Puff Pastry Sticky Buns

Puff Pastry Sticky Buns
This Recipe Is A Much Easier Version!
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped 
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup pecans chopped
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In each muffin tin, add 1 tbsp of butter and Place 1 rounded tbsp of brown sugar on top of butter. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar.  Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.
Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

Yields 12

Roast Pork With Black Beans & Rice

Roast Pork With Black Beans & Rice
The Taste Of The Caribbean!
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
6-7 lbs. Bone in Pork Shoulder
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 Degrees F.  Coat pork shoulder with salt, pepper, garlic powder.  Place pork into a deep baking pan and cover tightly with foil.  Bake for 7 hours covered and remove foil cover and bake for additional 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  The Pork will fall off the bone and melt in your mouth tender!

 Black Beans & Rice
Ingredients
Cooked Hot long grain white rice
1  15 oz. can black beans and liquid
1  15 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes and liquid
1  4.5 oz. can chopped green chilies
1/2 onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro
salt
pepper
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Directions
In a medium pot on medium heat, add olive oil and onions and saute until translucent.  Add rest of the ingredients and lower temperature and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until tomatoes break down and the liquid starts to thicken.  Pour beans over rice and serve with the Roast pork and garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 6

Baby Kale Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing

Baby Kale Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
The Perfect Super Food!
Difficulty: Easy

 

Ingredients
6 cups baby Kale
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup feta cheese

Honey Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Directions
In a large salad bowl, whisk in oil, honey, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar.  Add dried cherries to hydrate for about 10 minutes then add rest of the ingredients and toss until well coated.
Serves 4-6

Tempura Bananas With Miso Caramel Sauce

Tempura Bananas With Miso Caramel Sauce
No Need To Go To A Japanese Restaurant To Get This Dessert!
Difficulty: Easy

Serve With Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

 

Ingredients
2 bananas, medium ripe, cut into 2 inch slices
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups carbonated water, cold
oil for frying

Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cornstarch and carbonated water.  In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat for flash frying.  Dip bananas in the tempura batter and deep fry for at least 30-45 seconds, Don't over fry, the bananas with start to soften.  Cook  few at a time, so you don't bring the temperature of the oil down.  Place fried bananas on a paper towel lined dish, so the excess oil will drain.  Always take caution when frying with oil, the batter with sometimes splatter!  Serve hot with the Miso Caramel Sauce.
Serves 2

 Miso Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp Miso

Directions
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.  Can refrigerate unused sauce.

Grilled Street Corn With Spicy Garlic Aioli

Grilled Street Corn With Spicy Garlic Aioli
A Hint Of Southwestern Flavors!
Difficulty: Easy

 

Ingredients
4 ears of cleaned corn, halved
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch Smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp dried or fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp butter, melted
salt
pepper
Cotija cheese (optional for garnish)

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, garlic, hot sauce, lemon juice, smoked paprika, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Mix well, adjust seasoning to suit taste, set aside. Par boil the corn in boiling water for several minutes.  Take corn out of boiling water and dry off and brush on melted butter, and place on hot grill pan (indoor or outdoor).  Grill for a few minutes on all sides to get the grill marks.  Place on serving dish and spoon on Spicy Garlic Aioli, sprinkle with Cotija cheese,(optional).
Serves 4

Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo
A Traditional Filipino Dish!
Difficulty: Easy
  

Serve With Steamed White Rice And Stir-Fried Broccoli & Mushrooms!

 Ingredients
3-4 lbs. skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp palm sugar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 slice of ginger root
1 tsp. black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and marinate chicken for 1-3 hours in refrigerator. Bring to boil, then lower heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, and chicken is tender, about 30 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice.  Garnish with green onions.
4 servings

Grilled Salmon And Chipotle Sweet Potatoes With A Grape Gastrique

Grilled Salmon And Chipotle Sweet Potatoes With A Grape Gastrique
Restaurant Re-do:  Bogey Inn
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless salmon filets
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp butter
3-4 large sweet potatoes
1 cup cream, warmed
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups concord grape juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup grapes, halved
salt
pepper

Directions
To make the Sweet Potato Mash:  Heat oven to 425 degrees F, place foil wrapped sweet potato directly on the rack with the foil seam side up.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and with mitts on hands, peel back foil and slit down the middle of the cooked potato and scoop out potato pulp (no skin).
Place pulp in mixing bowl and mash with potato masher then 2 tbsp butter, cream, chipotle powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste (add little or a lot, suit to taste).

To make the Grape Gastrique:  In a small pot, heat to a rolling boil; concord grape juice, vinegar and sugar, cook on medium heat to reduce to a syrup like consistency. Could take up to 30 minutes to reduce down, keep it slightly warm until ready to use.

To make the Grilled Salmon:  Salt and pepper salmon filet.  On high heat, melt 1 tbsp butter on grill pan, lay salmon on the indoor grill pan.  Sear salmon for a few minutes to get beautiful grill marks, then reduce heat to medium high.  Cook salmon for about 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness and preferred doneness.

To assemble Dish:  Place Chipotle Sweet Potatoes in a serving bowl, lay grilled salmon on potatoes.  Place halved grapes around the dish and the drizzle with the Grape Gastrique.

 Serves 4