Recipe: Pad Thai (NY Times)

Pad Thai

4 oz. fettuccine-width rice stick noodles
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded (*about 4 cups)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 lb. peeled shrimp, pressed tofu or a combination
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered.

Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon peanut oil to keep from sticking and set aside. Meanwhile, put tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside. Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done. Add cabbage and bean sprouts and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt, then add shrimp or tofu (or both). When shrimp begin to turn pink and tofu begins to brown, add drained noodles to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well. When noodles are warmed through, serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro and lime wedges.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe is courtesy one of our New York readers who came across this in the NY Times. Yum. Pad Thai is one of those easy and extremely flavorful dishes that takes no time to make. It is a great dish to entertain with or to take with you to a Spring get-together. With graduation celebrations, Mother's Day and summer gatherings on the rise, we can make use of a simple classic like this one...

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Recipe: Easy Tofu Stir Fry

Easy Tofu Stir Fry

1 (12 oz.) bag of mixed vegetables for stir fry
1 (14 oz.) pkg. firm tofu (cut into 1" pieces)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup stir fry sauce (*can be found at your local grocery store)
1 cup cooked rice

In a skillet, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add in the vegetables and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes; add in the tofu and sauce; combine so sauce spreads throughout entire pan over veggies and tofu. Remove from heat and spoon tofu mixture on top of a bed of rice. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Stir Fry's are it. They meet all the health needs while providing profuse flavor. The veggie mix doesn't have everything you want in it?? Feel free to add your own style to the dish...that's the good thing about its name: Stir Fry. This implies anything goes...have fun with it and share!

Recipe: Broccoli Au Gratin

Broccoli Au Gratin

2 (10 oz.) pkg. fresh broccoli
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese (cut up)
3/4 stick butter (melted)
35 Ritz crackers (crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the stems of the broccoli and parboil the broccoli for 2-5 minutes in salted water. In a greased casserole dish, arrange the broccoli and fill in with cheese; pour half of the melted butter on top. Top with crushed crackers and drizzle on the remaining butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Spring is buzzing in the air. With temperatures expected to reach 63 today, the District is buzzing with smiles, kinder people on the Metro (*Translation: the library) and a reason to go out and eat lunch. Ironically, we are still in the mood for the heavier winter foods and figured before it gets completely warm, we need to cook all the dishes that need heavy heat now. During the spring and summer, we are notorious for our pasta and seafood salads...they keep things cool. Until then, we are still working on those batches of soups and of course, casserole dishes. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Shredded Pork Tacos

Shredded Pork Tacos

2 lb. boneless pork roast
1 cup salsa
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker; cover and cook on low for 8 hours. After meat becomes tender, shred with two forks. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Shredded pork tacos are everywhere now. Luckily this is the easiest, and probably, one of the cheapest restaurant trends to replicate at home. Serve with warm tortillas and sour cream.

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Recipe: Creamy Alfredo with Spinach Linguine

Creamy Alfredo with Spinach Linguine

3/4 lb. asparagus (ends cut off)
3/4 lb. Al Dente Spinach Linguine
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 dash of ground nutmeg
Salt (to taste)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Add 1 tsp. of salt to a large pot of boiling water. Cut the asparagus into 1" pieces. Add the asparagus to the pot of boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes until almost done; add the linguine to the pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes longer. Drain the pasta and asparagus; combine with the butter, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: The other day we decided to try Al Dente Pasta. Good...No, great idea. After watching one of our favorite TV cooks, Lidia Bastianich gently roll out and neatly slice some homemade pasta, we were inspired. Unfortunately, not inspired enough to pull out our own Kitchen Aid pasta maker and make homemade linguine, but enough to search through our cupboard for the next best thing. We decided it was time to try the pasta that had been sitting on our counter without a recipe to match. Creamy was the texture of the night and we needed some cheese to round the whole experience out.

How did we fail to try this pasta sooner?! Al Dente is some of the store-brought best pasta that we have ever tasted. It surpasses the boxed stuff that we're used to settling for (*since we're too lazy to roll out our own dough) and actually gives you the taste of something you just created in your own kitchen. Our next recipe will feature marinara and the garlic parsley Al Dente pasta...is it dinner time yet??

Recipe: Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

4 large russet potatoes
2 tsp. salt
4 slices of bacon (cut into 1" pieces)
1 cup low fat sour cream
8 tbsp. butter
2 2/3 low fat 1 % milk
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Scallions (thinly sliced for garnish)
Shredded 2 % Milk Cheddar Cheese

Peel, rinse and dice the potatoes into small cubes and add them to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water, sprinkle in 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover; cook for 30-45 minutes. Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and drain oil from the bacon. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pot; mash the potatoes until smooth. Add in the sour cream and butter; stir until fully combined. Add the milk, pepper and salt to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Garnish with scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Ok, we are officially about to bust. After two hefty bowls of this soup, our eyes are glazing over this post, but we were determined to make it happen. Recently, we began focusing on recipes that are easy and to the point without a lot of clean up post-cooking. This is how we came across this recipe and it is truly the easiest two pot meal that we have met this month. The hardest or most time consuming part is peeling the potatoes (*what did people do before the invention of the potato peeler??) but everything else is a breeze. Serve with nothing. It is fine all by itself.

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1 cup carrots (*cut into bite size pieces)
1 cup frozen peas
3 cup mashed potatoes
1 pinch dried thyme
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. flour

In a medium size roasting pan, roast the beef at 300 degrees F for 6-8 hours. Remove the meat from the pan, transfer the drippings to a sauce pan, and heat to boiling over medium high heat then whisk in the flour allowing it to cook for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the stock and adding the thyme. Bring the mixture to the boil for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Into a medium casserole dish shred beef then add the carrots and peas. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetable mixture and top it with the mashed potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 25- 30 minutes.

*Serves 4

*If your snowed in and don't happen to have a chuck roast in the fridge you can use a pound and a half of ground beef in its place. Just brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat, remove the meat when no pink is remaining and use the drippings to make the gravy.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe came in right on time from Chef Zan Dial of Nova Personal Chef. He writes in his email " 28" of snow on the ground and you want something hot, filling, and of course Cheap and Easy." Yup, that's just what we were thinking and these ingredients are typically in our kitchen so we don't have to go on much of a scavenger hunt @ our local grocery store. Stay warm and cook something good...it might help with all this cabin fever...

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Recipe: Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp. kosher salt (*or to taste)

Add all ingredients to a medium to large pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes on Low-Medium heat until bubbling. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: We love when friends share their recipes. This recipe comes from a JKGF favorite who cooks healthy, good foods all the time and this is no exception. She created this basic sauce on NYE and our mouths were watering as she went thru the list of ingredients...a big, fat Yum. to fresh thyme, garlic and tomatoes in one steaming, hot dish. We know. It's basic. Basic is good especially when its been a long day and you need to get off those tired soles as quickly as possible. Try this recipe alongside your favorite pasta or even tie it in your fave lasagna recipe. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 green bell pepper (cubed)
1 sweet onion (cubed)
4 ribs of celery (cut into bit size peices)
2 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 tbsp. garlic (chopped)
4 cup white rice (cooked)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute onions, peppers, bay leaves and celery for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, Old Bay, salt, pepper, hot sauce and tomatoes. Boil for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink. Serve over the rice.

*Johnna's tip: For Christmas, the boyfriend brought the fab gift of (*drum roll, please)....a cooking class! Trust that I was not excited about the gift upon first glance (*I was like: "Are you trying to say we can't cook?!"...he assured me this wasn't the case.) I went and to my surprise...it was pretty cool. So the low down on cooking classes are: they basically cook the food in front of you, you get to ask as many questions about the cooking as you want and you get to taste all of the food that they prepare. We learned a few tricks and got to pick Chef Zan Dial's brain about some of his secrets in the kitchen.

Here is a clip from the Chef Zan Dial's cooking class "Cheap & Easy in the Kitchen" which features today's shrimp creole recipe. I tried this recipe at home and it came out pretty darn tasty for the cheap. One of the questions I asked Zan Dial was where he suggested we go for these cheap and easy ingredients and he mentioned a grocery store named Wegman's. Not the first time I heard about this store, sounds like it might be the foodie haven for the cheap...shall we take a trip up Route 1??

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Recipe: Soup Joumou

Soup Joumou

1 lb. corned beef or beef stew meat water
1 1/2 lbs. pumpkin (peeled & diced)
2 turnips (diced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup rice, washed (uncooked, not instant) salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2-4 tsp. butter

In a saucepan, cover beef generously with water and boil over medium low heat, partially covered for 1 hour. Drain and chop beef into bite-sized pieces. In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add pumpkin, turnips, beef, onions, parsley, thyme, and 2 cloves garlic. Simmer until pumpkin is tender (15 minutes). Discard parsley and thyme. Transfer pumpkin to food processor with 1/4 cup stock and puree. Return to saucepan and heat through. Add milk, nutmeg, butter, and rice; cook until rice is tender (15-20 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, and mix in remaining garlic. Serve hot with a little butter in each bowl.

*Johnna's tip: Thanks to Cuisinivity for this recipe. Cuisinivity, like many of us in the U.S., was deeply impacted by the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti just under two weeks ago. Cuisinivity, however, had a more personal connection to Haiti then we (JKGF) did. Cuisinivity posted this recipe (Soup Joumou) which was inspired by the two years they spent in Haiti and often requested this dish for dinner. Soup Joumou is a dish commonly served during the Haitian New Year but Cuisinivity said it was so good, they requested it many times while in Haiti. Get the full story here. Kind of reminds us of a thicker, hardy chicken noodle soup.

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Recipe: Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

5 large portabello mushrooms
8 oz. fresh crab meat
6-8 green onions (chopped)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. mustard
1 egg
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (*save for end)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the crab meat, green onions, thyme, oregano, pepper and mustard. Add in the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mayo, bread crumbs and egg; fold in to combine all ingredients. Wipe off the mushrooms with a damp towel and spoon out the gills and the base of the mushroom; discard the gills and stems. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

*Johnna's tip: Pure experiment...that turned out good. Cravings always make us throw a few things together and see what comes out, which is what happened here. We had a craving for mushrooms that were stuffed with something. Crab meat and mushrooms are the best couple and make a family when paired with Parmesan cheese and green onions. We used ingredients from a few recipes we liked for crab stuffed mushrooms and twisted our own taste buds in the final recipe. Adjust measurements as you see fit, remember we did this recipe without much help from measurements and are only guesstimating (*Translation: Estimate; guess) what you should include to get the same tasty bite. Serve as an appetizer and Enjoy!

Top Five Wednesday: Five Soups You Should Make

After the last Food Blogger Happy Hour/Potluck, we have been infatuated with soup. All kinds. Thrifty DC Cook is responsible for this. She made probably one of the top five best soups we've ever tasted (*It was a seafood soup in a spicy, lemongrass broth). The recipe for that is coming soon and we will fill you in when we get the details. If you haven't figured it out by now, we are cold and trying to stay warm under these conditions hence we're making soup. Today's "Top Five" are the top five soups you should be making this January. Soup is sooo easy to make and sooo delicious. Typically, soups are not that fatty either because the base of the soup is usually a light broth or another light ingredient. Now, there are those soups that bring out the naughty side of eating but we hope these soups will help you stay warm and stay within your new years resolution. Check it:

1. Tomato soup- The Arugula Files recipe is simple and matches perfect with a grilled cheese...gotta love the classics.

2. Crab and Corn Chowder- This is our show stopper recipe. Serve this one when you're have a few guests over and you want something comforting.

3. Middle Eastern Lamb Stew- Super easy because the slow cooker does all the work. Just drop in the ingredients and 3 hours later you have a feast.

4. Maryland Crab- This is an art. Well in these parts anyway. Around this area, Maryland crab is the staple soup and must be done right. This is a great time to practice.

5. Miso Soup- Love this one pot soup. Our favorite additions to the typical seaweed and tofu are carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. Delish.

Click the links above to retrieve the recipes and Enjoy!

Recipe: Red Wine Pork Chops

Red Wine Pork Chops

2 pork chops (bone-in)
2 shallots (sliced)
Olive oil
1 tbsp. rosemary
Black Pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp. butter

In a pan add about 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, fry the pork chops over medium heat. Once fully cooked through, remove the pork chops and set aside making sure to keep warm. Add the shallots to the pan and olive oil (if the pan is drying up). Then add in the rosemary and pepper; when the shallots are soft, add the wine to the pan to deglaze. When this has reduced, add in the beef broth and stir up everything in the pan making sure to get the small bits off the bottom; simmer to reduce. Add the butter and stir. Place the pork chops back in the pan and immerse in the sauce. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: The best way to plate this dish is by first placing the pork chop on the plate, taking about 2-3 tbsp. of the sauce and spreading it on top of the chop and then spooning out about 1-2 tbsp. of the shallots and spreading them over top the chop. Presentation is key, you eat with your eyes first. Serve with some freshly sauteed asparagus and whatever carb you want for the night, Enjoy!

Recipe: Winter Chili

Winter Chili

1/2 lb. ground beef suet
2 lb. coarsely ground beef
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbsp. paprika
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin seed
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. diced sweet pepper
3 cup water

Fry out the suet in a heavy kettle, then add meat and other seasonings. Cook under cover slowly for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add a little water, depending on how thick you want it and cook for another hour. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Chili is a JKGF winter favorite. We really like adding onions, shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream to our chili. Side with some toasted bread or crackers. Stay warm!

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Recipe: Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. plum Roma tomatoes (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12" uncooked dough crust
6 oz. freshly sliced mozzarella cheese
8 fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil


Preheat oven to 500 degrees (F). Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt in bowl; let sit while preparing the dough. Brush dough crust lightly with olive oil. Top with cheese and then add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake pizza stone for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and top with basil. Allow to cool for 2−3 minutes before cutting. Cut and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Idle time allows us to play around a bit. After attending the soft opening of the soon-to-be the new District hot spot, Recess, recovery was in order. Recovery for us equals greasy and cheesy hence we thought it was time to make our way over to RedRocks for one of their brick oven pizzas. Good idea. Since our stomach was not in the mood for anything off the beaten path, we decided it would be best to keep it simple and the simplest way to go in pizza world is the Margherita.

At first we were disappointed to find only a little bit of buffalo mozzarella on top of the crispy dough, in the end we realized they saved us from stomach problems that arise from too much cheese (*We say more cheese is better! Well not for our health, but...) Tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil and sea salt made us happy for the price of $10.95 and alongside a glass of simple Cabernet we were in recovery bliss (*We know, we know we were supposed to be recovering from the alcohol and we go and order some red wine?? To this, we honestly do not have a reply...) Try this recipe at home with some buffalo mozzarella, the taste adds a needed twist to the Margherita.

Recipe: Easy Cheese Fondue

Easy Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove (smashed)
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (12 oz.) Yuengling beer
1/4 (12 oz.) Yuengling beer
3/4 tsp. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Assorted Dippers (*We suggest sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, toasted french bread w/ homemade herb butter and/or cauliflower)

In a 4 qt. saucepan, rub the smashed garlic clove all over the sides and bottom of the saucepan; melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring until a roux is formed. Add in the beer and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer while stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick and consistent. Add in the All Purpose Sauce, mustard powder and cayenne pepper; stir to mix in completely. Add in the cheese one cup at a time ensuring to melt in between additions; stir until it is smooth. Add to fondue pot and serve with dippers.

*Johnna's tip: It's cold outside and time for warm, comfort foods. Fondue is a fun and easy start to a winter full of warm soups and the like. We paired our fondue with the suggestions we listed above and had a fun feast with our guests. The good thing about fondue is you can make just about anything into a dipping option, pick the foods you have taste for that match well with the cheese. This dish can serve up to four people or two very hungry people (*which is what we were last night...), Enjoy!

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Recipe: Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta

Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta

1 lb. asparagus
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
4 oz. goat cheese
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

In a large pan, boil lightly salted water over high heat. Clean and trim the ends of the asparagus and cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces. Blanch in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and crisp but tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente; drain. In another pan over medium heat, melt the butter and blend in the flour with a whisk. Add the broth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Blend in the goat cheese and lemon peel. Toss the spaghetti with the asparagus, sauce and Parmesan. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: The part that says "stirring constantly", yeah, make sure you do that. We almost made the mistake of just letting the mixture sit there on the stove and what it was becoming was just a big pot of water instead of a big pot of sauce. We found this recipe online and had to try it out especially when we saw that goat cheese was involved in the process, we loovve goat cheese. Try topping with your favorite garnish such as green onions or fresh parsley.

Recipe: Easy Spinach Alfredo

Easy Spinach Alfredo

1 package (16 oz.) linguine
2 (16 oz.) jars Alfredo sauce (*Suggestion: Classico or Bertolli)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen whole leaf spinach or 2 (10 oz.) bags fresh spinach (cooked and drained)
1 (8 oz.) package of fresh baby Bella mushrooms
1 medium onion (finely diced)
1 garlic clove (finely diced)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (*Cleaned and cut into about 1" pieces)
2 tbsp. butter or extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain (*Add a little olive oil to the pasta so it won't stick together). Cook the spinach according to package directions, drain and set side. In a skillet, add the butter (or olive oil) over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook until just about softened; remove and set aside. Add a little more butter or olive oil to the pan and add the chicken to the skillet; cook until done. Add in the mushrooms and cook about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic/onion mixture back to the pan and the Alfredo sauce and heat until just bubbly; add in the drained spinach and combine well. Add the linguine to a plate and top with spinach Alfredo mixture. Serve!

*Johnna's tip: This was the easiest go-to meal that we used in college. It works so well with tortellini (*During college we were pretty broke so linguine was the better, cheaper option...) and shrimp if you don't want chicken. Serve alongside some really good garlic bread and you have a mini pasta feast on your hands. Also, feel free to create your own Alfredo sauce, we just used the jarred stuff because it is easy for the busy cook. Let us know how it turns out!

*Johnna's tip, tip: We plan on making this tonight, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will have pics up in the morning...

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Recipe: Old Bay Salmon Cakes

Old Bay Salmon Cakes

1 packet Old Bay Salmon Cake Mix
1 (14 3/4 oz.) can Salmon (drained and flaked, boneless) or 1 lb. fresh salmon (cooked)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. chopped green onions/scallions

In a large bowl, combine the mix and mayonnaise. Add in the salmon and toss gently until well mixed. Shape into 6 patties. Add two tbsp. extra virgin olive oil to a pan and fry five (5) minutes per side or until browned, turning once. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: We love salmon cakes. We didn't before, but now that we know the endless possibilities we are liking them more each day. They are good for both the single, busy individual or the large family that do not have much time after work to whip up a good, quick meal. Salmon cakes are the answers to your problems. Pair with a side of homemade whipped mashed potatoes or sauteed spinach or both. Once again, we cooked and did not provide pics:-( We know, we suck.

**Recipe found @ http://www.oldbay.com/

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Recipe: JKGF Crispy Pork Chops

JKGF Crispy Pork Chops

Deep Fryer
2 Pork Chops
1 cup flour
3 tbsp. Emeril's Original Essence
Oil

Prep Deep Fryer with oil according to manufacturers instructions. In a plastic zip lock bag add the flour. Wash and clean off the pork chops and season with Emeril's. Drop pork chops in bag and coat with flour. Add to Deep Fryer (*according to manufacturers instructions); cook for 15-20 minutes. Place a paper towel on a plate and place pork chops on top to drain out excess oil. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: If you don't have a Deep Fryer, it is time to get one! They are great when you feel like indulging...by no means do we say eat fried foods all the time, but every once in a while live a little;-) Emeril's Original Essence makes our lives a thousand times easier because he is one of the few chefs who has created a line of products that we trust...you really don't need anything else after you sprinkle his stuff on your meats. We know pork gets a bad wrap, so if it's not your thing, substitute this recipe with chicken, the results will be the same, delicious!

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