Hawaiian Sweet Roll Stuffing

Recipe courtesy Geoffrey Zakarian

Time to prep and cook: 1hr 50 min

Serves: 6-8

The most difficult part of this recipe was cutting the rolls into nice cubes.

It was a lot harder than it looked on TV! 

Take your time, cutting one row of rolls at a time into halves.

Don't try to go smaller or you'll start shredding the rolls.

This turned out excellent on the first try, and will be my go to stuffing for a long time to come.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

One 12-count package Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as King's Hawaiian, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning 

3 hot Italian sausages, casings removed 

1 1/2 cups small-diced onion

1 cup small-diced carrots

1 cup small-diced celery

4 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

6 fresh sage leaves, chopped 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup golden raisins 

1 1/2 cups turkey stock, or more as needed

1 large egg 

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the softened butter in a medium baking dish or gratin dish.

2.      Toss the cubed bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes.

3.      Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sausage. Cook the sausage, stirring and breaking up the meat, until brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the rosemary and sage and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

4.      Combine the toasted bread, sausage, vegetable mixture and raisins in a large bowl. Combine the stock and egg in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Add the stock mixture to the bread mixture and fold together.

5.      Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake until the top is crispy and hot through the center, 35 to 45 minutes.

Fresh Pasta with 20 Minute Sausage and Beef Bolognese Sauce

Fresh Pasta with 20 Minute Sausage and Beef Bolognese Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Fabio Viviani

Total:35 min

Active: 35 min

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Level: Easy

·       Ingredients

·        3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1    1/4 cup grated carrot

·        1/4 cup grated onion 

·        1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, ground 

·        1 pound ground beef, 80/20 

·        2 tablespoons tomato paste 

·        3 garlic cloves, sliced 

·        1/4 cup red wine 

·        Salt and pepper 

·        1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 

·        1/2 pound fresh pasta, such as pappardelle 

·        3 tablespoons minced fresh basil 

·        1/4 cup minced parsley, with some reserved for garnish 

·        Grana Padano cheese, grated, for garnish 

Directions

Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil in large pot.

In a large pot on high heat, add extra-virgin olive oil. Add carrot and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add both sausage and ground beef and cook until 3/4 done, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with wine and reduce for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in crushed tomatoes and reduce for 10 minutes on medium heat until slightly thickened.

Add pasta to water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.

Stir in basil, parsley, and pasta and season with salt and pepper. Add pasta cooking water, if needed, to loosen sauce to liking. Garnish with grated cheese and parsley.

Roasted Carrots and Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk Herb Dressing

This easy salad recipe is from Katie Lee, from the Food Network's show 'The Kitchen'. It was a huge success the first time I made it. There are so many interesting and tasty bites to this salad it's hard to stop eating it. It's practically a meal by itself. Good thing, because my parchment wrapped cod filets were an epic fail! That story in another blog...

Total Time: 45 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Carrots:
1 small bunch carrots with leafy green tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roasted carrots cooling on the counter with the salad dressing finished.
30 minutes

Dressing:
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped carrot leaves (from the reserved tops)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Salad:
1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons chopped pistachios
3 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
3 ounces crumbled extra sharp Cheddar

Directions
For the carrots: 
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the green leaves from the carrot tops, then rinse, drain and set them aside to use for the dressing. Use a vegetable brush to clean the carrots (leave the peel on to give the carrots texture). Cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, toss the carrots with the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized , about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they burn easily! Let cool completely.

For the dressing: 
While the carrots cool, make the dressing. Whisk the buttermilk, yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl until emulsified. Stir in the chives, tarragon, dill, carrot leaves and oregano.

For the salad: 
In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, pistachios, cherries, cheese and carrots with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Lemon-Herb Grilled Chicken with Apple, Celery and Snap Pea Slaw

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid

Total Time: 2- 3 hr
Prep: 40 min
Cook: about 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
Chicken:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces
Vegetable oil spray

Apple, Celery and Snap Pea Slaw:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 green apples, cut into julienne
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions
For the chicken:
Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in a 1-gallon zip top bag.

Pound the chicken out to an even thickness so it will cook more evenly on the grill.
Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated.
Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator.
Let the chicken marinate 1 to 2 hours.

For the apple, celery and snap pea slaw:
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and agave. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the peas, cilantro, apples, celery, jalapeno and onion.
Add the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss.
Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

At this point, I had some corn on the cob started in a pot and it was time for the chef to have a break. Nothing goes with a marinated chicken and apple vinaigrette salad like a margarita and a shot of Cuervo Gold.

Spray some non-stick vegetable oil on the grill.
Preheat a grill to high heat.
Grill the chicken until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Serve the chicken with the slaw.

This was a new recipe and it turned out great. We will be having this apple, celery and snap pea slaw again soon since there was plenty left over. I wonder how it goes with ribs?

Five-Ingredient Spinach Dip Quiche

This dish is so easy to make and it looked good, so I tried it. I would say adjust the cooking temperature up to 350 degrees and go the full 35 minutes cooking time. Also be sure to use a deep dish pie crust (not specified in the recipe). I ended up making two smaller quiches in regular pie crusts.

Results? I was slightly underwhelmed with the taste. It is surprisingly salty. Perhaps because I used a spinach artichoke dip as well as regular spinach dip. (I swear that is what Jeff Mauro said to use on TV) It did help me power through a kettle bell class this morning, but I don't know if I'll make it again. If I do I will probably just use regular spinach dip and see what happens.

Frankly, if I'm going to the trouble to make quiche I am going to make my favorite Sausage and Apple Quiche.

Five-Ingredient Spinach Dip Quiche
Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro

Total Time: 55 min

Prep: 5 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients
5 large eggs
1 cup store-bought spinach dip
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 store-bought frozen pie crust

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the spinach dip, half-and-half, cheese, salt and pepper.
Fill the pie crust with the egg mixture and bake until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes to set, then cut and serve.

An Adventurous Steakhouse Dinner and Sides

This was a very ambitious dinner to make, but the end result was steak that melted in my mouth served with two exciting side dishes I'd never made before.

The smell of the steak, onions, garlic and thyme was awesome, but be sure to turn on the oven hood fan and maybe even open some windows. About halfway through searing the steak all the smoke detectors in my house went off!

Herb-Roasted Beef Rib-eye with Roasted Shallots
Recipe courtesy of Iron Chef, Geoffrey Zakarian

Total Time: 2 hr 25 min (yea, this one takes some time and effort)
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 1 hr 15 min
Cook: 55 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings (or in our case 2 servings twice)
Level: Easy (What? Bullshit, this is a lot of work)

Ingredients
One 2.5-inch-thick boneless rib-eye (1 1/2 pounds), tied with 2 pieces of twine to keep it together in a compact round shape
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
(I used an A1 steak seasoning and it was great!)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 stick of butter
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 head garlic, cloves smashed

Roasted Shallots:
Cook these before the steak so you can reduce the heat for the steak.
8 shallots, cut in half through the root, skins left on
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Roasted Shallots:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Season the baking sheet with the olive oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Lay the shallots on the baking sheet cut-side down. Roast until the shallots are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Steak:
Season the steak rather liberally with kosher salt. Bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour outside of the fridge.
Preheat (or cool down) the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the paprika, cumin, mustard and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl. Season the steak with the rub. (I used the A1 rub, just sayin...)
Heat the canola oil in a saute pan over high heat until smoking.
Add the steak and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Moment of truth. I am hoping not to burn a $30 piece of steak!!

Add the butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic.
Reduce the heat to medium low and baste the steak with the butter as it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes (without burning).

I felt like a real gourmet chef doing this!

Transfer the steak to a rack in a roasting pan and top with a few pieces of the herbs and garlic and 3 spoonfuls of the butter.
Roast to an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch pieces.
Serve with the roasted shallots.

Sour Cream and Onion Hash Brown Balls
You can make this part ahead and reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
The online recipe is BS, from a professional restauranteur who doesn't want you to be able to make his trademark dish. Here's how I did it.

Ingredients:
3 Idaho potatoes peeled and shredded (1 potato per 2 hash browns)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 egg
3 tbs flour
1 tbs. EVOO
2 tbs. butter
salt and pepper to taste
4 scallions diced small
2-3 tbs. low fat sour cream

Directions:
Brown the onions in a large skillet with the EVOO and butter.
Heat Canola oil about an inch deep in a large skillet or Dutch oven to screaming hot.
Squeeze as much water out of the potatoes as you can. Use a cheesecloth or just wring them out with your hands and pat dry on paper towels.
Mix potatoes, egg and flour in a large bowl.
Salt and pepper the potatoes liberally.
Grab small handfuls of potatoes and roll them loosely into balls, about 2-3 inches round. Don't pack them tight. Just enough to hold together. Don't try to make perfect balls. Let them have some character, with shreds hanging off.
Drop them carefully into the hot oil. Don't mess with them. Let them fry until golden brown, then gently turn them over to fry the other side.
Remove from oil to drain and cool.
Serve with a spoonful of caramelized onions, a dollop of sour cream, topped with scallions.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Who doesn't like chicken parmesan? I love chicken parmesan, but I never make it at home because I don't like to fry foods. Watching 'The Kitchen' on Food Network Sunday morning, Sunny Anderson showed a simple five ingredient recipe for baked chicken parmesan that I decided I just have to try, so here goes. If this turns out well, it could become a regular in the rotation. You can never have too many good, simple chicken dishes, right?

Sunny's Easy Chicken Parmesan
Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Total Time: 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield:4 servings
Level:Easy

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray (olive oil or butter), for coating the baking sheet and chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, gently pounded to an even thickness
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup prepared pizza sauce (not tomato sauce)
Four 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper, then coat each breast with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Press the chicken breasts into the mixture 1 at a time to coat on all sides, shaking off the excess. Spray the coated breasts with more cooking spray. This makes them turn out crispy without frying!

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until the juices run clear, 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spoon the pizza sauce evenly over the top of each chicken breast and top with a slice of mozzarella. Place under the broiler and watch for the cheese to melt and bubble. Serve.

VERDICT: It turned out well! The recipe is so simple I already have it memorized. We will definitely be having this again.

Surf and Turf Special

Today I have four recipes for you, which when combined, yield a perfect surf and turf dinner for four. Or- you can cut the recipe in half and make it a special dinner for two- twice! We'll be having this combination again tonight, and I can't wait. All these recipes have been adapted from Rachael Ray.

The first half of this dinner is a grilling recipe for steak that you top with a tomato and bacon salad.

Steak with Tomato-Bacon Salad Topper
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients
8 slices smoky bacon
4 flat iron or sirloin steaks, 8 ounces each
2 large garlic cloves, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 3 tablespoons
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pints cherry tomatoes or multi-colored baby heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded basil leaves
2 cups baby arugula
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for shaving

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or a baking rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until crisp. Remove from the oven to paper towels to drain. Reserve.

While the bacon cooks, heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high. Rub the steaks on both sides with the cut garlic cloves and dress with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, onions, basil and the remaining 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Grill the steaks for 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, more or less for desired doneness.

Chop the bacon and add it to the tomato salad, then fold in the arugula.

Serve the steaks whole or sliced with lots of salad on top, garnished with a few shaves of Parmigianino-Reggiano.

The second half of this meal is grilled shrimp with a homemade spicy cocktail sauce.

Grilled Shrimp with Chili Cocktail Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients
2/3 to 3/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed, 1/3 palmful
1 rib celery from heart with leafy tops, finely chopped
Coarsely ground black pepper
16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
A small handful parsley, finely chopped

Directions
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, and season with pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high.

Dress the shrimp with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste, and smoked paprika. Skewer the shrimp onto metal skewers, to ease in turning them, and grill until the shrimp are opaque and firm, about 7 to 8 minutes. Pile the shrimp on a serving platter, and drizzle with the sauce or pass the sauce at the table.

Sloppy Jose'

Sloppy Jose'
Mike Simonsen

This is an original recipe that occurred to me after several shots of Cuervo Gold chased down with Margaritas. It's a cross between nachos and Sloppy Joe's. I actually wrote the recipe before I ever made it. Then adjusted to taste after a bit of experimentation. The best thing about it is it's a new way to utilize leftover Sloppy Joe meat.

I confess, I'm not a big fan of leftovers. I put things away in containers and fully intend to eat it the next day, but more often than not, I make something fresh and eventually the leftovers go in the trash on garbage day.

Sloppy Jose assembled and ready for the microwave

Ingredients
20-30 Taste of Lime nacho chips
1/3 lb of leftover Sloppy Joe meat
1/4 red onion diced
1/4 red or orange bell pepper diced
6-12 Jalapeño slices
3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions (single serve)
1. Arrange nacho chips in a single layer on a microwavable plate
2. Distribute Sloppy Joe meat evenly across chips
3. Sprinkle cheese over chips and meat
4. Add onion, bell pepper and Jalapeño slices
5. Microwave for two minutes
6. Consume with your favorite beverage

I don't eat it with salsa. I think the Sloppy Joe meat adds enough tomato-based flavor.

Pineapple Gin Punch

Recipe courtesy of Geoffrey Zakarian from Food Network's "The Kitchen"

Hint: Use triple sec in place of Cointreau. It's 10% the cost, and this is a mixed drink featuring gin and pineapple juice.

Ingredients
3 cups pineapple juice
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon twists, for garnish
12 ounces gin
4 ounces orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled, for serving

Directions
Combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice, gin, orange liqueur and allspice in a pitcher filled with ice. Stir to combine. Pour into ice-filled highball glasses, top with champagne and garnish each with a lemon twist.