Who doesn’t like summertime and grilling?  I know that I love a good steak prepared on the grill.  Here is a great recipe from cooking.com for a hickory grilled fillet.  I am going to provide their background here, with a link to the full recipe, because I am feeling lazy today.

Hickory is a hardwood native to the southern United States; pecan, for example, is one of several types of hickory. This fragrant wood is favored for smoking meats, especially hams. Grilling meat over hickory wood or wood chips gives it a distinctive, aromatically smoky quality. Matching hickory-grilled steak with a bourbon sauce makes an interesting balance of complementary flavors, since bourbon is aged in charred oak cakes, giving it woody tones. Bourbon was named after the county in the territory of Kentucky where in the 1770s a drinkable whiskey was first distilled by the Irish settlers from fermented corn.

Both tasso and andouille sausage are Cajun specialties that give the sauce additional southern authenticity. The meaty portobello mushrooms round out a satisfyingly rich and hearty dish. If it is necessary to clean the portobellos, wipe them with a damp towel but avoid washing them so that they don't get waterlogged; gently scrape the mushroom gills to remove any sand

The full recipe can be found here.  http://www.cooking.com/recipes/static/recipe3353.htm

Now get cooking, I will be at your house at 7…

"The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time."  –Friedrich Nietzsche

Wouldn't that be great if Nietzsche's words applied to our favorite foods?  Think about a time when you had a really good meal.  Was it a juicy steak?  A great cut of fish or other seafood?  A really fresh can of spaghettiOs?  No matter what your favorite dish happens to be, the first time you had a really wonderful experience eating that dish will always stick out in your mind.  You will always compare future helpings to that first, perfect meal.  Imagine having no basis for comparison, because every time you eat that juicy steak, or that great seafood, or whatever your food passion may be, it would alway be a novel experience!

Now for a recipe that is a favorite in our house.  My wife ran across this recipe for salmon patties, but she had a hard time getting the ingredients to remain in 'patty' shape.  So, she just put three heaping spoonfuls on a plate and served it up with some fresh green beans and bread.  I told her that it reminded me more of hash than patties, so I dubbed the meal, 'Sash' - as in salmon hash.  Get it?

Here's the recipe:

Salmon Patties

• 1 (14 3/4 oz) can pink salmon
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell peppers, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Heat about 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet to medium temperature.  Make mixture into patties. Drop patties onto butter in skillet.  Make sure to keep lots of butter in the skillet and add more if necessary.  Don't flip patties until they are nice and brown on first side or they will fall apart.  Carefully flip them with a large spatula.  Continue to fry until nice and dark golden brown.
3. Remove patties to a serving plate.

And that's all there is to it.  In 45 minutes you have dinner.  You can add a side vegetable or bread… or both!  Happy eating!

Oatmeal Cookies

Brought to us by Cooking.com,

Ingredients

 Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg, vanilla and milk, and beat until smooth. Stir in the sifted ingredients and mix well. Stir in the grated orange rind, then the oats and raisins.

Scoop up balls of the dough with a tablespoon and drop enough of them to fill the prepared baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart.

Cooking Directions

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just brown. Remove immediately from the baking sheets and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining mixture, preparing the sheets as in step 1.

Amongst family or friends, here’s a brunch to enjoy while relaxing.

Scrambled Eggs with Buttered Spinach & Smoked Salmon

Adapted from the recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon by Rachel Ray on Foodnetwork.com:

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 6 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 pound spinach

Preparation

Rinse and drain spinach. Place in large pot. Place pot on a burner on high heat until spinach is steaming.

Place spinach in a pan once it is steaming. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.

Whisk your eggs and cream together.

Add 1/2 of your chopped chives and season eggs with salt and pepper.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Melt butter in the pan and add eggs.

Scramble eggs.

Do not cook eggs until they are dry.

When eggs have come together but are still wet, stir them in with chopped salmon.

Remove pan from the stove.

Garnish the eggs with remaining salmon, chives, and spinach.

Ready to serve.

A Simple Sweet Treat

From Paula Deen on Foodnetwork.com,

Applesauce Bread

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 1 hr 5 min

Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

Preparation

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the remaining ingredients except the raisins and nuts. Mix well until blended. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

Well, with all the news on chemically injected beef in the supermarkets, who knows what the “beef” really is when you order a burger from a restaurant these days. One of the many reasons I’m glad I work for Celebrity Foods – I know what the beef in my burger is - natural. Anyways, lean beef is still recommended by nutritionists and doctors as part of a healthy diet. Beef is rich in iron which helps prevent fatigue (i.e. workaholic syndrome) and zinc which helps keep our immune systems healthy to hopefully keep us from getting sick too much. So, in the spirit of trying to stick to a healthy diet and keeping the masses happy, here’s a fun recipe for beef.

Brought to us by Allrecipes.com,

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear beef on all sides. Stir in onion, and sauté until golden brown. Add mushrooms, butter, mushroom soup and wine. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

If you’d like more info on nutrients in beef or how to prepare beef, check out the company resource guide on it – http://www.celebrityfoodsbeef.com/.

When I’m veggin out to the tube, I usually snack on chips and salsa, but I’m going to start mixin up my snack time a bit on the weekends to include vegetables like carrots and spinach dip. Vegetables are full of many nutrients that keep us healthy, like Vitamin A found in carrots, which helps us maintain good vision. So, I thought I’d share this tasty veggie recipe with you.

Brought to us by Razzledazzlerecipes.com,

Grilled Santa Fe Vegetable Kabobs

If you’d like more info on nutrients in vegetables or how to prepare vegetables, check out the company resource guide on it – http://www.celebrityfoodsvegetables.com/

Brought to us from ThePoultrySite.com,

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

Method

1. Mix the eggs, chicken, basil and parsley together in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and pour in the egg mixture.
3. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Slide the frittata onto a flat plate and then return it to the frying pan the other side up. Cook gently for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
5. Cut the frittata into small rectangles or diamond shapes, garnish with fresh herb sprigs and serve warm.

If you’d like more info on nutrients in poultry or how to prepare poultry, check out the company resource guide on it – http://www.celebrityfoodspoultry.com/

When I was growing up, pork was only mentioned in regards to eating a couple hot dogs at the ball game. Now I’ve seen a few variations of gourmet pork chops on the menu at five star restaurants and even included in some diet plans. Contrary to my childhood belief, pork contains nutrients like zinc, which gives the body’s immune system a boost when we’re sick. So, I think pork chops are o.k. to enjoy sometimes and think they’re worthy of a recipe or two here.

Brought to us from allrecipes.com,

4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly flour chops and brown quickly on both sides. Remove. Add mushrooms and thyme to pan and sauté for one minute. Return chops to skillet, add beer; bring to boil. Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes.

If you’d like more info on nutrients in pork or how to prepare pork, check out the company resource guide on it – http://www.celebrityfoodspork.com/

I’m reading more and more about people incorporating more seafood in their diets.  Not only does this build in some variety, but also allows people to get more protein and vitamins in their diets too. So, I thought I’d find an easy gourmet seafood recipe to share here.

Brought to us by Better Homes & Gardens,

Salmon Steaks with Lemon-Dill Dressing

If you’d like more info on nutrients in seafood or how to prepare seafood, check out the company resource guide on it – http://www.celebrityfoodsseafood.com/