lemon-garlic salmon and broccoli bowls

 

Hall of Fame!  Best thing I've eaten all week.  By far.

The sauce does the trick- the fresh dill is so delicous!

lemon-garlic salmon and broccoli bowls (EatingWell)

4 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1/4 cup Greek style plain yogurt

2 tablespoons light sour cream

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely chopped dill, plus extra for serving (I used 2 teaspoons in the sauce)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4 (5 ounce) skinless and boneless salmon fillets, cut into 1 1/2" chunks.

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Toss 4 cups of broccoli with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on the prepared baking sheet until evenly coated.  Spread into an even layer.  Roast for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons mustard, 1 teaspoon dill, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; stir until smooth.

Place salmon chunks in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil (I omitted), 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Toss to coat.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven; push the broccoli to one side and arrange the salmon in a single layer on the other side.

Roast until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, 6-8 minutes.

Divide 3 cups rice among 4 shallow bowls.  Top with salmon and broccoli.  Spoon the sauce over the top.  Garnish with additional dill, if desired.

roasted carrots

 

Such a simple recipe but so delicous!

roasted carrots  (love and lemons)

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2" barrels

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and several grinds of pepper.

Transfer the carrots to the baking sheet and spread in a single layer.  Roast for 15-25 minutes, or until fork-tender and lightly browned but not mushy.  Remove from the oven and season to taste.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

crispy homemade seasoned steak fries

 

So I cooked them a little too long.  That's alright.  It didn't stop my two youngest and a friend from eating all of them alongside a sandwich for lunch.  GREAT recipe!

crispy homemade seasoned steak fries (Costco Connection, July 2026)

1 pound russet potatoes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning (I used the lower salt version)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scrub the potatoes and dry.  Cut each potato into wedges.  Quarter the the potatoes lengthwise, then slice each wedge 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Add the potato wedges to a large bowl with the oil and steak seasoning.  Use a wooden spoon to toss the potato wedges until they are coated well. 

Spread the seasoned fries on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the fries are browned and crispy.  Makes 4 servings.

baked chicken fingers with copycat raising cain's dipping sauce

 

This post is for my son.  After he personally and his team won state (tennis) they went to Raising Cane's, just as they did in 2025 when his team won state.  My son LOVES Raising Cane's.  He had never known of its existence before 2025.  Now I think he thinks about it every day.

I decided to try a healthier version for dinner and he loved it.  He was disappointed at first to see that the chicken wasn't deep fried but he quickly forgot about it.  The crunch of the chicken fingers is satisfying.

baked chicken fingers (healthy seasonal recipes)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided (I think it needs more salt next time)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

5 teaspoons oil

1 pound chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.

Mix flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish.

Beat eggs in a second shallow dish.  Set next to the flour.

Stir panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a third shallow dish.  Drizzle oil over the breadcrumb mixture and then mix thoroughly with a fork until all of the oil and spice coats the breadcrumbs.  Set to the side of the egg mixture.

Use one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients while dredging the tenders.  Dip a chicken tender in the flour mixture, turning to coat completely.  Dip into the eggs, coating completely.  Press into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat completely.  Set on the prepared baking sheet.  Continue with the remaining tenders one at a time.  Discard any left-over dredging mixtures.

Transfer the baking sheet of breaded tenders into the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, 22 to 25 minutes.

copycat raising cain's dipping sauce (allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper

Stir all ingredients together until combined.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.

the best low FODMAP salsa recipe

 

Lucky me- I get to occasionally experiment with FODMAP diet recipes to accommodate one of my children.  I started with this recipe and it's SO good!  I finished making it just in time for my youngest and two friends to come home during the school day (I guess nothing is happening at school anymore??) so I invited them to have some and opened up a fresh bag of tortilla chips.  Grant's friend said it's the perfect amount of spice.  They ate every drop of what I had put out for them.  The onions and garlic are not missed at all!  It's a great salsa.

the best low FODMAP salsa recipe (slightly adapted from red sauce white apron)

1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, sliced (greens only!)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lime juice, to taste

black pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse. until you get the desired consistency.

cream of celery soup

 

I got a big bunch of celery from my produce co-op and it was accumulating because I got a big bunch the time before so I made this easy, healthy celery soup (I lightened it up) and we all really liked it!  I'll make it again because how many ants on a log can one family eat?

cream of celery soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 pounds celery, coarsely chopped

1/4 pound carrots, julienned

1/4 pound onions, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used a little less)

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

6 cups hot milk (I used about 4 cups)

1/2 cup butter (I used 2 tablespoons butter)

dill for serving

Pour chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add celery, carrots and onion to the pot.

Whisk flour, salt, pepper and milk together in a bowl; add to the pot along with butter.

Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into the soup.

Serve and sprinkle a little dill on top.

stuffed mini peppers

 

A friend shared this recipe and it is SO good!  It's quite possibly my very favorite way to eat mini sweet peppers.

stuffed mini peppers (adapted from fifteenspatulas, suggested to me by my friend Tiffany)

1 pound mini sweet peppers

8 ounces light cream cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (1/3 cup measured)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

De-stem peppers then cut each in half. 

In a large bowl, stir to combine the cream cheese, parmesan, garlic, jalapeno and black pepper.

Fill the cut peppers with small spoonfuls of filling.

Roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden on the edges.