Salmon Cakes with Pineapple Salsa and spicy garlic aoili

I love salmon cakes ! Salmon cakes have been a week night dinner in my family forever and sometimes we make them for an app at a get together . The way I make them has evolved over the years from the first time I made them as a kid .My aunt Mona first taught me how to make them with maybe just ,flour ,eggs,onions, salt, pepper, and cooked potato added then fried. O.K I don't know about you but I like to take out the bones and the skin when I make them I learned this from my Dad who also makes some tasty ones my sister Yas likes to leave in the skin and bones which makes sense for the calcium you get you can easily mash the bones up and you won't notice them,and it's quicker if you do it this way. and he sometimes puts in some jerk seasoning just a tad so good. And my cousin Milele makes yummy ones too. I remember when I was a kid making them sometimes they'd come out too doughy from me using too much flour or maybe they'd being too greasy from the oil not being hot enough it was a trial and error thing since no set recipe was used. Now

I prefer to bake them on lightly oiled parchment paper that way they are healthier and I no longer have the problem with them being too oily. .I have put lemon zest in them and diced cooked sweet potatoes,and if you want them extra crunchy you can bread them with Panko bread crumbs too they will be yummy there are so many variations to try . OK so the pineapple salsa and spicy garlic aoili(which also tastes awesome on fries) are not necessary but they just take the salmon cake up a few notches and you get all the flavors jumping out at you savory,sweet,sour,salty,spicy too good try it you will love them.

2 large cans of salmon

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 /2 cup chopped onion or scallions

1/4 cup green bell pepper

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp whosteshire sauce

1 Tbs oil to oil parchment paper

Preheat oven too 400 and place in pan with oiled paper to heat. Drain salmon take out skin and bones or make sure you mash bones up well.Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.Form into patties and place on oiled parchment paper on a baking sheet/pan in oven let brown on one side for about 5 min then flip and allow other side to brown.

Pineapple salsa

2 cups fresh diced pineapple

juice of one lime

1 tbs cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1 diced jalephino pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

Mix together then let sit until ready to use.

Spicy garlic aoili

1/2 cup Hellman's mayo

2 cloves garlic crushed is garlic press or very finely chopped

1/4-1/2 tsp siracha chili sauce depending on how spicy you want it

Mix together and enjoy.

Buttery homemade rolls and Cinnamin Raisin Bread !

OK so yeast bread I used to be intimidated by it the thought of kneading and proofing yeast made me say never mind, but after trying it now I'm not scared any more with my Kitchen Aid with the hook attachment it kneads the dough no problem. I found a recipe for Milk Bread in a cook book I have, and I use the same dough to make rolls and cinnamon raisin bread too. In the picture my "baby" is enjoying a roll with garlic herb butter on top between the the two of us these rolls and or the bread don't last for too long in our house. I really like making this recipe the versitility of adding diffterent types of things to the dough makes this a recipie I will continue to use over again. I made them for Thanks Giving and all of my girls helped shaped the rolls I made one batch plain the other batch I used some whole wheat flour and raisins they came out good and my cousins told me they really enjoyed them.

Milk Bread

In the bowl of your mixer or in a large mixing bowl add and let stand until yeast is dissolved about 5 min

1 package (2 1/4 teaspooons) active dry yeast

3 tablespoons warm water

Add

1 cup whole or low fat milk warm

5 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

3 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

Mix by hand or on low speed 1 minute. Gradully stir in

2 cups bread flour

Gradually add until the dough is moist but not sticky

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups all -purpose flour

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil . Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (75-80 degrees ) until dobled in volume about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, knead breifly , and refrigerate covered for 30 minutes. At this point I let the kids help by shaping the rolls you can make a parker house style roll or a knot shape which I do by taking a large meatball size piece of dough and rubbing it back in forth in my hands( like you do when making a snake with play dough :) until it is long enough about 2 3/4 in then tie into a knot . Place rolls on buttered baking sheet 2 inches apart cover with oiled plastic wrap let rise again for about 1 hour until doubled in size .Preheat the oven to 425. Brush tops with melted butter . Bake until golden brown about 15 minutes. Brush again with butter then serve.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Make dough from recipe above. Plump raisins by steaming for 3 minutes let cool mix 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon and grease a loaf pan roll dough out after first rise into a aprox 8in square brush with 2 tbs melted butter spirinkle all but 2teapoons the of cinnamon sugar mix on dough then the raisins roll up like you would a jelly roll pinch ends closed and place loaf seam side down in pan cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap let it rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 . Whisk together and brush over loaf 1 egg and 1 pinch of salt. Sprinkle top with remaining cinnamon sugar , Bake until crust is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped 40-45 minutes . Remove loaf the loaf from pan to a rack. while bread is still hot brush with 2 teaspoons melted butter. Now the recipe says let it cool completey before slicing but I never do I just can't resist eating it while it is freash out the oven :) !

Ok so here are some tips I have for making bread

• when the recipe says butter or margarine use butter it's better :)
• to make oiling bowls,pans, and plastic wrap easier I use my MISTO (a can that you put oil in pump air into with the top ) it's awesome because it is like using a nonstick spray but it is all natual no yucky chemicals like commercial sprays like pam have.
• Use the mixer if you are lazy like me !
• you can swap out 1 cup of the all purpose flour and use whole wheat flour
• Use unbleached all purpose intead of bleached it's better for ya
• be creative you can play with what you add in like maybe add a different dried fruit like cranberries , apricots,i have been thinking about adding some dried chile spiced mango to my rolls next time or plain is good too just don't forget the butter

Thanksgiving allways means making pies !

Sweet potato pie reminds me of Mama my grandmother who taught me how to make it,and Grandma Betty whose pie's are legendary . I have been making this pie since junior high when my grandmother helped me make them for a cultural food fair at school . In the tradition of many home cook's we did not measure a thing she just added until it tasted just right . And I am so happy Mama gave me the gift of sweet potato pie. With every bite of sweet potato pie you will taste sweetened,buttery,creamy,lusciousness with a hint of vanilla , lemon,cinnamon,and nutmeg . It is not hard to make at all it just takes a little time ,to save time you can use ready made pie shells , I have made it with a cookie crumb crust which is good too you can make your own or by it ready made .

Sweet potato pie
5 lbs sweet potato's
2 sticks butter
2 cans evaporated milk
3 cup sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs pure vanilla extract
1 lemon zested and the juiced
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 ready made frozen pie shells

Bake or boil potatoes in skin until they are tender about about 45 min if you roast them and 30 if you boil. Peel skin and mash while warm ,add melted butter , milk , sugar , eggs , then mix with hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth . Then add cinnamon , vanilla, lemon juice and zest , and the nutmeg mix again for about 2 minutes this will make the filling lighter. Bake pie crust 10 min or until lightly browned take out then fill with filling bake ate 350 about 55 min cool completely on wire rack . I love it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Yum !

tips
you can also use a crumb crust made with ginger snaps , or cookies make it yourself or get ready made.
my grandmother boiled her potatoes but I like to bake them to retain more of the flavor and vitamins
this recipe makes about six to seven pies if you don't want to make that many pies just bake the rest of the sweet potato filling in a casserole dish and serve as a side dish along with your dinner. * if you don't want the side dish to be so sweet separate the filling after you add half the sugar and adjust the sugar for the pie to your taste !