Israeli Couscous with vegetables

Cook israeli couscous according to directions (cook in chicken or vegetable stock for additional flavor)

Add in:

Few tablespoons good quality oil (toasted walnut or olive oil)

S&P to taste

Chopped arugula

Roasted red onion

Roasted zucchini

Roasted red pepper

Capers

Greek black olives

Chopped tomatoes (homegrown is best!)

Fresh herbs (oregano, basil, or parsley)

Serve warm or cold.

Truffled Aglio Olio Seafood Pasta

Olive oil Sauce:

Olive oil of choice

4 large cloves garlic

Generous pinch red pepper flakes

lemon zest

truffled sea salt

splash of vanilla

douse of white wine or champagne

Shrimp

Bay Scallops

Crab or Calamari

Fresh angel hair pasta

Make a paste with garlic and truffled salt; Saute garlic paste, red pepper flakes and lemon zest in olive oil; add in seafood, vanilla and alcohol, let reduce.

Toss with fresh pasta, top with shaved truffles, parmesean cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Can substitute dried pasta for fresh, or use risotto. Also use dried black truffles, or truffle oil if no truffled sea salt available.

Nutella Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Toasted Hazlenuts

6 large eggs, separated
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce container Nutellla
1 tablespoon frangelico or rum
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and
cooled

Ganache:
4 ounces whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup half and half (she calls for heavy cream but I was out, half and half worked well)
1 tablespoon rum
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl (preferably metal), whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in melted chocolate.
Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, or toaster oven shaking them around frequently. Do it for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If hazelnuts came with skins on, put them in a towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove most of the skins.
Chop chocolate, and add to sauce pan with half and half and rum over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool.

Pour ganache over cake once cooled, and garnish with toasted hazlenuts.

Shepherd's Pie

~ 4 large baking potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled in salted water
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/4 cup sour cream or cream cheese
2 tbsp butter, if desired
salt and pepper to taste
1-1 1/2 lb lean ground meat (beef, turkey, or lamb)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 large bag frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn)
1/2 cup red wine
few tbsp olive oil
few tbsp chopped herbs (thyme, parsley, sage, etc)
few tbsp worcestershire sauce
few tbsp hot sauce, if desired


boil potatoes until fork tender, drain water and add milk, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper and mash potatoes. additional seasoning to taste. set aside.

saute onion in olive oil, add garlic, meat, worcestershire, and seasonings, and brown on medium high heat. add wine and deglaze pan, then add in veggies and combine. add more seasoning to taste.

spray a casserole dish and pour meat mixture in dish; top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top if desired. bake in oven at ~400F until potatoes are lightly golden, about 25 min.


lends itself to many variations! add mushrooms, use mushroom or onion soup mix, top with different style cheeses, use different spices, etc.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Saged Brown Butter Sauce and Shaved Parmigianno-Reggiano

1 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, about 3 large, cubed
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch allspice
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour
Salted water, for cooking gnocchi
1/2 pound butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, minced
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions
Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, drain, and cool slightly. Puree potatoes in food processor until smooth; add the pumpkin puree, cheese, egg, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper and mix well. Gradually add in enough flour to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Briefly knead the dough to incorporate the flour, being careful not to overwork.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and place 1 piece on a lightly floured work surface. Roll piece into a long rope, about 1/2-inch in diameter, flouring lightly if needed. Slice the rope into pieces 1/2-inch wide. Holding one piece at a time, roll the tines of a fork against the dough until slight indentations are formed. Repeat with each piece of dough, setting formed gnocchi on a floured kitchen towel or baking sheet.

Drop gnocchi into boiling water and remove when gnocchi floats to the top, about 3 minutes.

Saute butter over medium-high heat until butter develops a light brown color; reduce heat to medium and add sage. Toss in gnocchi and stir to coat, remove from heat and serve immediately with freshly shaved parmesean.

Add spicy italian sausage for a real kick!

Pearl Sugar Waffles (aka Liege Waffles)

A must try if you have never experienced the heaven that is found within!


2 tbsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
1-1/3 cups warm buttermilk
2 cups AP flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 stick butter melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup pearl sugar (aka hail sugar, or lightly crush sugar cubes into smaller chunks)
Extra flour (for sprinkling)

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan, add in buttermilk and yeast (mix should be warm to touch, do not overheat or you will kill the yeast). Add in vanilla, egg, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry in small amounts and combine to form dough. Add in pearled sugar last, working it into the dough with your hands if necessary. Cover dough and allow to rise for 30 min. Can chill for 30 min or use straight away. Shape dough into roughly 10 balls; flatten slightly with palm of hand (if dough is wet enough can pour directly into waffle iron), and place each into a well greased waffle iron on medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, careful not to overcook or pearl sugar will burn. Serve warm with powdered sugar on top. No syrup, these aren't Belgian waffles!

Note: sugar will caramelize as it cooks and can make quite a mess of your waffle iron. if you are lucky enough to have an iron with removable plates, it makes for an easy wash. otherwise, proceed with warning! ;)

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (about 2 tbsp)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:

~ 1 small box of powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency)
2 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
pinch of salt


Directions
1.In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the buttermilk; heat until warm to the touch (not too hot or will kill the yeast).
2. Add yeast and water mix to the buttermilk/butter. Add in vanilla and sugar and stir to dissolve. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour a little at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 20 times. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
3.On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle. Spread the brown sugar and butter mixture over the dough, roll up into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Slice into 1 inch pieces and place cut side up into two lightly greased round cake pans. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Bake in preheated oven ~ 20 min or until lightly browned on top. Allow 2-3 minutes to cool before glazing.

Glaze:

Whisk all ingredients together; glaze should be thick but pourable. Can omit coffee and double amount of buttermilk.

adjust amount of dough filling if needed; filling should cover the rectangle of dough in a nice layer, so add more if needed!

Mexican Chili

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 large link andouille sausage or spicy chorizo
1 red onion diced
1 poblano pepper diced
1 jalapeno diced
3 cloves garlic diced
hot sauce to taste (I used chipotle hot sauce, if using regular add in some chipotle powder or canned chipotle to taste)
1 jar 'arriba' brand mild fire roasted salsa (or 1 can fire roasted tomatoes)
few tbsp ketchup (i used chipotle flavored ketchup)
2 small cans diced green chiles
1 can green enchilada sauce (or red if preferred)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 package fresh frozen corn
cumin to taste
chili powder to taste
S & P to taste

Saute onion and peppers in olive oil until soft; add in garlic, meat, and seasonings. Next add sausage and heat through, then add rest of ingredients, stir occasionally, adjust seasonings, and voila!

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, diced jalapeno, and tortilla chips or corn cakes.

Nana's Buttermilk Biscuits

Hands down, the best thing you could ever put into your mouth!

2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening
~1 cup buttermilk

Sift together dry ingredients; add shortening and crumb together with hands or a potato masher; add buttermilk last, a bit at a time to ensure the dough does not get too wet. Form dough into a ball and lightly roll out onto a well floured surface. Cut into biscuits, makes about 10-12, and bake in pre-heated oven at 425F until very lightly browned on top, about 10-15 min.

Cushaw Pie

2 cups prepared cushaw squash puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces evaporated milk
pastry for single-crust pie

Combine cushaw squash puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla then beat lightly with a whisk. Stir in evaporated milk. Mix well. Pour into a pastry-lined pie plate. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 375-degrees for 50-60 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).

Mom's Yummy Layer Bars (Butter Pecan Turtle Bars)

2 cups AP flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine above and press into ungreased 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle roasted salted pecans over top.

2/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

combine butter and sugar and pour over pecans

Sprinkle coconut on top if desired.

Bake at 350F for ~20 min. Sprinkle chocolate chips over warm bars and allow to set.

Can use combination of chocolate chips and butterscotch or peanut butter chips.

Sean's Cheesecake

Makes 2 Cheesecakes:

22 oz graham cracker crumbs
8 oz melted butter

combine above to make crust, press firmly into two springform pans

3 lbs cream cheese
2 1/4 cups sugar

Cream together until smooth. Add in:

7 tbsp corn starch
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp vanilla extract

Next add in (a little at a time):

4 whole eggs
8 egg yolks

Last add:

6 oz sour cream

Mix until well blended.

Pour into pans, wrap pans in foil and cook in a bath of hot water at 350F until set, ~1- 1 1/2 hours.

too many variations to mention!!

Sweet Potato Salad

2 cups diced sweet potatoes

1/2 cup raisins

2/3 cup finely diced red onion

1/3 cup finely diced fennel

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup sour cream

Boil potatoes to fork tender and cool; soak raisins in hot water for 15 min and drain; combine rest of ingredients and toss with raisins and potatoes. Serve warm or chill several hours for a more developed flavor.

Corn Pudding

1 can corn (or 12 oz fresh frozen corn)
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or fat free half and half
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

add flour, salt, and pepper to dry corn; whisk together egg, milk, and sugar and add to corn; fold in creamed corn and add to an oiled casserole dish.

Bake at ~400F for 30 min or until top is golden brown.

Dill Pickle Egg-Potato Salad with Tarragon

~ 1 lb small new potatoes

2 hard boiled eggs, diced

3 tbsp mayo

3 tbsp sour cream

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle

2 tbsp finely chopped shallot or red onion

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

boil potatoes until fork tender and cool; combine mayo through tarragon and mix in with potatoes; gently fold in diced eggs last. serve chilled or at room temperature.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup sugar or honey

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp poppy seeds

~8-10 fresh strawberries

process all ingredients in food processor; voila!

Caesar Dressing

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

~6-8 cloves garlic

3/4 cup olive oil (double if you omit the mayo)

1/2 cup mayonaise (for creamy dressing)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

process garlic, lemon, worcestershire, salt and pepper in food processor; drizzle in olive oil and whisk in mayonaise last.

this makes a large batch of dressing; cut in half if desired.

for more authentic flavor, add in anchovy fillets to puree.

toss with romaine lettuce and top with freshly grated parmesean and garlic croutons.

Light Crisp Waffles

3/4 cup AP flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar (brown sugar for deeper flavor)
1 tsp vanilla

variations: add cinnamon, nutmeg, or a bit of canned pumpkin (sub for some of the liquid mix) and pumpkin pie spice to waffle mix; chocolate chips, berries, etc.