Shamrock Eggs

 

Here's a healthy St. Patrick’s Day surprise for the kids. These eggs are the perfect quick way to get both veggies and protein at the beginning of the day.

Ingredients:

1 green bell pepper

4 eggs 

2-3 tablespoons oil

cheese slices, optional

Directions: 

1.  Slice bell pepper into 1/4-inch thick circles.  Heat cooking oil over medium-low heat in a skillet.  Place 2-3 slices in the skillet and cook about 30 seconds per side.  

2.  Crack an egg into each bell pepper in the skillet. Allow eggs to cook inside pepper rings.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to skillet and cover to steam the eggs - no need to flip them. Once eggs are cooked through, you can cover with a slice of cheese, if preferred. To melt the cheese, turn off heat and let eggs sit in pan with lid on. 

Serves 2-3. 

Breakfast Skillet

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large eggs
1/2 cup of feta, or favorite cheese (shredded or crumbled)
crushed red chili peppers, to taste
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish

Directions:

1.  Warm a large skillet over medium heat.  Add Olive Oil and heat for 1 minute.  Add potatoes, stirring to coat.  Let brown and crisp for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

2.  Add onion and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and potatoes are softened. Season with salt and pepper.  

3.  Add sausage and let pieces sear and crisp, up to 5 minutes. Stir to avoid burning.  Increase heat to high and add tomatoes, gently stirring to combine,  

4.  Crack each egg into a separate part of the pan; cover and cook for 4 minutes. 

5.  Top with cheese, tomato garnish and red chili flakes before serving.  

Make Ahead Holiday Breakfast Casserole

 

Assemble this casserole the night before for a simple, delicious breakfast on Christmas morning. 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces pork sausage

• 10 eggs, lightly beaten

• 3 cups milk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 6 cups cubed bread (try Jamesport Sourdough bread, cubed & stored in freezer)

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup diced red pepper

• sliced green onion

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2 inch casserole dish.
2. In large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and salt until thoroughly combined.
4. Evenly distribute half the bread into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese, half the black pepper, half the red pepper, and half the sausage. Repeat layers.
5. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 325 F. Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes, or until eggs are set. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the casserole dish with foil.
8. Sprinkle the casserole with sliced green onions. Serve warm.

Summer Chicken Salad

 

Ingredients

• cooked chicken (about 1 cup) 
• 1/4 chopped celery
• 1/4 cup halved red grapes
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped dill 
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• juice of half a lemon
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Combine chicken, celery, grapes, green onions, almonds (or pecans), and chopped dill in a large bowl,  Gently toss to combine. 

2. Whisk together mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  

3.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours for flavors to combine. 

4.  Serve with lettuce on croissants or toasted bread.  

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Honey Glazed Chicken

 

Cooking with honey can be problematic because it burns so easily.  Wait until the chicken is almost done and then baste it with honey to give it wonderful flavor. 

• Ingredients:

• One 4 pound whole chicken

• 1 cup lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1/2 fresh lemon, cut into wedges

• 1/4 cup honey, heated to make it easier to brush

Rub the chicken with about two teaspoons of kosher salt, all around the surface of the chicken. Place the lemon juice and the whole chicken in a resealable plastic bag (like a large freezer bag). Seal the bag and move the lemon juice around to coat chicken.  Place bagged chicken in a bowl in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.  

Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag.  Pat the chicken dry. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Stuff cavity with lemon wedges and thyme.  

Roast chicken for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Lower heat to 350 degrees and roast 45 minutes.  

Remove chicken from oven and use a pastry brush to coat the chicken with honey.  Then roast for another 10 -15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Breast should reach 160 degrees and thigh should reach 170 degrees.  Brush the chicken with remaining honey one more time before removing from the oven. 

Allow chicken to rest 15 minutes, tented with foil, before serving.  
  

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

 Put the Thanksgiving leftovers to good use in a one-stop-shop pie for dinner. The dough can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge or stored in freezer for up to a month. 

Dough
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flout
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6 Tbsp vegetable shortening, cut into pieces & chilled
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces & chilled

Turkey & Assembly
3-4 cups roasted turkey, shredded
1 cup of leftover gravy
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes)
half & half, for brushing

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl with a fork to combine.  Add shortening and butter and toss to evenly coat.  Use two forks to smash butter and shortening, pressing into dry ingredients until some pieces are flat & thin, and a few large & chunky. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ice water over mixture and stir with a fork.  Knead dough gently in a bowl until it comes together.  

Turn dough onto a work surface and knead 1 or 2 more times, pressing to incorporate shaggy edges.  Press into a disc about 1 inch thick.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour in fridge.   

 To assemble:  let dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and then roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 10-1/2 to 12 inch round.  Place dough in a 9-inch pie pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet (you want dough to be 1-1/2 inches wider than pan).  Allow dough to fill pan and crimp edges as desired.  

Arrange meat evenly in dough and cover with gravy.  Mound potatoes over meat.  Using a wet knife or spoon, spread to edges, covering meat completely.  Create decorative ridges in the potatoes with a fork, if desired. Sprinkle with paprika.

Brush dough with half & half.  Bake pie until crust is golden brown, 35-45 minutes.  Let cool 15 minutes.  Serve with cranberry sauce!  

Poached & Roasted Turkey

This turkey recipe ensures juicy meat and a crackling brown skin by following a traditional process from Bresse, the French capital of poultry. It involves first poaching the bird, then roasting it the next day.

1 quart turkey stock
4 medium carrots, roughly chopped
3 onions, thickly sliced
1 head of garlic, peeled
butter, or duck fat (if available)
organic turkey, 14-16 lbs
salt & pepper


Combine the stock, carrots, onions and garlic in a stock pot large enough to hold the turkey.  Fill it with water up to half-way.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.

While the stock heats, rinse the turkey and, starting at the neck, carefully seperate the skin from the breast and upper thighs with your fingers, being careful not to tear the skin.  Rub butter or fat all over the outside, in between the skin and flesh.  Truss the turkey.  (This is note mandatory, but makes it easier to handle the bird later.)

When the stock begins to boil, generously season it with salt and pepper.  Add turkey to pot and adjust heat so it simmers.  Cover the pot with a lid and make sure the turkey is submerged.  Simmer for 40 minutes, then remove pot from heat and let turkey slowly cool to room temperature in the broth, up to 4 hours.  Refrigerate turkey still in pot.

The next day, preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Take the bird out of the pot, place it on a rack in a roasting pan and roast it in the oven for 30 minutes.  Turn the oven off, leaving bird inside for about an hour. 

When you are ready to eat, the turkey will be perfectly cooked and nicely roasted.  Be sure to strain and save the left-over stock for soup.