Huli Huli Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) chicken, quartered
1/2 cup shoyu or soy sauce
1/2 cup pureed pineapple chunks (or frozen pineapple concentrate)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 finger ginger, finely grated
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Special Equipment
Smoker grill
Mesquite coals
Mesquite chunks (soaked in water at least 1 hour)
Marinade mop

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into quarters, and place pieces in a large Ziploc bag.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, pineapple, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and Worcestershire. Pour half the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag with the chicken. Set aside remaining marinade for mopping chicken during cooking. Refrigerate chicken for 30 minutes.
3. To prepare the smoker: Use a chimney to light your mesquite chunks or lump charcoal. When they’re flaming and charred on the outside, dump the coals into your smoker. When the temperature reaches 250°F, add a handful of soaked mesquite chips to your coals to get some smoke going.
4. Remove chicken from the marinade, discarding marinade that has come into contact with the raw chicken.
5. Place the chicken on the grill, bone-side down, and mop the chicken with your reserved marinade. Flip and mop the chicken every 10-15 minutes until internal temp reaches 180°F, between 2 and 3 hours. Pull the chicken off the grill, and tent it under foil for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Alternate Cooking Methods:
To Smoke/Grill: Smoke the chicken for around 90 minutes, and finish it on a traditional grill over medium heat. Turn and mop the chicken every 4-5 minutes to keep the brown sugar from burning. Remove from heat and tent with foil for at least 15 minutes.

To Broil: Line a broiler pan with foil. Keep chicken and marinade separate. Broil chicken, skin side up, on the broiler pan, for 10 minutes on each side. Then turn and baste with marinade every 5 minutes until browned, about 20 minutes total.

Orange Pistachio Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
Grated zest of 2 large oranges or 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shelled pistachios, salted or unsalted, left whole

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, with the rack in the center position. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone pan liners or parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the almond extract, orange zest and the flour mixture. Once the flour mixture is totally incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they begin to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. The centers should remain pale. (If you like flat, crisp, chewy cookies, slam the cookie sheets down on a work surface halfway through the baking time. If you like softer cookies, skip that step.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Bake the remaining cookies in the same way.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Note: These make great freeze-and-serve cookies. Form the dough into 2 logs 10 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: Use a sharp knife to cut the still frozen dough into 3/4-inch slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and allow them to defrost for 15 minutes before baking them according to the directions above.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
6 baked 2-inch Cream Biscuits (recipe below)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar.
2. Remove 1 cup of the strawberry mixture, and purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the rest of the strawberries; stir. Set aside at least 15 minutes.
3. In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.
4. Slice the Cream Biscuits in half. For each biscuit, spoon the strawberry mixture onto the bottom half, and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other biscuit half, and dust it with powdered sugar.

Cream Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar (if using) and baking powder.
3. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips. The pieces should be the size of small peas.
4. Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 3/4 inch thick.
5. Cut six 2-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, if necessary.
6. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream.
7. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden and done.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound snow peas (or asparagus, sliced into thirds)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Up to 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan. Rub the skin with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Let cool. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
3. Combine the chicken, snow peas and peppers in a large bowl.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients, and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds, and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Glazed Mini Meatloaf

Makes 4-5 mini meat loaves.

Ingredients:

Meatloaves:

17-20 saltine crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)

1/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (I used a combination of lean ground chuck and lean ground pork)

2 teaspoons oil

Glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add ground meat and combine until uniform. Shape mixture into oval loaves Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling. Add meatloaves (without letting them touch sides) and brown well on one side, 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip loaves over and tidy up edges using a spatula. Brown on this side for another 2-3 minutes

Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer mini meatloaves to a foil-lined baking pan and spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Honey Glazed Ham

Most baked ham recipes call for heating the ham to an internal temp of 140°F. But you can heat it to a lower temp, you just want it to be warm enough to eat. The higher the internal temp, the more risk there is of drying out the ham. So the guideline here is 110°F to 120°F, but heat it to a higher temp if you want. Remember, the ham is already cooked, so you're not cooking it here, you're just heating it. If you are working with a partially cooked ham, and not a ready-to-eat ham, follow the cooking directions on the package, most suggest cooking a partially cooked ham to 150°F. Half hams are either cut from the shank end or from the butt end. The butt end may have more meat, but because of the shape of the bone at that end, is more difficult to cut. The hams pictured here are both from the shank end.

Ingredients:
1/2 ready-to-eat, cooked ham, bone-in, uncut (NOT spiral cut), shank end or butt end, about 9-11 pounds

Sweet Hot Honey Mustard Glaze:
3 Tbsp sweet hot honey mustard (or brown mustard with honey)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
About 50 cloves
OR
Honey Thyme Glaze
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dry)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1 Remove the ham from the refrigerator (still wrapped) a couple of hours before you intend to cook it so that it can get closer to room temperature.

2 Preheat oven to 325°F. Place ham, fattier side up, in a foil-lined roasting pan. Score a diamond pattern in the fat with a sharp knife, about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch deep, and the parallel lines about 1 1/2-inches apart. Do not score the meat itself, just the fat and any skin. You can score the fat to as deep as where the fat meets the meat. If you want you can first cut off any skin that might still be on the ham, but it isn't necessary.

3 If using cloves (with the Sweet Honey Mustard Glaze), you can either put them in before applying the glaze or after. They look better if applied after, but it is easier to see the lines in the ham as a guide for placement if you put them in first. Place the cloves in the center of the diamonds to form a nice pattern around the top and sides of the ham. (Some people put the cloves in the intersection points of the scores. Do as you wish. You just want a nice pattern.)

4 Prepare glaze.
If using the sweet honey mustard glaze, mix the mustard with the brown sugar in a small bowl.
If using the honey thyme glaze, mix thyme in with the hot melted butter and let sit for a few minutes. In a small saucepan on high heat, let the cider vinegar reduce down from 1/4 cup to 1 Tbsp, remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and thyme. Add the honey, the brown sugar, and the Worcestershire sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush whichever glaze you are using over the ham. Only use about third of the glaze (reserve the rest for later in cooking). Try to work the glaze into the scored lines.

5 Place ham in oven. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour, will take longer if the ham is not at room temp to begin with), or about 10 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the ham is 110°-120° (use a meat thermometer). (Note that the ham is already cooked when you buy it, all you are trying to do is heat it up for eating.) Baste the ham with the glaze a couple of times during the cooking. If you check on the ham and think that the glaze is at risk of getting too browned (like on the way to burnt), you can cover with a piece of foil.

6 When the ham has reached the desired temperature, finish it off in the broiler for a minute or two just to get some nice browning on the top. Take the pan out of the oven and brush the ham all over with pan juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Bark

Ingredients:

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

½ cup dried sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (or other nuts)

2 tablespoons coconut, toasted

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:

Melt the 3 ounces of high quality white chocolate over a double-boiler of simmering water or slowly in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add the cranberries, pecans, coconut, and almond extract. Drop onto waxed paper or use a mold. Melt the remaining 3 ounces white chocolate and drizzle in a crisscross pattern using a piping bag. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. Store in an airtight container. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.

Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1½ pound total)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

¼ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil; ½ ounce), patted dry and coarsely chopped

¾ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

¼ cup dry white wine

¾ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions:

Dry the meat with a paper towel and season with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes total. (Chicken will not be cooked through.) Set aside.Add garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to pan and sauté, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Reduce this mixture by half, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, mustard and soy sauce and bring to a boil, covered.Add chicken to skillet with any juices accumulated on plate and simmer, covered, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Set chicken aside and tent with foil. Purée sauce with either an immersion or stand blender until almost smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids in a stand blender.) If necessary, add water to thin to desired consistency. (Can be made ahead up to this point and frozen.) Stir cream and 2 tablespoons basil into sauce in pan and bring just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken and garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons basil.

Shrimp and Avacado Cornets

Ingredients:
1/3 lb shrimp - peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped

1 avocado - peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 tbsp minced cilantro

1 tbsp minced shallots (I used scallions)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, avocado, cilantro, shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin.On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 sheet of pastry to measure 12 inches square. Cut into thirds in one direction, then into quarters in the other. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally to form 2 triangles. Place one triangle with long side nearest you. Spoon 1 tsp of filling in the center of the triangle. Bring bottom corner of the shortest side up to the top point, then wrap remaining corner to create bottom of the cone. Pinch to seal, then transfer to baking sheet. (I placed the pastry triangles on the baking sheet before filling them with the mixture - it was a lot easier that way!)Repeat proceedure with remaining puff pastry sheets. Bake in heated oven 17-19 minutes, or until golden (my oven took 15 minutes exactly and they came out perfect).

Granola Grabbers

Ingredients:

3 cups granola without fruit

3/4 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1/3 cup wheat germ

1-3/4 sticks (14 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup AP flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Put cereal in a large bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers. Add in craisins, peanuts, coconut. Mix together. Cream butter at medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add sugars and beat until creamy. Add in egg and salt. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in flour a little at a time until just blended.Slowly add the cereal mixture and use a spatula to fold it into the cookie batter. Scoop out the cookie dough in 1/2-1oz balls (depending on how big you want the cookies) and arrange on baking sheet about 1-2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.

I subbed chocolate & cinnamon chips for the raisins, used half regular granola & half spiced pumpkin granola and used walnuts instead of almonds… the result = fabulous!

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

2-1/3 c all-purpose flour

1 c unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbsp (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, at room temperature

1-1/2 c buttermilk, at room temperature

24 Oreos, one side twisted off and reserved for frosting

For the frosting/filling:

1-1/4 c whipping cream

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c Oreo cookie crumbs, made from reserved Oreo sides

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Place one oreo in each liner, cream side up.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating after each addition.
Divide the batter between the prepared liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 19 to 24 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

For the frosting/filling:In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag (or gallon sized ziplock bag), and using a 1M tip, inject filling into each cupcake by sticking the tip into the middle of the cupcake and squeezing a bit. Frost the cupcakes and top with 1/2 of an Oreo.

Let the cupcakes cake cool completely before filling and frosting.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock, homemade or purchased (I use reduced sodium)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I like to roast mine)
½ white onion, chopped
(I also add 2-3 zucchinis, chopped)
2 teaspoons chili powder (I also use 1 teaspoon or so of cumin)
juice from 3-4 limes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled tortilla chips

Directions:

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and zucchini and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and stir until fragrant. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and garnishes.

Garnish ideas:
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped avocado
fresh chopped cilantro

World Peace Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips

Directions:

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on a medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. If there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough – for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the four is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours (the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, there's no need to defrost it before baking – just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer).

Grilled Squash

Ingredients:
One large zucchini, sliced
Two small summer squash, sliced
Olive oil
sea salt, pepper, seasoning salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss sliced zucchini and squash with olive oil (as much as you'd like), salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Grill on one side for 3-5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes. I like to add green chile to this mix and sweet corn never hurts either.

Turkey Meatball Sub

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce
sub rolls
provolone or mozzarella cheese-2 slices per sub

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Form the turkey mixture into balls and place in the skillet. Turn the meatballs every couple minutes to brown on all sides. Add marinara sauce to the pan, cover and let simmer over low heat about 15 minutes to ensure the meatballs are completely cooked. Place 4 meatballs on each sub roll that has been sliced lengthwise and spoon the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Top with cheese (I used shredded mozzarella this time, but provolone is delicious as well) and place under the broiler for a couple minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. pumpkin

2 egg whites, whipped

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup AP and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

3 c. rolled oats

1 c. raisins (I omitted)

1 c. powdered sugar

1 or 2 drops maple extract

splash of milk

Directions:

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine pumpkin and egg whites. In a separate bowl combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oats, and raisins (batter will be very dry at first). Mix ingredients together just until moistened.Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet, 2" apart. You can leave the cookies in the shape of a ball (the baked cookie will still be a ball) or flatten them out with the bottom of a glass before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
For Glaze: mix the powdered sugar, milk and maple extract in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled cookies.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup ranch salad dressing

1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup buffalo sauce or buffalo style barbecue sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (shredded mozzarella cheese can be substituted)

2 cans chicken breast (or if you're uncomfortable with canned meat, you can shred up a rotisserie chicken.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, salad dress, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in chicken. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the dish is heated through. Serve with crackers, pita chips, sliced bread or vegetables.

NOTE: Depending on your tastes and the ingredients on hand, you can use 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese salad rather than 1/4 cup of each. Similarly, you can mix blue cheese and mozzarella, or use portions of each.

French Macaroons

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup powdered almonds or pecans

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

Nutella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a piece of parchment, use a pencil to draw 1-inch circles about 2 inches apart. Flip each sheet over and place each sheet on a baking sheet. Note: You only have to draw circles on the parchment paper if you want absolutely even-sized macarons. If you’re skilled with piping and don’t mind eyeballing the amount of batter per cookie, skip this step.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip ready (or in our case, a ziploc bag with the tip cut out). Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn't quite fine enough.In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone). Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch apart. Let sit out on the counter for 1-2 hours until they form a "skin". Bake them for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet. Fill with Nutella filling and sandwich cookies together.

Savory Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Dill

Fresh lemon juice

Cayenne pepper (just a pinch; optional)

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat; season fish with salt, pepper, paprika, dill, lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste. Place fish in pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until inside of fish is cooked through and "flaky".Serve with grilled or sauteed zucchini and squash (I just slice them thin, season with salt and pepper, and saute them in a litte olive oil in a skillet for about 7 - 10 minutes or until tender).

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons green onions (chopped)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat sesame oil in wok (or large deep-dish skillet) over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from wok.Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds. Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce. Stir in roasted peanuts. Heat thoroughly. Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.