Toasted Walnut Salad
My Toasted Walnut Salad is the perfect fall salad and can be eaten as a main course or pears well with just about any main dish that you decide to cook up.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Toasted & Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
3 Medium Peeled Oranges
1 Thinly Sliced Medium Red Onion
1 Large Peeled & Sliced Avocado
26 Pitted Greek Black Olives
2 Heads Butter Lettuce
1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Lemon Juice Dressing
In a large size serving bowl tear the butter lettuce into pieces. Coarsely chop the oranges and add to the salad. Add the red onion, avocado, olives and feta cheese. Mix the salad and then toss with Lemon Juice Dressing. Serves 6
Lemon Juice Dressing
1/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3/4 Cup Walnut Oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds. Makes about 1 cup.
Grilled Duck Breasts
This duck dish is so easy. The key ingredient is to marinate the duck breasts in beer overnight.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Duck Breasts
10 Garlic Cloves
2 Bottles of Ale
Place the duck breasts in a large ziplock bag. Add the whole garlic cloves and pour in the two bottles of ale. Marinate overnight in the fridge. Remove from the fridge when ready to grill. Throw away the ale marinade. Prepare the grill to a medium heat. Place the duck breasts on the grill skin side down and grill for 10 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and grill another 10 minutes. Adjust the grilling time to how done you like your duck breasts. Remove from the grill and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Dijon Baked Pork Chops
My Dijon Baked Pork Chops are perfect for a rainy day meal. They are simple to make and are perfect for an end of the week hearty meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 Chopped Red Onion
1 Cup Dijon Mustard
6 Medium Size Pork Chops
Preheat your oven to 350° F. You will need a medium size glass baking dish. Brush the baking dish with olive oil. Spread the red onion on the bottom of the dish. Lay the pork chops on top of the onions. Spread the mustard on top of each chop and cover the baking dish with either foil or a lid. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 6
Banana Cake
I like making this cake when I have those leftover overripe bananas. If you like the taste of banana then you’ll love this cake!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Mashed Banana
1 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
4 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Rum
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl mix together the first seven ingredients. Mix well. You will love the smell. Next, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Stir. Grease and flour two round metal cake pans. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool until the cakes are completely cool. Remove from the pans and place the bottom layer onto a cake plate. Frost the top of the bottom layer of the cake with cream cheese frosting. Place the second cake on top of the frosted bottom layer. Finish by frosting the top and sides. Serves 8
**To Make Sour Milk: Mix 3/4 Cup milk and 1/4 Cup lemon juice. Let sit for about 5 minutes before using.
Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Let the cream cheese and butter sit in a bowl at room temperature for about an hour or until softened. Then beat with a mixer. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep on beating until you get a very smooth texture. Frost your cooled cake.
Ribs With Peaches
These ribs are great for dinner. Just put them in the slow cooker in the morning and when you come home from work you and your family will have a delicious meal. If you are having a party these ribs make a good appetizer.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Pork Spareribs
1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
15 Ounces Cubed Cling Peaches With Juice
Preheat your oven to broil. Put the ribs onto a foil lined broiler pan and broil for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs into serving size pieces. Place into your slow cooker. In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, pepper and cubed peaches with their juice. Pour the mixture over the ribs and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours. If you don't have a slow cooker then put them in the oven at 250° for 4 to 5 hours. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Green Onion Meat Loaf
The weather is getting more and more fall like. This is when I like to make a tasty meat loaf. My Green Onion Meat Loaf is a great weekend meal as well as making weekday sandwiches from the leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
2 Beaten Eggs
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Large Bunch Chopped Green Onions
5 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1/2 Pound Ground Veal
1/2 Pound Ground Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large bowl combine the eggs, bread crumbs, green onions, kosher salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and 5 tablespoons ketchup. Add the ground sirloin, veal and sweet Italian sausage. Mix well and then lightly pat the mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. For the glaze pour the1/2 cup ketchup over the top and scatter the dried parsley over the top of the meat loaf. Bake the meat loaf for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Use two spatulas to transfer the meat loaf to a serving platter. Cut into 8 slices. Serve with mashed potatoes. Serves 8
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
I don’t know a single person that can resist mashed potatoes. The olive oil and garlic are what makes these mashed potatoes so great!
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds Quartered Red Potatoes
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves
2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Softened Butter
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2/3 Cup Milk
4 Chopped Green Onions
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fill a large stock pot with water and place the quartered potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Make sure that the potatoes are tender. You will now need to put the olive oil and garlic in either a food processor or blender. Process until the olive oil and garlic are well blended. When the potatoes are done you will need to drain them. DO NOT rinse the potatoes. Turn off the heat and return the potatoes to the stock pot and gradually add the cream, butter, milk, kosher salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes well. Stir in the green onions, garlic olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve nice and hot. These potatoes do not need gravy. Serves 6
Fresh Corn Soup
I am certainly enjoying the corn harvest and have been making all sorts of corn dishes like corn salad, corn salsa, corn chowder, corn cakes and corn bread. Try making my corn soup with freshly picked corn. Make sure to use the fresh picked corn right away as it does have a tendency to lose some of its sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
1 Diced Onion
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
5 Ears Freshly Picked Corn
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Carefully cut the kernels off the ears of corn. To do this, stand each ear of corn upright on its wide end, then use a serrated knife to carefully saw down the length of the cob, rotating and repeating until all of the kernels are removed. Set the kernels aside. Melt the butter in a large heavy soup pot. Add the diced onion, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Add the corn kernels and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes. In batches puree in a blender or food processor. Pour the pureed soup through a mesh strainer back into the cooking pot. Add the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Stir and heat for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining freshly ground pepper. Serves 4
Country Plum Tart
Just spoon the filling in the center of the pastry circle and leave a 2 inch boarder around the filling. Gently fold the pastry edge over the filling. Pleat the pastry as necessary to keep it flat against the fruit. Use the parchment to lift the pastry. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
INGREDIENTS
1 Recipe For A Single Crust Pie
1/4 Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
2 Cups Sliced Plums
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Cinnamon Sugar
Preheat your oven to 375° F. Prepare the pastry for a single crust pie. On a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper roll the pastry into a 13 inch circle. Slide the paper with the pastry onto a baking sheet and set aside. For the filling you will want to get a large size bowl. Stir together the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the slice plums and lemon juice. Toss until well coated. Mound the filling in the center of the pastry. Leave the outer 2 inches uncovered. Fold the uncovered pastry up over the filling. Pleat as necessary. Sprinkle the filling and pastry with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden. You may want to cover the edge of the tart with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Makes 1 Country Plum Tart and serves 4. 
Salmon & Vegetable Bake
Here is the perfect Sunday dinner dish. You won’t need to do much, but put everything in foil pouches, pop in the oven and go about your afternoon or evening. You can cook this dish in parchment paper if you choose to instead of foil.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Skinless Salmon (3/4 Inch Thick)
4 Sliced Carrots
2 Cups Sliced Mushrooms
5 Sliced Green Onions (Including Green Part)
2 Teaspoons Grated Orange Peel
2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon)
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Halved Garlic Cloves
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Sliced Oranges
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the salmon into four serving size pieces and set aside. Fill a small saucepan with 2 cups of water. Place the sliced carrots in the saucepan boil for just 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside. Tear off four large pieces of heavy foil. The foil pieces should be about 24 inch by 18 inches. Fold each piece of foil in half to make an 18×12 inch piece. In a large size bowl combine the carrots, mushrooms, green onions,garlic, orange peel, herbs, kosher salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine. Divide the vegetables among the four pieces of foil. Make sure to place the vegetables in the center of each piece of foil. Drizzle each with olive oil and then top the salmon pieces. Place the orange slices on top of the salmon pieces. Seal the edges of the foil with a double fold. Place the foil packets in a large baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes. You will want the salmon to flake when you open a packet to check for doneness. Remove from the oven and open the packets carefully so that the steam will escape. Transfer the packets to each dinner plate. Serves 4
