Recipes

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Cold Zucchini Salad

Cold Zucchini Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini

  • 1 medium yellow squash

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 8 ounces provolone cheese, cubed

  • 6 ounces soppressata (salami), diced

  • 3 ounces Kalamata olives, sliced

  • 1 cup sun gold tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced

  • 6-8 pepperoncini, sliced

  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Directions

  • Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and yellow squash vertically into thin noodles (stopping when you reach the seeds of the squash).
  • Place the zucchini and squash noodles on paper towels with the salt to allow the noodles to drain any excess moisture.
  • In a separate bowl, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the oil, vinegar, garlic, pepper and sugar.
  • Place the noodles into a large bowl and add the soppressata, olives, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini and basil, tossing gently. If serving immediately, add the cheese. If making to hold, reserve the cheese and add when ready to serve.
  • Drizzle the vinaigrette over the noodle mixture and serve.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian option, replace the soppressata with one can of chickpeas, drained.
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Apple Fritters

Apple Fritters

Ingredients

  • Apple Fritters

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1/3 cup milk (I used oat milk)

  • 2 eggs

  • 3 tablespoons applesauce

  • 2 large Granny Smith apples or Honey Crisp apples peeled cored and diced

  • canola oil or vegetable oil for frying

  • Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1/4 cup milk (I used oat milk)

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup milk, eggs and applesauce. Stir just to combine. Fold in apples.
  • Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in heavy skillet, dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into hot oil; spreading it out as you drop. Cook each side until golden brown; approximately 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to remove to paper towels to drain.
  • Whisk together 1/4 cup milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Dunk each fritters in the glaze turning over to make sure both sides coated. Place on wire racks to air dry and drip.

Notes

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Ben’s Chili Bowl Half-Smokes with Chili Sauce

Ben’s Chili Bowl Half-Smokes with Chili Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 3 tablespoons dehydrated onion

  • 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon red curry powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 3 tablespoons masa harina

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 3 cups water, divided

  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20)

  • sea salt to taste

  • 6 mild half-smokes

  • 6 white hot dog buns

  • French’s yellow mustard

  • 1 small onion, chopped

Directions

  • Mix the first 10 ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk in 1 cup water, making sure all the spices are evenly distributed and there are no lumps.
  • Put the ground beef in a pot with remaining 2 cups water. Stir the beef and water to break up the beef into very fine bits. You don’t want any ground beef chunks. Bring to a boil.
  • Add the spice mixture, bay leaf and tomato paste, stir to combine well. Turn down the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 60-70 minutes or until chili sauce is still loose, but not liquidy with unabsorbed water. Adjust salt to taste, keeping in mind that the half-smokes are pretty salty on their own. I didn’t add any additional salt.
  • With about 15 minutes left in the cooking time, put your half-smokes on the grill. I don’t have a grill so I do what I usually do with sausage, which is to put the half-smokes in a frying pan on the stove with about 1/4 inch of water in it over medium-high heat. Cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Remove cover for remaining 10 minutes, allowing the water to boil off and the sausage to brown, turning once. They should be black on two sides when ready to serve.
  • Place a hot dog bun on plate. Add one sausage, about a tablespoon of chopped onion, a drizzle of plain yellow mustard and about half a cup of chili sauce. It will be very messy. Serve with ridged potato chips for scooping up extra chili sauce that falls out.

Notes

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Pretzel Crusted Chicken Salad

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • Quick Pickled Onions

  • 1 red onion thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup warm water

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • Mustard Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • Salad

  • 3 cups mini pretzel twists, (traditional salted ones)

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • salt and pepper

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 8 to 10 cups spring greens or your favorite lettuce

  • 1 honeycrisp apple, chopped

  • 4 ounces cheddar cheese, chopped or grated (optional)

  • 4 baby cucumbers, sliced

  • ¼ cup pickled onions

Directions

  • Quick Pickled Onions
  • Place the onions in a jar or cup. In a bowl, whisk together the warm water, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk in the vinegar. Pour over the sliced onions. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can obviously make this ahead of time and once made, store it in the fridge in a sealed container or jar. They last about one week.
  • Mustard Vinaigrette
  • In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. This dressing stays great in the fridge in a sealed container for about a week.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
  • Pound the chicken breasts so they are evenly thick all over. Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Place the pretzels in a food processor and blend until mostly fine crumbs remain. Place the pretzels in a bowl. Stir in the garlic powder.
  • In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
  • Take each chicken breast and coat it in the beaten egg. Dredge it through the pretzel crumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on the rack and repeat with remaining chicken. Once all the chicken is finished, spray it with avocado or olive oil spray. This is important and really helps things get crispy and golden!
  • Bake the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes. Flip it gently and spray the other side with the oil spray. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes.
  • While the chicken is baking, assemble the salad. Place the greens in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the chopped apples, cheddar, cucumbers and pickled onions.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven and slice it. Add it to the salad and drizzle on the dressing.
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Currywurst and Fries with Curry Ketchup

Currywurst and Fries with Curry Ketchup

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • ¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder

  • 1 pinch Chinese 5-spice powder

  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

  • 4 bratwurst sausages, scored horizontally

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • Frozen french fries of your choice, cooked according to package instructions (or homemade from the recipe here)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, broth, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder, and 5-spice powder in a small saucepan, and whisk to combine.
  • Simmer the ketchup over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, whisking frequently, until thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Meanwhile, place the brats on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.
  • Divide the brats and fries between plates, spooning some of the curry ketchup over the sausages (about 1-2 tablespoons each). Place the remaining curry ketchup in little bowls for additional dipping.
  • Before serving, garnish the sauced brats with chopped parsley, then skewer each scored section with toothpicks for easier eating.

Notes

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Easy Apple Strudel

Easy Apple Strudel

Ingredients

  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple – peeled, cored and coarsely shredded

  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar

  • 3/4 cup golden raisins

  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place shredded and chopped apples in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, golden raisins, flour, and salt; set aside.
  • Working with one sheet at a time, place puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll lightly with a rolling pin into an approximately 10- x 12-inch rectangle. Arrange 1/2 of the apple filling (about 3 cups) down one side of pastry lengthwise.
  • Fold pastry lengthwise over apple mixture; dampen edges of pastry with water, then press or crimp edges to seal. Repeat process with 2nd pastry sheet and remaining apple mixture.
  • Transfer to prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2-inches between each pastry. Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl; brush on top of each pastry. Cut 3 or 4 slits on top of each pastry to allow steam to escape.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

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BLPs (Bacon, Lettuce and Grilled Peach Sandwiches)

BLPs (Bacon, Lettuce and Grilled Peach Sandwiches)

Ingredients

  • Bacon

  • Lettuce

  • Peaches

  • 2 slices of bread for each sandwich

  • chipotle aioli?

Directions

  • Cook the bacon as desired. I usually bake it.
  • Slice the peaches into crescents and pre-heat a grill pan to medium. Grill the peach slices on each side for a few minutes until warm and grill marks are visible.
  • Spread the chipotle aioli on the bread. Pile bacon, a few leaves of lettuce and the grilled peaches on the bread and cut in half.
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Peach Pecan Salad

Peach Pecan Salad

Ingredients

  • 3 cups spinach slightly chopped

  • 3 large peaches sliced

  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn or chopped

  • Dressing

  • Dressing

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
  • Assemble the salad: Create a bed of spinach in a large bowl. Add the sliced peaches on top. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pecans. Pour the dressing over the salad and top with fresh torn basil.

Notes

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Peach Rye Cake

Peach Rye Cake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature

  • 1/2 cup (115g) brown sugar

  • 3 Tbsp (63g) honey plus more for drizzling over top

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 eggs room temperature

  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (65g) rye flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 cup whole milk room temperature (I used oat milk)

  • 4 medium peaches peeled, quartered (leave one half peach in tact for center of cake) and pitted, plus more for serving with cake (optional)

  • confectioners’ sugar for dusting top

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with greased parchment.
  • In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, honey and vanilla on medium-high speed until light in color and texture, about 5 minutes.
  • Beat in the eggs on medium speed, one at a time, until incorporated.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.
  • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add half the milk and mix until smooth. Repeat with another 1/3 flour mixture and remaining milk, then finish with the last of the flour. Mix just until incorporated.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the peaches on top of the batter, saving the peach half for the center.
  • Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
  • Serve room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes

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Peach and Basil Bourbon Smash

Peach and Basil Bourbon Smash

Ingredients

  • 2 oz bourbon

  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 oz basil syrup

  • 5 peach slices

  • 4 basil leaves

Directions

  • Muddle the peach slices and basil in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
  • Add bourbon, basil syrup, lemon juice and ice.
  • Shake and strain over ice.
  • Garnish with a basil spring and a peach slice.

Notes