The best way to make butternut squash!

Butternut squash is an orange vegetable delight!  It's highly nutritional and low in calories.  Many people see a this large squash and wonder, how do I prepare that?  The answer is simple, roast it.  I know that I have repeatedly said this, but it does wonders for any vegetable.  Squash is one of the best to roast.  All the sugars create a wonderful caramelization and that allows the squash to exponentially increase its flavor.  Once roasted, it can be used on salads, turned into soup, pureed for a dessert or pasta or eaten by itself.  Squash lends it self to so many flavor combinations and can be any where on a menu.  So when you see this tastey treat in supermarket, don't pass it up.  It may surprise you!

Diced Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

• olive oil to coat

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss all ingredients and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cook 20-35 minutes or until its easily pierced with a fork.

Beautiful Roasted Squash 

A spring sangria!

Sangria hails from Spain. It typically was created using red wine, fruit, and brandy. This punch was produced because water was not safe yet to drink. It originally had spices, red wine and possibly water.

Nowadays, sangria can have any variety of wine, juices, sweeteners, liquor and fruit. It's basically an adult fruit punch. Any variety you can think of is out there. Of course, you can buy it pre-made at the supermarket, but its not nearly as delicious as homemade. When you make it yourself, you can customize it to the sweetness and alcohol content to your liking.

For spring, I wanted to make a sangria that screamed SPRING. If you can't find pink lemons, regular will do just fine. This delightfully pink sangria looks gorgeous and taste amazing! You make need to make a couple of pitchers for company.

Rhubarb Sangria

Serves: 6-8      Cook Time: 15 min      Prep Time: 5 min

• 4 stalks rhubarb, cut in to 1/2" pieces
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• 1 bottle sparkling wine or presecco (either rose or white)
• 1 cup selzter water
• 1 pink lemon, sliced

Rhubarb, sugar and water

Simmering rhubarb

Straining out rhubarb to reveal pink simple syrup

Directions

Combine rhubarb sugar and water. Cook until tender. Strain out rhubarb and reserve syrup. Save the cooked rhubarb to top ice cream, use in a tart, or to eat with yogurt! Place syrup in fridge. When syrup is cold, place in pitcher. Add sparkling wine, strawberries, lemon slices and top off with water.

A beautiful sangria for any occasion!

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 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!

A delightful garnish and snack!

Onion straws are a delicious snack and beautiful garnish.  You can buy them in can, but its so easy to make them from scratch!  The flavor and texture is outstanding.  Once you one of these you will not stop.  These are sure to become a family favorite.  Traditionally, I make these for Thanksgiving as a garnish for the green beans and mushrooms.  But I encourage you to experiment with these delightful garnish!

Thinly Sliced Vidalia Onions

Onion Straws

Coated Onions

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

• 2  Vidalia onions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat vegetable or canola oil to 350F. Mix flour,salt and pepper.  Line a plate with paper towels.  Once oil has reached 350F add a handful of onions to the flour mixture.  Coat the onions and shakes slightly to remove excess. Add to oil and cook until brown and crisp. Remove and salt again if needed. Enjoy!

Frying Onions at 350F

Add spices that may be added to the flour mixture include:

• cayenne
• chili powder
• seasoning salt
• garlic powder
• smoked paprika

These onion straws are great on items such as:

• green beans
• hamburgers
• steaks
• portabella mushrooms
• potatoes

Of course they are great on their own as well, but use your imagination.  These onion straws make an excellent garnish for many dishes and add to the presentation of the dish!

Crispy Onion Straws

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

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

An elegant dessert that's perfect for entertaining!

Poached pears are an elegant dessert that can be made ahead of time. Therefore, it's wonderful for entertaining. Just make the pears the day before and let it sit overnight to chill. When your guests come over, impress them with this beautifully plated dessert.

As well as being an exquisite dessert, it sneaks in some nutritional benefits too. The amount of calories in poached pears is far less than the average dessert. They are high in fiber, vitamin C and potassium for a nutrient boost. Enjoy this dessert without all the guilt.

Raspberry Lambic Poached Pears

Ingredients

Serves: 5           Cook Time: 40 min        Prep Time: 10 min

• 5 pears, peeled and stem in
• 1 750 ml bottle raspberry lambic
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup pure cranberry juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 strips orange zest
• 3 cloves
• 4 ounces creme fraiche
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• mint and fresh raspberries for garnish

Directions

Reduce to a syrup

Simmering pears

Combine lambic, sugar, vanilla, bean, orange zest, cloves, cinnamon, and cranberry juice in sauce pot. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Add pears and simmer pears 20-25 minutes or until tender. Make sure to immerse all sides of pear in liquid to color evenly. Remove and let cool. Meanwhile reduce the sauce until thick and syrupy, about 20-30 minutes. Remove cloves, cinnamon and vanilla bean. For creme fraiche, combine it with powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Slightly whip with whisk. Plate with raspberries, mint, creme fraiche and reduced sauce.

Beautifully Plated Pear

A powerful green smoothie!

Have you heard all the rage about green smoothies? They are the latest and greatest food craze. It is basically a smoothie made mostly of kale, spinach, lettuce, parsley, celery etc. Given that there are many benefits to eating deliciously green veggies. My friend in dayton was nice enough to come over and experiment with me to come up with a delicious green smoothie. This is a slight variation of what we came up with. If you like to drink your veggies, give this green smoothie a try!

Smoothie Ingredients

Finished Smoothie

Green Smoothie

Serves: 2       Cook Time: 0 min       Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 cup pineapple, diced
• 1 apple, diced
• 11 oz coconut water
• 2 cups kale or spinach

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth and there are no chunks left.  Enjoy the health benefits and the great taste of this green drink!

A delicious way to serve brussel sprouts!

Brussel sprouts are an amazing vegetable. I don't think they get much credit in food world. I used to hate sprouts as a young child and even throughout high school. Then I had them roasted. It changed everything. It made them sweet,tender and gave a depth of flavor with crispy edges. Now this is the main way I prepare these wonderful tiny cabbages.

Roasting is a must learn technique. It makes so many vegetables shine, especially those that are earthy. It caramelizes the sugars to bring out an amazing sweetness. So I encourage you to give these veggies another try. You might be surprised at the results.

Don't be afraid to try them using other techniques as well. They are great shaved or chiffonade in salad. A quick saute with some pancetta. So enjoy these wonderful veggies and all their nutrients.

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Prepped Sprouts

Serves: 2-3           Cook Time: 20 min        Prep Time: 10 min

• 11 oz brussel sprouts,cut in half and trimmed
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• thick balsamic to drizzle
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions

Roasted Sprouts

Toss sprouts in oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until tender. While still warm, drizzle with balsamic and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Sprouts in all their glory!

A quick and easy side!

Carrots are a wonderful vegetable and perfect for fall. They are fairly cheap and high in nutrients such as beta carotene. There are many ways to prepare these delightful veggies. My favorite herb with carrots is dill. It is a classic combination. Dill brings out the sweetness of the carrots and gives a great contrasting flavor. So if you want a quick and easy vegetable side, this is the way to go.

Roasted Rainbow Dill Carrots

Serves: 2-4           Cook Time: 20 min        Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 1/2 pounds rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced on a bias
• Olive oil to coat
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Directions

Heat oven to to 425F. Toss carrots in olive oil,salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan in a single layer. Cook 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Once out of the oven toss with chopped dill. Enjoy. If you do not like dill, mint or parsley could be substituted. This is a great way to get your veggies. Enjoy as a side with a variety of dishes!

A great way to start your day!

Want a wonderful way to start your day? This smoothie is your answer. It's loaded with powerful antioxidants within the blueberries, cacao, cherries, honey and greens. It is both filling and tastes wonderful. I love this smoothie! You'll feel great, and your body will love it too!








Antioxidant Smoothie

Serves: 2         Cook Time: 0 min         Prep Time: 5 min

• 1 Cup sweet cherries frozen
• ½ Cup blueberries
• 1 T cacao powder
• 3/4 Cup almond milk or yogurt
• 1 Cup spinach, arugula or other leafy green
• 1 T honey

Directions

Place in blender and puree.

A summery sangria!

When I'm entertaining, I like to have a cocktail that is a showstopper. Sangria fits the bill perfectly, plus it's simple to make, and looks amazing in a glass or pitcher. This is one of my favorite drinks because fruit is a main ingredient. The fruit shines through the wine and is wonderfully colorful. Sangria can easily be changed to fit any occasion, and can be made any time of year. For fall, make an apple sangria. At christmas, make a cranberry sangria. Don't be afraid to play around with different combinations of wine, fruit, and liquors. The only limit is your imagination. So have fun with it and invite some friends to try out your experiments!

Peach Sangria

Serves: 4-6         Cook Time: 0 min         Prep Time: 5 min

• 2 bottle Chenin Blanc/Voigner
• 1/2 Cup Peach Schnapps or Brandy
• 1 Cup Peach nectar
• 2 Peaches, thinly sliced
• 3 apricots thinly sliced

Directions

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate over night. Garnish with fresh mint or lemon balm.

Tip- Sangria flavors, can be made with any combination of wine, fruit and liquors. Here are a few ideas you might want to try!

• Rose wine, strawberries, strawberry dessert wine
• Red wine, apples, oranges, triple sec
• White wine, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, orange juice, triple sec
• White wine, honey dew, grapes, kiwis, white grape juice, rum
• Red wine, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, brandy, sprite
• White wine, pineapple, mango, kiwi, pineapple juice, rum

Drink me!

For a friend

The sweeter side of salsa!

Most salsa usually involves dicing up tomatoes and adding aromatics (onions, garlic, pepper). This unique salsa has a couple of twists from the traditional. First, it is made up of stone fruits: peaches, nectarines and plums. Next, it is not spicy at all. This fruity salsa could be a healthy dessert or a great snack. Lastly, the fruit in this salsa is grilled to add another level of flavor and complexity. Enjoy another great grilling recipe for the summer!

Grilled Stone Fruit Salsa

Serves: 4          Cook Time: 2 min          Prep Time: 10 min

• 2 peaches
• 2 nectarines
• 2 plums
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons honey, divided
• 4 Sprigs Lemon Balm, chiffonade
• Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips for dipping

Directions

Cut all stone fruit in half around the pit, remove pit and arrange on sheet tray. Combine melted butter and 1 tablespoon of honey. Brush the flesh side with honey and butter mixer. Meanwhile, heat grill until very hot. Once heated, place flesh side down. Let cook 1-2 minutes or until char marks are formed. Remove and place on parchment lined sheet pan. Once cool, dice. Combine with remaining ingredients. Garnish with whole lemon balm leaves. If you cannot find lemon balm, you can use lemon verbena, basil or mint instead. Enjoy as a healthy snack or place over yogurt or ice cream. The fruit alone can be eaten with ice cream or yogurt as well.

Tip- Chiffonade, this word sounds much more complicated than it is.  This culinary term means to shred.  In order to do this, stack a few leaves and roll up.  Slice vertically in to thin shreds.  It helps if your knife is very sharp.  This can be done with mint or basil as well.  It may be used on spinach or other greens to create a beautiful quick cooking greens, that can be sautéed or cooked in broth.

A nutty treat!

Candied walnut nuts are a favorite of my family and friends. They are often used on salads as a topping to add to the variety of flavors. Candied nuts are also delicious on their own, and can even be used in cookies and cakes. When placed in a nice bag with a ribbon, they make a great edible gift. This technique can be done with any nut you have on hand. I have used candied pine nuts, almonds, and pecans in past dishes.

The basis of this recipe is to create a caramel by melting and heating sugar,which will darken due to the Maillard reaction. The caramel while still hot is used to coat the nut of your choice.

Toasting walnuts

Candied Walnuts

• 3 cups walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt to taste

Directions

Heat sugar and water until boiling and do not stir. Slowly the mixture will start to turn brown around the edges. When this happens, swirl the pan or stir slightly for even browning. After the mixture has turned completely brown, turn off heat. Add vanilla and salt. Stir in toasted walnuts. Let cool on lined sheet pan. Then break apart.

Stages of caramelization

Tip- Melted sugar is VERY HOT and sticky. Be very careful, as it will easily stick to you and leave a nasty burn. Never touch cooking sugar until it cools down. This is a basic caramel and it can go from done to burnt in a few short seconds. So keep a close eye on it and don't leave the stove.