Chicken Saltimbocca

Caesar Salad

Freshly Made Fettuccini with Butter

Mocha Lava Cobbler

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Creamy Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

yield: 2 servings                                                                           

½ head trimmed Romaine lettuce, cut in 1 inch slices

2 ½ inch slices Italian bread, cut in cubes

¼ cup plus extra-virgin olive oil,

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shreaded

1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 small filet mashed)

½ lemon, juiced

½ teaspoon garlic, minced and divided

¼ cup Mayo

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

Small block of parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish

  In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon garlic, anchovy, lemon and Dijon. Whisk to thoroughly mix. Add Mayo and continue to mix.  Taste and add salt and pepper to eliminate acidity of lemon. Set is cooler until needed.

  In a small mixing bowl combine ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix for 2 minutes to combine and extract garlic oils. Add bread cubes and toss quickly to evenly distribute garlic-oil min. Add parsley, fold in, and transfer croutons to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes until cubes are golden brown but still chewy in the center. Set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, Toss Romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing in a mixing bowl to lightly  coat, using only half of dressing to begin. Add more dressing if desired uniformly coating the lettuce. Add croutons and fold until evenly distributed. Divide salad between 2 chilled salad plates and garnish with shaved or shredded parmesan block.

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.

 Chicken Saltimbocca

  Yield: 2

2 chicken breast

Salt and pepper to taste

8-10 large fresh sage leaves

2-4 thin slices prosciutto

Oil

½ cup white wine

½ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

Season chicken with salt and pepper then place sage leaves on top and wrap in prosciutto.

In a skillet over medium high heat add oil and chicken. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Add white wine and scrape any fond from bottom of pan. Add chicken stock and reduce by half. Turn heat down to medium low and add butter. Swirl pan until butter is melted. Return chicken back to pan and coat in sauce. If chicken is under cooked, place skillet in preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 7-10 minutes or until chicken is to 165 degrees. Serve with pan sauce.

Mocha Brownie pudding (coffee chocolate lava cobbler)

  yield: 8

1 cup flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons veggie oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven 350

Grease 9×9 pan

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, milk, veggie oil, and vanilla. The batter will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder, pour over top of thick batter. DON’T MIX.

Pour hot coffee on top and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Marry Me Chicken

Freshly Made Fettuccini

Spring Roasted Vegetables

Lemon Gelato

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.

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Marry me Chicken

yield: 2 servings                                                                           

2 chicken breast

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic minced

½ chicken stock

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup parmesan cheese grated

Chili flakes to taste

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon thyme

½ cup sundried tomatoes chopped or strips

1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat.  Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, and set aside. Sauté the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes and butter. Allow to melt then put the chicken back in the sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta.

ROASTED SPRING VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS

1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces

1/4 lb. medium asparagus, ends trimmed and halved

2-3 radishes ends trimmed and halved

1 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a large mixing bowl, add potatoes, carrots, asparagus, radishes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine until well coated.

Arrange the vegetable mixture in a single layer on a large half sheet baking pan.

Bake at for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden brown. Gently shake the sheet pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. 

Lemon Gelato Recipe

SERVINGS 6

INGREDIENTS

125 ml lemon juice ½ cup (about 3 lemons)

150 g granulated sugar ¾ cup

250 ml milk 1 cup, whole and fresh

250 ml heavy cream 1 cup

INSTRUCTIONS

How to Make Lemon Gelato WITH Ice Cream Maker

Wash and squeeze the lemons. You will need about 125 ml (½ cup) of juice. Of course, it depends on the size of the lemons. About three lemons should be fine.

Strain the juice through a strainer to remove any seeds or peels.

Pour the strained juice into a larger container. Add the sugar to the lemon juice and stir.

Then add the heavy cream and finally the whole milk. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour the mixture into the basket of the ice cream maker, close it and start. After about 40 minutes (time may vary depending on the model of the machine) your lemon gelato is ready!

How to Make Lemon Gelato WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker

Wash and squeeze the lemons. Strain the juice through a strainer to remove any seeds or peels.

Pour the juice into a larger bowl. Add the sugar and stir. Then add the very cold whole milk. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Whip the cream with the help of a stand mixer or an electric whisk.

Then add the milk and lemon mixture and stir gently from bottom to top to combine. Pour the mixture into a gelato container and place it in the freezer for about 5 hours. Every 30 minutes you have to break the frozen surface. So remove from the freezer and mix for about 30 seconds using a hand whisk or an electric whisk on low speed.

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.