½ lb. ground sausage (or sub 1 can black beans for a vegetarian version)
2 cups diced veggies (onions, carrot, jalapeno)
2 ears corn, roasted and removed from cob
Seasonings (cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper)
Scallions & cilantro
4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. shredded pepper-jack
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Brown ground sausage and set aside. Steam, then fire roast corn. Cut off cob and reserve.
Add diced veggies to same pan and saute until tender. Add seasoning, we used cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper, scallions & cilantro.
Add corn and browned sausage back to the veggie pan. Then add cream cheese and shredded pepper-jack cheese. Stir to combine all stuffing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
Roast poblanos for about 10 minutes on one side, until skin has bubbled and begins to blacken. Turn over and roast for another 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in covered bowl for 10 minutes. Skins will soften so you can peel them away gently.
Cut slits the length of the face of each poblano. Gently remove seeds. Fill with stuffing. Top with shredded pepper-jack cheese.
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional- I did not add this time
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Banana Cupcakes:
Mix all ingredients on high speed in mixer for 2 minutes. Divide between 12 standard cupcake liners placed in a standard muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked and while still warm, cut out a small cone from the top of each cupcake. Fill each well with 1 teaspoon Dulce de Leche, I like to use a baby spoon to do this, then popped the tops back on and pressed down so they would stay in place.
Dulce de Leche:
Star by taking a can of sweetened condensed milk and boiling it for a few hours by first removing its label and placing the can on its side in a large pot. Cover with water, about an inch over the can and cover pot. Bring to a boil then lower heat a bit and simmer for 4 hours. Be sure the can stays covered at all times with water.
After 4 hours turn off heat and let the can cool.
Note : (you could also purchase canned Dulce de Leche, usually found in the Latin food
isle of your grocery store or near the sweetened condensed milk. )
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat butter and salt until browned. In a large bowl place cream cheese and pour browned butter over top and beat on high speed for about 1 minute until mixture is light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition until all the sugar is added and mixture is smooth. Makes about 5 cups frosting. You will have extra, this freezes well.
3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped, divided
Directions:
Soak apple wedges in a bowl filled with 2 cups water and lemon juice.
Add tofu to a large hot skillet with 1 pinch salt and 1 splash oil.
Sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, wait 10 to 15
seconds, stir in maple syrup, and cook another 30 seconds. Drain apples
and add to skillet, cooking for another minute. Scrape apple and tofu
mixture onto a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add a touch
more oil, 1 pinch salt, and turn heat to medium-high. When pan is hot,
stir in sprouts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but
not too often) until you get some golden bits and rest of sprouts are
bright green. Stir apple mixture back into skillet with sprouts. Add
half the pine nuts and gently stir to combine. Remove from heat and
sprinkle with remaining pine nuts. Serve immediately while hot, as the
flavors can change dramatically after 10 minutes or so.
Cut loaf of bread in half width wise; cut into 1-in. slices, leaving slices attached at bottom. Brush butter on both sides of each slice. Arrange pepperoni between slices; sprinkle with cheese and parsley.
Place on an uncreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form a ½-inch pleat by pinching together the side of the empanada shell. Fold the pleat over and press firmly against the edge of the dough. Continue to pleat and fold the empanada shell in this manner until it forms a basket shape. Place it on the baking sheet, covered with a slightly dampened dish towel. Repeat the shaping process with the rest of the empanada shells.
Evenly divide half of the cheese cubes among the canastitas, followed by all of the chopped tomato and basil. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt and a grind of pepper over each canastita. Top the canastitas with the remaining cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the dough and cheese turn lightly golden brown. Allow the canastitas to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Note: Makes 12 Servings, You may want to deseed and/or drain the juice
from the tomatoes once they’re chopped to keep the canastitas from
getting too watery.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulverize the pretzels until they are like gravel; some bigger pieces, some smaller pieces, and some sandy-textured crumbs. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and press it evenly against the bottom and sides to form the crust. Freeze for 10 minutes.
In a bowl using a large spatula, stir the ice cream until it is pliable but still frozen; the consistency of soft serve. Drizzle 5 ounces of the peanut butter over it, and fold it into the ice cream. Pour the frozen mixture into the prepared shell and smooth the top so it is sightly domed. Draw a divot in the top of the dome and pour the remaining peanut butter into it. Freeze the pie for 4 hours to set.
When ready to serve, pipe cold whipped cream around the perimeter of the pie. Sprinkle the chopped topping of your choice over the top. Serve immediately.
3 cups quick cooking oats (I use a mixture of quick cooking and old fashioned as that is what I had on hand)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper.
Measure out 3 cups oatmeal in a bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa.
Bring to a boil. One boiling time for about 1½ minutes.
Remove from heat. Immediately stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add oats, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper until set, store in sealed container at room temp.
Using a sharp paring knife, carefully pierce (I really mean stab) the spaghetti squash in a few places (about 6 slashes is good). Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, turning/rotating the squash halfway during cooking. A fork should very easily pierce through the squash, if there is resistance - microwave for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Let squash cool for a few minutes before handling. Carefully (the squash will be steaming hot!), use a chef's knife to cut the squash in half, lengthwise. The squash should be soft and easy to cut. Remove and discard the seeds. Use two forks to scrape apart the strands of the squash. Compost or discard the skin.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and add in the spaghetti squash and toss. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle in the balsamic vinegar. Taste the squash - adjust seasoning and if the squash still needs a bit more time to cook through, cover and cook for 2 minutes. If the squash texture is perfect, toss in the grated cheese and serve immediately.
2 thick slices day-old whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium cucumber, peeled (if desired), seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 pound center-cut salmon, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat grill to high.
Whisk olives, vinegar, capers and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until combined. Add bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil.
Oil the grill rack. Season both sides of salmon with salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill the salmon until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with a piece of salmon.
Note: Serves 4, If using fresh bread, you can grill the bread slices along with the
salmon and then cut them into cubes. Alternatively, cut bread into
cubes, place on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F until dry.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mist 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray. In a small baking dish, mix together 2 tablespoons lime juice with garlic, chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add salmon and turn to coat; let sit.
Toss corn, bell pepper, poblano pepper, and onion with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Transfer corn mixture to one of the baking sheets; spread into a single layer.
Remove salmon from marinade and arrange on second baking sheet. Drizzle corn mixture with remaining salmon marinade. Add salt and black pepper to the salmon and corn to taste the roast 8 to 10 minutes.
Mix together sour cream, cilantro, and remaining lime juice. Add salt. Spoon corn onto plates and add salmon. Drizzle cream over fish.
