Chicken Souvlaki

Another recipe from Alex and this was easy and yummy!!  Evan wouldn't eat it though ...dang picky eater!! 

Pasta with spicy sausage, basil, and mustard

This was a family fav!!!  This was super quick and really yummy!!!  Can't wait to eat it again for leftovers!!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

9oz dried pasta

1lb spicy pork sausages

olive oil

2/3 cup white wine

2 pinches dried chile flakes

1 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  Salt it generously.   Warm a thin film of olive oil in a frying pan, just enough to lubricate the bottom.  Discard the sausage skin, crumble the meat into the hot pan, and fry till sizzling and cooked through, about 5 minutes over medium high heat.  Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Pour the wine into the sausage pan and let it bubble a little, scraping at the sausage stuck to the bottom.  Stir in the chile-flakes, roughly chop or tear the basil leaves, and add those too.  Add a little salt and the mustard, pour in the cream, and bring slowly to a simmer.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring now and again.

When the pasta is tender, about 9 minutes after coming back to a boil, drain and tip into the creamy sausage sauce.

Maple Dijon Salmon

Always looking for new and quick recipes, so my cousin's hubby, Alex, hooked me up with this recipe and it was delicious!! My kids scarfed it right up too!!!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1lb skin on salmon filet

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Using aluminum foil, line a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon and lightly coat the foil with nonstick spray.  Place the salmon in the center.  With a paper towel, pat it dry, then sprinkle the salt over the top.

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, and mustard.  Pour over the salmon.  With a pastry brush rub mixture over the top of the salmon so that the surface is coated.  Let the salmon stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven continues to preheat.

Bake until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily at the thickest part.  8-12 minutes for a thinner fillet.  20-22 minutes for a thicket fillet.  You can also use an instant thermometer to test for doneness, removing the salmon when it reaches 145 at the thickest part.