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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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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Dukkah

Serve this or take this to a party and you will be the coolest person ever. Make a bunch put it in a jar and give it as a gift – spread the word!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 white baguette, sliced
• 1 cup Macadamia nuts
• 1/4 cup good quality Extra Virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin 
• 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
• large pinch of Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven 350
2. Toast nuts in oven until slightly golden, keep an eye on them, don't leave them
3. Blitz nuts until resemble coarse breadcrumbs
4. In a bowl, mix nuts and all dry ingredients
5. Slice baguette, dip in oil then generously dip in dry mix, enjoy!

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GORGONZOLA, ONION & BACON SCONES

I know when people hear scone, they think morning and they think sweet. And even though this version is savory, it would still make an amazing addition to any brunch. Just make em.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

•  ½ pound bacon, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick cold butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 8oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat 400
2. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy – remove & drain on paper towels
3. Using a little of the bacon grease, cook onions in the same skillet, until nicely softened
4. Sift flour into large bowl, stir in baking powder, kosher salt and pepper
5. Grate butter into flour mixture and using fingers mix together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
6. Add onions, bacon, Gorgonzola, buttermilk – mix into a ball
7. Flour surface, flatten dough into approx 8" flat circle, 1" deep
8. Let it rest 45 minutes in a warm corner of the kitchen
9. Cut into 12 wedges, place on greased baking sheet
10. Whisk egg and water, brush egg wash over scones, cook 20-25 minutes

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, dry on paper towels
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• good pinch Kosher salt
• 3-4 grinds fresh ground pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2-1 teaspoon curry powder  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix everything in large bowl, coat well
3. Spread flat on baking sheet
4. cook for 30-40 minutes

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ASIAN CHICKEN TACOS

These spicy little tacos are silly good, and healthy too…. so what are you waiting for?

Makes about 4-6 tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1  1/2 cup broccoli coleslaw mix
• 1  1/2 cups deli roasted chicken, dark meat, shredded
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon Chili Paste (Sambal Oelek)
• pinch Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4-6 wheat tortillas

Slaw Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon soy
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 lime, juice
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In medium bowl mix all the dressing ingredients, throw in the slaw, mix again
2. Preheat smoking hot grill pan, add oil, chicken, ginger, salt, cook 2 minutes
3. Add chili paste, cook 30 seconds
4. Warm tortillas
5. Build your taco: Sour cream, slaw mix, chicken mix, eat!

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LOX EGGS & ONIONS MATZO BREI

This mashup is found in most Jewish deli's, but tastes all the better when made at home. I LOVE THIS!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1/2 white onion, 1/2'' diced
• 3 eggs
• 1  1/2 Matzo crackers, broken up
• pinch Kosher salt
• 3 grinds fresh black pepper
• 4oz Lox (cured salmon), diced
• 1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. In large skillet on medium heat, add oil, butter, cook onions 4-5 minutes
2. Whisk eggs, add crackers, season, mix, let it sit for 2 minutes
3. Add salmon to onion, cook 30 seconds or until slightly opaque
4. Lower heat to low/medium, add mixture to skillet and keep moving until eggs are just cooked, add parsley

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PASTRAMI & EGG TACO

What’s better than pastrami? A pastrami taco. And what’s better than a pastrami taco? A pastrami & egg taco. And what’s better than a pastrami & egg taco? One that has an over-easy egg in it. Boom! 

Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices Pastrami
• 4 Wheat tortillas
• 4 slices Provalone cheese
• 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup French Fried Onions
• Kosher salt  
• fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 2 teaspoons Dijion mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix horseradish and Dijion
2. Preheat large skillet on high heat, cook pastrami 1 minute each side. Gather 2 slices per taco, add 1 slice cheese on top, cook until melted
3. warm tortillas
4. In another skillet heat butter, cook over-easy eggs
5. Build tacos: tortilla, spread sauce, lettuce, pastrami/cheese, egg, sprinkle French  onions.

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SPICY HOISIN RIBS

Simple and easy, just stir frying ribs and mixing them with a sweet & spicy sauce.

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• ribs (enough for 2-3 peeps)
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• pinch Kosher salt
• 1 green onion, chopped  
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre cook ribs in oven 1.5 hours at 350 degrees, keep warm in foil

2. Preheat wok until smoking

3. Mix hoisin, Gochujang and soy sauce in bowl

4. Add oil to wok, add ribs to color for 1-2 minutes, keep moving

5. Add sauce, coat well, cook for 30 seconds

6. Serve garnished with green onion and sea same seeds

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Baked Dills

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 jar sliced dill pickles, drained 
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•  3 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400  
2. Remove moisture from pickles with paper towels
3. In large bowl mix dry ingredients 
4. Coat pickles in beaten egg
5. Scoop pickles out (discard remaining eggs) add pickles to breadcrumb mix, coat well
6. Place single layer of pickles on large non stick baking sheet, cook for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 5 minutes

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Palmiers

Two ingredients never tasted so good together. 

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• Puff pastry sheets, defrosted
• 1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Roll out pastry sheet into rectangle, trim edges
2. Sprinkle surface with half the sugar, lay pastry on top, coat top with remaining sugar, using a rolling pin again to flatten and press the sugar into the pastry, flip, do the same
3. Roll shorter ends towards eachother to meet in the middle
4. Wrap in plastic wrap chill in fridge for 30 minutes 
5. Preheat oven 400
6. Slice 1/2" rounds, position 1'' apart on a lined cookie sheet (using parchment paper) 
7. Bake for 15 minutes until golden

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Resto style Edamame

Here's how to prep edamame like at a Japanese resto, dead easy.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag frozen edamame
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Nanami Togarashi seasoning (or you can sub this for pinch cayenne or paprika and then pinch chili pepper)

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil edamame, to pack cooking instructions, drain
2. Season with salt and Togarahi, mix and eat.

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YOU CAN FIND TOGARASHI SEASONING IN MOST ASIAN SUPERMARKETS

Salami omelet

This was love at first sight!  

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 25 thin salami slices (I used chili and fennel flavor)
• 3 tablespoons, finely diced salami
• 1 green pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small skillet on medium, brown diced salami and pepper, keep to one side
2. At same time, in another medium skillet, brown the remaining green pepper and sliced salami
3. Beat eggs, pour into the skillet with sliced salami and peppers, cook for 2 minutes on low/medium heat
4. Drop in the sour cream while still cooking and spread roughly over surface, cook until mostly set, then flip
5. Top with more sour cream and the diced salami and green peppers, fresh black pepper

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Chorizo & Potato Quesadilla

Serves 4 as appetizer

I had this dish for breakfast on a recent trip to the beautiful wine region, Valle de Guadlupe, Mexico... They were made by the most wonderful chef, Dona Estela in this amazing restaurant (see photos). This is my version of the recipe and it's super easy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pork Chorizo sausage pack (you can use soy chorizo, but don't use beef chorizo!)
• 8 appetizer size tortillas
• 1/2 large cooked sweet potato, skin removed, diced small
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 green onions, chopped, discard dark green parts
• 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Pork rinds (Chicharrones), scrunched up in your hands

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat skillet on medium cook chorizo, until throughly for about 10 minutes or until 145° 
2. In separate skillet, heat oil and butter to warm and add color to sweet potato 2-3 minutes
3. Preheat a skillet on low/medium
4. In medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup cheese, potato, chorizo, green onion, pork rinds
5. Get layering: sprinkle cheese on 4 tortillas, add 3 tablespoons of the mix to each, then top with sprinkle cheese and tortilla, and cook for 2 minutes each side.

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WATCH SAM MAKE THIS

Pastrami reuben

Makes 1 sandwich

Sometimes less is more and in this case I mean in words. Just..make…it.

INGREDIENTS

My "Russian" Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup (I used, Sir Kensington Ketchup... anything will do)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon horseradish (to your taste)
• 2 grinds fresh black pepper
• pinch kosher salt

Sandwich:

• 4-6 deli pastrami slices
• Bag slaw mix
• 2 slices Swiss cheese slices
• 1 egg, over easy
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices Jewish rye bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the slaw. In separate bowl, mix all dressing ingredients
2. Heat the pastrami in skillet on high heat for one minute, flip, layer cheese on top, heat for 1 more minute
3. Cook egg
4. Butter one side of each rye slice, grill that side only
5. Start layering, generously... Bread, dressing, pastrami/Swiss cheese, slaw, egg, top with other slice!

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The World’s Best Fried Egg Sandwich

Makes 1 sandwich (just double everything for 2)

If I had a restaurant, which I don't, this would be on the menu, you just must make this!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices sourdough bread, buttered
• 2 bacon strips
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Kewpie Mayo (Japanese Mayo)
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 3 slices Muenster cheese
• 1/4 cup Romaine lettuce, finely shredded
• 1/4 ripe avocado, sliced
• Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400, cook bacon for 10 minutes, or until slightly crispy
2. Grill your bread, on both sides, until golden
3. Preheat skillet, on medium, add butter, crack your egg, smash yolk move around a lil bit, flip and layer on cheese, cover with lid, while you cook this bit
4. Spread Mayo and Sriracha on toast. Layer on lettuce, bacon, egg/cheese and spread avocado on other slice toast, season.

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Baked Sausage & Cheese balls

Makes 24 puffs

A simple trio of ingredients that result in awesomeness! This is a recipe donated by David a longtime viewer of the show, we gave it a go and we loved it.

INGREDIENTS

• 8oz Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup Bisquick mix
• 1 cup uncooked sausage meat (room temperature)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Put all ingredients in mixer and mix until well blended
3. Roll into roughly 24 one inch balls and place on un-greased baking sheet cook for 30 minutes

Sausage & Mixed Pepper Flatbread

Makes 4 flatbreads

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage
• One each red & yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into thin, 1 inch pieces
• 1 large clove garlic
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 4 Naan bread, flat bread or whatever (instead of pizza) aaprox 4x 8 inches each
• ½ cup basil pesto
• Shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Cook sausage until almost done and add peppers – allow to soften
3. Add garlic, and when fragrant after about a minute add spinach
4. When spinach has wilted, add salt & pepper to taste and remove from heat
5. Spread ¼ of the pesto on each naan, add some mozzarella, the sausage mixture, more mozzarella and finely the Parmesan
6. Bake until crispy,  melty and gorgeous – about 15 minutes

 

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Shrimp & Egg Salad Sandwich

Perfect combo, egg & shrimp salad sandwich. Not much more to say than that. Except that there's bacon too. And it's really good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb raw shrimp, deveined  
• 6 freshly boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 12 bacon strips
• 1/3 cup celery stalks (and leaves), diced
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup Kewpie mayonaise
• Kosher salt & fresh black pepper
• 1 -2 teaspoons Cholula Hot Sauce
• 8 romaine lettuce leaves
• 4 crusty white rolls

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pot of boiling water poach shrimp for 2 minutes, dice them up
2. Cook your bacon
3. In a large bowl mix your eggs, celery, cooked shrimp, green onions, 1/4 cup of mayo, Kosher salt and fresh black pepper and Cholula
4. Butter and toast or grill your split roll
5. Layer on a bit more of the mayo, add 2 romaine lettuce leaves, then a generous helping of the salad and top with bacon, enjoy.

Welsh Rarebit (aka fancy Cheese on Toast)

Serves 4 as an appetizer

THE best cheese on toast EVER, recommended by Kate, a lovely British woman. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 slices bacon, uncooked and chopped

• 1/3 cup diced green onions

• 2 tablespoons butter + plus extra for bread

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 3/4 cup whipping cream

• 6oz grated white cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup dark beer

• 1 teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder & cayenne

• Kosher Salt

• Fresh black pepper

• 8 thick slices crusty artisan bread

• sprinkle flat leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in a medium pot medium heat in a medium pan until about 1/2 way cooked - then add green onions and cook 2 minutes

2. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and when it melts add flour, whisk well and cook 2 minutes

3. Then add mustard & Worcestershire, then gradually add the cream, cheese, beer and spices - stir until smooth and beautifully thickened

4. Butter the bread, grill or broil until golden

5. Ladle over the cheese sauce, garnish with pinch more paprika, some black pepper and parsley