KAREPMU OPO SE

#22: Make 10 New Recipes

Salmon Burgers with Cilantro MayoSource Annie's Eats

Ingredients:1/2c red bell pepper diced (I used one whole pepper so a little more)6 tbsp. panko bread crumbs1 garlic clove, minced1lb. salmon fillets, skinned, boned and finely chopped (wild Alaskan is best!)1 large egg white, lightly beaten1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce1 tsp. fresh lemon juice1/4 tsp. salt1-2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil (I used EVOO)
For the cilantro mayo:1 garlic clove, chopped1/2c mayo1/2c cilantrodash of cayenne peppersqueeze of lemon juice
For serving:burger bunsgreen lettucesliced red onionsliced tomatoes

Directions:In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced bell pepper, panko, garlic, and salmon. In a small bowl combine the egg white, soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the salmon and toss gently until well incorporated. Form the mixture into four equal sized patties.
To make the cilantro mayo, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well combined and smooth.
Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side, until cooked throughout.
Place the burgers on the buns, spreading one side of the bun with cilantro mayo. Top as desired with lettuce, onion, and tomato.
NOTES:I forgot to get cilantro, but I had some dill. So I made dill mayo instead.
I toasted the burger buns and that was a nice touch.
I used the wrong type of spatula at first and two of the patties fell apart a little. But once I figured it out I got 2 nicely made patties.
VERDICT:Delicious. We both loved this meal and it will definitely be made again and again.
Some of the comments made by the Hubs: "Best meal I ever made. He could eat this every week. He would go to a restaurant and love to have this meal." I must say that made me feel pretty good. This recipe is very easy to make and these are ingredients we have in the house anyway, so definitely a go to for us.
I tried to take pictures, but I need to work on that skill.
For the rest of my 101 in 1001, look here.

Earth Day 2010

Tomorrow is Earth Day.
Interesting Earth Day Facts:Every ton of paper that is recycled save 17 treesIt takes 50-70 gallons of water for a 10 minute showerMore than 20 million (that's 20,000,000) Hershey's kisses are wrapped each day. That is 133 square miles of tin foil. All of that can be recycled.If every newspaper was recycled, 250 million (250,000,000) trees could be saved each year. Unfortunately on 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.If you brush your teeth for the full 3 minutes (which you should if you don't) and leave the water running, you are wasting approximately 8 gallons of water each time.What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day and reduce your environmental footprint?
And on top of that there are some Earth Day 2010 freebies.
Target - Mail in 5 plastic bags to Terracycle, 121 New York Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08638 and get $1 back to spend on a reusable shopping bag.
Disney Store - Bring in SIX empty plastic bottles or soda cans to the Disney Store on 4/22 and get a free Friend for Change and Disney Store youth sized baseball cap (made out of 100% recycled materials). Limit 1 per guest, while supplies last.
Hanes - Buy 3 Hanes products and mail-in a rebate for a free Earth Day T-shirt. And, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree, up to 20,000, on Hanes behalf. Offer good until May 15th.
BBC Earth - Free download of the First Episode of Planet Earth "Pole to Pole" on iTunes. Offer good until April 26th.
Babies R Us - Get a f ree reusable tote bag with printable coupon through 4/22, plus 25% off all clothes and shoes you can fit in the bag.
Pottery Barn - Earth Day Celebration at Pottery Barn Kids with giveaways, activities, and story time on 4/22.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!! Enjoy.

Parisian Pink and a Pair of Combat Boots

My brothers 14th birthday was on Sunday, so I went over to my dad's place and ate a mega amount of pizza and watched Shaun of The Dead. Great day with the family :D

top - zellers / pink jeans - joe fresh / ballet flats - joe fresh / sunglasses - spencer gifts / studded belt - dunnes

I'm going into tech week tomorrow for the show I am working on in Vancouver. I wore this today to set up in the theatre and for a quick rehearsal with the actors. It includes my new COMBAT BOOTS!!

top - zellers / hoodie - american apparel / jeans - primark / combat boots - nasty gal

Evelyn's Favorite Pasta

This is not a new recipe for me, but I have now made it twice and the Hubs and I love it. It is the only vegetarian meal that the Hubs doesn't say "If this had meat...".
Evelyn's Favorite Pastasource Proceed with Caution
1/4c EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed, or grated (I did minced)salt and pepper2 Chinese eggplants (I used 1 large eggplant)1 large head of broccoli1 can artichoke hearts, halved or quartered15 cherry tomatoes, halved1/3c pine nuts1/4c kalamata olives, pitted and sliced1/3c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (low fat to make it healthier)1/3c prepared pesto8-12oz penne pasta (I used Barilla Plus Wheat) (I used the entire box)handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
Directions:Remove the ends from the eggplant. Slice long ways, in thirds, and lay on a cutting board. Heavily salt cut sides of eggplant, cover with paper towel and then another cutting board. Place a weight on top of the board. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse eggplant well and cut into 2 inch long pieces.
**NOTE** I do not have 2 cutting boards (I have a beginner's kitchen). So I used plates and for a weight I use cans of soup or beans or whatever and cover the entire plate.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When the eggplant is ready and chopped, place in a large bowl. Add chopped broccoli, artichokes, and tomatoes. Combine garlic and EVOO in a small bowl with about 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; mix well. Add EVOO mixture to the vegetables and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil. Roast vegetables for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, start heating water for the pasta in a large pot. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, and add pine nuts. Heat for a few minutes, tossing frequently, until nuts are lightly toasted, then set aside. When the pasta water has come to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook according to box instructions.
When the pasta is done, drain and add to a large bowl. Add roasted vegetables, kalamata olives, cheese, pesto, and toss to combine. Serve and garnish with toasted pine nuts and basil.

This recipe is so good. It has a hearty texture (which I believe is why the Hubs doesn't miss meat). This recipe was enough for dinner that night, lunch at work 2 days for me, and dinner another night. That is a lot.
One thing I will say is this is not a week night dinner for me. It doesn't take THAT long, but it is a little long for me. I definitely want this to be a meal I make at least once a month.
Just righting this entry makes me want to make it again. It is that good.

For the Kitchen Part 3

Ok. I am adding some things and making some modifications.
One thing that both the Hubs and I want is a good wok. I have no idea how to determine if the wok is good or not. I do know that I want stainless steel (I think) or cast iron??, I just know that I do NOT want something with nonstick coating. I am trying to eliminate that from our kitchen. I also know that it needs to be pretty big. Our biggest pan we have now is definitely not big enough. So the search and research for the perfect wok is underway. I have no idea what I am looking for. I think I am going to have to ask my nesties about this one. I know I don't want to go on the cheap for this. I can't believe I said that. I just know I want something that is going to last.
One thing that I have modified is the food processor I am looking at. I still stand by my statement that we are not the Neely's, but again I want something that is going to last. I am not saying that the original one I was looking at would not last. I mean it was a Kitchen Aid. I think I just need something bigger. This one has a 7-cup capacity and I think I need maybe 11-cup or more. Kitchen Aid has a 12-cup one for significantly more. I am just trying to plan for the future. I want to be able to puree, as I said before, but my future plans for a food processor are extensive. I know that if we ever have children I want to make their baby food. I also want to start making my all-natural hair products. So I need something heavy duty. These are the two I am considering

Both can be found at Bed Bath & Beyond.
The rest of my shopping list can be found here.