Mediterranean Layered Salad

Chicken Marsala

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

Peach Cobbler

Mediterranean Layered salad

yield: 2 servings         

Dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoons honey  

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch ground black pepper  

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salad:

½ cup romaine lettuce, chopped

¼ cup garbanzo beans

¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved  

¼ medium cucumber, ¼ inch diced   

¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 thin slices medium red onion  

¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped  

2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

  In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano honey, red pepper flakes and parsley. Whisk to combine. Drizzle olive oil into bowl as slowly as possible while whisking vigorously. If oil begins to pool, stop pouring and whisk until emulsified and continue pouring remaining oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper

  Divide lettuce between two chilled salad plates. Divide hummus, spooning over greens. Arrange tomato halves in a single layer on hummus, then a layer of cucumber. Sprinkle olives over cucumber and then a layer of artichoke quarters. Arrange onion slices over artichoke hearts.

  Drizzle with lemon dressing and garnish with crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Marsala

  yield: 2 servings

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, dredged in flour (beurre marinier)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 6-8 oz chicken breast filets, lightly pounded to an even thickness

2 cups Crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon shallot, minced

1 cup good quality marsala wine, divided

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 tablespoon flat or curly parsley, chopped

Preheat medium skillet on medium heat

  Place flour in a small mixing bowl and season generously with salt and black pepper. Dredge tenderized chicken in flour to evenly coat. Shake off excess flour and set aside.

  Add oil to pan and when oil begins to shimmer, add chicken. Sear chicken 3-4 minutes per side or until filets achieve golden brown color. Transfer breasts from skillet to rimmed baking sheet. Add mushrooms to pan and saute until they turn darker brown in color and become tender. A perfect heat setting will evaporate mushroom juice but will not crisp mushrooms. When mushrooms are half-cooked, clear a well in the center of skillet. Add shallots and saute for 60-90 seconds until translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for about another minute, until garlic begins to brown lightly around the edges and becomes aromatic. Deglaze pan with Marsala wine, scraping caramelized bits of shallot and garlic into liquid. Add tomato paste and chicken stock and reduce until roughly one third of liquid remains. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper to taste.

 Reduce heat and stir in beurre marinier. Sauce will thicken slightly and should coat the back of a metal spoon. Transfer chicken to oven and cook until chicken is firm and springy with a lowest internal temperature of 165 degrees.

  Place chicken breast on warmed dinner plate and ladle desired amount of sauce over top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

yield: 2 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup sweet potato, peeled and diced in ½ inch cubes

½ tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped or dried

½ cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon shallot, minced

1 pinch saffron

2 cups low sodium vegetable stock

¼ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Sea salt and ground black pepper

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  Add 1 tablespoon warm water to bloom saffron and release flavor evenly.

  In a medium mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper. Toss with a silicone spatula to coat evenly and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Move oven rack to the upper half to keep some distance from the most direct heat. Transfer pan to the preheated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping or turning potatoes to lightly brown on all sides if possible. When potatoes are fully cooked, press through potato ricer and set aside

   While potatoes are roasting, preheat vegetable stock in a small saucepan. In a medium saucepan, add oil and heat at medium until oil shimmers. Add shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add white wine and deglaze pan, scraping bottom to dislodge any stuck-on bits of caramelized shallot.

  Begin adding stock, about 4 oz at a time, stirring slowly and constantly until liquid is absorbed or evaporated. When bottom of saucepan is visible, add another ladle and repeat. Add saffron and riced sweet potatoes and stir to incorporate.

  Continue adding stock only when rice seems dry and stir in a constant circular motion. Do not stop stirring. Stirring constantly will release the starch from the rice, giving the risotto it’s signature creamy texture. Repeat until all of stock is used. If risotto will be reheated at a later time, reserve ¼ cup of stock for use. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper, then add softened butter and stir.

Peach cobbler

  yield: 8

8 fresh or frozen peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into small piece

¼ cup hot water

Preheat oven 425”F

In a large bowl combine peaches, ¼ cup sugar/brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss evenly and divide evenly among 8 ramekins that have been greased.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine flour, rest of both sugars, baking powder, and salt. Blend with chilled butter in your hands, or a pastry blender. Mix until mixture resembles corn meal. Slowly add in water and mix until just combined. Remove ramekins from oven, evenly divide mixture on top of each and place back into the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Remove cool slightly, serve warm with ice cream.

Meatballs

Fresh Pasta with Marinara

Mixed fruit with yogurt

Chocolate Chip Skillet cookie with homemade ice cream

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

                                            Savory Meatballs                 

yield: 12 1oz meatballs                                                                

8 oz ground chuck (80% lean)

2 tablespoons yellow onion, minced

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 slices stale white or wheat bread, cut in ½ inch cubes (or bread crumbs)

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon tomato paste

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper

½ teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated fine plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped.

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  In a small mixing bowl, combine cubes bread, egg and milk, mixing frequently to saturate bread. Mash into a chunky paste by hand, then add ground beef. Add remaining ingredients and using a wooden spoon, mix until just blended but do not overmix.

  Use a small scoop or disher to portion meatballs into desired size. Pick up each portion and roll between hands to form a tight ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and continue until all portions are rolled. Place close together but do not compress or meatballs will be “meatcubes”.

  Bake for 8-10 minutes until meatballs brown slightly and are firm to the touch. Lowest internal temperature should be 145 degrees. Transfer to pot of marinara sauce and simmer until ready to use. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated cheese if desired

Fruit Salad

2 T honey

1/8 cup orange juice

Lime zest

½ cup vanilla yogurt

4 oz Strawberries

2 oz blueberries

2 oz raspberries

½ kiwi

½ orange

½ apple

½ cup grapes

Whisk together the yogurt, honey, orange juice and zest in a bowl. Add fruit and toss to combine.

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two

Ingredients

1/2 cup (75g | 2.6oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup (50g | 1.8oz) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (50g | 1.8oz) light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp pure vanilla extract, (store-bought or homemade)

1/4 cup (60g | 2.1oz) butter, melted

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup (90g | 3.2oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (save a few tablespoons to melt and drizzle over cooked cookie)

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Your favorite vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously butter a 6-1/4” mini cast iron skillet. If you didn’t have such a skillet, you could use a 6” cake pan instead, but you may have to adjust baking time slightly.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well with a whisk until well combined; set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until well combined.

Add the egg yolk, stir well, and then carefully stir in the flour mixture. Mix until completely combined, then stir about 2/3 of the chocolate chips.

Transfer the cookie dough to the cast iron skillet and arrange it delicately with your fork, just so it’s evenly distributed across the skillet.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and browned and the center appears set.

Remove from the oven and press a few additional chocolate chips across the surface of the cookie, if desired; allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave, adding a few drops of oil to make it more drizzleable, if necessary.

Garnish the cookie with a great big scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with the melted chocolate and serve with 2 spoons!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Condensed Milk

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream also called whipping cream/double cream/fresh cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Take chilled whipping cream in a large bowl. Whip it until you see stiff peaks.

Add cooked condensed milk, and vanilla. Mix with the help of a spatula.

Mix thoroughly.

Transfer ice cream to a 1.5-liter container. Then cover it with butter paper or cling wrap. It should touch the surface of ice cream.

Chill for at least four hours in the freezer. Remove the ice cream 10 minutes before serving. Scoop and serve immediately

Fresh Hand-Made Pasta Dough

Homemade Fettuccine with Alfredo

Garlicky Herb Shrimp Ravioli

Dirty Martini Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Strawberry Sorbet

Fresh Pasta Dough

yeild: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups (6.25oz) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

Four cheese Alfredo

  yeild: 2

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup parmesan

½ cup mozzarella

¼ cup swiss

¼ cup pepper jack

Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan add butter and garlic and cook until you smell garlic. Then add heavy cream and all cheeses. Mix until fully melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlicly shrimp herb ravioli

  yeild: 2

1/2 cup shrimp ( 4 oz chopped fine)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons mixed herbs (parsley, chives, basil)

¼ cup ricotta

¼ cup parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine both cheese,herbs,  garlic and shrimp. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Take sheet of pasta and visually divide in ½, on the bottom of the half place about tablespoon of filling spaced out about 1 inch. Dip your finger in bowl with water and wet the bottom edge of the pasta sheet and the space in-between each dollop of filling. Then fold the top ½ of the sheet over to meet the bottom.  Try to push any air out as you seal the raviolis.  Cut between each with a pasta cutter and place them on parchment.

Cook in boiling water until floating then an additional 3-5 minutes to ensure shrimp is cooked. strain and place in pan with dirty martini sauce

DIRTY MARTINI SHRIMP COCKTAIL

FOR THE SHRIMP

1/2-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)

FOR THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

¼ cup ketchup

12 oz crushed tomatoes

1 Tablespoon grated ginger (adjust to taste)

2 Tablespoons olive brine (from a jar of green olives)

¼ cup chopped olives

2 Tablespoon gin

2 Tablespoon dry vermouth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon hot sauce (optional, to taste)

lemon wedges and green olives, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In large sauté pan add 3 Tablespoons veg oil and heat to shimmering.  Add shrimp and salt and pepper, cook until done about 3-4 minutes.  Remove shrimp and wrap in foil.

MAKE THE DIRTY MARTINI COCKTAIL SAUCE

Deglaze the pan with the gin and vermouth.

Once reduced a bit add ginger and olives with brine.  Then add the tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce if using. Let cook for few minutes and the sauce is ready for the pasta.   Plate the pasta and top with the cooked shrimp.  Can squeeze the lemon on top.

Strawberry Sorbet

• 1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 pounds strawberries, hulled
•  Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

PREPARATION

1. Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.

           Spinach Stuffed Chicken

 Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Fresh Pasta with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

 Creme Brule

Fresh Pasta Dough

Yeild: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

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Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

yeild: 2 servings                                                                           

4 oz unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped

½ tablespoon sherry vinegar

Fine sea salt and ground black pepper

  Melt butter is a medium skillet at medium-low heat. When butter melts and foam subsides, increase heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown and takes on a light brown color and nutty aroma. Add sage and vinegar.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

2 Halal chicken breast

Stuffing

 1/2 package frozen spinach

1 tbsp green onion, diced

 1/4 tbsp dill

2 cloves garlic, crushed

 1/4 cup feta

 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Seasoning

 1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

 1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

Directions

For the stuffing, squeeze the liquid from 1 pack of Sno-Pac spinach and pat dry with paper towels. Mix in a bowl with green onion, dill, garlic, feta, and ricotta cheese.

For the chicken, lay out Halal chicken and pound flat, place a scoop of stuffing on the center of the breast and roll together and seal, tying closed with butcher’s twine. OR lay out chicken breast and butterfly, fill the space with stuffing and press closed to seal.

For the seasoning, mix oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and season both sides of the chicken.

Oil a pan over medium heat and cook chicken breast until all sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until cooked thoroughly

Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Balsamic

yield: 2 servings

10-12 oz assorted vegetables ( broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, zucchini or sweet potato)

4 garlic cloves, quartered

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fine balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch of ground black pepper or more if preferred

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  In a medium mixing bowl, toss vegetables with garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar salt and pepper until coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 until vegetable start to brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Classic Crème Brûlée

yield: 8 servings

4 cups heavy whipping cream

8 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

½ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Granulated sugar for Brûlée crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

  In a small mixing bowl, add egg yolks and beat well, whisking until yolks turn a pale yellow color.

  In a Medium saucepan, combine sugar and cream and heat on medium until mixture is approximately 170-180 degrees but do not boil. When steam begins to rise and small bubbles begin to form around the rim of the pan, turn off heat. Move bowl of yolks up against saucepan to limit spillage. Scoop 4 oz of hot liquid with a ladle and drizzle it into yolks while whisking it in. Add another ladle full being sure to whisk as it is poured to prevent eggs from cooking, gradually increasing speed. Repeat until ¾ of liquid has been added and bottom of bowl is hot. Return egg and cream mixture to saucepan and whisk to combine.

  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Pour 4oz into each ramekin and set in roasting pan. Top off each ramekin with remaining custard. Fill roasting pan with 1 inch hot water around ramekins and place on oven rack in upper 1/3 of oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until custard is firm but jiggles when shaken. Remove from water bath and set on cooling rack for 15 minutes, then transfer to cooler to chill.

  Sprinkle top of each baked custard with granulated sugar and using a torch, broil sugar until medium brown and bubbling. Let stand 3 minutes for candy crust to harden and serve.