without disturbing and the carefully flip over for another 5 minutes. Serve with your sauce of choice and a side salad : )

These would also make great sandwiches on a burger bun. Enjoy!

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is one of my favorite fall and winter meals. It’s a hearty catch-all for leftovers. I’ve made it for a large crowd in the slow cooker or instant pot with a large pork butt and its even better stirred slowly over an open fire. The simplest way to enjoy Brunswick stew is with leftovers. If you have leftover smoked pork or chicken bbq you can dump all of the meat and the bbq sauce into the pot and it will be really good. Today’s version is a way to repurpose the Thanksgiving turkey. This is a great change from the flavor profiles of sage, cream, and butter. It’s bright and smoky and a nice change of pace from the last few days.

What you need:

1 lb of shredded/chopped meat (turkey in this case, but can choose pork or chicken)

2 stalks of celery

1 small onion

2 carrots

1 sprig of rosemary

3 good potatoes (I love YuKon Golds)

3 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of bbq sauce (one that you like :)

1/2 cup of frozen Lima beans

1/2 cup of frozen green beans

1/2 cup of frozen peas

salt and pepper

butter

olive oil

First chop your celery, onion, and carrots and add to a pot with a drizzle of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper over the vegetables while they are cooking. Next chop up your rosemary (you can use about 1/2 tsp dried) and add it to the pot. When the vegetables have softened pour in your broth and begin to simmer. Add the meat at this point. (If you are going to be cooking the meat in the broth vs using leftovers, add it now and simmer for 20 minutes until its cooked through and begins to fall apart before adding remaining vegetables and bbq sauce)

Dice your potatoes into bite sized pieces and add them to the pot. Next throw in your frozen vegetables, bbq sauce, and another 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Continue simmering on low/medium until the potatoes have cooked through, approx 15 minutes or so. Serve with cornbread and red pepper flakes for those who like a little spice.

**If you are going to be adding a piece of uncooked meat to the soup, be sure to season with salt and pepper before adding. If you have a grill, searing the meat on the grill will give you that smoky flavor. For example, if I’m cooking pork butt I’ll turn the grill on medium/high and sear the pork for 5 minutes per side and then add it to my broth.

**Recently made this with sweet potatoes and they were a great addition.

**A splash of apple cider vinegar is a good addition if you are using a sweet BBQ sauce and need some acidity. Can also offer pepper vinegar or hot sauce on the side for people to add their own.