Salmon, Bacon, and Guacamole Wraps

Good morning foodies and friends! Today is a pretty busy day for me. It's my Mother's birthday, so time is slim. I've got two cakes to make, errands to run, and a baby to take care of. Today's entry is a simple recipe that you can take on the run if prepared ahead. We will be making wraps! I love the simplicity of wraps. You throw things inside, wrap, and go. This recipe will take you about 30 minutes total, but as I stated before, you can make this ahead if you are crunched on time.

The salmon can be kept separately from other ingredients in the fridge for approximately 5 to 6 days after cooking in a tightly sealed container. If you would prefer to freeze it after cooking (for whatever reason), it will last for 6 to 9 months, also in an appropriately sealed, freezer-safe container. Any how, I'm ready to share this delicious recipe. I'll meet you in the kitchen! Let's go!

Salmon, Bacon, and Guacamole Wraps

Yields 4 Servings

You will need:

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 2 tablespoons white or red onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1.5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and drained
• Baby spinach leaves
• 4 fajita-size flour tortillas

Ready?

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet. 
3. Roast salmon in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through. 
4. Let cool slightly.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the guacamole. 
6. In a medium bowl, stir together onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro. 
7. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the pit. 
8. Twist the avocado halves in opposite directions and pull the halves apart. 
9. Scoop out the avocado pulp with a spoon and add to the onion mixture. 
10. Add lime juice and salt. 
11. With a spoon or fork, roughly mash the avocado while mixing in the onion mixture until evenly combined. 
12. Taste and season with additional lime juice or salt as needed. 
13. Set aside.
14. To assemble the wraps, warm tortillas in microwave for 60 to 90 seconds so they are soft enough to roll. 
15. Spread guacamole down the center of each tortilla. 
16. Top with large chunks of the cooked salmon, one slice of bacon, and some spinach leaves. 
17. Roll up each tortilla and serve.
18. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining me today. If you have any questions or concerns about food handling, storage, or general questions about this recipe, please feel free to comment below and I will do my best to answer in a timely manner. Have a great day and I'll see y'all soon with another recipe! Happy blogging!

~Mandie

A Day of Romance - Valentine's Day Special

Good evening bloggers and friends. For those of you who know me closely should know by now that I am the female version of Scrooge on Valentine's Day. It's not because I'm alone, or because I am cheap and don't want to celebrate. I'm just one of those people who disagrees with what Valentine's Day is all about. As much as I abhor this holiday, I refuse to let my feelings get in the way of sharing delicious recipes.

Today's post is specifically for those lovers out there who are celebrating this year. We will have 2 recipes to make, one for breakfast and one for dinner. Please go out and share the love, these recipes, and the holiday with those near and dear to you! Enjoy!

Lazy Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 12 Rolls

You will need:

• 1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup strawberry jam
• 2 to 3 cups strawberries, sliced thinly
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1.5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon strawberry jam

Ready?

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly flour your surface and roll out 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry until about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Brush puff pastry with melted butter, leaving 1-inch of space around the edges.
4. Evenly add strawberry jam then layer with strawberry slices and sprinkle on ground cinnamon over buttered area.
5. Tightly but gently roll the dough up. 
6. Use a little melted butter on the open edge of the roll to seal the seam.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into six pieces.
8. Place each roll inside a parchment paper lined baking dish. 
9. Place the dish in the refrigerator as you repeat the above steps with the last sheet of puff pastry if using.
10. Bake the cinnamon rolls in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.
11. While rolls are baking, make the icing by mixing all remaining ingredients together (confectioner's sugar, butter, milk and jam) until nice, smooth, and pourable. If needed, add a teaspoon more of milk until it is pourable.
12. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls when they are fresh out of the oven and enjoy!

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Seared Scallops with Bacon Fennel Cream Sauce

Yields 4 Servings

You will need:

• 2 dozen large scallops
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup seafood or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 6 slices crisp, cooked bacon
• 2/3 cup finely chopped fennel
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 ounces freshly cooked fettuccine pasta

Ready?

1. Chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp in a large non stick sauté pan.
2. Drain fat and discard.
3. Set the bacon aside.
4. Add the garlic and fennel to the pan. 
5. Sauté until the fennel begins to soften, about 2 minutes or so.
6. Add the stock and wine, then reduce the volume of the liquid to about half before adding the whipping cream.
7. Simmer slowly for a couple of minutes, then add the bacon and season with salt and pepper.
8. Toss the cooked pasta in the prepared sauce.
9. In a separate heavy bottomed sauté pan, heat olive oil until very hot on medium high heat. 
10. Lightly salt and pepper the scallops and sear them in the hot pan for only about 2 minutes per side. 
11. Sear the scallops a few at a time and don’t crowd the pan.
12. Serve the scallops over the fettuccine and sauce. 
13. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and bacon.
14. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining me tonight! I'll see y'all again at some point this week!

~Mandie

Zeppole

Good evening foodies and friends! It's been a wild week. Work, school, and a teething infant have me pretty preoccupied. I honestly needed a short break, but I'm ready to return to my weekly blog entries. Tonight, we will be making a special treat that is very dear to me. It's a dessert that my big sister, Jessica, and I made quite a few times in the past.

We used to really enjoy cramming into our tiny kitchen together, sweating because of the stove being on (and our air conditioner being out), and singing as we made these deliciously wonderful treats. Yes my dears, we are making zeppole. Zeppole are deep-fried dough balls that are dusted in powdered sugar. They may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli cream, or a butter and honey mixture. Zeppole can also be served as a savory treat, being filled with anchovies and fried in bread dough. Tonight, we will be making the sweet version, so grab those aprons and I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Zeppole

Yields 4 to 6 Servings

You will need:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• Olive oil, for frying

Ready?

1. Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise. 
2. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. 
3. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. 
4. Add the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine; set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and water over medium heat. 
6. Bring to a boil. 
7. Take pan off the heat and stir in the flour. 
8. Return pan to the heat and stir continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
9. Transfer the flour mixture to a medium bowl. 
10. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next. 
11. Beat until smooth. 
12. Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. 
13. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees.
14. Using a small ice-cream scooper or 2 small spoons, carefully drop about a tablespoon of the dough into the hot olive oil, frying in batches. 
15. Turn the zeppole once or twice, cooking until golden and puffed up, about 5 minutes. 
16. Drain on paper towels. 
17. Toss with cinnamon-sugar. 
18. Serve immediately.

I hope you all have a great evening, and I'll be back this weekend with another recipe or two. Stay tuned, and I hope to see all of you again! Good night!

~Mandie