Smoked Salmon Yogurt Dip

Welcome to my "semi-homemade" cooking time! I just found something interesting at the grocery store, so I wanted to take it up a notch and make it more interesting.

Goes well with cucumber slices also.

Smoked Salmon Yogurt Dip

1 Oikos Greek yogurt dip, 12 oz.
1 cup smoked salmon trimmings, chopped
1 Tbsp onion, minced or grated
1 Tbsp capers
1 Tbsp dry dills, I like lots of dill. 
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything and put a dollop on your favorite crackers or vegetable sticks.

Yay for Greek yogurt!

Nova lox trimmings

Mix them all up.

Lemon zest makes it taste clean and fresh.

Now how easy was that?

The dip tastes better the next day since the flavors marry together over time. Smoked salmon can be expensive but when they sell them as trimmings, I always grab them because they are so much cheaper. (And they taste just as good!) Make it part of your Super Bowl party!

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Kale and Spaghetti Squash

I keep my bag of kale in freezer for smoothies. It keeps for weeks, and it blends nicely in blender that way. But I also want to make one dish out of the fresh bag before freezing it. 

Nutty and fragrant from the roasted pistachio oil. 

Kale and Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
2 cups kale
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp Trader Joe's Roasted Pistachio Oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkles nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in halt and bake cut side down for 50 minutes on a foiled cookie sheet that's been sprayed with PAM or olive oil. Cool and scoop out the squash in a bowl. 

Squash comes right out of the shells.

In a skillet, warm up 1 Tbsp roasted pistachio oil and cook garlic and onions until fragrant. Add kale and cook for another few minutes, adding red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the kale mixture to the squash and drizzle 1 Tbsp roasted pistachio oil. Toss to mix well in a bowl. 

Don't cook it to death, just enough to get wilted slightly. 

This oil smells and tastes soooo good!

Drizzle more pistachio oil! MMM!

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Honey Dijon Kale

I get psyched when I find a good recipe for side dishes. Side dishes are often so boring, but this recipe on the back of a packaged kale was really delicious. I made a few changes, but this kale is sweet and tangy, I feel like I can eat a whole bowl of it.

Rosemary roasted chicken on a bed of honey dijon kale

Honey Dijon Kale

4 cups kale, cut
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 clove, garlic
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1 Tbsp Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
1 Tbsp white wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 cube chicken bullion
Sprinkle nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, warm garlic in olive oil until fragrant and add onions. Add mustard, honey, vinegar, water, chicken bullion, salt and pepper and mix. 

The rest of the bag is going to be frozen for smoothies.

This is what makes it extra special.

Use Grey Poupon, if you have it. Tastes better.

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Fluffy Egg Rice Bowl

Here is a dish you can make with just one egg and leftover rice. I seasoned it with the things I always keep in my pantry. It only takes a couple of minutes to make it, and it tastes so comforting.

Simple and comforting

Fluffy Egg Rice Bowl

1/2 to 1 cup cooked five grain rice
1 egg
1/3 cup noodle dipping sauce
Scallions for garnish
Sprinkle Japanese chili pepper 
Sprinkle tempura batter crunch

Noodle dipping sauce. Dilute it according to the directions on the bottle.

Tempura sprinkles

Prepare cooked rice in a rice bowl and set aside. In a small skillet, bring noodle dipping sauce to a boil. Pour beaten egg in the dipping sauce and put the lid on. Cook for a minute or until the egg is cooked to your liking. Slide out the cooked egg and the sauce on top of the rice. Garnish with chili pepper, tempura sprinkles and scallions.

Five grain rice. Lots of fiber.

Bring the sauce to a boil.

Use the smallest skillet you have.

Fluffy!

Makes good lunch or even breakfast. If you want to volume this up, you can add cooked chicken and sliced onions. If you like the tempura flavor, you'll enjoy this. 

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