Salmon Patte

8 oz. cream cheese
1 -16 oz. salmon (fresh or canned *Kirkland brand from Costco best!)
2 T. dried onion
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1-2 T. hot horseradish
1/2-1 tsp. course ground pepper

Mix together with fork. Refrigerate well before serving. Serve with Milton's multi-grain crackers, Wheat Thins, Ritz, or other cracker.

Easy Cheese Danishes

8 oz. cream cheese at room temp.
1/3 c. sugar
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temp.
2 T. ricotta cheese
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beated with 1 T. water for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet with parchment paper.
Place cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer w/ paddle attachment and cream together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10X10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping T. of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush top of pastries with egg wash. Place onto cookie sheet. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 min. Bake pastries for about 20 min., rotating once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm. If make in advance, reheat them in 350 degree oven for 5 min. *I made these for a baby shower brunch and they were a hit! Instead of 4 squares I did mini-danishes and did 9 squares per puff pastry.
Barefoot Contessa cookbook

Turkey Meatballs in Pitas

1 pkg. fresh lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion (can use dried if desired)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each of parsley and lemon pepper (if you have)
1+ cloves of minced garlic (depending on your taste)
1 tsp. lemon juice (fresh best)

Combine turkey ingredients. Mix well. Shape into balls. Using a skilled coated with non-stick cooking spray, cook meatballs 8-10 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center. Stir occassionally.

Sauce:
1/2 c. nonfat sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 c. cucumber peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (again, fresh is best)
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Combine. Place 3-4 meatballs in each pita shell or tortilla wrap. Add lettuce and tomato. Top with sauce. I add extra of each spices/lemon juice because I like it full of flavor - you decide. 6 servings. Use "Light Flat Out" wraps for a low carb alternative to pitas. *I love this even in the winter time because it's refreshing and pretty light.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

4-6 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can green chili
1 pt. sour cream
1 small onion (optional)
1 lb. grated cheese
1 pkg. corn or flour tortillas

1. Shred or cut chicken into bite size pieces. Add onion.
2. In a sauce pan, heat soup, green chilies, and sour cream for the sauce.
3. Soften tortillas by heating a short time in a pan on the stove.
4. Fill each tortilla with chicken and a spoonful of sauce, sprinkle with cheese.
5. Roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down.
6. Pour remaining sauce over rolled up tortillas and cover with grated cheese.
7. Bake at 400* for 30 minutes or until cheese melts & sauce is bubbly.

Serves 6-8 (makes 10 enchiladas)

Note: I skip step #3. I use flour tortillas. We like to add olives, & I usually don't do the onion (for Scott). You can use 2 cans of cream of chicken instead of the celery. And, you can use fat free sour cream if you want.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients, add buttermilk. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add two egg yolks to the batter. Blend the batter, add the milk (add more or less to adjust the consistency to your preference.) Whip the egg whites and fold them in the batter (to make them fluffy). Cook the pancakes on a greased pan as there is no oil in the batter. Makes about 12 pancakes.

*I like to grind my own wheat so it is fresh, & healthy! My kids love these, and they are filling! We even do them for dinner sometimes.

Recipe from Merrill H.

Baked Salmon

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
6 T. light olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 T. lemon juice
2 (6 oz.) Wild Salmon Dinner Fillets

In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375*. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35-45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Recipe from: Wild Salmon Dinner Fillets package

Ginger Glazed Salmon

2 T. brown sugar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
4-6 salmon fillets (1/2 " thick, 1 1/2 lbs)

Line cookie sheet with foil. Make shallow cuts diagonally across salmon. Brush on mixture. Place on 2nd rack from the top, uncovered. Broil on high 7 minutes, or until flakey.

*I use the Costco frozen skinless-boneless salmon, thawed. I love the sauce, so I double it.

Recipe from: Carolyn