Grilled Asparagus in Pancetta & Mushroom Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 20 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed 

• 4 oz. chopped pancetta 

• 2 cups of fresh white mushrooms, sliced 

• 1 cup alfredo sauce

• 1/2 cup(s) of shredded Parmesan cheese 

Freebies:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Heat a gas grill or grill pan to high heat.

2. Place the asparagus in a large casserole dish or plate. Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil, season with salt and pepper, toss well until all ingredients are combined. Set aside.

3. Heat the additional olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

4. Stir in the alfredo sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir until sauce warm and all ingredients are combined.

5. Grill the asparagus on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Turn and grill for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer back to the casserole dish or plate. Pour in the sauce and toss with tongs until all ingredients are combined. 

6. To serve: Place coated asparagus on a serving dish. Drizzle with any remaining sauce and finish with the Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Schiacciata (Traditional Tuscan Flat Bread)

Prep Time: 20 minutes (Plus about 90 mins. rise time) / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 6-8

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Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour

• 5 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast

• 1 1/3 cups warm water

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling at the end

• 2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling at the end

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Steps:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve the yeast in the water for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough comes away from the bowl and forms a ball. Spray a mixing bowl with cooking spray and transfer the dough to the mixing bowl. 

3. Cover the dough with a towel and allow it to rise for about one hour.

4. Generously coat a cookie sheet with about 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheet and spread the dough out on the cookie sheet, until it is about 1/2" thick.  Poke holes in the dough with your fingertips.  Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on top of the dough.

5. Allow the dough to rise a second time for about another 30 minutes, until it has almost doubled in size.  

6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Turn off the oven and allow the bread to rest for another 10 minutes before removing it from the oven.

7. Remove from the heat and drizzle with additional olive oil and another sprinkle of salt.  Serve with Italian cured meats and cheeses (salami, prosciutto, pecorino romano).

Pineapple Infused Sake

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Refrigeration Time: 48 hours / Servings: 16

Ingredients: 

• 1 large pineapple, peeled and chopped into large chunks

• 2 bottles clear, filtered sake

Steps:

1. Prepare the pineapple and place it into a large, sealable container.

2. Pour the sake over the pineapple chunks and seal the container.

3. Place it in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

4. If you prefer not to have any pulp or fruit in the served sake, run it through a strainer or a cheesecloth before serving.

Raspberry Chipotle Goat Cheese Spread

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 0 minutes / Servings 2-4

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Ingredients:

• 8 oz. goat cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder

• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Freebies:

• 1 tbsp. water

• pinch of salt

• non-stick cooking spray

Steps:

1. Place the softened goat cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.  Season with a pinch of salt and stir until all ingredients are combined.

2. Spray the inside of a 4" ceramic ramekin or small bowl.  Spoon the cheese mixture into the bowl and smooth out the top with a spatula.  Place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

3. While the cheese spread is chilling, make the raspberry chipotle sauce by combining the seedless raspberry jam, chipotle powder and water in a mixing bowl.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside until ready to use.

4. To remove and plate:  Place a serving dish upside down on top of the ramekin.  Carefully flip the dish and the ramekin over, releasing the goat cheese spread onto the serving dish.

5. Spoon the raspberry chipotle sauce on top of the goat cheese spread. Refrigerate until read to serve.

Hassleback Caprese Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 0 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large Roma tomatoes

• 16 slices Buffalo Mozzarella cheese

• 16 large basil leaves

• 1/2 cup Four Leaf Balsamic Dressing

• salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Lay each of the tomatoes on their side and cut four slices about 3/4 of the way through each tomato. 

2. Stuff each of the slices with a slice of mozzarella, then with a large basil leaf.

3. Drizzle each tomato with the dressing, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and serve. 

Baked & Stuffed Caramel Apples

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 4 large Braeburn, Gala or Fuji Apples

• 2 cups crunchy cinnamon granola bars, crushed

• 2 tbsp. butter, cut into 1/4 tbsp. cubes

• 1/2 cup premium caramel sauce

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Cut the apples in half and use a melon-baller to scoop out the seeds and insides. Leave about 1/4" of fruit attache dot the skin.  Discard the core and seeds, but keep the rest of the apple and roughly chop it.  Transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the granola and caramel syrup to the bowl with the chopped apples.  Stir until combined.

4. Evenly spoon the granola mixture into the emptied apple halves.  Arrange the stuffed apples on a baking sheet or in a muffin tin tray.

5. Place 1/4 tbsp. of the butter onto each of the stuffed apples and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Cover with tin foil if they begin to brown too much.  Allow the apples to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Peaches with Sweet Vanilla Drizzle

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 10 minutes / Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 4 large peaches (firm)

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1-2 tbsp. of white wine (you can also just use water)

Steps:

1. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits with a large, sharp knife.  Place them face down on a hot grill for 5 minutes.  Turn them over and grill for another 5 minutes until soft.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and white wine. Whisk until smooth.

3. Drizzle the sauce lightly over the grilled peaches and serve. 

Baked Margherita Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 45 minutes / Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large spaghetti squash

• 1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Freebies:

• 1 tsp. each salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Using a large knife or a cleaver, slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise down the middle.  Use a spoon to remove the seeds and center strings.

3. Drizzle the two halves with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

4. Place the squash, open side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven, check to see if the squash is soft and easily comes up with a fork into a spaghetti like texture.  If it's too hard to remove, cook for another 10 minutes.   Remove from the oven, scrape and fluff the stringy squash with a fork.  Leave the squash in the skin.

5. Turn the oven up to broil. Add the tomatoes and fresh basil into the squash, stir and top with the mozzarella cheese.  Place in the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving the squash.

Caramel Apple S'mores Shooters

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 0 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cinnamon graham cracker sheets (12 crackers total)

• 3 tbsp. caramel syrup

• 4 tbsp. apple pie filling

• 4 tbsp. marshmallow fluff

Steps:

1. Break the graham crackers up into chunks and place in a medium mixing bowl.  Heat the caramel syrup in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and mix into the graham crackers until combined.

2. Using 4 tall, narrow shot glasses, spoon a bout 1/8 of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each of the 4 shot glasses.

3. Chop the apple pie filling into small pieces.  Spoon 1/4 of the pie filling into each of the shot glasses over the graham cracker mixture.

4. Spoon the marshmallow creme into a sealable, plastic bag.  Snip of the corner and pipe 1/4 of the marshmallow fluff into each of the shot glasses.

5. Top with the remaining bits of graham cracker mixture.  

Southwest Stuffed Avocados

 Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 4 minutes / Servings: 8

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp. Southwest salad dressing (I used Saucy Mama's Poblano Ranch)

• 12.7 ounces Frozen Southwest Vegetable Blend (I used Bird's Eye Steamfresh Protein Blend)

• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (plus more for garnish

• juice of 1/2 lime 

• 4 Avocados 

Steps:

1. Place the frozen vegetables in the microwave (in the bag) and microwave on high heat for about 4 minutes. Allow the bag to cool before handling and transfer veggies to a large mixing bowl.

2. With a large knife, cut the avocados in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. With a spoon, hollow out the avocados a bit more by running the spoon in a circle around the pit, leaving about 1/2 the fruit in the shells. 

3. Add the salad dressing, chopped fresh cilantro and lime juice to the mixing bowl with the veggies.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir until all ingredients are combined.

4. Fill the hollowed avocados with the veggie mixture. Top or garnish with chopped more cilantro and sliced limes. Serve immediately.