Egg Roll Skillet

1/2# fresh sage pork sausage
1/2# ground round
1/2 onion, chopped fine
2 tbs sesame oil
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1 tbs grated ginger
2 tbs soy sauce
2 cups cooked rice

Brown ground meats until almost done and drain. Add onions. Add sesame oil, cabbage, and carrot.
Simmer a few minutes then add soy sauce and ginger. Give it a quick toss and add cooked rice.
Serve and enjoy.

Bacon-wrapped Butternut Squash Bites

1 butternut squash
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbs olive oil
1 # bacon

Peel and cube your squash
Toss in olive oil and dry ingredients
Wrap in 1/2 bacon slice placing the seam down

Bake on sheet pan in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes and check every 10 minutes or so after 30. 
Drizzle with your favorite BBQ sauce. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbs butter

1 small red onion
2 butternut squash or 4#
2 cups stock
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt/ pepper
Sour Cream for garnish.



Halve and clean the butternut squash, reserving seeds. 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
Place halved squash on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and brush with melted butter. 
Salt/ pepper modestly.
Bake until very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
While squash is roasting, melt butter in a small skillet over medium. Add onion, reduce heat, and cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. 
Transfer to a stock pot and let sit. 
Toss clean seeds in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season and transfer to sheet pan when squash comes out. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
When squash is cool, scoop out the squash flesh and add it to the pan along with 2 cups of your favorite chicken stock. 
Simmer for 10 minutes or so. 
Working carefully with an immersion blender, puree soup until you can no longer see pieces of squash or onion. 
Simmer 5 more minutes. 
Serve and garnish with sour cream and toasted squash seeds.
Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 C cooked/shredded chicken
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced or chopped
1 12 oz jar enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel peppers/ tomatoes 
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
2 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Chips and sour cream for garnish

Sautée onion, garlic, and celery in heated, heavy pot coated with olive oil. Once the garlic/ onion start to get really fragrant, add the remaining ingredients except chicken, and simmer for one hour. Add cooked chicken and stir in well. 
Serve with tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.
Eat well my friends. 

Kale Slaw

Ingredients:
1-2# kale, stems removed
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 small carrots, shredded
2 stalks celery, chopped
juice from 1/2 orange
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs real mayonnaise

Salt/pepper

Slice kale into ribbons, add sliced onion, carrot, and juices. Stir well and let the acids work the kale.
Add remaining ingredients and turn over several times to mix well. Let sit in cold storage, for at least an hour, before serving. 
Bon Appétit

Smoked Meat-loaf

Ingredients:
1-1/2 # lean ground meat
1/2 C V-8 juice
3/4 C Old-fashioned Quaker oats (dry)
1 Large egg (beaten)
2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 onion (chopped finely)
2-3 Celery stalks (chopped finely)
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Directions:
Prepare smoker to 225-250 degrees.
In large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly.
Mold into two or three loaves.
Place on smoker rack and cover. Smoke 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hrs to medium doneness, about 155-162*.  Let stand on cutting board, 5-10  minutes; drain off any juices before slicing.

Potato Smashies

Ingredients:
3# small red potatoes
Olive oil
Salt/pepper
Herbs
Butter (cut into little pieces)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
Place whole potatoes in a broil-pan. 
Pour 1 cup water into pan and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 33 1/2 minutes.
Cool potatoes for 8-10 minutes. 
Spray olive oil all over the outsides. 
If you don't have a Misto, you can just use your hands and rub olive oil all over them.
Smash potatoes with bottom of a small, heavy glass.
Spray over the tops with olive oil getting into the nooks and crannies. 
Season with cuts-up bits of butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. 
Bake 40 more minutes or until crispy and brown. 

Bon Appétit

Egg-less Pancakes with Smoked Pork and pure Ohio Maple Syrup

Ingredients:
1 C flour (or 1/2 and 1/2 whole wheat flour)
Dash salt
Dash cinnamon
2 big Tbs baking powder
2 Tbs melted real butter
1/2 Tbs real vanilla extract
Lastly, 1 C milk 

Directions:
Mix your dry ingredients in a bowl, add butter, vanilla, and finally add milk. Stir well but remember it's pancake batter so a few small lumps is OK.

Dollop onto medium-hot iron skillet or griddle. When bubbles appear edge to edge, flip your pancakes and cook another 45 sex to 1 minute.

When done, layer a heaping spoon of smoked pork between each pancake and serve with worm pure Ohio maple syrup.

Bon Appétit

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Buffalo Sauce

Ingredients:

1-2 heads of fresh cauliflower cut into bites

2-3 tbs olive oil
Salt/ pepper
2 tbs garlic powder

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 450*
Line a sheet-pan with foil if desired and spray
Toss cauli-bites into the olive oil and scatter on pan
Season with salt/pepper/garlic powder
Roast for 20-25 minutes, until edges start to brown
Remove from oven and toss in your favorite sauce.
I used my mock BW3 Garlic Sauce
Find it here Bill's Mock BW3 Spicy Garlic Sauce
Place it back into hot oven for 5-10 minutes more. 
Serve with celery sticks and Bleu cheese or Ranch dressing over a big mixed-greens salad.  

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Muffin

1 onion ring
1 egg
1 smoked sausage pattie
1 pc cheese
1 English Muffin

Pre-heat cast-iron skillet to medium-low. 
Toast English Muffin.

Add 1 tbs favorite oil and swirl to coat. Add a slice of raw onion to pan and crack egg into the middle.
















When egg is ready to flip, turn over and remove onion if desired. 
Warm your sausage pattie and add it to the toasted English Muffin, along with cheese. 
Break yolk and let cook another 30 seconds or so. Add egg to muffin and assemble.

Place sandwich in a covered bowl or wrap tightly with wax paper for 2 minutes. This is what the fast-food industry has on us. This is the step that makes the sandwich awesome. 

Unwrap and enjoy.

Blue Lump Crab Cakes

Cakes
9-12 oz Blue Lump Crab
2 tbs Mayo
2 eggs
1/2 c Panko
1/2 c total onion/celery, chopped fine
2 tbs chopped parsley
Seasonings

Sauce
2 tbs Mayo
2 tbs Texas Pete Hot Sauce




Drive to Foremost Seafood and ask for 3/4# of Blue Lump Crab......just kidding, use whatever you can get. 

Click to enlarge

Mix all 7 ingredients and lightly mix well being careful not to make mush. 
Add a few teaspoons butter/veg oil/ evoo/ or preferred fat to a medium hot cast iron skillet. Just at the smoke point, add large spoonfuls of crab mixture and flatten slightly with back of spatula. Let cook 4 minutes or just before smoke point and turn carefully. Cook other side 3-4 minutes or just before smoke point. Drain on paper towels and serve over spinach or other greens. 
Stir together the sauce ingredients until thoroughly mixed and drizzle over hot cakes. 
Smile, you're eating like a King. 

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