Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast
A Healthy Snack Anytime Of The Day!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients
2 avocado, pulp removed
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil + drizzle
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup micro greens
6 slices Ciabatta bread
salt 

Cooking Tools
Grill pan
Food processor

Directions
Drizzle olive oil on the slices of Ciabatta bread.  Grill bread until nice and toasted, set aside.  In a food processor, add the peeled avocado pulp, minced garlic and the olive oil and pulse until semi-smooth.  Salt avocado mixture to taste.  Place whipped avocado onto the grilled toast and top with some micro greens.
Yields 6

Acini di Pepe Spring Salad

Acini di Pepe Spring Salad
Light & Colorful, Perfectly Delicious!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 box of Acini di Pepe
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup onions, small dice
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sweet little peppers, sliced rings
1 tbsp chives, minced
1 tbsp parsley
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
splash of white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 cups micro greens
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools
Medium Pot
Medium mixing bowls

Directions
In a medium pot with boiling water, cook pasta according to the box directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, drain all liquids before placing in mixing bowl.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4

 

Mediterranean Rice Pudding

Mediterranean Rice Pudding
A Simple Twist On A Classic Recipe, Best Served Warm!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
 

Ingredients
2 cups cooked white rice
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups whole milk
3 eggs, whisked
1/4 tsp cinnamon + dusting
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried figs or strawberries, small dice
1/4 cup dried Medjool dates, small dice
1/4 cup fresh mangoes or pineapples, small dice
1/4 toasted almond slices
1/4 cop toasted coconut flakes 

Cooking Tools
Medium sauce pan
Small mixing bowl

Directions
On low heat, simmer milk, sugar, vanilla and almond extract.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs.  Once sugar has melted in the simmered milk, add a small amount of hot milk into the the bowl with the whisked eggs (tempering the eggs) and whisk vigorously. Pour the entirety of the whisked eggs and milk back into the sauce pan with the simmering milk and whisk vigorously so the eggs don't scramble!.  Whisk continuously until milk begins to thicken.  Mix in the rice, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and heat through. Take off heat and let come to room temperature or slightly warm.  Place in serving bowl and top with dried figs, strawberries, dates, mangoes or pineapple, almond slices and toasted coconut flakes.  Dust with cinnamon and serve at room temperature or warm.
Serves 6

Strawberry Napoleons With Chantilly Cream

Strawberry Napoleons With Chantilly Cream
A Few Simple Ingredients, Makes A Magical Dessert!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 package puff pastry dough, thawed
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Cooking Tools
2 large mixing bowls
Parchment lined sheet pan
Hand mixer

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  Unwrap puff pastry dough, cut along seams then cut in half going the opposite direction.  All together, you will have 12 rectangles.  Sprinkle 4 of the rectangles with the raw sugar and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes.
In a mixing bow, add; strawberries and 1 cup of regular sugar, mix and set aside to melt the sugar.  In another mixing bowl, add; 1 pint of heavy cream and vanilla extract.  With a knife, cut along length wise of the vanilla bean and scrape all the vanilla from the inside and place in bowl with the cream.  Whip on high with a hand mixer until a soft whip.  Put in powdered sugar and whip until whipped peaks are formed.  Cool baked puffed pastry before adding the whipped Chantilly Cream and strawberries.  If the puff pastries puff too high, you can slice in half.  Layer puff pastries, whipped Chantilly Cream and strawberries as high as you want.  Top off with the last puff pastry with the raw sugar.
Yields 4-6

 

Citrus Honey Chicken

Citrus Honey Chicken
The Honey Make A Wonderful Sauce Infused With Citrus!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Serve With White Rice Or Potatoes!

Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut into parts
1 medium onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 limes, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
minced chives for garnish
1 cup honey
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools
Large oven proof skillet with lid

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat.  Salt and pepper all sides of chicken.  Add in just enough olive oil into the skillet to coat the bottom of the skillet, and sear chicken pieces fat side down.  Sear and brown the chicken for about 5 minutes before attempting to flip over, if the chicken skin sticks to your pan, wait another few minutes to turn them over. Add in the quartered onions and garlic slices around the chicken. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro around the chicken and lay citrus slices on top of the seared chicken.  Pour 1 cup of honey all over the chicken.  Place lid on the skillet and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour, 30 minutes. For the last 30 minutes, remove lid from skillet to brown the chicken. Serve with white rice or potatoes.  Pour honey sauce on top of chicken and garnish with minced chives and the citrus slices.
Serves 4

 

Tortellini And Tomato Salad

Tortellini And Tomato Salad
A Yummy Side Dish For Your Outdoor Dining!  
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients
Buitoni's Fresh Cheese Tortellini
3 cups assorted grape and cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup red onion, slice thin
Boston bib lettuce leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fig and balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp super fine sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt
pepper

Cooking Tool
Large pot
Large mixing bowl 

 

 

Directions
In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to directions.  Drain pasta, cool and set aside.  Whisk together olive oil, vinegar and sugar, until sugar has dissolved.  Toss in the vinaigrette, the assorted tomatoes, red onions, garlic and the cooled tortellini, salt and pepper to taste.  Line dish with the Boston Bibb lettuce and spoon pasta salad on top.
Serves 4

Mango BBQ Ribs

Mango BBQ Ribs
Sweet, Tangy & Fruity!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 racks of pork ribs
1 bottle your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup mango vinegar http://winecountrykitchens.com/store/napa-valley-vinegar/sweet-mango-vinegar-8.2-fl-oz/
1/4 cup pomegranate mango Pom Wonderful juice
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, pressed
fresh grated nutmeg
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools
Outdoor grill or oven
Medium sauce pan
Sheet pan

Directions
Place ribs on a sheet pan and salt and pepper ribs. Preheat grill on high then reduce temperature to medium-low.  In the oven preheat to 375 Degrees F.  Place on grill and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes on the highest rack. Cook in the oven for the same amount of time, you can put it on broil the last few minutes of cooking to brown the top.  In a sauce pan add; BBQ sauce, mango vinegar, juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, some grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Reserve some BBQ sauce for topping off the ribs right before serving. Baste ribs every 15 minutes.  Let ribs rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Top ribs with the reserved BBQ sauce.
Serves 4-6