Ingredients

• 1/3 cup McCann’s Quick and Easy Steel Cut Oats
• 1/3 cup whole milk (See Note)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Procedure

Ingredients

• 2 Tbl canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 ripe mangoes, peeled pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 habanero chile, chopped
• 2 to 4 Tbl of honey
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• water

Procedure

Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the mangoes, habanero, and enough water to cover, but no more than one cup.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated.  This should take 8 to 12 minutes, depending on your stove.  Add the honey and vinegar and cook on low until the mixture thickens slightly.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.  Strain into a bowl and season with salt.

Note

Use the following jerk rub on chicken or pork.  When I first made it, I didn’t have any any onion powder, so I added some extra garlic and ginger.  It still worked.  Mix all ingredients, rub on your chicken or pork and grill to your liking.

• 2 Tbl ground corriander
• 2 Tbl ground ginger
• 2 Tbl brown sugar
• 1 Tbl onion powder
• 1 Tbl garlic powder
• 1 Tbl kosher salt
• 1 Tbl chile powder (ancho, chipotle or regular)
• 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cloves

Ingredients

• 5 lbs boneless country style pork ribs
• 1 cup Tomatillo Salsa
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tbl salt

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the pork in a large roasting pan. Make sure the roasting pan can go in the oven and on the stove or on an outdoor grill (I use my metal roasting pan that I use for Thanksgiving turkey dinner). Sprinkle all the salt over the meat (all sides). Scatter the sliced onions and garlic over the pork. Pour the salsa over the pork. Cover the roasting pan with foil. Place in the oven and roast for 3 hours or until the the pork is fork tender. The pan will have lots of juice. Once removed from the oven, remove the foil and place the roasting pan over two burners on your stove or on an outdoor grill over high heat. Occasionally stir the pork. We are trying to evaporate all the liquid and ultimately fry the meat in the rendered fat from the pork. Continue frying until the meat looks like the picture, about 30 minutes. Eat right away, or place in a oven proof dish, cover with foil, and keep in a warm oven.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (See note)
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon
• 6 Tbl butter, unsalted
• 3/4 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Procedure

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter, 1 cup of the cream, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Heat until the butter is melted and then cover and turn off heat. Right before your pasta is ready, return the cream mixture to heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup cream and all of the cheese and the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat until it achieves the desired thickness. Add your pasta and enjoy.

Note

Try to find pasteurized and not ultra pasteurized cream. It creates a thicker sauce. It seems to me the ultra pasteurization thins out the sauce and removes some of the flavor. Trader Joe’s has some as well as Whole Foods.

The real key to this recipe is to make sure you refrigerate the brownies.  This process solidifies the chocolate, and just turns the brownies into brown squares of chocolate heaven.

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 1 lb plus two cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 6 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 6 eggs
• 3 Tbl instant espresso powder
• 2 Tbl vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour, divided
• 1 Tbl baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13×18 sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of the chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a bowl over simmering hot water (double boiler).  Cool slightly.  Stir together the eggs, espresso, vanilla and sugar.  Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to the cooled chocolate mixture.  Toss the 2 cups of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat.  then add to the chocolate batter.   Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester just comes out clean.  Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the counter to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough.  Do not overbake!

Cool on the counter, then refrigerate for a  couple hours.  Cut and enjoy  or send to your favorite college student.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4  cup prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 1/2 Tbl honey
• 1 Tbl dijon mustard
• 1 Tbl pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl ancho Chile powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure

Whisk all the item together and refrigerate for an hour or so. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Orange Juice
• 1 Tbl Honey
• 1 Habanero, or a tsp of Chipotle puree
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Procedure

Put the orange juice and honey in a small sauce pan and place over medium high heat. If you want a hotter sauce, cut a slit into the habanero and place the pepper in the orange juice. Boil the OJ, honey and habanero until its reduced to about 1/2 cup. If the habanero is starting to hit the bottom of the pan, go ahead and remove it, as its done its job. Once reduced to your desired consistency, add the salt and enjoy.

Uses

This sauce has the classic Bobby Flay combination of fruit and hot chile. Spoon a small amount on a plate and place a piece of fish such as a sauteed tilapia, baked halibut, or broiled salmon. Serve with a vegetable side such as sauteed spinich or broccoli and enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
  
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 Tbl of tomato paste
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 russet potato, peeled, cubed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
• 2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ounce piece Parmesan cheese rind
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and tomato paste and stir into vegetable mixtue and cook for one minute.  Add wine and reduce to a glaze, about 2 minutes.  Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor (or just mash them up) until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)

Things to do with the soup

• Don’t have enough to feed a crowd? Toast some bread and put a slice in the bottom of each bowl, prior to filling the bowl with soup.
• Got leftovers? Toast some bread and line a bottom of a baking dish with the toasted bread. Pour the leftover soup over the bread. Heat in an oven at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly, and serve as a side dish.
• Got leftover side dish? Put into a sauce pan and heat, add some water to thin if necessary and now you have Ribolita. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients

•  6 Tomatillos, husks removed
• 1/2 onion roughly chopped
• 1 or 2 serrano peppers
• 2 Tbl chopped cilantro
• salt to taste
• water

Preparation

Place the tomatillos in a large sauce pan and add water to cover.  Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.  Boil tomatillos until soft and start to rupture.  Drain and move tomatillos to a blender.  Add the pepper (or peppers depending on how hot you like it, I would start with one and add more to taste), onion, cilantro and blend to a smooth consistency.  Add salt to taste, about 1 tsp and blend to combine and you are done with the base.  The salsa will still be runny while its warm, but will congeal as it cools, so you will have to add water to make your desired consistency, at thats it, you have great tomatillo salsa.  If you decide to roast (I broil) the tomatillos, peppers and onion, you will have a smokier but sweeter and less acidic salsa, just as good, but a different flavor.  Now after you have your salsa with chips or even better drizzled on fried eggs, here are other things you can do with your salsa:

Guacamole

Add about 3/4 of salsa to 3 mashed avocados and mix.  The acid in the salsa will help keep the guacamole green.

Enchilada Sauce

Heat 1 Tbl of olive oil in a sauce pan.  Blend the salsa in a blender to get is as smooth as possible. Pour salsa through a mesh strainer into the hot oil and cook until it is the consistency of tomato paste, about 10-15 minutes.  Add  water, stock or clam juice (the same amount as your original amount of salsa, if you started with 1 cup of salsa add one cup of liquid) to the pan and mix with the salsa paste.  Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors and to slightly thicken.  Add 1/4 of cream and salt to taste.  This sauce can be used for Enchiladas, on eggs, really on anything.

Avocado Vinaigrette

In a blender, add 1 avocado, juice from two limes, 1/2 cup of salsa, 1/2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and blend.  While the blender is on, stream through the top olive oil until the vinaigrette is too the consistency you like, should look like the old green goddess dressing.  Use on any salad but great with grilled tuna with a black bean mango salsa.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 clove of garlic, diced or put through a press 
• 3 anchovies
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 Tbl tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 28 oz can Muir Glen dice tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)6 to 8 leaves of fresh basil or  2 Tbl of fresh oregano (or about 2 tsp dried oregano)
• salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat add olive oil to a saute pan, and add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, but not brown.  Add anchovies and saute until anchovies melt into the oil and onions.  Add garlic, chili flakes, and tomato paste, saute for about a minute and stir into the onions.  Add the wine and let it boil until most of the liquid is gone.   Add the tomatoes, stir and return to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered until tomatoes break down.  Taste for seasonings.  If the tomatoes are tart, add some of the sugar to balance.  Season with salt and several grinds of pepper and taste.  If you have fresh basil or oregano, add it right before adding the pasta, if all you have is dried, add it when you add the garlic.