Cheddar-Bacon Biscuits and Citrus-Kale Salad with Roasted Salmon

This biscuit recipe is so good I've made it three times in the past couple of months!  It's nice because it's super flexible -- I've used various types of dairy, and a whole range of different mix-ins.  If you don't have a full cup of milk, you can add some sour cream or plain yogurt to supplement.  The cheddar-bacon combo pictured below is fantastic, and I've also made a version with cornmeal, dried cherries, and pecans that is amazing with peach jam.  Best of all, the biscuit recipe is easy to pull together, even on a weeknight.

Make it a full meal with kale salad and roasted salmon.  These dishes are both simple but flavorful, and a nice lighter complement to the richer biscuits.  I especially loved the citrus dressing on the kale salad, with both lemon and orange juice plus Dijon mustard.  Yum!

All-Purpose Fancy Biscuits, with Cheddar-Bacon variation (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Makes 9 biscuits (or cut into smaller pieces for more biscuits)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  Spray with oil.

Whisk together:

2-1/2 cups flour (sub up to 1 cup with whole wheat or 1/2 cup with cornmeal)

2 T baking powdr

1 T sugar

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

Cut 1 stick unsalted butter into small cubes, and cut into the flour using two knives.  If you have some large pieces, you can blend them in with your fingers.  

Add up to 1 cup mix-ins -- I used shredded cheddar cheese and diced bacon, but there are many options:

Grated cheese (cheddar, jack, havarti, Parmesan, etc.)

Crumbled bacon

Fresh herbs (scallions, chives, parsley, thyme, sage, etc.)

Pitted and chopped olives

Chopped nuts 

Dried fruit (chopped if large)

Seeds (poppy, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.)

Drained and chopped picked hot peppers

Drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Up to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or another vegetable puree)

Citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime, etc.)

Add 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, and stir until the dough just comes together.  Pat into a rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick, and then fold in half and pat out again to the same size.  Cut into rectangles (or use a biscuit cutter to create other shapes. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 12-15 minutes, until well-browned.

All-Purpose Citrus Dressing (adapted from Cooking Light)

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T orange juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard (creamy or country-style both work)

1 small clove minced garlic (optional)

Season with salt and pepper

Whisk everything together, taste, and adjust seasoning (I added a bit more lemon juice).

Citrus-Kale Salad with Roasted Salmon (adapted from Cooking Light)

Easily adaptable to any number of servings -- one bunch of kale will serve 2-3 people

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  Rub fresh salmon with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast about 15 minutes, until it flakes easily.

Shred raw kale, and wash well.  Place in a large serving bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Massage for a minute or two until the kale starts to break down.  Add halved red grapes, orange sections, and crumbled goat cheese.  Dress with All-Purpose Citrus Dressing (see above).  Toss, and serve topped with roasted salmon.