Smoked Salmon Dip

Since we now have a smoker, I figured it's a must to make some smoked salmon, right?  And after you've smoked some salmon, what better than some salmon dip?  I tried my best to replicate Moose Tooth's recipe.  It's not perfect, but it's still darned good.  The dip was a total hit at work!

Ingredients

1/2 fillet smoked salmon, shredded
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T onion, minced
2 t dill
salt and pepper to taste
dash cayenne

Combine all ingredients.  Serve with sliced baguette, crackers, or veggies!

Apple Crisp Cupcakes

A while back I was complaining about how we can't go apple picking up here and how difficult it is to find good apples.  My mom, being a most excellent mother, went out to an apple stand and mailed me a box full of crunchy, fruity goodness.  In fact, she mailed me so many that I could scarcely eat them all!  I need another use for apples.  I considered a pie, but didn't feel like making a crust.  So, apple crisp cupcakes it was!

Ingredients

Two apples, diced
1 T butter
cinnamon and sugar to taste

1 c sugar
1/2 c melted butter, cooled to room temperature
2 eggs
3/4 t vanilla

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

2/3 c milk

1/2 c brown sugar
3 T butter, room temperature
1 t cinnamon
1/4 c oats


To start, make the filling.  Combine apples, butter, cinnamon and sugar in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat until the apple soften and the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and cool.


Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, cream the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.  Slowly add the flour mix to the sugar mix, alternating with the milk.  Blend well.


Grease your muffin tin, or use liners.  Put one small scoop of batter into each cup, just enough to cover the bottom.  Spoon in some of the apple mixture, then top with more batter.


In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and oats until they are well mixed.  Sprinkle atop the cupcakes.


Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Halibut with Peach-Pear salsa, Roasted Pear Salad with Peach Vinaigrette

Hurray!  The photo uploader is working again!  I can continue to share my deliciousness with you!

This is a fantastic dish, tasty and healthy, full of fruits and veggies.  As a bonus, it's really easy to do.  I wanted to do a macadamia crusted 'but for this one, but it's really hard to find macadamia nuts in Alaska.  Go figure.

Ingredients

1 halibut fillet, cut into quarters
1 c seasoned bread crumbs (just add some salt and pepper!)
1/4 c diced onion
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 pear, diced
1 peach, diced

baby spinach
roasted walnuts
dried cranberries
1 pear, sliced

3/4 c EVOO
1/4 c vinegar (changing the type of vinegar changes the final product... experiment!)
2 T peach preserves or pureed peaches

First, prepare the salsa.  Mix the onion, jalapeno, pear and peach together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Second, the vinaigrette.  Oil and vinegar do not want to mix, as you will see.  I like shaking them together in an old water bottle to force the mixing.  Blend in the preserves as well.

Now, preheat the oven to 350.  Take the halibut pieces and dip them first into the vinaigrette, then coat them in bread crumbs.  Bake until flaky, approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness.  While they are baking, sprinkle the pear slices with vinaigrette and roast in the oven.

While the fish is cooking, mix the spinach, cranberries and walnuts together.

To serve, place a bed of salad on the plate along with a few slices of roasted pear.  Top with halibut, drizzle with vinaigrette, and top with salsa.  Enjoy!