Category Archives: Food Blog

Brown Sugar Cajun Butter Salmon

Winner winner, Salmon dinner.

In under 30 minutes!!!

Let’s have a chat about this baked salmon. I’ve said this before, I know, I know but this is my favorite way to eat Salmon. It is by far the juiciest way to cook a salmon and all the flavor stays right in there, where you want it.
If you’re looking for a no fail, fool-proof recipe that you can’t mess up. Congratulations, you’ve come to the right place.
Impress your hubby, your wife, date, girlfriend, boyfriend or family this week with a big Salmon feast. Let’s do this.
First you make the thick Brown sugar Cajun seasoned butter mix then spread it on top of the salmon fillet. This part is a bit tricky because the salmon is so slippery so you have to use a knife and fingers to spread it out as best as you can.
As this flavoured butter melts in the oven, it’s basting the Salmon and the sugar melts and forms a sticky crust full of spiced flavor, slowly penetrating the entire fillet.
The result is a melt in the mouth, moist and delicious Salmon feast.
I like to serve this with an exotic Pomegranate and Avocado Salsa.

Serves: 6 – 8
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: ca. 15 minutes
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INGREDIENTS:

SALMON
• 1 ¼ pound salmon, skin removed (preferably wild )
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar )
• 2 tablespoons of my cajun seasoning without salt
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• ½ tsp salt

SALSA
• 2 avocados
• 1 pomegranate
• Juice of half a lime or more according to taste
• 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro/coriander
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ chopped red onion

DIRECTIONS:

Pre heat the oven to 220 C / 428 F
Prepare your baking tray by covering it with foil. Place the salmon fillet on top.
Prepare the Cajun flavoured butter by adding the grated garlic, Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and salt to the softened butter and stir to combine completely.
Spread the butter over the salmon as best as you can.
This part is a bit tricky because the salmon is so slippery so you have to use a knife and fingers to spread it out.
Place the salmon in the middle of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Switch on the broiler or oven grill and grill for 4 – 5 more minutes until really golden and sticky on top. Serve straight away.
I served this with zucchini ribbons, that I tossed in olive oil and a squeeze of lime, salt and pepper. Then I placed the ribbons at the sides of the salmon and baked them together.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Cozy Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with crunchy Maple Pecans

6 Replies

….Pumpkin n spice and all things nice…

We love a warm breakfast especially when it’s getting a little colder outside. This Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal will keep you going until lunchtime for sure. It’s super comforting and filling and full of Pumpkin goodness.
Everything is there, the fresh pumpkin puree, the caramelized Pecans, the maple syrup the warm spices, seriously delicious

⏰ Prep time : 10 minutes
🍝 Cooking time : 2 x 10 minutes,
🍴 Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen or fresh cubed pumpkin
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon (Himalayan) salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR (1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, dash of nutmeg and ginger)
• 2 cups quick cooking oats (not instant )
• 1/2 cup pecan nuts + 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• Maple syrup for serving

Directions:

Put one pound of frozen or fresh pumpkin cubes in a large pot with about ½ cup of water and steam on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Fresh pumpkin may take a little longer.
Drain and let it steam off.
Mash the pumpkin with a hand held blender until smooth. You should have about a cup.
Meanwhile heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecan nuts and toast them, tossing them about constantly so they don’t burn.
Add the maple syrup and quickly coat all the nuts.
Keep a close eye on the nuts now and remove them from the heat as soon as it has caramelized and turned dark amber. About 1 to 2 minutes tops.
Transfer them to a pierce of parchment paper and try to keep each nut separated from the other because they will stick to each other and form clumps, you don’t want that.
In large saucepan over medium heat bring the water, milk, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to a gentle boil.
Add the oatmeal. Turn the heat down and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir often.
Once the oatmeal is cooked , serve in bowls drizzled with maple syrup and the caramelized pecan nuts on top.
Enjoy!

Myra XO

My Grandma’s Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

12 Replies

My Grandmother was a lively, determined and courageous woman with great style. She kept a beautiful house, and was also a great cook. Not necessarily exquisite cuisine, but more of an everyday cook. Also super fast and very inventive.

She didn’t own a crock pot in those days, but I do remember her slow cooking on a Paraffin Stove.
Slow cooked Red Cabbage with apples and spices, just the smell reminds me of her and my mother who has cooked the same recipe for over half a century. To me this is home cooking.
I don’t make it very often but when the temperature drops it’s just what you need, home made cozy comfort food.

Serves : 6-8
INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. butter
1 medium red cabbage, shredded on a mandoline or cut thinly with knife
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
2 medium apples, peeled and diced small
1/4 tsp. ground dry ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground all spice
2 bay leaves
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 Cups water
1/4 Cup red wine (I use alcohol free wine so that works fine too) or more water

METHOD:
This couldn’t be easier.
Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, toss very well.
Set the cooker to high and put on the lid. Leave to cook for 5 to 6 hours, depending how hot your slow cooker is. The water amount is just right for my slow cooker, but half way through cooking check to see how you are doing on the liquid, it shouldn’t get dry. Add a little water if necessary.
This is one of the few vegetable dishes that you want well cooked.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Spiced Roast Chicken

4 Replies

This is our go-to roast chicken recipe. It’s one of my favourite recipes, and I use it again and again because it always turns out great without too much effort. Pretty much fool proof.
It’s a combination of Mexican flavours, but also Smokey Bbq.
The spice mix is easy to make with ingredients you probably already have in your spice cabinet and it’s great on all sorts of things like burgers, chicken tenders fried up in a pan or even just oven-fries.
The Chicken gets a beautiful deep golden crust, the flavor is smokey, spicy, salty and sweet all at the same time.

Cooking time : 2 1/2 hrs.

Prep time : 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

SPICE RUB:

• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoons crushed dried chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tsp. Onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

CHICKEN:

• 3 pound chicken
• 2 heads of garlic separated into cloves
• Thyme, rosemary, bay leaf

ADDITIONAL:

• Potatoes, peeled and quartered

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F
Wash the chicken with cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Sit on a board.
In a bowl mix the ingredients for the spice rub and add the oil to form a thick-ish paste.
Hold the chicken with one hand and with the other loosen the skin by inserting a finger between the skin and the breast forming a pocket. You can also do this by using the back of a wooden spoon. But be gentle as not to break the skin.
Put a few teaspoons of the past under the skin and spread out, repeat with the other breast.
Rub the remaining paste all over the chicken and inside the cavity.
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
In the cavity insert the herbs and one head of garlic separated into cloves.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin that has been lined with baking paper (easier to wash up) .
Cover (only the chicken and not the entire tin) very loosely with a piece of tin foil that is the same size as the chicken.
Place in the middle of the oven and bake for two and a half hours. Basting twice during cooking, by pouring the juices from the baking tray over the chicken.
After one hour add the potatoes and toss thru the juices and fat in the tin.
After an hour and a half, remove the tin foil.
Bake until golden and crispy.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil.

Enjoy!

Myra XO