Lemon Herbed Salmon

Yummy summer salmon recipe!

Ingredients:
2 lbs salmon
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
3 large lemons
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


Add the olive oil to a small mixing bowl. Chop the fresh herbs and add to the olive oil.
Zest and squeeze the juice two of the lemons into the olive oil herb mixture.
Add the minced garlic.
Place the salmon skin side down in a shallow baking dish.
Top with the lemon herb mixture.
Thinly slice the additional lemon and place on top of each piece of salmon.
Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for an hour to marinate.
Remove from the refrigerator and cook at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes.

Asian Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Perfect summer salad with an asian twist. Super easy to make, just cut up your veggies, cook your quinoa, mix together your dressing and top with cilantro and sesame seeds! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped red cabbage
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup diced cucumber

For the dressing:
1/4 cup lite soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
directions:


Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the cabbage, edamame, red pepper, carrots, and cucumber. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

4. Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine.

My Trip to Copenhagen and Paris!

My trip to Europe was one of the best experiences of my life. Me and my sister went to Copenhagen, Denmark for 7 days and Paris for 2 days. It was our first time traveling alone together and It couldn't of gone any better. The city of Copenhagen is a place that no one can describe. The busy streets are not filled with cars but filled with bikers. The food was all fresh and not one meal was a disappointment. In Paris the main attraction for me was the pastries. I couldn't believe how amazing and extravagant the sweets were. Maccarons which are my favorite sweet were even at the McDonalds! This will definitely be a trip we will do together as much as we can. It brought us closer as sisters and as friends.

Spicy Peanut Sauce In Soba Noodles and Fried Tofu (Vegan)

Hey everyone! I know I have not posted in a while but its been a hectic couple months. I just finished high school, went to europe, and moved downtown. Adjusting to my new life there and new (smaller) kitchen has made cooking hard for me. I'm finally starting to experiment with recipes again, and with the St. Lawerence Market down the street from me I can make the freshest and localist food possible. Its been a blessing and I hope to use it to my full advantage while I'm here.
This recipe I made is one of my first with tofu. I surprisingly loved the texture and how it absorbed the flavors while marinated. The spicy peanut sauce added a strong kick to a common peanut sauce. This is  a must try and an extremely tasting vegan dish!

Ingredients:
For the tofu marinade:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, chopped into bite-sized cubes

For the spicy soba noodles:

1 carrot, peeled and grated in strips
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups soba noodles (about 10 ounces uncooked buckwheat noodles), cooked according to package directions

For garnish/to taste:

Cilantro and chopped peanuts 

For the tofu marinade: In a sealable container, mix together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic, stirring to combine.
Add the tofu, tossing gently to thoroughly coat. Seal the container tightly and chill for at least two hours, stirring or shaking the container every so often to coat the tofu well.

For the spicy soba noodles: Combine water, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, pepper, and garlic; stir with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Place the tofu, in batches, on the heated grill and cook until the tofu is lightly crisped on each side, about 10 minutes or so. 

While frying the tofu made the soba noodles according to package instructions.

\n a large bowl, mix together the carrot, prepared peanut sauce, tofu, and noodles, tossing to coat the noodles thoroughly.
 Add in your desired amount of peanuts and cilantro, according to taste. Enjoy.

Light Peanut Sauce with Rice Noodles

This is such an easy sauce to make. It can stored and saved for not only noodles but a salad dressing, chicken sauce, fish sauce or more. You can even add cooked chicken or shrimp for a protein. Its light and fresh and a peanut butter lovers dream. If the sauce is a little runny just add a scoop of peanut butter or vise versa.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove
1 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon honey or agave
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for topping
1 package of Rice Noodles – I used Pad Thai Noodles
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

fresh Cilantro, for garnish

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until well combined. Add more water if its too thick for your liking. Or if you like a thicker sauce, use less water.

Cook rice noodles according to package.

Toss the noodles with peanut sauce. Add as much or not as much peanut sauce as you like. Top with roasted peanuts, red pepper flakes and cilantro.

Thai Shrimp Salad

This salad is so fresh and filling. It is perfect as a main course or a shared side dish. Its a perfect dish for summer with a mix of hot and cold ingredients. 

Ingredients:
6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sambal oelek (or more if you dig a little kick!)
1 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs minced red pepper (sweet or hot, your call)
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup sugar snap peas, blanched and cooled in an ice bath
2 bundles vermicelli noodles, boiled
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
cilantro, mint leaves and crushed peanuts for garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 Tbs. oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and the minced red pepper. Taste that. Ridiculous.

Now, heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sear on one side for 2 minutes. Flip and sear another minute.

Then you just build! Throw some romaine in the bottom of a couple of salad bowls. Then add some vermicelli noodles, the snow peas, peppers, tomatoes, shrimp, cilantro, mint, and some good crushed peanuts. Shake up (or whisk) your dressing one last time and then drizzle it over the salads.

Tomato Soup with Fresh Pasta

This tomato soup is so easy and delicious. It took me about a half hour to make the entire recipe. Soups are so great because you can store them and save it for another time. You can bring it on the go for lunches or dinners.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 vine ripe tomatoes cut into quarters
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cups no sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs fresh Basil

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbs fresh parsley
rotini, macaroni or shell noodles (optional)

Put all these ingredients into a large soup pot except for the lemon juice and parsley. Let them all simmer for about 20 min. After simmering is done add lemon juice, then use a hand blender to puree the ingredients together (you could use a regular blender, but an immersion blender cuts the time way down).

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain, and add noodles to finished soup. Top with fresh Parmesan and Parsley.