QUICK ROASTED CORN

This is awesome way to have that roasted flavor without laboring 40 minutes over a hot grill....

Serves 2​

INGREDIENTS

• 2 fresh corn cobs (husk and silk threads removed)
• cling film
• 2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Wrap and seal corn in cling film
2. Microwave for 7 minutes (maybe 10, if you have an old microwave)
3. Remove with towel, beware the steam!
4. Brush butter all over
5. Turn gas up high, place cob directly on the burner, turn every 5 seconds allowing to roast a little on the surface (if you dont have gas, place in hot dry skillet).

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Stir Fried Veggie Cous Cous

Enjoy your summer evening without feeling heavy. Try this light and amazingly delicious meal, it is a great way to use up the summer veg you have sitting in the fridge. 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced lengthways
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced semi circles
• 6 asparagus spears, tough ends removed, 2'' pieces
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 large zucchini, cut lengthways into 1/2 strips
• 1 cup cous cous
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 tablespoons EVOO
• Kosher salt
• fresh black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili oil

DIRECTONS

1. In a large bowl, add aparagus and 4 tablespoons water, cover with saran wrap, microwave 5 minutes (be careful of the steam!)
2. In medium pot on medium heat, add cous cous, water and pinch salt, stir and remove from heat, cover for 5 minutes, then fluff with fork
3. Preheat wok on high, add oil, add red pepper, onion, cook 2 minutes 
4. Add mushrooms and steamed asparagus, cook 1 minute
5. Add zucchini, cook 1 minute
6. In large bowl add cous cous, EVOO, big pinch kosher salt and plenty black pepper, fluff and mix well
7. Serve cous cous topped with stir fried veg and drizzle with chili oil.

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WARM SCALLOP SALAD

Bacon and scallops, 2 of my favorite things. This salad makes perfect summer evening eating and super impressive looking, but it's really quick and easy. 

Serves 2 as main, 3 as appetizer

INGREDIENTS

• 8 scallops (fresh from Catalina Offshore Products)
• 6 bacon strips, diced
• 8 cherry tomatoes, slice in half (from Specialty Produce) 
• 1/2 bag mixed leaf lettuce

Dressing

• 6 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• pinch Kosher salt
• 6 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Dijion mustard
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Allow scallops to get to room temperature, pat dry with paper towels
2. Pan fry tomatoes in a little oil for 2 minutes, put to one side
3. Cook bacon until crispy but still soft, put to one side, keep 1 tablespoon fat in pan
4. Heat bacon fat on medium/high, sear scallops 2 minutes each side
5. Mix all vinaigrette dressing ingredients, shake well
6. Dress the lettuce leaves - toss in the vinaigrette
7. Mix bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, top with scallops and drizzle over a few tablespoons of vinaigrette 

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COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS

Featured on TV episode: We're in the Backyard Day >>> WATCH EPSIODE <<<

Boneless, simple and so great. Who says you need a long time marinating?

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 pounds boneless country style pork ribs 
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 big pinches Kosher Salt
• 10 grind fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix dry ingredients to make the dry rub
2. Coat pork thoroughly on every side, cover with foil, marinate 1 hour min or 4 hours if you have time
3. Preheat grill on med/high, cook 5 minutes on all 4 sides with lid open (pork temperature guide: 145 degrees)

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Maple Bacon Cornbread

You got to make it. Nuff said.

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup maple or pancake syrup
• 3/4 stick butter, melted
• 3/4 pound bacon, diced, and cooked until just crispy

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder & salt - mix well
3. In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs & syrup - mix well
4. Add wet to dry ingredients, mix well - then stir in butter and bacon
5. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch round or square pan - cast iron is ideal and place into oven
6. Bake approximately 25 or until a toothpick come out clean
7. Let cool a bit, then slice and serve (with some soft butter if ur so inclined (and you should be)

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Perfect Homemade Lemonade

Serves 4-6

Easy and delicious homemade lemonade. Of course wonderful by itself, but it really gets going when you add bourbon or vodka or whatever in it - you decide.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (5-6 lemons)
• zest of 1 lemon, strained remove pips
• 2 cups cold water
• ice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 cup water then add sugar, cook and stir 2 minutes to dissolve to make basic sryup
2. Add zest to syrup, let it cool or if in a hurry, warm is ok too
3. Add syrup to lemon juice, add cold water, stir well
4. Serve chilled with lots ice

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SHIITAKE MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Serves 4

This is the most delicious risotto. And while shiitakes are certainly not 'magic' mushrooms, the effect will be nearly the same. You'll be like "oh crap...what just happened?

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 5 cups of chicken broth

• 1 3/4 cup Arborio rice

• 1/2 cup dry vermouth

• 1/2 cup frozen edamame

• 1 pinch Kosher salt

• 6 grinds fresh black pepper

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup of butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pot on medium/high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter add shiitake and onion, stir, cook 2 minutes

2. Add garlic, cook 1 minute

3. Add rice stir to coat with butter, let it toast a little for 1 minute

4. Simmer chicken broth in a separate pan

5. Add vermouth to rice mixture, stir, cook 1 minutes or until absorbed

6. Add chicken broth about a half cup at a time to rice mix, wait until absorbed each time – stir frequently throughout

7. Add one pack of frozen edamame, cook 2 minutes

8. Add Kosher salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, butter and stir well.

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Soy & beer braised pork belly

Serves 2

I crave this all the time. Make it. It's worth it. 

INGREDIENTS

• pork belly (got mine from COOK PIGS RANCH)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup of Soy sauce
• 1 bottle asian beer
• 2 tablespoons 5 spice powder
• 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 2'' block fresh ginger, peeled, cut into coins
• 2 tablespoons Japanese (Kewpie) mayo
• handful Chinese parsley, aka cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm up pot – Dutch oven perfect for pork belly
2. Cut belly into a couple of pieces and score the top, cutting through the skin but not through the meat in a diamond pattern
3. Add olive oil to pan and add pork belly for a few minutes enough so that its golden brown on all sides
4. In a separate pan bottle of Asian beer
5. Add pork belly to pan and add enough water so that pork belly is covered
6. Let it boil, and then bring down to a simmer and cover it for about 2 hours
7. Take out pork belly pieces and heat in another pan until sides are crisp
8. Serve in a Hawaiian Kings roll and add in garlic hoisin sauce, Japanese mayo, and Chinese parsley, aka cilantro 

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Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Filled Jalapeños

Makes a dozen

These are ridiculously good.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup cooked baby shrimp

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• 12 short, fat Jalapeños with stems

• 12 strips uncooked bacon

Directions

1. Combine cream cheese, shrimp, Worcestershire and garlic in a medium bowl - mix well

2. Holding the jalapeños vertically, cut a T shape into each one

3. Then use your fingers to open the door-like cut to expose the inside - remove seeds and membrane

4. Once cleaned out, stuff them with the filling, close the door and wrap with a piece of bacon

5. Cook seam side down in a medium hot pan or grill until the bacon is crispy all the way around, 10-15 minutes

6. Let cool slightly before devouring, I mean eating – no, I mean devouring

CANNELLINI AND BACON FLATBREAD

Super quick (10-15 minutes), healthy and protein rich pizza-type-flatbread-thing. It's super delicious. #lovethebean

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 bacon strips, chopped
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• big handful chopped kale
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (I cheated and used frozen)
• 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven 450
2. Cook bacon, remove, but leave most grease in pan
3. Add kale cook 2 minutes
4. Add cooked bacon, garlic and cook 30 seconds, add beans – smash a few up
5. On baking sheet baste naan with a teaspoon of bacon grease, spread out mixture evenly
6. Top with cheese, bake for 7 minutes, slice, eat.

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Cannellini Bean & Tuna Salad Panini

Make a mash up (literally & figuratively) of two delicious and high protein ingredients - and then grill for maximum flavor. Get eating!

Makes 2 grilled sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

• 8oz canned Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can tuna in water, drained
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 4 tablespoons Kewpie (Japanese) or normal mayo
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• pinch Kosher salt
• 4 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 slices Munster cheese
• salted butter
• 4 slices ripe tomatoes
• 4 slices Sourdough bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat griddle pan, or a skillet on medium heat
2. In medium bowl smash up tuna and beans roughly, not smooth
3. Mix in garlic, mayo, red onion, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt and pepper
4. Get layering: Bread, cheese, mixture, tomato, cheese, bread, butter the top
5. Place butter side down on griddle/skillet, press down, cook 1 minute, turn same side 90 degrees cook 1 minute (to make it pretty), butter top then flip and repeat.

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MUSTARD RIBS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 racks pork ribs

• 1/3 cup white vinegar

• 2 Tablespoons butter

• 1 small yellow onion, diced small

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup yellow mustard

• 3/4 cup whole grain mustard

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup hot sauce (Cholula is ideal btw)

• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350

• Place ribs in their racks (I just mean do not cut them) on a large baking sheet, add vinegar and cover tightly with aluminum foil

• Bake 75 minutes or until very tender – but while they cook

• Melt butter in a small pot and add onions & garlic – cook until soft, about 5 min

• Add mustards, brown sugar, vinegar, hot sauce and season with s & p

• Simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes

• Remove ribs from oven and carefully lift off tin foil - watch out for steam

• The ribs are now fully cooked and just need to be 'sauced' finished' and you have 2 options:

OPTION 1:

• Heat bbq to medium and place ribs meat side down without sauce but you can baste the back with the sauce

• Cook until they start to develop grill marks, and turn over - now baste the top

• You could stop here after they grill a bit on this side, or you could baste them a bit more and then give them a couple more minutes meat side down - that's what I do, or

OPTION 2:

• Heat broiler to high and place ribs on a baking sheet about 4 inches from the heat source and brush top of the ribs well with the sauce and cook until they start getting a bit brown - then flip to the back, sauce and cook some more. Flip back to the top (sauce again) and cook until they get that beautiful rib look

• Then, no matter how you cooked them, give 'em one extra baste them after they've been removed and just before you serve them

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CILANTRO AND LIME SAUCE

Muy bueno, and muy simplico (perhaps not a real Spanish word but it's really good).

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8oz non fat greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons mayonaise
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, zest and half of juice
• good pinch Kosher salt 
• pinch of red chili flakes

DIRECTONS

1. Throw everything in a processor, blitz and serve. Or chill in fridge until you need it.

Serve with anything... chicken, or as a dip for some fresh veg...list is endless. I tried it with a simple fillet of grilled Halibut, awesome!

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Make this and make it often, I'm in love.

Makes about 2 cups

1 pound tomatillos, 5 or 6

3 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno pepper

1 Serrano pepper

1 small white onion, cut in half

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Kosher salt

1. Heat broiler to high

2. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well to get off the sticky stuff

3. Put tomatillos, garlic, peppers and 1/2 the onion on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with oil and broil about 6 inches away from heat coils until beginning to start to blacken a bit - about 3 minutes

4. Flip over and repeat, let cool slightly

5. Put in a processor and whiz until nicely chunky, put in a bowl and add salt to taste, the other half of the onion finely diced and cilantro

6. Stir and serve

Crispy Panko Shrimp Tacos

I never really deep fried much because I thought it was a pain in the ass. Well not only are these simple, but they are so damn good - Kelly has asked for them again - and that's saying a lot.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2lb  31/40 raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle or reg chili powder
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce
• 2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
• pack small wheat tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oil in wide deep pot to 350 degrees
2. Mix yogurt and chipotle adobo sauce
3. Bread your shrimp individually: dusting of flour, dip in egg, coat with panko 
4. Warm tortillas
5. Gently place shrimp in oil, cook in batches of approx 8 (the temperature goes down the more shrimp goes in. For each batch bring heat back up to 350) cook 1 minute
6. Build taco: tortilla, yogurt sauce, cabbage, shrimp, eat.

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Mexican Salad with croutons

This is a simple bread salad, using one of my favorite cheeses, Cotija. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small can diced jalapenos, use 4 tablespoons 
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped  
• 1/2 cup, peeled cucumber, 1'' diced
• 1/2 cup skimmed milk cojita cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup mini baby tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup homemade croutons (see my recipe)

Dressing: 

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lime, juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon liquid from can jalapenos

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix dressing, give it a good shake for 1 minute to emulsify
2. Mix salad ingredients in large bowl
3. Thow in the croutons, coat with approx 4 tablespoons of dressing, and allow to soak in for 2-3 minutes, eat!

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Black Bean Shrimp & Bok Choy

I have a couple of variations of this duo, Shrimp & Bok Choy, this one calls for Chili Black Bean sauce, so you can forget tak out tonight!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Chili Black Bean sauce
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (peanut, canola, vegetable etc)
• 1 pound shrimp, peel & deveined
• 1 pound baby bok choy, ends removed & leaves separated
• Rice for serving
• 2 green onions, white & light green parts only - diced for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat wok until almost smoking and add oil, and garlic (don't let it burn), cook 30 seconds
2. Put in shrimp and cook about a minute, then add bok choy. Stir everything until shrimp are just done and bok choy is wilted – 2 to 3 more minutes. Add sauce, mix through well and serve on rice.
3. Garnish with green onion.

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Grilled Brussels Sprouts

So you hate brussels sprouts - I know. But when when you grill grill them like these, they're just kinda magical. Just keep an open mind, ok? And get a Grill Basket for this one (I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond).

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Brussels Sprouts, peeled and halved
• 1 cup water

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• big pinch Kosher salt
• 6 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to high
2. In a medium microwave proof bowl add water and sprouts, cover with cling film, microwave 3 minutes
3. While this is happening, mix dressing in a small bowl
4. Drain sprouts, wrap in paper towels, remove water residue
5. Toss sprouts in the dressing, throw in the Grill Basket, keep moving, grill 2 minutes.

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Grilled asparagus

Super simple! Healthy grilling.

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb asparagus 
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1 big pinch Kosher salt

DIIRECTIONS

1. preheat your grill to high
2. Remove 1-2" bottom of the stalks
3. toss in 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. grill 3-4 minutes, keep turning
5. dress asparagus: squeeze of lemon juice, drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, pinch salt and fresh black pepper and grated Parmesan

Onion Jelly

INGREDIENTS

• 2 big ass yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• about 6 grinds fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

• In a large skillet on low heat, add butter oil and cook onions until caramelized 25 minutes
• Add rest of ingredients, stir, cook down 10 minutes, let it cool 
• Store in the fridge, then enjoy with grilled cheese sandwich!

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