Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

CRUSTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut up
3 tablespoons shortening, chilled
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 egg yolk
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:
3/4 packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup dark corn syrup (Karo)
2 tablespoons bourbon (Jim Beam)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 oz semisweet chocolate chopped or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Pulse flour, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in food processor until combined.  Add 6 tbsps butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.  Add lemon juice, egg yolk and 2 tbsp of the water; pulse just until dough begins to clump slightly, adding additional water 1 tsp at a time as needed (dough should not form a ball).  Shape into flat round; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chill.  You can make the dough ahead a day if desired.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12 inch round about 1/8 inch thick.  Line 9 inch pie pan with dough.  Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; fold overhang under.  Flute edges.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes until dough feels firm.  Meanwhile heat over to 425 degrees.  Line crust with foil; fill with pie weights or dry beans.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool and reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Beat brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl at medium speed until blended.  Beat in melted butter, corn syrup, bourbon, molasses, vanilla and salt.  Scatter chocolate over crust; top with pecans;

pour filling over pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out moist but clean.  Cool completely on wire rack.  (I doubled the recipe to make 2 pies).  If you do not want to make the crust from scratch you can purchase frozen ready made pie crusts.  Marie Callander makes a wonderful crust (I've used it in a pinch.)  I hope you try this recipe, it truly is to die for!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

(we didn't add the cheese and cilantro and wished we had)

Whole Chicken about 5 to 6 lbs
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can kidney beans
1 can green chilies
2 cans chicken stock (I use reduced sodium)
1 can cut corn
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 flour or corn tortillas (your choice)

Take whole chicken and simmer in a pot for about 40 to 60 minutes (depending on size of chicken).  Let cool.  De-bone.

In a dutch oven coated with 2 tablespoons oil cook onion until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, corn, chilies, tomato sauce and tomato paste and seasonings.  Shred chicken and add to soup.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes.  Meanwhile cut tortillas into strips and place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until crisp.

Garnish soup with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro and sour cream.

This soup is even better the next day!!  Hope you enjoy, let me know if you make it and if you changed it at all. I would love to hear from you.

Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache filling

5 eggs, separated
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups all purpose flour minus 6 tbsps of flour)
4 teaspoons baking cocoa (I prefer Ghirardelli premium chocolate)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk**


Ganache Filling:
1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped fine or chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Frosting:

5 1/2 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons strong brewed cofee

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in coffee and vanilla.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  In another mixing bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  (I use Wilton's large round baking pan.  If you use this you need to use the bake even strip and I also place the flower nail in the center; this helps the cake bake evenly.  Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  You will also need to them cut the cake into layers after it has cooled.)

For the ganache heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it boils and pour over the chocolate.  Let sit for a minute, add the confectioner's sugar and stir completely.  Let cool.

For the frosting, combine confectioner's sugar and cocoa.  In another large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar mixture.  Beat in coffee and vanilla.  

Take a decorators bag with a tip #12 and pipe a dam of icing on the edge of the layer.  Pour your ganache inside the dam.  

add your top layer and frost.  Be careful not to apply to much pressure so that the filling seeps out the sides.  Decorate with any other embellishments you wish or leave undecorated.

** if you do not have buttermilk put 1 tablespoon in 1 cup of milk and let sit for 30 minutes.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds chicken (breast halves, thighs and drumsticks)

1 1/2 cups mushrooms sliced fresh

1 each onion (medium) sliced

4 cloves garlic minced

14 1/2 once Diced tomatoes undrained

6 once tomato paste

3/4 cup Dry white wine

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon rosemary dried, crushed

1 teaspoon thyme dried, crushed

1 teaspoon oregano dried, crushed 1 teaspoon basil, dried, crushed

1/8 teaspoon Black pepper

1 tablespoon parsley snipped fresh

Fettuccine or Linguine cooked

Preparation

1) Skin chicken. In a 12in. skillet cook chicken in hot oil about fifteen minutes or until light brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet; set chicken aside.

2) Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to drippings in skillet. Cook and stir about five minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Return chicken to skillet.

3) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and pepper. Pour over chicken in skillet. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink 

(170F for breasts; 180F for thighs and drumsticks), turning once during cooking. Sprinkle with parsley. If desired, serve over hot cooked pasta

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

1 1/4 c Sugar

1/4 c Cornstarch

1/4 ts Salt

1 c Water

1/2 c Fresh lemon juice

3 lg Egg yolks

2 tb Unsalted butter

Grated zest of 1 lemon

THE PIE SHELL

1 ¼ cup flour ¼  teaspoon salt 1/3 cup shortening 3 to 4 tablespoons water I use my food processor to mix the dough up until it looks like small peas.  The roll into a ball and on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough, forming a 12 inch circle.  Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll the crust into the pie plate.  Ease pastry into the pie plate, being careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim to a ½ inch beyond the edge.  Fold under extra pastry and flute it or pinch it to form a scalloped edge.  Prick the bottom and sides and bake in an oven preheated at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING

6 lg Egg whites; at room

1/2 ts Cream of tartar

1/2 c Plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

For the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan. Gradually add the water and lemon juice, stirring to make a smooth mixture. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, still stirring, as it turns thick and clear, then remove from the heat. Pour half the hot- mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly, then pour the mixture back into the pan, stirring to keep the eggs from scrambling. Cook over low heat, stirring, a few minutes more. Stir in the butter and lemon zest. Pour the lemon mixture into the baked pie shell and smooth with a spatula. Preheat the oven to 350F. To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large clean bowl with the cream of tartar. When they make soft peaks, gradually add the sugar and continue until the meringue becomes stiff and glossy and the sugar crystals are dissolved (rub a little between your fingers to feel). Spoon the meringue over the lemon filling, making sure the edges are covered and sealed (otherwise the filling will bubble out). Smooth the meringue, then make peaks (or whatever design you wish) with the back of a spoon. Bake until the surface is lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool before serving; refrigerate if not serving right away. 

Winter Wonderland Cookies

Makes 8 dozen

Ingredients:

40 Individually wrapped peppermints

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

1 cup Hershey's or Ghirardelli cocoa

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, unwrap mints and place in a ziploc bag, use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to crush into fine pieces.  The mints should fill 1 cup after being crushed; set aside.

Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl or your Kitchenaid Mixer.  If using a handmixer put on medium speed and mix until well blended, scraping sides of bowl if necessary.  Set the chocolate mixture aside.  

Tips and Tricks:  If you are using a Kitchenaid or similar mixer, when adding dry ingredients to the wet, place a dishtowel over the top to prevent any of the dry being spilled out.

see the powder on the counter, if you use the towel it will prevent this from happening.

Mix flour, salt and baking soda (I usually sift together so there are no clumps and a good blending) in a medium bowl; set aside.  Slowly add the mixed dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture a little at a time until they are completely mixed.  Add the crushed mints, white chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, mixing until everything is well distributed and well blended.  Chill dough for 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a small cookie dough scooper (or regular spoon, if you don't have a scooper.  I love my scooper, keeps the fingers clean and less dough in my mouth...LOL) get a scoop of dough and place on cookie sheet, fill cookie sheet leaving enough space between cookies for expanding; place remaining dough back in the refrigerator.  Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Eat and enjoy.  If you make these at Christmas time and give as presents you will be loved by all.  Trust me!

Easy Mexican Dinner Night

Mexican Dinner Night

Cheesy Creamy Enchiladas with easy Spanish rice

Ingredients Needed:

4lb to 6 lb whole chicken

Water (enough to fill stock pot)

2 stalks celery

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion (or dried minced onion)

Salt

Pepper

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk

1 can green chilies

2 cups shredded cheese

1 bag flour tortillas

Spanish Rice ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup water

½ can tomato sauce

½ can diced tomatoes

1 small onion minced

2 tbsp garlic salt

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp cooking oil

I don’t know about you, but my life seems continually busy and hectic and I am always challenged to come up with easy and nutritious meals for my family.  As a kitchen witch it is very important to me that I provide healthy meals imbued with all the love, positive energy, and harmony I can invoke.  One of my husband’s and my favorite things to do is cook together.   We both have a natural love for food, spices, herbs and all the delicious aromas cooking elicits in our home.   

This recipe is wonderful for many reasons, one it is easy and inexpensive (yay!) and you also are able to make your own healthy chicken stock where you control the amount of sodium and herbs that go into it.  The enchiladas also freeze well, so this a wonderful dish to make ahead and freeze for another night.

First off you will need a 4 to 6lb whole chicken; depending on the amount of servings you want, water, salt, pepper, 2 stalks of celery (with leaves) and 2 carrots, and 1 onion or dried minced onion and a large stock pot.

One of the most important things to do with chicken before cooking is to wash it off.  This is a very healthy practice as chicken can sometimes have salmonella.  So begin with rinsing your chicken, checking the inside to see if there is a bag with the gizzards in it and remove if there is (some chickens will have this, some not).  Rinse the chicken thoroughly, including the inside then place into your stock pot.  Fill your stock pot with water (and chicken stock if you have any on hand, just adds more flavor) until just covering your chicken.  Season with salt (I prefer Kosher salt), pepper and dried minced onion.  One of the biggest tips I could offer here is it is better to under salt than over salt.  You can always add more salt later.  I usually use about ½ teaspoon of salt.  Rinse your celery and carrots off, no need to peel, and rough chop them including the leaves of the celery and place into your pot.  If you are using fresh onion, peel and rough chop and add to your pot.  Turn burner on high, bring to a rapid boil then turn to a medium low heat and cook for an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the size of your chicken.

Remove your chicken from the stock and set aside in a bowl to let cool. Make sure and let your chicken cool thoroughly before deboning and skinning as you don’t want to burn yourself.  Set your stock aside to let it cool.  Once your stock is cooled, use a sieve (a very fine meshed strainer, like what you would use to sift flour or powdered sugar) to strain all the veggies and seasonings from the stock.  You can either place your stock in freezer proof containers or pour into ice cube trays to freeze or use quart size freezer bags.  If you use the freezer bags a great trick is to take a casserole dish, fill your bags with the cooled stock and place the bags in the casserole dish into the freezer (laying them flat on top of each other).  The casserole dish just helps in case any of the bags leak.  Once frozen remove from casserole dish and you can easily place in your freezer for later use.

Take your cooled chicken and start to remove the skin from the meat, placing the meat into a separate bowl, making sure there are no small bones.  Remove all of the meat from the bones and dispose of the bones and skin.  Then make sure and go through the chicken and shred apart any large pieces.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After shredding all the chicken in a separate bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream and chilies.  Reserve half of the sauce to pour over the top of the enchiladas, pour the remaining sauce into the shredded chicken and mix to coat the chicken.

Take the tortillas and spoon mixture onto one end of the tortilla then roll up and place into 9 x 13 or two 8 x 8 casserole dishes; continue process until all mixture is gone.

After placing all the rolled enchiladas into the pans then cover with the reserved sauce, spreading sauce over the tops of all the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese. Place in oven at 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

While the enchiladas are cooking assemble your ingredients for the Spanish rice.  Heat your skillet over a medium-high heat add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and then your 2 cups rice; brown rice.  Next add the onion, tomato sauce and tomatoes; mix well but do not over mix.  Add chicken stock, water, garlic salt, and cumin.  Taste for appropriate seasoning; add more if needed (everyone’s tastes are different).  Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Plate your dinner with some lettuce for garnish and some sour cream, guacamole and salsa if everyone likes those and you are ready for your Mexican feast.

My little familiar loves enchiladas!!  Tip: if you are making your own guacamole here is an easy way to remove the pit from an avocado.  Take a knife and thump it into the pit so that it embeds into the pit and remove.

I hope you enjoy the recipes.  Feel free to leave comments if you make the recipes and if you changed it at all to make it more to your liking.  I love feedback!

Easy Creamy Mushroom Meatball Soup

1 2lb bag frozen meatballs

4 cans cream of mushroom soup

2  ½ cups milk

1 cup water

10 to 20 sliced mushrooms sautéed

2 cups cavatappi pasta (or other curly macaroni)

2 tsp dried onion

2 tsp Italian herbs

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Parmasean Romano Asiago shredded cheese mix

Heat the meatballs in a large microwave safe dish in the microwave based on directions on the package.  While these are heating, put the 4 cans of cream of mushroom soup in a large pot and add the 2 ½ cups milk and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  While this is heating to a boil, in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter sauté the mushrooms.  Season the soup with the Italian herbs, dried onion, garlic and salt.  When the meatballs have finished heating through place meatballs in the soup along with the sautéed mushrooms; add the 2 cups of pasta and stir.  Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes or until past is tender.  Soup will become very thick.  Garnish with cheese and serve.  

Homemade Laundry Soap, Fabric Softener and Dishwasher Soap

Laundry Detergent

Each batch yields 16 ounces. I made two batches of this recipe and stored the 32 ounces of resulting product in a yogurt container.

* 1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha, Dr. Bronner)
* 1/2 cup of borax
* 1/2 cup of washing soda

thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes or until you have a powder consistency and enjoy the results! That’s it folks…seems too good to be true, but it is true indeed!

The listed ingredients can be purchased at your local grocery store:

·         1 – 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer® Super Washing Soda = $3.99

·         1 – 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team® Borax = $4.99

·         1 – 10 pack of 4.5 ounce bars of Ivory® Bar Soap (**note** you can use cheaper soap, I actually had this on hand already.  Use whatever tickles your fancy – Other brands of commonly used bar soaps include Pure & Natural®, Fels-Naptha® and/or ZOTE®.  Both ZOTE® and Fels-Naptha® are made for and sold as “laundry bar soap.”)

(if you want to substitute the Ivory or such soap you could use Dr. Bronners scented or unscented baby-mild if you are sensitive, or you could add essential oils to the melted soap after it cools a bit) 

Fabric Softener

To make a natural fabric softener that works and smells the way you want it to.
First blend whatever essential oils that you like... be it for magickal properties or like me...scent.
Next take equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda.. the resulting liquid is PH balanced..your fabric softener, now add the oils to your nose likes the scent. Store in an old fabric softener bottle and use same as you would 'store bought'.
* I put mine in a spray bottle filled with half water half fabric softener and use it like-
*Febreze air freshner, furniture refresher
*Spray Carpets before vacuuming, helps keep it soft and smelling good
*Also works as a detangler for tangled hair...or fur.
*Instead of adding to the wash I spray the inside of the dryer really good before throwing the wet close in...works wonderfully! OR if hanging out on the line hang up the laundry then give eack side a quick mist!

Dishwasher Soap

1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt

Mix together. Use a 1 Tbsp. per load. I put it in a labeled tupperware bowl under the sink. Use distilled white vinegar in the rinse / jet dry section.

Roasted Ratatouille Lasagna

ROASTED RATATOUILLE LASAGNE

1 medium raw eggplant, (1-pound) chunked    

 2 medium zucchini, chunked    

 4 medium plum tomato(es), halved    

 1 item(s) bell pepper(s), yellow, seeded and quartered    

 1 medium onion(s), white, chunked    

 1 bulb(s) garlic clove(s)    

 1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese    

 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese    

 2 Tbsp basil, chopped, fresh    

 1 item(s) egg white(s)    

 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground    

 8 piece(s) no cook lasagna noodles    

 1 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese    

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scatter the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion on the baking sheet; spray with nonstick spray. Wrap the garlic in foil. Roast the vegetables until well browned, about 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. Roast the garlic at the same time until softened, about 45 minutes. Cool the vegetables, then peel the bell pepper, tomatoes, and garlic.

In a food processor puree the tomatoes and garlic. Finely chop the bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and onion. In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables.

In a small bowl mix the ricotta, Parmesan, basil, egg white, and ground pepper. Spray a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the bottom of the baking dish; top with 2 noodles. Spread an additional 11/2 cups of the vegetable mixture over the noodles; top with 2 more noodles. Spread with all the ricotta mixture; top with 2 more noodles. Spread with an additional 1 cup of the vegetable mixture, top with the last 2 noodles and the remaining vegetable mixture; sprinkle with the mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and browned, about 5 minutes longer.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Like most recipes, the origins of the dish are obscure, and there are several stories of how it came to be. As the name is derived from carbonaro (the Italian word for charcoal burner), some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers that was fixed for them to eat when they came home from a hard day of work.  This then led to the the name "coal miner's spaghetti", which is used to refer to spaghetti alla carbonara in parts of the United States. It has even been suggested that it was created by, or as a tribute to, the Carbonari ("charcoalmen"), a secret society prominent in the unification of Italy.

The dish is not present in Ada Boni's 1927 classic La Cucina Romana, and is unrecorded before the Second World War. It was first recorded after the war as a Roman dish, when many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the United States. More recently, a restaurant in Rimini has claimed the original recipe was born during WWII. Powdered eggs and milk, along with bacon, were standard issue for the American troops and were widely used for bartering with the population. Italians would use those ingredients and pepper to make the sauce. The dish became popular among American troops stationed in Italy; upon their return home, they popularized it in North America.

The recipe was included in Elizabeth David’s 1954 cookbook published in Great Britain.  This is a family favorite.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
3. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
4. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Asian Citrus Salmon

Salmon filet (buy size according to how many you'll serve I usually get one big enough to feed 6) 
2 oranges 
2 tbs freshly grated ginger 
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 
2 small pats of butter (optional...i'm leaving off now) 
salt and pepper 
2 tbs toasted sesame seeds 
2 tbs fresh cilantro 

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 20 mins 

Put foil on a cookie sheet and rinse the salmon filet, then lay the filet on the foil. Rub the fresh ginger into the flesh of the salmon. Pour Oil over salmon and then soy sauce. Squeeze 1 orange on the salmon and thinly slice the remaining orange to lay on the salmon at the end. Use salt and pepper to taste. Add the sesame seeds and cilantro and butter, if you are using, then spread the orange slices all over the fish. Lay another piece of foil on top of the salmon and then seal up the sides. Cook about 20 minutes or until the flesh flakes away lightly. 

Serve with sauteed cabbage with soy sauce and sesame seeds, salt and pepper and brown rice.