Watermelon Granita

Watermelon Granita
How Refreshing Is This In The Summer!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: No cooking required
Freezing Time: 4-5 hours

Ingredients
1 baby seedless watermelon
5 mint leaves + garnish
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Cooking Tools
Blender
Shallow glass baking dish
Fine mesh strainer 

Directions
Cut watermelon in half and scoop out the watermelon, leaving decorative edges. (You will use the watermelon halves as bowls).  Place in blender watermelon, mint leaves, water and sugar and blend on high for 30 seconds.  Strain watermelon liquid through a fine mesh strainer as your pouring into the baking dish.  Place dish in freezer for an hour then pull out of freezer and using a fork, scrape ice to create ice crystals.  Place back in freezer and scrape every hour until frozen.  Serve in the decorative melon bowls and garnish with mint leaves.

Serves 4

 

Salty Pecan Caramel Panna Cotta

Salty Pecan Caramel Panna Cotta
Salty, Sweet, Creamy And Crunchy!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 4-5 hours

 

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 packet gelatin
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean pulp
whipped cream
basil leaves, garnish

Cooking Tools
2 medium saucepans
Dessert bowl 

Directions
Pour cream, sugar and vanilla bean pulp into a saucepan and cook on simmer until sugar has dissolved. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in 1 cup milk.  Place milk and gelatin in with the heated cream and stir, and take off heat.  Pour into dessert bowl and let come to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.  Before serving make the Salty Pecan Caramel Sauce (recipe below).  Let caramel come to room temperature before topping the Panna Cotta.  Dollop with whipped cream and garnish with basil leaf.

Serves 4

Salty Pecan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp salt

Directions
In a deep saucepan over low heat, add sugar and water and cook until sugar turns a copper color. (approx. 20 minutes) With caution, add cream and whisk until smooth.  Add in chopped pecans and salt and stir.  Set aside to cool. Sauce with thicken upon standing.

 

Edamame Slaw With Peanut Dressing

Edamame Slaw With Peanut Dressing
Perfect Side Dish for Any BBQ!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: No cooking required

Ingredients
2 cups edamame, shelled & cooked
1 1/2 cups match stick carrots
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup red onion, sliced thin
1 cup green onion, sliced
2 cups sugar snap peas
2 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cup peanuts
4 cups arugula 

 Cooking Tools
Food processor
Large mixing bowl

Directions
Place all ingredients except the arugula in a mixing bowl and pour Peanut Dressing (recipe below) and coat and toss the ingredients.  Place arugula in the bottom of the serving bowl and place the ingredients and sauce on top.
Serves 4

Peanut Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup Mirin
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp mayonnaise
salt
pepper
Directions
Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

 

Mini Greek Pitas

Mini Greek Pitas
How Simple Is This To Make For Your Next Get Together!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
12 mini pitas
1 container Hummus (homemade or pre-made)
1 tomato, diced
1 cup lettuce, shredded
3/4 cup Feta cheese crumbles
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 tbsp minced parsley
olive oil for drizzle
pepper

Cooking Tools
Parchment lined sheet pan

 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Place mini pitas on sheet pan and spread 1 tbsp of hummus on pita. Place some diced tomatoes on each pita and sprinkle with oregano, pepper, parsley & Feta cheese crumbles.  Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce and drizzle with olive oil.
Yields 12

Italian Beef Stew With Creamy Polenta

Italian Beef Stew With Creamy Polenta
An Italian Twist On An American Classic!
Difficulty: easy
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours+

Ingredients
1 1/2- 2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
1 cup flour
canola oil
3 cups rainbow carrots, peeled, cut 2" diagonal
8 oz. cipollini onions, peeled
2 cups celery, cut 2' diagonal
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 cups Passata tomato sauce
8 basil leaves
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup Chianti wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 box Polenta
Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
minced parsley for garnish 

Cooking Tools
Large Dutch oven with lid
Medium stock pot

Directions
Preheat Dutch oven on stove on high heat, add enough oil just to coat bottom of Dutch Oven.  Dust stew meat with flour, salt and pepper meat.  Sear and brown meat in the oil in small batches.  Remove meat and set aside.  Place carrots, celery, garlic and onion into the pot and saute and add color to the vegetables, about 10 minutes.  Place meat back in the pot and add Passata, beef stock and wine.  Place lid on pot and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, stir occasionally. After 2 hours, add the basil leaves, sugar and the tomato paste and stir. Cook for additional 30-40 minutes with the lid off or until beef is tender, season to taste.  Cook polenta according to directions.  Place polenta into a serving bowl and top with the Italian Beef Stew and garnish with Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.
Serves 4

Shrimp And Broccoli Linguine With A Lemon Wine Sauce

Shrimp And Broccoli Linguine With A Lemon Wine Sauce
Topped With A Lemon Zest Breadcrumbs!
Difficulty: easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 box linguine
3 cup broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 cup pasta water
salt
pepper (optional)

Cooking Tools
Stock pot
Large skillet
Small skillet

Directions
Boil pasta in salted boiling water, according to directions.  In a skillet on medium-low heat, add; olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Toss in broccoli florets and saute until slightly tender. Add the shrimp, lemon juice and white wine and simmer on low until shrimp is done, about 8 minutes.  Drain pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Toss in pasta and the pasta water in the shrimp and coat pasta with the wine sauce.  Cook pasta for an additional 2 minutes to absorb some of the cooking liquid.  salt to taste and place in a serving dish and top with the Lemon Zest Breadcrumbs (recipe below).

Lemon Zest Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp dried oregano
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions
In a small skillet on medium heat, melt butter.  Toss in bread crumbs and oregano and stir until golden.  Add in the lemon zest and grated Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.  Top the pasta with the breadcrumbs.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes And Pistachio Artisan Bread

Sun-Dried Tomatoes And Pistachio Artisan Bread
Use This Versatile Bread For Sandwiches Or Just Butter It!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

    

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup flour + dusting
1 packet active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Cooking Tools
Large mixing bowl
Parchment lined sheet pan

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add warm water, sugar, yeast and mix.  Set aside yeast mixture in a warm location and let yeast activate about 15 minutes.  Add flour into the yeast miture with salt and mix by hand until dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.  Place dough ball on floured surface and knead dough for 5 minutes, add additional flour as needed until dough is smooth and does not stick to the surface.  Clean mixing bowl and grease with the olive oil.  Place dough ball in the greased bowl and cover, put in a warm location to proof for 1 hour.  Once bread has has proofed and has doubled in size, punch down dough and slowly add pistachios and sun-dried tomatoes and knead again until ingredients are incorporated throughout the dough.  Place dough out onto a parchment lined sheet pan and shape dough, make shallow slices across the top of the dough.  Place in a warm location for the second rise for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  Place risen loaf into oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Yields 1 Loaf

Fusilli Pasta Salad With A Basil Pesto Aioli

Fusilli  Pasta Salad With A Basil Pesto Aioli
It's The Time of The Season For Pasta Salads!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1 box Fusilli pasta
1 shallots, sliced thin
1 can large pitted black olives, drained & halved
1 1/2 cups, apple-wood smoked Gouda, diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes in oil, julienne
1/4 cup Pignoli nuts

 Cooking Tools
Large stock pot
Food processor
Large mixing bowl

Directions
In a large pot, boil Fusilli according to directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside pasta to dry.  Place all the ingredients including the drained pasta into a mixing bowl.  Fold in the Basil Pesto Aioli (recipe below) and coat all the ingredients well.  Place in refrigerator for a few hours to chill.

Basil Pesto Aioli
Ingredients
15 large basil leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp shallots, minced
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup Pignoli nuts
salt

Directions
Place all ingredients into a food processor.  Pulse on high until smooth and season to taste.