Salmon Croquettes

Salmon croquettes are pan fried and packed with so many great flavors. These make a quick and easy weeknight meal and are delicious with sour cream, salsa, marinara, or even tartar sauce! 

What you will need: 

½ cup Panko 

¼ cup flour

15 ounce canned salmon 

½ tsp garlic powder 

½ tsp basil 

½ tsp salt 

¼ tsp pepper 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

¼ cup mayonnaise 

Optional filling: string cheese

Optional toppings: sour cream, salsa 

Directions: 

Add Panko and flour to a bowl and mix. Add canned salmon, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, mayonnaise, basil. Mix until incorporated. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

Shape into 6-8 patties and add about ¼ of a string cheese to the center of the patty and flatten slightly. Roll the patty in additional Panko. 

Add patties to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Pina Colada Challah

With the weather just getting colder here in Connecticut this winter, I wanted a challah that reminds me of warm summers! This challah has dried pineapple throughout, very similar to adding raisins to challah, but with a bit of a tang. The coconut in the dough itself has a mild flavor, and the coconut on top is nice and crunchy!  

What you will need:

2 tbsp yeast

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup pineapple juice

Splash of rum

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup dried pineapple, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup dried cherries 

4-4 1/2 cups flour

Directions: 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar, water, rum, and pineapple juice; stir to combine. Add the 2 eggs and mix the eggs with a beater attachment. Then add the oil and mix together again. 

With the mixer on the lowest speed, add flour cup by cup until the dough starts forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl. 

At this point, swap out the beater attachment for a dough hook and add the salt, coconut flakes, dried cherries, and dried pineapple. Keep adding flour cup by cup until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch. In total this should be roughly 4 cups of flour. 

Knead the dough together by hand to make sure everything is incorporated together. 

Place the dough back in the bowl and cover the top of the dough with a thin layer of oil and cover with a wet towel. 

Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, this should be about an hour, or in the fridge up to 24 hours. 

Punch the dough down and let it rise for another hour. 

At this point, you are ready to form the challahs. I like to do simple 4 strand braids. 

Once all of your challahs are formed, let them rise for an additional half hour, or up to an hour in colder weather. 

Top each challah with egg wash (one egg with a little bit of water) and some flaked coconut. 

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Fries with Mayo Sauce

We love fries in our house! And, these fries are so crunchy on the outside with a soft interior, you almost cannot believe they are baked and not deep fried! The secret is soaking them in a salted ice bath first to release excess starch, while also seasoning the inside before baking. The dill mayo sauce is cool and refreshing and a great contrast to the hot crunchy fries!

What you will need: 

FRIES:

3 tbsp kosher salt 

2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into wedges 

3 tbsp canola oil 

1 tbsp paprika 

½ tsp garlic powder 

½ tsp onion powder 

Ground black pepper 

MAYO: 

½ cup mayonnaise

4 tsp Dijon or whole grain mustard 

3 tbsp dried dill 

Salt and ground black pepper 

Directions: 

FRIES: 

Stir salt into a large bowl of cold water until dissolved, then add 1 cup ice cubes. Submerge the potato wedges and soak for 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. 

Toss the potatoes in oil in a bowl; then sprinkle with the salt, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder and toss again. 

Bake, tossing halfway through, until browned, about 1 hour. 

MAYO: 

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and dill in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the fries. 

 Enjoy!