Mom's Menu: Salmon Steaks w/ Pesto

• 2 salmon steaks
  
• lemon
  
• basil
  
• garlic
  
• sun-dried tomato
  
• olive oil
  
• parmesan cheese
  
• piece of bread

1. Line a baking pan with foil. Spray with Pam
   
   
2. Squeeze a 1/2 lemon over salmon. You can grate the zest over it too. Never too much lemon.
   
   
3. Now - the pesto. I had some basil & garlic & some sundried tomatoes in oil in a jar.
   I combined the basil leaves. a few cloves of garlic, the toms, a bit of olive oil, & some parmesan cheese in a small blender.
   
   
4. Make some breadcrumbs from a piece of bread.( 2 T) Mix 1 T with about 2 T of the pesto (you can buy pesto in a jar too ) Spread this over the salmon.
   
   
5. Mix about 1 T of grated parmesan or romano with the next T of breadcrumbs. Put this on top of the pesto. Then - grate about another T of the cheese all over the fish.
   
   
6. Bake this at 450 for about 20 min. Use more lemon over it if you wish.

The pesto is excellent - salty & garlicky

Mom's Menu: Loin Lamb Chops

Loin Lamb Chops
In the bottom of a glass dish combine:

• few squeezes of lemon juice
  
• throw in some peel too
  
• salt & pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp of rosemary
  
• sprinkle of garlic powder or a small bit of garlic, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  

Add 6 loin chops & coat with the lemon/oil mixture being sure to get the rosemary on all of them. Let marinade for about 30 min.

Grill them on a pan or on a bar-b-que grill till pink.

Mom's Menu: Pork Chops with Sweet Potato & Squash

Boneless Pork Chops

1. In plastic bag put some chopped garlic from a jar, about 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, pepper & some orange jam(or any kind of fruit jam or jelly)
2. Mix all together & add chops.
   
3. Marinate in refrig for several hours, turning the bag a few times. I have a new ridged grill pan.
   
4. Heat it until the sides are hot then spray with Pam.
   
5. Put in the chops & cook a few minutes on each side until done. They are thin
   

Sweet Potato

1. Peel one large potato & cut into slices like fries.
   
2. Put on foil-lined baking pan( I used the toaster oven,) Sprinkle with some olive oil - or spray with Pam - and add salt, pepper, basil or some other herb.
   
3. Bake at 400 for 30 min.

Squash

One green squash-thinly sliced
One small onion or a half of one
One clove garlic

1. Chop garlic fine & saute in about 1 T of olive oil.
   
2. Add thinly sliced onion & then then squash with some salt & pepper.
   
3. Cook until it is soft & browning. I covered the pan to do this., I then added some freshly chopped parsley & a sprinkle of Parmesan. You could add any herb.

Mom's Menu

My mom is a great cook. A skill she learned from her grandmother, she knows how to pair spices, bake heart shaped cakes, and put on a spectacular holiday dinner. We both love talking about food and she'll email me dishes she made or had and recreated so I can try them out. So, to spread the wealth, I'm starting a new weekly feature called "Mom's Menu" featuring recipes both new and old (i.e. the Christmas coffee cake she makes every year). Feel free to spin them your own way and share your thoughts.

My first entry is taken from a blog that I had started but realized that it just wasn't going to get as much attention as Mrs. Mo. The recipe is called "Nana's Irish Bread" and it is deeeelicious!

Irish Bread
"Nannie said that if they didn’t have the money they left out the currants. Very important to use a covered pyrex bowl & to wrap it foil while it’s still hot."

2 cups white flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup sugar
½ cup raisins or currants
2 tsp caraway seeds

Mix all dry ingredients together

Preheat oven to 350.

1 cup buttermilk or soured milk. ( To sour milk, add 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk & let stand for about an hour. It will thicken.)

Add milk to flour mixture & mix until just blended. It will be sticky.

Grease a covered Pyrex dish. Add bread mix and cover. Bake @ 350 for 10 min & then @ 300 for 40 min. Remove from pan & while still hot, swab with butter or margarine. Wrap in foil.