SIMPLE ONE PLATE 'Mardi Gras' SUPPER: OVEN CEDAR PLANKED BOURBON SALMON & WHIPPED SOUR CREAM WHITE CHEDDAR CHIVE CAULIFLOWER

“How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil's Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon -- and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter.”

~ W.C. Fields

OVEN CEDAR PLANKED BOURBON SALMON 

2  pound salmon fillet

2  Tbsp. vegetable oil

1  Tbsp. soy sauce

3  Tbsp. bourbon

1  tsp. ground ginger

1  Tbsp. brown sugar

Lemon slices

• Combine oil, soy sauce, bourbon, ginger and brown sugar. Pour over salmon fillet an let sit 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rub cooking oil on cooking surface of cedar plank. Heat plank in 350º oven for 15 minutes. 
• Place salmon (reserve marinade and heat in saucepan until thickened glaze) on hot plank and cook 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. 
• Pour thickened glaze on cooked salmon. 
• Serve with steamed brussels sprouts, steamed red skins, or favorite vegetable.   

WHIPPED SOUR CREAM WHITE CHEDDAR CHIVE CAULIFLOWER

1  large head cauliflower

4  garlic cloves

1/3  cup sour cream

3  Tbsp. unsalted butter

6  oz. grated white cheddar and some also for garnish

fresh or dried chives to taste and for garnish

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Place steam basket over large saucepan filled with several inches of water.
• Cut/break cauliflower into florets and rinse. Place in steamer with garlic and steam until tender, about 8-10 minutes or until soft enough to mash.
• Drain from steamer, pat dry, and place in bowl of food processor (or can use immersion blender) and puree until smooth. 
• Return to pot and add sour cream, butter, cheddar, chives, and salt & pepper. Stir until crazy and smooth.
• Correct seasoning and serve sprinkled with additional grated cheese and chives. 

Oven Cedar Planked Bourbon Salmon & 

Whipped Sour Cream White Cheddar Chive Cauliflower 

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! (SIMPLE ONE PLATE SUPPER: SPICY SZECHWAN PEANUT NOODLES

Good luck for this monkey year!

SPICY SZECHUAN PEANUT NOODLES

1  cup peanut butter
1/4  cup soy sauce
1/4  cup sesame oil
3  Tbsp. rice vinegar
2  Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
2  Tbsp grated ginger root
1  1/2 tsp. Asian chili sauce or 1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes or to taste
1  Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2  Tbsp fresh lime juice
3/4  cup water
1/2  tsp. coarse salt
1  lb. noodles of choice
finely chopped scallions
chopped roasted peanuts

• Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth
• Boil noodles un al dente. Toss with 3/4 of sauce or to taste.
• Top with chopped scallions & chopped peanuts. 

Spicy Szechuan Peanut Noodles

SUPER BOWL 'SUNDAY FUNDAY' ~ SIMPLE ONE PLATE SUPPER: 'FOOTBALL' MEAT LOAF & 'SPIRAL' SWEET POTATOES

"You have to play this game like somebody just hit your mother with a two-by-four."

~ Dan Birdwell

'FOOTBALL' MEAT LOAF 

~  Fun 'football' shaped meatloaf ... twist on Ina Garten's Meat Loaf recipe

2  Tbsp. virgin olive oil

4  cups chopped yellow onions (about 4 onions)

1  Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

2  tsp. kosher salt

2  tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3  Tbso. Worcestershire Sauce

1/3  cup white wine

2  Tbsp. tomato paste

3  lbs. ground lean chuck

heaping 1/2 cup plain panko crumbs

3  extra-large beaten eggs

Mozzarella sticks (cut for football laces)

Piquant Sauce:

1/2  cup ketchup

3  Tbsp. brown sugar

1  tsp. dry mustard

1/4  tsp. grated nutmeg

• Preheat oven to 325º.
• Heat olive oil in medium saute pan. Add onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until onions are translucent but not brown. Off heat, add Worcestershire sauce, wine, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
• In large bowl, coming ground chuck, onion mixture , panko crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don' mash or meat loaf will be dense. 
• Shape mixture into football shape (or rectangle if not wanting football shape) on a parchment lined sheet pan. Spread Piquant Sauce every on top.
• Bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, until internal temperature is 160º and meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep top from cracking.) Serve hot.

SPIRAL SWEET POTATO FRIES

For each large scrubbed sweet potato

2  Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2  tsp. garlic powder

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 450º. Spiralize sweet potatoes (Paderno Spiralizer) or cut into slender wedges. 
• Toss sweet potato with oil and seasonings.
• Spread fries in a single layer on large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil - try not to overlap or they will steam instead of bake.
• Bake on top rack of oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way in between baking.

Note: I have a 4-blade Paderno Spiralizer from Williams-Sonoma

FEBRUARY is 'HEART MONTH' ~ HEALTHY 'SIMPLE ONE PLATE SUPPER': BAKED ALMOND LEMON SOLE with GRAPES & STEAMED LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectacles 'Gold Heart')

BAKED ALMOND LEMON SOLE with GRAPES

(recipe compliments of All-Fish-Seafood-Recipes.com who stated recipe was created by King of England - Edward VII)

6  sole fillets, (about 6-oz. each) skinned

2  Tbsp. butter

1/2  cup slivered almonds

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1  cup seedless green grapes

1/4  cup freshly finely chopped parsley

1/2  cup dry white wine, sherry, or Marsala

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Arrange fish fillets into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with coarse salt & freshly ground pepper. Dot with butter bits.
• Combine slivered almonds, lemon juice, green grapes and chopped parsley. Spread mixture all over fillets. Pour in dry white wine, sherry or Marsala. 
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 15 minutes our until just tender.

STEAMED LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS

 2  lbs. trimmed brussels sprouts

Lemon

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

Fit a large pot with a steamer insert; fill with water to bottom of insert. Cover and bring to boil. Add Brussels sprouts and steam until bright green and just tender, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and season with salt and pepper.