Cucumber and Feta Salad

Six servings
Adapted from Joanne Weir's From Tapas to Meze (Ten Speed)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into pea-sized pieces
coarse salt
8 ounces (225g) feta cheese
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon waterfreshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced
1 tablespoon (each) chopped fresh mint, parsley and fresh dill

1. Place the cucumber pieces in a colander, mix with a light sprinkling salt, and let drain 30 minutes to an hour, shaking the colander from time to time.
2. Crumble the feta into a bowl and mash together with the olive oil, lemon juice, water, and a few turns of black pepper.
3. Mix in the cucumbers, onions, and herbs. Taste, and add more salt if desired.
Serve with toasted or soft pita triangles or crackers.

Asparagus and Cashew Chicken Stir-fry

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 teaspoon garlic (grated)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Xing Chinese cooking wine (or cooking sherry)
1 teaspoon of the cornstarch
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound asparagus (cleaned, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces)
2 green onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon garlic (grated)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 handful cashews (toasted)

Directions:
1. Marinate the chicken in the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shao Xing and corn starch at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the chicken and saute until just cooked, about 3 minutes and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan.
5. Add the asparagus, the white parts of the green onions, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and saute for 3 minutes.
6. Mix the corn starch into the stock and add it to the asparagus along with the soy sauce.
7. Add the chicken and simmer until the sauce thickens, a few minutes.
8. Remove from heat ad mix in the sesame oil.
9. Serve over brown rice and garnish with cashews and the green parts of the green onions.

Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews

Dressing and Marinade:
6 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp hot chili sauce
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in a large zip lock bag, add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Set the remainder of dressing/marinade in a sealed container in the refrigerator so flavors can combine.

Chicken and Noodle Salad:
1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
2 green onions, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup of snow peas, cut in half
1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup of toasted cashews
3/4 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions

Cook the spaghetti per instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Add half of the dressing to the noodles and let it sit for 20-30 minutes (this allows the noodles to become very flavorful). Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Grill chicken until cooked thoroughly (about 3-4 minutes on each side), let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks. Add the vegetables, cashews, mandarin oranges, chicken and remainder of dressing to the noodles. Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.

Creamy Chicken and Tofu Soup

225g firm tofu, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
1 inch root ginger, peeled & finely chopped
1 inch fresh galangal, peeled & finely sliced (optional)
1 lemon grass stalk, bruised
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 pint (600 ml) chicken stock
1 pint (600ml) coconut milk
225g cauliflower (I used one large floret. Who the heck measures out 225g of cauliflower?)
225g cooked chicken, shredded
2 large red chillies
Paprika

1. Cut the tofu into 1 cm inch cubes, pat dry. Heat oil and fry the entire batch till golden brown (No need for flour). Remove, drain on absorbent kitchen paper and set aside
2. Heat oil in saucepan. Add garlic, ginger, galangal and lemon grass. After 30 seconds or so (before it burns), stir in turmeric. Pour in chicken stock and coconut milk
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and add in cauliflower. Cook to preferred softness. De-seed the chillies, slice and add to soup
4. Sprinkle paprika onto chicken pieces and grill lightly. Once cooked, remove from heat and shred. Set aside
5. Remove lemon grass from the soup. Stir in chicken and tofu pieces. Season nicely to taste. Serve immediately with a bowl of steaming hot white rice

Fruit and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients
spinach
red delicious apple, sliced
orange, cut into wedges (I only include if I have one, which isn't often)
walnuts, roughly choppedraisins or dried cranberries
goat cheese (plain)

Vinaigrette Dressing (enough for two large salads, scale as needed)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. orange juice
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. poppy seedssalt and pepper to taste

Directions
Arrange salad ingredients in bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well incorporated. Pour over salad, serve immediately.

Casarecci con Melanzane e Pomodoro

Olive oil
1 large eggplant, cubed
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
Handfull of basil, stems and leaves
Salt and pepper
1 mozzarella ball, chopped coarsely
1 lb casarecci, penne rigati or rigatoni

1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and gently fry the eggplant over medium heat. Stir frequently, for about 10 min. It should turn golden and become soft.
2. Add the onion and garlic, and stir frequently for another 10 min. Everything should become soft and sweet.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and break them up with your spoon. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar and basil stems (tie them together if you wish). Bring to a simmer and cover for 30 min. The longer it simmers, the sweeter it will become. Season carefully.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt abundantly and cook the pasta until al dente.
5. Taste the sauce, correct seasoning, take off the heat and tear the basil leaves into it. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce pan. Give it a first stir. Then add the mozzarella and stir again. The cheese will melt and it will be heaven. Serve immediately.

Zucchini Alla Scapece (Fried Zucchini)

6 - 8 medium zucchini’s, cut into batons
small handful of mint leaves
2 quartered garlic cloves
1T white wine vinegar
salt
3T extra virgin olive oil
olive oil for frying.

Fry zucchini batons in batches in a little oil (I used much much less than the recipe suggests, and undercooked mine a little, as that is how I prefer them), along with the garlic cloves. Cook until they are coloured and have softened.

When zucchini are ready dress with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Finely chop mint and stir through. Let sit to allow flavours to develop before serving.

Couscous Stuffed Peppers

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion
2 garlic clove
12 oz. fresh chicken or turkey sausage, removed from casing (I didn’t have this so I substituted it with chorizo)
1 can diced tomatoes
¾ cup couscous
4 red bell peppers
½ c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used Parmesan and mozzarella cheese)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ½ tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper; cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add sausage to skillet. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 cup water; cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous.

Fill pepper halves wit couscous mixture. Pour ½ cup water into a large baking dish; arrange stuffed peppers in dish. Cover with foil and bake until peppers are tender, 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered, 10 minutes.

Caprese Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinagrette

Lemon Vinaigrette
2 teaspoons finely grated lemons zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon zest and juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper.

Pasta
1 pound cappelletti (Hat shaped pasta)
1/2 pound diced ripe tomatoes
16 ounce tub fresh mozzarella pearls, drained
Lemon vinaigrette
Lots of fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cappelletti according to the directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Move the pasta to a large serving bowl and toss together with the rest of the ingredients.

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

3 garlic heads, roasted
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or all purpose cream
rosemary or basil (optional)

In a pot, saute onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft. Add cubed potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Add garlic, milk or cream and rosemary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend mixture using an immersion blender or a food processor. If soup is a little too thick, you can choose to add more chicken stock.

Drizzle with a little olive oil, garnish with herbs and serve.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

Ingredients
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preparation
Preheat George Forman Grill.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken 6 minutes.

Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Grill for 1 more minute. Remove chicken from grill and coat with remaining honey if desired.

Mixed Greens with Raspberries and Pears

Romaine Lettuce
Baby spinach leaves
Fresh raspberries
Fresh pear, diced
Feta cheese (I used reduced fat)
Red onion, thinly sliced
Sunflower seeds

Raspberry Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup canola oil
2 1/2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Taste the dressing, if it's too tart add a couple tablespoons of apple juice or a bit more sugar, to taste. I kept our dressing tart because the berries and pear were so sweet.

Chicken and Scallop Carbonara

150gram of chicken breast, cubed
50 grams of frozen baby scallops, defrosted (if you're using large scallops, I would suggest you don't waste it on this dish)
1 sundried tomato, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped
a handful of frozen peas
3 cubes of frozen spinach
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 cup of milk
3-5 tablespoon pasta water
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan (I used padano, but you can go ahead and use reggiano or romano if you like)
1 large egg
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pasta
1 bundle of fettuccine (about a quarter diameter of a bundle)
1 pot of boiling water, salted well

Method:
1. Cook your pasta in water that in a rolling boil. Make sure you salt the water well, I suggest 1 heaping teaspoon for every liter of water. While your pasta is cooking, you can start cooking your sauce.

2. In a hot pan, heat up your olive oil and toss in your shallot, garlic and sundried tomato. Toss to combine and saute. Once you smell the garlic, put in your chicken pieces and saute until chicken is cooked through. Season with some salt and pepper. Let it sit on the pan to brown the sides a little bit.Give your fettuccine a stir to see how it's doing.

3. Go back to your pan and saute the chicken pieces a bit more, add your baby scallops in and saute the pan again. Add your frozen spinach in and scoop a few tablespoon of your hot pasta water into the pan. Cook until the spinach is wilted and water dissipates from the pan. Check your pasta, it should be almost done. Take 1 strand of fettuccine and test it by eating. It should not taste floury at all. If it's one, scoop the pasta out of the pot and into the pan.

4. Now that your pasta is in the pan, toss the pasta with the other ingredients for a quick saute. Throw in your frozen peas and saute the pan again. Season with some salt and pepper, add pasta water and milk in. Let the pan come to a simmer.

5. Once the pan is heated and starting to simmer, add your parmesan in and crack the egg into the pan. Now, you have to work very quickly - stir the pasta as soon as the egg touches the pan and lift the pan off the heat. The heat in the pan should be enough to cook the egg and milk through into a creamy sauce. If you think it's not quite done, put the pan over the stove again and let it heat a bit more, while stirring vigorously.

Do not over-cook, you don't want a scrambled egg carbonara.

Once the sauce has reached an off white creamy consistency, your pasta carbonara is done. Serve it hot!

Tomato salad on roasted salmon

The mother-ship tomato salad:
1 lb of tomatoes, different varieties
1/4 cup of good olive oil
1 garlic, minced finely
1 fresh red chili, mince finely - this is optional (you can sub with dried red pepper flakes)
2-3 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
10 basil leaves, torn
1 teaspoon of thyme, plucked
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Wash your tomatoes and cut the big ones into quarters and small ones into halves - bring them into a deep bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredient and toss them to combine and every tomato is coated with the herby goodness.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge until needed.

This tomato salad keeps well for up to 2 days.

Roast Salmon
1 whole salmon fillet
salt
pepper
olive oil

Method:
1. Rub salmon with salt, pepper and olive oil evenly.
2. Pan-sear the salmon, skin side down in a hot pan for 4 minutes until the skin is crisp.
3. Roast the salmon in the oven at 350 F, for another 8 minutes. You can also pan sear your salmon until done for this dish.

Macaroni and Cheese

4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ozs. uncooked), cooked without salt or fat
2 cups (8 ozs.) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp. grated fresh onion
1 and 1/2 tsps. reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine first 10 ingredients; stir well. Spoon into a shallow 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.
3. Combine breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp. margarine, and paprika; stir well. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over casserole. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover casserole, bake an additional 5 minutes or until breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

Makes 6 servings.

Inside-Out BLT's

3 slices of bacon
⅓ cup chopped Romaine lettuce
⅓ cup coarse soft bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium Roma tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
Mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and chop into chunks.
2. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, lettuce, crumbs, cheese and olive oil. Mix well and set aside. Halve roma tomatoes lengthwise. Scoop out insides leaving a ¼ inch shell. Sprinkle black pepper on each tomato half. Brush with some of the mayonnaise. Mound the bacon mixture into tomatoes; transfer to baking pan.
3. Roast tomatoes, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until tomatoes start to wilt.

Makes 2 servings, but can be multiplied easily.

Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper Recipe

Ingredients
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2 inch lengths (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 lb of flank steak, sliced in half lengthwise (along the grain) and then cut into thin strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide (put the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing to make it easier to slice)
1 red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and cut into thin strips 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide
2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved into 3 Tablespoons of water

All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free version)
1 tsp finely chopped, peeled, fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, including green tops, chopped
1/2 tsp chili oil

Method
1 While you are chopping the ingredients in preparation, bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Parboil the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. If you are planning to serve this dish with rice, in a separate pan, prepare 2 cups of white rice, following the instructions on the rice package.
2 Prepare the All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce by combining the ingredients in a small dish, and set aside.
3 Stir-fry the asparagus in a wok (or a thick-bottomed pan with at least 2" sides that can take high heat) in 1 Tbsp of oil, on high heat, for about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside.
4 Add another 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan and stir fry the beef strips, in 2 batches, for 2-3 minutes until browned but still pink inside. Return the first batch of beef to the pan and add the bell pepper. Stir and toss over high heat until just beginning to wilt, 1-2 minutes.
5 Quickly stir the cornstarch liquid and add it to the pan along with the stir fry sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes. Return the asparagus to the pan, toss to evenly coat and serve with steamed white rice (unless you are going low-carb, in which case, leave out the rice).

Serves 4.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

Adapted from Bon Appetit

As it turns out, goat cheese makes a really great quick, creamy pasta sauce.

Serves 6

1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped
fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)
Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)

Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.

Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato Sauce and Choclo - Ceviche de Langostinos

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2-3 cups small to medium shrimp
1/2 red onion
Juice of 1 regular lime (or 4 small key limes)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup choclo, or other fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves

Preparation:
Cut the onion into the thinnest possible slices, slicing it with the cut side facing down so that the pieces are semicircular in shape.
Place the onion slices in a bowl of cold salted water, and let soak for 20 minutes.
Cook the corn kernels in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
If the shrimp is not cooked, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the juice of one lime to the pot. Boil the shrimp for one to two minutes, until just cooked. Drain shrimp and rinse with cold water.
De-vein the shrimp and trim off the tails, and place in a bowl.
Drain onions and rinse with cold water. Add onions and corn to bowl with the shrimp.
Whisk together lime juice, orange juice, ketchup, sugar, and vinegar. Toss with shrimp, corn, and onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Chill shrimp until ready to serve. Toss shrimp with cilantro before serving, and drizzle decoratively with ketchup if desired.

Serves 4 as a appetizer or light lunch.

Dilled Salmon Pasta Salad

Serves 4 as a main course salad

Ingredients:
1 lb of farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 lb salmon filet, poached
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
4-5 scallions, sliced thin
½ cup Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh dill weed or 2 teaspoons dried dill
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Poach salmon in a covered saute pan in approximately 1/2 cup water with a little salt and pepper for about 12-15 minutes (or until fish flakes easily with a fork). Place frozen peas in a colander in the sink. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain over the peas in colander. Rinse with cold water, drain, and place in a large bowl. Flake the poached salmon and add to the pasta and peas along with green onions. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt and dill. Pour over the salmon/pasta mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving (if you can keep from eating it right out of the bowl!).

Gazpacho in Avocado Boats

Serves 1-2

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup tomato, cut into small dice
3 tablespoons seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into small dice
3 tablespoons green bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon pickled jalapeno pepper, finely minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 avocado, peeled, halved, pitted and rubbed with lime juice to prevent browning
lettuce leaves, washed and dried tortilla chips

Combine sliced onion, diced tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and lime juice to make gazpacho. Rub avocado with additional lime juice. Line a bowl or plate with lettuce leaves. Top with avocado halves and fill each half with gazpacho. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Shrimp, Jicama and Mango Salad

Makes 8 servings

4-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil(I added a pinch of sugar to the dressing)
9 cups water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 bay leaves
3 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1-1/2 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
3 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled jicama
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 large Boston lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, whisk lime juice and pineapple juice concentrate. Slowly whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring water, lemon juice, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns to boil in a large stock pot. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add shrimp, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove and place into a bowl of ice water. Drain and refrigerate. The shrimp can be made 6 hours ahead.Mix mangoes and next 3 ingredients into shrimp. Pour vinaigrette over; toss to coat. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 8 plates. Spoon salad into lettuce cups in equal portions.Note: Both mango and jicama can be diced and refrigerated 4-6 hours before using.

Apple-Bacon Roasted Golds

This recipe is adapted from The Florida Keys Cookbook

Serves 8

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 slices bacon, preferrably nitrite-free
1 cup diced Vidalia onions
2/3 cup apple-cider vinegar
1 apple, peeled, cored a diced (Gala or other sweet-tart apple)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400F. Half potatoes lengthwise , then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. In a medium bowl, add potatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, toss to combine. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Roast until slightly browned and they are pierced easily with a fork - about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon pieces, stirring frequently, until crispy, for about 10 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add onions to the skillet and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add vinegar, stirring to mix. Add the potatoes, diced apples and bacon. Gently toss everything together. Add parsley and chives just before serving. Adjust seasonings.

Note - the dish can be held for up to 30 minutes before adding parsley and chives.

Cauliflower with spicy chickpeas, green peans and toasted almonds

3-4 servings

1 head cauliflower divided into florets
200 g/7 oz green beans
200 g/7 oz chickpeas, cooked
3-4 tblsp sliced and toasted almonds
2-3 tblsp parsley, finely chopped
ground chili pepper
lemon juice
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

Put the chickpeas on a plate and sprinkle some salt and chili pepper over them and then drizzle a little olive oil over. Shake the plate so that the chickpeas are covered with chili and oil.

Either bake the chickpeas in the oven (175°C/350°F) for 15-20 minutes or fry them in a pan until they are a bit crispy.- Steam the vegetables and put them in a bowl. Add the chickpeas.

Mix a little lemon juice, salt, parsley and olive oil and add it to the vegetables, stir and serve either tepid or cold.

Peanut Butter Fingers

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2/3 c. peanut butter
3/4 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, peanut butter, soda, salt, vanilla, flour and oatmeal in mixing bowl. Spread in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of hot crust. Wait 10 minutes and spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top. Let cool; then drizzle or spread with topping.

Topping:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter
2-4 T. milk

Blend these together and spread over bars. Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 rounded cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Whisk together all ingredients except chips until just combined.
Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with additional oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and sprinkle each pancake with about 1 1/2 teaspoons chips. Cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

Orange & Garlic Roast Pork Loin

Can be made in the slow cooker!

2.5 lb. pork loin roast, trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 2 large navel oranges
juice of 2 limes
3/4 cup watercilantro for garnish

Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high. When it’s hot, add the olive oil. Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper on all sides, then place it in the pan, searing it for about 5 - 6 minutes on all sides to get a deep, golden brown crust.

Add the remaining ingredients, minus the cilantro, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, rotating every 10 minutes or so. It’s done when your meat thermometer reads 160° or the insides are a very pale pink.

Remove to a platter, cover with everything in the pan, sprinkle some cilantro leaves over it, and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Prosciutto

If cherry tomatoes aren't available, you can skip them and add a few chopped sun dried tomatoes to the dish at the end.

Ingredients
1/2 medium cauliflower, cored and broken up into 3/4-inch florets (4+ cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
4 large cloves garlic
4 ounces of prosciutto
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
5 ounces baby arugula or spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method
1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay out cauliflower and tomatoes in a roasting pan, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water).
3 While water is heating, pulse garlic, sage, and prosciutto together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Once cauliflower has browned lightly, remove from oven, toss cauliflower with garlic prosciutto mixture, and return to oven to cook for 5-7 minutes more.
4 Boil pasta uncovered (rolling boil) for 9-10 minutes until firm, but done (al dente). Reserve one cup of pasta liquid. Drain water from pot. Add cauliflower, arugula (or spinach), and Parmesan to the pasta. Stir in enough cooking water to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.