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. 

Beet-Pickled Curried Deviled Eggs

 

For the pickled beets:
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 beets, peeled and sliced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1/4 tsp mustard seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp sea salt

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For the curried deviled eggs:

• 6 boiled eggs
• 3 Tbs mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tbs Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 3/4 tsp brown mustard
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped fresh dill
• chopped pickled beets to garnish (optional)

To make the pickled beets:

1. Peel the beets, slice in half, and then slice each half into thin pieces.

2. In a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the black peppercorns, fennel seeds and mustard seeds.

3. Mix all pickling ingredients, including the beets in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Let cool, and store in the fridge indefinitely. 

To make the deviled eggs:

1. Halve each egg, and remove the egg yolks to a bowl.

2. Place the egg halves in a jar, and pour the pickling beet juice over them.  Let sit for 10-20 minutes. 

3. Mash the egg yolks with a fork, and add the mayo, yogurt, curry powder, smashed garlic, and mustard.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.  Optionally, add some chopped fresh dill, and/or chives.  

4. Once the egg halves have been dyed a pretty shade of magenta, remove from the marinade, and drain.  Fill each half with the curry-mayo filling, and garnish with some of the pickled beets, chopped very finely, and more fresh dill.

One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken

 

Ingredients:

•  3 ½ - 4 ½ pound whole chicken, neck removed
  1 lemon, cut in halved
  1 head of garlic, halved
  Few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage
• 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tsp EACH: salt & pepper

Directions: 

1.  Position a rack in the center of the oven & preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat dry using paper towels. Season the inside of the cavity with ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the lemon halves, garlic head, and herbs inside the cavity. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe frying pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon of salt all over.

2.  Melt the butter in the microwave and using a pastry brush, brush half the butter generously all over the chicken, save remaining butter do not discard. Sprinkle with pepper.

3.  Roast chicken for 20 minutes, remove from oven, brush on the remaining butter mixture. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue roasting for 25 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and check to make sure it registers at 165 degrees F. Continue to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes for 4 to 4-1/2 lb chicken. Remove  from the oven and allow for it to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.

No-Fail Roast Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

 

Ingredients:

3-1/2 to 4 lb chicken
1 lemon
1 head of garlic
1/2 stick of butter or 1/4 cup of olive oil
salt & ground pepper

1.  Arrange a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  Cut 1 lemon in half cross-wise and remove visible seeds. 

2.  Cut 1 head of garlic in half cross-wise. 

3.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter in microwave in a small bowl. 

4.  Place whole chicken on a cutting board and pat with paper towels to get as dry as possible. 

5. With chicken breast facing up and legs pointing toward you, use a sharp knife to slice through loose area of skin connecting the leg and breast, making about a 3"-long incision. Continue cutting downward until you hit the joint that connects the thigh to the body, then stop (once you get through the skin, there’s not much there; if you are cutting through flesh, you’re too close to the breast). This exposes the leg joint, making it easy to tell if chicken is cooked. Repeat on second side.

6.  Season surface of the chicken and inside the cavity with salt & pepper. 

7.  Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, into a skillet and arrange lemon and garlic, cut-side down around the chicken. 

8. Drizzle chicken with melted butter and transfer to oven.

9. Roast until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through, checking for doneness after 45 minutes. To check, carefully remove skillet from oven (the handle is hot!), poke a knife into leg joints, and pierce the meat. If juices run clear, the chicken is done. If you see a rosy pink color, it needs more time. Continue to roast, checking every 5 minutes, until juices run clear. 

10. Let chicken rest in skillet at least 15 minutes before carving—this will help the juices in the meat to settle.  Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour all of the buttery pan juices over top of the meat and serve with roasted lemon and garlic alongside. 

Glazy Barbecue Sauce

Use this homemade sauce on your favorite bone-in chicken parts, and on whatever else you plan to grill.  Left-over sauce will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons Sriracha or favorite hot sauce

1.  Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook garlic, turning occasionally, until golden brown - about 4 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until slightly darkened - about 3 minutes.  Add maple syrup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and Sriracha.  Bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors have come together - about 1 minute.

To use:  Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat; oil grate.  Season bone-in chicken cuts with salt.  Grill chicken over direct heat, turning every minute until browned on all sides - about 5 minutes.  Move chicken over indirect heat.  Cover, and continue to grill, turning every 5 minutes or so for 18-20 minutes. Baste chicken with barbecue sauce and grill, turning and basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 for white meat and 165 degrees for dark meat, about 10 minutes longer.

Fresh Mint & Raspberry Ice Cream

 In addition to being delicious and fairly simple to make, the recipe is wonderfully adaptable - substitute your favorite herb/fruit combination.

For the Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 lemon, juice & zest


Ice Cream Custard Base
1 cup whole milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup sugar
5 egg yolks

1-2 cups fresh mint leaves, torn


To make the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst. Remove from heat and let chill. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

To make the custard, warm the milk, sugar, and the cream in a medium saucepan over medium to low heat until brought to a simmer. Remove from heat and add in the mint leaves, then cover for 1 hour to steep the mint. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.

Strain out the mint, then re-heat the mixture to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk the mixture into the egg yolks.  Return the mixture to the pan and place over low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, strain into a bowl and place in an ice bath or in the fridge to chill. 

Once the custard is cool, churn it in a ice cream machine until a “soft-serve” texture is reached.  Transfer the ice cream to a chilled storage container, alternating between adding the ice cream and a swirl of raspberry sauce for a layering effect. 

Braised Chicken Thighs & Greens

A comforting one-pot, stove-top meal, chicken thighs are browned, then simmered with sturdy greens.  Serve with crusty bread to enjoy the brothy braise. 

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
kosher salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 to 2 bunches of greens, such as kale or swiss chard, roughly chopped 
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup of green olives, pitted, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped



1. Season chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until nicely browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Return the pan to medium-low heat. Add red onion, and cook until it begins to soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.

3. Add chopped greens to the pan and stir, tossing to coat. It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down. Add the chicken thighs and any juices that have accumulated back to the pan and lay them on top of the greens. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come up to the chicken about halfway. Bring the chicken to a gentle simmer. Partly cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking through, about 20 minutes more.

4. Stir in olives and raisins and cook uncovered until they are warmed through, and the raisins are nicely plumped, about 1 minute more. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Old-Fashioned Custard

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups of whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar


1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and vanilla,  Stir continuously for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat when mixture is hot but not boiling.

2.  Whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar until well-blended.  Pour egg mixture into hot milk and whisk constantly so eggs don't scramble. 

3.  Return custard mixture to stove over low heat.  Stir 8-10 minutes until custard has thickened.  Do not boil or custard will curdle.  Serve warm or refrigerate 20 minutes and serve cold.

Honey Cake

A wonderful cake for afternoon tea, or for a decadent breakfast slice.

1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
3/4 cup butter, melted 
3 organic eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups strong coffee or tea*


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

In an electric mixer, mix sugar, honey, butter, eggs and vanilla on high speed until thick and smooth.  Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined. 

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and then add hot coffee or tea, mixing very slowly, on lowest speed. 

Pour into two greased, round 9-inch pans, or one 13 x 9 inch pan, and bake for 40 -45 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  

*Substitute orange juice if you prefer a more citrus-flavored honey cake. 

Braised Dandelion Greens with Fried Egg

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb (about 16 oz) dandelion greens, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
3 eggs
crusty bread, for serving

1.  Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 5-qt pot over medium-high heat.  Add the dandelion, parsley, mint, garlic, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt & pepper.  Cook, stirring, until greens are tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat.

2.  Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Crack eggs and cook until yolks are set, about 2 minutes. 

3.  Divide greens evenly between plates, top with a fried egg and serve with crusty bread.