Baked Dijon Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 4 salmon fillets
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs and pecans.
3. Brush each salmon fillet with honey mustard mixture then sprinkle the top of each fillet with the pecan crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon for 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 6 slices of bacon, diced
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cans of clams
• 4 cans of chicken broth
• 1 pound white boiling potatoes, chopped
• 3 cups half-and-half cream
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and diced bacon then saute until clear. Stir in flour and cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a separate pot, bring clams and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender which is about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Pour hot clam stock into butter and flour mixture and stir constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add cooked potatoes. Add half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper. Heat through but do not boil.

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 1 pound walnut halves
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 sea salt
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spread walnuts over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until walnuts start to turn brown.
2. Stir sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, and milk together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla immediately.
3. Combine walnuts with the syrup mixture. Stir and coat very well. Spoon nuts onto a sheet of waxed paper and separate nuts with a fork. Store in an airtight container after walnuts are completely cool.

Truffle Salmon

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 teaspoons of truffle oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place salmon fillets in foil paper. Season with garlic salt, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Rub truffle oil on both sides of the salmon fillets.
3. Bake for 7-15 minutes depending on the fillets’ thickness.

Lemon Bars

Crust:

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 
2 tablespoons sugar

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

• 3 large eggs
• 
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 
½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a heavy 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil.
2. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake in the bottom third of the oven until the crust is well browned at the edges and golden brown in the center, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and flour to mix. Whisk in the eggs until blended, then whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
4. Turn the oven down to 300°. Carefully slide the rack with the pan out and pour the filling onto the hot crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the topping is puffed at the edge and no longer jiggles in the center. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely then cut into bars/dust with powdered sugar.