Pan seared Shrimp

Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Compound Butter

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Vegetables

Smokey Hazelnut Scalloped Potatoes 

Blueberry Lemon Trifle

 Smokey Hazelnut Scalloped Potatoes

  Yield: 2

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper pepper

3/4 cup whole milk

½  cup grated smoked gouda

1 clove garlic , halved

cooking spray

2  peeled and thinly sliced potatoes

salt and black pepper

¼ cup crusted hazelnuts

2 strips hickory smoked bacon,chopped

½ teaspoon liquid s smoke

Preheat oven to 400

In Skillet fry chopped bacon, remove from skillet leaving fat. Add butter and flour to make roux. Once flour is cooked add the milk, cheese, liquid smoke and season with salt/pepper

Rub the inside of a casserole baking dish with garlic. Spray with cooking spray.

Layer half the potatoes in the dish.. Sprinkle bacon, hazelnuts and then. Repeat for second half of potatoes. Pour cheese sauce over potatos.

Bake about 40 minutes until the potatoes are done and browned on top.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower core removed and florets separated

4 cups broccoli florets

1 lb baby carrots

1 medium red onion cut into thin wedges

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 Tbsp divided

4 medium garlic cloves minced

1 tsp dry Italian seasoning

black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Liberally spray 2 baking pans with cooking spray.

Prep the vegetables. In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and onion wedges.

Drizzle with olive oil, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Mix well.

Spread in a single layer on the baking sheets.

Roast for 20 minutes, then stir and rotate pans, if needed for even browning. Continue to roast for an additional 20 minutes or until golden and caramelized.

Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with the melted butter.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley

Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Compound Butter

  Yield: 2

2 (6-ounce) Filet Mignon steaks, about 1 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh chopped parsley or dry –for garnish-

FOR THE GARLIC HERB BUTTER

1/4 cup butter softened

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

½ tablespoon fresh thyme

1 garlic clove minced

Remove steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet on high heat add olive oil and butter, once butter is melted and done foaming add steaks. Cook for 2 minutes then flip cook for 7-8 minutes or until desired doneness. Using a meat thermometer you can check the temp. Rare – 120-125F, medium rare – 130-135F, medium – 140-145F, medium well – 150-155F and well done – 160-165F

In a small bowl add butter, herbs, and garlic and mix until combined.

Remove the skillet from the oven and add the garlic herb butter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Easy Pan Seared Shrimp

Ingredients

8-12  large shrimp peeled and deveined with the tails removed

1 Tablespoons veg oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Pat dry shrimp and season

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until you can feel the heat radiating from the pan when you hover your hand over it.

Arrange 8 to 12 shrimp in the pan, evenly spaced and let them cook for 2 minutes or until they start to curl.

Flip them over and let them cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are pink and curled. (Parts of them may stick to the pan so wiggle them gently to loosen before flipping to prevent tearing.)

Once all the shrimp had been cooked, melt the butter in the same skillet and add all the shrimp back to the pan and toss evenly to coat.

Serve hot with fresh parsley leaves for garnish if desired.

Blueberry Lemon Trifle

Yield 8:

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, divided

1 can (15-3/4 ounces each) lemon pie filling

1 cup lemon yogurt

½ prepared angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

3-4 cups whipped cream

Optional: Lemon slices and fresh mint

Set aside 1/4 cup blueberries for garnish. In a large bowl, combine pie filling and yogurt.

In 8 glasses, layer a third of the cake cubes, lemon mixture and blueberries. Repeat layers twice. Top with whipped topping. Garnish with reserved blueberries and, if desired, lemon and mint.

Cheese & Mushroom Ravioli with Butter Herb Sauce

Pappardelle Bolognese

Chopped Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Fresh Berry Galette

Deconstructed Wedge Salad

Ingredients

1/2 head iceberg lettuce roughly chopped

1/2 large tomato diced

1 green onion thinly sliced

2 strips bacon cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

For the Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing:

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together in a medium bowl and set aside (it’s best to do this at least a couple of hours in advance and refrigerate to let the flavors marry together).

Arrange the iceberg lettuce on a large platter.

Top the lettuce with the blue cheese dressing. The dressing is thick, so try your best to evenly distribute it across the surface.

Top with tomatoes, bacon, green onion, and blue cheese crumbles.

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.

Portabella Mushroom and Cheese Ravioli

yield: 20-24 Ravioli

1/3 cup ricotta cheese, strained

1 large portabella top, grilled, pureed and drained

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

¼ teaspoon garlic, minced

1 oz egg, beaten

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper

1 recipe fresh pasta dough

Warm water and silicone pastry brush

  Split pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll the pasta dough into. Fold edges before rolling so pasta sheets are roughly rectangular in shape

  Using a 3 ½ inch round cookie cutter, cut as many pasta disks from 2 of the 4 pasta sheets as possible, leaving as little scrap as you can. If dough is still moist and pliable, knead trimmings into a ball, flatten one end and repeat the process to create another sheet and repeat cutting.

  Place ½ spoonful of cheese/spinach stuffing off center on each dough round, careful not to overstuff or ravio;I will not close. Once all disks have been filled, brush uncovered edge with water using a silicone pastry brush and carefully fold in half making a half-moon. Use a fork to crimp edges to seal. Set aside on a rimmed baking sheet dusted with semolina flour.

  To cook, bring a pot of generously salted water to a full rolling boil. Add all pasta at once, waiting 20 seconds before stirring gently. As ravioli cooks it will float to the top. Cook until all ravioli is floating and water begins to return to a boil, about 4-5 minutes. Gently pour contents of pasta pot into a colander, or 2 separate colanders if it is a large amount of ravioli so they do not get compressed. Drain for 1 minute and transfer to mixing bowl with half of marinara sauce.

  Serve onto warmed dinner plates and ladle with desired amount of remaining sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Herb and Brown Butter Sauce

yeild: 8 servings                                                                           

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

1 tablespoon fresh chives, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

  In a medium skillet, melt butter. If using a cast iron skillet you will need a stainless steel spoon to check color of butter. Continue to cook butter at 175 degrees until it browns slightly. Butter will take on a nutty aroma but do not burn.

  Add herbs and spices all at once and sauté for 1 minute, until butter becomes aromatic, increasing heat to 200 degrees if necessary. Add vinegar and turn off heat, scraping any fond from bottom of pan. Taste and adjust flavor with more salt and pepper if needed.

Bolognese Sauce

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

¼ chopped onion

½ stalk chopped celery

½ carrot diced

5 oz ground chuck

3 oz ground pork

4 oz milk

4 oz white wine

2 cups tomatoes cut up

Salt and pepper

Pinch nutmeg

2 oz parmigiano cheese

Put oil, butter and onion in pan and cook on medium heat. Cook and stir until onion is translucent, then add celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Add ground meats with salt and pepper, cook until no longer red. While cooking make sure to crumble the meat.

Add milk and let simmer, stirring frequently, until it has almost evaporated, add pinch of nutmeg.

Add wine and deglaze the pan, stirring until evaporated.  Add tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer, cook uncovered for 3 hours or more. Add water if sauce begins to dry out.

Summer Berry Galette

Ingredients

¾ cup strawberry or raspberry jam

4 teaspoons corn starch

1 tablespoon sugar plus more for sprinkling

¾ cup sliced strawberries

¾ cup blueberries

½ cup raspberries

½ cup blackberries

1 pre-packaged rolled pie crust (I use Pillsbury) or homemade dough

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper

Place jam in a microwave-safe, medium-size bowl. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds to “loosen” jam. Add cornstarch and sugar. Stir to combine.

Add fruit to jam mixture and stir gently to combine.

Unroll pie crust and place on prepared sheet pan.

Transfer fruit and jam mixture to center of pie crust. Spread out in an even layer to within 1 ½ inches of edges. (see Café Tips above in post.)

Bring edges of pie crust over fruit, pleating every couple of inches. Sprinkle edges of crust with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard, if desired.

Galette Dough

Ingredients

Crust

1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for work surface

2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed*

1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold water, plus more as needed

egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk

optional: coarse sugar

Make the crust: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. Add the water and stir until the flour is moistened. Add 1–2 more Tablespoons of water if the dough seems dry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, work the dough into a ball. Flatten it into a thick disc. Wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.

As the dough chills, prepare the filling

Steak Au Poivre

Twice stuffed potatoes

Caesar Salad

Apple Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

Steak Au Poivre

2thick-cut Steaks Beef Tenderloin or NY Strip steak, 5-6 ounces, about 1 1/2 – inches thick

Coarse salt

1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns crushed

1/2 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. At least 30 minutes up to an hour before cooking remove the steaks from the fridge. Sprinkle all sides of steaks with salt. Just before cooking, pat steaks dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Generously coat all sides of steaks with the fresh ground black pepper, pressing it into the steaks.
2. Heat a large heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Just as butter begins to smoke, place steaks in pan for medium rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Adjust cook time for desired doneness, using a meat thermometer for doneness. Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil.
3. Turn burners off. Carefully pour Cognac into hot frying pan. Carefully light the alcohol with a lighter and swirl the pan around until the flame burns out. Turn heat back on to medium. Whisking until sauce lightly thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, pour sauce over steaks.

Steak temperature:

Rare 125F, Medium Rare 135F, Medium 145F, Medium well 150F Well done 160F

Twice-Baked Loaded Potatoes

2 russet potatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup sour cream, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

½ cup scallions, thinly sliced, divided

2 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled yield: 2

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).

Rub each potato with 1 teaspoon of oil and prick the top with a fork.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Transfer potatoes to a cutting board and cut in half.

Using a spoon, gently scoop out the inside flesh of the potatoes into a potato ricer and transfer to a medium bowl. Reserve the skins.

Add the sour cream, melted butter, salt, pepper, ½ of the shredded cheese, and ½ of the scallions, and combine.

Use a spoon to transfer the potato mixture back into the scooped out potato skins.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the potatoes with remaining cheese, and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Top with sour cream, bacon, and the remaining scallions.

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Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

Yield: 2 servings

2 thick slices Italian bread or 4 thick slices French baguette cut in 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon garlic, minced or powder

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup grape tomatoes split lengthwise

1 large egg yolk

1 small anchovy filet or ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

Juice of ½  lemon

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl combine bread, oil and garlic. Toss to combine then place in oven at 350”F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Time will differ depending on size of sliced bread.

In a small bowl combine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, and anchovy. Stir to combine well. Slowly pour in olive oil while vigorously whisking. Once all oil is added, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. in the same bowl toss rest of salad ingredients and serve.

Apple cobbler

  yield: 8

6 cups fresh or frozen apples, 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 apples, 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.

Crab Cakes

 Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized onions and Mushrooms

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potato

Stuessel Topped Cake

Southern style crab cakes

  yield: 2

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3oz crab meat

1/4 cup bread crumbs, divided

1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 green onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons sour cream

½ cup frying oil

¼ cup egg white, beaten

Roasted red pepper aoli

½ roasted red pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1 garlic clove

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon parsley

Place roasted red pepper, garlic, and mayonnaise in a blender. Blend until smooth and no chunks are present. Stir in salt, and parsley. Pour out into a bowl or squeeze bottle

Set aside.

In a medium bowl add crab meat,egg, mustard, green onion, paprika, old bay seasoning, sour cream, green onion, and salt and pepper to taste. On a clean plate add bread crumbs. Form a patty with the crab cake filling, place into bread crumbs and coat completely on both sides. Place into frying oil, fry until golden brown and serve with zesty mayo.

Beef Tenderloin

Yield 2:

½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

½ cup sliced onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 5oz beef tenderloins, butterflied and pounded

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

3T oil

PAN SAUCE

½ cup red wine

¼ cup beef stock

1 tablespoon butter

In skillet add enough oil to coat bottom of the pan. Turn heat on to medium. Thoroughly dry filet and salt and pepper both sides.  Once pan is up to temperature cook until desired doneness, then remove from the skillet and let it rest.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan, add onions and mushrooms, cook until caramelized.  Add the red wine and reduce by ½ scraping up all the brown bits.  Then add the beef stock and reduce.

Finally add the butter and just swirl to incorporate.  Add the filets back to the sauce and any juices the release.

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

  Yield: 2

2 Russet Potatoes

A handful of salt

1 Bay Leaves

½ cup Half & Half Cream or heavy cream

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

¼ cup Sour Cream

2 tsp Prepared Horseradish

1/2 cup Shredded White Aged Cheddar

¼ cup Swiss or Gruyere

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Place potato pieces and bay leaves into a large pot, and cover with enough water so that the water is 1 inch over the potatoes. Add enough salt to the water so that the water is similar to seawater. Place over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove bay leaf

Using a potato ricer or a masher, mash the potatoes back into the empty pot. Add butter, infused cream, sour cream, horseradish, and cheese to the pot, and mix well until completely combined. Season with salt and pepper, and serve

Crumb Cake

8×8 inch baking dish

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping:

▢ 1¼ cups all-purpose flour divided (150g)

▢ ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (110g)

▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)

▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

▢ ½ teaspoon salt

▢ ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)

For the Cake:

▢ 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)

▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder

▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda

▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)

▢ ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)

▢ 1 large egg

▢ ⅓ cup sour cream

▢ ¼ cup milk (60mL)

▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

▢ confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter an 8×8-inch square baking pan or spray with baking spray. Line with parchment paper.

For the Crumb Topping:

In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Using a fork, stir in the melted butter until mostly combined but still crumbly. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup flour until the mixture is very crumbly and still has large pieces.

For the Cake:

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.) Add the egg and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sour cream, milk, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. (The mixture will look runny and curdled.)

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat just until all of the flour is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it evenly. (Batter will be very thick.) Sprinkle the crumb topping all over the batter.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the cake is browning heavily before 40 minutes, loosely cover with foil. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.

Beef Wellington

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Caprese Salad

Apple Cobbler

Beef Wellington

  yield: 2

ingredients

Tenderloin

4 slices  ham

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ t thyme

4 oz mushrooms, minced

¼ c Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Puff pastry

Egg wash

Preheat oven 425

In a large skillet over high heat add oil.  Season steak and add to hot skillet. Sear all sides and remove from pan.  Turn heat down to medium and add mushrooms, cook until all liquid and steam dissipates, add garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Coat meat with mustard Lay puff pastry out and lay out the ham on top then  add mushroom mixture.  Then add meat and wrap puff pastry around.  Lay the wellington on a sheet tray lines with parchment paper seam side down.  Coat with egg wash and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the desired temperature.

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

  Yield: 2

2 Russet Potatoes

A handful of salt

1 Bay Leaves

½ cup Half & Half Cream or heavy cream

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

¼ cup Sour Cream

2 tsp Prepared Horseradish

1/2 cup Shredded White Aged Cheddar

¼ cup Swiss or Gruyere

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Place potato pieces and bay leaves into a large pot, and cover with enough water so that the water is 1 inch over the potatoes. Add enough salt to the water so that the water is similar to seawater. Place over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove bay leaf

Using a potato ricer or a masher, mash the potatoes back into the empty pot. Add butter, infused cream, sour cream, horseradish, and cheese to the pot, and mix well until completely combined. Season with salt and pepper, and serve

STRAWBERRY AVOCADO CAPRESE SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients  

• 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls, extra mini
• 1/2 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1/2 large semi-ripe avocado, diced and sprinkled with lime juice
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, torn to small pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Optional: honey roasted almonds, chopped or slivered

Instructions

1. Balsamic Reduction: In a small saucepan, add the balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil and stir 3-4 minutes or just until liquid is reduced by about half; should be thick and syrup-like. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temp.
2. Toss:When ready to serve, add all remaining ingredients to a large platter or bowl, folding very gently with rubber spatula. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and then with balsamic glaze, sprinkle with almonds if desired, and serve immediately.

Apple cobbler

  yield: 8

6 cups fresh or frozen apples, 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 apples, 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.