Puff-Pastry Wrapped Salmon

2 T. olive oil      2 shallots

9 oz. mushrooms      5 oz. baby spinach leaves

Kosher salt Pepper

Flour to roll out pastry      1 large egg

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 lb. salmon fillet, skinless

Dill Sauce

2/3 cup clam juice      ¾ cup Mexican crema

½ cup heavy cream      2 tsp. flour

3 T. minced fresh dill      Kosher Salt & Pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray

with cooking spray. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots

and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid

evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach; it will wilt quickly. Season the

mixture with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Dust a flat working surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry sheets

in to ¼” thickness (approximately 12” x 12”). Place the pastry sheets side-by- side,

overlapping a strip. Brush with beaten egg to stick both sheets together at the strip

and seal with a fork. Transfer pastry to prepared baking sheet.

Spoon the cooled mushroom-spinach mixture over one side of the pastry rectangle.

Place the salmon fillet over the mixture. Season the salmon heavily with salt and

pepper. Fold the other side of the rectangle over the filling and seal by brushing the

edge with egg wash and crimping as you would a pie crust. Fold the remaining two

edges of pastry under the salmon. Brush everything with egg wash. Bake 25

minutes or until golden in color. Let stand for about 8 minutes.

Dill Sauce: Put the clam juice in a heavy saucepot and bring to a boil. Lower to a

simmer. Add Mexican crema and heavy cream and reduce to 1 cup. Add the flour

and whisk while boiling until thickened. Add the dill; season with salt and pepper.

Slice the salmon into 1 ½” slices. Serve with the dill sauce.

Comment: Very good. Looks fancy. Dill sauce is good!

Green Mountain Salmon

¼ cup maple syrup      1 T. lemon juice

2 T. soy sauce      1 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. minced garlic      1 ¼ lb. salmon fillets

2 T. thinly sliced scallions

Directions: Mix all ingredients except salmon and scallions. Reserve ¼ cup

marinade. Place salmon in shallow dish. Pour remaining sauce over salmon and

marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place fish in greased baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, basting

occasionally until desired doneness. To serve, drizzle reserved marinade over fish;

top with scallions.

Comment:

German Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. German Sweet Chocolate

½ cup boiling water      1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar      4 egg yolks, unbeaten

1 tsp. vanilla      2 ½ cups cake flour

½ tsp. salt      1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions: Melt chocolate in water and cool. Cream butter and sugar until light

and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time. Add vanilla and chocolate and mix until

blended. Add flour, soda, salt, and milk. Fold in egg whites. Pour into three,

greased and floured 9” cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until

toothpick comes out clean.

Comment:

Fish With Citrus Pesto

Fish fillets (salmon, swordfish, etc)

1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed (about 3 cups)

½ cup toasted almonds or pine nuts

1 clove garlic

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 orange, zested and juiced

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: In a food processor, blend basil, nuts, garlic, zests, juices, salt, pepper

until mixture is finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add olive oil

until mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, and still in Parmesan

cheese.

Brush sides of fish fillet with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill.

Transfer grilled fish to serving plates. Top with citrus pesto. Garnish with lemon

slices and serve.

Comment: The pesto is worth the effort. It really perks up the fish. I suspect it would be good with pasta as well.

Grandma Hart's “Funeral Cake”

1 box Swiss cake      1 1/2 c. milk

1 pkg. Instant vanilla pudding      ¾ c. oil

3 eggs

Directions: Beat. Put in 3 layer pans. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Icing:

1 cup sugar

1 cup confectioner sugar

8oz. Cream cheese

8oz. Cool Whip

2 Hershey bars - shaved/grated

Directions: Mix together all ingredients except Hershey bars. Once mixed, add shaved Hershey

bars to the mix. Ice all 3 layers of the cake. Save some of the Hershey bar to put on

the top of the cake.

Comment: This cake is really good. Someone brought it to my Gramdma Hart's

funeral luncheon. Everyone loved it, but we did not know the name of the cake, so

we began referring to it as Grandma's funeral cake. Once we got the recipe with the

official name, it was too late, the cake already had a name! :)