Amazing Beet Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium beets, sliced 1/16th to 1/8th inch thick (love your mandolin) 
• 1 orange, zested and then supremed, juices reserved
• ¼ cup roasted or steamed edamame 
• 2 oz. soft goat cheese 
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 T. Lemon juice 
• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Whisk the reserved orange juice, lemon juice and a pinch of salt together until salt dissolves. Continue to whisk while drizzling in olive oil.
2. Toss beets with dressing.
3. Arrange all of the remaining ingredients on a platter and top with extra dressing and fresh black pepper as desired. Eat.

Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 (serving size: 2 cups)

INGREDIENTS:

      2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, chopped

      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

      2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

      1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

      1 clove garlic, minced

      1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

      10 ounce short pasta noodles such as cavatelli, penne or rigatoni

      1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

      Freshly ground black pepper

             

PREPARATION:

1. In a bowl, toss tomatoes, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic and salt. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes or as package label directs. Drain pasta and place in bowl with tomatoes. Add Parmesan, if desired, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Lemon & Garlic Green Beans

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and tender crisp, roughly 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and continue to saute until coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Baked d’Anjou Pears Recipe

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

•             4 d’Anjou pears
•          1/4 cup water
•             1/3 cup maple syrup
•             1/2 cup brown sugar
•             1/2 tsp ground ginger
•             1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
•             1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
•              Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Wash pears well under cold water. Peeling them is not necessary but won’t ruin the dish if you are so inclined. Slice off the bottom of the pears and stand them up in a pie pan or small baking dish, leaving some space between each pear so that they cook evenly.
3. In a small saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, and maple syrup and heat just enough to dissolve syrup. Mix in spices and pour mixture over top of the pears.
4. Bake for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until pears are tender all the way through, basting them with the syrup every fifteen minutes or so.

Serve warm on their own or with really cold vanilla ice cream.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients:

•     16 oz. Softened Cream Cheese

•     Packet of Hidden Valley Dry Ranch

 Dressing Mix

•     White Bread

•     Cucumbers

•     Paprika

•     Bit of Milk

Directions:

 1.. Cut off crusts of bread

2.Cut bread into four equal squares.

3.  Clean and peel cucumbers.

4.  Cut off ends and cut into thin slices.

5. Take your softened cream cheese and put it in a bowl. 

6. Mix in the dry ranch and some milk.  Mix it all up.

7.Carefully spread the cream cheese mix on the breads.

8.  Place a cucumber piece on each and sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Stuffed Mushroom al la Ritz

Ingredients:

Makes: 16 large stuffed mushrooms

•     1 (0.9-ounce) package hollandaise sauce mix, prepared according to package directions

•     16 large mushrooms (about 1 pound)

•     1/2 small onion, minced

•     1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

•     1/2 pound turkey sausage

•     2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

•     1/4 teaspoon salt

•     1/4 teaspoon black pepper

See an Asian Pot Roast Recipe

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Remove mushroom stems from caps; finely chop stems. 

3.  In a large skillet, saute chopped mushroom stems, onion, bell pepper, and sausage over medium-high heat until sausage is crumbled and browned. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients; mix well then stuff each mushroom cap and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.

4.  Bake 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Spoon hollandaise sauce over mushrooms, and serve immediately.

Broccoli/Cauliflower steaks

Ingredients:

• Broccoli/Cauliflower Head – cut down from top of head to the base, slices of ½ in or more.
• Olive oil
• Seasoning (depends on the flavoring you desire, whether its garlic, seasonal, or steak flavor)

Directions:

1. Cut for vegetable as such, and light spread olive oil on both sides.
2. Place seasoning on vegetable
3. Place on grill, and cook till you get a little brown, then flip. End result should look like: