Avocado, Asparagus & Poblano Guacamole, served with crisp tortillas, sliced napa cabbage, queso fresco & lemon

Avocado, Asparagus & Poblano Guacamole

served with crisp tortillas, sliced napa cabbage, queso fresco & lemon

Make a platter with the shredded cabbage, queso fresco, lemon, guacamole and tortillas for an easy to entertain appetizer. The asparagus gives such great texture to this guacamole. 

For the Guacamole:

1 bunch asparagus raw, thin, sliced very thin (coin shape)

2 avocados, diced and scooped out

2 poblano chilies, roasted, skin removed, seeds removed, diced small (see recipe)

2 Meyer lemons, juice only

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients first then stir together lightly so the vegetables are not bruised or mashed. 

For the poblano chilies:

6-8 poblano chilies, whole

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Place on a baking dish, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place in a 400 degree oven until the skins are dark brown.  Pull out of the oven and using tongs, toss into a stainless steel or glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let steam for 10-15 minutes or while the other ingredients for the guacamole is being prepped. Uncover the poblanos and peel off the skin, pull of the stem and using your hands scoop out the seeds.  Dice the peppers small. 

Roasted Poblano and Yellow Steel Cut Grits

Roasted Poblano and Yellow Steel Cut Grits

1 cup yellow grits, steel cut

4 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 poblano chili or 2 jalapeños roasted, seeded and diced

2 cups shredded parmesan cheese or domestic Sartori Sarvecchio used in this recipe

2 Tablespoons cream

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Bring 4 cups of water and salt to a simmer and then add the grits.  Cook for 40 minutes on low heat, using a wooden spoon stir in the cheese, roasted peppers, and cream.  Serve immediately.  If cooling and reheating, use a little more water to reheat.

Pineapple Rosemary Salsa & Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

Besides eating this salsa with chips it would go great with grilled beef or fish. 

Pineapple-Rosemary Salsa

½ pineapple, diced small

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 sprig of rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 jalapeños, roasted and chopped

1 Meyer lemon, juice only

Combine all ingredients together and stir together, it makes about a quart. Serve with Baked Tortilla Chips. 

Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

12 corn tortillas, sliced into wedges or large strips

3-4 Tablespoons olive oil

½-1 teaspoon of kosher salt

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spread out the sliced tortilla chips and drizzle the tortillas with olive oil.  Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Stir around if some are not golden.  Sprinkle with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt after they come out of the oven. 

Coconut Curried Cauliflower and Carrots

Coconut Curried Cauliflower and Carrots

Serves 4

For the Cauliflower and Carrots:

3 Carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 whole cauliflower, core removed and sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Place vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until a few golden brown edges.  It will be better to under cook them better than over cooking or they will be mushy.

For the curry sauce:

¼ cup olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced small

½ cup fresh ginger chopped or 1 small knob chopped with skin on

1 teaspoon mustard seeds, yellow, black or brown

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cardamom pods

2 teaspoons cumin

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 can coconut milk (14 ounces)

1 teaspoon salt

In a sauce pan add the olive oil and the onion and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes or until a very light golden brown.  Add all of the spices; mustard, cumin, fennel, and cardamom.  Stir for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and coconut milk.  Using the empty can of coconut milk, fill it half full with water and add to the pan.  Season with salt.  Bring to a simmer and then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes and then puree with a blender or hand blender. 

Using 2 cups of the curry sauce pour over vegetables and toss all together.  Serve over rice or as they are.  Substitute any vegetable.  Garnish with sliced chilies and cilantro if desired. Use extra sauce for anything else. 

Coconut Panna Cotta with Pineapple and Basil

Coconut Panna Cotta with Pineapple and Basil

Translated from Italian Panna Cotta means cooked cream, it is an Italian dessert and can also be prepared savory.  This option is made with coconut milk and yogurt and no cream. The pineapple garnish goes perfectly with the coconut and the basil takes it to an entirely different level.

This is an extremely simple yet elegant dessert. 

12-14 small 4 ounce mason jars or glass containers

4 sheets of gelatin (bloom-place in cold water for 5-10 minutes or until very gummy)2 leaves of basil, chiffonade (sliced very thin)1 cup diced pineapple2 cups plain yogurt or Greek yogurt2 cans coconut milk1 cup white sugar

Pour 2 cans of coconut milk into a sauce pan, stir in the 1 cup of sugar and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and with a whisk, whisk in the strained gelatin sheets until smooth.  Bring mixture off of the heat and whisk in the yogurt.  
Pour into the mason jars or serving glasses. 
It should make 12 2-3 ounce containers.  
Allow to set up in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and top with the pineapple.  
It is best to make the Panna Cotta the day before and prepare the fruit and basil just before serving. 

Blueberry Jam

Fresh Blueberry Jam

For the jam:

1 quart fresh blueberries (2 pints)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Place berries, sugar and water into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
Make the corn starch slurry(below) and pour into the jam and bring back up to a boil for a minute or two or until it is thicker.  Whisk in the gelatin sheet that has been placed in cold water for 5 minutes and water strained.  Pour the jam into a container and cool.  Can be stored for a week or frozen. Substitute with any berries or most fruit.

To make the corn starch slurry

½ cup water

2 tablespoons corn starch

Mix together with a spoon.

To "bloom" the gelatin

1 gelatin sheet, place in 1 quart of cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out liquid. 

Yukon Gold Potatoes with Fennel, Leeks and Herbs

Yukon Gold Potatoes with Fennel, Leeks and Herbs

1 bulb fennel, sliced thin

4 leeks, whites only, sliced thin

¼ cup of chopped fresh herbs, rosemary, oregano, thyme

1 quart chicken stock/broth

2 large Yukon gold potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

With 2 tablespoons of olive oil cook the leeks and fennel until light golden brown with the salt and chili flakes.  Add the herbs and cook for another 3 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  In a baking dish slice the potatoes 1/8 thin and spread around a baking dish, cast iron skillet was used in this recipe.  Pour over the leek, fennel and herb broth.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and then uncover for an additional 15-20 or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Serve hot and grate aged Parmesan style cheese over the top just before serving or sour cream.

Prepped Ingredients

Slice Potatoes about 1/8 inch thick

Pour over leeks, fennel and herb broth

Bake for 20 minutes covered and 15-20 minutes uncovered

Potaotes are creamy, herbs fennel and leeks add richness and very moist with the chicken stock. 

Salad of Farro, Pumpkin Seeds & Tomatoes with Mint, Basil, and 5 Year Gouda

Salad of Farro, Pumpkin seeds & Tomatoes

with mint, basil, and 5 year Gouda

Serves 4

2 cups cooked Farro, (Italian wheat)

½ cup shaved or shredded 5 year Gouda or aged cheese

1 cup pumpkin seeds, raw or toasted

2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 small bunch mint, rough chopped

1 small bunch basil, rough chopped

Juice from 3 Meyer lemons

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon chili flakes

Toss all ingredients together and serve immediately or within 24 hours. This is a great salad to make a day in advanced. 

Salad of Kale & Farro with dried cherries, pistachios and a goat cheese-lemon vinaigrette

To make the vinaigrette you will just need a blender.  This is a very simple, hearty and healthy salad. Substitute the baby winter bitter greens for sliced kale.  

Salad of Kale & Farro

dried cherries, pistachios & goat cheese-lemon vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:

Makes about 2 cups

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 lemons, Meyer, juice only

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, olive oil or canola oil

1 small handful of fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

4 ounces fresh goat cheese

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth in a blender.

2 large handfuls of chopped kale or mixed bitter greens

½ cup cooked Farro(Italian wheat)

¼ cup dried cherries

¼ cup pistachios

¼ cup of the goat cheese-lemon vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients together. Serve immediately. 

Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic

10-12 garlic bulbs, tops cut off

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper or chili flakes

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

In a baking dish place the garlic bulbs with the tops up.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown.  There are a ton of different ways to use roasted garlic; squeeze out the sweet roasted garlic and blend with cream for a pasta sauce, make a roasted garlic bread, or serve as an appetizer with goat cheese and toasted baguette. 

Cilantro Chutney

Cilantro Chutney

Serve this sauce with warm flat bread, chips, on grilled chicken, fish or even lamb,  It is a refreshing, bright sauce that is also incredible on rice and with curry.

2 bunches cilantro, washed bottom stems cut off

1 knob of ginger, rough chopped

10 cloves garlic, peeled

1 jalapeño or serrano chili, seeds removed, rough chop

3 lemons, juice only, Meyer preferably

2 tablespoons of cumin, toast first in a pan with no oil

1 teaspoon of salt

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Keeps for a week refrigerated. 

Mung Bean Noodle, Cucumber & Mint Salad

Mung Bean Noodle, Cucumber & Mint Salad

ginger- garlic vinaigrette

For the noodles:

Use rice noodles or Saifun-Mung Bean noodles

Cook noodles, then rinse in cold water to chill

For the vinaigrette:

Makes about 2 cups

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and set aside.

1 small knob of ginger, do not peel, chopped

6 cloves of fresh garlic

2 Tablespoons sugar

½ Cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup olive oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the Salad:

1 European cucumber, sliced thin, do not peel or remove seeds

1 carrot, sliced thin, then into strips (julienne).

1 small bunch of mint, rough chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro, rough chopped

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds to garnish/ texture.

Toss all salad ingredients together except the black sesame seeds with the noodles and ½ cup-3/4 cup of dressing. Place into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.  Pairs well with poached shrimp, seared tuna or grilled chicken.  

Zucchini Cakes

Zucchini Cakes

Makes 12-15 
4 zucchini or yellow squash, small, shredded on cheese grater
2 eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper or chili flakes
Zest from 1 lemon

Olive oil(use when cooking)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine all ingredients.  Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop them on to a non-stick skillet/ pan with a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil.  Allow one side to get golden brown and then using a spatula, carefully flip over and allow the other side to get brown.  Place onto a baking dish.  When all the cakes are made, or when you are ready to serve them place in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until very hot.  Serve with sour cream, or a garlic mayonnaise or plain.