A preservative free taco mix!

Who doesn't love tacos? But who wants to take the time to marinade or put together seasonings, when the store has it done for you? The only problem with that is they often contain ingredients such as silicon dioxide (sand), MSG(monosodium glutamate) and sulfites. This recipe allows you to enjoy your tacos with less guilt and pure ingredients. It is great on vegetables and beans as well!

Taco Seasoning Mix

Yields-approximately 3 cups

• 1 1/4 Cups Chili Powder
• 1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Ground Coriander
• 2 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Store in an air tight container.

To use: Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground meat of your choice. Cook until browned and cooked through. Stir to break into pieces. Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water or broth(chicken, beef). Cook until mixture thickens. Top meat with your choice of veggies (avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapenos) and serve with your choice of cheese. Keep this mix on hand to make a quick and easy dinner! Enjoy your taco night without the preservatives!

A magnificent butternut squash soup!

Nothing is better than a warm bowl of soup on a freezing cold day. Right now we are experiencing very frigid weather with temperatures of 7 degrees or below. A soup like this would be perfect serve with this weather because it will warm you and your household.

This butternut squash soup is full of flavor and looks beautiful as well. It has settle complexities of flavor with the curry, sweet pears and delicate squash. If you didn't like butternut squash soup before you will now. It is sure to change your mind. As a added bonus this recipe is perfect for entertaining because it can be made a day ahead and then reheated and garnished when served. It is sure to impress your guests. To make this recipe vegan, omit the cream and use vegetable broth.

sauteed onions

roasted butternut squash

roasted pears

prepped pears

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Serves: 4-6      Cook Time:  30 min   Prep Time: 40 min

Simmering squash to enhance flavors

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, roasted
• 6 d'anjou pears, diced and roasted
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ceyenne
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1/4 cup pepitas toasted for garnish

Directions

To roast pears, toss with 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons evoo. Roast at 400F for 15 minutes. To make soup, heat stock pan over medium heat.  Saute onions in olive oil until tender and translucent. Add squash and 4 pears. Saute for a couple minutes more. Add broth, curry powder, and ceyenne. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with reserved pears and pepitas.

An amazing butternut squash soup!

Back to Basics:hard boiled eggs

Hard boiled eggs are simple food, yet many people struggle with leaving the sulfur ring behind.  It is easy to loose track of time and forget about those pesky eggs.  But they are great to have on hand to add to salads, snack on or make the perfect deviled eggs. Of course you can find various methods on pinterest, but this way is reliable and will give you great results everytime. So if your looking for the perfect hard boiled egg, look no further. This is for you!

Perfect Hard boiled eggs

• 10 eggs
• water to cover

Directions
Place eggs in sauce pot or pan.  Cover with cold water.  Heat until boiling. Let boil one minute. Turn off heat and let it cook 9 more minutes. Place in an ice bath until cold to stop the cooking. Peel and enjoy!

Delicious Hard Boiled Eggs

A sweet n' spicy chicken!

As I'm sure you know, I'm a huge advocate of roasting food to perfection. There are a plethora of ways to roast chicken, but this is my new favorite.This delicious chicken is perfect for entertaining.The skin of the chicken is crispy, caramelized and spicy. If you are not a fan of spice, substitute with paprika or chili powder. This chicken goes fast in my house and it will in yours as well. Its wonderful served with roasted potatoes and a light salad.

Trussed and Patted Dry Chicken

Spicy Cayenne and Honey

Honey Cayenne Mixture

Honey Cayenne Glazed Chicken

Honey Cayenne Chicken

Serves: 4-6      Cook Time:  1 hour   Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 whole 3-4 lb. roasting chicken, patted dry
• 1/2 cup honey
• 11/2 Tablespoons cayenne
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Coating
• salt and papper

Preheat oven to 450F. Loosen skin over the breast by placing your fingers underneath skin and separating skin from meat. Place some of the mixture underneath the skin. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Cover with a thin coat of olive oil. Use half of the honey cayenne mixture to coat the skin. Roast breast side up and baste every 30 minutes until the rest of the mixture is gone. Cook until a thermometer inserted in between the thigh and breast bone reaches 155F.  Approximately 1-1 1/2 hours. Let rest for a least 20-30 minutes before carving. While the chicken is resting it will continue to cook. This is called carryover cooking. The larger the piece of meat, the more carryover cooking will occur, because there is so much heat trapped inside. When the internal temperature reaches 165F the chicken is ready.

Delectable Roast Chicken

Back to Basics: Vanilla Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a exceptional sweetener.  It can be used in your morning coffee, afternoon iced tea or  add some sparkle to your dessert.  Flavor it with herbs such as basil, mint, lavender, sage or rosemary. You can add berries or other fruits to flavor your syrup, as shown in the rhubarb sangria! But let your imagination run wild and take your cocktails or desserts to a new level of flavor.

Vanilla syrup steeping

Ingredients

Serves: 6   Cook Time: 5 min      Prep Time: 0 min    Yield: 2 cups

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 vanilla beans

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Heat until sugar is dissolved.  Let vanilla steep for at least 40 minutes or longer if you want a stronger flavor.  When finished with the vanilla beans.  Let dry and add to sugar for an enticing flavor that is wonderful in cookies and pastries!

Finished syrup

Back to Basics: Caramelized Onions

Onions cut 1/4" thin for optimal caramelization

Honestly, I'm not a big onion fan. My friends would tell you how I loath the thought of them in anything. Yet, when caramelized something magical happens. The natural sweetness of the onion comes out. The texture becomes soft and the onion reduces down to a wonderful complex sweetness. The result is an ingredient that can be used in almost anything. They are great in fritattas, on sandwiches, pizza, soups or added to your favorite dressing. Keep these onions on hand for a wonderful boost of flavor in your everyday dishes!

Onions being sautéed

Caramelized Onions

Yields: 1 cup   Cook Time: 20 min      Prep Time: 2 min

• 2 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 Onion, sliced 1/4" thin

Directions

Onions beginning to caramelize

Heat pan on medium high heat. Add onions and let sit for 4-5 minutes. Once it starts to brown, stir more frequently. Continue cooking until onions are brown/tan and have dramatically reduced in size. It take approximately 15-20 minutes.

Finished onions

Back to Basics: Roasting Garlic

Roasting garlic is one of the most effortless skills in the kitchen. In this recipe, I only used two heads but I would recommend roasting 6 or so at a time. Once you make this, it will become a staple in your household.  This simple technique can result outstanding flavor profiles.

Roasting garlic highlights the sweetness garlic has within. The caramelization that occurs makes it perfect for a variety of uses or magnificent on its own.  It keeps a week or so in the fridge. You can add it to:

• pizza
• sauces 
• spread it on bread
• hummus
• mix into salad dressing
• mashed potatoes
• soups
• compound butter
• mayo
• favorite dip

Roasted Garlic

Cook Time: 30-60 min      Prep Time: 2 min

• 2 heads garlic
• olive oil

Garlic wrapped in aluminum foil

Garlic bulb drizzled with olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the tops off the heads of garlic. Enough to expose the cloves. Place in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in oven. Cook approximately 30-60 minutes or until tender! Enjoy!

Finished garlic!

A B.V.I specialty cocktail!

The view on Tortolla

I recently went to the British Virgin Islands. The water was a brilliant turquoise and you could smell the salty ocean in the air. The mountainous region was covered in tropical plants and large cactus. The locals were always greeting you with a smile. In this wonderful paradise, the drinks were abundant and magnificent! One of the signature drinks of the B.V.I. was the painkiller. This drink lives up to its name! Its a lighter take on the popular Pina colada. The grated nutmeg may seem strange, but brings this drink to another level of flavor. The inventor of this drink is said to be the bartender at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jose Van Dyke, but it is still debated. This was my favorite drink of choice while in the islands. If made with the local rum from Tortola, it can almost take you back to paradise. Take a trip to paradise and make this amazing drink!

BVI Specialty Rum

Ingredients for the cocktail

Painkiller

Serves: 1   Cook Time: 0 min      Prep Time: 2 min

• 3 oz. dark rum
• 3 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz oj
• 11/2 oz cream of coconut
• garnish with fresh nutmeg and pineapple wedge

Directions

Place all ingredients except for nutmeg and pineapple wedge in shaker with ice. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and pineapple. Enjoy!

Grated nutmeg is the final touch

A nutty smoothy!

Smoothies are my go to morning breakfast. They are loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, they taste delicious too! It's a great way to sneak some veggies in as well. This smoothie is so scrumptious that it could be served as a dessert. Sometimes, I add cacao powder for an extra oxidant boost. If your allergic to peanuts, substitute cashew, almond, or walnut butter. To spice this drink up a bit add cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serves: 2   Cook Time: 0 min      Prep Time: 2 min

• 1 Cup Milk or Milk Substitute
• 1 large ripe Banana, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Honey
• a handful of ice

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender and enjoy.

A healthy dip!

Hummus is a wonderful middle eastern dip to have in your fridge. Instead of buying those expensive and high in sodium pre made hummus, try making it yourself. It will save you some money and taste fabulous!

Hummus is not only easy and taste great, but its a great source of nutrients. It's highly nutritional due to a high source of fiber and protein.  Hummus is low in sodium, fat and calories. The veggies that you dip in it, give you an additional nutritional boost. Enjoy this snack and be guilt free.

It took me awhile to achieve a smooth hummus. I had made it multiple times before and couldn't perfect the texture. There were many techniques to increase it being smooth, but did I really wanna spend time removing all the skins from chickpeas or starting from dried beans? This is supposed to be a quick and easy snack. After many trials and recipe adjustments, I had found a wonderfully quick way to make a beautifully smooth hummus.

Hummus Ingredients

Hummus

All ingredients are in

• 1 15 oz. can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, drained and liquid reserved

• 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Lemon, juiced and zested (zest optional)

• 2 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame seed paste)

• 1/4 Cup Chickpea Liquid

• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

• 1 Clove Garlic

• Salt to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except lemon zest in food processor or Vitamix. Make sure to stir your tahini. It is like the peanut butter of the middle east. It separates when it sits, so mix it up a bit. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and lemon zest to taste. Serve with cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, pita bread, or pita chips.

A delightful dip!

Some alternative uses for hummus include:

• middle eastern style seven layer dip
• middle eastern style pizza
• sandwich spread
• can be made in a light salad dressing
• serve with falafel

A colorful presentation!

An easy and elegant dinner!

Roast chicken is an amazing food that makes a beautiful presentation.  It is super simple to make and the flavor possibilities are endless! Here is the way that I make roast chicken frequently, but feel free to change it to your preferences.

Prepped Chicken

Herb Roasted Chicken

Serves: 6-8   Cook Time: 3-4 min      Prep Time: 5 min

Golden Brown and Flavorful Chicken

• 1 whole chicken
• 3 Sprigs thyme
• 3 sprigs sage
• 1 lemon
• 5 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• Olive oil to coat

Preheat oven to 450F. Place half a lemon, 1 onion cut in half in the cavity of the chicken.  Place the herbs underneath skin of the breasts.  Coat skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a bed of  celery, onion and carrots.  Cook chicken to at least 160F. It needs to cook for about an hour and half or so. Let the chicken rest for twenty minutes, in order to continue cooking the chicken.  The temperature will continue to raise to 165F.  This will allows the juices to redistribute giving you a juicy chicken breast or thigh.  Enjoy this wonderful dish and impress your guests!

A warming winter soup!

Nothing says comfort in the winter like a warm, welcoming soup. It heats you up inside and out. Plus, you can freeze the leftovers to enjoy at another time. As a bonus, this soup is cooks up quickly and can be made with items that you would have on hand anyway. For a richer soup, add a couple tablespoons of butter and some heavy cream. It will give the soup a creamier mouthfeel and more velvety texture.

Carrot Dill Soup

Diced Aromatics

• 2 pounds carrots peeled and sliced
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup fresh dill chopped

Directions

Pureed Soup

Adding carrots and sautéing

Saute onions and celery in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add carrots and cook for another 3 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer until carrots are tender. Puree using an immersion blender or blender. Add fresh dill and combine throughly. Serve with toasted baguette or in a bread bowl.

Finished Soup

Turkey for Two!

Turkey is a must at Thanksgiving! But who wants to buy an entire turkey for only two people? It is just to much food and such an expense. This quick and easy dish will solve all your problems. If you wish, you can purchase a much larger turkey breast in order to have leftovers. Just remember the cooking time will increase as well.

Turkey Cutlets with Herbed Reduction Sauce

Serves: 2        Cook Time: 25 min        Prep Time: 5 min

• 2 boneless skinless turkey breasts, seasoning with salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 1/4 turkey broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs sage
• 2 tablespoons minced onions
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Heat saute pan until oil shimmers and smokes. Add turkey breast skin side down. DO NOT TOUCH for 3-4 minutes and repeat on other side. Transfer turkey to sheet pan. Place in oven and bake 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

Deglazing with Wine

Adding Herbs and Stock

Final Reduction

Add wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce by wine half and add onions. Next add broth, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cream. Reduce by about half or until it coats the back of the spoon. Serve with Turkey. Don't forget these classic sides: Stuffing with Dried Cranberries and Herbs and Herbed Infused Mashed Potatoes.

A starchy side fit for Thanksgiving!

I can't imagine a Thanksgiving that didn't have mashed potatoes on the menu. Every year I would help my mom make them in the kitchen with our hand mixer or potato masher. They were very simple, milk, potatoes, salt and pepper. Then one year, we decided to use a ricer to make this delectable side. The resulting mashed potatoes were light and airy. I haven't made them any other way since. This technique makes a huge difference in texture. It prevents you from getting that gluey mashed potato. The best part is a ricer only costs 5 or 10 dollars. Which is not much to pay for perfect mashed potatoes! So enjoy these mashed potatoes and change it up with any herbs you'd prefer or have on hand.

Herb Infused Mashed Potatoes

Serves: 8-10        Cook Time: 35 min        Prep Time: 15 min

• 1 1/2 lbs. yukon gold whole
• 1 1/2 lbs russetts whole
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/4 cups cream
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

	Cover potatoes with cold water. Place on medium high heat and cook until easily pierced with a knife.
Meanwhile, place butter, milk, cream and herbs in a saucepan. Bring to simmer and reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes.
	Drain potatoes. Cut in half and push through a ricer. Removing the potato skins from the ricer as necessary. Add heated milk mixture to potatoes and combine thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

A new spin on a Thanksgiving favorite!

Cranberry sauce is a classic for the holiday feast. I don't know anyone that celebrates with out it. I know this is not the jellied can stuff, but it tastes exceedingly better. I wanted to put a spin on the classic version, so changed it up a bit with using the lambic. Apple cider maybe used, if you don't want the alcohol. I encourage you make this dish for your Thanksgiving feast. It's a very easy dish to make and tastes wonderful!

Sauce Ingredients

Apple Lambic Cranberry Sauce

Simmering Cranberries

Serves: 4-6   Cook Time: 15 min      Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 12 oz. bag cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup apple lambic or apple cider
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan except ground cinnamon. Bring to simmer and boil for 10-15 minutes. After it is done cooking add ground cinnamon and stir to combine. Remove cinnamon stick and allow to cool before serving.

Final Presentation

Baked potato or gourmet side?

Sweet potatoes are a nutritional power house in the kitchen. They contain high amounts of Vitamin A&C, B6, Potassium and Manganese. Plus, they are easy to bake and add great color to any plate. Normally, a baked potato is not a stunning side dish. This recipe brings them to an entirely different level. The piped compound butter and maple pecans elevate this dish. It makes a gourmet presentation. Keep the compound butter in the freezer for future use. The pecans can be used on salads, cheese plates, or eaten as a snack.

For another plating option, you could scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and combine it with some of the butter. Then place in a casserole dish. Heat up and top with pecans before serving. This would make an excellent dish to prepare for Thanksgiving day!

Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Butter and Maple Glazed Pecans

Serves: 5           Cook Time: 1 hour        Prep Time: 15 min

Sweet Potatoes

• 5 Sweet potatoes, washed

Spiced Butter

• 1 stick butter,softened
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• half of orange zested
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• salt

Maple Glazed Pecans

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place potatoes on parchment lined sheet tray evenly apart. Cook for 1 hour or until soft when pierced with a fork.


Combine butter, spices, salt, zest and juice. Then either pipe on sheet tray or place in saran wrap and form into a roll.


Bring maple syrup up to a boil. Then add pecans. Cook until thick and syrupy about 3-5 minutes. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and let cool. Break apart and store in cool dry place.

Tip- Compound butter is a a butter that has spices, herbs or even fruit added. This adds extra flavor and the combinations are endless. It is often used as a sauce on steaks or fish. I encourage you to experiment with this in your own kitchen!