French Lentil and Roasted Beet Salad

I was really nervous for this meal as I had never had beets or lentils, but it was great! :)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 pound beets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup lentils

1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 2 teaspoons chopped leaves

1 bay leaf

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Dressing (directions below)

1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cups mixed greens

6 ounces aged goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim all but 1 inch of the beet stems. Put the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and seal the foil to make a tight package. Put the package in the oven and roast for about 1 hour. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them (skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure). Dice the beets and set aside.

While you roast the beets, put the lentils in a saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Put sprig of rosemary and bay leaf (tie it together if possible) along with smashed garlic, onion half, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, about 25 minutes. Strain the lentils and discard herbs and onion.

Put the warm lentils in a bowl and stir in half of dressing. Cool the lentils completely, then add the beets, parsley, and chopped rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly dress the greens with a bit of the dressing and divide among plates. Spoon some of the lentil salad onto the greens, crumble goat cheese over each serving, and drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the Dressing:

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

Whisk the vinegar with the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make smooth, slightly thick. Stir in the shallots.

Enjoy!

Grilled Mahi Tacos with Escabeche

This was a great meal! Very refreshing flavor. Lots of fun to make! :) There are a lot of separate recipes, but they are quick and easy to make and taste amazing when they all come together!

Ingredients for Salsa:

2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (we couldn't find them, so we used poblano peppers)

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium high heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant. Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with very hot water and set aside until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, roughly chop and puree the chiles in a blender with the orange juice, honey, salt, and a bit of water. Blend in olive oil. Set aside.

Ingredients for the Escabeche:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 to 3 jalapeños, thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 red onion, halved and sliced

3 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients except cider vinegar and cook until carrots are crisp-tender. Add 1 cup water and the cider vinegar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until just soft, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Ingredients for Fish:

6 5 to 6 ounces of mahi mahi filets (we only purchased what we needed!)

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat or prepare an outdoor grill. Brush the filets all over with a little olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Lay the fish on the grill and leave it until you see distinct grill marks and can lift without the fish sticking. Flip to the other side and do the same. Brush with some salsa and then prepare the tacos.

Ingredients for Tacos:

12 to 24 corn tortillas (depending on who is eating!)

12 sprigs fresh cilantro

Grill tortillas until slightly charred but still pliable. Lay a sprig of cilantro on a single or double tortilla and top first with some of the escabeche and then a piece of fish - half of a filet per taco. Top with sour cream, if desired, and additional salsa.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas

This was a great quesadilla recipe that I will definitely keep on hand and make again soon! Jay came home for lunch and loved the way it made the house smell!

Ingredients:

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (we used 2 smaller ones)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pickled jalapeno, minced, plus 1 tablespoon of the jar juices

1 19 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8 inch flour tortillas (we used 4)

2 cups cheddar cheese (recipe calls for white cheddar, but we used regular cheddar)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the chicken until nicely browned on both sides. Cool the chicken and then tear into bite size pieces.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, and some black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are dry. Transfer mushrooms to a small bowl.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the onion, garlic, jalapeno and the jar juices, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the beans and mash them into the onion mixture until the mixture is smooth but still dotted with bits of bean.

Lay the tortillas on your work surface and spread 1/4 of the beans on half of each one. Follow the beans with 1/4 of the cheese, half of the chicken, half of the mushrooms and finally the rest of the cheese. I spread the mixture out on the whole bottom of the tortilla and topped with an additional tortilla.

In a clean skillet (or panini press) fry each quesadilla in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

Muffuletta

I was really looking forward to trying this meal and it was really great! Super easy to make and a light meal to have when you don't want anything too heavy!

Ingredients for Olive Salad:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small rib celery, thinly sliced

1/2 cup small cauliflower florets

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 cup pitted large green olives, finely chopped

1/4 cup pitted black olives, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped jarred pimiento

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (i left this out)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Put the oil, water, carrot, celery, cauliflower, thyme, and oregano in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce the heat to medium low and then simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the olives, pimiento, and salt (I left the salt out because I thought the saltiness of the olives would be enough). Cool, then add the parsley.

Ingredients for the Sandwich:

1 6 inch round Italian bread with sesame seeds (I could only find a long loaf, so I only used half)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced provolone cheese

6 ounces sliced mortadella

4 ounces sliced soppressata

Slice the bread in half horizontally, then pull out some of the inside each half to make a pocket. Brush the inside of the top half with olive oil. Pack the bottom half with the olive salad. Layer the cheese and meats over the salad and top with the remaining bread. Wrap the muffuletta very tightly with plastic wrap. Place the sandwich in a broad, shallow container and weight it with something heavy for atleast 1 hour at room temperature. Cut muffuletta into quarters and serve.

Enjoy!

Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry-Maple Syrup

We made these in the beginning of May and somehow slipped through the cracks with never getting on the blog! *This was also during my no picture time due to camera acting weird, sorry!*

They are simply amazing and a must make ASAP!

Ingredients for Pancakes:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blueberry Maple Syrup (recipe below!)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large glass measuring cup. Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture to make a thick batter - take care not to overmix or the pancakes will be dense. In another bowl whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula to fold the whites into the batter.

Heat a large cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat the surface lightly with butter. Using about 1/4 cup per pancake, pour the batter into the skillet, leaving space between pancakes. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancakes and the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook about 1 minute more. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes hot with warm Blueberry-Maple Syrup.

Ingredients for Blueberry-Maple Syrup:

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Toss the blueberries with the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils and the blueberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Serve warm.

These were simply to die for and because there are no pictures...you are going to have to take my word for it! :)

Enjoy!

Summer Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing

This was a great salad! :) Christine and James came over for dinner and we had this with some yummy chicken from the grill! It was a great meal! A little bit more ingredients than I was expecting, but well worth it in the end!

This has a homemade ranch dressing and I will include the recipe at the end.

Ingredients for Salad:

8 ounces small red-skinned potatoes, halved

Kosher Salt

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)

1 cup chopped fresh green or wax beans

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped

Ranch Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups torn mixed greens (we used the Spring Mix bag)

1 cup sprouts (optional)

Put the potatoes in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Fill a medium bowl with ice water and salt it as well. Add the corn, beans and broccoli to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to scoop out the vegetable and plunge them immediately into the ice water. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry, and add to the bowl of potatoes along with the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss the salad with 1/2 cup of the dressing.

When ready to serve, toss salad with the greens and sprouts. Pass the remaining dressing at the table!

Ingredients for Ranch Dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup

2 buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt and with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing. (This can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days)

Enjoy!

Chili - Rubbed Pan - Roasted Chicken with Pico de Gallo

This was a super easy meal and definitely one that we will try again! Really great fresh flavors and overall an amazing meal! Add it to your menus soon! :)

Ingredients for chicken:

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil (we used peanut)

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin on (we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

2 teaspoons chili powder

Kosher Salt

Ingredients for pico de gallo:

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes; halved

1/2 to 1 jalapeno, stemmed and minced with seeds

1/4 medium red onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus pinch for garlic

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Warm corn tortillas (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with chili powder and salt to taste. Lay the chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook until brown. Turn the chicken, transfer the pan to the oven and cook until firm, basting occasionally with the pan drippings, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, make the pico de gallo: Toss the tomatoes with the jalapeno, onion, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the paste into the salsa with the olive oil and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Steak Frites

We made this before Jay left, but I forgot to post it! We absolutely loved this meal and I hope to make it again soon! A lot of fun!

Ingredients for steak:

1 1/2 pounds bone in rib eye steak

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon oil

Spicy Red Pepper Sauce (recipe below)

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

The recipe calls to cook the steak in the oven for a little and then transfer to skillet and back to oven and serve medium rare - this is not the way that we wanted to make it so we grilled it instead! Go ahead and make the steak however you want, but you MUST make the sauce and fries!

Ingredients for Fries:

1 head garlic, loose skin rubbed off, halved horizontally

6 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds large boiling or baking potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Lemon wedges for garnish

Put garlic halves and oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 320 degrees. Line a pan with paper towels. Use a slotted spoon to transfer garlic to prepared pan and heat oil to 360 degrees.

While oil heats, slice potatoes into shoestring fries. Make sure they are dry.

Increase heat to medium high and working in batches add the potatoes to the oil and fry until brown and crispy. Scoop fries from oil with slotted spoon and drain on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes making sure the oil returns to 360 degrees before each batch.

Squeeze cloves from of the garlic halves and mince; reserve other half for garnish. Toss minced garlic with parsley, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Dump fries on top and toss. Mound fries on a platter, season with salt to taste and serve.

Ingredients for Spicy Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup piquillo peppers (we used roasted red peppers)

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons mayonaisse

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Puree peppers, parsley, mayonnaise, olive oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, and salt in a blender until smooth. (I used a food processor) Pour sauce into a bowl and set aside. Cover and refrigerate if storing, up to 2 days. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving.

Great meal!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Thumbprints

These are cute little cookies that are great for anything!

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium until combined.

Form balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each; place balls 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into cookies to make deep, wide indentations. Rotate pan and return to oven; bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Combine chocolate, the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the corn syrup in a small heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool a bit until slightly thickened. Fill thumb prints with the chocolate mixture, and set aside to firm up.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread-White Chocolate Blondies

Just catching up on all of my old recipes that I never was able to post! These were great and super easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate (10 ounces)

Nonstick vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 250 degress. Coat a 12 by 17 inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars on medium high speed until creamy and pale. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined. Add flour mixture on low speed. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden on edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, cut into 2 inch squares.

Enjoy!

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

These are simply amazing! If you have ever eaten Archway Dutch Cocoa cookies, these are just like them! I absolutely loved them and could have eaten the whole batch on my own!

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Sanding sugar, for rolling (I used Sugar in the RAW packets)

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture; beat to combine. Form dough into a flattened disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 1/4 balls. Roll each ball in sanding sugar. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, 10 - 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies from baking sheet to wire rack.

Enjoy!

*Sorry, still no pictures! Will take pictures ASAP! :)*

Carrot Cake Cookies

Great Cookies! We ABSOLUTELY loved them! :)

Camera is still not working...

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for flattening cookies

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup raisins

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill until firm, atleast 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls, and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until browned and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Spread 2 teaspoons of frosting onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich together with remaining cookies.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add butter and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

Enjoy! :)

Grilled Tuna with Artichokes, Peppers and Tomatoes

This was a fantastic light summer kind of meal! I would definitely make this again! :)

Still no camera....

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

8 baby artichokes (we could not find these...so we used canned artichoke hearts)

1 lemon halved

1 yellow bell pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for fish

1 shallot, sliced

4 cloves garlic, smashed

4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoons coriander seeds

8 oven dried tomatoes (recipe is in my mac and cheese recipe)

1 1/2 pound center cut tuna (we used 2 tuna steaks)

Freshly ground black pepper

Put 1 cup water, olive oil, and wine in a medium saucepan. Trim the artichokes' stems, snap off their leaves, and halve, rubbing the cut surface with the lemon half. Stem, seed and cut the bell pepper into large squares and add to the pan. Add the 2 teaspoons salt, shallot, garlic, herb sprigs, bay leaf, and coriander. Simmer over medium heat until the artichokes are just tender. Add the tomatoes and cook a little bit longer. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase the heat under the saucepan and simmer the cooking liquid to thicken slightly.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat or prepare an outdoor grill. Season the tuna generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the tuna until there are distinct grill marks on both sides. Remove from grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Stir the chopped thyme and parsley into the artichoke mixture. Cut the tuna into slices or chunks. Spoon the vegetables into bowls and arrange the tuna on top.

Pan Seared Shrimp with Romesco Sauce

Great dip and awesome meal!

My camera has started to act weird so I have no pictures!

Ingredients for sauce:

1 small ancho chile, stemmed and seeded (we used a poblano chile)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup whole blanched almonds

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

3/4 cup roughly chopped jarred, drained piquillo peppers (we used roasted red peppers)

1/2 slice stale bread

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Toast the ancho chile in a small dry skillet over medium high heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant. Put the chile in a medium bowl, cover with very hot water, and set aside until soft.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring until toasted. Transfer the almonds to a plate, leaving the oil in the skillet. Add the softened chile, the onion, garlic, the 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until onions are lightly browned. Add paprika and cook until fragrant. Scrape onion mixture into a sieve set over a bowl; reserve 3 tablespoons strained oil.

Pulse the onion mixture, almonds, piquillo peppers, bread and vinegar in a food processor until coarse. With the motor running, drizzle in the reserved oil. Scrape the sauce into a bowl and set in a warm place until shrimp is cooked.

Ingredients for Shrimp:

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Spread shrimp on a pan or a piece of aluminum foil. Heat 2 large skillets over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the shrimp. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to each skillet and increase the heat to high. Add the shrimp seasoned side down, taking care not to crowd them. Cook the shrimp until they turn golden brown on the bottom.

Dip Shrimp in Sauce and Enjoy!

Hearts of Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon

This was a great side salad to our meal the night that I made this! I also LOVED the blue cheese dressing that I made! A must try! :)

Ingredients:

8 strips of bacon

1 large egg

2 hearts romaine lettuce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blue Cheese Dressing

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half.

Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll in between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

Remove the outer leaves from the romaine heats and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite size pieces and spin dry. Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold water and shake to air dry.

Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing the the table.

Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 shallot, peeled

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Pulse everything in a food processor besides the parsley and black pepper. Once it is all together, stir in parsley and black pepper.

Chicken Ragu with Farfalle

This was an excellent meal! I am playing catch up from this past week as my parents were in town and we were busy and I did not get to put these up! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 whole chicken legs (I used chicken breasts)

2 teaspoons kosher salt plus additional for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium red onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 canned plum tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, plus 2 tablespoons chopped

About 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 pound farfalle pasta

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, and heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with some salt and pepper to taste, and cook until brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and the 2 teaspoons salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until vegetables are just tender. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, sage, rosemary, and the parsley sprigs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and mixture is saucy.

Slip the chicken with any juices into the tomato sauce. Add enough chicken broth to cover about 2/3 of the chicken. Simmer the ragu with the lid slightly ajar until the meat pulls easily from the bone, turning the chicken halfway through, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and when cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Skim off any fat that has collected on the top of the sauce and stir in the chicken. (The dish can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container).

When ready to serve, heat the ragu over low heat. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Ladle out about 1 cup of cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta, add it to the ragu and too over low heat, adding about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta liquid at a time until the sauce coats the farfalle.

Enjoy!

Almond Horns

I was looking forward to trying these cookies..but they didn't turn out the way that they were supposed to! I could not get them to roll together to make the "u" shape that they wanted me to make them in. So I just made a regular cookie!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup whole raw almonds, toasted and finely ground in a food processor

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Put butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and extracts, reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture and almonds until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a 4 inch long log; gently shape into a horseshoe. (Good Luck!) Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake cookies until pale golden, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies.

Enjoy!

Grilled Asparagus with Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This was an AMAZING meal! I absolutely loved it! Jay is gone for the week so I thought it was a great light meal to make when it was just me eating it! It would be a great appetizer to a meal or side salad to a yummy summer meal! :)

*I apologize ahead of time that my batteries died in my camera..so there is no final picture of the meal...but trust me...it was AMAZING!

I also halved the recipe just because it was only me eating it!

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the asparagus in a microwave-safe dish, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Brush asparagus with 1 tablespoon or the olive oil and set aside.

Toss tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the parsley, lemon zest, and juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Cut asparagus in half crosswise and arrange the upper portions, spoke like, tips out, on a serving dish. Cut the lower portions into a 1/2 inch pieces and toss with the tomato and cheese mixture. Mound the salad in the center of the tips and serve.

Enjoy!