Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon

Derrick and I recently got a new Infrared grill.  We love it - it cooks everything so evenly.  Derrick grills everything to perfection!  We have been wanting to try salmon on cedar planks since we got the grill.  It really made it delicious.  The salmon takes on the flavor of the cedar planks.  Next time we may try a brown sugar glaze...



Cedar plank

Salmon

olive oil

fresh cracked pepper

dill

lemon juice

Soak cedar planks in water for 1-2 hours.  It is also an option to soak them in wine or cider.  Rub salmon with olive oil and cracked pepper.  Top with dill.  I used fresh dill chopped up, but dried dill works fine.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Light grill to medium (350 degrees).  Put cedar planks on grill.  Set salmon on cedar planks, skin side down.  Close the grill and leave for 12-15 minutes or until it is pink all the way through and flakes when you poke it with a fork.

Use a thin spatula to remove the salmon from the cedar plank.  The skin will stay stuck to the wood and the salmon should separate from it easily.  Throw away the used planks.  We served our salmon with a spniach salad and wild rice.

Banana Bread

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one large or two medium loaf pans.  Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine beaten eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened.  Batter should be lumpy.  Fold in nuts if using.  Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes for one large pan, or 40-45 minutes for two pans, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  If the top starts to brown too fast but the middle is not done, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Schweaty Balls by Rylee

1 18 ounce package oreos, any variety (Rylee chose mint)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
6 ounces white chocolate bark

Blend oreos in a food processor.  Mix cream cheese and oreo crumbs with hands - this is Rylee's favorite part!  At this point you can refrigerate 15 minutes to make the dough easier to handle (we didn't).  Roll the dough into small balls and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.  Melt chocolate bark in microwave (start with 1 1/2 minutes then stir and zap for 15 second intervals until melted.  Dip balls into the white chocolate and place back on wax paper.  You can sprinkle with sprinkles (I like to do red and green at Christmas time) or drizzle with chocolate.  Allow to harden for about 30 minutes. 

Rylee says, "Yummy!"

Mango Basil Salsa

A delicious summertime topping for a grilled meal.  I could eat it by itself!  The flavors blend together so perfectly.

1 mango, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
optional: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Stir all together.  We used this as a topping for our grilled pork.

Orange Creamsicle Fruit Dip

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (3.4 ounce) small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (6 ounce) container of frozen (concentrated) orange juice, slightly thawed
Fruit for dipping such as strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple, blueberries

Mix the whipped topping, vanilla pudding mix, and orange juice together until well combined.  If needed add a little water to make it the desired consistency.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When I tasted it right away it was grainy from the vanilla pudding mix, but by the time we served it a few hours later it was completely smooth.

BETTER Baked Crab Rangoon

1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked
4 ounces (1/2 of package) cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 won ton wrappers

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix crab, cream cheese, onions, and mayo.  Place 1 won ton wrapper in each of 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray, extending edges of wrappers over sides of cups.  We used two wrappers per cup, overlapping.  Fill with crab mixture.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges of cups are golden brown and filling is heated through.

You can find the won ton wrappers in the refrigerated produce section.

Corn Dip

A big hit at any tailgate, watch party, lake trip, and especially late-night-home-from-the-bars snacking.

2 cans Mexicorn, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can diced green chiles
10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
diced jalapenos to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients and stir together.  Serve with Frito's scoops or tortilla chips.

Kayla and Rylee's Mini Hamburger Cookies

I found these delectable cookies on my favorite cookie blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I thought they would be so fun for the girls to make!  Even young kids can assemble them because there is no baking required.  It turns out they are not only adorable, but very tasty, too!  They are fun for the summertime (maybe July 4th?) since it is grilling season and they look just like little burgers.

Vanilla wafer cookies
Grasshopper fudge cookies
1 cup shredded coconut
Green food coloring
Tube of red Betty Crocker decorator frosting
Tube of yellow Betty Crocker decorator frosting

Place coconut in a Ziploc bag and add 3-5 drops green food coloring.  Shake the bag until the coconut is a universal green color.

Lay out as many vanilla wafers as you have grasshopper cookies upside down on a cookie sheet.  These are the buns.  Place a small dot of frosting on the bun and then place your grasshopper cookie on top of each one to look like a hamburger patty.

Make a circle of red frosting on top of the grasshopper cookie to look like ketchup.  Then add the yellow frosting for mustard.  You have to use the actual Betty Crocker decorator frosting rather than dying your own (unless you have the professional cake decorating die that is very bright) so that you get the true red and yellow colors so it looks like ketchup and mustard.  Regular food coloring will make it a light, pastel color.  We only used red when we made them since the girls like ketchup better than mustard (and the tubes are kind of pricey). 

Top each one with green coconut (lettuce of course)!  Finish by placing another vanilla wafer on top for the top burger bun.  Cute and delicious!

White Chocolate Popcorn

The girls and I are making this today, and I'm going to take some home for the Batman marathon that Derrick, Michelle, and I are having tonight to prepare for Dark Knight Rises!

2 bags microwave popcorn
2 cups M&Ms
sprinkles (optional)
1 package almond bark
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Microwave popcorn and pick out unpopped kernels.  Put in a large bowl.  Melt almond bark and pour over popcorn.  Toss to coat. 

 

Add 2 cups of M&Ms and toss some more.  Spread on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the sprinkles over the popcorn (optional). 

Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over popcorn.  Let cool then eat or store in Ziploc bags or an airtight container.  You can also add your favorite candy like toffee bits or candy canes at Christmas.