Tangy Tuna with Orange Sauce

I was going to make tuna steaks with just lemon juice, salt and pepper last night, but then I saw this recipe on the back of the Kroger tuna package. I had all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a shot and it turned out really delicious. I recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different. It only takes half an hour to make!

Ingredients

1 lb tuna steak
¼ cup orange juice
2 T soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1 T lemon juice
Ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Mix all sauce ingredient s(everything except tuna) in a medium size bowl.

3.       Rinse off tuna steaks and pat dry.

4.       Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with non-stick spray.

5.       Place tuna steaks on baking sheet, brush with sauce.

6.       Bake for 15 minutes.

Best Cocoa Brownies

My friend Heather shared this recipe with me after I told her she made the best homemade brownies. I’ve always used boxed brownie mixes, but this recipe requires just a bit more work and gives much richer results than most mixes. Since the flavor is so intense, I recommend serving them in 2-inch squares. Any larger and your guests will go into chocolate coma!

Ingredients

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F and butter a 9” by 9” metal pan.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a microwave. Heat on high for 2 minutes, take it out and stir. Then give it 1 more minute in the microwave. It may look gritty, but it will smooth out when the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake for 25 minutes and test with a toothpick. This time worked for me, but other people have told me they cook them for 5 more minutes.
You may want to place them in the fridge afterward so they cut with clean lines.

Cut into squares and serve.

 Adapted from Bittersweet

Lemon Bars

My friend Michelle served these warm and I had to get the recipe from her! You only need 5 ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, eggs and lemon juice) to make them. I suggest serving them warm right out of the oven. Store leftovers in the fridge and microwave for 15 seconds before serving. I used fresh lemons, but I’ve heard you can use ½ cup of packaged lemon juice in a pinch. If you have a strong sweet tooth, you may like a little powdered sugar on top of the bars.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling 

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.
4.  In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
5. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool

Blueberry Crisp

Michigan blueberry picking is excellent this July. I spent two weekends in a row stocking up on the delicious berries. Try this easy blueberry crisp recipe as an alternative to pie. It refrigerates well so you can enjoy it all week long!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh blueberrie
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 T corn starch
• 2 t lemon juice
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 stick softened butter (4 T)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl combine the blueberries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice. Mix well and pour into a lightly buttered baking dish.
3. In the same bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, salt, and butter. Stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and evenly blended. Spread the mixture over the berries and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool before serving.

 
 From American Food on About.com
 
 

Mustard Glazed Salmon

I recently bought a jar of fancy mustard and was looking for ways to use my new culinary find, other than on hot dogs of course! I decided to make mustard glazed salmon and was pleasantly surprised at how well salmon and mustard go together. It is a nice change from my usual citrusy, sweet sauces. Give it a shot! I served it with a little greek yogurt as a healthy alternative to tartar sauce.

Ingredients
1 lb salmon
2 T olive oil
¼ cup mustard

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Link a baking sheet with foil. Rinse salmon with water, then place on foil and rub with olive oil.
3. Brush mustard on top of the salmon, covering the whole piece.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

We all love chocolate chip cookies, and some of us have a sweet spot for oatmeal raisin, but peanut butter cookies are often forgotten. I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had a peanut butter cookie. I decided to make a fresh batch, but there were not very many recipes out there. The last one I used came with my “Give a Mouse a Cookie” book and involved simply mixing peanut butter with sugar and egg. This might be fun for kids, but I wanted something a little more substantial.
The recipe below is perfect. I made 24 cookies and they all turned out perfectly with crispy edges and chewy middles. The great thing about making these is that you probably already have all of the ingredients!

 Ingredients
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I like Simply Jif)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 t salt
• ½ t baking soda

 Directions
1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. While the dough is in the fridge, heat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.

Tweaked from AllRecipes

Veggie Flatbread

This is a really easy dinner to make, perfect for a summer night you don't want to spend in front of the hot stove. Seasonal vegetables topped with olive oil are delicious and healthy. I found one flat bread to be plenty filling, but big eaters might want two.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow summer squash
3 T olive oil
2 T fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella (optional)
2-4 flat breads (Italian Herb is the best!)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the eggplant and squash into 1/4 inch rounds,slice the red pepper into strips.
Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray. Arrange the vegetables on the sheet.
Drizzle olive oil on top of the veggies. Sprinkle ground pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes. If you want a little cheese, sprinkle it on top and place back in the oven for about 2 more minutes.
Heat flat bread in the microwave for 15 seconds. Serve veggies on top.