Red Chile Butter
Sometimes it’s nice to change what you spread on your bread or rolls. I really like to use Red Chile Butter because it gives whatever you’re using it on a little zip. This butter is great on baked potatoes or even corn on the cob.
INGEDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Red Chile Flakes
1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Combine all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well blended. Spoon into individual ramekins or a larger bowl. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Makes 1 cup.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
With so much heavy holiday food this time of year it’s good to take a nice little soup break. Here is a Hearty Vegetable Soup that goes well with a nice loaf of crusty bread.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Diced Carrots
1 Large Diced Onion
5 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 Cups Cubed Butternut Squash
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Cups Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth
15 Ounces Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 Cups Chopped Kale
15 Ounces Cooked Chickpeas
In a large soup pot add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. Add the carrots, garlic, onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash cubes, kosher salt, pepper and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the vegetable broth or chicken broth and stir. Add the diced tomatoes and ground thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped kale and cooked chickpeas. Cook for another 30 minutes. Transfer to bowls and serve with crusty bread. Serves 4
Tuna Steaks Over Spinach
At least once a week I try to eat fish. Serving tuna steaks over a bed of sautéed spinach makes the dish look good and tastes even better.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Tuna Steaks
4 Cups Washed Spinach
1 Sliced Leek
6 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Chopped Shallots
1/4 Cup Malt Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
You will need two pans for making this dish. You will need a large sauté pan and a grill pan. In a large sauté pan add half of the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Heat the oil for a minute and then add the chopped garlic, shallots and leeks. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the washed spinach and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes over a medium heat. Stir constantly. Add the malt vinegar and continues to cook and stir for another minute. The spinach will shrink up significantly. Remove from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Place the grill pan over a medium high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Place the washed and dried tuna steaks on the heated grill pan and cook on each side for 4 to 5 minutes per side. A bit less or more depending on how rare you like your tuna. Remove from the grill pan and transfer to the serving plate with the spinach. Place on top of the bed of spinach and serve. Finish with salt and pepper. Serve warm. Serves 2
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
I had a ton of vegetables in my fridge that were close to expiring so I decided to make Shepherd's Pie vegetarian style! To make this a vegan dish swap out the butter for a non-dairy butter.
INGREDIENTS
3 Diced Parsnips
1 Chopped Onion
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (Chopped Carrots, Corn & Peas)
2 Pounds Potatoes
1 Stick Salted Butter
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Peel and quarter potatoes. Boil in water until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions in butter until tender over medium heat for about 10 minutes. If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put the parsnips and carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas at the end of the cooking of the onions. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add half a cup of the vegetable broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as necessary to keep moist. Mash potatoes in a bowl with remainder of the butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Place the vegetables and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Cook in a preheated 400° F oven about 30 minutes or until bubbling and brown. Broil for last new minutes if necessary to brown. Serves 4
Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love dark chocolate much more than milk chocolate. Here is a great easy recipe for dark chocolate chip cookies.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl mix together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the dark chocolate chips and mix for another minute. Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. With a teaspoon scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the parchment paper. Place 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Remember that each oven is different from the next so you may want to check the cookies at 9 minutes. I like to take the cookies out a bit early so they are nice and soft because the cookies will continue to cook after removal from the oven. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat until you are finished cooking all of the dough. Makes 54 cookies
Roasted Split Chicken With Pan Sauce
This is one dish that EVERYONE will love unless they are vegetarian. It’s a bit messy to make but worth the work.
INGREDIENTS
1 Whole Organic Chicken
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
For The Pan Sauce
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 Large Sliced Shallots
1 Cup Chicken Broth
Juice of 1 Lemon
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Thyme
2 Tablespoons Minced Oregano
Preheat your oven to 450° F. Move your oven rack to the middle of the oven. Split the chicken in half by using kitchen shears. Open the chicken halves like a book. Wash and dry the chicken halves with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large sauté pan sear the chicken halves, skin side down, in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, over a medium high heat for 5 minutes. Turn over and sear the other side for 2 minutes. You will want the chicken halves to be golden but not cooked through. Transfer the chicken halves to a baking pan skin side up. Roast the chicken, uncovered and skin side up, for 25 minutes. While the chicken is roasting you should make the pan sauce. For the sauce, sauté the garlic and shallots, in the same pan that you seared the chicken in, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Add the butter into the sauce and cook for two minutes over a medium low heat. Add the parsley, thyme, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Let sit for 5 minutes and spoon the pan sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately. Serves 2
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
What to do with all of that leftover pumpkin pie. Make a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie of course!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Greek Yogurt
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Milk
4 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie (Crust & All)
In a blender or food processor combine the Greek Yogurt, Cinnamon, Sugar and Milk. Pulse for 15 seconds. Add the 4 tablespoons of pumpkin pie. Pulse for 30 seconds. Pour into a tall glass. Makes 1 serving.
Chorizo & Turkey Chili
If you have plenty of leftover turkey and are tired of making turkey sandwiches make my Chorizo & Turkey Chili. My chunky chili is just the thing for cold weather comfort or watching the game.
INGREDIENTS
4 Chorizo Sausages
2 Cups Diced Cooked Turkey
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Water
1 Cup Water
1 Chopped Red Bell Pepper
4 Large Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
15 Ounces Diced Tomatoes
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes
15 Ounces Kidney Beans
1 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over a medium high heat. Remove the casings of the sausages and break up the sausage into pieces. Add the onion and sausage pieces into the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add water to deglaze the pan. Add the red bell pepper, chopped cilantro and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, pepper, tomatoes and beans along with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour over a low heat. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Serves 4
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
When it’s a busy day of cooking it’s nice to have a simple preparation for Brussels sprouts with delicious results.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Brussels Sprouts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts lengthwise. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, butter, kosher salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Stir a couple of times during the baking duration. You will want the sprouts to be deep golden brown and crisp on the outside while tender on the inside. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm. Serves 4
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes say Thanksgiving. If you are not a fan of the usual marshmallow sweet potato casserole then try my Whipped Sweet Potatoes. You could also substitute these potatoes for regular mashed potatoes and pour gravy all over them. Yum!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pounds Sweet Potatoes
1 Cup Whipped Cream
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Place the potatoes into a medium size pot filled with salted cold water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium and cook for 20 minutes or until done. The potatoes should be fork tender and not mushy. Remove from the heat and drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return the potatoes back to the pot. Add the whipped cream and the butter. Turn the heat to low and make sure the butter melts. Add the kosher salt and smoked paprika. With a hand mixer beat until smooth on a medium speed. Remove from the pot and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm. Serves 8
