Best of the Month August 2015

A recap of my most popular blog posts from last month (August 2015)

Best of August 2013:

Special Dark Mocha Chip Cake

A moist dark chocolate cake with a creamy mocha frosting topped with chopped chocolate chips.  Now has 477 views and 22 +1s.

BoMAugust2015 | Special Dark Mocha Chip Cake: 2013 #bestofAugust via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Best of August 2014:

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

A dip made with sour cream, green onions, cheese, and bacon bits.  It's like a loaded baked potato on a chip.  This dip has been very popular and I made some just last week for gameday.  It now has 1997 views and 121 +1s.

BoMAugust2015 | Loaded Baked Potato Dip: 2014 #BestofAugust via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Now for this years best of August:

Fish Sticks Tacos

A quick dinner fix of fish tacos made with fish sticks and slaw on corn tortillas.  508 views and 36 +1s.

Fish Sticks Tacos | #BestoftheMonth August 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Ginger Lime Chia Water

Water sweetened with ginger simple syrup, brightened with a touch of lime juice, and extra nutrition added with chia seeds.  490 views and 30 +1s.

Ginger Lime Chia Water | #BestoftheMonth August 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Smoked Salmon Mini Flatbread Sandwiches

Smoked salmon atop a warm feta spread with lettuce and red onions on miniature naan bread.  448 views and 37 +1s.

Smoked Salmon Mini Flatbread Sandwiches | #BestoftheMonth August 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Healthier Garlic Aioli

A creamy dipping sauce with plenty of garlic flavor and a little spice made with high protein, plain, non-fat Chobani Greek yogurt instead of oil or mayonnaise.  444 views and 37 +1s.

Healthier Garlic Aioli | #BestoftheMonth August 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Great Ideas for My Birthday Cake

A round-up of 10 of my favorite cakes, shared on Great Idea Thursdays link party, that I would love to have as my birthday cake. 350 views and 19 +1s.

Great Ideas for Birthday Cake | #BestoftheMonth August 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor  [Tweet this]

Check out the bests of August from previous years:

Best of the Month August 2013

Best of the Month August 2015

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Cucumber and Tomato Dill Salad with Smoked Salmon & Feta

A light and fresh salad with cucumbers and tomatoes tossed in a lemon dill vinaigrette then topped with smoked salmon and feta.

Lemon and dill pair well with salmon.   I often cook salmon with lemon and dill so I decided to put together a salad that would combine these flavors with smoked salmon.  I love the different textures of crisp cucumbers and juicy tomatoes in a Tomato and Cumber Salad and dill pairs well with cucumbers too.  So I thought this salad would be a perfect way to compliment the flavors I associate with salmon.  It turned out great. This salad is light and fresh with bright flavor and a perfect saltiness.  It's great as a side salad or light lunch, but you don't have to add smoked salmon if you don't have any.  It is great on its own or even served alongside grilled salmon for a Labor Day cookout.

Cucumber Tomato Dill Salad is great for a Labor Day cookout  [Tweet this]  

Cucumber and Tomato Dill Salad

Prep time:  15-20 minutes
Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound grape tomatoes halved
2 cucumbers seeded peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp minced red onions
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dry dill
Salt & pepper to taste
Smoked salmon
Feta

Toss together the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions until well mixed.

Then, mix the lemon juice, oil, and dill and pour over the vegetables.  Add just a little salt and pepper to your taste.  Toss well to combine and let set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve cold or at room temperature with smoked salmon and feta.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy.

For more fresh light salads check out:

Simple Carrot and Cucumber Salad

Greek Salad              -

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

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Smoked Salmon Mini Flatbread Sandwiches

Smoked salmon atop a warm feta spread with lettuce and red onions on miniature naan bread.

Smoked salmon is delicious.  It's tender, smokey, slightly salty, fishy (in a good way), and a good source of omega-3s (if wild caught).  Many are used to having it with bagels and cream cheese which makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch (who am I kidding lunch and dinner as well).  I love it that way too, but I didn't have any bagels on hand.  No matter smoked salmon is very versatile.  It's great with salads, in soups, and with just bread or crackers.  I had these mini naan breads and decided to top them with smoked salmon and these sandwiches were the awesome results.  They were light but filling and very flavorful.

Delicious and versatile smoked salmon.  [Tweet this]

Smoked Salmon Mini Flatbread Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup feta crumbles
Mini naan breads (or any kind of flatbread)
Lettuce
Smoked salmon slices
Red onion slices
Lemon wedges (optional)

Mix together the cream cheese and feta.  Spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture on each flatbread you are using and place on a baking sheet.  Place on the top rack in the oven and broil the cheese covered bread for about 5-10 minutes until cheese is slightly melted and brown around the edges (this should also help soften the bread).

Remove the bread from the oven and top with lettuce, salmon, and red onions.  Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over all.

Fold and eat like a taco.  I served these sandwiches with a cucumber and tomato salad.

Enjoy.

For more recipes to pair with this sandwich check out:

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Greek Salsa        -

Simple Carrot and Cucumber Salad

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Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread

This yummy spread makes a great snack.  Made with smoked salmon and cream cheese it tastes great on bread, bagels, or crackers.

I have many packages of cream cheese sitting in my freezer (I always pick one up when I see it on sale).  Cream cheese is a great addition to many recipes.  It's great in dips, spreads, desserts, and main courses so it is very useful to have around.

I also had some smoked salmon left over from my Smoked Salmon Chowder and I did not want it to go to waste.  I love bagels with cream cheese and lox (which is basically smoked salmon).  So why not put them together in one spread?

 I made this for my Thanksgiving day snack.  I knew I would be spending most of the day cooking and watching football and have no time for a making breakfast or lunch, so I just munched this most of the day. It was an easy, filling, and tasty snack.

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese spread

Ingredients:

Smoked salmon (about 1/2 cup)
Cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
Lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon)
Dill (1/2 tsp), optional
Hot sauce (to taste), optional

In a food processor I blended all of the ingredients together, until smooth.  Then I transferred it to a resealable container, for easy storage, and served it with a good, chewy ciabatta bread (100% sourdough that I made the day before).

This was so simple to make and tasted great.  I bet it would be really great with capers added, but I didn't have any.  It would also be good on bagels or crackers.  Enjoy.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder

A delicious, creamy chowder with smoked salmon and other, common, ingredients.  Perfect for a cold, rainy day.

Living in Hawaii is great.  All of the warm, sunny days are wonderful but occasionally we get dark and rainy days that are a little chilly.  On these days there is nothing better than good old, cold weather comfort food...it's really the only time I have any interest in making it.  This chowder was just that.  Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 potato, chopped small
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (14 oz) can refilled with milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 cup smoked salmon
1 tsp hot sauce
About 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)

Cook bacon, over medium heat, (in a stock pot) until starting to brown.  Then add onion, celery, carrot, and potato (season with salt and pepper); cook until onions soften.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more, or until fragrant.  Stir in flour, cook flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.  Flour should coat everything and make kind of a paste.

Pour in chicken broth and milk, stir well and wait till it begins to boil.  Then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes (or until potatoes are soft).  Stir in mushroom soup and herbs.  Continue to stir until chowder thickens slightly, then add salmon.  Mix salmon in well and remove from heat.  Lastly stir in hot sauce and lemon juice.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sliced green onion and serve with crackers.  Serves 6.

This was a simple and tasty dinner.  I had all of the ingredients on hand and all of the prep work can be done ahead of time.  You can cut up the onions, celery and carrot a day in advance just seal them in Tupperware and refrigerate.  You can even prepare  the potato ahead of time too, just submerge the cut pieces in water so they don't brown.  If you don't have smoked salmon, try leftover cooked salmon, or maybe even the stuff you can buy in a can (although I've never tried it before).  As always be creative.  Enjoy.

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