Sweet Pepper Relish

For those of you who enjoy a pepper relish but my heat seekers pepper relish is much too hot and spicy, then this one is for you. I developed the relish using sweet peppers, garlic, basil and olive oil. The sweet peppers have less heat than a green bell pepper. This makes an excellent topping for pasta, scrambled eggs, and my favorite, crostinis. However you choose to use it, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• Sweet chili peppers (found in the produce department of most grocery stores. They look like jalapeños but are usually an assortment of red, orange and yellow peppers)
• Roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil (you can also use regular extra virgin olive oil and add sliced garlic at the end)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Several fresh basil leaves, julienned
• Sterilized mason jars

 

Washing the sweet peppers under cold running water and allow them to drain. Place them in a bowl and drizzle them with the roasted garlic olive oil. Add the sea salt and toss them until they are coated thoroughly.

 

 Then, spread the peppers out on a foil lined baking sheet. Place them under your broiler for 4 to 5 minutes until they begin to char. Once the peppers begin to char, turn them over. Continue this process until all sides are charred. Be careful not to over blacken them.

 

Once the peppers are charred on all side, in a bag and tie it closed for about 5 minutes.

Next, remove the peppers from the bag and place them back on the baking sheet. Peel the charred skin off each pepper and gently remove the green stem. Do not rinse them under running water. That will remove all of that fantastic charred flavor.

Once the peppers are peeled, place them on a cutting board and thinly slice them.

Finally, pack the peppers loosely into the mason jars leaving ½ to 1 inch at the top. Top it with the sliced basil. Next, you are going to top off the jar with the roasted garlic olive oil. If you plan to use extra virgin olive oil, Add a couple cloves of sliced garlic before topping with olive oil.

 

These will last in your refrigerator for several weeks. Continue to jar the rest of the peppers in the same manner. Allow the jars to sit for as few days so that the different flavors can mingle.

  Enjoy!

 

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Thai Noodle Soup

This is a very easy soup that anyone can make. Crisp tender vegetables, silky Thai noodles and a flavorful vegetable broth for the basis for this recipe. Pair it with some egg rolls or pot stickers and you'll have yourself a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 carrots julienned
• 4 green onions finely chopped
• 2 T peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T garlic chili paste (available in the Asian section of your grocery store)
• 1 T brown sugar
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
• 1 3 oz package of chicken flavor Ramen noodles
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once the oil and butter mixture is hot, add the cabbage, celery, carrots and green onions. Stirring frequently, lightly saute (sweat) the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the vegetables get too soft.

Next, add the ginger, soy sauce, garlic chili paste and brown sugar to the soup. Stir until evenly distributed.

Once everything is evenly distributed, add the vegetable stock. When the soup starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium low. Add 1/2 of the flavor packet included with the Ramen noodles.

Break the Ramen noodle cake into quarters and add it to the soup.

As the noodles cook, use a spoon or spatula to break apart the noodle cake pieces. Continue to simmer the soup until the noodles are just tender. Be careful not to over cook the noodles.

Once the noodles are tender, season the soup with salt and pepper. Be careful when seasoning this soup with the salt. The garlic chili paste and the half of flavor packet we already added contain a fair amount of salt.

Enjoy!

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Spicy Sausage and Seafood Gumbo

If you love New Orleans, andouille sausage and seafood, then this gumbo will be a big hit. My Spicy Sausage and Seafood gumbo consists of assorted shellfish and white fish, andouille sausage and vegetables, the holy trinity to be exact and spices. All of this blends harmoniously with Creole seasoning, pureed tomatoes and chicken stock to create the ultimate gumbo. Serve it over popcorn rice and you’ll swear your down on Bourbon street listening to a jazz band.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For the recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 16 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 1 lb andouille sausage
• 2-4 TB butter, divided
• 1 lb assorted seafood and shellfish (i.e. shrimp, scallops, crab, calamari, whitefish)
• 1 lemon
• ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 stalks of celery chopped
• 1 green bellpepper chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 TBs creole seasoning
• 1 – 1 ½ cups chopped okra (frozen works best for this recipe)
• 1 11oz can of corn, drained
• 1 cup chicken stock
• a generous dash of hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
• 4 cups cooked popcorn rice or white rice

Place the whole tomatoes in a large bowl. Using an immersion blender or your hands, break up the tomatoes to the desired consistency. If you want chucks of tomatoes leave it that way. If you want it smoother, then blend it longer. Set it aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat, begin browning 1 lb of chopped andouille sausage in 2 TB olive oil. Continue cooking the sausage until the edges begin to brown. Place it in a bowl and set it aside. Reserving the fat in the pot.

 

In another pan, over medium high heat, add 1 TB olive oil and 1 TB butter. Once its hot, add the assorted seafood and shellfish. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over the seafood. Next, add ¼ - ½ tsp of cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like it. Allow the seafood to cook until it becomes slightly opaque and then remove it from the heat. Do not fully cook the seafood. Drain the seafood and set it aside.
 

Now we’ll make the roux. Add ¼ cup of flour to the sausage drippings. Add 1-3 Tbs of butter such that you have equal parts of flour and fat. Cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly. This is very important because roux can burn very easily. Cook the roux until it becomes to a nice golden brown.

Once the roux is finished, add the onion, celery, bell pepper and 1 TB olive oil. Stir to combine. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, okra and drained corn. Stir it all together. Add the chicken stock and pureed tomatoes and bring it to a simmer.

Add the sausage including any drippings that have accumulated in the bowl and the drained seafood mixture. Add a generous dash of hot sauce and stir away! While stirring the gumbo, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

To serve, place 1 cup of cooked rice in a bowl. Top it with a generous ladle of gumbo and serve it with a nice crusty piece of sour dough baguette.

Enjoy!

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Orzo with Spinach and Roasted Peppers

This tasty side dish is as good as it is simple to make. Roasted bell peppers and spinach sautéed with garlic combined with orzo pasta make this dish a nice change from potatoes and rice. In addition, the ingredients for this recipe are readily available making this dish the perfect accompaniment anytime of the year.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

•  3/4 cup of uncooked orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
• 4-5 cups of fresh spinach
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 TB butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the orzo in a pot of boiling water. Be sure not to over cook it as you will be placing it in a saute pan to finish cooking. Chop the bell peppers into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Chop the spinach in the same manner.

In a hot pan, add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and saute for 20 to 30 seconds being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the spinach and saute until it's just wilted. Add the bell peppers and stir until it is completely blended.

Finally, stir in the cooked orzo and season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, top the orzo with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! 

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Salad Made with Leftover Meat

Do you ever have leftover meats and wonder what to do with them besides reheating them the same way they were originally prepared? I'm going to show you how to make a simple salad and vinaigrette that utilizes the left over meat. Whether you have chicken, pork roast or a steak leftover, you can make this simple salad. I'm going to use pork for this recipe. Chances are you already have all of the other ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry. It's fast, light and healthy.

 

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• The juice from a lime
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 2 TB. red wine vinegar
• 2 TB. olive oil
• Honey to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste  
• 1 1/2 cups of left over meat, shredded or chopped. For this recipe, I am using some left over pork roast.

 Begin by adding a little olive oil to a hot pan. Add your meat and the sliced jalapeno to the hot pan. Brown the meat to bring out additional flavor. Finally, stir in the lime juice. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Now let's make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or shaker container, add 2 oz of olive oil, 2 oz of red wine vinegar and a dsh of honey. If you want a sweeter dressing, add a little more honey.

Shake to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium size bowl,  combine the lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Toss it with as little or as much of the vinaigrette depending on your taste.

 Place the salad in a serving bowl and top it with the meat mixture.

Enjoy!

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Pan Seared Tilapia with Chili Lime Butter and Corn Relish

Tilapia filets, lightly seasoned then pan seared. Served on top of a bed of sauteed spinach, topped with a chili lime butter sauce and corn relish, this dish will have your taste buds doin' the happy dance. All fresh ingredients and it tastes like summer on a plate. It may sound like a lot but it is in fact quite simple to make. The brightly flavored corn relish can also be used on chicken, pork or other kinds of fish. Serve it at your next dinner party and your guests will be amazed.

For this recipe, you’ll need the following:
 

Corn Relish:

• 2 strips of bacon, chopped small
• 2 ears of yellow corn, shaved
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/3 of a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Zest from a lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chili Lime Butter Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, chopped fine
• 1 serrano chili, finely chopped (if you don’t like spicy, substitute a jalapeño)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lime

Tilapia:

• 2 tilapia filets
• Seafood seasoning (I prefer equal parts of coriander and fennel, lightly toasted in a dry pan and ground to a powder)
• Flour for dredging
• Oil for frying
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 cups fresh spinach

Begin by making the corn relish. In a hot pan, add the chopped bacon and brown it until its crisp, about 5-8 minutes. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and place it on paper towels to drain, reserving a tablespoon of fat. To the bacon fat, add the corn  and sauté until its done. Once the corn is cooked through, remove it from the heat and add the bacon back to the pan along with the tomato, cilantro and zest. Season it to taste with salt and pepper then set it aside.

 Now we will make the chili lime butter sauce. To a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the unsalted butter, shallot, chili and salt. Add the zest and juice from a lime and stir until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and set the chili lime butter sauce aside.

Now its time to pan sear the tilapia. Heat about 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season the tilapia filets with your favorite seasoning (or mine). Dredge them in flour knocking off any excess. When the oil is hot, carefully add the tilapia filets. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the filet) until they are a light golden brown on both sides.

Sautéing the spinach. Place a little olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a hot pan. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute. Do not let the garlic brown. This will result in a bitter taste. Add the spinach, tossing it in the hot oil and garlic until it is lightly sautéed.

 

 Now lets assemble our dish. Place some of the sautéed spinach on a plate. top the spinach with one of the tilapia filets. Next, drizzle a little of the chili lime butter over the filet. Finally, top the filet with some of the corn relish.

Enjoy!

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