Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream and Dill

...The secret to great potato pancakes is to make sure you squeeze out all the water before mixing. This will give you beautifully browned, crispy cakes. By the way, if you're out of smoked salmon, these are wonderful with applesauce.

Makes 8 Potato Pancakes

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds russet potato, peeled
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• vegetable oil, as needed
• 3-4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
• 4 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Preparation:

Using a cheese grater, shred the potatoes, and quickly transfer into a large bowl of cold water. Grate the onion and add to bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes. Add the eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne to another large mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth; reserve.

Drain the potato mixture into a colander, pressing down to squeeze out as much water as possible. Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Take a handful of the potato mixture from the colander, and squeeze as hard as possible to extract even more water. Place the "dry" potatoes on the paper towels.

Repeat until all the potato mixture has been squeezed dry. Spread the potatoes evenly on the baking sheet and press down with some dry paper towels. Remove the paper towels and transfer the potato mixture to the bowl with the egg mixture. Use a spatula to combine thoroughly.

Pour about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil into a large, heavy skillet (preferably non-stick). Place over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot (the surface will begin to shimmer), spoon about 1/3 cup of the potato mixture into the pan, shape into a round, and flatten to about 1/2-inch thick. Turn down the heat to medium, and fry the potato pancakes for about 5 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy.

Remember, the potatoes are raw, so be sure they cook through. There is nothing worse than raw potatoes! You can probably fry 4 potato pancakes at a time. Drain on paper towels and hold in a warm oven until they're all done (or use 2 pans).

To serve, top with the sliced smoked salmon, a dollop of sour cream, the fresh dill, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

...Remember that morning you were so busy you missed breakfast, and had to settle for grabbing a lemon poppy seed muffin on the way out? That was a pretty good morning.

Makes 12 Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (1/2-cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• finely grated zest from 2 lemons
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• For the glaze:
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, and reserve until needed.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest, until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the lemon juice, and 1/2 of the sour cream until combined.

Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and stir until combined. Stir in the remaining sour cream. Stir in the rest of the flour mixture, and then the poppy seeds.

Line a 12-muffin tin with paper baking cups. Fill each to the top with batter. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the muffins are baking, mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar together for form a thin glaze.

Remove the muffins from the oven when ready, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Brush the lemon glaze evenly over the top of each muffin. This is not intended to be a frosting, but just a very light glaze to give the tops a little shine and extra kiss of lemon flavor.

When cool enough to handle, remove muffins from the tins and cool completely on a rack before serving.

Balsamic and Rosemary Roast Pork Loin

...Sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar makes a great marinade for this roast pork loin recipe. As the pork loin roasts, the marinade is used as a basting liquid, and when the meat's cooked it's served as a delicious sauce with the tender slices.

Makes 6 Portions of Balsamic and Rosemary Roast Pork Loin

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 pound boneless pork loin roast

Preparation:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients, except the pork loin. Place the pork into a plastic freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Press out air, seal the bag, and marinate the pork for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pork in a baking dish, season with additional salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and pour in the marinade. Add 1/2 cup of water, and place in the preheated oven. Roast for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with the marinade, until the internal temperature reaches 145-150 degrees F. Remove and let the pork loin rest for 10 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with some of the marinade drizzled over the top.

Note: the marinade can be reduced in a saucepan while the pork is resting, if a thicker, more intense sauce is desired.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Buttermilk Meatloaf

...This easy meatloaf recipe sure lives up to its name. The buttermilk works its tangy magic to make this meatloaf tender and delicious. This great recipe is finished with a glossy brown sugar glaze that's a perfect compliment to the flavorful meat.

Serves 8 Portions of Melt-in-Your-Mouth Buttermilk Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• -
• For the glaze:
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preparation:

In a sauté pan, on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Remove from the heat, stir in the garlic, and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl add the ground beef, the onions, and all the remaining meatloaf ingredients. Mix to incorporate. Lightly grease the bottom of a shallow roasting pan with a few drops of oil. Wet your hands with cold water and form the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape, about 6 inches wide, by about 3 to 4 inches high.

Bake for 30 minutes. While it's baking combine the brown sugar, vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl for the glaze. After 30 minutes, remove the meatloaf from oven and evenly spread the glaze over the top with a spoon. If you like, you can put a little of the glaze on the sides, but most of it should go on the top.