Salmon Cakes

Salmon cakes are basic, economical and delicious. They can be made of fresh salmon that's been chopped, however this preparation uses the ever accessible wild caught canned pink salmon. The cost of the dish is about five bucks. From prep to serve is roughly 30 minutes, which is even better on a work night.

1 15 oz can pink salmon

1 egg

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup panko or regular bead crumbs 

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1/4 cup yellow meal

Step One: The Oven

Preheat oven to 425 F

Step Two: The Prep (The messy part)

Dice the onion. Open the canned salmon and drain the canning fluid and discard.  Empty the salmon into a large bowl. Remove the bones and skin (optional). Combine the onions, egg, and bread crumbs, salt, and pepper into the salmon. Mix completely using your hands.  

Step Three: Dusting, Crusting, Baking

Add the corn meal in a small clean dry bowl.   Form four equal sized salmon cakes.  Place one cake in the bowl and wiggle it around to dust the bottom with corn meal. Carefully flip the cake over and repeat. Place that cake on a cookie sheet and repeat the proce

Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is the basic ingredient in many preparations, including broths, soups,  sauces, and stir-fries.  It is readily available at the supermarket in wide varieties, but it's also not that hard to make, and the ingredients are often things that normally are discarded.  The vegetable and chicken scraps can be collected over time frozen and then used to make your stock. This preparation uses mostly vegetable scraps, and left over chicken parts. Result was a clear flavorful stock that was then used in Hungry Girl's Egg-cellent Foo Young recipe.  

5 cups water (1 cup reserved)

8-16 oz chicken rib sections, back bone, or neck bones.

5 medium onion root ends

5 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces of the tops of celery including leaves.

5 1/2 inch end pieces of carrot 

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of Pepper

Step One: Making the Stock Base

In a 6 quart sauce pan, combine four cups of water and all ingredients and bring to a boil.   Boil uncovered for 5 minutes and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. 

Step Two: Reducing 

Transfer the stock to a to a slow cooker and add 1 cup of water.  Cook uncovered the whole time. Initially set the temperature to high for 30 minutes and then reduce the temperature to low for 7-8

hours.  Placing a metal or heat resistant colander or splatter shield  over the slow cooker can be helpful to avoid any potential splatters.

Step Three:  Straining

Remove large pieces of bone, meat and veggies.  Using cheesecloth or a single layer paper towel lined the strainer or colander and  strain the stock to another container. 

Tip:  Many paper towels are two ply, which will make straining go a lot slower. To get around

this separate two two plies apart and strain using only one of them.

The strained stock should be fragrant, rich in color,  and mostly clear.  

Cool the stock to room temperature and then refrigerate for 4 hours.

Step Four:  Removing Excess Fat

During refrigeration fat will form on the top of the stock.  Remove the fat layer with a spoon and discard.   Alternatively, prior to refrigerating, the stock could be allowed to settle and then a gravy separator can be employed.  Both methods work rather well, and can be even used together. 

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Sauce is a hallmark of summer cooking, an always on-hand dipping sauce, and an ingredient in various recipes. There are many types of barbecue sauces such as the tomato based (recipe below), vinegar based, and asian style.  The tomato based sauce recipe below is prepared with a homemade tomato ketchup base. A lot of recipes online, and in cookbooks actually have commercial tomato ketchup or catsup as an ingredient. 

The Ingredients 

1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes

2/3 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup white distilled vinegar

1 table spoon Zatarain's Creole Seasoning 

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/16 teaspoon ground clove

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 shot of whiskey

1/4 teaspoon Chili power

1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne 

1/4 teaspoon garlic power

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/32 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Step One: Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Pour the crushed tomatoes in a  4 quart sauce pan. Add both sugars and the white vinegar. Heat the pan using medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Zatarain's Creole Seasoning.

Step Two:  BBQ Sauce

Add the other ingredients one by one stirring after each addition.
Bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally, and then reduce to a simmer. You may notice  a foamy substance appears on the surface. Remove this by gently spooning  the foam to a bowl to discard.  This foam will otherwise cloud the sauce. This process of clarifying is done with stocks, broths, jams, jellies, candy among other things.  Continue a vigorous simmer for five minutes. 

Step Three: Reduction 

Simmer the sauce uncovered for 1 1/2 hours or longer stirring occasionally. 

Or

Place the sauce in a slow cooker set to the low or warm setting, stir occasionally. Let it reduce for 3 1/2 hours or longer stirring occasionally.

Chick'n Stir-Fry

Stir-Fry is simple to make, cheap, and can be easily adapted to all types of diets.  This preparation uses vegan chick'n, but tofu, tempeh, chicken, pork, beef could also be substituted. If planning to use shrimp, then add the shrimp towards the end as to not over cook them. Typically chick'n is found in the vegetarian section of the freezer aisle at the grocery store.  There are many brands, be careful some are vegan, and some are not.

The Ingredients

10 oz bag frozen whole  green beans
10 oz bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
4 oz of button mushrooms
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
10 oz bag of chicken cutlets or strips
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
2 tablespoon cooking sherry
2 cloves of garlic



Step One: The Sauce

In a small bowl, whisk the sherry and the garlic sauce together and reserve.

Step Two:  The Prep

Remove the green beans and the stirfry vegetables from the freezer. Empty the packages in to a colander and run cold water over them to defrost them and set them aside.   Slice the mushrooms about 1/8 inch thick slices.  Smash and mince or use a garlic press the garlic. Grate the ginger, a ginger grater works well here, but a regular grater will work.

If using chick'n cutlets, cut them into 1" wide and 2" long strips.

Step Three: Stir-frying

Over medium-high heat a large (12" -14") non-stick or a well seasoned skillet heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Once the oil is shimmering add the chick'n strips.  Sauté them until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the pan and reserve them. Add the mushrooms and reduce the heat to medium cook until the mushrooms are brown and have relesased some liquid. Reserve the mushrooms.  Return to medium-high heat and add more oil if needed. Add half of the vegetables  the goal here is not to crowd the pan. Adding all the vegetables at once will lead to steaming. Sauté the vegetables for about 2-3 minuters, they should be heated through, but remain crisp. Remove and reserve the first a half, and add the second half, garlic and ginger. Sauté stirring to ensure garlic and ginger doesn't brown.


Step Four:  Finishing

Add the ingredients back to the pan. Stir in the sauce mixture. Turn off the heat, and serve.

Killer Turkey Meatloaf

Let's face it, turkey meatloaf can be dry. It can be void of flavor, and frankly boring.  This preparation is moist, flavorful, and vibrant. It will please the crowd, and not expand the waistline as much as traditional meatloaf made of veal, beef and pork.


Step  One:  Turkey

At you local grocer pick up a pack of ground 93/7 turkey. They oddly come in about 1.3 pound packages.  The 93/7 means it's 93% lean and 7% fat.  Place the turkey in a large mixing bowl. Season the turkey with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of black pepper, teaspoon of poultry seasoning, and a teaspoon of garlic power. Using utensils or your hands combine the seasoning with the ground turkey. Cover it and refrigerate.


Step Two: The Veggies Plus Mushrooms

The secret to a moist and delicious turkey meatloaf is vegetables and mushrooms.  Dice  one onion to yield 1 cup of onions, 1/2 cups of carrots, 1/2 cup celery. Slice 1 8 oz package of white button mushroom, the baby bellas, or 8 oz of bellas could be used as well.  In a large skillet over medium high heat, add two teaspoons of olive oil. Add onions and  cook for 2 minute, stirring occasionally until soft. Reduce heat slightly and add carrots celery and cook until they are softened. Add mushrooms and cook until they are very soft and have released a fair bit of water. Reserve to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.


Step Three: Putting It Together

Retrieve  the seasoned turkey from the fridge.  Add two eggs, and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.  Add the vegetable misture and combine well. Scope or spoon  the turkey mixture into a loaf plan and pat it down until it's fills the pan completely in single level layer.  Forming the turkey mixture into a mound on a cookie sheet also works.

Step Four:  Cooking
Place the loaf pan in a preheated 350 degree oven. The turkey loaf may take 45 minutes to an hour to cook completely.  Cook until the center of the loaf reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Retrieve the turkey loaf and let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes. It will retract from the edges of the pan slightly. Use a butter knife along the edges two free it from the sides of the pan.  Invert and the turkey loaf should freely part from the pan. Slice and eat.  Enjoy


R. A. Mann-Thompson, All Things Eaten