Baked Black Bean and Chorizo Dip

***  This is a double recipe.  I make a double because it is so good that you would wish you doubled.  Boars Head makes a chorizo that you can get at the deli counter. Ask them to slice it 1/4 inch thick.  I think the deli counter chorizo is less dry than those you find pre-packaged.  If you can find Boars Head then it is worth the trip.

Dip
8 oz Chorizo - diced (if in 1/4 inch slices, then just cube in small cubes)
1 large yellow onion - diced
2 jalapeno - "partially" seeded (depends on how much heat you want) and minced
5 cloves garlic - minced
4 cans black beans - drained and rinsed
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with green chilis (do not drain)
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on heat)

Toppings
Cilantro - chopped
Tomato - chopped
Reduced Fat Cheese
Avocado - chopped and mixed with lime juice to prevent browning.

Tostitos for serving.

1.  Preheat the oven to 425.  Brown cubed chorizo in a large skillet or pot about 3 minutes (I use my large les creuset because it is big and browns everything nicely).  Remove after browning and set aside.
2.  Cook onion and jalapeno in pot in the remaining fat from the chorizo, 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add olive oil if necessary.
3.  Add garlic and spices, cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
4.  Add chicken stock, undrained Rotel, and drained and rinsed black beans.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.  Mash with a potato masher until desired.  I generally mash about half of the beans.  Add reserved Chorizo and mix well.
5.  Pour into baking dishes.  (I have 2 8x8 and 8x8 that I pour this into.  You just want the mixture to be about 1 inch thick in the dish).  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
6.  Remove dish(s) from oven and cover in cheese.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
7.  Top with desired toppings.  I like cilantro and fresh tomato and serve avocado for those that want it.
8.  Serve with Tostitos.

Miso Glazed Fish

1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup Sake
3 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
4 6 oz pieces of firm fish - Cod, Salmon, Mahi

1.  Combine the mirin and sake in the smallest saucepan you have and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 20 seconds, taking care not to boil off much of the liquid, then turn the heat to low and stir in the miso and the sugar. Whisk over medium heat without letting the mixture boil until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil. Allow to cool. Transfer to a wide glass or stainless steel bowl or baking dish.
2. Pat the fish fillets dry and brush or rub on both sides with the marinade, then place them in the baking dish and turn them over a few times in the marinade remaining in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 to 3 hours, or for up to a day.
3.  To cook the fish, broil on high heat 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through.

Beef Chili

2 lb 96/4 Lean Ground Beef (or as lean as you can find)
1 Large Yellow Onion - diced
1 jalapeno - minced, seeds included
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
3 cloves garlic - minced
4 oz tomato paste
10 oz beer (Pale Ale or Lager)
1.5 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp Oregano
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard

1.  Brown your meat in a dutch oven until cooked.  Drain and set aside.
2.  Saute onion until partially done, 5-7 minutes.  Add jalapeno, saute an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
3.  Add tomato paste to the veggies and cook 1-2 minutes.  I think this cooks out the "tin" flavor of tomato paste.
4.  Add Beer and cook the alcohol out a bit, 1-2 minutes.
5.  Add tomatoes.  Break whole tomatoes up by squishing them with your hand.
6.  Add meat back to pan, add remaining spices and cook, covered, 45 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
7.  Remove cover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until desired consistency.
8.  Serve with your favorite accompaniments!

"Lightened" Blue Cheese Dressing

3 oz crumbled blue cheese
3 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt (0% fat)
3 Tbsp low fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp Light mayo
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

1.  Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Grilled Scallops with Smashed Peas

6 large scallops  (more or less to serve number of people, peas serve approx 4 people)
2 bags frozen peas
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1 clove garlic - minced
chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

Peas
1.  Cook peas in boiling water according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2.  While peas are cooking, saute the onion in olive oil until almost opaque 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute until both garlic and onion are cooked, approximately 6-7 minutes.
3.  In a food processor, puree 1/2 of the cooked peas, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup chicken stock.
4.  In a sauce pan, combine remaining whole peas, pureed peas, and onion garlic mixture.  Heat until warmed through.  If made ahead, you might need to add a bit more stock to the mixture when re-heated.  Keep in mind that a little stock goes a long way in this recipe.
5.  Season with salt to taste (cheese and stock have salt so you might not need any) and lots of pepper.

Scallops
1.  Dry scallops with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.  Brush scallops with a little olive oil and season with pepper.
2.  Grill scallops on high heat until desired doneness, 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve scallops on bed of peas with crusty bread if desired.

Cauliflower and Prosciutto Boats

2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets.  Larger pieces cut in half.
3 ounces prosciutto  - cubed (see photo).  If can't find it cubed, then chopped.  Harris Teeter sells the cubed in their cheese department.
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2-3 heads belgium endive, leaves separated
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Arrange cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast cauliflower 30-40 minutes in the oven, turning once halfway through, until cauliflower is lightly browned.
3.  While the cauliflower is roasting, saute prosciutto in a saute pan 5 minutes, or until crisp.  Add garlic and saute 1 more minute.  Remove from heat.
4.  Transfer browned cauliflower to a large bowl.  Add prosciutto and garlic mixture and mix, roughly mashing larger cauliflower pieces with a fork.
5.  Stir in vinegar, and parsley if you are using.  Check seasoning, prosciutto is salty so might not need additional salt.  Also, you might enjoy more vinegar, so add as desired.
6.  Serve with endive for filling.

Freezer Burritos

1 pound 96/4 lean ground beef
1 small onion - chopped
1 green bell pepper - chopped
1 large zucchini - chopped
1/2 jalapeno (or more), seeded and minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilis (if you can find, Trader Joes has them), drained of excess water.
1 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp chili powder
Large tortillas - Burrito size or wrap size
Shredded Cheese

1.  Brown meat in a large saute pan until no longer pink.  Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2.  Wipe out pan and add a drizzle of olive oil.  Saute peppers 1-2 minutes.  Add onion, zucchini and jalapeno and saute until vegetables are tender.
3.  Add tomatoes, beans and reserved meat.  Add spices and simmer a few minutes until spices are absorbed and most of the water evaporates.
3.  Put a large scoop of filling into tortilla, sprinkle with a little cheese.  Fold up 2 edges and then roll the burrito.  Wrap in aluminum foil.
4.  Put burritos in a large ziploc bag and freeze.

To reheat, remove from foil, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on high for 3 minutes, then bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until crisp.

Steak Marinade

** I use this for steak kabobs.  Makes enough for 2 medium steaks.

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Kale, Mushroom and Brown Rice Bake

2 cups cooked brown rice (approx 1 cup dry cooked to package direction and slightly cooled)
3 big handfuls chopped kale (or more if you like!)
1 8oz container crimini mushrooms - sliced
1 yellow onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese - divided
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme - stems removed (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
pepper

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 in baking dish, or a 12 cup muffin tin.  The muffin tin makes perfect portions!
2.  In a large saute pan, saute onion in olive oil 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and saute 2 more minutes.  Add kale and saute 3-5 more minutes until the kale is beginning to soften.
3.  Add garlic and saute another 3 minutes or so until all is cooked through.  Remove any excess water by blotting with a paper towel.  Allow mixture to cool slightly.
4.  In a large bowl, mix mushroom mixture with the cooked rice.  Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.
5.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with milk, 1/2 tsp salt, thyme and pepper.   Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Divide mixture into muffin cups or pour in prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional).
6.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until set.  I would check after 20 minutes as each oven is different.

adapted from www.pamelasalzman.com

Dijon Salad Dressing

** Makes dressing for 4 or 6 servings.  If serving more, double the recipe.

1/8 cup White balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup (or a bit less) olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (the regular kind, not the grainy)
1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp salt

1.  Shake all ingredients in a jar to mix.
2.  Serve over your favorite greens.

Grilled Vegetables

** This is a recipe that isn't really a recipe.  Use what veggies and fresh herbs you have or want, the key is the grill basket.  I got mine at Target for $10.  Great investment...

1 red bell pepper - cut in 1 inch chunks
1 green bell pepper - cut in 1 inch chunks
1 onion - quartered (its ok if the layers fall apart)
2 zucchini - cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 package whole mushrooms - halved or quartered (key is to make everything roughly the same size)
1 pint grape tomatoes - whole (key to knowing when its all done!)
Several Sprigs fresh thyme - remove leaves from stalks
1 sprig fresh rosemary - leaves removed and chopped (rosemary is strong, if you love it, add more!)
olive oil

1.  Put all veggies and herbs in a large Ziploc bag and shake to mix.
2.  Add a drizzle of olive oil until fairly well coated, probably less than a tablespoon.
3.  Put veggies in grill basket and grill over medium high heat with lid closed if possible.  My grill is small and the lid doesn't close all the way, but it still works.  I check these every 5 minutes or so and move them around with a spatula.  The veggies are done with the grape tomatoes start to break their skin.

** Serve over grilled chicken or fish or as a side or just because you feel like veggies.

Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Hoisin BBQ Sauce
2/3 cup Hoisin Sauce (found in Asian section)
2 Tbsp Seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp Ketchup
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp + red pepper flakes (to taste, I generally add at least 2)

6 Chicken Thighs - trimmed of excess fat
Bibb Lettuce

1.  Mix all ingredients of the BBQ sauce in a bowl.
2.  Marinate the chicken thighs in 1/2 the sauce for at least 2 hours, can be longer or overnight.  Reserve remaining sauce for basting and serving.
3.  Grill the chicken thighs until done basting on each side with 1/4 of remaining sauce (or more depending on how big your thighs are).
4.  Allow chicken to rest a couple minutes after grilling, then slice chicken in 1/2 inch strips.
5.  Serve chicken with extra sauce and lettuce cups to build a wrap.

**I always serve this with my Asian Slaw (see recipe in blog) as a topper to the lettuce wraps.  Just chopped cabbage for crunch would work as well.  The BBQ sauce is pretty powerful so not much is needed.
**Recipe serves 2+.  Thighs generally come in packages of 6.  I have done 12 thighs with a recipe and a half of the sauce and it works fine, just not much left for serving (a full jar of Hoisin can make roughly 1.5 batches of sauce).

Asian Slaw

Dressing

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar (seasoned is important)
1.5 Tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 small garlic clove - minced

Slaw

1 bag mixed slaw (usually comes with carrots, red and green cabbage)
2 small green onion - sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
Red cabbage- chopped (i like red cabbage so I buy a small head and add about 1/3 of it but don't need it)

1.  Put all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to mix.
2.  Put all slaw ingredients in a large ziploc bag and shake to mix.
3.  Put as much slaw in a bowl as needed and spoon over dressing.  The dressing goes a long way so I generally start with 1-2 Tbsp and add as needed.

** This is a great addition to tacos or served with tuna or chicken or whatever you fancy...
** Note on sesame - store sesame oil and sesame seeds in the fridge.

Panzanella Verde Salad

* A Bobby Flay recipe

Salad

Crusty Bread - I love Sourdough with this recipe.  Cut in cubes
3 oz Arugula (about half a package)
1 small english cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup olives - green and kalamata, halved
1 Tbsp drained capers
1/2 cup loosely chopped basil leaves - about 8 leaves

Basil Dressing

1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic - chopped
1/2 tsp honey (1 small squeeze)
1/2 cup olive oil.

1.  To make dressing, blend in a blender the basil, vinegar, water garlic and honey until smooth.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified.  The dressing will be a bit sour but compliments the saltiness of the olives.
2.  To make the croutons, toast the bread cubes in a hot pan, or in the oven.  You can also cut the loaf in half and grill, then cut into cubes.
3.  Mix Salad ingredients and some of the dressing until coated.  The bread will soak up some of the green dressing.

Roasted Green Beans and Tomatoes with Basil

Green Beans
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh Basil

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Boil green beans in water until partially cooked, about 3 minutes.  Drain
3.  Toss beans and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast beans and cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan until tomatoes start to burst, about 10 minutes.
4.  Remove from oven and toss with chopped fresh basil.

Skillet Corn and Avocado Salsa

3 ears fresh corn
1 large ripe avocado- cubed
1/2 small red onion - diced
1 jalapeno - minced
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

1.  Cut the kernels off the corn cobs.  Saute in a dry skillet over medium/low heat until corn is slightly caramelized, 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2.  Mix corn with remaining ingredients.
3.  Serve with Tostitos.
4.  If mixture is too dry after it sits, drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Smashed Potatoes

Small red or white potatoes (about 1-2 inches in diameter)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Boil your potatoes until fork tender about 10 minutes (depending on size).  Drain in a colander and place a dry towel over top.  Allow to steam for 1-2 minutes.
2.  In the meantime, drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan and preheat your oven to 450 degrees with the top rack in the top third of the oven.
3.  Once the potatoes are cooked, use a flat bottomed rocks glass to smash the potatoes.  Gently press the potato until you hear the skin "break".
4.  Place on the baking sheet, drizzle the tops with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake on the top rack for 25-30+ minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.  Brown to desired crispiness.
5.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, as you would french fries.

Spicy Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

4-6 Jalapenos
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
4 tablespoons Tahini
6 tablespoons lime juice
2 cans garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic - minced

1.  Roast the jalapenos.  I adore heat and made mine with 6 rather large jalapenos.  It was way way spicy.  I would start with 4 large and adjust from there.  Broil your jalapenos until black and blistered on all sides.  Place them in a plastic bag after roasting and steam for 10 minutes.
2.  Remove the skin and seed the jalapenos.  Remove all the seeds, as roasting the peppers brings out their heat.
3.  Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy.


*** Black Bean Variation

Use 3 cans black beans instead of garbonzo, drained and rinsed.
Add 1/2 bunch cilantro
Omit Garlic

If the beans are too sticky then add a drizzle of olive oil.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale

1 17oz package Gnocchi (whole wheat or white)
2 Spicy Italian Sausages (Pork, turkey or chicken)
1/2 yellow onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1-2 heads curly kale, stems removed and roughly torn
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup pasta water
Olive oil
salt and pepper

1.  Remove sausage from casings and crumble into a large pan over medium heat.  Brown sausage.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Wipe residual oil from pan.
2.  In the meantime boil water for gnocchi.  Gnocchi will take about 3 minutes to cook.  After it is finished cooking, drain gnocchi, reserving 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water.
3.  Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Saute onion until clear, about 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute a minute or so more.
4.  Add the kale, wine and red pepper flakes and cook down until kale is wilted.  Add back reserved sausage.
5.  Add 1/3 cup of starchy pasta water to mixture and stir, creating a thin sauce.
6.  Off the heat, stir in the cheese and season with pepper (i rarely add salt, parmesan is salty enough).
7.  Serve, garnished with more parmesan.

Kale Caesar Salad

Salad
1 bunch kale (curly kind)
Cherry or Grape tomatoes - halved
Croutons (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic - minced
6 anchovy fillets, packed in oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1.  The Kale.  Pull the leaves from the stem and tear into bite size pieces.   To clean, kale can be rather dirty.  I fill the bowl of my salad spinner with water and let kale soak for a few minutes.  Spin dry in salad spinner. (Optional: chop kale finely so it is more like a slaw than a salad, this would be done after cleaning and drying)
2.  Make Dressing.  In a food processor, add everything in the dressing except the parmesan cheese.  Process in the food processor until smooth.  At this point, I generally pour the dressing into whatever lidded container it will be stored in.  Add the cheese and shake well.  Chill until ready to serve.
3.  Assemble the salad.  Mix the kale with prepared dressing, generally 2 or 3 tablespoons.  Garnish with tomatoes (and croutons if you are using) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Mini BLT Bites

8 slices thick cut bacon
4 slices sourdough bread
12 cherry tomatoes - halved
1/2 head iceberg lettuce - chopped

Mayonnaise
1/2 cup light mayo
6 basil leaves - chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pepper

1.  Cook the bacon.  Put the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Put baking sheet in cold oven.  Turn oven temperature to 400.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness.  Time depends on thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it.  When the bacon is finished cooking, remove it immediately from the sheet and drain on paper towels.  When cool, cut bacon into bite size pieces, a bit larger than your tomatoes.

2.  Prepare bread.  Cut crust off bread and cut into bite size squares the same relative size as your tomatoes.  Toast in the 400 degree (now preheated) oven.  Generally takes 5-7 minutes.

3.  Make Mayo.  Combine all mayo ingredients together.

4.  Assemble bites.  Spread a bit of mayo on the toast.  Top that with a hunk of iceberg.  Then a piece of the bacon.  Then the tomato half, cut side up.  Secure with a toothpick and devour.

** Another option is to leave the bread out.  Use one whole cherry tomato in half and sandwich the bacon and iceberg between the halves on a toothpick.  Serve along-side the basil mayo.

Arugula and White Bean Salad

Salad
1 can Cannellini beans (white beans) - drained and rinsed thoroughly
1/2 pint grape tomatoes - halved
2 oz arugula (a couple big handfuls)
1/2 cup kalamata olives - chopped (chopped after measuring)
8 leaves basil - chopped

Dressing
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1.  Mix beans, tomatoes, olives and basil in a bowl.
2.  Whisk together zest, juice, olive oil, S&P in a bowl.
3.  Toss Step 1 with Step 2.
4.  Before serving, add arugula and toss well.

*** This salad is awesome with simply grilled fish.  Snapper, Salmon, Mahi, Grouper.  Yum.

Grilled Salmon with Mexican Slaw

Slaw
1 bag of mixed slaw
1/4 head of red cabbage, shredded
2 green onions - sliced
1 bunch cilantro - chopped
1 jalapeno - seeded and minced
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 small can corn - drained and rinsed
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Hot pepper sauce (Texas Pete) to taste.  We use a lot!!

Dressing
1 6oz plain greek yogurt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime

Garnish
1 avocado - diced
Juice of 1 lime

Salmon
4 Portions of salmon
Pepper and Olive Oil

Slaw - Mix slaw ingredients in large bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients in separate bowl.  Pour dressing over slaw and mix well.  Add additional hot pepper sauce to taste.

Salmon - Grill over medium-hi heat to desired doneness.

Serve Salmon over a pile of slaw and garnish with avocado mixed with the lime juice.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

½ cup olive oil

3 lbs roma tomatoes – ends cut off, halved, seeded, then quartered.

2 ½ tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp dried parsley

3 garlic cloves – minced

Baguette – sliced and toasted

Goat Cheese

1.     Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Pour olive oil in a glass baking dish.  Toss tomatoes in olive oil, then arrange cut side up in the baking dish.

2.     Mix together oregano, sugar, salt and parsley.  Sprinkle spice mixture over tomatoes.  Sprinkle minced garlic over tomatoes.

3.     Roast tomatoes for one hour, flip the tomatoes and roast for another hour.  Flip the tomatoes again and roast an additional 15-45 minutes or until deep red in color.  If tomatoes are ripe (spring and summer), roasting time will be limited to about 1 hr 45 min.

4.     Serve tomatoes on toasted baguette smeared with goat cheese.

5.     Can last in the fridge for up to a week.

** Leftover tomatoes can be tossed with pasta or put on a sandwich.

Baked Chicken with Tomatoes

** This is a Jamie Oliver recipe.  He really just throws things together and makes it work.  But this is one that, when I tweaked it, really is just a throw it together, put it in the oven and wait for the deliciousness to be done. 

4 Chicken legs – skinless

3 chicken thighs – skinless

1 onion – cut in thin slices

1 pint grape tomatoes – halved
3-4 medium tomatoes quartered or 8+\- Compari tomatoes halved

1 whole bulb garlic – cloves separated and peeled.

1 jalapeno – seeded and minced

12+ basil leaved – chopped (more basil is better…just depends on the leaf size)

1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup white wine

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.     Preheat oven to 350.

2.     Liberally salt chicken with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown on all sides in batches.  Remove chicken and set aside.

3.     Reduce heat to medium.  Saute onion and jalapeno in pan 5-7 minutes.  Add ½ cup white wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits.

4.     Add remaining ingredients, including browned chicken.  Bake at 350 for 1.5 hours, stirring once half way through.

5.     Debone chicken and return to pan.  The garlic will be in tact, but take a spoon and mash up the cloves if you can find them.

6.     Serve with crusty bread.

** This one can also be made into a stew.  Remove the chicken after its cooked and shred, then return to the pan and simmer over low heat on the stove for an additional 20 minutes.  If you wanted to use a breast instead of dark meat, I recommend the stew method as the breast has a tendency to dry out.

Shrimp "Ceviche"

½ cup onion – chopped

½ cup fresh lime juice

1 lb medium cooked shrimp

1 cup cucumber – peeled and seeded, chopped

½ cup ketchup

1/3 cup cilantro – chopped

1 ½ tbs hot sauce (more or less to taste)

1 tbs olive oil

¼ tsp salt

1.     Place chopped onion in a colander.  Rinse with cold water and drain.

2.     Combine all ingredients and chill.  Ceviche is best if it’s allowed to sit for at least an hour.

3.     Serve with tortilla chips.

Caesar Salsa

2 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes

4 tbs minced cilantro

1 tbs minced parsley

2 tbs capers

½ tsp hot sauce

1 shallot – minced

1 clove garlic - minced

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs lemon juice

½ tsp anchovy paste

1 baguette – sliced and toasted

1.     In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, capers, hot pepper sauce, shallot and garlic.

2.     In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and anchovy paste.  Pour over tomato mixture and serve on toasted baguette.

Baked Chicken with Lemon

2 cloves garlic- chopped

1/3 cup white wine

zest of 1 lemon

Juice of half lemon

1.5 tsp dried oregano

4+ sprigs thyme

2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs (boneless skinless)

Olive oil, salt and pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.     Heat 1tablespoon olive oil in oven proof pan (I used flat les creuset) until shimmering.  Remove from heat, and put garlic in.  Mix around.  (I do this off heat so garlic doesn’t burn but infuses the oil a bit).

3.     Put remaining ingredients in pan.  Cut the other half of your lemon (the one you didn’t use for juicing) into 4 pieces and nestle that in the pan as well.

4.     Cook for 20 minutes with lid on.  Remove the lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done.

5.     Serve chicken with remaining juices over top.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

Spicy Capicola Bundles with Goat Cheese and Radicchio

1 head radicchio, shredded
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded (or 1/4 a larger head)
5 oz goat cheese, room temperature
10 or more spicy peperoncini, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
48 slices Capicola (2 4oz packages)

1.  Combine radicchio, cabbage, goat cheese, peperoncini, balsamic and pine nuts in a large bowl.
2.  Put 1 tablespoon of mixture in the center of each slice of capicola.  Fold the Capicola slice around mixture.  It helps to put a tiny bit of the mixture at the seam to together to "glue" it together.

** Can add red pepper flakes to the mixture if you like things spicy.

Olive and Goat Cheese Appetizer

Olive and Goat Cheese Appetizer

1 4oz log goat cheese
3 large sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup assorted pitted olives

1.  Heat olives, thyme, olive oil, zest and thyme over low heat until fragrant.  This should take approximately 10 minutes.
2.  Put goat cheese in serving dish and cut it up a bit.  Pour olive mixture over cheese and serve with crackers.

***Courtesy of www.danatreat.com.

Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin

2 yellow squash or zucchini
2 red or white potatoes (Yukon Golds work well)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup milk
Several sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Slice squash and potatoes on a mandoline using the 1/8 inch size.  Toss with olive oil.
3.  Grease a 8x8 inch baking dish with olive oil.  Place squash and potatoes in one layer, alternating vegetables.  Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper.  Dot 1.5 oz goat cheese over layer.
4.  Repeat with another layer of vegetables, thyme, S&P and goat cheese.
5.  Repeat with another layer of vegetables, S&P, and thyme but not goat cheese.
6.  Pour the milk over top the 3 layers and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
7.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minute or until cheese is browned.


** Can be assembled ahead of time, just reserve the milk pouring until just before baking.  Also can be made without the potatoes, just double the squash and/or zucchini.

Mushroom, tomato, feta shrimp bake

1 8oz package sliced mushrooms
8-10 Compari Tomatoes, halved (or 4-5 on the vine, quartered)
12 jumbo raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1/4 cup white wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme
8 large leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Combine mushrooms, tomatoes, wine, oregano and thyme in baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.
3.  Remove dish from oven.  Nestle in shrimp and sprinkle with feta.  Bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered or until shrimp is done.
4.  Remove from oven and pour in serving dish.  Top with fresh basil and serve with crush bread for dipping.