September 8, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Moussaka

Moussaka

2 medium to large potatoes, peeled
1 medium to large onion
1 large eggplant
2 small to medium zuchinni
dried or fresh thyme
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch ground clove
1 Tbl tomato paste
1# ground beef
14.5oz jar dived tomatoes
100g (7 Tbl) butter
100g flour
750ml whole milk
pinch nutmeg
100g grated parmesan
3 egg yolks
grated parmesan

Thinly slice potatoes and onion.
In prep bowl: toss potatoes and onion with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp thyme. Place in a single layer in a 10×12 metal baking pan that has been rubbed with oil. Cook at 400F on convect for 20 minutes, remove when done.

Thinly slice eggplant. In prep bowl: toss eggplant with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp thyme. Remove baking pan from oven. Add the single layer eggplant on top of potatoes and onions. Drizzle with olive oil if it looks dry. Put back into the oven and cook another 20 minutes. Remove when done.

(can be done while other veggies are cooking)
Thinly slice zucchini. In prep bowl: toss zucchini with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp thyme. Add a single layer zucchini on top of eggplant. Cook another 20 minutes, remove when done.

(can be done while veggies are cooking)
Dice onion and caramelize over high heat in skillet with olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add pressed garlic clove to the onions and cook another minute. Add a 1/2 tsp cinnamon and pinch of ground clove to mixture and cook for another minute. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add ground beef to mixture, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink and season with salt and pepper. Add can of diced tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, until most of the liquid is gone (mixture should be kind of dry). Set mixture aside.

Make the Bechamel – Add butter to a skillet and melt. As it melts, add flour and whisk until incorporated. Add milk in small batches until it is absorbed and there are no lumps. When it just starts to bubble remove from heat and season with black pepper and pinch of nutmeg. Stir in 100g grated Parmesan. Stir in 3 egg yolks.

Pour 1/4 to 1/3 of the bechamel sauce into the meat mixture until it holds together.
Spread meat mixture in a single layer over the zucchini in the baking pan. Spread bechamel evenly over meat sauce. Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan. Cook in the oven at 400F on convect for 25-30 minutes until toasted and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 hour to set. Must give it that much time, and it will be hot, so don’t worry.

Cut into pieces and serve. Leftovers can be frozen.

September 3, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Rainbow Salad

Rainbow Salad

Dressing:
1/2 fresh red or green pepper (spicy)
1 clove garlic
A small bunch of fresh basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

To make the salad dressing add all ingredients together into a blender, blend until well combined. Have a taste – you want the salt and acid to be slightly over the top, so adjust if needed and blend again. Pour into a serving cup and set aside.

For the salad:
1 smallish sized yellow zucchini
1 smallish sized green zucchini
2 carrots
2 small fresh red
2 small golden beets
1 cup of sprouted alfalfa or pea shoots

Wash and trim the zucchini and carrots. Peel dirty bits off of the beets and wash. Using the course grater attachment in a food processor, grate the vegetables one at a time. Tip out onto a platter or salad bowl so it looks like a rainbow and scatter pea shoots over the top. Dress at the last minute when about to eat.

September 3, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on German Chocolate Cake Frosting

German Chocolate Cake Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 large egg yolks
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and egg yolks in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes or so, stirring occasionally until it becomes thick.

Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon, until spreadable.

August 11, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Laoganma Black Bean Chicken

Laoganma Black Bean Chicken

1 lb chicken, cut in small, 1/2-inch cubes (boneless, skinless)
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 heaping tbsp Laoganma Chili Oil with Black Bean
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chicken broth
1 tsp Chinese dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
8 ounces thin green beans (haricots verts), trimmed
1 white onion, cut in large chunks and separated
4 – 5 tbsp canola oil (for cooking)

Instructions

Marinate chicken cubes in the Shaoxing wine and salt while you mix the sauce. Combine the Laoganma Black Bean sauce, light soy sauce, chicken broth, dark soy sauce and sugar in a bowl or measuring cup.
Heat wok over a high flame until wisps of heat starts to rise from it. Add 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, swirl it up the sides of the wok, and heat until quite hot. Add chicken cubes in one layer and leave undisturbed to cook and sear on one side. Flip the chicken, sear on the other side, and stir-fry until fully cooked. Remove chicken from the wok and set aside.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and parboil green beans for about 2-3 minutes, until partially cooked but still crisp. Drain and dry well.
Clean wok, return to flame, and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add green beans and stir-fry over medium-high flame until they begin to char and are done to your liking. Remove green beans and set aside.
Add a bit more oil to the wok, and add onion. Stir-fry until it starts to char and caramelize. Add back the green beans and chicken. Pour the sauce in and combine all ingredients well. Stir-fry briefly and splash in a bit more broth if it seems dry. Serve hot.

July 31, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Mint Sugared Fruit

Mint Sugared Fruit

We were watching Jamie Oliver’s streaming show and thought this sounded interesting and good. It made a great healthy dessert.

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup sugar (or so)

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1 banana
5-7 strawberries

In a mortar with pestle, add in the mint leaves, finely chopped. Start pounding it with the pestle. Add in a small amount of sugar to help grind up the mint more. Add more sugar and stir. Keep adding sugar until the mint mixture is dry and sand looking.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons over the fruit and set aside until ready to serve. Serve with homemade whipped cream.

July 31, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Cuban Pork Sandwiches

Pork
scant ⅓ cup kosher salt
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp orange zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 (5-pound) boneless pork shoulder with fat cap

Mojo
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup pineapple juice
⅓ cup orange juice
⅓ cup lime juice
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 ¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp pepper
¾ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Small french steak rolls or hoagies
Slices of swiss cheese
Sliced deli ham
Yellow mustard
Kosher pickles, sliced thin
Butter

Plan to use an enameled dutch oven to cook in. Don’t pre-slice roast if saving for leftovers.

Combine salt, sugar, lime zest, orange zest, garlic, cumin, oregano, and pepper flakes in bowl. Using sharp knife, trim fat cap on pork to ¼ inch. Cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern in fat cap on the pork shoulder.

Place pork on large double layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle all over with the salt mixture. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place on plate, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325^o F. Unwrap pork; transfer to Dutch oven, fat side up; and pour water around pork to cover half way up. Cover and transfer to the oven, and cook until meat registers 175^oF in center, 2½ to 3 hours.

Uncover pork and continue to cook until meat registers 195^oF in center and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 45 minutes to 1¾ hours longer. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 45 minutes.

FOR THE MOJO: While pork is resting, heat oil and garlic in small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until tiny bubbles appear and garlic is fragrant and straw-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Whisk pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and pepper flakes into cooled garlic oil.

When ready to make sandwiches, slice pork as thin as possible. Brush bread bottoms with mojo. Layer on ham, followed by pork, swiss cheese, and pickles, overlapping and/or folding meats as needed to keep them from overhanging sides of bread. Spread mustard on bread tops. Cap sandwiches with bread tops. Butter the top and bottom of the breads and grill on press.

July 31, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Kohlrabi Salad

Kohlrabi Salad

1 large or 2 small kohlrabi, sliced into matchsticks
3 radishes, sliced into matchsticks
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped almonds or peanuts

1 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp garlic/ginger paste (or 2 cloves of garlic and 1 inch ginger)
dash of salt & pepper

Prep all of the veggies and put into a large mixing bowl. Add in the nuts and toss. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing and whisk together. Pour over the kohlrabi mixture and put into the fridge to set for 1 hour or so. We served this with the Chicken Satay.

July 31, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay

We have updated our Chicken Satay recipe. See below.

1.5 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 cup cilantro, fine stems are ok
1 fresh red chili
1 clove garlic
3 heaping tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp peanuts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 thumb sized piece of ginger
2 tbsp water
2 limes

1 tbsp honey

In the food processor, put in the cilantro through ginger, plus the zest of two limes and juice of one lime. Process and thin out with water. Reserve half of the dressing for dipping.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and marinate in the other half of the dressing for an hour or so.

Skewer the chicken with no gaps. Grill over charcoal, a few minutes per side until 160F. Move the skewers off of the fire and brush each skewer with a little honey. Let cook another minute and remove.

Serve with the remaining sauce.

July 10, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Muhammara

Muhammara

1 16oz jar roasted red peppers
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large garlic clove
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tbsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp hungarian paprika powder #2 (spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt

Drain the jarred peppers, but do not rinse. Pat dry with a clean towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Tear them into pieces with your hands.

Toast 1 cups of walnuts for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir occasionally. Add the panko and toast another three minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. In the food processor, add the walnut mixture and puree until everything is broken down into fine crumbs.

Add the drained roasted red peppers, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, powders and salt. Puree until desired consistency. Taste. Delicious with the incredibly quick breads.

July 10, 2025
by Ashley
Comments Off on Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

These are fantastic gluten free cookies. Perfect for a gathering for all.

1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Maldon Salt for sprinkling

Mix all of the ingredients together except for the peanut butter. Once everything has been mixed in, fold in the peanut butter until well combined. Transfer the dough to the fridge and let chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325^oF.

Line a baking sheet with a silpat. Use the cookie scoop to make even balls of dough. Flatten the tops of the cookies with your fingertips slightly. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of demerara sugar. Bake for 11 – 15 minutes. They should have crackly tops and slightly golden. They do harden as they cool. During the last 5 minutes of baking, take the sheet out of the oven and slam down once on the countertop. This will help the cookies spread properly and crackle the top.

Once done baking, remove from the oven and let cool a bit. Sprinkle with a little bit of Maldon salt and enjoy.