Ham and Gruyere Panini

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 slices Sourdough Bread
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
½ cups Shredded Gruyere Cheese, Divided
3 whole Thin Slices Black Forest Ham
1 Tablespoon (about 1 Stalk) Green Onion, Thinly Sliced

Preparation Instructions

Lightly spread olive oil on a panini press and on the outer side of both slices of bread. Spread Dijon mustard on the inside of one of the slices. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Gruyere over one slice of bread, oiled side down. Top with the slices of ham. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon green onions over the ham, followed by the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere. Top with the remaining slice of bread, oiled side up.
Heat the panini pan over medium-high heat (or turn on the panini press, if electric) and grill sandwich until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted, crispy and golden brown, about 4-6 minutes per side.
Slice in half and serve.
Enjoy!
 

I LOVE SCALLOPS

Scallops with chopped parsley, yellow wine, coral lentils & black rice.

Cocktal Hour-DIced Pineapple Edition

CARAMEL PEARS

Caramel Pears 8-10 ripe pears, washed, dried, chilled 372 grams sugar (about 2 cups) 186 grams dark brown sugar (about 1 cup) 150 grams butter (about 2/3 cup) 2/3 cup corn syrup 1 cup cream 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. real vanilla extract Mix all ingredients together (except the fruit) in a deep saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until the butter melts and temperature on a candy or laser thermometer reaches 246 degrees (119 celcius). Stir constantly toward the end of the cooking period to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Dip fruit into caramel mixture and twist until evenly covered. Roll in nuts or sugar. Drain on waxed paper or a silicone baking sheet. Refrigerate. Consume pears within a few hours. Leftover caramel can be refrigerated and defrosted in the microwave for dipping fruit slices or served with the tart.

HOW TO CARVE A CHICKEN

Kitchen 101: Measuring

Passion Sangria

• 1 small carton of raspberries
• 1 small carton of strawberries
• 1 lime
• 2 apples, granny smith and a braeburn
• 1 serrano pepper (more if you are daring)
• 1 Bottle of sweet white wine (Muscat, Sweet Riesling, Gewurztraminer)
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 1 can of ginger ale
• Mint leaves for garnish
• 2 cups passion fruit juice
• frozen grapes can be droped in as well
• Dice all fruit and layer in pitcher

Cherry Beer-Garita

Wine Pairings

Special Saturday Breakfast: Pancakes

Pancakes with fruit and tea...My super relaxing saturday breakfast...

Kitchen 101- Mixing Methods

Summertime Ice : Healthy Fruit Orange Blossom Water Frozen Popsicle

Healthy Fruit Orange Blossom Water Frozen Popsicle

Ingredients:
16 ounces Cold Water
1 ounce Orange Blossom Water or lemon-honey water

Fruits: strawberries, blueberries, rasberries, kiwi, oranges, peaches plums all sliced and coated with lemon juice

Eating Healthy: What do you have with your bagel ?

Capers, Crème Fraiche, Red Onions, White American, Smoked Salmon

Cocktail Hour: Coco Loso

Healthy Drink Of The Day:

White Peach - Nectarine - Banana - Collard Green - Apple Juice

Southern Style: Fish & CHeese Grits with Bacon

Fried Fish

Use haddock, tilapia, roughy, or other similar fish for this tasty fried fish recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fish fillets, such as haddock, tilapia, cod, etc.
• oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:

Pour 1 inch of oil in skillet; heat to 375°. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Dip fish fillets into flour mixture. Fry fish for about 5 minutes on each side; remove to a platter.
Makes 3 to 4 servings.

• 5 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits*
• 1/2 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 (8-ounce) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Bring 5 cups water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients until cheese is melted and mixture is blended. Serve immediately.

Bacon Fried and sprinkled over the top.

KITCHEN 101- EGGS

Tomato coconut shrimp curry

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup coconut full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled & devained
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
squeeze of lime, plus slices for serving
steamed basmati rice for serving

Next, in a small bowl, measure out your dry spices (coriander, cumin, tumeric, brown mustard seeds, cinnamon and cayenne) so you have them ready to go.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, a few pinches of salt, and cook, stirring, until translucent and lightly browned (about 3 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, and dry spices. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a bubbling simmer and then reduce heat. Simmer on low heat, stirring for about 3-5 more minutes. The sauce should reduce and thicken, but not burn.

Add shrimp and peas. Continue to cook on low heat until shrimp is cooked and peas are warmed through.

Remove from heat, add a squeeze of lime juice, and stir in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with basmati rice, cilantro yogurt, and extra lime wedges

cilantro yogurt:heaping 1/2 cup plain yogurt (icelandic, greek, vegan… whatever you like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons agave or honey
1 teaspoon minced onion (or onion powder)
1/2 medium or large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt, to taste

 In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except a bit of the cilantro and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add reserved cilantro on top for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Healthy Choices: Breakfast

 Eating a healthy breakfast while eating out.

Healthy Choice: Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

• Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of very fresh fish fillets - Halibut or Tilapia
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

• 1 doz corn tortillas
• Vegetable oil or butter
• 1 ripe Avocado
• Cabbage (or iceberg lettuce)
• Cider vinegar
• Salt

METHOD

 Prepare the cabbage and avocado. Thinly slice cabbage. Put in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle with cider vinegar (about a Tbsp) and salt (about a tsp). Mix in the vinegar and salt. Peel avocado and remove seed. Chop and reserve for later.

Heat the tortillas.  One way to easily soften and heat a tortilla to simply heat it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds on high heat, on top of a napkin or paper towel to absorb the moisture that is released. We often will heat two tortillas at once in the microwave, heating them for a total of 40 seconds.

Another way is to heat a well seasoned (black) large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spread a half a teaspoon of butter on one side of one tortilla. Place tortilla in the pan (butter side down if you are using butter). As the tortilla sizzles, flip the tortilla with a spatula so that the other side gets some of the oil or butter from the pan. Continue to flip every 10-30 seconds until the tortillas begins to develop air pockets, about a minute. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the temperature. You can skip the butter or oil if you wish and just heat the tortillas up on the skillet without them. We have found that the flavor of packaged tortillas benefits from heating them with a bit of oil.

Remove the tortilla from the pan and place it folded on a plate. If the pan is large enough you can prepare two or more tortillas at once. Continue until all the tortillas (estimate 3 per person) are cooked. Set aside.

 Cook the fish. Soak the fish fillets in cold water for at least one minute. Pat dry with a paper towel. Heat a large stick-free skillet to medium high heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet. Place fish on skillet. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets. A thin fillet may take only one minute on each side to cook. A thicker fillet may take a couple of minutes. Fish should be still barely translucent when cooked. Break off a piece and test if you are not sure. Do not overcook the fish. Remove from pan when done to a separate plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Yield: Serves four.

Healthy CHoice: THE NEW Quick & Light SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Your favorite cocktail sauce and a perfectly cooked cooled shrimp...

Eating Healthy: Tuna

Tuna with tomatoes and chopped green onions.

Canned tuna rules with 200 calories, 40 grams of lean protein and 5 grams of healthy fats. You can’t beat it!

Breakfast Cocktail

Fuzzy Navel with Vodka

3 shots of vodka
1 shot of peach schnapps
fill shaker with

Quick Dinner: Tequilla Lime Shrimp

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pinch garlic salt
• 1 pinch ground cumin
•  black pepper to taste
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 large lime, quartered

Directions

1. Whisk together the lime juice, tequila, olive oil, garlic salt, cumin, and black pepper in a bowl until well blended. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the shrimp, seal bag and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours before grilling.

1. Preheat  grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate,
2. Drain and discard marinade from shrimp.
3. Cook, uncovered, on preheated grill until shrimp turn pink, turning once, for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.

Strawberries are in season...

STRAWBERRY & SPINICH SALAD WITH PECANS

Quick Dinner: Scallops

•  8 dry sea scallops,
• 1 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

Watermelon, Feta and Basil Salad

Watermelon, Feta and Basil Salad

What You Need:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 8-lb seedless watermelon cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup reduced-fat feta
1 small sweet onion
1 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves

How-To:

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the basil and serve.

Misha's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 9 ounces macaroni
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2-2/3 cups milk
• 1-1/4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2-2/3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
•  
• 1-1/3 cups dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
4. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

What is a serving ?

1 serving of carbs = a clenched fist.

1 serving of protein = your flat hand.

 Eat as many veggies as you want.

EVOO

"Extra Virgin Olive Oil lowers cholesterol & blood pressure, & likelihood of heart disease, colon, breast & skin cancer."

12 oz Blackened Rib Eye w/ Pico de Gallo Ranch Smashed Red Skin Potatoes

Grill Ribeye on high heat grill for 5 minutes on each side before letting it rest for 5 minutes.

3 tomatoes chopped, 1 small red onion chopped, 3-4 scallions chopped,  1 handful chopped cilantro, 1 lime squeezed, 1 jalepeno 1 tsp garlic salt, + salt/pepper to taste!

Patron Cupcakes

I used a box of yellow cake mix so you can choose the brand you like best and

add 4 tbsp tequila I used patron but feel free to use what ever brand you like best
2 tbsp orange liqueur (I used Patron Citronge, other options include Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Contreau..)
zest of two limes + juice one lime

mix together well with mixer

follow direction on the box for baking instructions this recipe made 24 cupcakes.




Margarita Buttercream
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp tequila
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp orange liqueur
Cream butter until fluffy. Add half the powdered sugar along with the
milk, mix until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, the
tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur, and beat until fluffy. Add
more sugar or milk if needed for the right consistency.
Frost cupcakes.

Fuzzy Navel Jello Shots inside oranges

6 oranges
1 large pkg orange-flavored Jello
2 cups of boiling water
2 cups vodka
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 orange
1 oz peachschnapps


How to make it


Slice oranges in half. Using a spoon, scoop out all the flesh and divider pith. Reserve.
In a medium bowl, add Jello and boiling water. When Jello has dissolved, add vodka and remaining ingredients.
Pour liquid Jello into orange halves. Refrigerate for approximately 4 hours, or until firm.
To serve, slice each half into 3 wedges. REMEMBER, YOU ARE SERVING SOLID BOOZE.

PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES

PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES...

Batter :
1 (18.25-ounce) white cake mix, plus any additional ingredients the package directions call for
3 tablespoon pink lemonade drink powder
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest


Frosting:
1 lb confectioners sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoon frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest



Directions:

For the cake, in a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and lemonade powder. Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions, using any additional ingredients called for (eggs, milk, water, oil, etc…). Stir the lemon zest into the batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minuets. Carefully turn cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat together the confectioners’ sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the remaining ingredients until combined.
Transfer one cake to a cake stand or large platter. Using an offset spatula spread the top of the cake with a layer of frosting. Place the second cake on top of the first. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of both layers.

Fruit optional: cut up some of your favorite fruit and place it on top for deco... I love strawberries and they were in season.. soooooo.... WALA