BRUSSEL SPROUTS SALAD (serves 4)

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  • 8 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts
  • 1-2 T. olive oil plus ¼ cup
  • Kosher salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 4 fresh radishes
  • Half small red onion
  • 1 Granny Smith apple sliced thin
  • 4 ounces bacon diced (I often use pancetta)
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup champagne vinegar
  • 2 ounces pistachios
  • 4 ounces of fresh greens (I use arugula)

Halve or quarter the Brussels sprouts and toss in oil, salt and pepper.  Either char sprouts on the grill or sauté in a skillet on the stove.  Shave the radish, onion and apple as desired and reserve.

Render the diced bacon in a sauté pan until cooked through.  Add sugar, mustard, and vinegar to the pan with the bacon and fat and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl.  Slowly add ¼ cup of oil while whisking to form an emulsification.  Once emulsified, add salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.  Mix Brussels sprouts, radish, apple, onion and pistachio with vinaigrette.  Once evenly distributed, fold in greens softly to prevent wilting.  I actually like the arugula to wilt a bit.

SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS

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  • 1 pound dried pasta
  • ½ cup EVO
  • 2 shallots thinly sliced
  • 5-7 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 2 ½ pounds of clams scrubbed clean
  • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 T. unsalted butter cut in small cubes

Heat oil in large sauté pan.  Add shallots and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent – about 3-4 minutes.  Add clams and wine.  Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes until clams have opened.  Add chopped parsley.  Whisk in butter to thicken.  Open some of the clams, leave others in shell.  Cook pasta and add it to sauté pan and mix thoroughly.

WATERMELON SALAD (Serves 4)

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  • 6 T. EVO
  • 1 cub Israeli couscous
  • 2 cups water
  • 2-3 cups of watermelon, seeded, cubed, diced
  • ¾ cup feta, goat or mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped basil
  • 1 cup arugula chopped
  • ¼ cup white wine or sherry vinegar

Heat 1 T. oil, add couscous and brown until toasty (4-5 minutes).  Add 2 cups water and salt and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Spread couscous evenly on baking sheet.  Drizzle 2 T. olive oil and stir.  Cover with plastic wrap and cool in refrigerator.  Prepare all remaining ingredients and combine in a large bowl.  Combine cooked couscous, watermelon, cheese, basil and arugula.  In separate bowl whisk 3 T. olive oil, vinegar, and salt and toss with watermelon mixture.

ITALIAN POTATO SALAD (serves 8)

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  • 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (use a Russet or Idaho potato)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2/3 cup EVO
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (you can substitute cilantro)
  • Finely chopped scallions – optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender, but still firm, about 15 minutes.  Drain, cool and chop.  I actually chop mine before I boil them.  They cook quicker.  In a large bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, vinegar and parsley/cilantro.  Add potatoes and toss to evenly coat.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

ULTIMATE ROASTED POTATOES (SERVES 6)

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  • 3 ½ POUNDS Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • ½ t. baking soda
  • 6 T. duck fat
  • 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

Adjust oven rack to top position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack and hear oven to 475 degrees.

Bring 10 cups water to boil over high heat.  Add potatoes, 1/3 cup salt and baking soda.  Return to boil and cook for 1 minute.  Drain potatoes.  Return potatoes to bot and place over low heat.  Cook, shaking pot occasionally until surface moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes.  Add 5 T. duck fat and 1 t. salt.  Mix with rubber spatula until potatoes are coated with thick paste, about 30 seconds.  Remove baking sheet from oven, transfer potatoes to sheet and spread into even layer.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Remove sheet from oven.  Using a thin, sharp metal spatula, turn potatoes.  Roast until golden brown, another 12-15 minutes.  While potatoes are on roast, combine rosemary and remaining 1 T. duck fat in a bowl.  Remove potatoes from oven.  Spoon rosemary fat over potatoes and turn again.  Continue to roast until potatoes are well browned and rosemary is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

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  • 1 beef tenderloin (3-4 pounds)
  • Frozen lemon juice
  • Lawry’s season salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Butter
  • Kitchen Bouquet

Pour 3 T. frozen lemon juice over tenderloin and let sit for 1 hour.  Pour off lemon juice.  Sprinkle Lawreys to cover all sides of tenderloin.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Let sit.  Melt ½ stick of butter.  Stir butter and 2 T. Kitchen Bouquet together.  Spoon or brush mixture over meat.  Cover completely.  Cover pan with saran wrap and aluminum foil.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove from refrigerator an hour or so prior to cooking.  Bake uncovered in low sided pan.  Do NOT preheat oven.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees for rare or to 140 degrees on a meat thermometer.

CHICKEN CYNTHIA

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  • 3 T. flour
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved
  • 4 chicken thighs, skinned and boned
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 T. oil
  • 2 T. curacao
  • ¾ cup dry Champagne
  • 1 cup chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 T. butter, melted
  • ½ cup whipping cream

Combine flour and salt.  Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture.  Heat 1 T. butter and oil in large skillet.  Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  Place chicken in 9x9x2 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees uncovered.  Pour fat from skillet and add curacao, champagne and bouillon.  Bring just to a simmer.  Add chicken and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until tender.  Cook mushrooms in 1 T. butter and add to chicken along with cream. 

BANANA CARMEL PIE

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1 can Eagle Brand milk

  • 1 graham cracker crust in 9” pie dish
  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 3-4 ripe bananas
  • 1 package dream whip

 Cover can of milk with water and boil for 3 continuous hours.  You will have to keep adding boiling water as it will boil away.  Be sure can is always covered.  Then refrigerate can for 24 hours.  Open can at both ends and slide out carmel roll.  Cut in ½” slices and place on pie crust bottom.  Sprinkle chopped nuts over carmel, then sliced bananas.  Cover with dream whip.  Refrigerate 3 hours.

ROASTED TOMATOES

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  • 12 plum tomatoes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 ½ T. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 t. sugar
  • salt and pepper
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Preheat oven to 275 degrees

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp, leaving core intact. Drizzle evenly with oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle garlic, sugar, and salt and pepper.  Place on cookie sheet and roast for 2 hours.  Let cool and store at room temp or in refrigerator.