Today's Special: Fruits and Veggies

Seared Salmon with Magical Butter Sauce- New Recipe. Ok, so I made this last week, but somehow I forgot to post about it. But, technically I made it this week too, so there. I keep a bag of frozen salmon fillets in the freezer at all times these days. Seared salmon makes for a delicious, fast, fancy-ish meal and this Magical Butter Sauce just adds to the awesomeness. The butter sauce is made using 1/3 c. butter, 2 tbsp. jam (your choice), and 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Last week I made 2 kinds: boysenberry and apricot. The apricot turned out a little bland but the boysenberry was surprisingly really good. This week I made boysenberry again and mango. Mango slightly edged out the boysenberry, but it was a close call. This sauce works really well on lots of stuff (i.e. salmon, chicken, veggies) and the sky is the limit on flavors. I was worried it would be too fruity and sweet but it wasn't at all. Plus, who doesn't like to dip their food in butter? Feel free to serve the sauce in little cups to dip into or pour directly on the chosen recipient (recipient=food, not a person, unless you're into that sort of thing). If you click on one link in this post, click on the one for Magical Butter Sauce, you won't be disappointed.

Pioneer Woman's Favorite Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup with Salsa Verde- New Recipes. The Pioneer Woman did a whole post special on grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup one day and I thought it sounded delicious. Seth happened to walk by when I was looking at the page again and commented on how delicious one of the sandwiches looked. That sealed the deal. This grilled cheese sandwich was a huge hit... Seth ended up eating two. I loved the addition of green chilies (I had to use the diced ones because I couldn't find whole chilies at the store and I was too lazy to roast my own!). If you're not a big fan of tomato soup, these sandwiches were substantial enough on their own. But, the tomato soup did turn out really well. It was very fresh tasting but not bland like a lot of other tomato soups of this style. I think the salsa verde added a lot to the flavor and looked really beautiful. I ended up having to use quite a bit more olive oil than the recipe stated so the basil/parsley mixture would liquify into a "thick sauce." Both of these recipes were winners. (p.s. I still want to try the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Mozzarella and Turkey, Brie and Apple Grilled Sandwich)

Creamy Chicken Asparagus Soup- New Recipe. Wow this soup was awesome! Not too heavy... a mix between a cream soup and a broth... just perfect. I think this is a new staple. Even better the next day and this recipe makes a ton!

Bonus: How to Cut Up a Pineapple

Apparently pineapple season is upon us. Don't be intimidated by that pickly looking exotic fruit. It's easier to cut up than it looks. Just as easy as a cantaloupe I'd say... maybe even easier!

First get your pineapple, a sharp knife and a cutting board.

Cut off just under an inch from the bottom.

Cut off about an inch from the top (below the leaves).

Carefully slice off the rind all around the sides.

Slice pineapple into disks approximately 1/2" thick (or whatever thickness you prefer).

Remove hard center by cutting around it with a paring knife or use a small round biscuit cutter.

Keep the pineapple rings as shown if you like, or continue on to make smaller pieces...

Cut each slice diagonally several times (like a pizza) to create even chunks.

Now add to your favorite recipe or eat as-is! Delicious!