The Best of Brock

The Best of BrockCelebrating 85 Years of Cooking

By Claudie Brock and the Associates and

Friends of Brock and Company, Inc.

First EditionS2 Press

Bethesda, MDUSA

Copyright © 2014 by Claudie J. Brock. All rights reserved.All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any man-ner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or by fair use.Printed, bound and distributed in the United States by: CreateSpace.com. For information regarding additional copies, discounts for bulk purchases or to fi nd out more about Brock and Company Inc., please contact Claudie Brock at:

Claudie Brock, Chairman of the BoardBrock and Company, Inc.257 Great Valley ParkwayMalvern, PA 19355(610) [email protected]

Published by:S2 Press9006 Friars RdBethesda, MD 20817USA(301) [email protected]

ISBN Number: 978-0-9660002-4-5Library of Congress Control Number: 2014942683First EditionFirst Printing 2014

DedicationWe dedicate this cookbook to all our Associates present and past, who with their talent and enthusiasm have helped and continue to make Brock and Company Inc. a premier Food Service Operation.

ContentsDedication iii

Contents v

Preface x

Int oduction x ii

Acknowledgements xix

Healthy Living 1

5 Ways to Turn Off Your Hunger Switch 2

Chocolate 4

Healthy Snacks 5

Stress Management 7

The Benefi ts of Yoga 8

More Suggestions for Healthy Living 9

Ergonomics 10

Eye Exercises to Reduce Eye Strain 11

Notes 12

Beef 13

Braised Short Ribs 14

Broiled Flank Steak Chimichurri Sauce 15

Cajun Beef and Root Vegetable Stew 16

Cajun Meatloaf With Sweet Pepper Sauce 17

German Beef Roulades Over Spaetzle 18

German Braised Veal Shanks 19

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs 20

Marinated and Grilled Buffalo Flank Steak With Lime Chipotle Sauce 21

Meatloaf 22

New Mexican Burger 22

Russian Cutlets 23

Spare Ribs in Wine Sauce 24

Stuffed Flank Steak 25

Teriyaki Burger 26

Texas Style BBQ Brisket 26

Wiener-Bean Casserole 27

Notes 28

Breakfast & Breads 29

Bread Pudding 30

Butternut Squash Bread Pudding With Leeks & Parmesan 31

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits 32

Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding 32

Crème Brulée French Toast 33

Crunchy French Toast With Banana and Strawberry 34

Currant Scones 35

Golden Baked French Toast 36

Guatemalan Banana Bread 36

Open Faced Broiled Egg, Spinach & Tomato Sandwich 37

Pizza Dough 38

Puffy Maine Pancakes 39

Quick and Easy Eggs Benedict 40

Roasted Vegetable Pizza 41

Scones 42

Scrambled Egg Beggar’s Purses 43

Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes 44

Syrniki* Cottage Cheese Pancakes 45

Notes 46

Chicken 47

Adobo Seasoned Baked Chicken Wings 48

Anjyab Sandale 49

Baltimore Chicken 50

Cheese Encrusted Chicken 51

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole 52

Chicken and Stuffi ng 53

Chicken Mole Verde 54

Chicken Sicilian 55

Chicken Tingas 56

Chinamerica Chicken Pineapple Feast 57

Grilled Chicken Kabobs With Greek Style Barley Salad 58

Grilled Chicken Penne Alfredo 59

Latin Combo—Sky, Sea and Land 60

Rotisserie Style Chicken 61

Tortellini With Chicken, Basil & Tomato 61

Notes 62

Desser s & Sweets 63

Apple Cream Pie 64

Apple Crumb Cake 65

Apple Fritters 66

Apple Oat Bars 67

Apple Pie Bars Home Version 68

Apple Strudel 69

Banana Granola Cookies 70

Bavarian Apple Torte 71

Cedar Planked Apples With Walnut Praline Stuffi ng 72

Cheesecake Supreme 73

Cherry or Cranberry Pie 74

Cherry-O Cream Cheese Pie 74

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball 75

Coconut Mango Rice Pudding 75

Cream Cheese Flan 76

Dirt 77

Donut Bread Pudding With Chocolate 78

Fresh Berry Trifl e 79

Gluten Free Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 80

Jell-O® Pie 81

Lemon Basil Smoothie 81

Mexican Flan 82

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cheese Cakes 83

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies 84

Peanut Butter Bars 85

Poppy Seed Cake 86

Pound Cake 86

Russian Cheese Wheels 87

Sand Dessert 88

Shoo-Fly Pie 89

Strawberry Topping 90

Sweet and Spicy Pecans 90

Swiss Apple Pie 91

Tiramisu* 92

Tookies 93

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies 94

Dips & Sauces 95

Artichoke Crab Spread 96

Buffalo Shrimp Dip 96

Celeste’s Best BBQ Sauce 97

Cranberry Salsa 97

Hot Artichoke Heart Dip 98

Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce 99

Nacho Bake 100

Peach Salsa 100

Pepperoni Dip 101

Pizza Dip 101

Pizza Sauce 102

Southwest American Indian Salsa Salad 102

Spinach Dip 103

Spring Pea Dip 103

Vidalia Onion Relish 104

Family Heirlooms 105

Carrot Cake 106

Cream Cheese Pie 107

Granny Sullivan’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake 108

Green and Red Peppers With Crab Meat 109

Hungarian Beef Paprika 110

Mary's Easter Bread 111

Mary's Zucchini Bread 112

Mom's Meatloaf 113

Mom's Peach Cobbler 114

Pork Adobo 115

Ratatouille 116

Pasta 117

20-Minute Tuna Casserole 118

Cheaty Ziti 119

Easy Add-In Macaroni and Cheese 120

Fettuccine Carbonara 121

Orecchiette With Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese 122

Pasta Primavera* 123

Philly Mac & Cheese Steak 124

Skillet Lasagna 125

Notes 126

Pork 127

Apple Butter Pork Loin 128

Apricot Pork Chops 129

Heaven on a Bun 129

Home-Style Asian Burger 130

Pork Roast With Ginger Peach Glaze 131

Pork Stew 132

Roast Pork Tenderloin With Balsamic Reduction, Fall Fruit Compote 133

Root Beer-Glazed Ham 134

South Carolina Style Pulled Pork Sandwich 135

Southwest Roasted Pork Loin 136

Salads 137

Apple Spinach Salad 138

Baby Blue Salad 139

Baby Mixed Greens With Apple Pear, Pecans and Feta 140

Barley and Mushroom Salad 141

Broccoli Slaw Salad 142

Brown Rice Salad With Citrus-Basil Vinaigrette 143

California Mango Chicken Salad 144

Carolina Cabbage 145

Celyodka pod Shuboy - Herring Under a “Fur Coat” 146

Couscous Salad 147

Crabmeat Salad 147

Cucumber Salad 148

Dan’s Country Style Coleslaw 148

Deconstructed Chicken Ratatouille Salad 149

French Green Lentil Salad 150

Georgian Style Bean Salad 151

Kielbasa and Lentil Salad With Warm Mustard Fennel Dressing 152

Panzanella* (Bread Salad) 153

Quinoa Salad 154

Red Bliss Potato Salad 155

Sesame Snow Pea Salad 156

Seven-Layer Salad 157

Spinach Pasta Salad 157

Turkey Barley Mandarin Salad 158

Vegetarian Pasta Salad 159

Warm Potato Salad With Honey Dressing 159

Notes 160

Seafood 161

Bay Scallops and Bulghur Wheat With Fresh Mint 162

Braised Sea Bass and Fennel With Saffron and Harissa 163

Caramelized Salmon With Citrus Salsa 164

Crab Cakes With Peach Salsa 165

Fresh Tuna Tacos 166

Lemon Shrimp Bean Thread Vermicelli 167

Maryland Crab Cakes With Old Bay Sherry Cream 168

Maryland Spiced Salmon Cakes 169

Salmon Reuben 170

Scallops and Shrimp Sambuca 171

Seafood Gumbo 172

Seared Scallops With Parmesan Risotto 173

Shrimp and Grits 174

Shrimp With Feta Over Mixed Greens With Feta Vinaigrette 175

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon 176

Soups & Chilies 177

Asopao De Marisco (Seafood Stew) 178

Black Bean Chili 179

Butternut Squash Soup 180

Cheddar Asparagus and Crab Chowder 181

Chilled Cucumber Soup With Lobster, Mint and Lobster Brioche Sandwich 182

Cold Strawberry Soup 183

Crab & Corn Chowder 184

Cream of Crab Soup 185

Dovga 186

Green Borscht 187

Italian Wedding Soup 188

Jambalaya 189

Lemongrass-Scented Noodle Soup With Shrimp 190

Maryland Crab Soup 191

Peanut and Chestnut Soup 192

Pulled Pork Green Chili 193

Russian Okroshka Soup 194

Sopa De Caracol (Conch Soup) 195

Thai Sweet Corn Soup 196

Vegetarian Chili 197

Notes 198

Veggies & Sides 199

Armenian “Musaca” 200

Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce 201

Baked Beans 202

Basil Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad 203

Black Bean Cakes With Tomato and Jack Cheese 204

Bulghur Risotto With Spring Peas and Asparagus 205

Bulghur Stuffed Tomato au Gratin 206

Creamed Cabbage 207

Dinsztelt Wilted Greens 208

Dolma* (Stuffed Grape Leaves) 209

Home Style Baked Beans 210

Hummus 211

Olive Balls 212

Potato Salad 213

Red Quinoa 214

Roasted Parsnips 215

Russian Golubtsi - Stuffed Cabbage Rolls 216

Russian Mushrooms 217

Spaetzle Noodles Bergkase 218

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps 219

Sweet Potato Salad 220

Unstuffed Cabbage 221

PrefaceBrock and Company, Inc. continues to celebrate its success since 1927 in constant food service industry innovation. It is exciting adjusting to taste, habits and style change opportunities.

Lynmar Brock Sr. in 1927 determined to offer factory workers a boxed lunch containing a ham sandwich, salad, slice of spiced lunch meat, slice of American cheese, sweet pickles, dessert, a cup of cream cabbage, spiced cake with lemon icing and an apple, all for 25 cents. The depression of the 1930’s was a demanding time for the country, but Brock’s Box Lunches continued to expand offering even more at a greater value.

The War years were a time of expansion of manufacturing. The company moved into a new and larger plant on December 6, 1941 and was well prepared to service the increased demands of a country at war. The company soon further expanded into corporate food service operation where on site chefs made it possible to increase the freshness and variety of food offered.

In the following years, Brock operated restaurants that combined freshness and variety with ever-changing menu selections. More recently, adding food service for private and independent school students has provided the increased ability and incentive to serve fresh, local and healthful foods to not only students, but with the lessons learned there, to an increasing broad range of corporations and enterprises.

Today the food offerings at each corporate and school location are prepared on site. This allows Brock to support and serve a variety of foods to satisfy individual de-sires, needs and demands. The company now operates throughout the eastern United States along with a Rocky Mountain division.

Bock and Company carries on with the same foresight and imagination of Lynmar Brock, Sr. and with his conclusion that change is wonderful and exciting.

This cookbook is one refl ection of the quality of food, the professionalism and the experience of its preparers that make up Brock and Company. We hope you will fi nd the recipes delicious and nutritious and wish to learn more about how we can pro-vide quality and value to your corporate or school food service systems.

Change is wonderful. Change is exciting. Remember the past. Embrace the future.

—Lynmar Brock, Jr., President of Brock and Company, Inc. 1962–2007

Int oduction“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human body, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”. This is a quote from the famous brilliant inventor Thomas Edison, who had more than a thousand patents to his name.

In this cookbook we not only have a collection of delicious recipes provided by our associates, but we also include information and recommendations for healthy a life style, with plenty of exercise, fresh air and healthy eating.

We start with the premise that everyone knows that smoking has been proven very detrimental to good health. So, that if you are smoking, it would be wise to look into some smoke secession programs, available. Many of these programs are available through your health insurance provider.

Many studies have been done showing the great benefi t of doing regular cardio type exercises for at least 150 minutes a week in, including a good amount of stretching before starting. Studies have also shown that exercising in the morning burns more fat cells than doing it in the afternoon, because during sleep time fat cells accumu-late, so doing so in the morning seems to be more benefi cial, if you are trying to lose weight. Exercise also helps to improve the brain cognitive function, because it produces more synapses in the brain.

Being overweight is a problem in our time because many people are unaware of the amount of sugar they consume on average. Sugar then turns into fat cells. Our ancestors would consumed an average of 5 pounds of sugar a year, today it is said that on average we consume 10 times that much.

The information in this cookbook provides nutrition facts, for one serving only, indicating the number of calories, total fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins vitamin A and calcium content.

The information in this cookbook is for educational purpose only and not to be con-strued as medical advice. Consult a medical practitioner before making any major life style changes.

— Claudie Brock, June 23, 2014

AcknowledgementsWe thank the many people who have contributed to the success of this cookbook such as those who submitted the delicious recipes, those who made sure that the recipes were correct. In particular we thank Debbie O’Donovan for her many hours of research, and typing; to Alison Niles for her typesetting and art direction; for Sharon DeFelices, Carl Scharle and Lynmar Brock for their proofi ng; Dennis Goldsborough for the design of the covers; and above all many heartfelt thanks go to Paul Pruitt for his many efforts to make this cookbook a reality!

—Claudie Brock

* * *

HealthyLiving

Brock’s Best

5 Ways To Tur Off Your Hunger SwitchResearch reveals that it’s your brain and not your stomach that is Command Central for weight management. It’s the single most exciting breakthrough in weight management in the last 10 plus years and yet, no one is talking about it,” says Doug Kalman, PhD F.A.C.N., director of the phase I Clinical Research unit of Miami Research Associates, a research site that’s been part of some of the biggest health breakthrough in the last 25 years.

The breakthrough came when researchers fi nally discovered that the brain uses a type of mes-saging system very similar to “texting” to determine what to eat, and when you are hungry and when you are not.

“This understanding now allows people to take a simple approach to weight management that does not ask them to change their life style,” says Kalman. “ It is something that everyone can do.” When used in tandem with smart eating and exercise, bolstering your personal will power with a brain that is also on board can boost weight loss goals big time. Here are a few simple strategies to help you get started.

1. FILL UP WITH FIBER AND WATER.Fiber and water trigger feelings of fullness and reduce hunger by sending a “YOU ARE FULL!” text to the brain. Flip your switch: Have a cup of clear soup broth with veggies 15 minutes before a meal, or drink a fi ber supplement stirred into a glass of water for similar effect.

2. GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.People who get inadequate sleep, that is, six hours or less per night, have increased amounts of the hormone ghrelin when they wake up the next morning, says Christopher Nolte, MD, a neurologist who hold certifi cations from both the American Board of Sleep Medicine and The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Think of the ghrelin as the text that the stomach sends to the brain, saying it needs food. “When the brain gets the message, it texts back, “OK, let’s eat,’ and you typically go looking for carbs,” says Nolte. “The reality is that you don’t need to eat carbs right then, despite what your brain is telling you.” Flip your switch: “Allow your-self seven hours or more sleep” says Nolte. And when you get some carb cravings, have water or a cup of brewed tea, and fi ber instead.

3. PUNCH UP YOUR POLYPHENOLS. Green and red teas, along with other polyphenol-rich foods and supplements (most notably those with high levels of two types of polyphenols-an-

thocyanins and stilbenes) have been shown to be very good at turning off the hunger switch. Stilbenes are found in grapes, blueberries and cranberries. The best-known stilbene is the anti-aging compound resveratrol, mostly found in red grapes and red wine. Anthocyanins are pre-sent in popular superfruits such as acai berries, blueberries and red grapes and are also found in red wine. In a study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research from the US Department of Agriculture found that purifi ed berry anthocyanins normalized the fat levels in mice that were fed a high-fat diet. Scientists attribute this effect to the ability of anthocyanins to assist cell burning energy, inducing satiety and, ultimately, turning off the hunger switch. Flip your switch: Increase you intake of green and red teas and berries, or, take 200 mg of resveratrol in supplement form daily.

4. DON’T BUY THESE BAD BOYS.Some ingredients turn on your hunger switch, so it pays to read labels. Some of the worst offend-ers: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and palmitic acid (the main fat in palm oil, palm kernel oil and saturated fat in beef). These troublemakers stop the hormones leptin and insulin, two of the brain most important “hunger messengers,” from reaching Command Central. When leptin and insulin, are blocked from the brain, the brain cells tell you to keep on eating, which can mean making the difference between having a few chips and eating half the bag. In fact, in a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found that palmitic acid’s ability to block leptin and insulin was so great that it that it may be the root cause of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Flip your switch: Choose whole, fresh unadulterated foods. Shop the perimeter of your supermarket, where the least processed foods are found. Reduce your intake of beef and/or opt for “grass-fed” beef, which contains less of the problematic saturated fat.

5. POWER YOUR PROTEIN.While increasing your consumption of protein can satiate your appetite, two of protein’s build-ing blocks, namely the amino acids tyrosine and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), have been identifi ed as the most crucial to relay messages to the brain. Simply stated, tyrosine and 5-HTP work as neuromessengers, speeding up messages to the brain that turn off the desire for food.

5 Ways To Tur Off Your Hunger Switch-cont.

That means with tyrosine and 5-HTP, whether in food or supplements, craving ends faster and fewer calories are consumed. Flip your switch: Take 150–250 mg of tyrosine and 100–200 mg of 5-HTP daily. In addition, protein will turn off your hunger switch to a greater extent than car-bohydrates or fat, so replacing some carbs with protein may help to reduce your overall caloric intake. Eat a minimum of 20 grams of protein at each main meal.**

– http://www.gnclivewell.com.au/blog-details.asp?id=284

5 Ways To Tur Off Your Hunger Switch-cont.

Chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, appear to reduce risk factors for heart disease. Fla-vanols in cocoa beans have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Flavanols also help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function. Dark chocolate contains more fl avanols than does milk chocolate. One caveat: The evidence for the healthy benefi ts of fl avanol-rich chocolate comes mostly from short-term and uncontrolled studies. More research will be needed to confi rm chocolate's role in heart health.

In the meantime, if you want to add chocolate to your diet, do so in moderation. Why? Most commercial chocolate has ingredients that add fat, sugar and calories, and too much can con-tribute to weight gain, a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Choose dark chocolate with cocoa content of 65 percent or higher. Limit yourself to no more than 3 oz (85 grams) a day, which is the amount shown in studies to be helpful. Because this amount may provide up to 450 calories, you may want to cut calories in other areas or step up the exercise to compensate.

– content from the Mayo Clinic

Chocolate

They say when you work out, your muscles are torn down and built back up. The body's natural healing process restores your muscles to a stronger state than they were be-fore. Healthy protein snacks can help this recovery process. 10 High-Protein Power Snacks Numerous studies, including one published in the Journal of the American Medical Association have shown that skipping high-protein foods may lead to overeating and is often one of the biggest causes of excess weight gain. As any devoted exerciser knows, protein is essential for the growth and repair of muscle and organs, especially after a hard workout. Fill up on powerful proteins with these tasty options. High-Protein Snack: Eggs One large egg contains 6 grams of protein and only 70 calories. If you're concerned about cho-lesterol, many egg substitutes on the market offer lower-cholesterol alternatives that still pack a protein punch. One of the best ways to eat eggs is hard-boiled. Keep a bowl of them in your fridge for an instant, healthy snack or an addition to a larger meal. High-Protein Snack: Nuts Whether you go for almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, or any of the other varieties, whole, raw nuts are a healthy high-protein snack. If you're concerned about calories, limit your nut intake to a handful or two, and remember that although nuts are high in fat, it's healthy mono-unsaturated fat, which doesn't clog arteries and is an essential part of a healthy diet. Plus, nuts are high in fi ber, and keep you feeling full longer. High-Protein Snack: Greek Yogurt This yogurt's power comes from its protein. Greek yogurt contains 15–20 grams of protein in a 6 oz serving versus 9 grams in regular yogurt. High-Protein Snack: Turkey When you're going for lean protein, nothing beats low-calorie turkey. Three oz of turkey pro-vides 25 grams of protein for only 140 calories.

Healthy Snacks

High-Protein Snack: Protein Shakes Simply combine whey protein with nonfat milk, frozen fruit, all-natural nut butter, or whatever other healthful ingredients sound good to you, and you have a healthy meal replacement or snack. High-Protein Snack: Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese is an excellent protein source with a half-cup of low-fat cottage cheese provid-ing 14 grams of protein for only 81 calories. Paired with fruit or plain, it makes a terrifi c snack when you want to stay full between meals. High-Protein Snack: Lentils Lentils pack a powerful punch of protein, fi ber, and minerals while containing comparatively few calories and almost no fat. A cup of cooked lentils offers 22 grams of protein, about 300 calories, and less than 1 gram of fat. High-Protein Snack: Tofu Tofu or soy bean curd is another excellent high-protein meal base and source of healthy fats and nutrients. Because it absorbs fl avors so well and can be cut into cubes, strips, or chunks, it can be prepared in a variety of ways. High-Protein Snack : Nut Butter Almond, cashew, peanut and other nut butters are high-protein foods with about two tbsp pro-viding 7 grams of protein. And, although nut butter contains fat, it can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in small amounts. Just remember not to slather it on crackers; spread it on carrot or celery sticks for healthy snacking instead. High-Protein Snack : Pumpkin Seeds Pumpkins are full of fi ber, vitamins, and body-boosting carotenoids, but it turns out tiny pump-kin seeds might pack even more of a nutritional punch. With 8 grams of protein in just one oz, pumpkin seeds or pepitas are also very rich in minerals, including potassium, manganese, and iron. Just take heed: Pumpkin seeds are calorie-dense, so do your healthy snacking in modera-tion.

– Source: everydayhealth.com

Healthy Snacks-cont.

St ess ManagementStress can be good because it helps to increase productivity, creativity and can provide the spark needed to get things done. But when stress becomes too great and unmanageable for too long it can be harmful to both productivity and health. Stress management is a do it yourself project: you can learn the tools, but you have to use them as circumstances change, then you have to re-evaluate, and learn new ones. Your emotional and physical response and your personal ef-fectiveness depends on the meaning you give to the stressful experience. Stress affects you emo-tionally, physically and biologically with the release of the fi ght and fl ight hormones.

Here are some suggestions: Take a breather from stress:1. Stay in a comfortable position2. Close your eyes3. Deeply relax all muscles and keep them relaxed4. Breathe through the nose, and be aware of your breathing in and breathing out.5. Repeat a word silently that feels good to yourself and keep doing this for 20 minutes6. Stay sitting with eyes open for a few minutes

Yoga is another activity for a sound mind and body. Medicine can cure disease but Yoga can prevent them

Any physical exercise can be an enhancement to good health. Whether you are involved in cardio physical exercises or other forms exercises such as Tai chi, shiatsu massage, Yoga practise as an additional regimen is great because it encourages stretching, breathing and meditation.

Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, where Yoga originated from. Meaning the union between the mind, the body and the spirit, it has been practiced for thou-sands of years.

The discipline involves the practice of physical poses or postures, mixed with breathing exercises, and mediation. It makes you aware of your body alignment and pattern of movements. It makes the body more fl exible and helps one to relax from the stress caused by today’s pressures.

It is a good idea to take classes from a knowledgeable teacher to learn the different positions and poses in order to avoid any injuries.

The Benefi ts of Yoga

Tricks to Improve Brain PowerPractice mentally what you need to do: rehearsing the activity uses most of the same brain con-nections, which are switched on during the real thing.

Scientist experts believe that the brain is most active right after you wake up or before you go to sleep, so use these times to think about solutions and be creative.

So that you don't lose things as easily, focus your attention to try to remember where you put you put them. Pay attention to the time of the day, the weather, the day’s head-line news or what you are wearing at the moment. You can also create a funny picture with the object, so that will come to mind when you are trying to recall where you put it.

Researchers are now saying that you need to continue to be actual-ly active as you age, try learning a new skill, a new language, how to play a musi-cal instrument or learn to be involved in a new type of activity such as putting togeth-er puzzles. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults get a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity such as a brisk walk per week. Sedentary living, not high cholesterol is the single biggest factor in heart attack deaths and perhaps also mental decline as we age.

Foods for Healthy LivingEat foods that are rich in brain boosting beta-carotene. Omega 3s boosts your heart health, and can be found in salmon, walnuts, soy and fl axseed. Good hear health boosts brain power. Fiber: about 21–38 grams a day helps the digestive tract and control cholesterol levels. Legumes which are low in fat food like the peas and beans family are excellent sources of proteins, fi ber and fl avor. Excellent served as a side dish.

Quotes

“Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon!” Dalai Lama

“Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier.”

More Suggestions for Healthy Living

ErgonomicsThis is your friendly Ergonomics Checklist. Aim to check off all of these ergonomics best practices as they apply at work or at home.

• When you sit at your workstation, keep your feet are fl at on the fl oor. The seat edge should not press against the back of your knees or your lower legs.

• When you type, your elbows should remain comfortably at your sides, each elbow at right angles, and your forearms parallel to the fl oor.

• Your monitor should be at eye level, in front of you and at a distance so you read your screen without leaning forward or backward.

• Place your work material within easy reach.

• Position your keyboard so that keystroking can be performed with your wrists, hands, knuckles and fi ngers in a relaxed, natural and neutral position.

• Type gently.

• Position your armrests so they do not interfere with your movement.

• Maintain good posture—no slouching.

• When possible, vary your work activities to break from repetitive motions and static work positions.

Eye Exercises to Reduce Eye St ainBecause we are so often typing and staring at the computer screen, these activities can create eye fatigue and eyestrain. To help reduce this you can practice these easy exercises:

1. Blink your eyes a couple of times.

2. Open your eyes and look up, then close them and look down.

3. Open your eyes and look left, then shut them. Open them again and look left.

4. Open your eyes and look down, then shut them. Open your eye lids halfway and look down.

5. Open your eyes and look right, then shut them and look right.

6. Do the "rock around the clock" by blinking your eyes twice. Open them again and look right, up top, left and then down.

Beef

Brock’s Best

Braised Shor Ribs

4 lbs boneless beef short ribs4 tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

1 lg Spanish onion, chopped4 ribs of celery, chopped

4 carrots, chopped6 cloves fresh garlic

3 cups red wine1 med tomato, crushed ¼ bunch fresh thyme

2 cups beef or veal stock3 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Season short ribs with olive oil, salt and pepper.

In heavy preheated pan, heat olive oil and brown short ribs on all sides. About 5 minutes per side. Remove meat from pan and re-serve stock.

Sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the pan that was used for the meat. Cook until tender.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine.

Add tomatoes, thyme, stock and bay leaves.

Place meat back in pan. Cover with lid and cook for 2–3 hours or until tender.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsSco Triola

?Did you know that in some cases pepper has been used to stop bleeding? Dr. Robert Lee of Beth Medical Center recommends that you wash the affected area fi rst with water and soap and then sprinkle pepper and apply gentle pressure. It will not sting since pepper is analgesic, anti-bacterial and has antiseptic properties.

1 cup (5 tbs) Italian parsley leaves, packed2 garlic cloves (⅓ tsp),

peeled and smashed ½ cup (4 tsp) olive oil

2 tbsp (1 tsp) red wine vinegar ¼ cup (2 tsp) fresh cilantro leaves, packed

1 sm shallot (¼ tsp), quartered1 tsp (1 dash) red pepper fl akes

12 lbs (2 lbs) fl ank steakKosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper3 garlic cloves (½ tsp), peeled

In a food processor, place parsley, smashed garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, cilantro, shallot and red pepper fl akes. Process until they form a well-combined sauce.

Transfer sauce to bowl, cover securely with a layer of plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Preheat broiler. Trim fat from fl ank steak and then score steaks diagonally on both sides. Season both sides of steak with salt and black pepper to taste.

Broil steak 3–4 minutes per side until desired doneness. Pull and allow meat to rest.

Thinly slice steak across the grain diagonally. Arrange meat on a serving platter. Pour sauce over steak.

Yield: 12, one lb lg ser ings(4, one-half lb ser ings)Jose Belteton

Broiled Flank Steak Chimichur i Sauce

Cajun Beef and Root Vegetable Stew

2–2 ½ lbs (1 cup) fl our32 oz (6 tbs) vegetable oil

20 lbs (2 lbs) beef bottom rounds, cubedPinch of salt

Pinch of pepper2 ½ lbs (1 cup) carrots, diced2 ½ lbs (1 cup) turnips, diced

5 (½ med) yellow onions1 bunch (½ cup) celery, chopped

2 tsp (¼ tsp) cayenne pepper10 cups (1 cup) dry red wine

10 (1 leaf) bay leaves1 cup (2 tbs) hot sauce

8 tsp (1 tsp) Cajun seasoning2 bags (¼ cup) pearl onions

5 lbs (½ lb/1 potato) Yukon potatoes

5 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) garlic, chopped10 tsp (1 tsp) dried thyme

Prepare roux thickening agent in advance. Mix fl our and oil. Bake for 45 minutes to a thick, dry mud consistency.

Toss raw cubed beef in a tad more of oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Brown beef in oven for 20–30 minutes at 300° F.

Put browned meat into heavy-duty stockpot; add enough beef stock to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then transfer meat to a medium-low heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add carrots, turnips and continue cooking for 20 minutes.

Add chopped onions, celery and cayenne pepper. Add wine, bay leaves, hot sauce and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes more.

Add pearl onions, potatoes, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to another boil; then reduce heat to medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

Take some of the liquid out of pot and mix your roux in it, whip until smooth. Add this back to your pot with meat and vegetables. This should thicken everything up nicely.

Remove bay leaves. Adjust seasoning and serve over noodles, rice or even grits.

Yield: 80 ser ings (8 ser ings)Chuck Wilde

Cajun Meatloaf With Sweet Pepper Sauce

1 cup sweet red peppers, fi nely chopped ½ cup sweet green peppers, fi nely chopped

½ cup onion, fi nely chopped ½ tsp salt

1 cup bread crumbs1 lb ground beef ½ cup ketchup

2 eggs1 tsp Cajun seasoning or

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Sauce1 tbsp oil

1 cup sweet red peppers, diced1 cup sweet green peppers, diced

½ cup onion, fi nely chopped ¼ cup water

Salt to taste ¼ cup cider vinegar ¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp spicy mustard


Combine meatloaf ingredients (1–9) into a bowl then pat into prepared loaf pan.

Bake at 325° F for 1 hour.

Sauce – Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the red and green peppers, onion, water and salt. Cook stirring occasion-ally, over medium heat until tender.

Stir in cider vinegar, brown sugar and spicy mustard. Cook over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and sauce thickens, about 8 minutes.

Top each serving with sauce and serve.

Yield: 8 ser ingsPat ick McHale

Ger an Beef Roulades Over Spaetzle

2 quarts waterPinch of salt

6 eggsPinch of pepper

3 cups fl our 4 tbsp butter

½ cup onion, fi nely diced 1 tbsp garlic, minced

3 lbs beef top round, thinly sliced4 whole dill pickles, julienned

½ cup red wine 1 cup beef stock

Spaetzle – In a large stockpot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with a punch of salt.

Beat eggs with a punch of salt and pepper; add fl our to make thin dough (thin with milk if needed).

Set a perforated pan with small holes (like a colander) over the boiling water. Pour the dough into the pan and using a scraper force it though the holes to form little dumplings.

Boil until all the dumplings are fl oating; strain.

Add the butter to the pot and sauté dumplings until golden brown. Season to taste.

Beef Roulades – Sauté onions and garlic until golden brown. Cut beef into workable sizes, about 5" x 5".

Place 3–4 pieces of pickle in each piece of beef, top with the sautéed onions and garlic. Roll up and pin close with a toothpick. Repeat until all the beef is done.

In a large pan on high heat with a little oil, sear the roulades until golden brown and set aside on a cookie tray.

Finish cooking the beef in a 350° F oven for about 8–10 minutes. Pour off the excess grease from the pan then add the wine; reduce, then add beef stock and reduce until it’s a thin syrup.

Serve the beef over the spaetzle with the gravy.

Yield: 6 ser ingsDerek Chimel

Ger an Braised Veal Shanks

½ cup fl ourSalt and pepper to taste

4 veal shanks with bone, cut 3" thick ¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup butter2 cups onion, diced

1 cups carrots, diced1 cup celery, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced2 bay leaves

3 tbsp dill, fresh, chopped1 cup Trollinger or Black Hamburg wine

2 cups good quality veal or chicken stock1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp thyme, fresh2 cups tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

2 tsp grated rind from a lemon2 tsp grated rind from an orange

2 cloves garlic, minced2 tbsp chives, fresh, minced

Serve with Spaetzle Noodles Bergkase Serve with Dinsztelt Wilted Greens

Season fl our with salt and pepper. Dredge veal shanks in fl our and seasoning mixture and tap off any excess. Heat a large heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add oil and butter. Sear shanks on all sides. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and dill to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high, add wine and deglaze the pan.

Return shanks to the pan. Add stock, caraway seeds, thyme and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove cover; continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce sauce a bit.

For topping: combine grated rind of the lemon and orange mix in garlic and chives; mix well and hold for service.

To serve, place veal shank on a plate and top with sauce sprinkle with the grated rind mixture. Serve with Spaetzle Noodles Bergkase and Dinsztelt Wild Greens.

Yield: 4 ser ingsEric Rappapor

Homemade Spaghe i and Meatballs

2 (10 ¾ oz) cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted or 2 cans tomato, chopped

2 ¾ cups water1 (12 oz) can tomato paste

1 (4 ½ oz) jar sliced mushrooms, undrained1 med onion, chopped

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt ½ tsp cayenne pepper2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch pepper2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs, beaten ¼ cup onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic salt ½ tsp pepper

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine fi rst 12 ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

In a bowl combine the beef, eggs, onion, garlic salt and pepper. Shape into meatballs. Brown in skillet.

Add meatballs to sauce and simmer for 1 hour.

Served over spaghetti. Can also be served with fresh salad and garlic breadsticks.

Yield: 6 ser ingsMaria Reed

Marinated and Grilled Buff alo Flank Steak With Lime Chipotle Sauce

Marinade1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, minced

½ tbsp garlic, minced1 ½ tbsp cilantro, minced

2 oz olive oil3 oz red wine

2 oz soy sauce1 ½ lbs fl ank steak –

cleaned of fat and silverskin

Sauce ½ cup honey

2 tbsp chipotle in adobo, minced3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard ½ cup fresh lime juice1 ½ tbsp garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground allspice

½ cup cilantro, mincedSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add fl ank steak and turn to coat well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

In food processor, combine the sauce ingredients and process briefl y to blend. Sea-son with salt and pepper. Set aside. Hold warm.

Remove steak from marinade, pat dry and grill to desired doneness. Let rest before slicing.

At service, drizzle sauce over meat.

Yield: 3 ser ings Joshua Stay ook

Take all ingredients and mix together. Shape into round mold and bake at 350° F for about 1 hour.

Drain grease. Put ketchup on top and cook for 15 minutes longer.

Cut and serve.

6 beef burger patties3 cup Ortega® refried beans

1 cup Buenos® green chile, chopped ¾ cup yellow onion

6 lg 12" tortillas16 oz cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef1 can Rotel® hot tomatoes

1 egg1 cup breadcrumbs

2 spring onions1 sm can of mushrooms

½ cup ketchup ½ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

Yield: 5 ser ingsMarie Marsh

New Mexican Burger

Cook beef burger patties at 165° F until done. Heat refried beans to 165° F. Grill chopped chile and onions on grill for 3–4 minutes. Warm a fl our tortilla.

Load a warm soft tortilla with beef patty, refried beans, chile and onion mix, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Wrap with foil and service with a side of fries.

Yield: 6 ser ingsPat ick Baca

Russian Cutlets

1 lb ground beef1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground chicken2 eggs

2 ½ cups Italian seasoning breadcrumbs ¼ cup water

3 lg white onions1 bunch cilantro

1 tbsp mayonnaise1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper3 tbsp of vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine all meats, eggs, ½ cup of breadcrumbs and water. In a food processor, fi nely chop onions and cilantro until almost the consistency of purée.

Put mixture into bowl with meat and mix.

Add 1 tbsp of mayonnaise, salt, pepper and mix. Put other ½ cup of breadcrumbs into large plate.

Heat a large skillet with some vegetable oil. Using a tbsp, scoop 2 spoonfuls into your hands and shape into your palms in an oval shape. Coat form with breadcrumbs and fry in skillet until golden brown on both sides.

Yield: 20 ser ingsVeta Mesh

Spare Ribs in Wine Sauce

1 ⅓ lbs spare ribs4 cups water

3 tbsp Shaoshing wine2 slices ginger1 spring onion

2 tsp coarser salt2 ½ tbsp fi sh sauce

1 tsp sugar1 tsp vinegar2 tbsp wine

Cut spare ribs into 2 or 3 big portions that are small enough to put inside a saucepan. Parboil spare ribs in boiling water for 7 min-utes. Remove, rinse and wash, then set aside.

Boil Shaoshing wine, ginger, spring onion, coarser salt, fi sh sauce, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. Add spare ribs and bring to boil. Then simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Test the tenderness of meat by pricking with chopstick. Cut into pieces and dish on a big bowl.

Discard ginger and spring onion. Then remove excess fats from sauce. Add in 3 tbsp of wine and bring to boil. Pour wine sauce over spare ribs. Soak for at least 2 hours, covered (it is better to soak for 6 hours). Cool aside and chill in the refrigerator. Serve hot or cold.

Yield: 3 ser ingsJie Ast i

St ff ed Flank Steak

1 ½ lbs fl ank steak 1 bottle Italian or balsamic dressing2 packages frozen spinach, thawed

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped ¼ cup Asiago cheese, grated

2 jalapeño peppers, fresh diced1 clove garlic, minced

Coarse ground pepper and sea salt1 tsp olive oil

1 kitchen twine

Butterfl y fl ank steak and marinate in Italian dressing for 4 hours.

Thaw spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. In bowl, combine spinach, parsley, Asiago cheese, jalapeños, garlic, salt and pepper.

Remove fl ank steak from marinade, lay fl at and fi ll with spinach mixture.

Roll steak over mixture pressing fi rmly and truss or tie with kitchen twine. Rub with oil, salt and pepper.

Broil until brown, 10 minutes for medium rare, longer if desired. Let rest for 10 minutes and slice into ¾" rounds.

Can also be cooked on outdoor grill, must also allow to rest before slicing.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsChris LaFrance

5 (3 oz) frozen burger patties 5 tbs of Teriyaki

1 cup of bean sprouts2 tbs of Sesame oil

5 tbs of duck sauce2 onions, sliced

5 Kaiser rolls

Teriyaki Burger

Grill 5 (3 oz) frozen burger patties. Sprinkle burgers with Teriyaki sauce while cooking. Sauté 2 full onion slices with each burger.

Spread sesame oil on Kaiser rolls and toast on grill. When each burger reaches 165° F, remove from grill and place on the toasted Kaisers. Top with sautéed onion and raw bean sprouts. Serve with duck sauce for dipping.

Yield: 5 ser ingsCher on Hawkins

Texas St le BBQ Brisket5 lbs beef brisket, layer ¼" thick of fat

1 tbs each of salt, sugar & ground pepper2 tbsp chili powder1 tsp cumin, ground

1 gallon Texas BBQ sauce1 (6 oz) can chipotle peppers

2 tsp cayenne pepper6 oz garlic, minced

Prepare meat and coat with salt, sugar, ground pepper, chili powder and ground cumin. Place in refrigerator for 8 hours to marinate.

Next day, cook at 350° F hours for an internal temperature of 165° F. Let set on counter for 10 minutes. Slice into 1–2 pieces, grain cut. Add together Texas BBQ Sauce, chipotle peppers, cayenne pepper and minced garlic. Heat sauce to 165° F and pour over meat. Serve.

Yield: 10–12 ser ingsJoseph T. Presler

Wiener–Bean Casserole

1 lb ground beef1 package of hot dogs16 oz pork and beans

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix ⅓ cup ketchup

¼ cup water2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

Brown ground beef in skillet until no longer pink.

Slice hot dogs into bite-sized pieces.

Add all of the remaining ingredients into the skillet with the ground beef. Stir thoroughly.

Pour all into a casserole dish.

Bake uncovered in 350° F oven for 1 hour. Stir, then cover, and bake an additional 30–45 minutes.

Yield: 5 ser ingsCher l Teske

Breakfast & Breads

Brock’s Best

Bread Pudding

4 cups day old white or French bread cubes, crusts removed

½ cup seedless raisins3 tbsp butter, melted

8 eggs1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp salt

⅔ cup sugar3 cups half and half

1 ½ tsp vanillaSweetened whip cream

Arrange bread cubes and raisins in buttered 1 ½ quart or casserole dish and drizzle with butter.

Combine eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, beat slightly.

Dissolve sugar in half and half and add to eggs in fi ne stream, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla.

Pour over bread cubes and bake in moderate oven at 350° F for 55–60 minutes, or until a silver knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Serve slightly warm or chilled, plain or with sweetened whipped cream.

Yield: 15 ser ingsBar Pinkowicz

Bu er ut Squash Bread Pudding With Leeks & Par esan

3 cups butternut squash, diced ½" cubeCanola cooking spray

¼ tsp salt1 tbsp maple syrup

4 oz butter3 leeks, washed well and chopped –

white and light green parts only3 garlic cloves, minced

6 eggs2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk3 cups bread cubes, brioche crust – trimmed

and stale 1 cup Gruyère, shredded

1 cup Parmesan cheese or Grana Padano, shredded

Spray cookie sheet and squash with cooking spray and ¼ tsp of salt, roast for 15 minutes.

Drizzle maple syrup on squash and continue to roast for 5 minutes more. Take out of oven to cool.

Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat.

Add leeks, salt & pepper to taste and garlic, cover pan and cook the leeks at a lower heat (about 10 minutes).

In large bowl beat 6 eggs, add cream, milk, leek mixture, squash and bread and ½ of the cheese.

Let mixture sit for 10 minutes, spray 9" x 12" glass baking dish and pour in ingredients. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

Yield: 10–12 ser ingsChristine Trapaga

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick® Heart Smart® mix ⅔ cups fat-free skim milk

½ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded ½ tsp garlic powder

Butter fl avored cooking spray, if desired

Heat oven to 450° F. Combine Bisquick® mix, milk, cheese and garlic powder to make a soft dough. Beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by 10–12 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Spray warm biscuits with cooking spray before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Yield: 11 ser ingsTeresa Flebbe

Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding

1 quart heavy cream1 ½ cup granulated sugar

3 chocolate muffi ns1 tbs vanilla4 egg yolks

1 brioche loaf

Preheat oven to 325° F. Boil cream, sugar and vanilla together in a saucepan. Temper the boiled cream slowly into the egg yolks to bring the egg yolks up to heat. Pour tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan and let sit for 3–4 minutes. Strain into a con-tainer and cool. Dice bread (with no crust) and chocolate muffi ns into a mixing bowl. Place in a pan and pour the custard on top. Bake in the oven at 325° F for 25 minutes or until fi rm. Cool and serve.

Yield: 12 ser ingsEric Bunton

Crème Br lée French Toast

½ cup unsalted butter1 cup dark brown sugar, fi rmly packed

2 tbsp light corn syrup6, 1" day old challah slices

5 lg eggs1 ½ cups half & half cream

1 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp orange liqueur

¼ tsp salt

Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in heavy saucepan. Cook contents until melted and smooth. Pour into 13" x 9" bak-ing pan.

Trim crust of challah and arrange in one layer in baking pan.

Whisk together eggs, half & half, vanilla, orange liqueur, and salt in large mixing bowl. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35–40 minutes.

Yield: 8–10 ser ingsJon Kaplan

Cr nchy French Toast With Banana and St awber

1 loaf Texas toast ½ quart liquid eggs (or 12 eggs, whisked)

½ quart skim milk1 tsp pure vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon ¼ cup sugar

1 box corn fl akes, crushed lightly ¼ cup oil

2 bananas, sliced1 pint strawberries, sliced

Confectioners' sugar, if desired

Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar together and set aside. Lightly crush cereal in its bag then pour into a bowl. Take a slice of bread and dip into egg mixture, then cover bread with cereal crumbs.

Set aside on a sheet tray. Do this process until all the bread is coated.

Get your grill or pan hot. Pour a little oil, about 1 tsp, on grill and place a slice of bread on top. Grill for about 2–3 minutes on each side. Slice toast in half and serve with sliced bananas and strawberries on top. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Can use almond extract instead of vanilla extract.

Yield: 12 ser ingsLaura Walther

Cur ant Scones

2 cups fl our1 tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pea-size pieces1 cup currants or your favorite fruit

1 lg egg1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp sanding sugar, optional2 tbsp melted butter, optional

Powdered sugar, optional


Place fl our, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Take cold cut up butter and add to dry ingredients. Work the butter into the fl our mixture until it resembles a crumbly meal.

Next add currants and toss. Mix together egg and heavy cream and add to the dry ingre-dients. Mix all together but do not over mix.

Knead the dough until it comes together. Note: do not over-knead, it will become tough.

Next turn dough onto fl oured board, table, etc. Roll dough to ½" thick. Using a cookie-cutter about 2"–2 ½" round, or any shape you like, cut and put on sheet pan; do not butter the pan or use any spray at this point.

Optional – once on cookie sheet sprinkle with sanding sugar or once they are done brush tops with melted butter.

Bake for 15 minutes, turn around, then bake for another 10 minutes.

You can sprinkle with powdered sugar after they have cooled.

Yield: 10–12 ser ings, depending on size Theodore Geller

8–10 slices bread, cubed8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp orange extract1 cup milk

10 eggsbrown sugarmaple syrup

Layer bread in the bottom of a greased 13" x 9" baking pan; set aside. Combine cream cheese, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange extract, milk and eggs in a blender; blend well. Pour evenly over bread; cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Uncover and bake at 350° F until golden, about 35 minutes; sprinkle with brown sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup before serving.

Yield: 8 ser ingsDonna Dunn

Guatemalan Banana Bread3 cups fl our

2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt

4 cups bananas, mashed ½ cup coconut milk

½ cup melted butter ½ tsp vanilla

½ cup raisins, optional ½ cup cashews, optional

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine fl our, baking powder & salt. Stir in bananas, coconut milk, vanilla & butter. Fold in raisins & cashews, if desired. Pour into a greased 5" x 9" loaf pan. Bake at 350° F for 1 hour & 15 minutes or until tested done.

Yield: 8 or more ser ingsJose Belteton

Golden Baked French Toast

Open Faced Broiled Egg, Spinach & Tomato Sandwich

1 whole wheat English muffi n, split, toasted2 slices ripe tomato

8 oz spinach, cooked2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaiseSalt free seasoning, sprinkle

2 basil leaves, shredded

Top the muffi n halves with the tomato, spinach and the sliced egg.

Spoon on the mayonnaise and broil for 2 minutes or until mayonnaise is lightly browned.

Garnish with basil leaves and salt free seasoning.

Yield: 1 ser ingGilber Bur s

Did you know that studies show spinach contains magnesium, which improves the body's response to stress??

Pizza Dough

1 pint warm water2 tsp dry yeast

1 tsp sugar1 oz olive oil

1 tbsp kosher salt2 lbs high gluten fl our

Combine the water, yeast and sugar; let sit until it becomes a foamy mix (2 minutes or more usually).

Add oil and salt; mix well.

Gradually add fl our to mix. Mix with dough hook for 8 minutes until dough pulls away from the mixing bowl.

[It may be necessary to add more fl our dur-ing mixing.]

Cut dough into 20 oz balls. Rub with olive oil and refrigerate until ready to use.

Can be made with the Pizza Sauce in the Dips & Sauces section!

Yield: 2, 20 oz dough balls (2 pizzas of 8 slices)Tony Pater o

Puff Maine Pancakes

2 lg eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup all-purpose fl our

½ cup milkPinch of salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg3 tbsp unsalted butter

Confectioners’ sugar, garnish


Put eggs, fl our, milk, salt and grated nutmeg in a medium bowl; whisk until combined. Batter may still be slightly lumpy. You may make the batter a day ahead and chill overnight.

For each pancake, melt 1 tbsp butter in a 4" crepe pan or ovenproof skillet over medi-um-high heat. Using a ladle, pour ⅓ of the batter into the very hot pan; transfer pan or skillet immediately to the oven.

Bake until pancake is golden brown and very puffy, about 10 minutes. Dust with con-fectioners’ sugar; serve immediately.

Yield: 3, 4" pancakesJody Charles

Quick and Easy Eggs Benedict

8 slices Canadian bacon1 tsp white vinegar

8 eggs1 cup butter6 egg yolks

1 tbsp heavy cream1 dash ground cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt3 ½ tbsp lemon juice

4 English muffi ns, split and toasted

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the Canadian bacon on each side until evenly browned.

Fill a large saucepan with about 3" water and bring to a simmer. Pour in the vinegar. Carefully break the 4 eggs into the water, and cook 2–3 minutes, until whites are set but yolks are still soft. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, melt the butter until bubbly in a small pan or in the microwave. Remove from heat before butter browns.

In a blender or large food processor, blend the egg yolks, heavy cream, cayenne pep-per, and salt until smooth. Add half of the hot butter in a thin steady stream, slow enough so that it blends in at least as fast as you are pouring it in. Blend in the lemon juice using the same method, then the re-maining butter.

For each serving, place one split open English muffi n onto a serving plate. Top each half with 1 slice Canadian bacon and 1 poached egg. Drizzle with the cream sauce, and serve at once.

Yield: 4 ser ingsDebbie O’Donovan

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

1 med green pepper, sliced thin1 med red onion, sliced thin

½ pint grape tomatoes1 lg Portobello mushroom cap, sliced thin

Olive oilSalt and pepper, to taste

2, 7" frozen pizza shells4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

7 oz mozzarella cheese, diced and shredded

Place all vegetables on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables at 400° F until soft and tomatoes “pop".

Thaw 2, 7" pizza shells, stretch out to 8 ½"–9" diameter. Sprinkle half of Parmesan on each shell. Spread roasted vegetables around on the shell top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 425° F until crust and cheeses are good and brown; 12–16 minutes.

Remove from oven. Cut to make 4–6 pieces.

Yield: 2 personal pizzas (yielding 8 slices or 4, t o slice ser ings for pur oses of calculating the nut ition infor ation.)Nor an Griese

Scones

1 quart heavy cream (40%)1 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt2 tbsp vanilla extract

2 ½ tbsp baking powder2 lbs all-purpose fl our

Egg washGarnishes, as needed

Gather all ingredients. Put heavy cream in mixer and combine sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder. Whip until cream achieves medium-heavy peaks. Place in mixing bowl.

Pour fl our into mixing bowl and incorporate by hand. Be very careful not to over whip. Remove dough from mixing bowl and separate dough into two piles. Garnish with whatever is appropriate (dried cran-berries, chocolate, white chocolate, orange zest, etc.).

Mix garnish in and form dough into wheels. Cut wheels into 8 pieces each. Place apart on a sheet pan and lightly coat with an egg wash.

Bake at 350° F for about 8–12 minutes watching carefully and ensuring they are golden brown and completely cooked.

Yield: 16 ser ingsJe ey Chamberlain

Scrambled Egg Beggar’s Purses

3 oz butter or butter blend2 dozen eggs, cracked, whipped to scramble

2 tbsp mixed chopped herbs – (parsley, thyme, dill)

¾ cup julienne sun-dried tomatoesSalt and pepper to taste

2 cups crumbled goat cheese or feta cheeseButter fl avored spray

Baby spinach for salad1 box phyllo pastry


Melt butter in a sauté pan and scramble eggs with herbs, sun-dried tomatoes and salt and pepper.

Remove to a bowl and cool. Mix in crumbled cheese.

Spray large muffi n tins with butter spray. Lay out one sheet of phyllo, spray, lay another sheet on top, spray and repeat with one more sheet. Cut into sixths.

Lightly press each piece into a cup and repeat with one more round of pastry. Fill each cup with egg mixture, fold pastry over the top and spray to seal closed.

Bake in 350° F oven until browned.

To serve, place a bed of baby spinach on a plate, and place a warm egg purse in the center.

Yield: 12 ser ingsJen Foy

Mix and sift fl our, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add milk, egg, and butter. Mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. When puffed full of bubbles and cooked on edges, turn and cook on the other side.

Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes

2 cups fl our1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp baking powder2 tbsp sugar2 cups milk

1 egg1 tbsp butter

Por ions: 10 med cakesRenee Bloch

Did you know that to have a slimmer waist you should not skip breakfast? Eat a breakfast to get you started for the day with high fi ber cereal, whole grain bread or fruit, then bite into a pickle or lemon to curb your appetite. Brush your teeth. Post a list of things on the fridge of projects to do, and then tackle them and your cravings for food will diminish. Use a smaller plate and serve smaller portions!

?

Sy iki* Co age Cheese Pancakes

1 cup cottage cheese1 cup fl our

1 ½ tbsp sugar1 egg beaten

2–3 tbsp cooking oilToppings of choice

Mix cottage cheese, fl our, sugar, and egg in a bowl. Form small balls with the dough by rolling it in your hands. Then smash the balls so they form small fl at patties.

Heat oil over medium heat. Put 2 patties in the skillet at a time and fry on each side. When golden, remove and keep warm until all are prepared. Top with your favorite top-ping, sour cream, jelly/jam, or honey.

Yield: 3 ent ée por ions or 12 side por ions(12 ser ings were assumed for nut ition calcula-tion)Bella Raykin

*SYRNIKI [sihr-NEE-kee] – Russian in origin, syrniki is a dish of fried cheese cakes that can be served sweet: sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and sour cream, or savory: topped with sour cream and herbs such as dill.

Syrniki are made with a mixture of pot cheese or farmer’s cheese, fl our and beaten eggs, which is formed into cakes before being sautéed on both sides until brown.

Chicken

Brock’s Best

Adobo Seasoned Baked Chicken Wings

½ cup mango nectar ¼ cup honey

¼ cup red hot sauce1 tbsp salt and to taste

1 tsp ground black pepper and to taste2 tsp garlic powder2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp ground turmeric40 chicken wings, patted dry

2 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped


Stir together mango nectar, honey and hot sauce in a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For Adobo Seasoning:Mix garlic powder, onion powder and tur-meric in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper.

Toss wings in a bowl with olive oil and adobo seasoning mix.

Place wings onto a large baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn wings over and bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove wings. Brush with honey and hot sauce glaze and bake 20 additional minutes.

Place cooked wings on a platter and sprinkle with oregano.

Yield: 8, 5-wing por ions Craig B. Nur i

Anjyab Sandale

2 lbs beef, stew meat pieces–approximately 1" diced or 4 pieces chicken, on bone

4–5 potatoes, med size4 green peppers

4 red peppers4 eggplants, med

5 white onions1 bunch dill

2 bunch cilantro1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the beef or chicken into ½" cubes.

Boil the meat in a pot or kettle in a small amount of water.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Keep in water to keep from turning brown.

Remove seeds from the green and red pep-pers and cut into strips the size of fettuccine.

Peel the eggplant and cut in half lengthwise and slice into ½" slices. Place the sliced egg-plant in salted water to remove the bitterness.

Slice the white onion and chop the dill and cilantro.

Start by layering the ingredients in a casse-role pan: peppers, eggplant, potatoes, beef (or chicken), dill & cilantro, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Put a little water in the casserole; add only about enough to come up ¼ of the way in the casserole.

Place on the stove and cook until vegetables are done.

Yield: 4 or more ser ingsSuren Sarkisov

Baltimore Chicken

1 tbsp butter5 oz chicken breast

¼ cup all-purpose fl our2 oz white wine

4 oz chicken gravy2 oz heavy cream

Pinch Old Bay® seasoning6 oz angel hair pasta

3 oz lump or jumbo lump crab meat2 oz provolone cheese, sliced

Pinch fresh parsley fl akes

To prepare, use a non-stick sauté pan. Melt butter.

Tenderize chicken breast. Dust in fl our and place in pan.

Lightly brown on both sides. Deglaze pan with wine, add gravy, heavy cream and Old Bay®. Let reduce by half.

Cook pasta according to package instructions and place on center of plate. Place chicken on top of pasta, top chicken with crab and provolone cheese. Smother in sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with salad and garlic bread.

Yield: 1 ser ingJoe Mathis

Did you know that parsley gives great fl avor and is nutritious in salads? Just one oz provides 43% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin C and 18% and RDA for iron in men and 12% in women, plus 1 mg of beta carotene.?

Cheese Encr sted Chicken

¾ cup Asiago* or Parmesan cheese ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tbsp water ½ cup fl our

1 egg4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 ½ tsp salt1 ½ tsp black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Place cheese, breadcrumbs, and water in food processor and blend lightly.

Pour fl our onto plate.

Whisk egg in shallow bowl.

Liberally season chicken with salt and pep-per. Dredge chicken in fl our and egg mix-ture. Coat on all sides with breadcrumbs.

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken for 2–3 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 4 ser ingsDawn Corder

*ASIAGO CHEESE [ah-SYAH-goh] – A semi-fi rm Italian cheese with a rich, nutty fl avor.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

3 tbsp unsalted butter3 tbsp fl our

3 cups chicken broth1 shallot, minced

1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ cup sour cream

2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated3 cups frozen broccoli fl orets, thawed or fresh

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast – cooked and shredded

1 cup cracker crumbs (Ritz®, or your favorite)


In a saucepan melt the butter and add fl our. Cook 3 minutes.

Add the broth and shallot, bring the mixture to boil. Reduce to simmer and stir until thick-ens.

Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and ¼ cup of Parmesan.

Arrange the broccoli in a 2-quart gratin dish; pour half the sauce over it. Arrange the shredded chicken on the top of the broccoli and pour on the remaining sauce.

Top with cracker crumbs and remaining cheese.

Bake at 325° F for 20 minutes then put the dish under the broiler until the crackers are golden brown, for no more than 1 minute.

Yield: 8 ser ingsElena Zenchenko

Did you know that broccoli is high in fi ber and has been shown to lower cholesterol? It is also rich in sulfur compounds, which are good for the liver and thus strengthen the body's natural detoxifi cation system.?

Chicken and St ffi ng

2–4 chicken breasts, boneless10 ¾ oz can cream of chicken soup

¼ cup milk ¼ cup chicken broth

6 oz box chicken-fl avored stuffi ng mix4 tbsp butter, melted ½ cup chicken broth

Place chicken breasts in a Dutch oven, cover with water and cook until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving broth; set aside. Cut chicken in small pieces and place in 1 ½ quart greased baking dish.

Combine soup, milk and ¼ cup broth. Pour over chicken. Combine stuffi ng seasoning mix packet, butter and remaining broth. Stir in dry stuffi ng and sprinkle on top of soup mixture.

Cover and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese be-fore serving.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsDonna Dunn

Chicken Mole Verde

½ cup oil1 sprig cilantro

1 garlic cloveSalt and pepper, to taste

4 chicken breasts ½ onion

2 garlic cloves4 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped

8 tomatillos, peeled and quartered4 cups chicken broth

4 romaine leaves, chopped4 poblano chiles

1 tbsp vegetable oil3 sprigs epazote or parsley

¾ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and ground6 lemons

Combine oil, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate at least 2 hours.

Grill the chicken on a char broiler or charcoal grill to 165° F.

Arrange chicken breast in serving pan.

Heat a saucepan or steam kettle. Add the onion, garlic and serrano chile. Cook until the aroma blossoms. Add the tomatillo and cook until heated. Add the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomatillos are soft.

Add the mixture to a blender or use a hand blender to blend tomatillo mixture, add the romaine and the poblano. Purée until smooth.

Add the cilantro, epazote or parsley and pumpkin seeds. Purée mixture again. Put back in pot or allow to come back to a sim-mer. Add the remaining broth to make a smooth consistent sauce.

Simmer for half an hour, stirring often. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over chicken breast and bake at 350° F for 20 minutes, or until chicken is at 165° F internal temperature.

Slice the lemon and garnish the chicken.

Yield: 4 ser ings Eric Smith

*EPAZOTE [eh-paw-ZOH-teh] – a Mexican herb that has a very strong taste and sometimes has a gasoline or perfume-like odor. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for hundreds of years dating back to the Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes.

Chicken Sicilian

1 Idaho potato, ¼" diced¼ cup olive oil

2 oz fl our, mixed with salt and pepper4 (4 oz) chicken breasts, ½" dice

1 oz shallots, minced2 oz black olives, chopped

4 oz pepperoncini with juice, sliced ½ oz capers, drained

2 oz white wine2 oz chicken stock

1 lg tomato, fi rm, ¼" dice8 oz spaghetti, cooked

1 oz fl at leaf parsley, chopped

Begin by frying the potatoes in olive oil. The oil should be almost smoking.

Toss chicken with fl our. When the potatoes are half done, add the fl our-tossed chicken pieces.

While those are frying, sauté the shallots, add the olives, pepperoncini, capers, white wine, chicken stock and pepperoncini juice; reduce by half.

When the chicken and potatoes are done, transfer to pan with olives, add 1 oz of hot olive oil, tomatoes and cook till slightly thickened. It's quick, so watch it! If it gets too thick, thin with chicken stock.

Season to taste, place on spaghetti and sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 4 ser ingsGilber Bur s

Chicken Tingas

4 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless 6 cups chicken broth 1 onion, fi nely diced

4 tsp adobo seasoning 2 cloves garlic

1 onion, fi ne diced 2 med tomatoes, diced

1 cup prepared tomato sauce Salt and pepper to taste

1 (8 oz) package tostada shells 8 oz sour cream

1 cup lettuce, shredded1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, gratedSpanish rice, optional

Boil chicken with chicken broth, rough chopped onion, adobo seasoning, and garlic for about 45 minutes or until it easily shreds.

Remove chicken and set aside to cool.

Once cool, shred with 2 forks or with your hands.

Sauté the fi nely diced onions and tomatoes until caramelized, add tomato sauce and chicken.

Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Place shredded chicken on tostada shell and garnish with sour cream, shredded lettuce, Parmesan cheese and cilantro.

Serve with Spanish rice.

Yield: 7 ser ingsPaola Crodone

Chinamerica Chicken Pineapple Feast

1 chicken breastWhite pepper powder, to taste

½ tsp salt ½ tsp honey

½ cup pineapple, chopped1 tbsp cooking wine

Oil3 tbsp mayonnaise

¼ tsp salt, optional ½ tsp sugar, if needed

Pound chicken breast with a wood mal-let for a short period of time to soften the breast. Put in bowl.

Add a little bit of white pepper powder, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of honey. Mix every-thing thoroughly, turning chicken over to coat.

Chop ½ cup of pineapple and add to bowl. Add 1 tbsp of cooking wine. Mix everything together thoroughly and refrigerate about 60 minutes.

Cook chicken with some oil in a pot until brownish. You may use an oven instead.

Cook the pineapple sauce. Gradually add 3 tbsp of mayonnaise, stirring constantly.

If needed, add ¼ tsp of salt and/or ½ tsp of sugar.

Pour over chicken and serve.

Yield: 1 ser ingJie Ast i

Grilled Chicken Kabobs With Greek St le Barley Salad

Dressing/Marinade 1 tsp lemon peel, grated ½ cup fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup olive oil3 cloves garlic, fi nely chopped

1 tbsp Dijon style mustard1 tsp dried oregano leaves

¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Salad3 cups pearl barley, cooked

13 ¾ oz can artichoke hearts, chopped1 cup pitted Kalamata olives1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup red onion, fi nely chopped ½ cup parsley, chopped

Grilled chicken skewers16 wooden skewers soaked in water

8 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless

Combine dressing/marinade ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Combine salad ingredients in lg bowl. Drizzle ½ cup dressing/marinade over salad and mix well. Place chicken in sealable plastic bag; pour in remaining dressing/marinade. Seal bag and turn over to coat chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers.

Grill or broil 4–5 minutes per side or until cooked through. To serve, place a portion of salad on plate and top with 2 chicken skewers.

To Cook Pearl BarleyIn medium saucepan with lid, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup pearl barley; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Makes about 3–3 ½ cups.

Place any extra cooked barley in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for up to 1 week. Add cooked barley to soups, stews, casseroles and salads for extra fi ber and fl avor. For best results, bring refrigerated or frozen cooked barley to room temperature before using.

Yield: 8 ser ings of 2 kabobs eachGer ard Zolezi

1 lb chicken ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

12 oz penne ½ cup butter, unsalted

1 tbsp garlic, chopped ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

⅔ cup heavy creamSalt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp basil, fresh chopped

Marinate the chicken with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Grill the chicken until it is completely cooked. Cut the chicken into strips.

Cook the pasta until al dente in a pot of boiling salted water. Then drain the pasta in a colander.

Melt the butter in a large thick bottom sauté pan. Sauté the garlic until it is lightly browned. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add ½ of the cheese and the remaining ingredients. Cook until the sauce is thick and all the ingredients are hot.

Garnish with the remaining cheese, and fresh chopped basil.

Yield: 4 ser ingsStaff of Blue Cross Blue Shield

Grilled Chicken Penne Al edo

Latin Combo–Sky, Sea and Land

1 lb beef, skirt steak or fl ank steak – cut in strips

1 lb chicken breast, cut in strips12 shrimp 16/20

2 packets Goya Sazón ½ lb rice

1 cup onion, cut in strips1 cup green peppers, cut in strips

1 bunch green onion

Season the beef, chicken, and shrimp with Goya Sazón and oil. Season the onion, green pepper, and green onion with Goya Sazón and oil.

Cook the rice.

Oil and cook meat on a charcoal grill.

Cook the onion and peppers on grill.

Grill the green onion whole.

Mix all ingredients together. Serve all ingre-dients over rice.

Yield: 4 ser ingsUvin Fig eroa

Rotisserie St le Chicken12 chicken quarters (leg or breast)

2 oz McCormick's® rotisserie seasoning1 oz Worcestershire sauce

1 oz brown sugar1 oz water

½ oz parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients except chicken together.Rub and coat chicken; marinate for 24 hours. Cook in 350° F oven to 165° F internal tem-perature, about 45 minutes.

Yield: 12 ser ingsJohn McCrea

Tor ellini With Chicken, Basil & Tomato1 (2 lb) bag of tortellini

1 lb chicken breast, slicedOlive oil

¼ cup red onion, fi nely diced ½ tsp garlic, chopped2 cups tomato, diced

½ cup white wineBasil pesto, to taste

¼ cup Parmesan cheese2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook tortellini according to directions. In a warm sauté pan, brown off chicken in olive oil. When brown, add onions & garlic. Cook about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, white wine & basil pesto. Once mixture starts to boil, add cooked tortellini. Reduce fl ame. Add Parmesan & parsley. Salt & pepper to taste.

Yield: 8 ser ingsNataliya Palash

Desser s & Sweets

Brock’s Best

Apple Cream Pie

4 cups apple, sliced and peeled ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sugar3 oz cream cheese, soft

2 eggs ⅔ cup sugar

1 (9") pie crust2 tsp vanilla

½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup fl our

¼ cup pecans, chopped


Slice apples and sprinkle the cinnamon and ½ tsp of sugar over them.

Make cream cheese fi lling with cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

Add apples to pie crust; pour cream cheese fi lling over apples. Then mix brown sugar and fl our together making crumb mix with pecans and place on top.

Bake in oven at 350° F until you see it bubble, about 45 minutes.

This pie is best served when made the day before and allowed to chill overnight.

Yield: 8 slices Laura Walther

Apple Cr mb Cake

1 box yellow cake mix2 tsp cinnamon, reserve half

1 tsp clove3 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup brown sugar ¼ oz butter, softened

6 lg apples, sliced paper thin ¾ cup fl our

¾ cup sugar 1 cup butter, melted

Follow directions on cake box to make batter.

Mix spices, brown sugar and softened butter together. Peel and slice (paper thin) the apples and toss with spice mixture.

Spray deep-dish cake pan and layer the batter, apples, batter, apples. Bake as box directions instruct.

Mix fl our, sugar and melted butter. Roll mix onto sheet pan ½" thick and bake approximately 15 minutes until fi rm. Cool cake and crumb completely. Crumble crumb mixture by hand with 1 tsp of cinnamon. Top cake with crumb.

Yield: 12 ser ingsMaia Maclin

Apple Fri ers

6 eggs (1 egg), separated1 pint (⅓ cup) milk

1 lb (½ cup) fl our1 tbsp (½ tsp) baking powder

1 tsp (1 dash +) salt2 oz (2 tsps) sugar

½ tsp (1 dash) cinnamon24 oz (4 oz) apple, peeled, cored and diced

Powdered sugar as neededOil for frying

Combine the egg yolks and milk.

Sift fl our, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the milk and egg mixture and mix until smooth. Allow to rest for 1 hour.

Stir apples into the batter. Whip egg whites and add to mixture before frying. Scoop the fritters into 350° F oil using the swimming method. Cook until brown.

Sift powdered sugar on top.

Yield: 50 ser ings (8 ser ings)Michael Hamilton

*SWIMMING METHOD FOR FRYING - in the swimming method, the food is gently dropped into hot oil using tongs. Then it falls to the bottom of the fryer. As it cooks, it "swims" back to the surface. It may be necessary to turn it once it reaches the surface to allow it to brown evenly. Remove with skimmer.

Apple Oat Bars

1 cup whole wheat fl our ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar ½ cup rolled oats

½ cup butter, melted1 egg, beaten

1 ½ tsp vanilla ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped

2 cups apples, thinly sliced Confectioners’ sugar


Mix fl our, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well mixed. Add brown sugar and oats. Add butter, egg, vanilla and mix well.

Place ½ dough in bottom of greased 9" square pan. Sprinkle walnuts on dough. Arrange apple slices over top dough. Sprinkle remaining dough over top of apple slices and press lightly.

Bake in preheated oven 25–30 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over top after cutting into serving size pieces.

Yield: 12–20 ser ings depending on cut size (16 ser ings was as-sumed for nut ition calculations)Lar Stelitano

Apple Pie Bars Home VersionApples

6 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples ¼ cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp honeyFresh lemon juice

Crust ½ lb unsalted butter ½ cup brown sugar

1 egg2 ¼ cups fl our

½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt

Streusel Topping1 cup fl our

¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt

¼ lb unsalted butter ½ cup toasted pecans, medium chopped

ApplesPeel, core and slice apples ¼" thick. Sauté the apples in the brown sugar, honey and lemon juice. Cook the apples until all of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Let mixture cool.

CrustPreheat oven to 325° F. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and blend. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix for 1 minute and scrape down bowl. Mix for 1 minute more. Press dough into sheet pan coated with cooking spray. Bake in a 325° F oven for 15 minutes until lightly spongy.

Streusel ToppingCombine together the fl our, granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon and salt. Mix briefl y on slow speed. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture is crumbly and barely holds together when squeezed gently. Stir in the pecans with a large rubber spatula. Set aside.

Baking the BarWhen the crust is done, immediately spread the cooked apples evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples gently pressing to adhere. Reduce the oven temperature to 300° F and bake for 15–20 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned and crisp.

Yield: 24 ser ingsTed Fekete

Apple St del3 cups all-purpose fl our

½ tsp salt ½ cup butter

1 egg ⅔ cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp butter, melted ⅔ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced

½ cup raisins1 egg white, beaten to a stiff

Powdered sugar

Stir fl our and salt, cut in ½ cup of whole butter until crumbly.

Mix the egg and water, add to fl our. Knead dough for 4 minutes and cut into half. Let dough rest for 1 hour.

Sprinkle a countertop with fl our or cover a large table with a plastic covered tablecloth and sprinkle with fl our. Roll half of the dough to a 20" square. Brush with 2 tbsp of melted butter.

Starting from the middle of the dough, work underneath dough using back of your hands and stretch from one corner to the next until dough is paper-thin. Brush with more melted butter.

Mix sugar and cinnamon.

Trim edges of dough; put half the apples along the center of the dough. Sprinkle with half the sugar/cinnamon mixture and ½ cup of the raisins. Fold the dough over the fi lling, sealing both ends.

Place on a lightly greased baking pan. Brush the top with the egg whites

Bake strudel at 350° F for about 45 minutes.

Cool strudel to room temperature and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Note: a good substitute for making the dough is frozen puff pastry or phyllo dough.

Yield: 14 ser ingsPeter Gr enfelder

Banana Granola Cookies

½ cup butter1 cup brown sugar

1 egg ½ tsp vanilla

1 cup banana, mashed1 ½ cups fl our

1 tsp cinnamon1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp salt1 cup granola


Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, bananas – blend.

Add fl our, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; mix. Stir in granola.

Drop by tsp onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake in 375° F oven for 12 minutes until done.

Yield: 10 ser ings Lar Stelitano

Bavarian Apple Tor e

½ cup margarine, at room temperature ⅓ cup sugar

¼ tsp vanilla or almond fl avoring1 cup fl our

8 oz cream cheese, softened ¼ cup sugar

1 egg ½ tsp vanilla or almond fl avoring

⅓ cup sugar ½ tsp cinnamon

4 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced ¼ cup walnuts or almonds, chopped

Caramel sauce optional*


Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla. Blend in fl our by hand. Spread dough onto bottom and sides of torte pan or springform pan.

Combine softened cream cheese and sugar. Mix well. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well with hand mixer. Pour into pastry lined pan.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Toss apples in sugar and cinnamon. Arrange apple slices around top of cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake in 450° F oven for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 400° F. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cool at room temperature. Chill for 3 hours.

*Drizzle caramel sauce over torte and serve.

Yield: 8 ser ingsLar aine Santa

Cedar Planked Apples With Walnut Praline St ffi ng

3 apples, unpeeled ¾ cup light brown sugar, fi rmly packed

¼ cup fl our ¼ cup oats

½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ginger ¼ tsp nutmeg

6 tbsp butter, cubed, divided in half ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Light the grill or smoker and stabilize the temperature to 300° F.

In a bowl, stir the brown sugar, fl our, oats, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg until blended.

With a fork or pastry cutter, cut3 tbsp of the butter into the fl our mixture. Fold the chopped walnuts into the fl our mixture.

Core the apples. Divide the fi lling between the apples and place on a cedar plank. Top with the remaining butter and place on grill.

Cook until softened and tops are golden brown about 10 minutes more.

Yield: 6 ser ingsMolly Hamlin

Cheesecake SupremeCrust

1 cup fl our ¼ cup sugar

1 tsp lemon peel, grated ½ cup butter or margarine

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten ¼ tsp vanilla

Filling5 (8 oz) cream cheese cups

¼ tsp vanillaLemon peel

¾ cup sugar3 tsp fl our ¼ tsp salt

1 cup eggs (4–5 eggs)2 egg yolks

¼ cup whipping cream

Crust: Preheat oven to 400° F.

Combine fl our, sugar, and grated lemon peel. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Pat ⅓ of dough on bottom of 9" springform pan (leaving sides remaining). Bake in 400° F oven about 8 minutes or until golden; cool. Attach sides to cooked bottom, butter and pat remaining dough on sides.

Filling: Let cream cheese stand at room temperature to soften (about 1–1 ½ hours). Beat cream cheese, and then add vanilla, and lemon peel. Mix sugar, fl our and salt, gradually blend into cheese. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating after each just to blend. Gently stir in whipping cream.

Bake at 450° F for 12 minutes, reduce heat to 300° F and continue baking 55 minutes. Remove from oven, cool. Loosen sides with spatula after ½ hour, then loosen again at end of 1 hour. Allow to cool 2 hours longer, and then serve.

Yield: 12 slices Renee Bloch

Cher or Cranber Pie

Cher -O Cream Cheese Pie1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

1 (15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk ⅓ cup fresh or bottled lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract1 (21 oz) can cherry pie fi lling

1 (9") graham cracker crumb crust

Soften cream cheese to room temperature; whip until fl uffy. Gradually add condensed milk while continuing to beat until well-blended. Add lemon juice & vanilla extract; blend well. Pour into crust & chill in refrigerator for 2–3 hours before garnishing top of pie with cherry pie fi lling.

Yield: One 9" pie of 8 ser ingsDebbie O’Donovan

4 eggs1 cup sugar

4 oz butter, softened 1 cup fl our

½ tsp baking powder1 ¼ cups cherries or cranberries

½ cup walnuts1 tbsp powdered sugar

½ tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 325° F. Mix eggs with sugar and mix well. Add butter to the sugar mix-ture and mix well. Add fl our and baking soda; mix. Spray vinegar on the top of dough. Put walnuts and berries on an oiled pan and top with the dough mixture. Bake for 50 minutes at 325° F. Cool and top with pow-ered sugar.

Yield: 8 ser ingsGennadiy Shats

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Coconut Mango Rice Pudding

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese ½ cup butter, softened

¼ tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar ¾ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup pecans or pretzels, fi nely chopped

In mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter & vanilla until fl uffy. Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover & refrigerate for 2 hours. Shape into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour more. Roll cheese ball into pecans or pretzels. Serve with vanilla wafers, graham crackers or any other type of sweet treat.

Yield: 12 ser ingsLar Stelitano

2 cups short grain rice (sushi rice or Arborio)5 cups water

1 vanilla bean, split1 cup sugar

3 cans coconut milk3 mangoes, diced

sprig, fresh mint

Combine rice, water, sugar and vanilla bean in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until almost all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and pour in coconut milk. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally to incorporate coconut milk. Refrigerate.

To serve, scoop chilled pudding (it can be heated slightly if desired) into serving dish. Top with mango and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Yield: 8, 8 oz ser ings Jen Foy

Cream Cheese Flan

1 tsp sugar3 tbsp water

4 eggs18 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla1 can evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk


On stovetop, heat the sugar and water to caramelize. Pour caramelized mixture into an 8" x 8" baking dish or mold covering the bottom and sides. Once the mold is covered, remove from heat and allow to cool and harden.

Place the remaining ingredients in a mixer and incorporate thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the caramelized lined mold.

Place the mold in a larger pan that can be fi lled half way up the side of the fl an mold with water. Place in a preheated oven at 400° F.

Bake for 30–35 minutes at 400° F. Check doneness with a toothpick, which should come out clean.

Remove fl an from the oven. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate for 2 hours.

Cut 2" x 2" squares giving 16 portions.

Yield: 16, 2" x 2" square ser ingsJose Belteton

Dir

2 (8 oz) containers Cool Whip®

1 bag (1 lb, 2 oz) Oreo® cookies1 box (3.4 oz) chocolate or vanilla pudding

1 box (8 oz) cream cheese

Let cream cheese sit out, until it softens or gets to room temperature.

Blend cookies to a crumble consistency.

Mix together cookies, pudding, Cool Whip® and cream cheese into one bowl.

After mixing together, let sit in refrigerator for 2–4 hours before serving.

Serve and enjoy!

*For kids' dessert, add gummy worms.

Yield: 12 ser ingsBrit ey Thompson

Donut Bread Pudding With Chocolate

4 stale glazed donuts1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs, room temperature2 cups whole milk3 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp almond extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp orange zestVanilla ice cream optionalWhipped cream optional

Preheat oven 350° F. Lightly grease a small glass baking dish.

Tear the donuts into bite size pieces.

Combine donut pieces and chocolate chips in the baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract.

Mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Pour the mixture over the donuts in the dish, and press down lightly to help absorption. Let stand for 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Place the baking dish inside a larger baking dish, and fi ll the outer dish with enough water to go about halfway up the sides.

Bake 35–40 minutes in the oven, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6 ser ingsRosanne DiGiovanni

Fresh Ber Trifl e

16 slices of lemon pound cake2 oz simple syrup

1 oz Grand Marnier®1 pint blueberries

1 pint blackberries1 pint strawberries, sliced

12 oz whipped cream4 mint sprigs

4 rolled chocolate cookie sticks

Place 1 slice of pound cake on each of four, 6" plates.

Drizzle with simple syrup and Grand Marnier.

Top with berries and whipped cream.

Repeat 3 more times, fi nishing with a drizzle of simple syrup and Grand Marnier.

Garnish with mint and cookie stick.

Yield: 4 ser ingsGilber Bur s

Gluten Free Banana-Oat eal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 ripe banana, mashed ½ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup butter, softened ¼ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract1 egg

1 ¼ cup gluten free fl our2 cups old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda1 tbsp ground cinnamon

¾ cup chocolate chips ½ cup almonds, sliced

Preheat oven to 350° F degrees.

Combine banana, brown sugar, butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add the egg, beat well.

Combine fl our, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon in another bowl. Stir to combine these ingredients.

Add fl our mixture to banana mixture; beat on medium with mixer until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.

Drop batter onto cookies sheets by heaping spoonfuls. Bake at 350° F for 12–15 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans for a couple of minutes, then remove cookies and cool them on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen cookiesCar Callahan

Did you know that oatmeal helps you to produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fi ght anxiety's negative effect? Oatmeal is high in fi ber, which mean that your body will absorb it slowly. In one fell swoop, you'll prolong the serotonin boost.?

Jell-O® Pie

1 package Jell-O®

2 ice cubes1 cup whipped cream

1 ready-made pie crust, baked

Prepare Jell-O® according to the package directions.

Place the ice in the Jell-O® to cool down. Mix the whipped cream and Jell-O® in a mixer.

Pour into the pre-baked pie shell.

Yield: 8 ser ingsBrandon Heard

Lemon Basil Smoothie2 cups lemon sorbet or sherbet

1 cup fat free milk6 oz vanilla yogurt

1 tsp lemon zest, grated ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped1 cup ice cubes

Lemon curl as needed

In a blender, combine until smooth, sorbet, milk, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil & ice. Scrape sides once during blending. Pour into three glasses, garnish with additional lemon curl & basil. Serve immediately.

Yield: 3 ser ingsCeleste Dur /Sharon Houck

Mexican Flan

1 ½ cup sugar4 eggs

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla or rum extract

Caramelize sugar by pouring into a heavy saucepan and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon over a low fl ame until sugar melts and turns golden brown.

Pour sugar immediately into a 1-quart baking dish, coating the bottom and side evenly (accomplished by holding baking dish in your hands and carefully tilting to coat sides). *Be careful pouring hot sugar as it can cause severe burns!

Allow sugar to cool.

Prepare custard by beating eggs, adding milk and vanilla; mix well.

Pour into baking dish and set it into larger pan containing 1" of hot water.

Bake at 350° F for 1–1 ½ hours or until knife inserted comes out clean. It should be golden brown on top.

To serve: Loosen around sides with a spatula and turn onto a serving dish.

Chill and serve with the sauce created from the baking dish.

Yield: 5 ser ingsDaniel Urias

Mini Peanut Bu er Cup Cheese Cakes

2 tbs margarine or butter, melted2 tbsp sugar

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar2 tbs cup fl our

1 eggs ½ tsp vanilla

1 bags miniature peanut butter cups


CrustCombine melted butter or margarine, sugar and graham cracker crumbs with a fork.

Place enough crumbs into paper-lined miniature muffi n tins to cover bottom of the cup.

CheesecakeCream together cream cheese, sugar, fl our, eggs and vanilla.

Place one peanut butter cup in muffi n tin.

Drop 1 tsp batter on top of each peanut butter cup.

Bake at 350° F for 12 minutes.

Yield: 2 ½ dozenColleen Grimplin

Oat eal Raisin Spice Cookies

2 sticks butter1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar2 eggs, beaten1 ½ tsp vanilla1 ½ cups fl our

1 tsp baking soda1 ½ tbsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 ½ cups raisins


Beat butter and the 2 sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Add fl our, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice, mix thoroughly. Add oats and raisins until evenly distributed.

Drop by heaping tbsp onto ungreased sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake approximately 10–12 minutes or until done.

Yield: 36 cookiesDouglas Vezzosi

Peanut Bu er Bars

⅓ cup cool water2 large eggs

¾ cup creamy peanut butter3 ½ oz brown sugar

1 box yellow cake mix3 Snickers® bars, crushed


Place all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Mix on low speed for an additional 2 minutes.

Spread batter evenly in a sheet pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 325° F in a convection oven for 15 minutes. Turn sheet pan around and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Check cake for doneness. Cool completely.

Spread chopped Snickers® bars on the top when it fi rst comes out of the oven and cool completely then ice like a brownie with frosting.

Yield: 24 ser ingsTed Fekete

Poppy Seed Cake3 cups fl our

½ tsp salt1 ½ tsp baking soda

2 cups sugar8 oz oil4 eggs

1 (13 oz) can milk1 tsp vanilla

1 (10 oz) jar poppy seeds1 cup nuts, chopped

Powdered sugar, garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix well in large mixing bowl the fi rst eight ingredients. Add poppy seeds and chopped nuts.

Bake in a greased Bundt pan for 50–60 minutes at 350° F. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yield: 15 ser ingsDawn Corder

Pound Cake ¼ tsp baking soda

3 cups fl our6 eggs

1 cup butter3 cups sugar2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift fl our with baking soda. Beat eggs lightly; add fl our, butter, sugar, vanilla & sour cream. Mix all ingredients well. Grease & fl our tube pan or Bundt pan. Pour ingredients into a buttered pan and bake in 350° F oven for 65 minutes.

Yield: 1 cake of 12 ser ingsEvely Bit er

Russian Cheese Wheels

1 cup vegetable oilDash vanilla extract

1 eggPinch baking soda

1 large farmers cheese* (not cottage cheese)1 tbsp sugar2 tbsp fl our

1 container sour cream or jam of choice

Put a skillet on stove to warm and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to heat.

In a bowl, whip vanilla, egg, and baking soda. When done add farmer’s cheese, fl our and sugar. Mix all ingredients by hand.

Take a cutting board and lightly dust with fl our. Form by hand wheels about 1 ½ inch in diameter by ½ thick.

Lightly cover both sides in fl our, put them on cutting board. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

Serve the cheese wheels with sour cream or your favorite jam for a delicious breakfast treat.


*FARMER'S CHEESE - a type of soft cheese which is made all over the world. Provided by goat, sheep and cow's milk.

Sand Desser

2 boxes vanilla cookies1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened1 cup powdered sugar

12 oz Jell-O® Instant French Vanilla pudding

3 ½ cups milk1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip®

8" children's sand bucket with plastic shovel

Crumble cookies into a fi ne texture, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix pudding and milk until smooth, fold in Cool Whip® and fold in cream cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Butter sides of the sand bucket.

Alternate layers of cookie crumbs and the pudding mixture. End with at least 1" cookies on top. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Use shovel to spoon out the pudding into bowls.


Shoo-Fly Pie

1 ⅓ cups fl our ⅔ cups sugar

⅓ cup Crisco shorteningPinch salt

⅔ cup Maple, Pancake or Corn Syrup ⅔ cups hot water

⅔ tsp baking soda1 eggs

1 (8") pie shells

Use a big bowl and add the fl our, sugar, shortening and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly with hands.

In another bowl, add the syrup. Boil the water, add it to the syrup, then add the baking soda. Mix until liquefi ed.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs then add to liquid mixture. Take half of the crumbs and add to liquid mixture. Pour into the pie shells. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top of pies.

Bake at 350° F degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: One 8" pie of 8 ser ingsRenee Bloch

St awber Topping1 cup water1 cup sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup3 tbsp cornstarch

Pinch saltSmall amount of red food coloring

2 tbsp strawberry Jell-O®1 quart fresh strawberries, halved

Cook together 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 3 tbsp of cornstarch, 2 tbsp of corn syrup, and a pinch of salt. Boil together until clear and thick. Add a small amount of red food coloring and 2 tbsp of strawberry Jell-O®. Cool and add berries.

Yield: 12 ser ingsRenee Bloch

Sweet and Spicy Pecans ¼ cup sugar

1 cup warm water1 cup pecan halves

2 tbsp sugar1 tbsp chili powder

⅛ tsp ground red pepper

Stir together ¼ cup sugar and 1 cup warm water until sugar dissolves. Add pecan halves, and soak 10 minutes. Drain, discarding sugar mixture. Combine 2 tbsp sugar, chili powder and red pepper. Add pecans, tossing to coat. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in oven at 350° F for 10 minutes or until pecans are golden brown, stirring once. Use in Baby Blue Salad in the Salads Section or just as a healthy snack!

Yield: 1 cup or 4 ser ings of ¼ cupDebbie O’Donovan

Swiss Apple Pie

2 eggs, well-beaten ¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup fl our1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp baking powderPinch salt

1 cup apples, peeled, diced ½ cup walnuts

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.

Pour into a greased pie plate.

Bake 30 minutes at 350° F.

Note: Do not use a pastry shell for this recipe!

Yield: 8 ser ingsDoris Bar on

Tiramisu*

6 egg yolks ¾ cup sugar ⅔ cup milk

1 pound mascarpone cheese1 ¼ cups heavy cream ½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup sugar1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature

2 tbsp KAHLÚA® Liqueur2 (3 oz) packages hard lady fi ngers

1 tbsp cocoa

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well-blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly.

Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Whisk in mascarpone cheese until smooth.

In a medium bowl beat cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form.

In a small bowl, combine coffee and KAHLÚA®. Quickly dip ½ of the lady fi ngers and layer in a 7" x 11" pan. Spread with ½ of the mascarpone mixture then ½ of the whipped cream. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Yield: 12 ser ingsLori Testa

*TIRAMISU [tih-ruh-mee-SOO, tih-ruh-MEE-soo] - The translation for tiramisu is "carry me up," and many who taste this ethereal dessert assume the unspoken continuation must surely be "to heaven." Tiramisu is a light composition of sponge cake or ladyfi ngers dipped in a coffee-marsala mixture, then layered with mascarpone (an ultra-rich Italian cream cheese) and grated chocolate. The dessert is refrigerated for several hours before serving to allow the fl avors to intermingle. Although tiramisu is sometimes referred to as an Italian trifl e, its texture is much lighter than that dessert.

Tookies

Cake4 oz margarine

1 box yellow cake mix2 tbsp vanilla extract

⅓ cup almonds, sliced ½ oz water

Topping3 oz powdered sugar

1 oz cornstarch


Cream margarine in mixing bowl. Add cake mix and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 3–5 minutes.

Add the almonds and the water and mix for an additional 2 minutes.

Scoop the cookie dough into 1 tbsp-size balls. Portion cookie dough 1" apart on a parchment lined sheet pan. Gently fl atten each cookie using the palm of your hand until each cookie is ½" thick.

Bake in preheated 325° F convection oven for 12–15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies from oven. Cool for 20–25 minutes.

Place powdered sugar and cornstarch in mixing bowl and hand mix until well combined. Gently toss cooled cookies in mixture until they are lightly but completely coated.

Yield: 24 cookiesTed Fekete

War Nu Caramel Brownies

1 (18–21 oz) package brownie mix ½ cup brown sugar

¾ cup brown sugar, packed and divided2 cups miniature chocolate chips, divided

1 cup salted mixed nuts, chopped and divided12 caramels

Ice cream optional


Combine brownie mix according to directions. And ¼ cup brown sugar. Mix well. Fold in 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips. Pour batter into a bar pan and spread evenly.

Combine ½ cup of nuts and remaining ¾ cup of brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20–22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cut caramels in half, and half again.

Remove bar pan from oven. Immediately press 24 caramels evenly into brownie in 4 rows of 6 caramels each. Sprinkle entire brownie with remaining nuts.

Cut into squares. Serve warm.

Serve with ice cream if desired.Yield: 24 ser ingsRenee Bowman

Dips & Sauces

Brock’s Best

Ar ichoke Crab Spread

Cooking spray14 oz artichoke heart quarters –

drained and coarsely chopped8 oz cream cheese, cubed

¼ cup green onions, sliced1 cup imitation crab meat, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated4 tsp lemon juice

French baguette or cocktail rye bread slices – for serving, if desired

Spray inside of 1–2 ½ quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place all ingredients except bread in cooker. Cover & cook on low heat setting 1–1 ¼ hours or until cream cheese is melted. Stir until cheese is smooth.Scrape down sides of cooker with rubber spatula to help prevent edge of spread from scorching. Turn to low heat setting.


Buff alo Shrimp Dip ½ cup celery, diced

1 lb cream cheese1 cup ranch dressing

12 oz hot sauce ½ lb shrimp, cooked, diced

8 oz cheddar, shreddedTortilla chips

Place celery into sauté pan. Add cream cheese, when soft, add ranch dressing and hot sauce. Mix together. Add diced shrimp. Put into baking dish, top with cheddar cheese. Bake in 350° F for 15 minutes. Serve with chips.

Yield: 12 ser ingsDer o McGroar

Celeste’s Best BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup2 ½ tbsp yellow mustard

2 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp liquid smoke

2 tsp smoked paprika2 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp honey

2 tsp apple cider vinegar ½ tsp garlic powder

Set a medium sized pot on low heat. Simmer all ingredients for 20–30 minutes.

Serve on any of your favorite grilled foods.

Yield: 2 ½–2 ¾ cup (or 17, 1 ¼ oz ser ings for nut ition calculations.)Celeste Dur / Sharon Houck

Cranber Salsa1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries

½ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup fresh lime juice

2 lg garlic cloves, minced ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced

1 sm jalapeño pepper, seeded, fi nely chopped3 scallions, fi nely chopped

Salt to tasteBaked tortilla and pita chips, optional

Boil cranberries in a saucepan over high heat for 2 minutes, starting with cold water. Drain well. Combine sugar & lime juice in a bowl. Add cranberries & stir gently. Add garlic, cilantro, jalapeño & scallions (also salt to taste). Let "marinate" for 20 minutes. Serve with chips or atop cooked chicken/pork.

Yield: 12, ¼ cup ser ingsKim Stay ook

Hot Ar ichoke Hear Dip

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 cup mayonnaise1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies1 clove garlic, chopped

¼ cup scallion2 plum tomatoes, diced

Tortilla chips, optionalCrackers, optional

Cocktail bread slices, optional


Combine fi rst 5 ingredients. Spoon into lightly greased pie plate.

Bake at 350° F for 20–25 minutes until lightly browned. Garnish with chopped scallion and plum tomatoes.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or cocktail bread slices.

Yield: 10 ser ingsBrian Poff

Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce

6 cups (1 ½ Cups) Vermont maple syrup 4 oz (2 tbs) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 cups (½ cup) apple cider vinegar1 ½ cups (⅓ cup) brown sugar

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) Worcestershire sauce4 tbsp (1 tbs) dry rub mix

8 cups (2 cup) ketchup

Dry Rub4 tbsp (1 tbs) brown sugar2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) kosher salt

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) chili powder1 tbsp (¾ tsp) black pepper1 tbsp (¾ tsp) onion powder1 tbsp (¾ tsp) garlic powder

1 tbsp (¾ tsp) red pepper fl akes

Combine maple syrup and chipotle peppers in a thick-bottomed stainless steel pot. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until syrup has reduced by half.

Add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dry rub, and ketchup and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and purée with hand held stick blender. Serve with chicken or pork.

Yield: ½ gallon (or about 50 ser ings 0f 1 ⅓ oz size)Craig Locar o

Nacho Bake

1 box VELVEETA® Shells & Cheese Dinner1 lb ground beef

1 package taco seasoning mix ¾ cup water

¾ cup sour cream ¾ cup shredded cheese

¾ cup salsa ¼ cup Tortilla chips, crushed

Heat oven to 400° F. Cook VELVEETA® Shells & Cheese Dinner. Brown the ground beef. Add taco seasoning mix & water, cook 5 minutes. Mix sour cream into dinner. Put half of dinner into baking dish. Top with beef mixture, ½ cheese & remaining dinner mix. Top with salsa, rest of cheese & crushed tortilla chips. Cover. Bake 15 minutes. Bake uncovered & extra 5 minutes.

Yield: 3 ser ingsAmanda Brown

Peach Salsa

2 lbs (1 ½ cups) sliced peaches, diced1 (⅓ cup) red bell pepper, diced

1 bunch (¼ cup) green onions, sliced1 (2 ½ tsp) jalapeño pepper, diced, no seeds

4 (⅔ cups) vine-ripened tomatoes, deseeded and diced

Juice of two limes3 tbsp (1 tbs) cilantro

Salt, to taste

Add all ingredients and let stand overnight.

Serve with crab cakes.

Yield: 32 ser ings (10-12 ser ings)Michael Hamilton

Pepperoni Dip

1 (4 oz) package turkey pepperoni, chopped1 (8 oz) package light cream cheese

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Place soup and cream cheese into microwaveable bowl. Cover and heat on high for 1 minute, stir and heat until melted together, approximately another 1–2 minutes.

Add chopped pepperoni. Stir. Cover and microwave for another minute.

Serve with crackers, pita chips, or mini bagels.

Yield: 10–12 ser ingsChuck Staab

Pizza Dip

8 oz cream cheese2 oz tomato sauce

1 tbsp garlic powder1 tbsp oregano

8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350° F. Soften cream cheese. Spread softened cream cheese in small 9" x 13" casserole or sauce baking dish.

In a bowl, mix tomato sauce with garlic powder. Spread mixture on top of cream cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and oregano on top of cream cheese. Bake at 350° F until golden brown and bubbly; approximately 12–15 minutes.

Yield: 12 ser ings.William Daniel Hall

Pizza Sauce

3 cups crushed tomato1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp sugar1 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ¾ tsp kosher salt

½ oz olive oil

Blend all ingredients and refrigerate. Use 8 oz for a 20 oz dough ball. Can be made with the Pizza Dough in the Breakfast & Breads section!

Yield: 16 oz of sauce for 2 pizzas (or 16 slices of pizza considered for nut i-tion pur oses as 1 ser ing each)Tony Pater o

Southwest American Indian Salsa Salad11 tomatillos, fi nely chopped

4 lg tomatoes, fi nely chopped ¾ cup red onion, fi nely chopped

3 serrano chile peppers, fi nely chopped3 jalapeño peppers, fi nely chopped

⅓ cup cilantro, fi nely chopped1 tsp fresh lime juice, squeezed

½ cup roasted pine nuts, med chopped

Toss together all fresh chopped ingredients in a large bowl. Allow to marinate about 2 hours. Serve cold. Salsa can be used as a condiment or in all dishes, like tacos, burritos, wraps, etc.

Yield: 4 ser ingsPat ick Baca

Spinach Dip

1 package Knorr® Vegetable Recipe Mix1 lg container of sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise1 sm box frozen chopped

spinach – thawed and drained1 sm can tiny shrimp1 sm can crab meat

Green onions, chopped, optionalCheddar cheese, shredded, optional

1 lg round loaf of breadVegetable sticks optional

Add and mix all ingredients except bread. Cut the top off the bread, remove most of the inside bread to form a 'bowl'. Reserve top for dipping pieces. Add the dip to the bread, replace lid, refrigerate for 2 hours.Serve dip with vegetable sticks or cube the removed bread from center of loaf and serve with dip.


Spring Pea Dip1 lb bag frozen petite peas, thawed

2 cloves of garlic ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup Parmesan cheese

Place thawed peas and garlic in food processor with steel blade, pulse until blended, while slowly adding the extra virgin olive oil. Then add the Parmesan cheese to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Serve this dip with fresh vegetables, roasted potato slices, Indian Naan bread, raw carrots, radishes, asparagus, crostini, or grilled pita bread.

Yield: 12 ser ingsChristine Trapaga

Vidalia Onion Relish

5 lbs (3 ½ cups chopped) Vidalia onions6 tbs (4 ½ tsp) kosher or pickling salt

½ tsp (1 dash) turmeric ½ cup (2 tbs) roasted red peppers

1 tsp (¼ tsp) celery seed1 tsp (¼ tsp) dry mustard

2 cups (½ cups) sugar2 cups (½ cups) cider vinegar

Peel and cut the onions into fi ne dice. Layer the onions with the salt applied over each layer. Let stand in the refrigerator, covered for 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Strain the juice from the onions and rinse well. Place in a large heavy bottom pot and cook over medium high heat. Cook the onions down without letting them brown.

Add all other ingredients and incorporate well. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning as necessary.

You can refrigerate the relish; this can be jarred or frozen. Put on hotdogs, hamburgers or use as a general summertime condiment.

Yield: 4 pints: 128 one tbs ser ings (1 pint: 32 one tbs ser ings)Eric Smith

FamilyHeirlooms

Brock’s Best

Car ot Cake

4 eggs1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups vegetable oil3 ½ cups whole wheat fl our

2 tsp baking powder2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice–drained

4 lg (2 cups) carrots, grated1 cup pecans

1 cup dates


Grease 10" tube pan, then lightly fl our.

Beat eggs in large mixing bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in oil.

Combine 3 cups of whole wheat fl our with baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir into egg mixture. Add drained pineapple and carrots; mix well.

Toss pecans and dates with remaining ¼ cup of fl our, stir into batter. Turn into prepared pan.

Bake in oven for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed with fi nger. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and completely cool before wrapping in foil or plastic.

Keeps well in refrigerator.

Yield: 10" t be pan cakeMar Parsons, mother of Debbie O'Donovan

Cream Cheese Pie

Filling2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3 eggs, beaten one at a time ⅓ cup sugar

¼ tsp almond extract

Icing1 cup sour cream

3 tbsp sugar1 tsp vanilla extract


Beat fi lling ingredients together until smooth. Butter an 8" or 9" pie plate. Pour mixture into pie plate and bake in a 325° F oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes.

While cooling, mix icing ingredients into a cream consistency.

Pour icing on top of pie and bake in the oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours prior to serving.

Yield: 8 ser ingsSusan McLaughlin, mother of Tracey Woomer

Granny Sullivan’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake

⅓ cup butter or margarine1 cup dark brown sugar, fi rmly packed

7 slices of canned pineapple7 maraschino cherries

1 package of yellow cake mix


Melt margarine in deep 9" round skillet or baking pan. Add brown sugar and stir over low heat until dissolved. Cut pineapple slices in half and arrange with cherries in bottom and around sides of pan.

Prepare cake mix. Fill prepared pan ¾ full and bake 30–40 minutes. (Any remaining batter may be used for cupcakes).

While cake is hot, run a knife around edge of cake and invert the cake on a serving plate.

Yield: 8 ser ingsDon Direso's Grandmother

Green and Red Peppers With Crab Meat

3 green peppers3 red peppers

1 cup light cream4 tsp butter

¼ tsp ground nutmeg2 tbsp cornstarch

¼ cup dry white wine1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt2 cups crab meat, cooked

1 cup rice, cookedPaprika (optional)

1 tsp saltWhite pepper to taste


Cut tops off peppers, remove seeds. Steam peppers 2–4 minutes, drain.

Heat cream and butter. Add nutmeg. Mix cornstarch, wine, lemon juice and salt. Add to cream. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Combine with crab meat and rice. Spoon into peppers. Sprinkle with paprika and salt.

Bake in a greased baking dish in a moderate oven (350° F) for 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 ser ingsStaff of The Park School

Hungarian Beef Paprika

½ cup vegetable oil1 cup onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced1 med tomato, diced

2 rounded tbsp Hungarian paprika 1 lb stew beef, cut into ¾" cubes

¼–½ cup beef stockSalt to taste

In large frying pan, heat oil then sauté onions to light brown over medium heat. Add green pepper, tomato, and sauté 10 minutes. Add a little water to avoid burning. Turn heat to low, add paprika, beef and ¼ cup beef stock.

Cook for 1–2 hours, stirring frequently until beef is tender, adding beef stock as needed to make a sauce. You can also use a slow cooker instead of the stove. Cook 4 hours on low in slow cooker. Best prepared a day before serving. Serve over noodles.

Chicken can be substituted for the beef.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsJoseph Smik, father of Suzanne Smik

Mar 's Easter Bread

5 lbs fl our12 eggs, extra-large

2 cups milk4 cups sugar, heated

1 ½ cups oil1 tsp vanilla or

2 tsp anisette seed and oil2 envelopes dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar1 cup milk, lukewarm

Make a well with 5 lbs of fl our.

Add eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla or anisette oil and anisette seed.

Mix the yeast into the warm milk and let it set until the yeast is activated. Add to the mix before adding the fl our.

Knead and let set until dough doubles, knead again and put in individual pans to rise again.

Be sure to grease and fl our pans.

Bake at 325° F for 25–30 minutes.

Yield: 35 slicesMar Alleva, mother of Angie Gonsorick

Mar 's Zucchini Bread

3 cups fl our2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt ¼ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon ¾ tsp nutmeg

3 eggs1 cup oil

2 cups sugar2 tsp vanilla

2 cups zucchini, shredded1 cup dates, snipped

1 cup walnuts, broken1 sm can crushed pineapple, well drained

Combine fl our, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in bowl; mix.

Add eggs, oil. Beat top until thick. Add sugar and vanilla and mix.

Stir in shredded zucchini, dates, broken walnuts and well-drained pineapple.

Mix all ingredients together and pour into 2 greased loaf pans (5" x 9") and bake at 350° F for 1 hour or until tested done in center.

Yield: 2 loaves, 5" x 9" or 12 ser ingsMar Parsons, mother of Debbie O'Donovan

Did you know that walnuts have been shown to help lower blood pressure which is critical for those whose hearts are already working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels? Research so strongly backs their health benefi ts that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1 ½ oz (42 grams) of walnuts or other nuts per day.?

Mom's Meatloaf

2–3 lbs ground beef3 cups breadcrumbs

¾ cup chopped onions ¼ cup chopped green pepper (optional)

6 tsp prepared horseradish1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard2 eggs

¼ cup milk ½ cup ketchup

1 tbsp water


Mix ground beef and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

Add chopped onion and green pepper and mix thoroughly.

Add horseradish, salt, dry mustard and mix.

Add 2 eggs, ¼ cup of milk and thoroughly blend with beef mixture.

Form mixture into meatloaf form and center it in an oven-proofed glass dish (9" x 13").

In a separate bowl, put ¼ cup of ketchup and 1 tbsp of water and stir until blended. Pour on top of meatloaf before placing in oven.

Cook at 400° F for 40 minutes.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsMar Parsons, mother of Debbie O'Donovan

Mom's Peach Cobbler

1 stick butter1 quart peaches

2 tbsp lemon juice1 cup fl our

1 cup sugar3 tsp baking powder

1 cup milkVanilla ice cream optional


Take dish and put a stick of butter in it, place in oven to melt.

Put 1 quart of peaches in pot and 2 tbsp of lemon juice and heat on top of oven; sweeten to taste.

In a different bowl, combine fl our, sugar, baking powder and milk; stir.

Pour batter over melted butter in dish, then the warm peaches over this.

Cook for 30 minutes at 350° F. Best served still warm from the oven topped with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 8 ser ingsMar Parsons, mother of Debbie O'Donovan

Pork Adobo

1 lb pork meat (any part, fatty is good) ⅛ cup salt

¼ tsp black pepper ⅛ cup crushed fresh garlic

½ cup vinegarWater

Cut meat into 1" x 1" cubes.

Place all ingredients in pot and add water enough to cover meat.

Boil uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Cover pot and boil until meat is tender.

Remove and save half of broth. Set aside.

Continue boiling meat until it fries in its own oil. Fry until it is crisp on some sides.

Add saved broth.

Variations:1. Add chicken or replace pork with chicken.2. Add hard boiled eggs.3. Add bay leaf.4. Replace salt with soy sauce.

Yield: 3–4 ser ingsEric Rappapor ’s mother-in-law, San Andres family of Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Ratatouille

3 cups eggplant, cubed1 med zucchini, cubed

¼ tsp salt ½ cup onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced1 tbsp olive oil

½ cup sweet pepper1 cup tomatoes, skinned and drained*

3 tbsp dry wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth

⅛ tsp black pepper1 tbsp fresh basil or oregano, snipped

Scatter eggplant and zucchini with salt; leave to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry eggplant and zucchini well.

In a large skillet, cook onions and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, sweet pepper, wine, salt and black pep-per. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook 15–20 minutes until done but not soft and mushy, being careful not to overcook.

Uncover and cook about 5 minutes more or until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.

Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Stir in basil just before serving.

*Canned tomatoes may be used but drain well.

Yield: 4 ser ings Mar Parsons, mother of Debbie O'Donovan

Pasta

Brock’s Best

20-Minute Tuna Casserole

3 quarts water12 oz extra wide egg noodles

1 cup frozen petite green peas6 oz chunk light tuna in water, drained

2 tbsp butter3 tbsp fl our

1 ¾ cup chicken broth12 oz evaporated milk ¼ cup dry white wine

In a 5–6 quart pan, bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add noodles; cook according to package directions.

Add peas to pasta and cook until peas are bright green and tender to bite, about 1 minute. Drain noodles and peas, then return to pan.

Blend in tuna.

While noodles cook, in a 12"–14" inch frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fl our and whisk vigorously until a smooth paste forms; stir mixture until it simmers, about 1 minute.

In a bowl, mix together broth and milk. Very gradually, add this mixture in small batches to frying pan, whisking vigorously after each addition until smooth.

Add wine and cook until sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes.

Pour sauce over tuna-noodle mixture and gently stir to mix well. Serve immediately.


Cheat Ziti

1 lb pasta (ziti or ziti rigati)1 lb ricotta cheese

1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

2–3 tbsp parsley, chopped1 med jar spaghetti sauce (32 oz)

Boil pasta as per instructions on box. Drain and return to pot.

Combine ingredients (saving a little sauce, mozzarella, and grated cheese to sprinkle on top) in pot and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to a disposable aluminum pan, spread left over sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, and grated cheese on top.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° F for approximately 45 minutes.


Easy Add-In Macaroni and Cheese

1 package (7 ¼ oz) macaroni and cheese1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of

mushroom soup ½ cup margarine3 tbsp sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded12 buttery round crackers


Cook the macaroni according to directions on the box. Remove from heat, drain.

Add soup, ¼ cup of margarine, sour cream, shredded cheese, and the cheese packet from the box. [Do not use milk as directed on the box.]

Pour in a small casserole dish and top with crumbled crackers. Melt the remaining margarine and pour over the crackers.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.


Fe ccine Carbonara

2 cloves garlicPinch fresh parsley springs

½ lb pancetta3 tbsp butter

¼ cup dry white wine4 eggs

3 tbsp heavy cream ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt to tasteFreshly ground pepper to taste

1 lb fettuccine

Chop garlic, strip leaves from parsley and chop; set these aside.

Slice pancetta cross wise into strips.

Melt butter in sauté pan on medium heat, add garlic and pancetta. Sauté 2–3 minutes. Add wine and reduce; remove from heat and keep warm.

Beat eggs with a fork in a large bowl; add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Cook fettuccine according to package and drain. Add fettuccine to egg mixture. Pasta needs to be very hot; it will cook the egg as you toss it. Toss quickly to coat evenly.

Add pancetta mixture and toss quickly. Add chopped parsley, toss lightly. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Yield: 7 ser ingsMarlena Tavenner

Orecchie e With Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese

1 cup dried orecchiette* pasta 2 cups Mediterranean-style mixed salad greens

2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes – packed in olive oil, chopped1 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp Parmesan, grated – plus more for garnish

Pinch of saltPinch of pepper

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add the pasta and cook until tender but still fi rm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8–10 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of the water.

In medium bowl, mix the salad greens with the sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and Parmesan.

Top with warm pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and wilt the greens. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired, and serve.

Yield: 1 ser ingDebbie O’Donovan

*ORECCHIETTE [oh-rayk-kee-EHT-tay]—Italian for "little ears," referring culinary to tiny disk-shaped pasta.

Pasta Primavera*

1 lb penne pasta2 oz butter

2 oz fl our1 pint heavy cream

Salt to taste3 tbsp Parmesan cheese (in sauce)

1 cup broccoli, fl orets1 cup zucchini, med dice1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup tomatoes, med dice2 tbsp basil, fresh, shredded

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (garnish)

Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente. Once cooked, shock by running under cold water.

Melt the butter, add fl our and mix to a smooth consistency. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Heat the cream to a simmer. Add the cream to the butter fl our mixture. Whip to a smooth consistency. Add the salt and the Parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Blanch the broccoli. Sauté the zucchini and mushrooms until tender. Add the pasta, broccoli, tomatoes and the sauce. Continue to sauté until all ingredients are well incorporated and hot.

Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4, 12 oz por ionsJer Goard

*PRIMAVERA, alla [pree-muh-VEHR-uh]—This Italian phrase means "spring style" and culinarily refers to the use of fresh vegetables (raw or blanched) as a garnish to various dishes. One of the most popular dishes prepared in this manner is pasta primavera, pasta tossed or topped with diced or julienned cooked vegetables.

Philly Mac & Cheese Steak16 oz mini penne pasta2 tbsp olive oil, divided

½ cup Vidalia onion, fi nely chopped ½ cup green bell pepper, fi nely chopped

½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms, just caps ½ lb sirloin steak, trimmed of excess fat and

sliced very thinly ½ tsp garlic, minced

½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper

6 tbsp butter, divided6 oz cream cheese

1 cup whole milk1 cup half and half cream

2 cup shredded provolone/mozzarella cheese ⅓ cup panko* bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375° F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook about 6-8 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Sauté over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slice the beef into thin bite-sized strips (tip – freeze the meat beforehand). Add the sirloin, garlic, salt and pepper to the skillet. Continue to cook another 5–7 minutes, or until the meat is browned. Remove from heat and set aside momentarily.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp butter. Add the cream cheese; heat and stir with a wire whisk until completely melted and smooth. Add the milk and cream a little at a time. Continue to whisk quickly in order to avoid lumps. Add the provolone or mozzarella. Continue to whisk until thoroughly blended and smooth. Combine the cooked macaroni and beef mixture with the cheese sauce; stir well until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a lightly greased 9" x 13" glass-baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and remaining 2 tbsp of butter, melted. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture. Bake uncovered 25–30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Yield: 8–10 ser ingsDebbie O’Donovan

*PANKO [PAHN-koh]—Bread crumbs used in Japanese cooking for coating fried foods. They're coarser than those normally used in the United States and create a deliciously crunchy crust. Panko is sold in Asian markets.

Skillet Lasag a1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

Water1 tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, mincedSalt

3 med cloves garlic, minced and pressed through garlic press–about 1 tbsp

⅛ tsp red pepper fl akes1 lb Italian sausage, remove from casing

10 curly edged, lasagna noodles – broken into 2" lengths

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese–

plus 2 additional tbsp1 cup ricotta cheese

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ tsp salt and cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper fl akes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Scatter pasta over sausage but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tbsp ricotta cheese, cover, and let stand off heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsTracey Woomer

Pork

Brock’s Best

Apple Bu er Pork Loin

2 (1 ½ lb) pork tenderloinsSeasoning salt, to taste

2 cups apple juice ½ cup apple butter ¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp water ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves


Season the pork tenderloins with seasoning salt, and place them in a 9" x 13" baking dish or sm roasting pan. Pour apple juice over the pork, and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. While the pork is roasting, mix together the apple butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon and cloves. After the hour, remove pork tenderloins from the oven, and spread the apple butter mixture over them.

Cover, and return to the oven for 2 hours, or until fork tender.


Apricot Pork Chops6 pork chops

1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix10 oz Russian-style salad dressing

1 cup apricot preserves


Place the pork chops into a casserole dish.

Mix onion soup mix, Russian dressing and apricot preserves together.

Pour mixture over chops and bake for 1 hour.


Heaven on a Bun1 lb ground pork1 lb ground beef

Seasoning blend to taste1 pint sour cream

6 oz cream cheese6–8 hamburger buns

6–8 slices jalapeño pepper cheese

Brown pork and beef in frying pan. Drain off grease. Season to taste with seasoning blend. Add sour cream and cream cheese. Stir mixture over medium-low heat until blended and warmed.

Spoon meat mixture on bottom half of hamburger bun. Top with slice of jalapeño pepper cheese, if desired. Broil just until cheese is melted. Add top of bun and serve. Some people like lettuce and tomato with it.


Home-St le Asian Burger

1 lb ground pork sausage1 sm onion, chopped

4–5 cloves garlic, chopped ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper1 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup dry sherry1 (6 oz) can water chestnuts, fi nely diced

8 hamburger buns1 cup sweet and sour sauce

Bean sprouts

In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork sausage, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, sherry and water chestnuts.

Form into 8 burger patties and grill over a medium heat.

Place on a hamburger bun and serve topped with bean sprouts and sweet and sour sauce.

Yield: 8 ser ingsKeith Leder

Pork Roast With Ginger Peach Glaze

2 tsp Season-All seasoned salt1 tsp ground thyme

2 lbs pork loin roast, boneless ½ cup peach preserves

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ¾ tsp ground ginger


Mix Season-All seasoned salt and thyme in small bowl. Place roast in foil-lined roasting pan. Rub seasoning mixture on all sides of roast.

Roast pork for 1 ¼ hours, or until desired doneness.

Mix preserves, Worcestershire Sauce and ginger in small bowl. Spoon over pork during last 10 minutes of cooking.

Yield: 8 ser ingsJoshua Stay ook

Pork Stew

2 (1 ½ lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat1 yellow or white onion, chopped1 can beef stock or beef bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste1 lg can diced tomatoes

1 can lg butter beans1–2 tbsp A-1 ® or TABASCO® brand

Garlic Pepper Sauce, optional

Layer into a crockpot meat, onion, stock, salt, pepper and tomatoes making sure the meat is completely covered. Cover and set on high for at least 4 ½ hours.

When meat is fork tender, break up with a fork then add butter beans. Simmer until serving time.

Beans will turn mushy if they are left too long in the pot or stirred too often. Serve with sourdough bread.


Roast Pork Tenderloin With Balsamic Reduction, Fall Fr it Compote

2 pork tenderloinsSalt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil2 rosemary sprigs, minced

2 tbsp butter2 shallots, diced

1 pear, peeled and diced1 green apple, peeled and diced

1 apricot, diced ¼ cup raisins

½ cup white wine1 tbsp chiffonade* of basil

1 cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup honey

6 fi gs, diced and dried

Pork—Rub tenderloins with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Sear tenderloins on hot skillet. Roast in oven for 20 minutes at 450° F.

Sprinkle with minced fresh rosemary. Let sit 5 minutes before slicing. The pork can be slightly pink inside.

Fruit Compote—Peel and dice the fruit. Sauté shallots in butter over medium heat, add diced fruit and raisins. Cook for about 15 minutes until fruit softens, add white wine and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until wine is reduced into fruit. Then stir in fresh basil.

Balsamic reduction—Combine vinegar and honey in a saucepan and reduce to a thick syrupy consistency—about 20–25 minutes (please note this sauce will thicken as it cools).

Figs—Slice fi gs and sear in hot pan, then cut into micro dice. Slice pork tenderloins into medallions, drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve with fruit compote. Use fi gs as garnish on plate.

Yield: 6 ser ingsChristine Trapaga

*CHIFFONADE [shihf-uh-NAHD, shihf-uh-NAYD]—Literally translated, this French phrase means "made of rags." Culinarily, it refers to thin strips or shreds of vegetables (classically, sorrel and lettuce), either lightly sautéed or used raw to garnish soups.

Root Beer–Glazed Ham

24 oz (½ cup) Barq's® Root Beer4 ½ tsp (1 tsp) TABASCO® Sauce or similar

6 (1 ½ cloves) cloves1 stick (1 dash) cinnamon

1 (1 pinch of crushed) bay leaf ½ peel of orange (dash of orange extract)

Juice from orange (5 tsp orange juice) ½ peel of lemon (dash of lemon extract)

12 lb (2 ½–3 ½ lbs) smoked ham ¾ cup (3 tbs) dark brown sugar

½ tsp (1 dash) dry mustard ½ cup (2 tbs) water


Combine the fi rst 7 ingredients in a large saucepan for the glaze. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain the pan contents and discard the solids. Reduce the liquid to about ½ cup. Refrigerate if doing this in advance. (For doing this in the home version, mix the 7 ingredients in a mini-blender and uses it as the glaze.)

Place the ham on a rack in a disposable aluminum pan. Cut shallow gashes in a crisscross pattern across the top half of the ham. Spoon just enough of the glaze over the ham to completely cover the surface. Combine the brown sugar and mustard together and pat it all over the ham. Pour ½ cup of water into the pan. (2 tbs for the home version.)

Bake the ham, spooning some of the glaze over it every 15 minutes until the glaze is used up. Try to get some glaze on all parts of the ham. Continue baking for a total of 3 ½–4 hours or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 160° F on a meat thermometer.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Yield: 25–30 ser ings (6–8 ser ings)Renee Bloch

South Carolina St le Pulled Pork Sandwich

Pork1 (5–8 lb) pork butt, bone in

3 oz chili powder3 oz salt

3 oz brown sugar1 quart cider vinegar

24 oz lager beer2 cups BBQ sauce

Coleslaw1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, grated1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 tbsp cider vinegar1 lemon, juiced

Pinch sugar ½ tsp celery seed

Kosher salt to tasteFreshly ground black pepper to taste

Pork—Combine spices together and rub in to pork; place in a deep pan or pot. Add vinegar and beer, cover with plastic wrap and then foil, or a tight fi tting lid. Cook in a 300° F oven for 4–6 hours or until the pork is tender and falling off the bone. When pork is done, reserve cooking liquid and allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator for about 1 ½ hours then pull it apart removing any fat or bone. Finish it by mixing in about half of the cooking liquid along with the BBQ sauce and season to taste.

Coleslaw—Combine the cabbage, carrots and red onion in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, salt and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Serve the pork warm on a potato roll topped with the cole slaw.

Yield: 18 ser ingsDerek Chimel

Southwest Roasted Pork Loin

2 ½ tsp chili powder ½ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic salt4 lbs boneless rolled pork loin

1 cup apple jelly1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp white vinegar


In a bowl, combine ½ tsp chili powder, salt and garlic salt; rub over roast. Place roast fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for 1 ½ hours.

In a saucepan, combine the jelly, ketchup, vinegar and remaining chili powder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until the jelly is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

Brush ¼ cup jelly mixture over roast. Bake 10–15 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160° F. Remove roast to a serving platter; let stand for 10–15 minutes.

Skim fat from pan drippings. Stir in remaining jelly mixture; heat through. Slice roast and serve with sauce.

Yield: 12 ser ingsSamuel Cole

Salads

Brock’s Best

Apple Spinach Salad

1 bag fresh spinach2 granny smith apples1 cup sunfl ower seeds ⅓ cup apple vinegar

¼ tsp salt1 tsp garlic salt1 tsp celery salt

Wash spinach and apples. Drain and add spinach to bowl with sliced apples and sunfl ower seeds.

In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients for dressing.

Toss in spinach, apples and sunfl ower seeds.

Yield: 6–8 ser ings Lar Stelitano

Did you know that sunfl ower seeds, which are a good source of folate, help the brain chemical called dopamine induce pleasure??

Baby Blue Salad ¾ lb mixed salad greens

Balsamic Vinaigrette*4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled

2 oranges, peeled and cut into thin slices1 pint strawberries, quartered

Sweet and Spicy Pecans**

*Balsamic Vinaigrette ½ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp Dijon mustard3 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced2 sm shallots, minced

¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper1 cup olive oil

**Sweet and Spicy Pecans ¼ cup sugar

1 cup warm water1 cup pecan halves

2 tbsp sugar1 tbsp chili powder

⅛ tsp ground red pepper

Toss greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette and crumbled bleu cheese. Place on 6 individual plates.

Arrange orange slices over greens. Sprinkle with strawberries. Top with Sweet-and-Spicy Pecans.

Balsamic Vinaigrette—Whisk together balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, minced shallots, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually whisk in olive oil.

Sweet and Spicy Pecans—Stir together ¼ cup sugar and 1 cup warm water until sugar dissolves.

Add pecan halves, and soak 10 minutes. Drain, discarding sugar mixture.

Combine 2 tbsp sugar, chili powder and red pepper.

Add pecans, tossing to coat. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake in oven at 350° F for 10 minutes or until pecans are golden brown, stirring once.


Baby Mixed Greens With Apple Pear, Pecans and Feta

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp orange juice3 tbsp pecan halves, fi nely chopped

2 tbsp honeySea salt and ground pepper, to taste

6 cups loosely packed baby mixed greens1 apple pear, halved, cored and

sliced into thin wedges ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds or

dried cranberries ⅓ cup feta cheese

To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, pecans, honey and sea salt and pepper to taste in a salad bowl. Mix until well blended.

Add greens and toss to coat with the dressing. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Top with apple pear slices. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries and feta cheese.

Yield: 4 ser ingsGer Guthridge

Barley and Mushroom Salad

2 cups barley1 quart vegetable stock

1 lb fresh baby spinach leaves ½ cup olive oil

2 lbs fresh button mushrooms, quartered1 tbsp garlic, chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in halfSalt and pepper

Place barley in saucepan and cover with vegetable stock. Bring to a boil for 25–30 minutes until barley gets soft. Drain and rinse barley in cold water and reserve in large bowl.

Cover barley in bowl with the fresh spinach leaves.

Heat sauté pan with the olive oil in it. As oil begins to smoke, put in the quartered mushrooms and garlic. Sauté at high heat until mushrooms sear slightly. As mushrooms begin to brown, add the halved cherry tomatoes. Let this mixture cook 7–12 minutes depending on how soft you want the tomatoes.

When tomatoes are done, pour the entire mixture over the barley and spinach leaves and toss. The hot oil will wilt the spinach. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve as side salad.

Yield: 10–12 side ser ingsChris Gearin

Broccoli Slaw Salad

2 bags (3 oz) ramen noodle soup – any fl avor

¾ stick butter ¼ cup almonds, slivered

2 (12 oz) bags broccoli slaw ¼ cup sunfl ower seeds

Green onions, chopped for garnish

Dressing Mix ¾ cup canola oil

¼ cup brown or white sugar ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 ramen noodle seasoning packet ½ cup whole cashews

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat.

Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat).

Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, cashews and sunfl ower seeds.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Yield: 6–8 ser ingsLar Stelitano

Did you know that parsley gives great fl avor and is nutritious in salads? Just one oz provides 43% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vi-tamin C and 18% and RDA for iron in men and 12% in women, plus 1 mg of beta carotene.?

Brown Rice Salad With Cit s-Basil Vinaig e e

Brown Rice Salad2 cups brown rice, cooked

2 carrots, grated1 sm red onion, halved and minced

6 green onions, thinly sliced on an angleCitrus-Basil vinaigrette, recipe follows

Fresh cilantro, basil, and/or mint leaves—for garnish, chopped

Citrus-Basil Vinaigrette ¾ cup orange juice

¼ cup lime juice ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp heaping tbsp of honey ½ cup canola oil or olive oil

Combine rice and vegetables in a large bowl.

Add citrus/basil vinaigrette and stir to combine.

Let the salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Garnish with desired herbs.

Yield: 4 ser ingsGer ard Zolezi

Califor ia Mango Chicken Salad

6 lbs (1 lb) chicken, cooked and diced3 cups (½ cup) mango, sm dice

½ cup (4 tsp) cilantro, chopped ½ cup (4 tsp) jalapeños, chopped

1 tbsp (½ tsp) salt and pepper2 tbsp (1 tsp) chili powder

1 tsp (¼ tsp) cumin1 tbsp (½ tsp) coriander

2 sweet (3 tbs) red peppers, fi nely diced ¼ cup (2 tsp) honey

½ cup (4 tsp) Dijon mustard ¾ cup (2 tbs) mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients well.

Serve with your favorite bread or sandwich roll.

Yield: 40 sandwiches (6–7 sandwiches)Eric Lindholm

Carolina Cabbage

1 lg heads green cabbage1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper1 onions, lg

1 heads broccoli ¼ pint vegetable oil

½ lb turkey baconMrs. Dash seasoning to taste

Salt to tastePepper to taste

Cut the cabbage in small dice.

Remove the seeds from the peppers and dice.

Dice the onion.

Remove the broccoli fl orets from the stalk.

Combine all ingredients and adjust seasoning.

Allow to set in the refrigerator until fl avors have combined.

Serve.

Yield: 24 (4 oz) por ionsAntoine Lee

Celyodka pod Shuboy—Her ing Under a “Fur Coat”

2 beets, med size2 potatoes, med size

3 carrots3 eggs, hardboiled

1 onion10 oz pickled or salted herring fi llet

2 sour granny smith apples1 lb mayonnaise (use more if necessary)

Boil beets, potatoes, carrots, and eggs until done. Cool and peel vegetables and eggs. Mince the onion.

Cut the herring fi llets into small pieces. Grate potatoes, beets, carrots, apples, and eggs on a fi ne grater.

At the bottom of a fl at dish put all herring fi llet pieces. On top of herring, place a layer of the shredded potato (use all potato).

On top of the potato layer, put the grated onion and then spread with ⅓ of the mayonnaise.

Put a layer of carrots (all) on top of mayonnaise.

Put hardboiled-shredded eggs on top of carrots and spread with ⅓ of the mayonnaise again.

Put a layer of apples.1. Top with beets and smooth.2. Garnish with the last ⅓ of the

mayonnaise on top.3. Decorate with grated boiled egg yolk (at

your desire).

Yield: 6 or more ser ingsLeonid Shtey an

Couscous Salad

4 boxes couscous, cooked as instructed on box1 cup green onion, chopped

2 cups feta cheese, crumbled2 cups tomatoes, diced

2 cups cucumbers, diced2 cups peppers, diced

Salt, to tastePepper, to taste

Juice from 7 fresh lemons ¼ cup oil

Mix all ingredients together after couscous has cooled and chilled.

Adjust seasonings if needed.


Crabmeat Salad

12 oz imitation crabmeat ¼ bunch celery

⅓ bunch green onions2 med cucumbers

3 eggs4 oz sweet fi sh roe

2–3 tbsp mayonnaise

Cut into small pieces the crabmeat, celery, onions, cucumber and eggs. Add sweet fi sh roe and mayonnaise; mix well. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Yield: 4 ser ingsLeonid Shtey an

Cucumber Salad1 cup sour cream

¼– ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar1 tsp dill

4 dashes hot sauce2 onions, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste 5 cucumbers

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except cucumbers.

Slice cucumbers and add to dressing.

Chill for an hour and serve.

Yield: 15 ser ingsGail Hollinger

Dan’s Count St le Coleslaw75 (8 sm apples) sm apples

50 cups (5 cups) fresh cabbage, chopped4 lbs (1 ¼ cups) raisins

6 cups (⅔ of a cup) carrots, shredded1 cup (5 tsp) lemon juice

Cinnamon, to taste

Core, then slice up apples. Add to shredded cabbage, raisins and shredded carrots. Toss in lemon juice. Add cinnamon to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve chilled.

Yield: 80–100 ser ings (8–10 ser ings)Dan Cuccia

Deconst cted Chicken Ratatouille Salad ⅓ cup dry oregano

½ cup dry basil leaves ¼ cup dry marjoram

¼ cup rubbed sageKosher salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste2 med zucchini, cut into 1" cubes

2 med yellow squash, cut into 1" cubes ½ med eggplant, cut into 1" cubes

1 lg roasted red pepper, thin julienne1 red onion, cut into ½" cubes

1 lg Portobello cap, cut into 1" cubes8 oz garlic, minced

3 med tomatoes, cut into 1" cubesSalt and pepper, to taste

1 lb chicken breast5–6 cups mixed greens—spring mix or

baby arugula3–4 oz white balsamic vinaigrette

5 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

White Balsamic Vinaigrette:1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

4 oz white balsamic vinegar 6–8 oz blended olive oil

Mix dry spices. Add kosher salt and black cracked pepper, to taste. Separately season vegetables with dry mix. Toss with a little blended olive oil.

Keeping vegetables separate, place squashes, eggplant, onion and Portobello mushroom on sheet pan. Roast in oven for about 12–15 minutes until vegetables begin to show slight color. Remove from heat and cool.

Place garlic in small sauce pot with diced tomato. Cook until tomato just begins to break down. Remove from heat and cool. Season chicken with salt and pepper and roast until done. When still warm, julienne chicken and place in warmer, covered.

In large mixing bowl, toss chicken and vegetables with dressing. Add greens. Serve family style on a large platter or serve in individual salad bowls. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette:Mix all ingredients but oil with hand blender. While blender is on, slowly add oil until thoroughly mixed.

Yield: 4 ser ings Jonathan A. Berger

French Green Lentil Salad

2 cups French green lentils1 cup red pepper, diced

1 cup carrot, micro diced 1 cup scallion, chopped

1 cup olive oil ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup fresh tarragon, chopped

2 cups feta cheese, crumbled

Place lentils in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil for approximately 12–15 minutes. Water will turn slightly cloudy. Test lentils for doneness. Cover and turn heat off if they are not soft enough. Let them steep for 10 minutes and test again. When they are at desired texture, drain and rinse with cold water.

In large salad bowl combine lentils, peppers, carrot, scallion. Mix thoroughly.

In smaller bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the lentil mixture and blend.

Add in the tarragon and feta. Toss until combined and serve.

Yield: 10–12 side dishesChristopher Gearin

Georgian St le Bean Salad

1 lg can of dark red kidney beans1 bunch cilantro

1 med white onion1 cup walnuts, shelled

4 cloves of garlic, peeled2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp white vinegarPinch of salt

Empty can of beans into a colander and drain. Wash cilantro and add to colander.

Grind the beans, onion, cilantro, walnuts and garlic through a meat grinder. Take the mass of ground up beans and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, add to it the vegetable oil, vinegar and salt, and mix well using a mixing spoon.

Chill and serve.


Did you know that all kinds of nuts are very healthy for you? First it takes more time to chew than to chew French fries, and then it contains fat and fi ber that needs more time to digest, so your stomach stays fuller and you feel satisfi ed longer, so you eat less at your next meal.?

Kielbasa and Lentil Salad With War Mustard Fennel Dressing

1 lb package dried lentils3 carrots, peeled thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped ⅓ cup malt vinegar

2 tbsp coarse grain Dijon mustard1 ½ tsp sugar

2 tbsp plus ½ cup olive oil1 lb fully cooked smoked kielbasa

3 garlic cloves, peeled and fl attened1 lg fennel bulb with fronds** –

bulb and fronds chopped, reserved separately5 green onions, chopped

2 heads frisée* lettuce or curly endive

Place lentils, carrots and celery in heavy large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover, stir in salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and transfer to bowl.

Whisk vinegar, mustard and sugar in a small bowl to blend. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat and sauté kielbasa until brown (5 minutes). Transfer to plate lined with paper towel, cover to keep warm.

Pour off any fat from skillet. Add remaining olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and stir until golden about two minutes. Add fennel bulb and sauté about 4 minutes. Add green onions and stir 1 minute. Whisk in vinegar mixture and bring to boil. Poor fennel mixture over lentils and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Line serving platter with frisée leaves, spoon on lentil salad, arrange kielbasa on top of lentils. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds.

Yield: 6 ser ingsMark Gazo

**FENNEL BULB WITH FRONDS—Fronds are deep-ly dissected simple leaves that resemble ferns. The leaf includes the whole frilly structure right to where it intersects the stem. It has bright green feathery fronds that resemble dill. The fronds can be used as a seasoning, eaten alone or in salads, or even used to make a tea.

*FRISÉE [free-ZAY]—A member of the chicory fam-ily, frisée has delicately slender, curly leaves that range in color from yellow-white to yellow-green. This feathery vegetable has a mildly bitter fl avor and is often used in the special salad mix, mesclun. Choose frisée with crisp leaves and no sign of wilting. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 5 days. Wash just before using.

Panzanella* (Bread Salad)

4 ciabatta rolls (4" x 4")3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp coarse black pepper4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced in 1" cubes

1 red onion, cut into julienne1 sm zucchini, cut into 1" cubes

1 oz fresh basil chiffonade**1 oz fresh Italian parsley, chopped2 garlic cloves diced and sautéed

5 cups cleaned baby arugula

Cut bread lengthwise into 4" x 2" strips and place them on a hot grill. Mark both sides of the bread.

Stir the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to emulsify.

Mix the bread, tomatoes, onion, zucchini, basil, parsley and garlic. Add the arugula gently, add the dressing and serve on a chilled serving plate.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsPeter Gr enfelder

**CHIFFONADE [shihf-uh-NAHD, shihf-uh-NAYD]—Literally translated, this French phrase means "made of rags." Culinarily, it refers to thin strips or shreds of vegetables (classically, sorrel and lettuce), either lightly sautéed or used raw to garnish soups.

*PANZANELLA [pahn-zah-NEHL-lah]—An Ital-ian bread salad made with onions, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings and chunks of bread. Some versions also include cucumbers, an-chovies and/or peppers.

Quinoa Salad

3 cups quinoa*6 cups water

3 cups cooked black beans3 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 cups cooked corn kernels1 ½ cups red and green peppers, mixed, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, diced sm ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

½ cup lime juice1 tbsp ground cumin

⅔ cup olive oilSalt and pepper, to taste

Rinse well and cook quinoa in 6 cups of water. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and test for seasoning.

Serve as a side dish for an entrée, a base for a salad with protein, or on a salad bar.

Yield: 12, one cup ser ingsJen Foy

*QUINOA [KEEN-wah]—Tiny and bead-shaped, the ivory-colored quinoa cooks like rice (taking half the time of regular rice) and expands to four times its original volume. Its fl avor is delicate, almost bland, and has been compared to that of couscous.

Red Bliss Potato Salad

5 lbs (8–10 med) red bliss potatoes10 (3 eggs) hard-boiled eggs

3 cups (1 cup) mayonnaise1 cup (⅓ cup) sour cream

4 tbsp (4 tsp) yellow mustard2 tbsp (3 tsp) parsley, freshly chopped

Salt to taste Pepper to taste

1 ½ cups (½ cup) celery, diced

Boil potatoes until fork can be easily inserted. Drain and chill completely.

Leaving skin on, cut potatoes into cubes. Criss-cross cut eggs and add to potatoes.

In separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Add mixture and diced celery to potatoes. Fold together completely, chill and serve.

Yield: 20 ser ings (6–7 ser ings)Tim McCar

Sesame Snow Pea Salad

1 lg pot boiling water2 lbs fresh snow peas

1 lg pot ice water ¾ cup toasted sesame oil

¼ cup rice vinegar2 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp fresh ginger root, grated1 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped

2 med red onion, sliced rough against grain2 med carrots, shredded on box grater

2 med red peppers, juliennedSalt and pepper, to taste

Bring large pot of water to boil. Drop in snow peas for 20 seconds, drain and plunge into ice water. Skim the snow peas out of the ice water, dry and reserve.

In small bowl whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy. Add the ginger and garlic and whisk again.

Lightly toss the chopped red onion in sesame oil. Place them on a sheet tray and put into a 400° F oven for 9–12 minutes, until they wilt and turn a bit brown. Remove from oven and cool.

In large bowl, combine the snow peas, carrots, red peppers and red onion. Toss liberally in the sesame dressing and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 8–10 side ser ingsChris Gearin

Seven-Layer Salad1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped1 red bell pepper, chopped10 oz frozen peas, thawed

¾ cup ranch dressing8 slices turkey bacon, cooked, crumbled

½ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Place the lettuce in a clear glass bowl. Top with a layer of celery, then bell pepper, and then add peas. Spread ranch dressing over the peas. Top with a layer each of bacon and cheese.

Yield: 8 ser ingsElena Zenchenko

Spinach Pasta Salad ⅓ cup white wine vinegar

2 tsp dried basil2 lg cloves garlic

1 tsp salt1 tsp pepper

¾ cup olive oil1 lb bow tie pasta

1 bag baby spinach1 cup pine nuts

8 oz feta cheese

Mix wine vinegar, basil, garlic cloves, salt, & pepper together. Whisk in ¾ cup olive oil. Cook 1 lb of bow tie pasta. Add 1 bag baby spinach, 1 cup pine nuts (toasted in 350° F oven for 12 minutes until golden brown. Stir midway. Don't burn!) and 8 oz of feta cheese. Toss all in bowl at least 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 10 ser ingsLori Testa

Turkey Barley Mandarin Salad

4–5 tbsp sesame oil salad dressing2 cups hot cooked pearl barley—

cooking directions below11 oz mandarin oranges, undrained

1 ½ cups turkey or chicken, cubed, cooked ½ cup celery, sliced

¼ cup green onions, sliced3 ½ cups fresh salad greens, torn

Crunchy oriental noodles, for garnish

Salad:Drizzle salad dressing over hot cooked barley; toss gently to coat. Cover barley and refrigerate until cool.

To assemble salad, drain mandarin oranges, reserving 2 tbsp of liquid. Combine mandarin oranges, 2 tbsp reserved orange liquid, cooled barley, turkey, celery and green onions. Toss gently.

Arrange salad greens on 4 dinner plates. Mound barley salad over greens. Sprinkle each serving with crunchy noodles if desired.

Pearl Barley:Place ¾ cup of pearl barley, 2 ¼ cups water and ½ tsp of salt in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Makes 2 ½–3 cups.


Vegetarian Pasta Salad

1 box pasta (rotini, bows, macaroni)1 cucumber

1 cup grape tomatoes1 cup Italian dressing

1 can black olives1 can artichoke hearts

McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning, to taste

Boil a pot of water on the stove. Add pasta until cooked according to box directions. Rinse & cool. Add to bowl with chopped & pared cucumber, tomatoes, Italian dressing, olives & artichokes. Season with Salad Supreme Seasoning to taste. Serve cold.

Yield: 6–8 ser ingsLar Stelitano

War Potato Salad With Honey Dressing ⅓ cup cider vinegar2 tbsp vegetable oil

¼ cup honey1 tbsp Dijon mustard

⅛ tsp hot sauce1 ½ lbs red bliss potatoes

5 slices applewood bacon, crisp, crumbled2 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tbsp green onion, chopped ½ tsp salt

Combine vinegar, oil, honey, mustard & hot sauce; mix well. Add potatoes & mix to coat all surfaces. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are thoroughly heated. Add bacon, parsley, green onions & salt. Toss to mix well. Allow to sit in the refrigerator so that the fl avors blend.

Yield: 6 ser ingsEssie Brown

Seafood

Brock’s Best

Bay Scallops and Bulghur Wheat With Fresh Mint

2 lbs bay scallops1 ½ gallons water

1 lb bulghur wheat2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced ½ bunch mint, chopped

½ bunch parsley, chopped4 limes squeezed for juice

1 tsp kosher salt3 oz olive oil

Steam or poach bay scallops until tender. Drain and chill.

In large stockpot boil bulghur wheat until cooked approximately 20–30 minutes, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to chill.

Take chilled bulghur wheat and scallops and mix with remaining ingredients. Chill and serve.

Yield: 13 (6 oz) ser ingsTony Pater o

Braised Sea Bass and Fennel With Sa on and Harissa

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 onions, thinly sliced

6 lg fennel bulbs, quartered and thinly sliced4 cups fresh fi sh stock

2 pinches saffron threads4 sm sea bass fi llets

1 lb red potato, boiled and peeled3 tsp harissa paste* –

a North African spice blendCoarse sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large sauté pan, add onion and fennel and cook until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes, season with sea salt to taste.

Add fi sh stock and saffron. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season inside and outside of sea bass. Put fi sh on top of fennel, cover and simmer until fi sh is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

While fi sh is cooking, crush potato with fork and set to side.

Remove sea bass and set on large dinner plate. Keep warm in low temperature oven.

Raise heat and cook fennel mixture over high heat for 5 minutes. Add crushed potatoes and harissa paste and continue cooking until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

Spoon fennel and potato mixture beside sea bass and serve.

Yield: 4 ser ingsTony Powell

*HARISSA PASTE [hah-REE-suh]—From Tunisia, this fi ery-hot sauce is usually made with hot chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil. It's the traditional accompaniment for couscous but is also used to fl avor soups, stews and other dishes. Harissa can be found in cans and jars.

Caramelized Salmon With Cit s Salsa

Caramelized Salmon6 tsp orange zest, grated

6 tbsp sugar6, 5 oz salmon fillet, skinned and cut

6 tsp salt and pepper mix

Citrus Salsa6 oranges, peeled and sectioned—

save zest before peeling1 fresh pineapple, small dice

1 tbsp cilantro2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped fine

1 green onion, sliced1 lime

Caramelized Salmon:Mix the orange zest and the sugar together prior to service. Place on top of salmon and broil at low setting fi rst and move to higher setting to fi nish, 4–5 minutes or until fi rm to touch.

Citrus Salsa:Mix together all ingredients and let stand overnight for best fl avor.

Yield: 6 ser ingsMichael Hamilton

Did you know that salmon contains high omega-3 fatty acids and can help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline??

Crab Cakes With Peach Salsa

Crab Cakes3 tbsp heavy cream

1 egg2 tbsp mayonnaise

½ cup dry mustard ¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp TABASCO® Sauce

¼ tsp OLD BAY® Seasoning ½ tsp parsley fl akes1 lb lump crabmeat

3 oz breadcrumbs

Peach Salsa1 lb peaches, frozen

½ red bell pepper, diced ½ cup green onions, sliced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 limes, juiced3 tsp cilantroSalt to taste

Crab Cakes: Blend all ingredients except the crabmeat and breadcrumbs.

Stir the egg mixture into the crabmeat and breadcrumbs. Form into cakes. Either standard-bread the crab cakes and fry, or fry without breading 4–8 minutes or until golden brown.

Peach Salsa: Mix all ingredients and let stand overnight. Serve with the crab cakes.


Fresh Tuna Tacos

⅓ cup sour cream ¼ cup red onion, chopped

3 tbsp cilantro, chopped1 tsp chipotle chilies, minced, canned

1 (8 oz) tuna steak, cut in ¾" pieces1 tbsp taco seasoning mix

1 tbsp vegetable oilTaco shells

Garnish Lettuce, shredded

Avocado, slicedBlack olives

Salsa

Mix sour cream, red onion, cilantro and chilies in a small bowl.

Place tuna in a medium bowl and sprinkle with taco seasoning.

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium high heat. Add tuna, sauté to desired doneness (3 minutes for medium). Reduce heat to medium low.

Stir in sour cream mixture. Cook just until heated through, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes (do not boil).

Fill taco shells with tuna mixture and garnish with salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado and black olives.

Yield: 4 ser ingsMark Gazo

Lemon Shrimp Bean Thread Ver icelli

1 tbsp fi sh sauce1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic, chopped ½ tsp sugar

Pinch crushed red peppers orSzechwan* pepper

4 oz bean thread noodles or vermicelli10 shrimp, 16/20 count

1 tomato, diced1 lemon

Salt to tasteWhite pepper to taste

Combine fi sh sauce, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and red pepper. Bring to a boil.

Cook bean thread noodles or vermicelli until al dente.

Cook shrimp in a wok with tomato. Squeeze in lemon juice.

Add cooked noodles to shrimp.

Add sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Plate and serve.

Yield: 2 ser ingsJie Ast i

*SZECHWAN PEPPER; SZECHWAN [SEHCH-wahn, SEHCH-oo-ahn] – Native to the Szechwan province of China, this mildly hot spice comes from the prickly ash tree. Though not related to the peppercorn family, Szechwan berries resemble black peppercorns but contain a tiny seed.

Mar land Crab Cakes With Old Bay Sher Cream

3 eggs1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ cup mayonnaise1 tsp dry sherry

2 tsp tarragon, chopped1 tsp capers, fi nely chopped

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped3 ½ tbsp dry breadcrumbs

½ tbsp OLD BAY® Seasoning2 tsp ketchup

1 tsp Dijon mustard1 lb backfi n*

1 lb jumbo lump**

Preheat oven broiler or fryer.

Beat together egg, lemon juice, mayonnaise, sherry, tarragon, capers, parsley, breadcrumbs, Old Bay, ketchup and mustard. Gently mix in back fi n. Carefully fold in Jumbo lump, with caution not to break.

For crab cakes, weigh out patties 6 oz each.For crab balls, weigh out 5, 1 oz balls. Broil for 10–15 minutes or fry for approximately 3–4 minutes until lightly brown.

*JUMBO LUMP – The jumbo lump crabmeat comes from larger crabs, it is the meat from the two large muscles connected to the swimming legs. Contrary to smaller portions of crab meat, it can be used whole. It has a brilliant white color.

*BACK FIN – The back fi n portion consists of fl akes of white meat, coming from the special meat and the jumbo lump. Back fi n is a popular crab meat for Chesapeake Bay, MD style crab cakes.

Yield: 4 ser ingsAdrian Mills

Mar land Spiced Salmon Cakes

1 pack salmon (5 oz of fi sh)1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp low sodium Old Bay seasoning—(optional)*

¼ cup parsley, fi nely chopped ½ red bell pepper, fi nely diced

4 green onions, fi nely slicedSalt and pepper to taste

1 egg, lg and lightly beaten2 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp canola oilSliced lemon

In a large bowl, break up salmon pieces discarding any bone or skin.

Gently fold in ⅔ cup of Panko breadcrumbs into salmon. Add the parsley, red pepper, green onion, salt and pepper. Fold to incorporate.

Mix the egg and mayonnaise and fold into salmon and vegetable mixture.

Form into patties of desired size. Can be made large for entrée or small for appetizer.

Place in refrigerator to allow the mixture to cool.

Place remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Gently coat each patty with breadcrumbs laying them in bread crumbs to coat. Transfer to hold plate.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange patties in pan evenly. Cook on each side until brown and internal temperature of 165° F.

Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Serve with sliced lemon.Yield: 4 ser ings

Sharon Houck

Salmon Reuben

½ oz margarine2 slices marble rye bread

2 tbsp Cajun tartar sauce2 slices Swiss cheese

4 oz salmon, cut in half 3 oz coleslaw, dry, squeeze out excess juice

3 slices tomato


Place ½ oz of margarine on the fl at top grill or in a preheated sauté pan. Spread the Cajun tartar sauce on each slice of bread.

Place bread on the fl at top or in sauté pan. Layer 1 slice of Swiss cheese on each piece of bread. Fully cook salmon in oven for 35 minutes on 350° F. Place the salmon on the fl at top or in the sauté pan. Place the coleslaw on the fl at top or pan to heat it up.

Place 3 slices of cold tomatoes on one side of the bread. Place the salmon on top of the tomatoes. Squeeze excess juice from coleslaw and place on top of the salmon, and then place the other slice of bread with cheese facing down on the coleslaw.

When bread is golden brown, remove and cut in diagonal or angle.

Yield: 1 ser ingSamuel Cole

Scallops and Shrimp Sambuca

1 oz fennel, julienne1 oz carrot, julienne

3 lg sea scallops3 lg shrimp1 oz butter

1 oz Sambuca2 oz heavy cream

Salt to tastePepper to taste

1 bouchee* of puff pastryFresh dill for garnish

Blanche fennel and carrots; chill.

Sauté shrimp in butter for 1 minute. Add scallop and sauté another minute.

Deglaze with Sambuca and heavy cream. Add vegetables and reduce until thickens.

Place in bouchee and top with dill.

Yield: 1 ser ingMichael Hamilton

*BOUCHEE [boo-SHAY] – A small patty shell of puff pastry, used especially for hot hors d'oeuvres.

Seafood Gumbo

1 stick butter1 cup onions, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped ½ cup green pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped2 cups okra, sliced

1 cup oil1 cup fl our

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce4 med crabs, cleaned

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined ½ lb fi sh fi llets, cut in bite size pieces

½ pint oysters1 can whole tomatoes

Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, to taste3 quarts water

½ cup green onion tops and parsley, chopped

In a large aluminum pot, (do not use a black iron pot). Sauté in butter, onions, celery, green peppers, garlic and okra for 10 minutes. Add the roux*, water and Worcestershire. Season to taste.

Cook for 1 hour. Add the rest of the ingredients except green onions and parsley. Cook for another hour. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with fi nely chopped green onion tops and parsley.


*ROUX [roo] – A mixture of fl our and fat that, after being slowly cooked over low heat, is used to thicken mixtures such as soups and sauces.

Seared Scallops With Par esan Riso o

5 cups chicken stock2 tbsp butter

½ cup onion, diced1 ½ cups Arborio rice1 cup dry white wine

1 cup green peas1 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste2–3 tbsp olive oil

12 sea scallops, thoroughly dried – salt and peppered

In a saucepot, bring 5 cups chicken stock to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer.

In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 1 small onion, diced, and sauté for 4–5 minutes until translucent.

Add 1 ½ cups Arborio rice and sauté for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium high and add 1 cup dry white wine. Cook for 4 minutes until alcohol cooks off and wine is reduced by half. Reduce heat back down to medium.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the rice, stir slowly and simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Repeat adding stock and cooking until risotto is al dente, or still has a little bite to it.

You may not need all 5 cups of chicken stock.

Add peas and Parmesan, stir to incorporate. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat off. Hold covered until ready to serve.

Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add 2–3 tbsp of olive oil; add scallops. Allow scallops to caramelize and do not attempt to turn them over until they release easily from the pan. Turn scallops over, caramelize second side. Remove scallops from pan.

Serve scallops over rice.

Yield: 3–4 ser ingsMichael Varacalle

Shrimp and GritsShrimp Recipe

1 ½ lbs wild Georgia shrimp (26-30 count)2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp paprika1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Grits Recipe2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 cup quick grits1 tsp tomato paste

¾ cup heavy whipping cream3 ½ oz extra sharp cheddar cheese

Sauce Recipe2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tsp garlic, minced3 tbsp all-purpose fl our

1 cup chicken stock ½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp hot sauce

1 slice sugar-cured country ham

Peel and devein the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside. In a medium saucepan, bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tbsp of butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cream and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the grits become creamy. [Don't skimp on the butter and cream, folks!]

In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they are just done and tender. [Don't overcook.] Remove the shrimp from the sauté pan and set them aside in a bowl. You can taste 1 or 2, to see if they're okay. Add 3 tbsp of all-purpose fl our to the drippings from the shrimp sauté pan and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10–15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, and then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a sauté pan, and cut into cubes.

To serve, place a few heaping spoonfuls of steaming cheese grits onto a plate, top with several sizzling shrimp. Drizzle the roux sauce over top of the shrimp and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsKristopher Schweitzer-Pfaff

Shrimp With Feta Over Mixed Greens With Feta Vinaig e e

40 shrimp, peeled and deveined2 lemons, juiced and zested ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

½ cup olive oil1 cup wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar3 garlic cloves, minced

5 scallions, chopped2 limes, juiced and zestedSalt and pepper, to taste

3 lbs mixed greens, washed2 oz vinaigrette

1 lb crumbled feta cheese


Mix all ingredients together except shrimp and greens. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add shrimp and let marinate for 3 hours.

Make vinaigrette dressing. Cook shrimp in a 9" x 13" pan (this may take 2 pans) until done, roughly about 20 minutes in the oven on 350° F. You can also grill them in the summer if you like – excellent fl avor. If baking, make sure to add all the marinade with shrimp while they are baking. Once fi nished, allow shrimp to cool in the juices.

To assemble, toss greens with vinaigrette. Place on plate and top with shrimp and crumble feta on top.

Feta Vinaigrette:½ quart olive oil, light1 quart wine vinegar1 cup sugarsalt and pepper, to taste4 garlic cloves, chopped2 lemons, juiced and zested½ bunch cilantro, chopped1 ½ cups feta, crumbled

Mix all ingredients and blend. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Chill. Don’t allow vinaigrette to sit out.


Teriyaki Grilled Salmon4–6 oz salmon fi llet

4 cups teriyaki sauce2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp fresh garlic, chopped1 tsp ground black pepper

1 stalk fresh leeks

Teriyaki Glaze:Pour teriyaki sauce & garlic into a 2 quart saucepan & bring to a boil. Adjust heat to a simmer & reduce by half. Set aside.

Salmon:Rub salmon with sesame oil on both sides & sprinkle with black pepper. Place fi llet, belly side down on a grill; cook for 2 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees clockwise & continue cooking for 2 more minutes.

Flip salmon so that the grill marks are showing. Take the teriyaki glaze & brush with a basting brush, then continue cooking for 4–5 minutes.

Remove the salmon from the grill & let rest for a few minutes. Brush once before serving to guests.

Leeks:Keeping & using the only the white part of the leaf, julienne chop the Leeks. Place them in cold water & rinse off the dirt. Remove & dry on a towel.

In a sauté pan, melt butter & sauté the leeks until they are caramelized. Place them on top of salmon when serving.

Serve with various sides, such as white or brown basmati rice, fried rice, buckwheat noodles, steamed asparagus, broccoli, or any other vegetable you desire.

Yield: 4 ser ingsMichael Demar

Soups & Chilis

Brock’s Best

Asopao De Marisco (Seafood Stew)

Olive oil, as needed2 lg onions –

1 cut in lg pieces, 1 diced into sm pieces2 green peppers, diced

2 (1 ½ lbs) lobsters – head removed for stock, tails cut in quarters and claws cracked

8 oz lg shrimp peeled and cleaned – save shells for stock

1 cup crushed tomato 1 cup fi ne white wine

4 cups clam juice4 cups water

1 bay leaf2 cups long grain rice

24 little neck clams24 mussels

8 oz sea scallops1 pinch saffron

½ bunch culantro (not cilantro), fi nely choppedSalt and pepper to taste

In a lg stock pot, add enough olive oil to coat the pot and sauté the lg pieces of onions and green peppers until caramelize.

Add lobster heads and shrimp shells. Sauté until they get nice and pink. Add crushed tomato, white wine, bay leaf, clam juice and water. Cook for two hours, then strain.

In a lg pot sauté small diced onions, and diced peppers until caramelized, add rice, clams, mussels and a pinch of saffron. Add the strained stock and cook for 20 minutes. Add shrimp, scallops and lobster then cook for 8 minutes. Add culantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 10 ser ingsJer Vazquez

Black Bean Chili

1 tbsp canola oil ¼ lb chorizo sausage chopped

⅓ lb cooked ham1 lb onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lg red bell pepper1 (#10 can) diced or stewed tomatoes

1 hot green chile pepper1 quart water

1 (#10 can) black beans, rinsed and drained2 mangoes, peeled, seeded and diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped ¼ tsp salt

Heat the oil in a lg pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo and ham 2–3 minutes.

Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender.

Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt.


Did you know that sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A??

Bu er ut Squash Soup

2 lbs onion, chopped2 oz unsalted butter

6 garlic cloves6 lbs squash, cooked and cubed2 quarts plus 1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp ground cumin2 tsp salt

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper2 cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups honey ¾ cup sour cream (topping for soup)

Sauté onion in butter until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic and squash. Stir in stock, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.

Simmer until squash is very soft.

Puree, stir in cream and honey. Garnish each serving with sour cream.

Yield: 10–12 ser ingsSharon Houck

Cheddar Asparag s and Crab Chowder

2 lbs (6 spears) fresh asparagus1 cup (⅓ cup) vegetable oil

2 cups (⅔ cup) yellow onions, diced1 cup (⅓ cup) fl our

2 quarts (2 ⅔ cups) half & half cream3 quarts (1 quart) chicken stock

2 lbs (3–4 med) red potatoes, diced1 tsp (⅓ tsp) salt

½ tsp (1 dash+) red peppers, ground1 lb (1 ⅓ cup) shredded sharp cheese

1 cup (⅓ cup) sour cream2 cups (⅔ cup) tomato concassee*2 lbs (⅔ lbs or 1 ⅔ cups) crab meat

2 tsp (⅔ tsp) parsley, chopped Garlic croutons for garnish

Cut asparagus into 1" pieces then blanche.

Cook onion in hot oil until tender. Sprinkle fl our over onion and stir to coat. Add half & half, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and red pepper. Cook and stir until thickened, reduce heat and simmer.

When vegetables are tender, add cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Add asparagus, crab meat and tomato concassee. Heat until hot and garnish with chopped parsley. Garnish with garlic croutons.

Yield: 16, 8 oz ser ings (5–6 Ser ings)Michael Hamilton

*CONCASSEE [kon-kah-SAY] – Tomato that has been peeled, seeded and chopped.

Chilled Cucumber Soup With Lobster, Mint and Lobster Brioche Sandwich

4 cucumbers, lg2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp salad oil4 scallions, sliced, white parts only

2 tbsp fl our2 ½ cups chicken stock

½ cup milk1 ½ tsp lemon juice, fresh

2 tbsp mint2 cups sour cream

Salt-tastePepper to taste

Brioche, toasted-garnishLobster-garnish

Arugula-garnish

Peel, seed and slice the cucumbers.

In a heavy pot melt the butter and add the oil. Sauté the cucumbers and the scallions for 10 minutes. Stir in the fl our to form a roux.

In a separate pot, heat the chicken stock and the milk. Slowly add the stock to the cucumbers.

Add the strained lemon juice, mint and season. Simmer until thick and then blend until smooth.

Cool the soup; add the sour cream and season.

Make a mini sandwich with lobster meat, arugula and brioche and place on a skewer.

Garnish with the lobster meat and the lobster brioche sandwich.

Yield: 6–8 ser ingsMichael Bongior o

Cold St awber Soup

1 quart strawberries1 ½ cups water

¾ cup Bordeaux wine ½ cup sugar

⅛ cup lemon juice ⅛ tsp cinnamon

½ cup heavy cream3 tbsp sour cream

Slice tops of strawberries off and wash, reserving 6 for garnish. Place into pot with water, sugar and Bordeaux wine.

After it begins to cook, add lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Cool overnight.

Beat heavy cream to a peak. Add sour cream and blend.

Prior to service, blend into base. Garnish with strawberry fan.


Crab & Cor Chowder

8 oz bacon, sm dice8 oz butter

1 lg onion, sm dice8 stalks celery, sm dice

1 tbsp garlic, minced2 cups fl our, all-purpose

3 quarts crab stock1 lb corn

12 oz potatoes, sm dice1 lb crab meat

1 tbsp OLD BAY® seasoningSalt to taste

Ground pepper to taste16 oz half & half

Cut all vegetables as described.

Place the bacon and the butter into a soup pot. Cook to render the fat from the bacon. Cook until the bacon is browned, then remove.

Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the fl our and mix well. Cook the vegetable fl our mixture on low for about 5 minutes. Keep a stir on the mixture.

Add the stock to the vegetable/fl our mixture while whisking. Bring the soup to a simmer.

Add the corn and the potatoes. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Add the crab meat, OLD BAY®, salt and pepper. Slowly add the half & half while whisking.

Yield: 8, 16 oz ser ingsJer Goard

Cream of Crab Soup

4 gallons (1 quart) whole milk6 quarts (1 ½ cups) heavy cream

10 oz (1 oz) crab base6 oz (1 oz) chicken base

7 tbsp (1 ¼ tsp) OLD BAY® seasoning4 tbsp (¾ tsp) ground dry mustard1 tbsp (¼ tsp) ground white pepper

3 tbsp (½ tsp) dried parsley fl akes2 lbs (4 tbs) butter

8 cups (½ cup) all-purpose fl our2 cups (2 tbs) cooking sherry or dry sherry

4 lbs (¼ lb) claw or special crab meat

To prepare use double boiler system.

Combine milk, heavy cream, bases, and dry spices. While ingredients are getting hot, in a separate pot melt butter, do not scorch; add in fl our to make roux.

When ingredients in the double boiler reach 180° F–200° F start gradually adding in roux. Reduce heat under double boiler to a simmer. Simmer for 45–60 minutes or until the fl oury taste is no longer there.

Add 2 cups (2 tbs for home cooking version) of dry cooking sherry. Drain excess liquid from crab meat. Mix in crab meat and serve.

Yield: 6 gallons or 96 ser ings of 1 cup each (6 cups: 6 ser ings)Joe Mathis

Dovga

½ bunch Italian parsley ½ bunch cilantro ½ bunch spinach

1 sm bunch dill ½ cup white rice

1 egg1 quart plain yogurt

2 cups water3 tbsp fl our

Cut up greens and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix rice and egg. In a lg bowl mix yogurt, water and fl our. Add rice to yogurt mixture and put on stove. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

When rice is soft, add greens and keep stirring. When greens are soft serve in small bowls or glasses, with or without spoons.

Yield: 4 ser ingsSofi a Tsit inbaum

Green Borscht

3 bunches green onion10 cups chicken stock3 potatoes, med size

Salt to tasteBlack pepper to taste

1 lb sorrel or spinach2 tbsp cilantro

2 tbsp dill3 eggs, hardboiled

Sour cream to taste

Sauté green onions in oil until deep golden in color, about 15 minutes.

Bring the stock to a simmer and add potatoes. Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon, mash them coarsely (they should still be in tiny little pieces, not puréed), and return to the stock.

Add onions. Adjust salt and pepper. When the stock comes to a simmer once more, add the sorrel; let simmer for 3 minutes, then take off heat. Stir in cilantro and dill, and serve immediately. (Keep in mind that sorrel overcooks very quickly).

Place hardboiled egg slices in each bowl before pouring the soup. Serve with sour cream on the side.

Yield: 6 or more ser ingsSuren Sarkisov

Italian Wedding Soup

1 med onion8 stalks celery

1 lg carrot1 oz olive oil

1 tsp garlic, chopped2 quarts chicken stock1 lb spinach, chopped

½ cup pasta (acini di pepe)*4 oz cornstarch

1 lb mini meatballs, cookedBasil to taste

Kosher salt to tasteGround pepper to taste

1 lb chicken, cooked, diced

Dice the onions, celery and carrots into ¼" cubes.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot until nearly smoking hot. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken stock and the spinach.

Bring the stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with cold water to a smooth consistency. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering liquid.

Add the meatballs, the seasoning and the chicken and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Yield: 10 ser ingsStaff of Blue Cross Blue Shield

*ACINI DE PEPE [ah-CHEE-nee dee PAY-pay] – tiny peppercorn-shaped pasta.

Jambalaya

4 med shrimp2 oz chicken, diced

2 tsp Creole seasoning2 tbsp olive oil

1 oz ham or smoked sausage1 tbsp onion, diced

3 tbsp bell pepper, diced and seeded2 tbsp celery, diced

2 oz white wine ¼ cup tomatoes, chopped

2 oz chicken stock1 tsp garlic, chopped

2 tbsp scallions, sliced1 tbsp fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup saffron rice

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well.

In a lg saucepan heat oil over high heat. Sauté ham or sausage, onions, peppers and celery for about 3 minutes.

Add chicken and shrimp. Add white wine and continue cooking until proteins are completely cooked.

Add garlic, tomatoes and chicken broth. Let reduce slightly. Add scallions and parsley.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over saffron rice.

Yield: 1 ser ingAlena Khvesiukovich

Lemong ass-Scented Noodle Soup With Shrimp

¼ lb Asian rice noodles (or pad Thai noodles)

4 cups chicken stock or broth2 stalks lemongrass, inner bulbs –

very thinly sliced, tops crushed1 med garlic clove, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste ¾ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup snow peas, halved crosswise ½ bunch watercress, no stems

¼ cup cilantro, fi nely chopped2 scallions, thinly sliced2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Soak the noodles in a lg bowl of hot water until pliable, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a lg saucepan combine the stock with sliced and crushed lemongrass and the garlic. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and discard the lg lemongrass stalks.

Bring a lg saucepan of water to a boil. Drain the noodles and cook them in the boiling water until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cool water.

Add shrimp, snow peas and watercress to the lemongrass broth and cook until the shrimp are pink and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, scallions, lime juice and noodles and cook just until heated through.

Yield: 4 ser ingsCarl J. Scharle

Mar land Crab Soup

2 tbsp butter1 sm yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced 1 cup carrots, diced

2 (14 ½ oz) cans stewed tomatoes1 cup fresh lima beans

1 cup fresh corn 3 tbsp OLD BAY® seasoning

3 cups beef broth1 can clam juice

3 cups light chicken stock1 lb back-fi n lump crab meat –

picked for shellsCrab claws – (we save them whenever we

pick crabs and freeze them until it's time to make soup)

Melt butter in 4-quart pot. Add onions, celery & carrots and sauté until tender.

Add everything else except crab meat and claws, bring to a quick boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, add crab meat and stir lightly. Add claws to top and cover; simmer 10–15 minutes. Serve hot.

Yield: 10 ser ingsRussell Brannon

Peanut and Chest ut Soup

¼ cup margarine1 ½ tbsp all-purpose fl our

1 quart chicken broth1 quart water

1 cup smooth peanut butter ½ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

½ cup water chestnuts, chopped1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Melt margarine in a lg saucepan. Stir in fl our to make a roux. Cook on medium heat while frequently stirring until the roux is light tan in color.

Once the roux is ready, add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Then add peanut butter and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Hold on stove at a low heat until ready to serve. The longer it heats, the thicker it gets.

Garnish with chopped peanuts and water chestnuts.

Yield: 10–12 ser ingsBar Pinkowicz

Pulled Pork Green Chili

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) seasoned salt1 tbsp (¾ tsp) chili powder

1 tsp (¼ tsp) thyme1 tbsp (¾ tsp) black pepper1 tbsp (¾ tsp) garlic pepper

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) brown sugar5–6 lbs (1 ¼–1 ½ lbs) pork picnic shoulder

¾ (3 tbs) cup butter or lard1 cup (¼ cup) fl our

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) fresh garlic, chopped1 (½ cup) onion, chopped

1 gallon (1 quart) chicken broth4 cups (1 cups) roasted green chilies, diced

1 cup (¼ cup) tomatillos*, diced ¼ tsp (pinch) cayenne pepper

1 tbsp (¾ tsp) oregano1 tsp (¼ tsp) black pepper

Pork:In a small bowl mix the seasoned salt, chili powder, thyme, black pepper, garlic, and brown sugar. Rub this spice mixture onto the pork picnic shoulder.

Cook in a gas, electric, or charcoal smoker with hickory wood chips. Maintain 250°–275° F for 6–7 hours. The pork should reach an internal temperature of 190° F. Cover with foil and let rest for 30 minutes.

Chili:In a thick bottomed soup pot melt the butter or lard over medium heat. Whisk in the fl our and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the fresh garlic and onion. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the green chilies and tomatillos.

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cayenne pepper, black pepper and oregano. Toast the spice mixture for 2 minutes. Chop or pull the pork shoulder into bit size pieces. Add to the chili and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Note: This version of green chili is good in the summer and is excellent as a soup or to smother on burritos.

Yield: 2 gallons or 25 ser ings (2 quar s: 6–7 ser ings)Samuel Ster

*TOMATILLO [toh-mah-TEE-yoh] – This fruit, which is also called Mexican green tomato, belongs to the same nightshade family as the tomato.

Russian Okhroshka Soup

5 red potatoes5 eggs

6 green onions10 radishes

½ bunch dill1 tsp salt

1 liter buttermilk1 tbsp sour cream

Boil potatoes and eggs. Let them chill.

Finely dice onions, radishes, dill and put them into lg pot with buttermilk.

When eggs and potatoes cool down, peel and fi nely dice them. Put them in pot with buttermilk.

Add tbsp of sour cream and mix.

Salt soup to taste and chill. Serve cold.


Sopa De Caracol (Conch Soup)

¼ lb butter2 lg onion, yellow or white

3 cloves garlic2 green peppers

2 carrots2 lbs yucca

2 cubes fi sh or chicken stock1 sm bunch of coriander, chopped

1 scotch bonnet peppers1 liter coconut milk

3 green bananas1 lb fresh conch

Melt butter in a lg pan on low heat. Roughly, chop onion, garlic and green peppers. Sauté in butter for 5–10 minutes.

Peel and roughly chop all the other vegetables and add them to the pan. Turn up the heat and fast fry for 5 minutes.

Add the stock and chopped coriander to the mix.

Burst the scotch bonnet pepper between your fi ngers (watch it doesn't get in your eyes) and add to the pot.

Add coconut milk and let simmer for another 20 minutes.

Chop bananas into large chunks and simmer for another 7 minutes or until the bananas are soft.

Wash, peel and cut the conch into small pieces and add to the pot. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Yield: 8 ser ingsMarlon Paz

Thai Sweet Cor Soup

3 tsp sesame or sunfl ower oil3 spring onions, sliced thin

1 garlic clove, crushed1 pint chicken stock

1 lg can cream style sweet corn2 cups shrimp, cooked and peeled

2 tsp green chili paste or chili sauce Salt and pepper to taste Fresh coriander leaves (garnish)

Heat the oil in lg heavy based saucepan and sauté onions and garlic.

Stir in chicken stock, cream style sweet corn, shrimp and chili. Bring soup to boil.

Season to taste, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

*Make the soup a day before, letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight so the fl avors stand out.

Yield: 5 ser ingsStaff of Kirov Academy

Vegetarian Chili

12 (2) carrots, peeled4 (⅓ cup) celery stalks

1 lb (1 cup chopped) fresh mushrooms3 (1 cup) onions, diced

¼ cup (2 tsp) garlic, minced ½ cup (4 tsp) blended oil

1 can (½ cup) tomatoes, diced1 cup (3 tbs) bulghur wheat

1 quart (⅔ cups) vegetable broth1 dried chipotle and dried ancho chili

(¼ tsp chipotle or ancho chili)1 cup (3 tbs) brewed coffee ¼ cup (2 tsp) chili powder

2 tbsp (1 tsp) ground cumin1 (¼ tsp) cinnamon stick

3 cups (½ cup) pinto or kidney beans, cooked

Pulse carrots, celery and mushrooms in a food processor until roughly ground.

In a stockpot or brazier, soften vegetables, onions, and garlic in the oil. Add tomatoes, bulghur, vegetable stock, peppers, coffee and spices. Cook until liquid is almost gone.

Remove peppers and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Add cooked beans.

Yield: 6 quar s or 20 ser ings (1 quar which is 3–4 ser ings)Jen Foy

Veggies & Sides

Brock’s Best

Ar enian “Musaca”1 ½ lbs beef, sliced

Salt to taste Black pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil3 eggplants5 tomatoes

½ lb rice3 tbsp dill

3 tbsp cilantro

Slice the beef and season with salt and pepper.

Fry the meat in a sauté pan until brown.

Slice the eggplant into rounds and fry in the pan that you used for the beef.

Slice the tomato.

Create the dish by placing the ingredients in a baking dish in layers.

Place the eggplant in the bottom of the 9" x 13" baking dish.

Add a layer of beef.

Add a layer of rice and then top with the sliced tomatoes.

Keep alternating layers and top with the remaining eggplant.

Add enough water to cover the rice.

Cover the dish and bake at 350° F until the rice is cooked.

Add the fresh dill and cilantro.

Serve and enjoy.

Yield: about 10 ser ingsLiudmila Sarkisova

Asparag s and Hollandaise Sauce2 lbs asparagus, fresh

4 egg yolks2 sticks (½ lb) butter, in chunks

½ tsp sea salt, or to tastePinch cayenne pepper

Pinch white pepper (optional)2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed or

water ⅓ cup almonds

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. The ends may be discarded, or reserved to fl avor a vegetable stock.

Steam asparagus until tender (not mushy) and drain. Asparagus should be a bright green rather than an olive color. The length of cooking time depends on how young the asparagus shoots are when harvested, and their size.

Serve with the following Hollandaise sauce.

In a saucepan, beat egg yolks over low heat for about 5 minutes. The eggs should become heated, but if the temperature nears a boil, the eggs will scramble. If the mixture is not hot enough, the sauce may be too thin and is more likely to separate.

The sauce is ready when, with a stroke of the whisk, you will see the clean bottom of the pan.

On the lowest heat setting, add the chunks of butter, one at a time, and beating after each addition. Stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.

Pour sauce over asparagus and sprinkle with 1⁄3 cup blanched almonds.

Note: This Hollandaise sauce is also good for making Eggs Benedict.

Yield: 6–8 ser ingsMark Snyder

Baked Beans

1 lb dry northern beans ½ lb bacon, cut in 1" pieces

1 tsp salt1 sweet onion

1 bottle chili sauce ½ cup brown sugar

⅔ cup molasses3 tsp dry mustard2 tsp lemon juice

1–2 tbsp of bacon fatPepper to taste

Crock pot or lg stock pot

Soak the navy beans overnight; drain.

Place in a pot with enough water to cover the beans. Boil until tender; about one hour.

While the beans cook, cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve one to two tbsp of bacon fat.

Put the tsp of salt in the water with the beans. Drain, but reserve the liquid.

In the pot, combine all of the ingredients including the bacon fat but not the reserved liquid. Once combined, add a bit of the reserved liquid to create a fl uid consistency.

Cook the beans 4–6 hours (depending on your crock pot). Continue to stir occasionally and add additional reserved liquid to continue to have a fl uid consistency.


Basil Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

2 tbsp fresh basil, minced2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ¼ tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, crushed2 med zucchini, cut into 1" slices2 med squash, cut into 1" slices

2 med eggplant, cut into 1" slices2 med red bell peppers, cut into 1" slices2 med yellow peppers, cut into 1" slices1 med yellow onions, cut into 8 wedges

1 (8 oz) package baby bella mushrooms3 cups couscous, cooked2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

5 tbsp olive oilSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine fi rst fi ve ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add all of the prepared vegetable; toss well to coat. Arrange vegetables on a single layer in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 425° F for 35 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring occasionally.

Combine lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine roasted vegetables with couscous. Add dressing, stir well to combine. Can be served warm or chilled.


Black Bean Cakes With Tomato and Jack Cheese2 lbs (½ lb) presoaked black beans

2 oz (1 tbs) oil2 onions (1 cup), fi nely diced

10 cloves (1 ⅔ tsp) fresh garlic, chopped ¼ tsp (1 pinch) cayenne pepper

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) cumin, ground1 ½ tbsp (1 tsp) chili powder, ground4 oz (2 tbs) white wine for sautéing

2 oz (5 tsp) fl our, all-purpose4 oz (3 tbs) corn meal

6 scallions (2 tbs + 1 ½ tsp), chopped2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) kosher salt

½ bunch (4 ½ tsp) cilantro, chopped1 cup (¼ cup) eggs, pasteurized

40 oz (2 ½ cups) Jack cheese, shredded48 oz (1 ½ cups) tomato salsa


Cook beans in boiling water until tender; about 45 minutes.

In a pan, in 2 oz of oil (1 tbs for home version), sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add cumin, cayenne and chili powder, deglaze with white wine, remove and chill.

In a mixing bowl, paddle together the onions and beans, add the fl our, cornmeal, scallions, salt, cilantro and eggs; mix until well blended.

Scoop bean mix into 6 oz portions and form into cakes.

Cook cakes in a Tefl on pan in the remaining oil and sear on both sides. Place on baking pan and fi nish in 350° F oven until minimum internal temperature of 165° F.

Top with shredded jack cheese. Return to oven to melt.

Pull cakes from oven and top with 2 oz of tomato salsa.

Yield: 20, 6 oz cakes (5, 6 oz cakes)Tony Pater o

Bulghur Riso o With Spring Peas and Asparag s

5 tbsp butter1 lg onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced1 ½ cups bulghur

4 cups chicken stock1 lb asparagus –

trimmed and cut into ¾" pieces1 ½ cup frozen peas, unthawed

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup whipping cream

2 tbsp fresh tarragon, choppedFreshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Melt 4 tbsp butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until light golden, about 5 minutes.

Mix in bulghur. Add ½ cup stock and cook until absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup stock two more times, simmering after each addition and stirring often until liquid is absorbed.

Mix in asparagus. Continue adding stock ½ cup at a time until bulghur is just tender and mixture is creamy, simmering after each addition and stirring often until stock is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Add peas and cook 3 minute longer. Stir in ¾ cup Parmesan, cream, tarragon and remaining 1 tbsp butter.

Serve, passing additional grated Parmesan, if desired.


Did you know that legumes are low in fat? Food like peas and beans family are excellent sources of proteins, fi ber and fl avor. They are great to serve as a side dish.?

Bulghur St ff ed Tomato au Gratin

2 lbs (1 ¾ cups) bulghur wheat4 oz (3 tbs) olive oil

3 carrots (1 carrot), fi nely diced3 red peppers (1 red pepper), fi nely diced

2 red sweet onions (1 cup), fi nely diced ½ bunch (⅓ cup) celery, fi nely diced

2 tbsp (2 tsp) fresh garlic ½ tsp (1 dash+) salt

1 tsp (⅓ tsp) black pepper2–3 cups (⅔–1 cup) cream sauce

or alfredo sauce – make in advance24 tomatoes (8 tomatoes)

Parmesan cheese


In a medium stockpot cook bulghur wheat following box directions. Put in cooler to cool down.

In another medium saucepan or stock pan start sautéing the diced carrots fi rst and let them cook for 4 minutes before you add the rest of the diced vegetables and fresh garlic; continue cooking until vegetables get soft. Add salt and pepper.

Add the cooked diced vegetables to the bulghur wheat; put to side to cool.

Core out 24 tomatoes (8 tomatoes for the home version). Slice the bottom off so tomato has a fl at spot.

Ball 24 portions (8 portions for home version) of the bulghur/vegetable mix then stuff them into the tomatoes.

Spray pan, then pour half a gallon of cream sauce into the pan. Put stuffed tomatoes in the pan. Sprinkle shaved imported Parmesan cheese on top. Be generous.

Cover with wrap (twice) and aluminum foil.

Bake in a 300° F oven for 45 minutes. Uncover; cook another 5–10 minutes to lightly brown.

Yield: 24 ser ings (8 ser ings)Chuck Wilde

Creamed Cabbage

½ cup heavy cream1 tsp salt

½ cup sugar ½ cup chilled white vinegar

1 small head of cabbage (4 lbs)

Beat with electric mixer the heavy cream, salt, sugar and vinegar together thoroughly until the dressing resembles whipped cream.

Discard outer leaves and the core of the cabbage head.

Chop the rest of the cabbage to medium consistency and combine with the dressing just before it is ready to be served.

Yield: 8–10 ser ingsEvely Bit er

Dinsztelt Wilted Greens

¼ cup butter ¼ cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced1 tin anchovies

½ tsp crushed red pepper1 bunch Swiss chard, discard stems, tear leaves

1 bunch mustard greens, stems trimmed – tear leaves

1 head escarole, stems trimmed, tear leaves10 oz spinach leaves, torn

1 can black olives, chopped2 tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ cup chicken stockSalt and white pepper to taste

Melt butter and olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.

Add garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper, cook until the anchovies begin to fall apart.

Add all greens, olives, vinegar and stock. Cover and cook until greens wilt, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Uncover; cook until juices thicken slightly, about 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4–6 ser ingsEric Rappapor

Dolma* (St ff ed Grape Leaves)

1 lb ground beef5 oz uncooked rice

4 med onions, quartered1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 tbsp mint, driedSalt and pepper to taste

1 lg jar of grape leaves, drained32 oz plain yogurt

5 cloves garlic, lg, minced

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, rice, onions, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper.

Using a meat grinder, grind the meat mixture using a large die.

Drain grape leaves and place in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove grape leaves from water and separate laying fl at on the counter.

Divide the ground meat mixture among the grape leaves. Roll the leaves folding in the sides to contain mixture.

Place in boiling water for about 2 hours or until the leaves are tender.

Sauce for Dish:You can use plain sour cream, or whipped yogurt, or whipped yogurt mixed with minced garlic and serve on top.


*DOLMA [dOl-'mä] – Means “stuffed”.

Home St le Baked Beans

16 oz baked beans15 ½ oz kidney beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz butter beans, rinsed and drained ¼ cup tomato sauce

⅓ cup catsup1 onion, fi nely chopped

1 tsp dry mustard2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup brown sugar, packed1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce


Combine all ingredients together; pour into a greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for 30 minutes, or until beans are desired consistency.

Yield: 12 ser ingsDonna Dunn

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans – drained liquid reserved ½ cup garlic, chopped

1 ¾ cups tahini*1 ½ cups lemon juice

¾ cups olive oil1 ½ tbsp salt

2 tbsp sriracha**

Gather all ingredients. Drain garbanzo beans and reserve the liquid.

Add all ingredients except the garbanzo beans and reserved liquid into the food processor until well blended.

Add spice mixture to mixing bowl. Add garbanzo beans into the food processor in appropriate sized batches, thinning as needed with the reserved liquid to proper consistency.

Add each batch into mixing bowl and mix well when all batches are complete.

Yield: 70, 4 oz ser ingsJe ey Chamberlain

*TAHINI [tuh-HEE-nee] – a thick paste made of ground sesame seed.

**SRIRACHA [SEE-rah-chah] – Hot sauce made from sun-ripened chilies, which are ground in a smooth paste with garlic.

Olive Balls

1 cup (4 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded ¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce1 cup original Bisquick® mix

1 jar (5 oz) pimiento-stuffed olives

Heat oven to 400° F.

Stir together cheese, butter and Worcestershire sauce; stir in Bisquick mix until dough forms (work with hands if necessary).

Pat olives completely dry on paper towel. Shape 1 tsp dough around each olive. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

This fun, tasty appetizer will have your guests wondering, “What are those?” But these breaded olives are sure to be a hit.


Potato Salad

10 lbs (2 ½ lbs) potatoes2 lg onions/2 oz onion powder (½ cup

diced onions or 2 tbs onion powder)1 lb (½ cup) celery, diced sm

1 pint (½ cup) sweet relish8 oz (¼ cup) yellow mustard

32 oz (1 cup) mayonnaise Salt to taste Pepper to taste

Cut potatoes in ¾" dice. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender but fi rm.

Dice onion and celery.

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Allow to sit refrigerated until fl avors blend well.

Yield: 16 ½ lbs or 66 – 4 oz por ions (16 – 4 oz por ions)Antoine Lee

Red Quinoa

4 cups (1 cup) red quinoa8 cups (2 cups) vegetable stock

1 ½ cups (⅓ cup) dried cranberries1 ½ cups (⅓ cup) raisins

1 ½ cups (⅓ cup) almonds, toasted, slivered1 ½ cups (⅓ cup) salted sunfl ower seeds

2 tbsp (1 ½ tsp) fresh thyme leaves

Put quinoa on sheet tray. Place in 350° F convection oven for 15 minutes.

Remove and let cool.

Bring 8 cups (2 cups for home version) of vegetable broth to boil.

Add quinoa; cook 15–20 minutes or when white "tail" shows on grains. Test for doneness. (Some people like crunchier, others softer quinoa).

When satisfi ed with texture, drain and cool on sheet tray.

In large mixing bowl combine quinoa, cranberries, raisins, almonds, sunfl ower seeds, and thyme.

Mix thoroughly and serve.

Yield: 15–20 ser ings (4–5 ser ings)Chris Gearin

QUINOA [KEEN-wah] – This ancient seed was a staple of the Incas. It cooks quickly and has a mild fl avor and a delightful, slightly crunchy, texture. It has a lot of the amino acid lysine, so it provides a more complete protein than many other cereal grains. It comes in different colors, ranging from a pale yellow to red to black. Rinse quinoa before using to remove its bitter natural coating.

Roasted Parsnips

2 lbs parsnips, medium, peeled – cut on diagonal into ½" slices

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tsp coarse kosher salt

2 tbsp butter


Toss fi rst 3 ingredients in bowl. Spread parsnips in single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Dot with butter.

Roast parsnips 20 minutes. Using tongs to turn parsnips; roast until browned and soft, about 15 minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 ser ingsTracey Woomer

Russian Golubtsi–St ff ed Cabbage Rolls

1 med head of green cabbage ¾ cup rice, uncooked

¾ cup onions peeled, fi nely diced1 ¾ cups carrots, peeled, shredded

1 ¾ cups tomatoes, skin and seeds removed – fi nely chopped

14 oz ground beef2 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste2 cups water

Sour cream


Wash cabbage and remove outer leaves. Place cabbage head in a large pan with boiling water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain and cool cabbage head with cold water, drain.

Cook rice in salted water until half cooked (10 minutes). Finely chop onions and sauté in oil or butter until translucent.

Peel and grate carrots. Remove tomato skins and seeds. Finely chop tomatoes. Combine everything in a bowl.

Add rice and ground beef, season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Put 1 tbsp of fi lling on the inner side of each cabbage leaf. Carefully fold the leaves like envelops seam side down. Heat oil or butter in a pan and fry golubtsi on both sides until golden brown.

Bring water to boil, add tomato paste. Place golubtsi in the pan and simmer for about 1 hour, or slow cook in pre-heated 145° F oven for 1 hour.

Remove from pan and serve with sour cream.

Yield: about 5 ser ingsBella Raykin

Russian Mushrooms

2 tbsp butter2 onions, fi nely chopped

1 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced10 oz fresh beef stock

Salt to taste Pepper to taste

8 oz sour cream

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan; add the onions and sauté gently for 3–5 minutes until softened.

Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes or until just tender.

Add the beef stock, salt and pepper, heat to simmering point, then stir in the sour cream. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 ser ingsBoris Reznik

Spaetzle Noodles Bergkase

4 eggs ½ cup milk

2 cups all-purpose fl our1 tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg, ground ¼ tsp white pepper

¼ cup butter1 cup onion, sliced thin

1 cup Bergkase cheese, grated – or other hard German cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the eggs and milk, mix well. Add the fl our, salt, nutmeg and pepper; combine to form a sticky dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Form the Spaetzle by using a special Spaetzle maker or use a rubber spatula to push the batter through the holes of a large-holed colander. Cook the Spaetzle in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes, or until the noodles rise to the surface. Drain well.

Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the onions. Cook the onions until lightly browned. Add the drained Spaetzle and sauté about 2 minutes. Add the grated Bergkase cheese, toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 ser ingsEric Rappapor

*SPAETZLE [SHPATES-luh] – Spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with fl our, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg.

Spicy Asian Le ce Wraps1 package cellophane noodles

3 tbsp hoisin sauce1 tbsp Japanese ponzu ½ tsp Sriracha sauce

1 tbsp warm water4 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp chili fl akes1 tsp cilantro, chopped

2 tsp green onion, sliced1 tsp lime juice

½ tsp sesame oil 4 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp ginger, chopped2 tbsp garlic, chopped

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar1 fl ank steak

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts16 leaves Bibb, butter or

iceberg lettuce leaves1 red pepper, seeded and julienne

1 carrot, julienne3–4 green onions, sliced bias cut

½ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced1 halved cucumber, deseed & cut in strips

Cook the cellophane noodles in boiling water until tender.

Mix together the hoisin sauce, ponzu, Sriracha, and warm water. Make sure sauce is not too thick or too thin. Allow to sit so fl avors will gel.

Mix together the soy sauce, chili fl akes, cilantro, green onion, lime juice and sesame oil and allow to sit.

Mix together the canola oil, ginger, garlic, and rice wine vinegar.

Marinate the fl ank steak in half the marinate mixture and the chicken in the other half. Grill the fl ank steak and chicken separately on a charcoal grill until done. Slice into julienne strips.

Take one lettuce leaf and put a small amount of cellophane noodles on top. Add the chicken or beef strips (both if you would like), the peppers, carrots, green onion, shiitake mushroom, and cucumber. Top with hoisin sauce or the chili cilantro sauce. Serve on the side for dipping.

Yield: 4 ser ingsEric Smith

Sweet Potato Salad

2 lbs sweet potatoes ½ lb bacon

1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup maple syrup2 tbs cider vinegar

¼ cup parsley, chopped ½ cup red onion, diced

½ cup celery, dicedSalt to taste

Pepper to taste

Peel, cube, steam and cool sweet potatoes.

Cook, cool and crumble bacon.

Mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and parsley.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Season with salt and pepper. Chill and serve.

Yield: 2 ½ lbs: 10 – 4 oz ser ingsMichael Hamilton

Unst ff ed Cabbage

1–2 lbs head of green cabbage – quartered lengthwise and cored

½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and divided

¾ tsp salt1 lg onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil ½ lb ground beef chuck

½ lb ground pork ¼ tsp salt and black pepper

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice ⅓ cup dried cranberries3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar2 tbsp fl at leaf parsley, chopped

Serve with steamed white rice

Place cabbage in a deep 12” heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded ¼ tsp of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary–do not let the pan go dry).

Meanwhile cook the onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with ½ tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with additional salt, if needed.

Pour sauce into the skillet with the cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley and accompanied by steamed rice, if desired.

Yield: 4 ser ingsClaudie Brock

The Best of Brock

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