category North American

Grilled Chicken Brussel Sprout Salad

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

Salad

  • 1 lb grilled chicken breast, sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 lb brussel sprouts, halved vertically
  • 1/2 cup pomegranates
  • 1/2 green apple, sliced into tiny pieces
  • Goat cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Vinegarette

  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Step One: Grill the chicken with spices of choice. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper and rosemary is a great marinade for this chicken

Step Two: Roast brussel sprouts tossed with salt and pepper in oven until a little charred and tender

Step Three: Create the vinegarette by combining all ingredients in a mason jar or bowl, stir or shake until well combined

Step Four: Add the brussel sprouts to the vinegarette, add the apple and pomegranate. Top the salad with chicken and goat cheese

Story: During the apocalyptic period of COVID, Mandi and I went to a local restaurant called Austin’s and ordered this amazing salad on repeat. The green apple with goat cheese and brussels makes this salad both healthy and satisfying!

Notes: Use grilled steak, salmon or turkey instead of chicken! Crumble bacon on top for an additional topping.

Apr 10, 2023

Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap

Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning

For the wrap:

  • One heart of romaine, cut in half and chopped into small pieces
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • Half of avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup of Taki’s, broken into small pieces (or another spicy crunchy snack)
  • Freshly grated parmesan
  • Green onion or purple onion
  • Caesar dressing
  • 4 tortillas

Instructions:

Step One: Add salt and pepper, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning to the halved chicken breasts. Cook on a medium high heat in a medium pan until fully cooked.

Step Two: Let the chicken rest on a plate or cutting board for at least five minutes. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Step Three: After resting, chop the chicken up into small bite sized pieces. Add ample amount of chicken to each tortilla. Grated Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Add even amounts of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, Taki’s, onion and dressing to each tortilla. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Story:

Notes: This dressing is a great dairy free/healthier option than Caesar dressing.

Mar 14, 2023

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

  • Several medium or large onions, yellow, white, or red
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Butter, optional
  • Kosher salt
  • Sugar, optional
  • Balsamic vinegar, optional

Instructions:

Step One: Slice 1/2-inch off the stem ends of the onions and the roots off of the root end. Place the onions cut side down on the cutting board. Cut them in half through the root end. Peel back the peels from the onions

Lay the onions cut side down and make angled cuts into each onion, aimed at the center, cutting almost all the way, but not completely through the root end. Make the cuts to your desired level of thickness

The root end will help hold the onion together as you cut it, making it easier to cut. Then cut a V in the root end to cut out the tough root holding the slices together

Step Two: Use a wide, thick-bottomed sauté pan for maximum pan contact with the onions. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, or a mixture of olive oil and butter, if using (about 1 teaspoon per onion)

Heat the pan on medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally

Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is you may need to reduce the heat to medium or medium low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out

After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. (I add only about a teaspoon of sugar for 5 onions, you can add more.) One trick to keeping the onions from drying out as they cook is to add a little water to the pan

Step Three: Let the onions cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour more, stirring every few minutes. As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn

The trick is to leave them alone enough to brown (if you stir them too often, they won’t brown), but not so long so that they burn. After the first 20 to 30 minutes you may want to lower the stove temperature a little, and add a little more oil, if you find the onions are verging on burning

A metal spatula will help you scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the caramelization proceeds. As the onions cook down, you may find you need to scrape the pan every minute, instead of every few minutes

Continue to cook and scrape, cook and scrape, until the onions are a rich, browned color. At the end of the cooking process you might want to add a little balsamic vinegar or wine to help deglaze the pan and bring some additional flavor to the onions

Story:

Notes: Store refrigerated for several days in an air-tight container. Add these onions to this horseradish sauce for a full and rich sauce.

Mar 13, 2023

Horseradish Sauce for Sandwiches

Horseradish Sauce for Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish, drained
  • 2 Tbsp mayo
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped

Instructions:

Step One: In a small mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients together. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for about 2 weeks

Story:

Notes: Pro tip, add these carmelized onions to this sauce for a richer flavor. This sauce is perfect for this pastrami sandwich!

Mar 06, 2023

Pastrami Sandwich

Pastrami Sandwich

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb sliced pastrami beef deli meat
  • 4 hoagie rolls
  • 8 slices provolone cheese or 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • Horseradish sauce
  • Mustard of choice
  • Pickles
  • 1/2 lb about 10-12 mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • Garlic Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups Beef Broth

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Step Two: Saute Mushrooms until golden and soft. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. In the same skillet (without cleaning it), add 1 1/2 cups beef broth and boil for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Season broth to taste (you want it to be flavorful for use as a dip) then remove from heat – this broth is your “au jus” dipping sauce

Step Three: Heat a large pan over medium heat. Take the slices of pastrami and fry them in the pan to get each piece hot in temperature. Make sure to flip sides after a few minutes. Cut the hoagies in half. Add horseradish sauce on the bottom of each hoagie. Add a layer of pickles on top. Add the hot pastrami on top of the pickles. Layer a thick amount of cheese on top of the pastrami. Add sauted mushrooms. Coat the top of the hoage with mustard of choice. Put the sandwich in the oven. Cook until the cheese gets melted (10 is minutes)

Step Four: Serve each sandwich with an individual ramekin of Au Jus – Dip with every bite

Story:

Notes:

Mar 06, 2023

Roast Chicken Caesar Salad

Roast Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

  • 8 anchovies, mashed to a paste
  • 8 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 6 Tbsp. mayonnaise, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, plus more for serving
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more
  • 1 3½–4-lb. whole chicken or 4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick; about 3 lb.)
  • Kosher salt
  • 8 medium shallots, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
  • 2 lemons, divided
  • 1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated
  • 4 oz. country-style bread, torn into 1½” pieces
  • 2 romaine hearts, leaves separated, torn

Instructions:

Step One: Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°. Whisk anchovies, garlic, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. mustard, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1½ tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo in another small bowl

Step Two: Pat chicken dry; season outside and inside all over with salt. Arrange breast side up in a cast-iron skillet and tuck wings underneath. Arrange shallots around (if using legs, nestle under and around); season with salt and pepper. Brush remaining anchovy mayo all over chicken, making sure to get it into the nooks and crannies, then brush shallots with any leftover anchovy mayo

Step Three: Place chicken in oven so legs are facing toward the back (this is the hottest part of the oven and will help the legs cook before the breast dries out) and roast until some anchovy mayo and fat begin to drip onto shallots, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, using tongs, turn shallots to coat in drippings. Return skillet to oven and continue to roast chicken, stirring shallots once or twice, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 155°, 45–55 minutes. If skin starts to get too dark on the top before chicken is done, tent area with foil, leaving the rest of the bird exposed. If using chicken legs, start checking at 40 minutes (a thermometer inserted right at the joint should register 160°). Transfer chicken and shallots to a cutting board, leaving behind any juices and fat in skillet. If shallots need more time to soften and darken, roast a bit longer without chicken before proceeding. Reserve skillet

Step Four: Reduce oven temperature to 400°. Finely grate half of zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl; cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice. Add reserved 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo, remaining 3 Tbsp. mayo, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine, then stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside

Step Five: Add bread to reserved skillet with fat and turn to coat. Return skillet to oven and toast bread, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 12–15 minutes. Transfer croutons to bowl with reserved dressing. Add romaine and gently toss until lettuce is well coated. Season salad with salt and pepper

Step Six: Slice remaining lemon into wedges. Carve chicken and nestle back into skillet or transfer to a platter; arrange shallots and lemon wedges around. Serve with salad and more mustard alongside

Story: I found this recipe in my monthly Bon Appetit magazine and I must admit, it is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. I nearly cut my finger off with a new Japanese knife Drew bought me for my birthday, but it was worth it! Carving a roast chicken is a skill – one that I need to work on.

Notes:

Feb 02, 2023

Fluffy Egg Sandwich

Fluffy Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

  • 15 eggs
  • 1.5 cups of milk
  • 3 teaspoons chicken powder
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3 green onion
  • Burger buns
  • Sliced cheese (sharp cheddar or American do the best)
  • Cooked breakfast meat (ham, sausage, bacon)

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat the over to 300 degrees. Add eggs, milk, chicken powder and black pepper to a bowl. Blend together with an emulsifier, or add to a blender. Blend until everything is well combined

Step Two: Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove chunky egg bits. Add parchment paper to the inside of a baking dish. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish

Step Three: Chop the whole green onion and add to the top of the egg mixture

Step Four: Wrap the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil. Put the baking dish on top of a baking sheet. Fill the baking sheet with water. Cook in the oven for 1 hour

Step Five: Cut the egg mixture to the size that will fit your burger buns. Add mayo or hot sauce the burger bun, add the egg and breakfast meat of choice

Story:

Notes: Avocado and tomato are great additions to this sandwich. Here is a video for reference The fluffiest Egg sandwich ever. #eggsandwich | TikTok

Feb 01, 2023

White Wine Sauce

White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup white wine (Pino Grigio/Chardonnay)
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter
  • Half lemon squeezed
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • Parsley

Instructions:

Step One: Turn heat to medium high. Once the pan is hot, add the white wine. Let this steam and heat up for about 10 seconds

Step Two: Add cream and butter. Let everything combine together for a few minutes

Step Three: Add garlic, salt and pepper

Step Four: Once the garlic smells fragrant and the sauce is well combined, garnish with parsley and serve with your protein of choice

Story:

Note: This sauce goes great with scallops and roast chicken.

Feb 01, 2023

Shepheard’s Pie

Shepheard’s Pie

Ingredients:

Meat Filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef -or ground lamb
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves -minced
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (can sub with gluten-free flour)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots*
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping

  • 1 ½ – 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
  • 1/3 cup half & half
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Make Meat Filling

Step One: Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Step Two: Add the ground beef (or ground lamb) to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally

Step Three: Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute

Step Four: Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain

Step Five: Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Step Six: Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Make Potato Topping

Step One: Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.

Step Two: Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.

Step Three: Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Step Four: Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble Casserole

Pour the meat mixture into a 9×9 (or 7×11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer. If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving

Story:

Notes: To make this dairy and gluten-free, sub out the flour for almond flour and the half and half/butter with a milk alternative

Jan 31, 2023

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients:

  • One tube of Old Country Sausage
  • Two tablespoons of butter
  • One cup flour
  • Two cups milk, divided
  • Smoky seasoning
  • Paprika
  • Black pepper
  • Pillsbury Grands! With Flaky Layers
  • Green onion

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat oven to the temp indicated on the Pillsbury can. Once the oven is to temp, cook the biscuits according to the instructions.

Step Two: Heat a pan to medium high heat. Cook the sausage.

Step Three: Add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour. Make sure to coat the sausage in the flour.

Step Four: Add one cup of milk to the sausage and flour. Mix everything together. The mixture should be very thick. Keep adding in milk, little by little, mixing it through the sausage to get the right consistency. You may not need the entire 2 cups of milk.

Step Five: Add smoky seasoning, paprika and black pepper to the mixture.

Step Six: Garnish with green onion and serve with biscuits.

Story: This is my dad’s favorite breakfast to order when we go out on Sunday mornings.

Notes: For a more complete breakfast, poach two eggs and serve with the biscuits and gravy. Tabasco is the best hot sauce for this.

Jan 24, 2023