Weeknight or Make Ahead One Pot Salmon and Pesto

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1/3 cup pesto
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 1/2 cups fish or chicken stock
2/3 cup dry white wine (or you can leave it out, but it adds some flavor)

In a medium bowl, toss salmon fillets in pesto to coat.  In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter, stir in rice, fish stock, and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
Without stirring rice, place salmon in the saucepan. Cover, and continue cooking 25 to 30 minutes, until rice is tender and salmon is easily flaked with a fork. 

You can make it ahead and then put in the oven at low heat to keep for a few hours if you need to. 

BBQ Pulled Pork

This was my first attempt so I wanted a simple recipe and I bought the sauce...

1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Combine broth and enough water to cover the pork ribs in your cooking vessel.  You can do this in a crock pot on high for 4 hours or in a dutch oven on the stove for ~ 1 hour (I did the latter this time).

Once done, take out the pork and use two forks to pull the meat apart.  This is actually really easy to do, but takes a little getting used to.

Cover in BBQ sauce of your choosing, I bought Meijer Brand Carolina Style Sauce.  Serve as is or on toasted buns.

Baked Strawberry Donuts with Strawberry Glaze!

I wanted to do something a little different with the farmers market strawberries that I got and found a recipe for baked strawberry donuts.  I altered it a bit, so I'll post my version.  It was a hit with both boys.


2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup diced strawberries


Preheat oven to 425 and spray doughnut pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients, then add milk, egg, and butter, stirring until just combined. Add berries. Fill each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until tops spring back.  While baking, prepare the glazing station by lining a cookie sheet with foil and placing a cookie cooling rack on top.  Remove donuts from pan and place onto prepared glazing station.

Make glaze
1 tablespoon milk
1-2 mashed strawberries (or strawberry jam)
enough icing sugar to make a runny glaze (I think I used 3/4 cup)
Mix until smooth and consistency of syrup.

Drizzle over donuts or dunk donuts into glaze and let dry on glazing station.

Enjoy!

Adapted from: http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/04/12/strawberry-doughnuts/