Chinese Chicken Salad
This salad is super easy to make and you will love the fried wontons tucked away inside the salad!
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Hot Chili Paste
1 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger
3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
18 Shredded Wonton Wrappers
2 Cup Shredded Carrots
3 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
6 Chopped Green Onions
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Grill or broil the chicken until it is cooked. Cool, slice and set aside. For the dressing, whisk together, in a small bowl, the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the shredded wontons in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. In a large bowl combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and serve. Serves 4
Turkey Burgers
At this time of the year most of us are looking for healthier food options. Turkey is a great substitute for ground beef. Here is a good recipe for Turkey Burgers that I think you and your waistline will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Chopped Onion
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Pounds Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Minced Sage
1 Tablespoon Minced Rosemary
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley. Mix well. Form 8 equal sized patties. Cook under the broiler for 6 minutes per side (or you can grill these) until evenly browned and cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments. Makes 8 Turkey Burgers.
Pesto Rosso
Pesto Rosso (red pesto) is a Sicilian red sauce made out of sun dried tomatoes and is also called Pesto alla Siciliana. This sauce is great on pasta as well as bruschetta. Serve with seafood or poultry. Pesto Rosso is definitely a very versatile sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Chopped Water Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes (Drained)
2 Garlic Cloves
6 Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Garlic Clove
1 C up Fresh Basil Leaves
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium size sauce pan add the drained sun dried tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic and 6 basil leaves. Cover with 1/3 cup of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let stand for 25 minutes. In a food processor or a blender place 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil, 1 garlic clove, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture resembles a paste. Next, drain the tomato mixture and add to the food processor and finely chop. The sauce is now ready to use. If you are using as a pasta sauce you may want to thin the sauce with ½ cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta. Serves 4
Toasted Open Faced Mozzarella Sandwiches
I like to serve these with soup. So easy to make and extremely yummy!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pieces Sliced Italian Bread
5 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
6 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
In a small size bowl, mix together the butter and garlic powder. Set aside. In a separate small size bowl, mix together the mustards and set aside. Preheat the oven to broil on low. Butter each piece of bread evenly and then smear an even layer of the mustard mixture over the butter layer. Put a piece of mozzarella cheese on top of each slice of bread. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sandwiches on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes turn off the oven and let the sandwiches sit for another 4 minutes. The cheese will not completely melt, but the sandwiches will be ready to eat. Take them out of the oven and place them on a serving plate. Serve warm. Serves 6
Ginger Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
24 Shrimp With Shells On
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
4 Tablespoons Julienned Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Brandy
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over a high heat. Add the shrimp quickly and stir fry. When done remove the shrimp from the oil and set aside. Add the chopped garlic and julienned fresh ginger to the hot oil. Also add the sugar and salt to the wok. Add the shrimp back to the mixture and continue to stir fry. Season with the soy sauce. Add the brandy to flambé. Be very careful as the pan must be very hot in order for it to ignite and you are about to have a large flame coming out of your wok. Do not attempt to do this near any flammable materials or too close to your guests. Once the alcohol has cooked off the dish is ready to serve. You can serve this dish over rice, noodles or its own. Serves 2
Glazed Ham
A Boxing Day Tradition!
INGREDIENTS
1 Five Pound Cooked Ham
¼ Cup Whole Cloves
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
2 Cups Honey
2/3 Cup Butter
Score the ham and stud with the whole cloves. Place the ham in a foil lined pan. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Using a double boiler, heat the maple syrup, honey and butter. Keep the glaze warm while baking the ham. Brush the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Baste the ham every 10 minutes with the glaze. During the last 5 minutes of baking, turn on the broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 15
Perfect Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS
9 Inch Pie Shell
3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons Melted & Cooled Unsalted Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Pecan Halves
1 Cup Chilled Heavy Whipped Cream (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the pie pan with the pastry and crimp the edges and store in the refrigerator while preparing the filling. In a large bowl beat the eggs until blended, but not too much. You don’t want the eggs to be frothy. Stir in the corn syrup and the vanilla. In a separate small bowl mix together the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the sugars, the melted butter and salt into the egg mixture. Spread 1 cup of the pecans on the bottom of the pastry shell. Pour the filling mixture over the pecans. Pour the remaining 1 cup of pecan over the top of the mixture and even them out. Bake the pie for 60 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed and the inserted knife comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. If you would like to serve whip cream then whip the cream and serve it on the side. Serves 8
Cotswold Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are made with Cotswold cheese. If you don’t have Cotswold cheese then cheddar will do fine.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 Cup Heavy Cream
5 Tablespoons Butter (Room Temperature)
1 ½ Cups Shredded Cotswold Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
Boil the potatoes, in a medium size saucepan, for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well. Put the potatoes back in the saucepan and stir over a low heat for 2 minutes until dry. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup of the cream and butter. Mash well. Add the grated cheese and seasonings. Combine with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining cream and serve. Serves 4
Perfect Prime Rib
Prime Rib Roast or Standing Rib Roast is a cut of beef from the rib section. The entire rib section comprises ribs six through twelve of the cow, but can comprise anywhere from two to seven ribs. A slice of Prime Rib Roast will include portions of the “eye” of the rib as well as the outer, fat marbled muscle known as the “lip” or “cap.” The traditional preparation for this roast is to rub the outside with salt and seasonings and slow-roast with dry heat. In the U.S., it is common for bbq purists to apply smoke to the uncooked rib roast at low heat for 2 to 3 hours before dry roasting. In England, Yorkshire Pudding is frequently served as a side dish with prime rib.
INGREDIENTS
3 ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt
1 ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Cloves Roasted Garlic
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 Prime Rib Roast of Beef (4 to 6 Bones)
2 ½ Cups Red Wine
2 ½ Cups Beef Stock
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Place the garlic cloves in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth. Add softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the rosemary and thyme, and stir to blend. Pat the mixture evenly over the top and sides of the roast. Season the roast all over with the remaining 2 ½ teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1 ½ cups red wine and ½ cup beef stock to the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness. Roast 18 minutes per pound for rare and 22 minutes per pound for medium. Let stand at least 5 minutes before carving.
To make the au jus, place the roasting pan on the stove burners over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of the red wine and scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add 2 cups beef stock and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids before serving. Degrease if necessary. Servings 4 to 8 depending on how hungry you are!
Pan Fried Halibut
I absolutely love Halibut. After living in the Pacific Northwest for so many years I came to appreciate how delicious and versatile Halibut can be. Halibut is a lean fish that, when eaten fresh, the meat has a very clean taste and requires little seasoning. Noted for its dense and firm texture Halibut is great broiled, deep fried, pan fried or lightly grilled.
INGREDIENTS
2 Eight Ounce Halibut Fillets (Skin On)
4 Basil Leaves
1 Teaspoon Rosemary Leaves
2 Sprigs Thyme
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Cup Red Wine
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Season the halibut with the salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over a medium high heat. Place the halibut in the pan flesh side down. Cook for 2 minutes and then turn the fillets over and cook 1 minute more. Place the pan in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it back over a medium high heat. Add the wine and reduce it until almost all of the wine is gone. While reducing the sauce be sure to baste the fillet to keep it moist. Add the remaining olive oil, butter, basil, rosemary and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 1 minute. Place on a serving platter and drizzle the sauce over it and enjoy. Serves 2
