Here we go girls.... Maple Salmon & Rosemary Potatoes

This may look complicated but really is a very easy meal to prepare. I hope you like it!!

ROASTED ROSEMARY POTATOES: sauté 4 cloves diced garlic and 1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion. Cut potatoes into bite size chunks (I used 2 very large- enough to yield about 4-5 cups raw)
1 very large sweet potato
1 very large white potato

2 Tbls spoons melted butter

2 Tbls spoons olive oil

Fresh Rosemary (amt: is to your liking)
2 tsp. Coarse salt

Poor butter and olive oil over potatoes & mix well to cover potatoes in a light coating fold in garlic, onion and rosemary and coarse salt bake on 350 for aprox 40 min or until done (fork test) Finish by broiling for aprox. 5-10 min. Watch very closely so they don’t burn.

SALMON: ½ lemon and squeeze juice over salmon. Bake on 350 for 15 min / brush on maple glaze and sprinkle on a few crushed pecans & bake another 5 min then to Finish-broil for 1 to 2 min to finish and top with little more maple glaze just before serving.SIDE NOTE: don't overcook salmon or will get dried out. I use only center cut salmon... the tails tend to get to dry. You can finger test your salmon to see if it is done. When you press down on the salmon with your finger you should be able to feel the juices rolling inside and your salmon will be a bit flaky.

MAPLE GLAZE: ½ to ¾ Cup real maple syrup - bring to a rolling boil on med-hi and reduce by a third & let cool slightly but not to long or it will thicken up to much. (*Note.. If your glaze does thicken up to much or harden…when you warm it back up to thin it out a little you can add just a little bit of cream which will give you more of a maple cream glaze which I think would be yummy too or you could add another table spoon of maple syrup…but don’t boil again just warm)

I served dinner with this wonderful Basil LemonLimeAde

I did my own version of this wonderful summer beverage but I did not measure anything. You first have to start by making a basil simple syrup. I used 5 lemons and 3 limes and cold botteled water. You can get the simple syrup reciepe off the foodnetwork page. Search for basil lemonade or Italian Lemonade and it should have the basil simple syrup there.

SUMMER SALAD: ** Note: I prepared each salad individually 6 med to large size strawberries sliced (2 per salad)

15 Black berries (5 per salad)

1/2 apple cut into small bite size chunks

Red/Purple onion sliced (amt. to your liking)
Red pepper sliced (amt. to your liking)

Sliced and halved cucumber pieces (amt to your liking)

Goat Cheese or Feta (aprox. 1/3 Cup crumbled)

1/3 Heaping cup of Glazed Pecans ( I broke them in half by hand) (you can do a quick glaze on them with 1 ½ Tbs. Brown sugar and ½ Tlbs butter in a small sauté pan on med-hi. Heat till butter melts and dissolves brown sugar creating a light candy coating on pecans. This should only take about 2 min. ** Note: STIR CONSTANTLY. After pecans are candied spread out on a plate and allow to cool and dry before putting on salad)
Add all your salad ingredients to a bed of field greens or I used a combo of fresh Spinach and fresh Romaine lettuce
DRESSING:Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar ** We used Fig balsamic vinegar and olive oil**

DESSERT: Fresh Berries - I used blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and both red and green grapes.

3 Tbls. Lemon Curd

1 Cup Cool Whip

Shaved Chocolate

Mix Lemon Curd and Cool Whip together. On dessert plate arrange berries top w/ cool whip and lemon curd mixture finish with a few berries on top and shaved chocolate

THIS MEAL SERVES 3 VERY WELL!! (if you need 6 you can just double everything) Happy Eating!!