Red Hot Chili with Rum

Red Hot Chili with Rum

2 pound hot Italian sausage, sliced
2 C. green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 C. chopped onion
2 T. chopped fresh garlic
2 cans (28 oz. each ) crush tomatoes
1/2 C. fresh hot pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 C. ground chili powder
1/2 C. dark rum
1/4 C. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Hot pepper sauces to taste

Brown Hot Italian Sausage in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Drain any excess fat while leaving 1 T. behind. Stir in green pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. simmer for about 1 hour or until thickened. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese.

Spam Musubi Recipe

Spam Musubi Recipe

2 C. short grain rice
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1 can Spam
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
2 T. mirin or rice vinegar
2-4 sheets nori (seaweed)

Make rice. Pour rice into a large bowl and swirl around in cold water. Pour water out (you may want to use a cheese cloth) and repeat twice more until water around rice is clear. In a medium pot over high heat, place rinsed rice and 2 C. cold water. Leave uncovered and bring to a boil. Once the pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover for 15 minutes. Keeping cover on, remove pot from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. In a separate small bowl or ramekin, mix rice vinegar, sugar, salt and microwave until warm (30 seconds). Uncover rice and mix in rice vinegar mixture to coat rice. Let rice sit out until at room temperature. Remove Spam from can and slice into 8-10 equal slices. Prep spam musubi sauce. While rice cools, in a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, sugar and mirin / rice vinegar. Set aside. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add spam slices. Once slices begin to crisp on both sides, turn heat low and add soy sauce mixture making sure to flip and coat quickly.  Remove caramelized Spam and put aside on a plate. Assemble Spam Musubi. In a rice mold, press down half a C. cooled rice. You can also form your spam musubi without mold by pressing a portion of rice in a small, rectangle tupperware container like we did. Cut long strips of nori / seaweed, about 2-3″ wide and 4-5″ long–enough to wrap around your rice patty. Place rice patty in the center of seaweed strip, and top with one slice of caramelized spam. Wrap seaweed around spam and seal. If seaweed doesn’t immediately stick, lightly wet your fingers and gently rub seaweed. Enjoy your spam musubi fresh, or cling wrap and warm up as a snack

Green Chile Buckwheat Polenta

Green Chile Buckwheat Polenta

4 C. vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1 C. coarse grind buckwheat groats or kasha (or commercially ground buckwheat)
1 tsp. ground cumin
several grinds pepper
1/4 C. chopped (Hatch) green chile or small can of diced chiles
1 T. butter
1/2 C. cheese – cotija, pepper jack, cheddar, etc.
Canned Salsa Verde

Fresh Garnishes, if Available:
4 eggs (cooked any style)
avocado, diced
cilantro, chopped

To a medium saucepan, add the stock and salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Slowly whisk in the ground buckwheat (to avoid lumps). Add the cumin and ground pepper. Cover and simmer until desired texture is achieved. The time will vary according to the coarseness of your buckwheat. I cooked mine low and slow for about 40 minutes. My kasha (buckwheat) was milled on the 2nd coarsest setting. Substitute commercial buckwheat if preferred. Refer to package instructions for liquid quantity and cooking time. Add the green chile, butter, and cotija (or other) cheese. Stir to combine.

Top with an egg and avocado, sprinkle with crumbled cotija and cilantro, and drizzle with salsa verde. Dig in!

Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam

Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam

3 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 9 C.)
1 1/2 C. white granulated sugar
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper (or to taste)

Start by getting a very large pot of water on the stove for processing the jars. It needs to be large enough so that there will be at least 1-inch of water above your jars – I use a very large soup pot. That much water takes a long time to boil, so put it on first. At the same time, place a small clean saucer in the freezer. If you time this whole process well, the jars should be done just a few minutes before your jam.

When the water starts boiling, add your empty jars to the water to sterilize. If you don’t have a canning rack, place a cotton tea towel in the bottom of the pot. Make sure your jars don’t touch the bottom or sides of the pot. Place the lids and rings in a heat proof bowl, ladle in some of the boiling water to cover, and leave to sit. Boil the jars for at least 10 minutes, and then carefully remove, dumping out the water from each one before placing on a dish towel. Keep the water boiling in the pot for processing.

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, stir the sugar in with the strawberries and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then strain the fruit through a fine colander, stirring the fruit a bit to loosen the juices. Return the juice to the pot and reserve the fruit.

Simmer the juice uncovered for 20 minutes, or until you have about 1 1/2 C. remaining. Return the strawberries to the the pot with the juices, and add the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes. To check if the jam is done, remove the saucer from the freezer, place a dab of the liquid jam on the plate, and return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute. The jam will be stiff, but won’t quite gel.

Remove from the heat, and skim off as much of the foam as you can. Stir in the black pepper to your taste. It’s difficult to get a sense of the amount of pepper when the jam is hot, so if you want to check the flavor put a big glob of jam on the plate in the freezer for a minute. When it’s cool give it a taste, and add more pepper until you’re happy with the result.

At this point your jars should be ready to go. Fill each jar to within a 1/4 inch of the top (I know, that’s really full!). Put on the lids and tighten the rings to just finger tight – you want the air to be able to escape during processing. If you don’t have quite enough jam left to completely fill the last jar, place it in the fridge and eat within a few weeks.

Carefully lower your jars into the boiling water, again using a rack or a towel, and keeping the jars from touching the bottom or sides of the pot, or from touching each other. That last thing you want after all this work is for a jar to crack or explode! Process for 5 minutes – if you live above 1000 ft, add 1 extra minute for each additional 1000 ft above sea level.

Remove the jars from the water and place on a towel in a corner of the kitchen where they can be left undisturbed for 12 hours. After about an hour, check that the tops of the lids are fully sealed by pressing down on the middle of the lid – if you find one that pops up and down, place that jar in the fridge immediately and eat within a few weeks.

Cheese Powder

Cheese Powder

Cheddar or white cheese powder is a third stronger than cheese. The amount of cheese used in any recipe varies with the recipe. If your recipe calls for 12 oz. cheese, you would use 8 oz. powder. If your recipe calls for 16 oz. cheese, you would use about 11 oz. the powder.

Uses for Cheese powder:
This is real cheddar cheese in a dry powder. Use it to give a cheesy richness to rolls, muffins, and bread, sauces, dressing, mac and cheese, potatoes, vegetables or sprinkle it over Popcorn use it on anything you use cheese on! It’s great for camping, backpacking, and storage where refrigeration is not available.

Cheddar Cheese Popcorn

3 T. melted butter
1/4 C. cheddar cheese powder plus 1 T
1/4 T. yellow mustard powder
1/4 T. cayenne pepper (jalapeno pepper powder for “hot” popcorn)
4 C. popped popcorn
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine butter, cheddar cheese powder, mustard powder and cayenne or jalapeno powder with popcorn. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Or just sprinkle cheese powder on top of buttered popcorn.

Dry Cheese Sauce Mix

1/3 C. dehydrated cheese powder
3 T. nonfat dry milk powder
3 T. dehydrated butter powder or flakes
3 T. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with wire whisk. Store in tightly closed container in the refrigerator. To make cheese sauce, combine 1 C. hot tap water with 1/2 C. Cheese Sauce Mix in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Makes 1 C. cheese sauce.
Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix

1/4 C. butter or margarine
1/4 C. milk
2 T. Cheddar Cheese Powder.

Cooking Instructions: Mix all ingredients. Heat to 180F and hold 5 minutes.

That Rooster Had to Go + LTS Tomato Veggies

That Rooster Had to Go + LTS Tomato Veggies

1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 C. Dehydrated Vegetables
3 C. Water
2 Cubes Chicken Bouillon, Crumbled
Herbs & Spices as Desired
1 Rooster or Hen, butchered and cleaned and ready to cook

Mix all ingredients except chicken in a large pot. Stir and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat, nestle chicken pieces down into the broth mixture and let it simmer 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and most of the liquid has cooked away, leaving a nice side of tomato and veggies to go with your chicken. You could also increase the liquid by 1 C., add 1 C. rice, and cover over low heat instead of simmering uncovered, which would give you a rice-y vegetable side. The integrity of the rice isn’t as nice as if you cooked it separately, but if you are reduced to a single heat source/1 pan, then this is a way to get your carbs in as well.

Spam Pinkabet Stir Fry

Spam Pinkabet Stir Fry

4 Japanese long eggplant
2 T. cooking oil
2 bay leaves (laurel)
2 C. water
2 C. cherry tomatoes
1 whole yellow or red onion
2 inch finger piece ginger sliced in half crushed
1-2 T. minced garlic More the better!
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. bagoong (Filipino fish sauce) or harm ha (Chinese fine shrimp paste)
1/2 C. water
2 C. long beans
1/4 lb. sweet peppers
2 long bittermelons cut
1 pound whole okra pods
1/4 pound kabocha pumpkin
2 zucchini
1 can low sodium SPAM

Soak all big veggies in water then drain. Cut all large veggies in diagonal cuts as this is a stir fry and you want the veggies to cook fast. Heat a large pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion, ginger, garlic and bay leaves. Stir fry to release aromatic but do not burn. Add tomatoes and continue to stir fry. Add long beans and stir about 3 minutes. Add bittermelon, eggplant, pumpkin, zucchini, and okra last. Each layer of veggies about 3 minutes each. Cut SPAM into 1-2 inch cubes. Add water if it get dry. Add bagoong or shrimp sauce and a little more water, if needed. TASTE! Don’t make it salty! You may add sugar if you want it a little sweet. It’s up to you. You’re da cook!

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya

2 T. Butter
1 C. Frozen Diced Bell Peppers and Onions
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 lb. Smoked Sausage, cut into ½ inch diagonal slices
2 C. Converted Rice
3 C. Water
1 16 oz. Can Stewed Tomatoes
1 ½ tsp. Cajun Seasoning
Sliced Green Onion Tops, garnish

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully add frozen onions and peppers and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Add garlic and sausage and cook until sausage is just browned and warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add rice, and stir to coat the grains in the drippings of the pan. Increase heat to high, add water, tomatoes, and seasoning; bring to a boil. When mixture reaches a steady boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. Serve, garnish with sliced green onions.

SPAM Paté

SPAM Paté

1 stick of room temperature unsalted butter
1 medium shallot finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tsp. dried crushed thyme
1 12-oz. can SPAM cut into cubes
3 T. Jack Daniels
4 T. heavy cream

Melt 2 T. unsalted butter in skillet on low heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add thyme and cubed SPAM and continue to sauté on medium/low heat for about 3 minutes, being sure not to allow any browning of ingredients. Remove skillet from heat and add 3 T. Jack Daniels. Be very careful when bringing skillet back to heat to Flambé ingredients. Tilt skillet just by your flame and ingredients will ignite. Allow flames to go out on their own. Once flame is out, turn off heat. Transfer ingredients to food processor being sure to scrape out all the yummy bits in skillet. Allow to cool in processor for just a few minutes. Add heavy cream and last 6 T. butter (cut into four cubes). Pulse in processor until ingredients are roughly combined then process until pate reaches the consistency you are looking for. Can be served still warm or cooled. SPAM paté can be served with crusty French bread or Cornichon (small sweet pickled gherkins).

Baked Shrimp and Grits with Caramelized Fennel and Leeks

Baked Shrimp and Grits with Caramelized Fennel and Leeks

2 T. EVOO, plus more for oiling baking dish
2 bulb Fennel, trimmed, quartered, and thinly sliced
2 large Leeks, well rinsed, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper
2 C. 2% Milk
4 C. Chicken Broth
1 C. Grits or Coarse Cornmeal
½ C. Parmesan Cheese
1/3 C. heavy Whipping Cream
2 T. Butter
¼ C. chopped fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, plus more for garnish
1 lb. (31-35) Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved crosswise
Hot Pepper Sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil shallow 2 quart baking dish. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add fennel and leeks and season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine milk and broth in large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Gradually sprinkle grits into the pot, whisking until they are all incorporated. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add parmesan, cream, butter, parsley and shrimp to the grits, along with fennel and leeks. Stir until well combined and butter is melted. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Baked until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 20 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with extra parsley. Add hot sauce to individual servings, as desired.

“Left Over” Smoked Turkey Leg Banh Mi

“Left Over” Smoked Turkey Leg Banh Mi

4 baguettes
Smoked turkey leg pate (see recipe below)
6 T. mayo
1/2 tsp. maggi seasoning
Pickled Cranberries (see recipe)
Crispy Turkey Skin (see recipe)
Carrots and cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
Jalapeno and cilantro, for garnish

For the Smoked Turkey Leg Pate:

1 cup smoked turkey leg, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
6 T. unsalted butter, softened
2 T. cognac
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. mirin
4 T. mayo
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Pickled Cranberries:

2 cups sugar
2 cups rice vinegar
1 tsp. peppercorns
1/4 tsp. juniper berry
1/4 tsp. clove
1 tsp. salt
1 pound cranberries

For the Crispy Turkey Skin

Skin from turkey
Salt and pepper

To make the pate: In a food processor, process turkey and walnuts until finely chopped. Add butter, cognac, fish sauce, and mirin until a smooth paste is formed. Add mayo until desired consistency; add salt and pepper to taste. To make the pickled cranberries: Place sugar, vinegar, spices, and salt in a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add washed cranberries and cook for 6 minutes, until skins are cracked and the liquid is turning red. Remove from heat and let cool. To make the crispy turkey skin: Place turkey skins on sheet tray, season with salt and pepper, and place in a 500-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crispy. If a fryer is available, heat oil to 350 degrees and fry until crispy and brown, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. To assemble, slice open baguette. Spread one side with mayo. Season mayo with a couple of drops of maggi seasoning. Place baguette in 450-degree toaster oven for about a minute, or until roll is crusty and hot but won’t cut the roof of your mouth. Pull baguette out, spread a generous amount of pate on the other side of the roll, and then fill with pickled cranberry, the herbs, and the veggies.

Pear and Parmesan Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Pear and Parmesan Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Candied Walnuts or Pecans (see recipe below)
Poppy Seed Dressing (see recipe below)
4 ripe (not soft) pears (Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou, or Comice)
Watercress or small arugula leaves for garnish
2 ounces grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Prepare Candied Walnuts or Pecans; set aside. Prepare Poppy Seed Dressing; set aside. Cut pears in halves and remove cores (I like to you use a melon baller). Place one pear half, cut-side down, on a cutting board and slice it into 1/4-inch slices beginning 1/4 inch below the top. Leave the top intact. NOTE: Dip the sliced pear halve in a bowl containing ice water, a little lemon juice and a little water. This will prevent the pear flesh from turning brown. Repeat with remaining pear halves. To serve, place either watercress or arugula leaves on serving plates. Place one (1) sliced pear half on each plate. Separate the slices and fan them out from the uncut top portion so there is a uniform amount of the pear flesh showing for each slice. Lightly spoon prepared Poppy Seed Dressing over each pear. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and the candied nuts. Serve immediately
Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe:

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 T. toasted poppy seeds
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a jar or bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper together until well blended. Store, covered, in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
Candied Walnuts or Pecans:

1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 C. walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a small saucepan over low heat, add the sugar and the orange juice; stir just until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil; boil approximately 15 minutes, stirring, until mixture starts to get thick and crystallize. NOTE: There will be a rim of sugar that crystallizes out around the edge of the pan, and the mixture will become quite thick and syrupy and will have a lot of sugar crystals in it. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts or pecans. Add salt and cayenne pepper. Place the walnuts onto a non-stick baking sheet using two warm wet spoons to prevent sticking. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Spam Tortilla Espanola

Spam Tortilla Espanola

1 T, Olive Oil
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 Potato, cooked and cut into ¼” dice
4 oz. Spam, cut into ¼” dice
4 large Eggs, beaten
2 tsp. Butter
1 tsp. Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Chives, for Garnish

Heat olive oil in 7-8 inch pan, add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Add potato and spam, cook a few more minutes, then dump into the bowl with the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Melt butter in the pan, add the egg mixture and parsley and cook until tortilla is firm. Slice onto plate, cut into wedges and garnish with chives.

Sheet Pan Supper: Middle Eastern-ish Chicken Dinner

Sheet Pan Supper: Middle Eastern-ish Chicken Dinner

Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1 tsp. dried Oregano
1 tsp. Allspice
¾ tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
Pepper
3 T. EVOO
2 lb. bone-in, skin on, Chicken Breast halves, each cut in half
1 small head broccoli, cut into 8 long sticks
2 large Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into eighths
¼ C. chopped fresh Mint
¾ C. chopped fresh flat leaf Parsley
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar or Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly oil rimmed backing sheet or spray with cooking spray. Mix together seasonings with pepper to taste with 1 T. EVOO in small bowl. Rub all over chicken breasts and place on baking sheet. Toss broccoli and potato with remaining oil, season with salt & pepper, and spread on baking sheet between chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through, skin is crispy, and vegetables are tender and nicely browned, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle mint and parsley over chicken and drizzle with lemon juice (feel free to leave herbs and lemon off some chicken for picky eaters).

Hawaiian Fried Breakfast Rice

Hawaiian Fried Breakfast Rice

4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C. purple onion
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 red bell pepper (small, minced)
4 C. brown rice (or leftover white)
1 C. fresh pineapple (chopped, about 1/2 medium pineapple)
1 C. bacon (crumbled, chopped Spam, or chopped ham)
3 T. low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
eggs (4-5 if scrambling; 1 egg per person if frying)
salt
pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the red onion, firm ends of the green onions, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté until the onions are fragrant and the peppers are tender crisp. While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Set aside. Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine, cooking until the rice is heated through. Add the bacon or ham and cook until heated through. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir to combine. Add the green tops of the green onions and the pineapple and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and turn heat to low to keep warm. In a separate pan, cook eggs as desired (we’ve done scrambled and fried and I think we prefer them scrambled; if you fry the eggs, plan on frying at least 1 egg per person.) If you scramble the eggs, mix them in with the rice before serving. If frying, divide the rice into individual portions before serving, then top with an egg and serve immediately.

Spanish Pork Chops

Spanish Pork Chops

1 tsp. minced Garlic
1 tsp. Pimenton
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1 tsp. dried Oregano
1 tsp. minced fresh Thyme
Pinch Cayenne
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
Pepper
1 T. EVOO, plus more for cooking
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
4 1” thick Pork Chops, about 2 ½ lb. total
4 thin slices Lemon
Chopped flat leaf parsley, pimenton, lemon wedges, for garnish

Combine the garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, thyme, if using, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and stir to make a paste. Smear the paste 011 both sides of the pork chops and place a lemon slice on top of each. Let the chops sit in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes, or longer (or skip the fridge if you don’t have the time). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a couple of tsp. of olive oil and when the oil just starts to smoke, add the pork chops, lemon slice side down. You may have to do this in 2 batches, using a bit more olive oil if the pan is crowded. Let the chops sear without moving them until nicely browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn the chops, keep the lemon slices in place, and sear the other side, again without moving them, for another 4 minutes or so, until nicely browned on the underside and a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of a chop registers 150°F (the meat will continue to cook after it leaves the pan). Transfer the chops to a serving plate or cutting board and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes before serving whole, or in slices. Sprinkle with parsley or additional paprika if desired, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the pork.

Huevos Rancheros SPAM style!

Huevos Rancheros SPAM style!

1 Can of SPAM
Four corn tortillas
1 Can refried beans
4 Eggs
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocado

SPAM has different flavors depending on how you choose to cook it. For this recipes, we will slice the SPAM into eight equal sized pieces. Place the slices in a frying pan and cook on medium heat. Flip midway through cooking to avoid burning the SPAM. You want the SPAM to end up very crispy. And a little oil to the pan and heat your tortillas in the same pan in which you cooked the SPAM. On a separate burner or microwave heat your beans. Spread the beans in a generous layer on the tortillas that you have fried until crispy. Next fry up your eggs. You can prepare them to each person’s preference. Add your SPAM on top of the beans and then your eggs. Top the stack off with a slice of avocado, some salsa, and a dab of sour cream. Viola! You have just made easy SPAM Huevos Rancheros! Fun, easy, and inexpensive!

Light Green Crunchy Salad

Light Green Crunchy Salad

1 small kohlrabi, trimmed and peeled (optional)
10 ribs celery
3 hearts romaine lettuce
3 T. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. Dijon mustard
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Thinly sliced Granny Smith Apple, tossed in acidulated water & drained, optional
1 C. pea shoots (optional)

If using the kohlrabi, cut it into manageable chunks then cut those chunks into thin planks, about 1/4 inch thick. Then sliver up those planks into -inch-thick matchsticks (this is
what is known as a julienne cut). Don’t worry if the slivers aren’t neat and tidy. Very thinly slice the celery crosswise, then do the same with the hearts of romaine so that you have thin ribbons of lettuce. A Place it all in a serving bowl, along with the kohlrabi. Add apple, if using. Whisk together the rice vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and salt and pepper in a small bowl (or shake it up in a small container with a lid). Toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve, topped with the pea shoots, if desired.

Corn & Spam Pancakes

Corn & Spam Pancakes

1 7-oz. can SPAM® Classic, finely chopped
1 8-oz. can cream-style corn
1 large egg
1 C. milk
1 C. pancake mix
1 T. vegetable oil

In medium bowl, combine pancake mix, milk, corn, egg and oil. Stir in SPAM® Classic. On greased griddle, pour batter using 1/3 C. for each pancake; cook over medium heat until browned on bottom. Turn and brown other side. Serve pancakes with maple or buttered pancake syrup or honey.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika

These are a huge hit in my house. You can make them with smaller shrimp (reduce the cooking time slightly), but the bigger the shrimp, the bigger the wow factor. It’s really nice to do both the wrapped shrimp and wrapped asparagus, as the different shapes look pretty cool and festive together. You can also grill either version. Make sure you have napkins on hand, and a little bowl (or two) for people to toss their shrimp tail shells into.

Nonstick cooking spray (optional)
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), shelled (tails left on) and deveined and / or medium to thicker Asparagus or combonation
4 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips

Place the oven rack about 4 inches below the heat source and preheat the broiler. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper. Combine the olive oil, paprika, and pepper in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss until they are coated with the seasoned oil. Wrap each shrimp with a strip of prosciutto, spiraling it up the shrimp until the shrimp is encased. Place the shrimp on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until the tops are crispy, 3 minutes, then turn each shrimp and broil to crisp the other side, 3 minutes more. The shrimp will be cooked through. Serve with the crispier side up.

Fried Eggs with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, and Mushrooms

Fried Eggs with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, and Mushrooms

For the slow-roasted tomatoes:
2 pints (about 1 pound) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Scant 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the sautéed mushrooms:
1 T. high-smoke-point oil, such as rice bran or grapeseed
2 (150 gram) containers beech mushrooms, trimmed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the fried eggs:
High-smoke-point oil, such as rice bran or grapeseed
1-2 large eggs per person

1/2 an avocado, sliced, per person
Flaky sea salt
Hot sauce, for serving

Roast the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to a half-sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 1 hour, or until they’ve reduced in volume by about half. Sauté the mushrooms: In a large skillet, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and salt, and stir to evenly coat the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until deeply-browned. Divide the tomatoes and mushrooms evenly between 4 plates (or save half of each for the next day’s breakfast, if making breakfast for 2). Fry the eggs: Heat a generous glug of neutral oil in a small skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke. Carefully add 2 eggs to the skillet, then step aside as the oil will sputter. Cook until the white is set and the edges are brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Wipe out the skillet before repeating the same procedure to fry the next batch. Add 1 or 2 fried eggs to each plate. Add half a sliced avocado to each plate. Sprinkle the avocado and fried eggs with flaky sea salt; serve with hot sauce.

Minty Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa

Minty Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa

2 C. diced fresh pineapple (1/4-inch dice)
¼ C. diced yellow bell pepper (1/4-inch dice)
¼ C. diced green bell pepper (1/4-inch dice)
1 to 2 T. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. minced fresh jalapeno pepper, or to taste
1 T. fresh lime juice
Kosher or coarse salt, to taste

Place the pineapple, yellow and green bell peppers, mint, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt in a medium-size bowl and toss gently until well combined.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Latkes

Turkey and Sweet Potato Latkes

1 1/2 C. cooked turkey, preferably dark meat, diced
1 baked sweet potato, diced
1 shallot, grated
1 egg
salt and pepper
oil for frying (I prefer olive or peanut oil)

Place diced sweet potato in a large bowl and mash it a little with a fork. Mix in diced turkey and shallot. Lightly beat egg in a separate bowl, then fold into turkey mixture. Season with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Pour oil to coat bottom of frying pan. Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Use an oiled, shallow measuring C. to shape turkey mixture into 1/2-inch thick pancakes and gently place into frying pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until edges brown, then very carefully turn over with a large thin turner. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Serve warm with cranberry applesauce and/or sour cream, and additional thinly sliced shallots.

Spam & Eggs

Spam & Eggs

12oz. Spam, Cubed
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 oz. Cheddar, shredded

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs, then Spam. Cook, stirring, until eggs are nearly done, then sprinkle cheese over, and stir until melted.

Two-Bean Salad

Two-Bean Salad

10 ounces green beans
2 (15 to 19 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, sliced
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Salt and pepper

Cut green beans into 1-inch lengths and cook in a saucepan of salted water until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water; dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together ingredients; season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving at room temperature.

Fresh Plum and Lime Custard Hand Pies

Fresh Plum and Lime Custard Hand Pies

1 1/4 C. chopped plums
2-4 T. sugar (see note above)
1 T. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Enough pie dough for one double crust pie
8-10 T. lime curd (about 1 T. per pie)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine plums, sugar and corn starch; set aside. Roll pie dough to about 1/8″ thickness in one or two rectangles (two is easier to manage; they do not need to be perfect rectangles). Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut strips that are about 4″ wide and 10″ long (again, these are rough measurements that don’t need to be exact). Place about a T. of lime curd in the middle of the strip, about 2 1/2″ from the bottom edge. Pile a spoonful of plums on top and fold each strip in half, making a hand pie that is roughly 4″ wide and 5″ long. Line up the three cut edges and crimp closed with a fork. Transfer finished hand pies to a parchment lined baking sheet. Add a splash of water to the egg and whisk some more to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash over the top of each hand pie. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow pies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Serve warm or keep for up to 2 days on the counter or up to 4 in the refrigerator.

Creole Spice Paste

Creole Spice Paste

Use spice paste for your shrimp po boys, to spice up a mayo in a chicken or tuna salad, on grilled butterflied jumbo shrimp, add to chilis or soups, or to rub on chicken breasts, chops or steaks before broiling or grilling them.

1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the onion, garlic, parsley, jalapeño, cayenne, thyme, paprika, and salt and pepper in a food processor and process until the spice paste is well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Transfer the paste to a small plastic container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You can add a little vegetable oil to the paste if you need it a little thinner.

Rare Roast Beef Baguettes with Roast Tomato and Currant Chutney

Rare Roast Beef Baguettes with Roast Tomato and Currant Chutney

¾ C. thickened cream (35% whipping cream)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¾ C. finely grated parmesan
2T. olive oil
2lb. beef fillet, trimmed
2 sourdough baguettes
2 cups (loosely packed) arugula

2/5 lb. large cherry tomatoes, such as Johnny love bites
2 long red chillies (possibily fresno; or try asian market)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Spanish onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100 ml red wine vinegar
200 gm light brown sugar
2 tbsp currants, soaked in warm water until plump, water discarded

For roast tomato and currant chutney, preheat oven to 180C. Scatter tomatoes and chillies on 2 oven trays lined with baking paper, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil and roast until golden (30 minutes). Remove skin and seeds from chillies if desired, finely chop flesh and set aside with tomatoes. Heat remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until tender (10-12 minutes). Add tomato, chilli, vinegar and sugar, season to taste, reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until thick (45-55 minutes). Season to taste, stir in currants and set aside to cool. Makes 500ml. Combine cream and mustard in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to just below the simmer, add parmesan, stir until melted, season to taste and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 140C. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat, season beef fillet to taste and cook, turning occasionally, until browned (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to an oven tray and roast until cooked to your liking (25-30 minutes for medium-rare). Set aside to rest (30 minutes), then thinly slice. Halve baguettes lengthways and spread bases with chutney. Top with roast beef and rocket, drizzle with mustard cream, season to taste and serve.

Pantry Friendly Roasted Garlic Bread

Pantry Friendly Roasted Garlic Bread

4 C. bread flour (or 2 C. bread flour and 2 C. whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp. instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 C. room-temperature water
2 whole heads of garlic
1 tsp. olive oil (for roasting garlic)
Pinch of salt (for roasting garlic)
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting loaf

To roast garlic, slice the very top of the head off, revealing all the individual cloves. Then wrap each head in foil and drizzle in a tiny bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Wrap these little packages up and bake them at 350 degrees until the garlic is really fragrant and tender, about 30 minutes. If you want to test them, you should be able to easily slide a knife into a clove with almost no resistance. Let the roasted heads of garlic cool for a few minutes and then you can squish out each clove of garlic from the papery stuff. For bread dough, combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the roasted garlic and mix it in with your finger tips to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Add water and stir until blended; dough will be really wet and saggy. It’ll smell like roasted garlic though which is a good thing and you should be able to see tiny pieces of garlic in the dough. Cover this with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 14-18 hours. When its surface is dotted with bubbles, the dough is ready. At this point you need to form the loaf. Basically, just lightly flour a counter and pour the dough onto the surface. Gently fold it over itself a few times and then form it into a rectangular loaf. Sprinkle a clean towel with a good layer of cornmeal or semolina flour and lay the loaf on the towel, seam side down. Dust with additional corn meal or semolina. Cover this with another clean towel (or just fold the towel over onto the loaf). Let it rise again for about 2 hours. Dough should have more than doubled in size. At least a half hour before dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Put a 5- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Put the lid on the pot and cook it for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook the loaf for another 15-20 minutes until the loaf is a deep dark brown. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing into it.

Creamy Red Beans and Pasta Salad

Creamy Red Beans and Pasta Salad

½ C. dried carrots
½ C. freeze dried peas
4 C. cooked and drained small pasta
2-15oz. cans red beans or 3 ½ c.
½. C. bottled Italian dressing
½ C. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dried parsley

Simmer carrots in 1 ½ C. water for 10 minutes. Add peas and simmer an additional 3-4 minutes. Drain vegetables, combine with pasta and beans and cool. Whisk together dressing, mayonnaise and parsley; pour over salad and toss. Serves 4-5.

Pinto Beef Tamale Pie

Pinto Beef Tamale Pie

1 ¼ C. cornmeal
½ tsp. salt
¼ C. water
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
½ tsp. onion powder
1 C. water
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 (12oz) can beef chunks
½ tsp. cumin
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drain
¼ tsp. sugar
¼-1/2 tsp. chili powder

Combine cornmeal, salt, milk and water in small saucepan. Cook on medium heat. Stir until bubbling; continue stirring until VERY thick, 2-3 more minutes. Save ½ C. cornmeal mixture; cover with plastic wrap. Put rest of mixture in a lump in bottom of greased 10-inch pie plate. Allow to cool 2-3 minutes. Using a slightly wet had, press dough to cover bottom and sides of plate. Bake in 425ºoven for 10 minutes. While crust is baking, pour beef into medium saucepan and break up. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring often. Spread pinto beef mixture over baked cornmeal. On a piece of waxed paper flatten reserved cornmeal into an 8-inch round. Place on center of bean filling. Bake pie for further 15 minutes and serve. Serves 6. Variations: Pinto beef filling can also be served in tortillas, on tostadas or over rice

Magic Milk Shakes (Copycat Frosty)

Magic Milk Shakes (Copycat Frosty)

1-1/2 to 2 C. ice water
1-1/2 C. nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 C. sugar
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 11/2 trays of ice cubes
2 T. corn oil
5-second squirt of non-stick spray

Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4’s full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 – 12oz. servings Variations:1 very ripe banana for a chocolate banana shake, a big spoonful of peanut butter for a decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake, a few broken red and white candy mints for a refreshing Chocolate Mint shake. Vanilla Milk Shakes: omit the cocoa powder, reduce the sugar to 1/2-C. and add 1 T. (yes a full T.) of vanilla flavoring.

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 C. warm water
2 T. light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
3 oz. unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 C. all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
1/2 C. baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 T. cold water
Coarse sea salt

For the cheese sauce:
½ T. unsalted butter
½ T. all-purpose flour
½ C. milk
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated

For the Pretzels: Combine the 1 1/2 C. water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 T. at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and carefully add the baking soda. It will boil over, so add slowly and be careful! Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 oz. each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce. To make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. *If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a tsp. vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Shallots

Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Shallots

3 tsp. clarified butter
8-10 oz. mushrooms, end trimmed, with stem intact
1 C. shallots
1 C. pearl onions, cut in half
4 cloves garlic
olive oil, if needed
8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
1/2 C. chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat your 2T. clarified butter on medium-high heat in a large pan that goes from stove to oven. Add mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes covered. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add 1T. clarified butter, along with the shallots and pearl onions, and cook for 3 minutes. If sticking occurs, add a glug of olive oil. Then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove and set aside. Increase heat a bit and add another glug of olive oil. Sear the chicken until brown, about 3 minutes a side, making sure not to flip until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Place mushrooms on the bottom, then the onions, then place the chicken back in. Bake in the oven covered for 30-40 minutes. Remove top for the last 10 minutes to brown. Remove from oven and serve.

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb)
1/4 C. butter
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C. panko bread crumbs
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 T. the butter-garlic mixture. Brush squash slices with remaining butter-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and bread crumb mixture. Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Sweet & Sour Cabbage

Sweet & Sour Cabbage

4 C. shredded cabbage
½ C. diced bacon
3 tsp. flour
¼ C. honey
¼ C. vinegar
½ C. water
½ C. Onion, chopped

Cook shredded cabbage until tender. Drain. Dice bacon. Fry until well done. Drain and place on cabbage. Blend bacon drippings with flour. Add honey, vinegar, water and chopped onion. Cook until thickened. Pour over cabbage and bacon. Season to taste. Heat thoroughly. Serve hot.

Roasted Cranberry Chicken

Roasted Cranberry Chicken

8 small chicken thighs or breasts (2 to 2-1/4 lb.), skinned
3/4 C. low-calorie cranberry juice
3/4 C. fresh cranberries
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tsp. packed brown sugar
Fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat extra-large ovenproof skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper on chicken. In hot skillet cook, meaty sides down, 5 minutes, turning once, until well-browned on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees F). Meanwhile, in saucepan combine juice, berries, thyme sprigs, brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to boiling. Simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened

BBQ Chops & Baked Beans

BBQ Chops & Baked Beans

1 1lb. cans Pork & Beans or Baked Beans
6 Pork Chops, trimmed
3 tsp. Mustard
1 ½ tsp. Ketchup
1 ½ tsp. Lemon Juice
1 ½ tsp. Brown Sugar
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 ½ tsp. grated Lemon Zest
Paprika

In a casserole dish spread beans evenly. Arrange pork chops over beans. In a bowl combine mustard, ketchup, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over each pork chop. Sprinkle evenly with chopped onion. Top with lemon rind and paprika. Bake 325 degrees for 2 hours.

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

1 1/4 C. coarsely ground cornmeal
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 C. whole milk
1 C. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 T. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a 9-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat while you make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the milk, buttermilk, and eggs. Whisk in almost all of the melted butter, reserving about 1 T. for the skillet later on. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of the hot skillet with the remaining butter. Pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is firm and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.