Salmon in a Tomato and Feta Sauce (aka Salmon Saganaki)

Salmon in a Tomato and Feta Sauce (aka Salmon Saganaki)

30 Minute Meals 6 Ingredients Food Gluten-free Greek Low-carb Main Course Recipe Seafood

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With spring finally here I have started to think about lighter meals and this salmon baked in a tomato and feta sauce, inspired by the flavours of shrimp saganaki, was at the top of my list! Shrimp saganaki is a Greek style dish where the shrimp is baked in a tasty tomato and feta sauce that is just begging to be accompanied by crusty bread to soak up all of the extra sauce. It is commonly served as an appetizer but it also makes for a great meal and I had been thinking that serving salmon topped with the same tomato and feta sauce would make for a really nice meal! For this recipe you pretty much just make a simple tomato sauce, spread it out over the salmon, top with the feta and bake until the salmon is ready. I often like to add a splash of ouzo (a star anise/black liquorice/fennel flavoured liqueur) to the tomato sauce to add that hint of something exotic to it but a more pantry friendly version is to use ground fennel seeds which are perfect in this sauce! Parsley is the main herb in the tomato sauce which adds an amazing freshness to it and I also like to add a touch of dill as it also adds that something special to the sauce! You could mix the feta into the tomato sauce but I like to sprinkle it on top and that way it gets all nice and slightly melted and a little bit charred on the top! This salmon baked in a tomato and feta sauce (aka salmon saganaki) is a perfect light spring/summer meal and right now it's great when served with some of the fresh locally grown asparagus!

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Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

30 Minute Meals 6 Ingredients Bacon Best of 2013 eBook Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe Texmex

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Today is Cinco de Mayo and I wanted to take the opportunity to update one of my favourite recipes, this bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken with some new photos! The basic idea was to stuff chicken with all of the flavours of jalapeno poppers and then to wrap them in bacon and grill, fry or bake them. Jalapeno poppers are commonly filled with cream cheese and/or cheddar cheese and they are either coated in bread crumbs and fried until crispy or wrapped in bacon and grilled or baked until the bacon is cooked. I like a simple mixture of cream cheese, cheddar or monterey jack cheese and diced jalapeno peppers for the filling and the jalapenos can be roasted, fresh or even pickled. These bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken tastes just like jalapeno poppers and makes for one really tasty light meal! Who says you can't have your favourite game day snacks for dinner any night of the week?

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Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp

Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Gluten-free Grill Low-carb Main Course Recipe Seafood Shrimp

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The taco lime grilled shrimp from the creamy avocado zucchini noodle pasta with taco lime grilled shrimp was so good that I just had to break it out into it's own recipe! I mean it's so nice and easy to make and oh so finger licking good! You can use it is a ton of different recipes from tacos, to quesadillas, to pastas, etc. or you can even just eat straight off the skewer (that's where the finger licking comes in!)! You pretty much just need to marinate the shrimp in a mixture of lime juice and a tasty homemade taco seasoning, skewer it and grill it up! There is just no way to go wrong with grilled meat on a stick and this taco lime grilled shrimp is sure to please!

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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Goat Cheese Skillet Chicken

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Goat Cheese Skillet Chicken

30 Minute Meals Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe

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One of my favourite flavour combinations is sweet roasted red peppers with creamy and tangy goat cheese which is simply divine in this creamy roasted red pepper and spinach goat cheese skillet chicken! This dish is so quick and easy to make that it's perfect for weeknight dinners and yet it's also great for entertaining, not to mention that's it only uses one skillet! The recipe is as simple as grilling some chicken, sautéing some onions and garlic and then creating the tasty sauce with a combination of pureed roasted red peppers, goat cheese and chicken broth which is simmered until the goat cheese melts completely making the sauce oh so nice and creamy! I often like to add some vegetables and fresh spinach is my veggie of choice but lots of other ones work just as well! Serve this creamy roasted red pepper and spinach goat cheese skillet chicken over quinoa, rice, pasta, etc with a side of steamed veggies or a salad and you have one tasty dinner that is perfect for any night of the week, even a busy work night!

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Thai Peanut Chicken Avocado Burritos

Thai Peanut Chicken Avocado Burritos

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Avocado Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex Thai

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After teasing you a while ago with photos of these tasty Thai style peanut chicken and avocado burritos on Instagram, I finally bring you the recipe and it was well worth the wait! (I often post previews of upcoming recipes on Instagram so follow Closet Cooking on Instagram to see what's coming!) These burritos were inspired by the thai peanut chicken saute that I made recently and I could not help but think that succulent chicken would be simply divine in grilled burritos along with cool and creamy avocados and of course the tasty spicy Thai peanut sauce not to mention plenty of ooey gooey melted cheese! Oh my! If you are starting off with already cooked chicken and you have the peanut sauce made (or store bought) then these burritos come together in no time flat making for quick and easy meals or even midnight snacks! :) I hope that you enjoy these peanut chicken and avocado burritos as much as I do; my only recommendation would be to make a double batch because if you are like me you will practically inhale them!

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Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Broths and Stocks Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe Tasty Soups eBook

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Making soup tonight? This time how about using a chicken stock instead of a chicken broth ? Chicken stock is chicken broths older brother and is more full bodied and has more flavour! A chicken broth is made by simmering a chicken in water along with some vegetables, herbs and spices whereas a chicken stock is made by simmering chicken carcasses in water along with the same ingredients. The bones provide a ton of extra flavour and chicken stock is perfect for a tasty chicken noodle soup where a strong chicken flavour is required! Just like chicken broth, chicken stock is super easy to make, requiring only a few minutes of active time and the rest is just unattended simmering. Making your own chicken stock is a great way to get further use from your chickens so save the carcass from your roast chicken dinner in the freezer for the next chicken stock!

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Creamy Garlic and Brie Mushrooms

Creamy Garlic and Brie Mushrooms

Food Gluten-free Low-carb mush Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Mushrooms are one of my favourite foods and although I am perfectly happy with simple mushrooms sautéed in butter and garlic it's always nice to change things up! These creamy garlic and brie mushrooms are one of the tastiest ways that I have come up with for enjoying some basic button mushrooms as a quick and easy dish that is a great side for any meal (or just devouring by the bowlful!). The recipe could not be simpler, you cook the button mushrooms, whole, in butter until they are nice and tender and they have released their liquids before adding the garlic and then creating the creamy sauce with a combination of broth and brie cheese! Finish everything off with some salt and pepper along with an optional garnish of parsley and you have a tasty mushroom side dish that is ready to be inhaled from the table before you can blink!

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Thai Peanut Chicken Saute

Thai Peanut Chicken Saute

30 Minute Meals Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe

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I have been a little obsessed with Thai style dishes with peanut in them ever since I came across them and here is a new recipe, a thai peanut chicken saute, that is both super tasty and quick and easy! You just need to cook some chicken and make the peanut sauce which consists of a base of red curry paste, peanut butter and coconut milk. The peanut sauce is seasoned with the perfect balance of sweet, salty, tart and spicy with the toasted palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and chili sauce! I like to add veggies like red peppers and peas to this thai peanut chicken skillet and serving it over a bed of rice, quinoa, pasta, etc. makes for a perfect 30 minute, one-pan weeknight meal!

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Spinach and Artichoke Skillet Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes

Spinach and Artichoke Skillet Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes

30 Minute Meals Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe

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Quick and easy one-pan chicken dinners are always good and since there is so much that you can do with chicken it never needs to be boring! This spinach and artichoke skillet chicken with sundried tomatoes is my new favourite way of making a chicken dinner and it has all of the flavours of spinach and artichoke dip! I mean who doesn't love spinach and artichoke dip and who wouldn't want it for dinner? The recipe is really simple and it's kept pretty light by using a combination of low fat cream cheese and chicken broth as the base of the sauce and it is further flavoured with parmesan cheese and garlic along with a touch of spicy heat from red pepper flakes. I sometimes like to add sundried tomatoes to my spinach and artichoke dip so they were a must and of course there is plenty of both spinach and artichokes to finish things off! You can serve this spinach and artichoke skillet chicken with sundried tomatoes by itself or over pasta, rice, quinoa, etc and combined with a simple veggie side you have a complete, and supper tasty, meal in under 30 minutes!

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Mushroom and Peppercorn Crusted Steak in a Creamy Brie Mushroom Sauce

Mushroom and Peppercorn Crusted Steak in a Creamy Brie Mushroom Sauce

30 Minute Meals Beef Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Mushroom Recipe

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner I have been thinking and testing out some new recipes and this tasty Mushroom and Peppercorn Crusted Steak in a Creamy Brie Mushroom Sauce is the front runner this year. Steak is always a favourite and it goes so well with mushrooms and it's even better when you crust the steak with mushrooms by coarsely grinding up some dried mushrooms and pressing them into the steak before searing it, grilling it, etc. Steak done crusted with mushrooms like this is so amazingly good but I could not stop there so I grabbed my favourite mushroom sauce and I took it to a whole new level by using brie cheese to make it even creamier and oh so good! You can use any mushrooms that you like in this sauce and for this one I used a combination of button, oyster, portobello and enoki mushrooms to make it extra special! No matter how you slice it, this Mushroom and Peppercorn Crusted Steak in a Creamy Brie Mushroom Sauce is perfect for any occasion and there won't be any leftovers!

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Quick and Easy Beef and Pepper Stir-fry

Quick and Easy Beef and Pepper Stir-fry

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Beef Chinese Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe

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Today is the Lunar New Year, also sometimes called the Chinese New Year, and since it's a work night I thought that I would share a recipe for a tasty, quick and easy beef and pepper stir-fry! This steak and pepper stir-fry takes only 20 minutes to make, that's just as much time as it takes to cook the rice to serve it with, so it's definitely a great meal for a busy work night! Despite being nice and easy to make this recipe is just packed with flavour starting with the usual suspects including soy sauce, garlic and ginger with some chili sauce for heat and a finish of sesame oil for those amazing aromatics! I also like to throw in a not so secret ingredient that adds something special and right now my favourite is sweet soy sauce which has a caramel-y sweet flavour that just makes the dish shine but other equally great ingredients include hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar or even molasses; so change it up for something new every time! No matter how you make it this quick and easy beef and pepper stir-fry is sure to please!

Enjoy the Lunar New Year!

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Spicy Tuna and Avocado Cucumber Sushi Bites

Spicy Tuna and Avocado Cucumber Sushi Bites

Appetizer Avocado Food Gluten-free Japanese Low-carb Main Course Recipe Seafood

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While thinking about appetizers and snacks for my New Year's Eve party I could not help but think of making something healthy, to get a head start on those New Year's resolutions, and I just had to make these Spicy Tuna and Avocado Cucumber Sushi Bites treats! The basic idea was to take my favourite sushi, spicy tuna, and instead of rolling it up in that carbalicious sushi rice that I would serve it on a slice of cucumber, which is nice and juicy and healthy and it makes it perfect finger food! The sushi grade tuna is seasoned with soy sauce for saltiness, sriracha for the spicy heat, mirin for a touch of sweetness, green onions and sesame oil and seeds. The final component is of course cool and creamy avocado which rounds things out when combined with the juicy cucumber! Not only are these bite sized 'sushi' appetizers ridiculously tasty but they are also super easy to make, so much easier than rolled sushi, so they are a great for entertaining! If you are looking for a healthy and addictively tasty way to ring in the New Year, these Spicy Tuna and Avocado Cucumber Sushi Bites bites are just what you have been looking for!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders with Harissa

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders with Harissa

Appetizer Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe Vegetable Vegetarian

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When I was thinking about appetizers for New Year's Eve parties I could not help but think about roasted brussels sprouts sliders filled with grilled halloumi cheese and caramelized onions! Roasted brussels sprouts sliders are so fun and tasty and I've made them before with various ingredients and this time I went with the grilled halloumi, caramelized onions and some harissa. Harissa is a spicy chili pepper sauce that is balanced with sweet roasted red peppers and it goes really well in these brussels sprouts sliders. You start by cutting the brussels sprouts in half and roasting them and then you assemble them by skewering them on a toothpick along with the fillings to make a nice mouth sized snack that is perfect for parties! The filling for these sliders is grilled halloumi cheese, which retains its shape when grilled and it has a nice squeak when you chew it, along with some sweet caramelized onions and the spicy harissa making for one tasty bite sized treat!

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Maple Candied Bacon

Maple Candied Bacon

Appetizer Bacon Cookie Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe

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Over the holidays I like to give homemade treats as gifts and although my favourite gift is the maple bacon jam this candied bacon is a close second! Candied bacon is essentially bacon that is coated in sugar(s), in this case maple syrup and brown sugar, and roasted until the bacon is cooked and the sugars melt and form a sweet coating wrapped around the crispy and salty bacon! When I was a kid and went camping one of my favourite breakfasts to help out making was pancakes and bacon because I could pour some maple syrup into the pan while I was cooking the bacon and it would coat the bacon and caramelize on it creating this amazing combination of sweet and salty in the crispy bacon and this candied bacon is pretty much the same idea! Once the bacon is coked and crispy it's the perfect gift Bacon-mas, I mean Christmas! (Assuming that you can resist eating it all yourself!... My precioussss...)

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Roast Head of Cauliflower in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Roast Head of Cauliflower in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Cauliflower Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Mushroom Recipe Side Dish

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Looking for a tasty side dish for a special dinner? I've got you covered with this roast head of cauliflower in creamy mushroom sauce which really presents well when you place the whole head of cauliflower on the table and then slice into it to serve! Roasting cauliflower really brings out its flavour and it works just as well roasting the entire head of cauliflower as it does with roasting the florets! Once you have roasted your cauliflower you can dress it up in any number of ways and my favourite way is to top it with a creamy mushroom sauce that is just bursting with flavour! You can easily whip up the mushroom sauce while the cauliflower is roasting and when it's done you are ready to enjoy! This roast head of cauliflower in creamy mushroom sauce is the perfect side dish for any meal!

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Easy Homemade Chicken Broth

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth

Broths and Stocks Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe Tasty Soups eBook

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At the base of any great soup is a broth and although store bought broth is convenient, a homemade broth will have more flavour and it is super easy to make! Chicken broth is probably going to be your work horse broth and it is a simple to make as simmering a chicken along with some vegetables, herbs and spices. Homemade chicken broth really only requires about 5 minutes of effort to throw everything into the pot and then 5 minutes to collect the meat from the chicken at the end so there is no excuse not to make your own!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders

Appetizer Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe Vegetarian

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While that turkey dinner is roasting for Thanksgiving you have the opportunity to start impressing your guests with some tasty snacks and appetizers and you really can't go wrong with these roasted brussels sprouts and halloumi sliders! The idea is to start with some large brussels sprout, cut them in half and roast them, which really brings out their flavour, and then to skewer them up on toothpicks along with some tasty fillings and then serve them up as finger food! These little roasted brussels sprout sliders are one of my favourite fall appetizers and a great way to fill the is with some fried halloumi cheese, sweet caramelized onions and some tangy grainy mustard! Halloumi is a cheese that retains it's shape when fried it's so amazingly good when fried in a bit of butter until it's nice and golden brown and crispy on the sides and warm in the centre and finishing it off with a splash of fresh citrusy lemon juice is just heavenly! The combination of roasted brussels sprouts, fried cheese, sweet caramelized onions and grainy mustard in these sliders will ensure that they disappear quickly and they may just outshine your Thanksgiving dinner!

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Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

30 Minute Meals 6 Ingredients Food Gluten-free Italian Low-carb Main Course Pasta Presto Pasta Nights Recipe Sauce Vegetarian

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Marinara sauce is one of those pantry staples that I always want to have on hand and it turns out that it is super easy to make your own! I always want to have a good marinara sauce on around because it can be used in so many different recipes (see below for some ideas) and this homemade version is simply the best! This marinara sauce starts out with a combination of olive oil and butter and it is seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano before adding the tomatoes along with onion wedges and fresh basil. The sauce is simmered for a bit to reduce and thicken before removing the basil and onion and adding salt and pepper to taste. This marinara sauce is great fresh and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, in the freezer for months and if you use proper canning you can store jars of it in your pantry so that you have it on hand when you need it!

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Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce

Food Gluten-free Low-carb Mexican Recipe Salsa Sauce Texmex Vegetarian

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I use enchilada sauce in a lot of different recipes and instead of buying those expensive cans I like to make my own! Not only is it cheaper to make your own, it's also super easy to make and you know exactly what's in it! I start out with some seasonings including onions, garlic, cumin and oregano and then I add some heat with smokey chipotle chilli peppers and the base of the sauce is a can of diced tomatoes. After seasoning with salt and pepper and pureeing in a food processor you can simmer it a bit to reduce it and thicken it to the desired consistency. All said and done you can make this tasty and healthy enchilada sauce with commonly stocked pantry ingredients in less than 20 minutes; once you try it you'll never go back to those store bought cans!

See below for some tasty recipe ideas that use this enchilada sauce!

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Loaded Baked Potato Broccoli Crust Pizza

Loaded Baked Potato Broccoli Crust Pizza

Bacon Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Pizza Recipe Vegetable

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Ever since I first made the cauliflower pizza crust I have enjoyed experimenting with different vegetable based pizza crusts and up next I have a broccoli pizza crust! This pizza crust is made from grated broccoli that is cooked, squeezed dry and mixed with cheese and an egg as binders and baked until golden brown before being topped with your favourite pizza toppings and baked until the cheese is nice and bubbling and good! With the broccoli in the pizza crust I could not help but think of a loaded baked potato, which always benefits from the addition of broccoli, with a sour cream 'pizza sauce', cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions! This broccoli pizza crust is just as amazing as the cauliflower version and if you like the colour green then this pizza is for you especially when loaded up with the baked potato flavours!

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