Recipes

Directions

• Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the flat side of a paring knife to scrape out the seeds.
• Add the vanilla seeds, sugar, lavender, and salt to a food processor and blend until the lavender is finely chopped and all of the ingredients are well combined.
• Keep the puff pastry cold in the refrigerator until just before using. Remove one sheet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar on a clean counter and top with the puff pastry. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar on top of the puff and use a rolling pin to gently press the sugar into the dough and thin it out slightly. Draw a line down the center with a knife to serve as a guide.
• Starting on one side, tightly roll the dough to the center, constantly pressing the dough to prevent air holes. Repeat the process on the other side. Wrap parchment paper or plastic wrap around the dough and freeze or chill in the refrigerator. Repeat this process with the second puff pastry sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once the dough is very cold, place one roll on the counter. Cut off a bit of each end and then carefully slice the dough into thin cookies. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle half of the remaining sugar on top. Repeat with the second roll of dough.
• Bake for 6 minutes or until the side facing down is caramelized. Gently flip the cookies and bake for another 3-5 minutes.
• Allow to cool before serving.

Directions

• Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. honey, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl to combine. Season chicken on all sides with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer to bowl with honey mustard and toss to coat.
• Toss potatoes, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange chicken legs (skin side up) in the center of pan; discard excess marinade. Arrange potatoes around outside of pan in an even layer, then turn cut side down (this will help them brown better). Arrange rosemary over potatoes. Roast until chicken and potatoes are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, 30–40 minutes.
• Whisk garlic, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, and remaining 1/3 cup oil, 2 tsp. honey, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Divide chicken and potatoes among plates, then arrange frisée and parsley alongside potatoes. Drizzle dressing over chicken, potatoes, and frisée.
• Do Ahead: Chicken can be marinated 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Directions

• In a glass jar (or container with a tight fitting lid) add grated garlic, salt and pepper.
• Measure and add oregano to your palm of your hand. Rub it between your fingers until finely crushed.
• Add that to a glass jar (or container with a tight fitting lid) along with the grated fresh garlic, salt and black pepper.
• Pour in the (strained) freshly squeezed lemon juice and the olive oil.
• Shake or whisk well to combine.
• You will need to shake or whisk in-between each use.

Directions

• Yogurt Sauce
• In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and stir.
• Yogurt dressing may be made up to 2 hours in advance.
• Cover and refrigerate until serving. The longer it has time for the flavors to meld, the better
• Pitas
• Marinate the chicken breast halves in the Greek dressing for 15-20 minutes. Any longer and the lemon juice will start to break down the chicken.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discarding the leftover marinade). Grill the marinated chicken breast halves for 4 minutes a side or until fully cooked. Let rest before slicing.
• Top warm pita bread, top with sliced chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, sliced olives, yogurt dressing and feta cheese.
• Serve immediately!

Directions

Directions

• Season pork on all side with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, spray with a little oil and brown the pork on all sides for about 7 – 8 minutes.
• In the crock pot, combine the broth, soy sauce (or Tamari), balsamic, agave, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger; add the pork and set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low.
• Thirty minutes before the timer goes off, remove the pork and set aside to rest a few minutes; add the mushrooms to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the pork using two forks.
• When the mushrooms are tender, remove about 1 cup of the broth and reserve if needed.
• Add the shredded pork to the crock pot and mix well.
• If adding baby spinach, add at the end and cover a few minutes until it wilts.

Directions

• Brown your butter: Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns and the very second that you turn around to do something else. Set it in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes).
• [Don’t have time for all this brown butter madness? Check the head notes to use regular softened butter instead.]
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9×13 inch pan, or spray it with a nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips, blend the solidified brown butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Tile peach slices over crumb base in a single layer. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over peaches and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

Directions

• Pickled Onions
• Combine vinegar, salt, & sugar in sauce pan & bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
• Remove from heat & add onions, stir to thoroughly coat.
• Place contents in jar, seal & refridgerate
• Honey mustard vinaigrette
• Combine olive oil, vinegar, & lemon juice whisk vigorously to combine
• Add mustard (1 teaspoon is a good starting point), honey (1 teaspoon is a good starting point), salt (generous dashing), & pepper (miserly dashing) Whisk vigorously
• Taste
• Trust your taste buds and add mustard, honey, salt, & pepper to taste until you’ve got it where you want it. Taste after each addition/stir
• Tip: if you add too much honey, a couple drops of lemon juice can fix.
• Refrigerate.
• Salad
• Peel exterior skin off carrot, discard skin
• Keep peeling carrot until it’s gone & you have a pile of thin, carrot ribbons.
• Peel & thinly slice the onion
• If needed, slice the mushrooms
• Add olive oil to a large skillet & bring up to medium heat
• Sautee onion, mushrooms & garlic (your preference for powdered, minced, or peeled cloves of garlic. I’ve used them all, & all are good) until onions are translucent & mushrooms are softened
• Season with salt & pepper
• Add spinach. I hope you used a large skillet because 5 ounces of baby spinach has a lot of volume. GENTLY stir to coat spinach in olive oil & sautee until spinach just STARTS to wilt (1-2 minutes) You want most of that volume to remain without having the gritty raw texture.
• Remove from heat
• Toss in a bowl or on a large plate adding carrots and dressing (give the dressing a vigorous whisk just before tossing)
• Top with pickled onions (note that you have extra pickled onions that are great for sandwiches, salads, & garnishes, you’re welcome)
• After Grog has been served, garnish your plate with cheese
• Enjoy

Directions

• In a bowl, mix brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and paprika.
• Place chicken thighs in a resealable bag or a large dish, pour the marinade over the chicken, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked.
• Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions before serving.

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat a well-seasoned 10.25-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup of the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and pecans. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter. Add it to a large bowl with the cake mix, eggs, and water. Beat for about 2 minutes to combine. Pour the mixture evenly over the caramel sauce and pecans in the skillet. Bake for45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is set or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If you’re unsure about your skillet size, it might be a good idea to place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet or pizza pan to catch any drips that might run over in the oven.)
• Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes then place and large plate or platter over the skillet and carefully flip it over to turn the cake out onto the plate. (A dish towel works great to assist in this as the pan may still be hot.) Scoop any pecans and sauce remaining in the skillet over the cake. Serve warm.