Cedar and Bourbon Salmon

As featured at Rock-Out with Your Cook-Out!

Ingredients

Cedar and Bourbon Salmon

2 cups warm water
1/2 cup bourbon
12 cedar papers
1 whole salmon filet
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Pour warm water and bourbon into a shallow container.  Place the cedar papers into the water to soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to 450-degrees (or use a grill pan or non-stick skillet).

Make cuts across the salmon filet to yield  twelve 1-1/2-inch pieces.  Lightly brush both sides of each piece with olive oil.

Remove the cedar papers from the water and shake off excess liquid.  Place a salmon piece in the center of each cedar paper and wrap the sides up to completely enclose the salmon.

Place the salmon packets seam-side down on the hot grill.  Close the lid and grill for 4-5 minutes.  Flip each packet and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Serve seam-side up.

Savory Crescent Chicken Rolls

A Blast from the Past! 1974 Pillsbury Bake-Off Grand Prize Winner!

Savory Chicken Squares

Ingredients

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped pimientos
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter; beat until smooth.  Add chicken, chives, salt, pepper, milk and pimientos and mix well.

Separate dough into 4 rectangles, firmly pressing diagonal perforations to seal.  Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle.  Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly.  Pinch edges to seal.

Place packets on ungreased cookie sheet.  Brush tops of packets with 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle with crushed croutons.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mustard-Crusted Lamb Chops

 

Ingredients

4 lamb loin chops
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grainy mustard
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.  Preheat grill to medium-high.

Season lamb chops with olive oil and salt and pepper

Put chops on grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until marked nicely.  Allow to cool.

Combine mustard and whipping cream. Coat chops with mustard mixture.

Combine breadcrumbs with parsley, paprika, and cayenne.  Dredge chops in crumbs and place on lightly greased baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes for medium-rare.

Savory Pot Roast

A recipe from my Auntie Eleanor’s collection of gems!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds chuck roast, block-style
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
6 medium potatoes, quartered
40 baby carrots
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

Heat oil over high heat in a large dutch oven or stock pot.  Brown roast on all sides.  Spoon off fat.

Stir in mushroom soup, onion soup mix and one cup water.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 2 hours.  Add vegetables, cover and cook an additional 45 minutes or until roast and vegetables are tender.

Remove roast and vegetables.  For gravy, combine flour and 1/4 cup water in gravy swirler (or small plastic container with tight-fitting led) and shake until smooth.  Gradually stir flour mixture into soup mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

Slice roast and place on a platter with the vegetables.  Pour some of the gravy over roast slices and pass the rest.

Chicken Florentine in Puff Pastry

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry
4 small boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 egg, beaten with water

Instructions

Toast pine nuts and roast garlic in advance.

Thaw pastry 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375.

In medium skillet, brown chicken breasts in butter; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan, pine nuts, basil and garlic.

Cut pastry sheet lengthwise and crosswise into four rectangles.  One section at a time, roll out to form a 7″ square.  Spoon one quarter of the spinach mixture onto the pastry square and place a chicken breast on top.  Wrap pastry to enclose chicken.  Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired.

Bake 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Diane’s Best Lasagna

Ingredients

1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage (if you purchase links, squeeze the sausage out of the casings and then brown)
26 ounces basil-flavored pasta sauce
1/2 cup water
8 lasagna noodles
1 large egg, beaten
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
8 slices mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Additional sauce, if desired

Instructions

Brown sausage until well cooked.  Drain off fat.

In a large bowl, combine spaghetti sauce and water.  Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish.  Arrange 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce.  In a medium bowl, combine the beaten egg, riccota cheese, spinach and pepper; Mix until smooth and well combined.  Spread one-half of ricotta mixture evenly over noodles.  Then continue layers with half each of mozzarella cheese, remaining sauce, and sausage.  Repeat layers.

Cover tightly with non-stick aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.  Remove foil and bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

If desired, heat additional sauce and pass when serving.