Quick and Easy Frittata

1/4 # meat (I pulsed my bacon/sausage mixture with my Ninja)
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 # greens, finely chopped
3-4 eggs
2 oz cheese (also pulsed)
1 tsp butter
Your favorite iron skillet



 Preheat skillet 3-4 minutes on med-low

Add butter and swirl. 

Add onion and cook till translucent.

Add Bacon/ sausage mixture.

Add greens and cook for a few minutes to reduce.

Add eggs and poke the base all over, but don't stir. 

















Once eggs have a nice base and look 1/2 way done, add cheese.

Place under your preheated broiler, watching the entire time. 

Remove and check for doneness. 

Cheese will brown and bubble and eggs will be done. 

Enjoy!

Russian Borscht

1/2 head of red or green cabbage, shredded
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
3-4 medium beets, whole
1 red onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt/ pepper
Sour cream with fresh snipped dill
6 cups beef stock + water for beets

Cover clean beets in water and start to boil. 
After 30-45 minutes beets should be tender. 
Remove from pan and reserve water. 
Allow beets to cool, peel skins, and dice. 
Add stock, beet water, and potatoes. 
Boil until potatoes are tender. 
Add cabbage, onion, and tomato sauce. 
Keep simmering. Season and taste.
Serve hot and top with a dollop of  sour cream.

Easy Frittata

Click to enlarge

2 large eggs
1 tbs cream, or variant
1/2 c additions, aka: leftovers
Cooked turkey, purslane, and mushrooms
1/4 c shredded cheese

Pre-heat broiler. 
Crack and mix eggs with a fork using an over-under pattern to lightly fold eggs and cream.
Get an oiled cast iron skillet warm. 
Add eggs and stir, without stopping, until they start to form curds.
Gently shake pan to level out the eggs. 
Add your fillings, purslane, cooked turkey, mushrooms, ect. 
Top with 1/4 c shredded cheese.  and place under broiler, watching very closely. 
Your frittata will "rise and start to brown in a few short minutes. 
Once browned, pull from broiler and serve. 

Click to enlarge

Light Shrimp Alfredo with Garden Vegetables

2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 c vegetable stock
2 tbs wheat flour
4 oz Neuftechel cheese
1/2 # large shrimp, peeled/ deveined
3/4 c peas
1 medium zucchini
8 oz grape tomatoes, halved
Salt/ pepper to taste
Chopped Italian parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese

Add olive oil to large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. Stir fry until garlic starts to get fragrant.
Add raw shrimps and cook till pink, and just almost done, turning once.
Remove cooked shrimps and set aside.
Sprinkle flour and blend, add stock and turn heat to medium-high.
Add Neuftechel cheese and blend.
Add peas and zucchini and continue to simmer until cheese is blended in.
Add tomatoes
Return shrimps and add 6 oz fettuccine, cooked al dente, to pan.
Blend and serve topped with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Rosemary Seafood Chowder

Click To Enlarge

2 tbs Rosemary butter
3/4 c chopped carrots
3/4 c chopped celery
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped red pepper
2 c vegetable stock
3 c chopped potatoes
pinch salt/ pepper
3/4 c half n half
1/2 # chopped raw shrimp
1/2 # cod fillets
1/2 # clams in juice
1/2 # oysters
1 tsp corn starch

Add butter and veggies to pan on medium heat. Saute until soft and translucent. Add vegetable stock and potatoes and turn to medium high to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Mix half n half and corn starch and set aside. Take a potato masher and roughly mash 30% or so then add seafood. Under lid, let simmer on low for 5-7 minutes. Remove lid, stir, season, and add half n half/ cornstarch mix. Stir in and enjoy. 

Zucchini and Summer Squash Lasagna

Layer thin slices of summer
vegetables, cut with a mandolin slicer, with homemade sauce, mushrooms, garlic, and a 1 cup mixture of ricotta cheese, cottage cheese with 1-2 beaten eggs. Layer all and add to 400* oven for 1-1/2 hrs. Top with mozzarella cheese and pop back in the oven for 10 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 

Ricotta Pancakes and Smoked Pork Drizzled with Homemade Bourbon Syrup

Boxed pancake mix is only meant to be used as a shortcut. They are essentially asking to be, as my Mom would say, "doctored up." Today we used Jiffy mix and added to the standard recipe on the box. 
2 cups Jiffy mix
1 1/4 c milk
2 eggs
2 tbs oil
We did this and ran with it adding
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/3# smoked pork 
and bourbon syrup
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c regular sugar
1/4 t real vanilla extract
1/2 c water and
1/4 c bourbon, we used Makers, like there'd be any other. 
I had my pancake maker working the grill whilst I was making syrup and building these masterpieces. 
Add the sugars and water to a smallish (Tim Halverson-ism) pan on high heat just to boil.
Turn heat down to low, if you're using an electric stove remove while burner cools down. Let syrup barely bubble for 5-7 minutes or so and add bourbon. Stir and let rest while building the stacks. 
We added an egg cooked in brown butter, I know all these color distinctions, right?
Feel free to click for a larger image. 

Tequila, Lime, Shrimp, & Mango over Angel Hair Pasta

Sauté some garlic in olive oil, add some chopped red peppers, celery, and onions. 
Sauté until onions are translucent. 
Mix 2 tbs lime juice, 2 tbs tequila, and 1/2 tsp corn starch and set aside.
Add chopped mango to skillet, then thawed peeled raw shrimp. 
When shrimp begins to look pink on bottom, gently flip the shrimps over and cook an additional 2 minutes or so. 
Cook just until shrimp is 90% done and move everything to the outer edge of the pan. 
Add the tequila mixture to the middle well of the pan and agitate until it thickens. 
Mix well and serve over hot cooked whole wheat angel hair pasta.  

Easy Translation

Stuffed Buffalo Blue Cheese Chicken

2 oz cream cheese
1/4 c Blue cheese crumbled
1-1/2 # boneless chicken breast cut into 6 pcs
1/4 c flour
1/4 c Texas Pete's hot sauce (my favorite)
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 cups crushed kettle cooked potato chips

Preheat oven to 400*
Combine softened cheeses in a bowl
Cut slit in each piece of chicken and stuff with cheese mixture, set aside.
Combine flour in dish, salt, pepper, to season.
Combine Texas Pete and celery seed in another dish.
Crush chips in a third bowl.
Dust chicken with flour, sauce, then roll in chips.
Place cheese side up, on coated baking sheet. Spray chicken with cooking spray and bake at 400* for 30-40 minutes or until chicken reads 170* 

Jäger Bacon

Reduce 1 cup Jägermeister about 10 minutes on low simmer reducing by 1/2.  Be sure to sample the Jäger at least once before pouring into pan.
Dredge or brush bacon using all of the reduced Jäger and bake on a sheet pan at 375* for about 35-40 minutes. 

Zucchini Cheese Bites

3 cups thinly sliced unpeeled zucchini (4 small)

1 cup biscuit mix

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, slightly beaten

Poached Egg, Bacon, and Avocado Open-Faced Sandwich

This is really easy but I had to post. Just toast a bagel, add cream cheese (if desired,) smash 1/4 avocado onto each 1/2, season, add bacon, and top with a poached egg. Season again and serve. 

Classic Cast Iron Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lbs. ground pork

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup cracker crumbs

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Water

1 cup ketchup/ barbecue sauce if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the above ingredients, except for the water and ketchup, and mix together until well blended. Be careful not to handle the meat mixture to much. Shape into a round bun and place in the cast iron skillet. Pour water half way up in the skillet. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until meatloaf is done. Spoon ketchup over the meatloaf and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Cowboy Caviar

2 cans prepared organic black eyed peas
4 jalapeño peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 cup fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
Salt/ pepper to taste

Mix all together and refrigerate. Serve with pita, or your favorite, chips.

Corn Meal Palenta

1 roll corn meal Mush
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 stick butter
1 cup of your best spaghetti sauce
1 bunch Spinach leaves

Slice Mush into 1/2" slices and place on baking sheet
Top with pressed garlic, Parmesan cheese, butter pat, salt and pepper.
Broil 10 minutes or until crispy.
Place spinach leaves on plate, add broiled Mush, and top with sauce and more Parmesan.