Week of September 16

HERB-CRUSTED STEAK WITH FRIES
Original recipe here.


Cook ¾ lb frozen french fries.  Mix together ½ cup sour cream, 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish and black pepper.  Rub 1 ½ lb sirloin steak (1 inch thick) with 2 Tablespoons herbes de Provence; season with salt and black pepper.  Cook in 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rate.  Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.  Serve with the fries and horseradish cream.

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WARM SPINACH SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE
Original recipe here. 

Ingredients

1 large bunch fresh spinach
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons  e.v. olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese (1 cup crumbled)
**We add crumbled bacon

Directions

Tear off and discard the tough stems from the spinach. Put the leaves in a salad spinner, wash, spin dry (you should have 8 to 10 c.), and place in a large salad bowl.

Using a damp paper towel, wipe off the mushrooms. Trim the ends and discard. Then thinly slice the mushrooms. Add to the bowl.

Slice the onion into thin half-moons and set aside.

For the vinaigrette: Place a medium skillet on the stove. Add the oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper (about 12 turns on a pepper mill) and whisk together. Turn the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook, turning with tongs, until the onion is softened but still a little crunchy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour the warm vinaigrette and onion over the salad and toss well with tongs. Crumble the blue cheese over the top and serve immediately. 

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SWEET BABY RAY’S CROCK POT CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
¼ C vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ C brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder

Mix everything.  Put chicken in crockpot (frozen is okay).  Pour sauce mixture over chicken.  Cook on low 4-6 hours (if doing 4 breasts, eat either right at 4 or shortly before 4 hours).

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ZUCCHINI TART WITH CRUMBLED SAUSAGE & DIJON

Original recipe here.

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 small zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3 oz package), thawed
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Green salad, for serving

Heat oven to 400.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked partway through, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon, reserve the skillet.

Add the zucchini, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Unfold the pastry on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork, leaving a ½ inch border around the dough.  Spread the mustard on the pastry (avoiding border); top with the zucchini and sausage.  Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cut the tart into 8 pieces, serve with salad.
 

 

Week of September 1st - TWO New Recipes!

NEW! OVEN ROASTED BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

3 cups Your Favorite BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup Peach Preserves
1 clove Garlic
Hot Sauce, Optional
12 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
Olive Oil For Brushing

Directions:

Combine BBQ sauce, peach preserves, garlic, and hot sauce in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until nice and hot. Set aside.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES.

Drizzle olive oil on 2 rimmed baking sheets and place chicken thighs skin side down in the pans. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven briefly, brush sauce all over the thighs, then use a spatula to flip them over to the other side, being careful not to tear the skin. Brush the tops with more sauce and return to the oven for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, brush on more sauce, and return to the oven for another 7 minutes. Remove from oven, brush on sauce, and turn up the temperature to 425 degrees.

Continue roasting for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is starting to brown around the edges and the thighs are totally cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

NEW! KALE, BLACK BEAN AND AVOCADO BURRITO BOWLS
Original recipe here.

Serves: 4

A fresh burrito bowl with super flavorful components—lime marinated kale, seasoned black beans, brown rice and avocado salsa verde. This recipe is both gluten free and vegan.

Ingredients:

Brown rice
•    1 cup brown rice, rinsed (short grain/arborio or long grain/basmati recommended)
•    ¼ teaspoon salt

Lime marinated kale
•    1 bunch curly kale, ribs removed and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
•    ¼ cup lime juice
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    ½ jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
•    ½ teaspoon cumin
•    ¼ teaspoon salt

Avocado salsa verde
•    1 avocado, pitted and sliced into big chunks
•    ½ cup mild salsa verde (any good green salsa will do)
•    ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (a few stems are ok)
•    1 lime, juiced

Seasoned black beans
•    2 cans black black beans, rinsed and drained (or 4 cups cooked black beans)
•    1 shallot, finely chopped (or ⅓ cup chopped red onion)
•    3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
•    ¼ teaspoon chili powder
•    ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnish
•    cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
•    hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1.    Cook the rice: bring a big pot of water to a boil, dump in rinsed brown rice and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the rice and return it to the pot. Cover and let the rice steam in the pot for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork and season with ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste.

2.    Make the kale salad: whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, chopped jalapeño, cumin and salt. Toss the chopped kale with the lime marinade in a mixing bowl.

3.    Make the avocado salsa verde: in a food processor or blender, combine the avocado chunks, salsa verde, cilantro and lime juice and blend well.

4.    Warm the beans: in a sauce pan, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic until fragrant, then add the beans, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Cook until the beans are warmed through and softened, stirring often, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the beans seem dry at any point, mix in a little splash of water.

5.    To serve, spoon generous portions of rice, beans and kale salad into a bowl along with a couple spoonfuls of avocado salsa verde. Garnish with chopped cherry tomatoes.

MEXICAN PORK TENDERLOIN & CARROTS
Original recipe from Real Simple, not available online.

Toss 1 lb carrots with 2 TBS olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet.  Season 1 ½ lb boneless pork tenderloin with salt and 1 tsp ground cumin; nestle in the carrots.

Roast in a 450 degree oven until the internal temperature of the pork registers 145 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes; slice.
 
Combine 1 mashed avocado and 3 TBS each plain yogurt and lime juice.  Season with salt.  Serve with the pork and carrots and lime wedges.