Broiled Grapefuit

Ingredients 2 red grapefruit ¼ cup of dark rum 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 4 maraschino cherries Directions Preheat oven broiler on high. Cut each grapefuit in half and t rim the ends of the grapefruit so they sit flat. Using your paring knife, pre-cut the slices so they are ready to scoop out with a regular spoon. Without squeezing, tip out any extra juices that may have formed to make room for the rum. Pour about...

Grapefruit Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon paprika ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon fennel ¼ teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon salt 5 cloves garlic 2 red grapefruit 2 pounds pork tenderloin Directions In food processer, combine the first 7 ingredients, the zest of one grapefruit, and the flesh and juice of grapefruits that have been supremed until smooth. A great video for how to supreme a grapefruit can be...

Grilled Summer Salad

For the Grill 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 pound firm peaches For the Dressing 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons water For the Salad 8 cups baby or spring greens ¼ cup of sliced almonds Directions Preheat the grill to high....

Braciole

For me there is something so comforting about Italian food. The smells that warm the house all day while pots simmer on the stove, large family dinners, food that makes you want to take a nap when it’s all over. I absolutely adore Italian cuisine, and this is part of my journey to make traditional dishes healthy without losing all of the wonderful flavors. Here we use new combinations, but all traditional ingredients....

Steamed Littleneck Clams

A couple of times this summer, on those days when the weather was excellent for eating dinner outside, it was the perfect opportunity to  make those kind-of-messy-to-eat meals. Paired with boiled lobster, this was a great accompaniment to a seafood feast! Ingredients 3 tablespoons “butter” 3 cloves garlic – minced ½ cup dry white wine 2 pounds of littleneck clams – rinsed and cleaned Directions In a large stock...

Beef Stew

Beef stew was a regular meal in my house growing up; always hearty, but full of potatoes. This version loses the starch but none of the flavor. There is plenty of food here so you’ll have plenty for leftovers or to keep in the freezer. Ingredients 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast – cubed 4 pieces thick cut bacon – chopped 2 yellow onions – chopped 4 medium carrots – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces 4...

Caramelized Onion Frittata

The slow cooking of the onions brings out a wonderful flavor that reminds me of brunch at my favorite local restaurant. I hope you enjoy this at-home breakfast treat as much as I did. Ingredients 1 tablespoons grapeseed oil 1 yellow onion – diced 2 cloves garlic – minced 2 handfuls baby spinach 4 brown eggs Salt and pepper Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 10-inch oven-safe sauté pan, heat the grapeseed...

Spiced Roasted Lamb Shank

This dish was adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine. It was fun to make individual portions wrapped up in foil, easy for serving and perfect for keeping leftovers for lunch the next day. Even if you’re not a huge fan of lamb, you’ll find that the citrus and red pepper are the most dominant flavors and the lamb becomes very tender from steaming in the onion juices. Ingredients per Packet (multiply for number of servings...

Ragu Bolognese

It was weekend of Hurricane Sandy, and in case we lost power (which we did) I wanted to make sure we had plenty to eat that could be cooked on the gas stovetop. This hearty ragu takes some time to meld, but well worth it. The quantities are perfect for multiple meals, large family dinners,or freezer cooking – so in the end you’ll have a very large amount of meat sauce for your efforts. Ingredients 4 tablespoons grapeseed...

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

For those of you familiar with the Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco, you know they mean business when it comes to garlic. Patrons who dine there traditionally have difficulty getting a taxi post dinner due to the garlic aroma coming out of their pores. This adaptation eliminates both heavy cream and flour, but certainly not the garlic. Likewise you may want to spare friends and neighbors after eating this, or better...

Homemade Broth - Chicken/Turkey

If you’ve ever used homemade chicken broth in your cooking, then you know what a difference it makes to the flavor of a dish. If you haven’t, have no fear. Broth is super easy to make and easy to freeze – all you need is time to coax the wonderful flavors into your liquids. So pick a weekend, set aside some kitchen time, and make your home smell wonderful. **I've found that previously roasted poultry brings a stronger flavor...

Roast Turkey

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am looking forward to a house filled with family, wonderful smells, and a very full belly. I realize there are many methods for cooking a turkey, some steeped in family tradition, but I wanted to share with you the one that has worked best for me over the years - I have yet to have one come out dry or overcooked using this method. Thank you Alton Brown! Original can be found here:...

Garlic Acorn Squash

I decided to go all out for garlic one night and paired this with 40 Clove Garlic Chicken. In addition to adding a different garlic profile for the night, I finally discovered a squash dish that my husband really enjoyed. Ingredients 2 acorn squash – halved and seeded 1 head of garlic 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 1 yellow onion - diced Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash halves, cut side...

BBQ Chicken

When first going on the paleo diet, I was challenged with hosting a summer dinner party. This dish made the perfect entrée – everyone raved about the chicken and no one knew that the bbq sauce was homemade. When the weather turned cold, this dish can also be done entirely in the oven. Substitute the grill for broiling on low in the oven.  Ingredients ¼ cup honey 3 cloves garlic – minced 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1...

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

When it first showed signs of autumn this year, I began to crave cold weather comfort foods. This version of pumpkin soup takes on wonderfully earthy notes with the sage and a savoriness with the bacon. I especially enjoyed this alternative without the traditional sweet ingredients like apples, carrots, or coconut milk. This recipe would comfortably serve four people as a side dish. If you like, multiply the ingredients...

Pan-Oven Pork Chops

I know it’s not good for me, but every now and then I get a craving for pork chops prepared in that seasoned breading that comes in a box; this recipe was created to help curb those cravings. My cupboard is always stocked with **homemade applesauce - this paired perfectly with the pork. Ingredients 2 tablespoons grape seed oil 2 bone-in pork chops Salt and pepper Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse pork...

Roasted Fennel

My husband comes from a large Italian family and has fond memories of the holidays with everyone gathered around the table for dinner. This dish reminds him of the dish his grandmother would make every Christmas. Ingredients 1 fennel bulb – sliced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dill weed ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the fennel...

Sautéed Shrimp and Spinach

This was such a quick and easy dinner – perfect for a week night. We were especially surprised how filling this meal was for just a few simple ingredients. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ yellow onion – diced ½ red pepper – diced ½ yellow pepper – diced 2 cloves garlic minced ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ lime – juiced 1 pound raw wild shrimp – thawed, cleaned, and tails removed 1 – 6 oz. bag of baby spinach Salt...

Spiced Pecans

I made this snack for several parties during the holidays and they were a huge hit, with a strangely addictive sweet and spicy heat. Thanks to Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen for the recipe. Ingredients 1 pound bag of shelled pecan halves 2 teaspoons canola oil 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Directions Preheat...

Hen-of-the-Woods

I am fortunate enough to have a mushroom vendor at my local Farmers’ Market; Madura Farms offers many different varieties of gourmet mushrooms including Hen-of-the-Woods, aka maitake. Known for its medicinal qualities, this earthy mushroom just begs to be paired with a good steak.  Ingredients 1 pound hen-of-the-woods mushrooms ¼ cup olive oil 4 sprigs fresh thyme - chopped 1 sprig fresh rosemary – chopped 2 tablespoons...