Banh Mi

Banh Mi
Vietnamese Sandwiches With A French Influence
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 Brioche buns or French baguette
1 1/4 lb. ground chicken, dark/white meat mix
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp mirin/ sweet rice wine
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
Directions
Preheat grill or grill pan inside on medium heat. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well.  Make 4 patties slightly larger then the bun.  Grill patties until they are done.  Place chicken on the bun and top with the peanut slaw (recipe below).

Peanut Slaw
Ingredients
1 bag of broccoli/ shredded carrot slaw mix
1 small bag of shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin
3 tbsp peanut sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp palm sugar
1/2 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp lime juice
salt
pepper
Directions
In a mixing bowl, first add rice wine vinegar and the palm sugar, whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add hoisin, peanut sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Mix well, than add the slaw mix, red cabbage and onion; Toss well and refrigerate until ready to use.  Place on top of the chicken Banh Mi.
Serves 4

Hawaiian Loco Moco

Hawaiian Loco Moco
An Authentic Taste Of The Islands!
Difficulty: Easy

A Lunch Time Favorite!

Ingredients
Hot cooked Japanese Rice
Burgers:
1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend)
1/4 cup diced Maui onion or sweet onion
salt
pepper
Canola oil
Gravy:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup Maui onion or sweet onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch/ 2 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
Eggs:
Canola oil
4 large eggs
2 to 3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions
For The Burgers: Mix the ground beef, onions and some salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Form 4 medium patties and set aside.
Set a large cast-iron pan over high heat. Add a drizzle of canola oil and set the patties in the pan. Cover pan with a lid (or a second pan) to seal in the moisture and ensure juicy patties. Cook until well browned on first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then remove the lid, flip over, replace the lid and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the burgers and keep warm.
For The Gravy:
Add the butter to the pan with the drippings. Sauté the garlic, mushrooms and onions until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil and reduce down for 2 to 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste. Slowly add into the gravy, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready for use.
For The Eggs:
Add some canola oil to a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and cook sunny-side up, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and keep warm. (You can flip the eggs over-easy if you want them cooked a little more.)
To serve: Place the cooked rice on a plate, place the burgers on top, then the mushroom gravy and finally the egg. Garnish with parsley.
Serves 4

Greek Honey Cake

Greek Honey Cake
This Cake Is Light And Aromatic
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts (pistachios, walnuts in any combination), crushed
*fresh berries optional
powdered sugar for dusting
Honey Syrup
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon

Directions
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients, zest and 1/2 cup of the nuts. Add to butter and sugar mixture alternating with buttermilk. Pour into 10" spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool cake in the pan.
Bring syrup ingredients to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Slowly spoon honey syrup over the cake. Cover and let sit at least several hours to absorb all the syrup.
Remove spring form sides. Dust with powdered sugar, serve with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries

Serves 6-8 



Stuffed Salmon And French Lentils

Stuffed Salmon And French Lentils
With Tarragon Butter
Difficulty: Easy

An Elegant Presentation For Your Next Salmon Dinner!

Ingredients
4 8oz. portion skinless salmon
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 cups fresh shitake mushrooms
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) melted
salt
pepper
French lentils cooked (cook according to directions)

Directions
preheat oven 350 Degrees F.  In a skillet, add olive, red pepper, onion, garlic , salt, pepper and shitake mushrooms, sauté until tender.  Set side vegetables until cool. Prepare the salmon by inserting a sharp knife in the center of salmon through to the opposite side, slice towards each end of salmon without slicing through. creating a see through center pocket.  Stuff the cooled vegetables in each salmon pocket.  Place on baking sheet; add the minced tarragon into the melted butter and add salt.  Brush the melted butter onto the salmon and bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Serve over top of cooked lentils.
Serves 4

 

Herb Roasted Chicken

Herb Roasted Chicken
Served With Roasted Vegetables
Difficulty: Easy

The Roasted Vegetable Will Compliment The Flavors Of The Chicken!!

Ingredients
4-6 lb. chicken cut up
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried minced rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
salt
pepper
2 tbsp clarified butter, melted (ghee)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 Degrees F.  Wipe off excess moisture off chicken, brush on melted clarified butter and place on a baking sheet.  In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings and spread all over the chicken pieces.  Bake for about 1 1/2- 2 hours or until the chicken juices run clear.  Serve with your favorite roasted vegetables.
serves 4

 



Easy Breezy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Easy Breezy Pineapple Upside Down Cake
A Family Favorite!
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter =  (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/4  cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract 
1  can (20 oz.) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved
3/4 cup crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits
1  jar (6 oz.) maraschino cherries without stems, drained   
1  box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix   
Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice (if you wipe off the excess juice from the cherries, this prevents the red from bleeding into the pineapple slices.), and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.
Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water, add vanilla and crushed pineapple, mix.  Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
Bake 42 to 48 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.
* cook's note: There are individual pineapple pans at baking stores like the one that was used in the picture.
Serves 6

Osso Buco

Osso Buco
Served with Buttered Parsley Spaghetti and Gremolata
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
4 veal shanks with bone in
2 cups carrots, cut on a angle
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 cups celery, cut on an angle
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp of rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Wipe off excess moisture from the veal shanks, salt and pepper.  In a large oven proof skillet on medium high, add olive oil and then veal shanks.  Sear shanks until brown on each side, deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Add the rest of the ingredients, add the marinara sauce last covering the shanks.  Place the skillet into the oven and bake for 2 hours.  Serve with buttered parsley spaghetti, and top with Gremolata ( recipe below)  and parmesan cheese.

Gremolata
Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh grated lemon zest
Directions
Mix ingredients in a small bowl, and place on top of Osso Buco.