Potato-crusted salmon fillet

Pictured with spinach, mushroom, & Gruyère casserole

Salmon fillet	¾ pound
Onion, small, finely chopped	½
Thyme, ground	¼ teaspoon
Wine, dry white (or apple cider)	¼ cup
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Milk	4 to 5 tablespoons
Butter	1 tablespoon
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons
Topping
Potatoes, peeled, chopped	2
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Butter	2 tablespoons
Cream, heavy	¼ cup

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Place salmon in a buttered shallow casserole dish.
3. Top with onion, thyme, and wine, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Cover, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes when probed with a fork.
5. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup; add enough milk to equal ¾ cup.
6. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and stir in flour.
7. Cook, stirring for 1 minute; gradually whisk in ¾ cup liquid.
8. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
9. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Topping

1. Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until fork-tender.
2. Drain, mash, and add salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Whisk in butter and cream.
4. Preheat your broiler.
5. Spread potatoes over salmon, and pour over top.
6. Place under broiler and brown for 2 to 3 minutes.

Recipe from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas.

Spinach, mushroom, & Gruyère casserole

Pictured with potato-crusted salmon fillet

Baby spinach, fresh, chopped	5 ounces
Mushrooms, thinly sliced	5 ounces
Gruyère cheese, shredded	½ cup
Onion, small, minced	1
Salt	½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Eggs, lightly beaten	2
Breadcrumbs, fine, dry, seasoned	1 tablespoon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a shallow 3- to 4-cup casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl, toss together everything, excluding the breadcrumbs.
3. Press into the prepared dish, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the casserole is set.

Based on a recipe from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas.

Roasted rosemary-garlic fingerling potatoes

Potatoes, fingerling	1 ½ pounds
Olive oil	2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted, cubed	3 tablespoons
Salt, sea	1 teaspoon
Garlic, finely minced	5 cloves
Rosemary, stemmed, chopped	1 sprig
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 425°F; grease a baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan over medium, heat oil; add butter and 2 teaspoons minced garlic.
3. Cook until garlic is slightly golden; transfer garlic to a small bowl and set aside.
4. In the same saucepan, add potatoes, and coat with the butter mixture.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes; toss occasionally.
6. Bring heat back to medium, season with salt and pepper; add garlic and rosemary, and cook until garlic is translucent and sticks to potatoes.
7. Transfer to baking dish, cover, and roast in oven for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover, and roast for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and golden, and the potatoes are tender.

Spinach & onion sauté

Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Onion, halved, thinly sliced	1
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Spinach, fresh	9 ounces
Salt	¾ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Lemon juice	1

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter; add onions and garlic, and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add spinach, and toss until wilted, about 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and juice.

Marmalade spareribs

Marmalade
Mandarin oranges*, peeled, seeded, crushed	3 cups
Lemon, zest and juice	1
Sugar	3 cups
Ribs
Pork spareribs, cut into three to four bone servings	4 to 5 pounds
Soy sauce, light	1/2 cup
Orange marmalade	1 cup
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Ginger, finely grated	1 tablespoon
Pepper, freshly ground

Marmalade

1. In your bread machine bucket, combine oranges, lemon zest and juice, and sugar.
2. Place in bread machine, select the JAM setting, and press START.

Ribs

1. Combine soy sauce, marmalade, garlic, ginger, and pepper; coat ribs with sauce.
2. Transfer ribs to your slow-cooker crockery, pour marmalade atop, and allow to marinade in refrigerator at least 12 hours.
3. Place in slow cooker, select LOW, and cook for 9 to 10 hours.

Time: 23 hours and 35 minutes (20 minutes active; 1 hour 15 minutes marmalading; 12 hours marinading; 10 hours cooking) • 4 to 6 servings

* I used Cutie mandarin oranges that are amazingly easy to peel, seedless, and rather small but with perfectly bite-sized slices.

Chicken saltimbocca

Chicken, whole breast, skinned, boned, halved lengthwise	2 (1 ½ pounds)
Prosciutto, thin slices	4
Jarlsberg cheese	4 ounces
Tomato, small, peeled, seeded, chopped	1
Butter	¼ cup
Mushrooms, freshly sliced	1 cup
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Milk	½ cup
Sour cream	½ cup
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons
Paprika, ground	¼ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	1/8 teaspoon
Salt	1/8 teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	1/8 teaspoon
Homemade egg noodles, cooked, hot	2 cups

1. Rinse chicken; pat dry.
2. Place each breast half, boned side up, between two pieces of plastic wrap.
3. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to 1/8-inch thickness; remove plastic.
4. For each roll, place one slice of prosciutto on each chicken patty, folding if necessary to fit.
5. Place an ounce of cheese on each portion, topped with tomato.
6. Fold in long sides of the chicken patty, and roll in a jelly-roll style; secure with wooden toothpicks.
7. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter, and cook chicken rolls until browned evenly on all sides, about 25 to 30 minutes; remove toothpicks!

Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter, add mushrooms and garlic, and cook until tender; remove from heat.
2. Stir together milk, sour cream, flour, paprika, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; add to sauce.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly, and then cook 1 minute longer.
4. Arrange noodles and chicken on a serving platter, and pour the sauce over the top; serve immediately.

Banana-walnut muffins

Butter, unsalted, softened	½ cup
Sugar	1 cup
Vanilla	1 teaspoon
Eggs	2
Bananas, ripe, mashed	3 to 4
Flour, whole wheat + all-purpose baking	¾ cup + ¾ cup
Baking soda	¾ teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	1 ½ teaspoons
Nutmeg, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon
Walnuts, chopped	1 cup
Brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; spray muffin tin, or line with paper cups.
2. Cream butter, add sugar and vanilla, and then eggs, one at a time; stir in bananas.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Gently combine wet and dry mixtures together, and then fold in nuts.
5. Pour into prepared muffin tin, and sprinkle with brown sugar.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.