Phil, I hope you have had a wonderful 4th of July!! Sorry I have not gotten here sooner. It has been a crazy day around here. Anyway, I wish I could have had this one...

That would have been sufficient for me. It looks delicious. I do have some fresh grape tomatoes and some cucumber, so it will have to suffice.

It started out okay but then I had word of a death in the family. My first cousin whom I love dearly - her grandson was killed Saturday night early Sunday morning 1 am in a car accident. He was only 14. This was shared with many phone calls, then we lost our internet connection, then our telephone had lots of static, then we had no water... Well, all in all, we still feel blessed and it has been a good day. So much sorrow in the world, we have food and love around, so we are blessed.

Love,

Sara

Hi Sara,

Sounds like you might need a Holiday to recover from the Holiday. Sorry to hear about your Cousin's young Grandson. It seems to be even sadder when they are taken so young. I will keep you all in my prayers. My 4th was quite mild, in fact, the highlight was watching A Capital 4th Celebration on PBS last evening.

Here's a little someting quick and simple to prepare. This grilled salmon dish is packed full of Asian flavors and an amazing culinary delight. Hands down, one the greatest grilled salmon recipes I've ever made. So easy and delicious too. Serve them along with some Roasted new Potatoes that follow.

Slammin' Salmon

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 8 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

Directions

1. Stir balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and soy sauce with salt, brown sugar, ground ginger, paprika, pepper, and red pepper flakes until the salt has dissolved. Stir in garlic, green onions, sesame oil, and peanut oil until well combined.
2. Pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag or glass bowl. Add salmon to marinade and gently toss to coat. Place into refrigerator and marinate 2 to 24 hours.
3. Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
4. Drain excess marinade from salmon fillets. Grill until firm and opaque, about 4 minutes per side. Serves 4.

This simple recipe is anything but plain. The flavors of garlic and herbs combine to add extra zip to tender new potatoes. This side dish goes hand in hand with the delicate taste of fish.

Roasted New Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag; toss to coat. Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm while finishing the fish. Serves 4.

Have A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Hi Phil!

Yummy - we made the slammin' salmon tonight. I marinated it from early morning until 5:30 and followed the directions and WOW - hands down the best salmon I have ever had!

Thanks so much for sharing such wonderful culinary creations here. I have tried a few and loved them all - have to hop over to the crock pot and slow cooker recipes again soon.

Hugs and blessings!

Judy

Hello My Friends,

Judy, it's great to see you back amongst us, if only for a short while. Life does have a way of interfering with our fun now doesn't it? It always makes me happy sharing good food with Great Friends. Tonight let's keep it simple, by sharing a great and easy way to add some flavor to your hamburgers and we'll also add some No-Fry Spicy Potato Skins to complete the meal.

Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup real bacon bits
• 6 hamburger buns

Directions

Preheat grill for high heat. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Cheddar cheese, horseradish, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and bacon bits using your hands. Shape the mixture into 6 hamburger patties.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place hamburger patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on buns. Serves 6.

These are delicious. I love the blend of spices. Very crispy and satisfying and I used a lot less olive oil than called for and they still came out great. These are lower in fat than the "original" version because they are baked and not fried. Serve them with ketchup or sour cream, or you can also sprinkle green onions into the sour cream to brighten the dish up a bit and get everyone in a party mood.

No-Fry Spicy Potato Skins

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven, but keep the oven on. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, and let them cool for 10 mins. Scoop out most of the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh against the potato skin (you can save the potato flesh for another use, like mashed potatoes)
3. Cut each potato half crosswise into 3 pieces. Place the olive oil in a small cup. Dip each potato piece into the olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Repeat this with the remaining potato pieces
4. Combine the salt and the spices and sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes. Bake the potato skins for 15 minutes or until they are crispy and brown. Serve them immediately. Makes 24 Wedges.

Have A Terrific Week,

Phil