Recipes

Carrot and Squash Curry Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
  • 3 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced Thin
  • 4 whole Yellow Squash (sliced)
  • Salt To Taste
  • 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder (more To Taste!)
  • ½ cups Dry White Wine (optional)
  • 48 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth

Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir to coat. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, or until they start to get soft. Sprinkle in a little salt. Add squash. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until squash is soft and tender. After a few minutes, add salt to taste and the curry powder. Pour in wine if using. Let evaporate for about 30 seconds, then pour in chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for 1 hour.After 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat. Puree soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return to soup pot and bring to a simmer. Serve hot.

Gazpacho

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
  • 1 whole Large Cucumber, Diced
  • 5 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
  • 1 whole Zucchini, Diced
  • 2 stalks Celery, Diced
  • 1 dash Salt To Taste
  • ¼ gallons Tomato Juice
  • ¼ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ⅛ cups Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
  • 6 dashes Tabasco
  • 1 dash Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the minced garlic with half the red onion, half the cucumber, half the tomato, half the zucchini, half the celery, half the tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, and a dash of salt. Pulse until all ingredients are blended well; mixture will have a nice speckled, colorful texture. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the tomato juice, and half of the remaining onion, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, and celery. (Reserve the rest of the diced vegetables for garnish.) Stir mixture together and check seasonings, adding salt if needed. Chill soup for at least a couple of hours; soup needs to be very cold! Remove the soup from the fridge and stir. Check seasonings one last time. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with remaining diced vegetables, a sliver of fresh avocado, and cilantro.

Ginger Steak Salad

Ingredients

  • MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Sherry
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 teaspoos Brown Sugar
  • 1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • _____
  • FOR SALAD DRESSING:
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
  • ½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
  • _____
  • SALAD INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 whole Green Onions
  • 8 ounces, weight Salad Greens (baby Lettuce, Endive, Radiccio, Etc.)

Preparation Instructions

Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Mix and place steak into bag. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Combine salad dressing ingredients and slice green onion.

When steak is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet. Cook steak about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Remove from skillet and keep on a plate, allowing to cool slightly.

Toss salad greens in 3/4 of the salad dressing. Place steak on cutting board and slice thinly, then pour juices from the plate over the top. Mound tossed salad on a platter, then place sliced steak on top of salad. Pour remaining salad dressing over the top. Sprinkle green onions over the salad, and add cherry tomatoes.

Chicken with Garlic and Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 8 pieces Chicken Legs Or Thighs
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 Ounces) Whole Tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons (Heaping) Tomato Paste
  • Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary
  • 8 cloves Garlic
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving
  • ½ cups White Wine (or Red Wine)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken legs. Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan. Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs. Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter with the lid on. Remove lid and check sauce. If it’s overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan.

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 3 whole Chicken Breasts (or Other Meat), Cut Into Pieces
  • ½ teaspoons Sesame Oil (plus Extra To Drizzle Over Meat)
  • ½ cups Soy Sauce (plus Extra To Drizzle Over Meat)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • ½ cups Chicken Broth, Divided
  • 2 teaspoons (rounded) Arrowroot
  • 3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil, Divided
  • 1 whole Medium Onion
  • 1 whole Red (or Other Color) Bell Pepper, Cut Into Chunks
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) Fresh Ginger, Minced
  • 10 whole White Mushrooms, Sliced (can Use Any Mushroom You Like)
  • 1 jar (small Jar) Baby Corn, Cut Into Pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
  • ¼ cups (to 1/2 Cup) Roughly Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

After cutting meat into chunks, drizzle with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Prepare all vegetables and have them ready. Mix ½ cup soy sauce with sugar. Stir together and set aside. Mix ¼ cup chicken broth with arrowroot. Stir together and set aside. Measure an additional ¼ cup chicken broth. Set aside. To begin stir fry, heat skillet or wok over high heat. When it’s hot, drizzle in 2 teaspoons peanut oil. Add meat to skillet and fry quickly, stirring around for 2 to 3 minutes. When brown and just cooked through, remove to a separate bowl. Add additional 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet. Throw in onions and cook for 1 minute. Add red bell pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger. Stir. Add mushrooms and stir. Cook for 45 seconds. Add baby corn. Stir. Pour in ¼ cup chicken broth and soy sauce/sugar mixture. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Dump in cooked chicken. Stir together. Pour in chicken broth/arrowroot mixture. Stir together, then turn off heat. Sauce should be much thicker. At the very end, seconds before serving, stir in ½ cup (or up to 1 cup) roughly chopped cilantro. Serve over cooked rice.

Variations:
• You can use any following vegetables: broccoli, snow peas, zucchini, any color of bell pepper, any mushroom, water chestnuts, green onions, etc.
• Add ½ cup cashew halves to make it even more yummy.

Spinach with Garlic Chips
Ingredients
  • 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Sliced Very Thin
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 packages (6 Oz Each Package) Baby Spinach
  • ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preparation Instructions

Pour olive oil into a large skillet and add garlic slices. Turn on stove to medium -low heat and allow garlic and oil to heat together. Watch the garlic and stir to turn as it begins to bubble. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon as soon as it turns golden brown; do not allow to burn. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off half the oil into a container and set aside. Add one bag of spinach to the skillet. Immediately begin turning gently with a spoon. Spinach will immediately begin wilting. Cook and stir only for one minute, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove spinach to a plate. Add remaining oil (the oil you poured from the pan) and add remaining spinach. Repeat cooking process.

Serve spinach immediately (it should still be slightly al dente/crisp) with the garlic chips sprinkled over the top.

Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter sauce
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Piece Of Sea Bass, With Or Without The Skin On
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 whole Medium-sized Shallot, Minced
  • 1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
  • 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • Kosher Salt And Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper. Heat canola oil in a medium-sized oven-safe pan over high heat for a few minutes to let the oil get nice and hot. Once the oil has heated up for a couple of minutes, drop the sea bass into place and let it sit there untouched for two minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan, as this will kill our ability to create a tasty crust on the fish.) Sear over high heat for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan into the 375-degree oven WITHOUT FLIPPING THE FISH OVER. Set the timer to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, begin making the lemon shallot butter sauce. Melting the butter over a medium-high heat. Add in the minced shallot and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.When the shallots have become a little softer, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Whisk together and reduce the heat to medium until you’ve got an incredible-smelling sauce. (Skipping the shallots in this process will make a super-simple lemon butter sauce.) Once the fish has been in the oven for 8 minutes, remove it and let it rest for a moment before serving. Take this time to remove the pin bones if your butcher didn’t do it for you. This exact method will work well with halibut, salmon, or any other thick fish. Great results every time.

Crispy Kale Recipe

The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.

4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Thai Basil Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Recipe courtesy of The Pampered Chef Bottled poppy seed salad dressing gets the flavorful peanut sauce off to a running start for these refreshing wraps. The recipe calls for Pampered Chef Asian Seasoning mix, but if you don't have it, here's your substitute: 2 tsp (10 mL) soy sauce, 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated gingerroot and 1 finely minced garlic clove.

Ingredients:
Peanut Sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup (50 mL) store-bought poppy seed salad dressing
2 tsp (10 mL) Pampered Chef Asian Seasoning Mix (or see above)
1 tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) water
Salad
1 small cucumber
1/2 medium red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded cooked turkey (8 oz/250 g)
4 large Boston or bibb lettuce leaves
Additional chopped peanuts and chopped fresh basil (optional)
Directions:
Combine peanuts, basil, dressing, seasoning mix, vinegar and water in a small bowl; set aside. For salad, peel cucumber; slice into julienne strips, avoiding seeds. Slice bell pepper into thin strips. Shred chicken; toss with half of the sauce. Set remaining sauce aside for dipping. To serve, divide cucumber among lettuce leaves. Spoon turkey mixture over cucumber. Top with bell pepper. Garnish wraps with additional peanuts and basil, if desired. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.

Chinese Broccoli Beef Recipe

1 lb (460 g) top sirloin or flank steak, sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thin strips

For the marinade
1½ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cooking oil

For the Stir-fry Sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons black vinegar

For the Broccoli
1½ lb (700 g) broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, cornstarch and the ½ teaspoon of oil for 10 minutes at room temperature. In a small bowl, mix together the stir-fry sauce ingredients. In a wok or large frying pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain. Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Heat the pan over high heat and when hot, add the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side. Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

Sesame Seared Tuna with Lime Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe

The ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For the oil, you can use olive, vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc. I used lovely, flavorful avocado oil. The vinegar can be balsamic, rice vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice or lemon juice. This makes an excellent appetizer!

Serves 4 as appetizer

3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 pieces tuna fish fillet (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (or other vinegar)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons avocado oil (or other oil)
salt and pepper
2 large handfuls salad greens (optional)

In a shallow bowl, add the black and the white sesame seeds. Pat the tuna very dry. smear a bit of wasabi paste on both sides of the fish. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the cooking oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully lay the tuna fillets in the pan, not touching. Cook for 2 minutes then flip the tuna. Cook 2 minutes, then flip the fillets to its side to cook 1 minute. Flip one more time to cook the other side for 1 minute so that you have a good sear on all sides. Please take care not to burn the sesame seeds. If the seeds start turning brown too quickly, lower the heat. Remove the fish to a plate. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, ginger and the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the fish into thin slices and arrange on a plate. Drizzle some of the lime-ginger vinaigrette over the fish. Toss the remaining lime-ginger vinaigrette with salad greens, if desired.

Bok Choy Recipe

Servings: 4 Prep Time:Cook Time:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds bok choy or baby bok choy
1 1/2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or peanut oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons broth or water (or 2 tablespoons broth/water + 1 tablespoon wine)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil