Honey Mustard with Salmon or Turkey and Cheese

 

1/3 cup of honey

1/3 cup of Dijon mustard

With intense honey and mustard flavors; this is great for sandwiches and leftover fish. Stir honey and mustard together in a small sauce pan at low heat until the ingredients are blended thoroughly.  

This is very nice on leftover cooked salmon fillets. The honey tends to burn quickly so it is better to line the pan with aluminum foil or use generous amounts of butter to grease the pan. Place cooked fish in pan. Drizzle the honey mustard on the fish. Cook the salmon at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. If cooking with raw fish, poultry or other, be careful not to contaminate the honey mustard with raw protein. Then any leftover honey mustard may be used for sandwiches.

Turkey and Honey Mustard Sandwiches:

Pumpernickel bread

Honey mustard

Turkey

Provolone cheese

Spread honey mustard on pumpernickel bread; top with turkey and cheese. Place open faced sandwich on greased pan and then heat for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or until cheese is melted.

Pasta with Mozzarella and Olives

 

2 + cups dry bow tie pasta

½ pound mozzarella, sliced into small cubes

16 – 20 green olives, Castelvetrano, pitted and sliced in half or quarters

2 Tablespoons red onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1/16 teaspoon lavender salt

1/8 teaspoon lavender pepper

Directions: In a small sauce pan sauté diced onions in olive oil; this is way too much olive oil for the amount of onions but fear not as this becomes the dressing. Stir until limp and translucent, a tiny amount of salt may be added; then add the tablespoon of orange juice and continue to stir and then remove from heat. Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente. Using a slotted spoon carefully move hot, al dente pasta to a heat proof casserole dish or bowl. A tiny amount of salt may be added to the pasta. Pour onion, olive oil, orange juice mixture over pasta and toss. Add mozzarella and toss and then and slice olives and toss. Dress with lavender pepper.

Notes: This is a nice dish to serve warm on a cold winter day. The onion slivers will adhere to the al dente bowtie pasta. Do continue to toss occasionally to prevent the cheese from settling to the bottom of the bowl and to help the mozzarella slightly melt onto more pasta. This is fast, easy and delicious.

Serves several people as a side dish; 4 people as a main dish.

Spaghetti with Red Onion and Swiss Chard

 

4 to 6 ounces whole grain spaghetti, dry

½ red onion

5 leaves of Swiss chard, rinsed and patted dry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese

Lavender salt and lavender pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Dice onion and sauté in olive oil in a large skillet. Dice the stems of the Swiss chard first and add to the onion and olive oil. Fold the remaining chard leaves and slice into small ribbons, approximately 1 ½ inches by ½ inches. Add to skillet. Grind a small amount, 1/8 of a teaspoon or less, of lavender salt onto the cooking vegetables. Add al dente spaghetti. Add butter as needed. Stir and continue to cook until vegetables are soft and pasta and vegetables are thoroughly mixed. Serve with a grinding of lavender pepper and small shavings of Pecorino Romano cheese.

This recipe makes 2 servings as a main dish and 4 servings as a side dish.

A friend, Wanda, gave me my first lavender salt and pepper and she purchased them in Palisade, CO.    

https://www.nielsenvillage.com/

 

Avocado Tacos

1 Avocado, firm but not rock hard

1 Jalapeno

1 Tomato

Corn Tortillas

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Lavender Salt

Wash and dry the jalapeno. Roast on stove top on medium heat. Use tongs to turn and char but not burn each side evenly. Place charred jalapeno on a cutting board and cover with a dish for five minutes.

In the meantime, wash and dry the tomato; then chop and place in a bowl. Wash the avocado well and then dry. Slice open and remove the pit. Wash and dry the knife and then cut the interior flesh into a grid. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado and place the chunks in a bowl with the tomato.

Rinse the charred jalapeno under water and remove the skin. Place the jalapeno on a cutting board and cut off the stem end. Slice open the jalapeno and remove the seeds and veins. Chop the remaining jalapeno and add to the tomato avocado mixture. Toss.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Dip corn tortillas in oil and heat. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

To assemble tacos, grind one or two sprinkles of lavender salt on each tortilla. Top with a spoonful of avocado, tomato and jalapeno mixture.

Yields:  8 small tacos.

Notes: A friend Wanda, gave a lavender salt and pepper mix, from Western Colorado, to me.  I have altered many recipes using these flavorful condiments.

Lavender salt may be found at A Pinch of Lavender at https://www.nielsenvillage.com/.