Category: RECIPES

POT STICKERS with BLACKBERRY/RASPBERRY DIPPING SAUCE

POT STICKERS with BLACKBERRY DIPPING SAUCE makes 2 dozen
1/2 cup Napa cabbage, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
6 ounces ground pork
1 small bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon FRESH ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
24 wonton wrappers (3 -by-3-inch)
2 tablespoons avocado oil

  • In a large bowl, toss cabbage with salt and let stand 10 minutes.
  • Squeeze out excess liquid from cabbage. I use a cheese cloth, but paper towels work too.
  • Return cabbage to bowl and add pork, chopped scallions, ginger, liquid aminos and sesame oil.
  • Mix together well.
  • One wrapper at a time, spoon one teaspoon of filling into the center and keep the rest covered with a damp towel. DO NOT OVERFILL or they will tear!
  • Learning to fold these can be tricky and takes practice so I’ll include the simple method below, but here’s a you tube video to help.
  • Wet the four edges of the wrapper.
  • Fold wrapper in half over filling to make a triangle, making sure the ends meet and filling is centered; press edges down firmly to seal or bring all four corners together to make a little pouch instead of a triangle.
  • Transfer to an oiled plate; cover with a damp towel to keep moist.
  • Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.
  • Add half the wontons and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side.
  • Carefully add 1/2 cup water, cover, and steam until translucent and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and wontons.
  • Serve with soy sauce or your favorite dipping sauce. I like my Blackberry OR Raspberry dipping sauces (recipes below)

RASPBERRY PINEAPPLE DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup Raspberry Jam
2 tablespoons crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

  • Heat jam in microwave for 20 seconds to warm and thin.
  • Whisk in honey and soy sauce.
  • Set aside.

BLACKBERRY PINEAPPLE DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup Blackberry Pineapple Jam
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

  • Heat jam in microwave for 20 seconds to warm and thin.
  • Whisk in honey and sauce sauce.
  • Set aside.

BLACKBERRY PINEAPPLE JAM
4 cups blackberry pieces
2 cups FRESH pineapple chunks
3 cups sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 packet KNOX unflavored gelatin

  • Ina large pan combine everything except the gelatin.
  • Stir until sugar is dissolved.
  • Bring to a low rolling boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes until fruit can easily be mashed.
  • Remove 1 cup of juice and whisk gelatin into it until completely dissolved.
  • Add juice mixture back into pan and simmer 5-10 minutes.
  • Pour into sterilized jars and water bath 10 minutes.

RASPBERRY JAM
8 cups raspberries
6 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange peel
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 package unflavored gelatin

  • Combine fruit, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange peel in a stock pot.
  • Bring to a full rolling boil – stirring constantly. Let boil 1 full minute.
  • Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
  • Skim any foam.
  • Pour into sterilized jars.
  • Water bath process 15 minutes.

PORK SALTIMBOCCA with SHERRY MARSALA SAUCE (deconstructed)

Traditional (Roman Style) Saltimbocca is Italian for jumps in the mouth, an Italian usually made of veal lined, rolled-up or wrapped with prosciutto and sage; marinated in wine, oil or saltwater depending on the region or one’s own taste and cooked in dry white wine and butter. Marsala wine is sometimes used. Also, sometimes the veal and prosciutto are not rolled-up but left flat. An American twist replaces the veal with chicken or pork.

PORK SALTIMBOCCA with SHERRY MARSALA SAUCE (deconstructed)

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into medallions
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3 slices bacon, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
6 large button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Prepared pasta of choice

  • Generously season medallions with salt and pepper.
  • Dredge medallions in flour.
  • Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
  • Add bacon, cooking until crisp. Using a slotted spoon remove bacon to drain on paper towels.
  • Add medallions to pan and brown each side. Transfer medallions to plate.
  • Add mushrooms to pan, cooking 5 minutes or so until they start to caramelize.
  • Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
  • Add sherry, Marsala and chicken broth to de-glaze pan, scraping all the tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by half.
  • Remove from heat and add butter.
  • Plate pasta followed by medallions.
  • Top with sauce followed by bacon pieces.

BUTTERMILK CHIVE CHICKEN

One of the things I love best about this recipe is the tenderness of the chicken.  Marinating in buttermilk (especially for beef) is one of the best tenderizers available.

BUTTERMILK CHIVE CHICKEN recipe for 4

MARINADE
1 chicken breast per person
1 tablespoon Litehouse freeze dried red jalapenos
1 tablespoon Litehouse freeze dried chives
1 tablespoon Litehouse freeze dried garlic
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

  • Whisk together marinade and soak chicken for at least 4 hours.  I prefer overnight.

2-3 tablespoons butter or avocado oil
Wondra
salt and pepper to taste

  • Heat butter or oil over medium high heat.
  • Dredge chicken in Wondra.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Brown first side and then turn.
  • Now cover and cook until cooked through.

SAUCE 
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 tablespoon Litehouse freeze dried red jalapenos
1 tablespoon Litehouse freeze dried garlic

  • Blend together in small food processor and serve room temperature over chicken breast and veggies. Can be made ahead and refrigerated, but bring to room temperature while cooking the chicken.
When I’m making a couple of veggies and want less clean up, I cover the cookie sheet with foil and then make foil dividers.  These Brussels Sprouts were roasted in a balsamic glaze while the asparagus was done in a lemon butter.

HALIBUT with HABANERO BEURRE BLANC

HALIBUT with HABANERO BEURRE BLANC serves 2
2-6 ounce halibut
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon butter
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 SMALL shallot, sliced thin
1/2 cup dry white wine (Reisling)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons Humble house Habanero & Aji Amarillo Sauce
6 tablespoons salted butter, cold and cubed
lemon wedges

  • Heat avocado oil and 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium high heat.
  • Generously season each piece of halibut with salt and pepper. Sear each side 3-4 minutes.
  • While searing halibut, combine garlic, shallots and white wine in a small sauce pan over medium high heat abut 5 minutes until reduced by half.
  • Add Habanero sauce and cream, whisking to combine and heat through.
  • Reduce heat to LOW and whisk in cold cubed butter, one piece at a time until completely blended.
  • Plate fish and top with sauce and lemon wedges.
  • Serve immediately!

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VAMPIRE SLAYER ARTICHOKE BREAD

OMG This appetizer replaces any entree – it’s ooey, gooey, cheesy and literally melts in your mouth all the while tantalizing your taste buds from the very first bite!

VAMPIRE SLAYER ARTICHOKE BREAD Adapted from Crumb
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced fine

14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained REALLY WELL and chopped small
1 cup shredded Face Rock Vampire Slayer Cheddar cheese
½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
¼ cup sour cream
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
1 package Seattle Sourdough Ciabatta rolls
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
  • Preheat broiler, and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until foamy.
  • Add garlic and green onions sauteing until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Remove from heat, and stir in artichoke hearts, mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan and sour cream until combined.
  • Slice the bread lengthwise.
  • Place the bread halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up, and spoon the cooled cheese and artichoke mixture over top.
  • Lightly salt and pepper to taste.
  • Broil until cheese is melted and bread is hot.
  • Cut each half into pieces and serve right away, while the cheese is still nice and melted.

BACON CHEDDAR PANCAKES

With my current health issues I have been trying very hard to come up with savory meals that have ZERO sugar.  We make these occasionally, but they are going to become the go to pancake recipe in the future.

I found this recipe in a magazine and found it just intriguing enough to try. I made just a few very small changes (the first time):

  • It called for regular cheddar and I used white cheddar.
  • It called for 3 slices of bacon and I used 4.
  • It had you serving with just butter which we tried and then we added maple syrup which was a serious plus in our book.
  • It also said it would make 8 pancakes and I got 11.

Then, this last time I amended it a little more for flavor.

BACON CHEDDAR PANCAKES
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground pepper
1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 LARGE egg
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled – 3 crumbled into batter, 1 crumbled for garnish
2 green onions, sliced thin, save a little for garnish
1/4 cup grated white cheddar cheese + a little for garnish
Sour Cream

  • Preheat skillet and spray with non-stick cooking spray or melt butter**.
  • Sift together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper until well blended.
  • Whisk together the egg and buttermilk.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry, whisking only until incorporated well.
  • Fold in bacon, green onions and cheese.
  • Using 1/4 cup measure scoop batter onto prepared skillet.
  • Turn when you see bubbles on the entire pancake surface.  If you wait for the bubbles you will need to only flip once and pancakes should be golden.
  • Cook until golden.

**NOTE: I prefer butter for a little extra flavor.

KITCHEN SINK FRITTATA

I LOVE egg dishes like omelets and quiches, but especially frittatas with their blend of savory sautéed vegetable fillings and fluffy eggs! Frittatas are EXTREMELY versatile and are good warm and cold, kind of like pizza.

One of the keys to a GREAT fritters is to saute’ your vegetables first. This will remove excess moisture so it is NOT released during baking which would make your frittata tough and watery.

MY FAVORITE FRITTATA formula serves 6-8
1 LARGE bunch green onions, sliced thin (a small diced shallot is good also)
10-12 button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 carrots, cleaned and diced small (zuchinni is a good substitute)
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
1/2 pound bacon, diced and cooked crisp (shredded chicken, pork or sausage are good choices also)
12 eggs
1/4 cup WHOLE milk
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup grated Gruyere, Swiss, Provolone, Pepper Jack or Cheddar (whatever your favorite is)
1/4 cup basil pieces (thyme, cilantro or rosemary work great too depending on your flavor combos)
3 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven 450°.
  • In a 10 inch cast iron (or ovenproof skillet) melt butter.
  • Add carrots and sauce 5-8 minutes until soft.
  • Add corn and onions next, cooking 2 minutes more.
  • Add mushrooms and tomatoes next, cooking 3-5 minutes more until moisture is removed from veggies.
  • Cook off all moisture.

 

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together all the eggs until well blended.
  • Add milk and whisk again until well combined.
  • Add basil or whatever herb you’re using along with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour egg mixture over veggies and cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring with a spatula to create large waves – eggs should be just about cooked through on the bottom and a bit wet on top still.
  • Sprinkle with your cheese choice and press gently into eggs.
    Transfer to oven and cook 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
  • Let stand 10 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

CORNED BEEF HASH

What do you do with left over corned beef? Make HASH of course!
CORNED BEEF HASH
We like ours crisp so I use more of small dice/shredded mixture.   Cut yours according to your tastes.
left over corned beef (about a pound), diced and shredded
2 tablespoons organic butter
1/2 pound cooked potatoes, diced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
fresh ground pink Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add onions, cooking a minute or two until translucent.
  • Add corned beef and potatoes.
  • Add seasoning and Worcestershire sauce, stirring and scraping bottom as necessary.
  • Serve with poached or fried eggs.

PAPRIKA POT ROAST

PAPRIKA POT ROAST
2 pound chuck roast
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 KNORR concentrated beef stock
2 cups hot water
1 large Vidalia sweet onion, sectioned in pieces
1 bag baby carrots
6 ounces roasted red sweet peppers, cut into strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups wide egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter

  • Generously salt and pepper roast on both sides.
  • Rub paprika into both sides of roast until well coated.
  • Whisk together the hot water and beef stock. Place in a slow cooker.
  • Top with the tomatoes, onions, carrots, sweet peppers and the broth.
  • Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or 5-6 hours on high.
  • Remove the meat and shred with forks.
  • Whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth and add to the slow cooker blending well.
  • Add the meat back in and cook another 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile cook the noodles al dente’.
  • Toss noodles with butter.
  • Stir in sour cream into slow cooker and serve over noodles.

GREEN ONION TOMATO CHICKEN

GREEN ONION TOMATO CHICKEN – serves 4
4 whole chicken quarters, bone in and skin on are best
1 cup chopped green onions (1 LARGE bunch green onions)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup small torn FRESH Flat Leaf Parsley

  • Generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken.
  • In a LARGE ziplock bag place chicken pieces, green onions, garlic, vinegar and oil.
  • Turn to coat chicken pieces well.
  • Seal Bag.
  • Marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight.

 

  • Heat grill to low-medium.
  • Using a drip pan place chicken bone side down.
  • Grill covered 50-60 minutes until cooked through to 175°, turn once at about 35-40 minutes if necessary.

 

  • Place tomatoes in a single layer in a foil pan.
  • Drizzle tomatoes with lemon olive oil.
  • Sprinkle with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle with basil pieces.
  • Cover with foil and add to grill during last 15 minutes of chicken cooking time.

 

  • Serve over pasta or stuffing.
  • Top with chicken pieces, tomato and onions.

REUBEN TORTILLA PINWHEELS

Here’s what I made for St. Patrick’s Day!
REUBEN TORTILLA PINWHEELS
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Russian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained REALLY WELL
8 ounces QUALITY Swiss or Gruyere cheese (shredded)
3/4 pound thinly sliced corned beef
8-9 inch flour tortillas

  • Mix together cream cheese and Russian dressing until smooth and creamy.
  • Add in sauerkraut and blend well.
  • Spread one side of a tortilla with cream cheese mixture ALMOST all the way to the edges.
  • Sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese.
  • Layer a few slices of corned beef on top of the cheese.
  • Roll up tortilla tightly.
  • Repeat with remaining ingredients, laying rolled tortillas on a plate.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Remove from refrigerator and slice into rounds and serve.

PEANUT BUTTER BURGERS

I originally posted this back in 2015 after a family reunion where these Peanut Butter Burgers were a HUGE hit. They really taste better than they sound. The peanut butter gives the burger a real nutty taste, and makes it a very juicy burger. And since I can no longer eat the bun, these are a perfect meal for me.

PEANUT BUTTER BURGERS
1-1/2 pound lean hamburger or ground sirloin
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Toppings of your choice (I like to add an additional small scoop of peanut butter on top and let it melt)

  • Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
  • Shape into patties.
  • Refrigerate patties for at least two hours. Chilling the patties helps hold their shape.
  • Grill on the BBQ to desired doneness.

NOTE: This recipe is very flexible. Almost any spice or seasoning works well with it. DO NOT add bread crumbs, the peanut butter and the chilling will hold them together just fine.