Shrimp and Corn Chowder

½ stick butter
½ lb thick cut bacon
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
½ large bell pepper
2 bay leaves
2 TBS Creole Seasoning (like Old Bay)
Salt and Pepper (to your own taste)
3 sprigs thyme, chopped
4 TBS flour
1 quart Vegetable Stock
1 pint Heavy Cream
1 pint Milk
1 lb de-veined, peeled shrimp (defrosted if frozen)
1 (small) bag of frozen corn or 4 ears of fresh corn from the cob

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over med-high heat. When the butter is melted add bacon and begin to brown. When bacon is almost crisp add thyme, bay leaves, onion, celery and bell pepper and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Add the Creole Seasoning and flour and stir around constantly to form a gooey mess. With a whisk, add the quart of vegetable stock – make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you work to get the yummy bacon stuff! Bring the mix to a boil to thicken fully and then whisk in the cream and milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add your shrimp and corn and cover the pot for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook for another 7 to 8 minutes until the shrimp and pink and the corn is cooked through. Take a taste to make sure there is enough salt, it surprised me how much salt it took to bring the flavors together!
I served this with some sourdough bread to mop up the leftovers and got the thumbs up from both of my guys.

Hawt Soup

4 links of Andouille Sausage (I used Turkey Andouille to keep the fat down some)
2 links Chorizo
1 onion - diced
1 red bell pepper - diced
5 cloves garlic - chopped
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of Kale (you can use any kind of greens you like, Kale is mild, but a stronger green like chard is fine if you prefer)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can diced tomatoes (pick up the fire roasted kind if you can find them - Muir Glen makes the kind I use)
1 quart Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper (of course)

Remove the casings from the Chorizo, and dice up the Andouille. Coat your soup pot in olive oil over medium-high heat and begin browning the sausage while you chop up the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Add the veggies and bay leaf and mix in well with the sausage, so that the sausage doesn't burn. (If the chorizo starts to stick to the bottom, stay cool, between the acid in the tomatoes and the chicken stock it will come back up.) While the veggies cook a little, strip your Kale from the stalks and chop from left to right and then up and down. Add it to the pan and toss well to coat the Kale in the sausage drippings (YUMMY!!!). Open your garbanzo beans - drain, rinse and add. Open the tomatoes and dump the whole can - with the juice in. Stir it all up and the pour in the chicken stock. Season it with Salt and Pepper and bring up to a boil, scrapping down the bottom and sides to get all of the yummy stuff up. From this point, you need to kick up the heat and bring it all to a full boil. Once it is boiling, bring the heat down to medium and let it cook at least 15 minutes, until the greens are soft. After that 15 minutes are up, you can eat it immediately or let it simmer for up to an hour. You can always add a little more chicken stock to keep it from cooking down too much if you need to wait.
Cut up a baguette and serve it with the soup. The bread helps put the fire out of your mouth and gives you something to sop up the left over broth in the bottom of your bowl.

Mexicani Chicken

Olive oil - to slightly coat the bottom of the soup pot
3 thick cut strips of bacon
1 small onion
6 sprigs of thyme
4 cloves of garlic
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 28oz can of Muir Glen Crushed Fire Roasted Tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 15oz can of Black Beans
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
Salt and Pepper

Chop the bacon and add it to a hot soup pot with the olive oil just barely coating the bottom. Fry the bacon until it begins to crisp. While the bacon crisps, finely chop the onion, thyme and garlic and add to the bacon with some salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Move the mix to the middle of the pot and add the chicken thighs around the edge, then top the thighs with the mix and put the other 2 in the middle. Cook for 3 minutes to brown one side. Flip the thighs and let them brown on the other side while you open the tomatoes and chicken stock.

Add the tomatoes and stock to the pot, reduce the heat once the pot comes back to a bubble. Check the salt and pepper and adjust according to your taste.

Cover the pot and set the timer for 20 minutes. Stir twice during the 20 minutes, but leave the lid on the rest of the time, the steam is important. While the chicken is cooking: open, drain and rinse your black beans. Put the corn on top of the beans in the colander and let them start defrosting while you wait. (Pour glass of wine and set the table now!)

After 20 minutes, add the beans and corn. Cover the pot and cook for 5 more minutes to bring the beans and corn to temp.
To serve: Use a slotted spoon and pull the beans/corn/tomato mix out of the pot and drain off the liquid before plating. Top a few spoonfuls with a chicken thigh.

Sausage and Stuff

1/2 pound (for a serving of 4) angel hair pasta
5 links mild sausage
2 Tbs (more or less - who measures olive oil, anyway??)
1 medium onion
2 Tbs chopped garlic
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 container baby bella mushrooms
2 Tbs flour
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

Start your water for the pasta on high before you begin. (Cover it to bring it to a boil faster)

Open the sausage links (if that is how you bought it) and break it apart as you drop it into a hot pan that has been just barely covered in the 2 Tbs of olive oil. Brown the sausage for 3 to 4 minutes - just until the outside starts to get crisp. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Immediately add salt and pepper to bring the water out of the mushrooms - this is critical to your sauce. Sauté, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Scrape as much stuff from the bottom of your pan as you can and then sprinkle the mix with the flour. Stir well to incorporate the flour, until it almost disappears. After about 1 minute of incorporating, add the chicken broth - stirring constantly and bring to a boil.(time to throw the pasta in the pot - Angel Hair pasta only takes 2 minutes) Reduce the sauce to medium-high, so that it is still bubbling and evaporating but not burning. Stir the yummy sauce often, taste and add more salt and pepper depending on your taste. Drain your pasta and put back in the hot pot to heat the remaining water off of it. By the time you are done, the sauce around the sausage and veggies should be a delightful consistency. Don't be scared by the lack of red in the sauce because there are no tomatoes. If you are inclined to use tomatoes, I recommend draining a 28oz can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted chopped or crushed tomatoes. Throw the pasta on a plate, top with the sauce and grated parmesan cheese.

Provencal Potato Gratin

Preheat oven to 350

2 large garlic cloves
Olive Oil
1 Medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4c white wine
5-6 yukon gold potatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 tomatoes on the vine
salt and pepper
Handful of fresh parmesan
Handful of fresh breadcrumbs
Drizzle Olive Oil in the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish
Heat a pan on the stove with olive oil
Add the garlic, onions and bell peppers, salt and pepper - cook for 5-7 minutes until tender. While the first round of stuff cooks, peel your potatoes and slice thinly. Add the white wine and let it cook down for about 3 more minutes. Add the potatoes, with a little more salt and pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil, stiring often until the juices start to thicken a little. Add the basil and give it one more good stir. Pour the mix into your baking dish and distribute evenly. Slice your tomatoes like you would for a sandwich and line up across the potatoes in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and put it in the oven. Let the potatoes bake for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, pull it out, add the cheese and breadcrumbs. Bump the heat up to 375 and cook for another 20 minutes.

White Bean and Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower, cut from the core into florets and then steamed
2 cans of while beans, drained and rinsed
2 TBS Chopped Garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Olive Oil2
1/2 cups chicken stock
1.5 jars Creamy Alfredo Sauce
1/2 c (2 handfuls) Parm Cheese
Salt

When the Cauliflower has steamed, set it aside and let it cool for a few minutes.Put the drained and rinsed beans in your food processor and pulse a few times. Add the cauliflower and turn on high, shaking a couple of times to make sure everything gets pureed evenly.While the food processor runs, pour the water out of the pot you were steaming the cauliflower in and wipe it dry. Put it back on the stove and add a little olive oil. The pot is still hot, so immediately add your garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir around for about a minute and turn the stove off. Add your puree, the alfredo sauce and the chicken stock. Stir and turn the heat back on. Bring the soup to a bubble. Add the cheese and stir well, serve immediately.

Saltimboca Spread

(from Rachel Ray's Open House Cookbook)

1 8oz brick cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb prosciutto di Parma, chopped
12 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled
A splash of heavy whipping cream
Salt and Pepper
4 drops Worcestershire sauce

Place cream cheese in a bowl. Add prosciutto and sage. Grate the onion over bowl with handheld grater. Add a splash of cream, pepper, and Worcestershire. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Chill until ready to serve. Served with Melba Toast and a few sage leaves laid around the edge of the bowl.

Dani's Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, juice reserved
1/4 c tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Throw everything in the food processor and begin to blend, adding the reserved juice until you reach the texture you want. It's that easy! If you find there isn't enough juice in the can to get what you want from the texture, add olive oil until you get it.Put it in the fridge overnight so that it has time to work all of the flavors together.Serve with Melba Toast, Water crackers or Pita Chips and with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.

Salad on a Stick

Bamboo Skewers
Red Bell Pepper (cut in 1 inch pieces)
Green Bell Pepper (cut in 1 inch pieces)
Celery (cut in 1 inch pieces)
Italian Dried Salami (sliced 3/4inch thick, and then cut each slice into quarters)
Grape Tomatoes
Cut up all the veggies into 1 inch pieces (except the tomatoes), cut your salami slices into quarters, and thread everything on to a bamboo skewer, alternating colors. You can use the long or short skewers, and make enough for each person to eat at least 2 (and maybe more!)

Chicken Chili

1lb ground chicken
1 small onion
1/2 large green bell pepper
1/2 tsp ground chipotle
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 TBS flour
1 jar Cilantro Salsa
1 can white kidney beans, drained
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a soup pot with just enough oil to cover the bottom and add the pepper and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add the ground chicken, breaking it apart with the back of a wooden spoon.Once the chicken is cooked through, add salt and pepper, the ground chipotle and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and then add the flour, fully coating the top of everything in the pot. Stir again to combine and let cook for another 2 minutes. Add the salsa and beans, stiring between them. Add the chicken stock and cook for about 3 minutes to bring it back up to a boil. Salt and Pepper the chili to your taste. Stir in the heavy cream, reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot for about 10 minutes. (This allows the tomatoes and chilis in the salsa to soften)Give it a taste test and add more salt and pepper if needed. If you don't like it spicy, leave off the chipotle powder. Serve with warmed tortilla chips and a little sour cream on top.

Peppermint Bark

3 bags (11oz each) high quality white chocolate chips
1 cup (crushed) peppermint candies
2 tsp peppermint extract

Place about 25 peppermints in a zip bag and crush. (it would be worth double bagging it - my first bag came pretty close to pouring all over the counter when I picked it up.)Take a collander and set it over a bowl. Pour the crushed peppermint into the collander. The fine pieces of the peppermint will end up in the bowl, the larger pieces will remain in the collander.In a double broiler, melt the white chocolate until smooth, stiring constantly.Once the chocolate is completely melted, pour the peppermint "powder" that ended up in the bowl into the chocolate and mix well. Turn off the stove so that you don't catch the house on fire and pour in the 2 tsp of peppermint extract. (the real extract is about 80% alcohol and will make the stove flare up if you are cooking with a gas range.)Mix the extract in well and then pour the mixture onto a rectangle baking sheet that is lined with wax paper. Smooth it across the pan evenly. (It should take up the whole pan.) Sprinkle the larger pieces of peppermint onto the chocolate and press them in slightly so they don't all fall off after it hardens. Place the baking sheet into the fridge for about an hour until the mixture is hard. Seperate the bark from the wax paper and begin breaking into the size chunks you want.

Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake with Blueberry Syrup

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vanilla 1% milk fat yogurt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 lemons, zested
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 4 lemons)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan and then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick or knife placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/2 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. Make a few cuts into the cake with a steak knife so the lemon syrup can run into the cake. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.

Blueberry Syrup
1 half pint of blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBS red wine
Bring all 3 ingredients to a boil. Mash the berries around as the sugar melts to release their juices. Cook on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
Slice the cake and top with the blueberry syrup.

Summer Skewers

Caprese Skewers:(Stack once in order on each skewer)
Grape Tomato
1/2 basil leaf
1 little mozzarella ball (can be found in water in the deli section)
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper

Sausage Skewers:(stack once in order on each skewer)
1/2 pitted kalamata olive
1/2 basil leaf
1/2 Grape tomato
1/2 inch slice of browned chicken and sundried tomato sausage

A Steak Sandwich

The meat:Salt and Pepper 2 Ribeye Steaks and throw on the grill until they are done to your taste. Let them rest before slicing and building the sandwich.

The bread and stuff:Toast some yummy crusty bread (or rolls) in the oven and "shmear" with the following mayo substitute:In a food processor, blend 3/4 of a can of cannellini beans with 2 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and enough EVOO to make it all smooth.

Sandwich Dressing:1/2c of Balsamic Vinegar2 TBS (or so) of honey)1/4c (or so) of EVOO (Whisk in the olive oil until you see the dressing thicken and become smooth)

To Build:"Shmear" the bread with the white bean paste. This will act as your mayo and make the sandwich moist, but still very healthy. Slice the steak against the grain in thin slices. Stack the steak on the toasted bread (or rolls) Top the steak with arugula, Drizzle the entire sandwich with the balsamic dressing and serve with roasted potato wedges.

It is just that easy and a very close rendition of a fantastic sandwich I ate at Fontana Marina one wekend after coming off the trails, completely starving.