Pesto Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

My first bite and I was like "what the hell...I should have done this years ago"

Ingredients

• About 1/4 cup pre made pesto
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 4 slices Havarti cheese
• Soft butter

Directions

1. Warm non stick skillet over medium heat
2. Spread pesto on two slices of the bread, top with tomato slices, fresh ground pepper, 2 slices of cheese on each and then top with the other slice of bread
3. Butter both sides of sandwiches and cook in pan until golden brown on both sides

Grilled Hoisin Scallops

Makes a dozen

Hoisin sauce is easily found in the Asian food aisle along with the bottled chili paste.

Ingredients

• 12 large sea scallops, defrosted
• 24 bamboo sticks
• Oil (doesn't really matter what kind)
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons chili sauce
• Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium high
2. Skewer scallops with 2 sticks in each - it makes life easier
3. Lightly coat skewered scallops with oil, then season with the salt
4. Combine hoisin and chili sauce, mix well and set aside
5. Grill scallops until good grill marks develop, 2-3 minutes, flip
6. Now brush sauce on the marked side
7. Cook until 2nd side is done, brush both sides well with sauce and give a little sprinkle of seeds
8. Serve

PB & J Stuffed French Toast

Serves 2

Just like the version that has cream cheese, but more kid friendly, adult friendly and everyone friendly.

Ingredients

• Four 2 1/2 inch thick slices of Challah Bread
• 1/2 cup peanut butter - chunky would be great
• 4 tablespoons jelly (I like grape)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Butter
• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Slice an opening in one side of the bread to make a pocket, but don't cut all the way through
2. Spread peanut butter inside each piece of bread first and and then the jelly
3. In a shallow medium sized bowl beat the eggs with the milk
4. Preheat a nonstick skillet until butter melts and starts to sizzle
5. Dip each stuffed sandwich into the egg mixture (be sure cover both sides AND the ends) and place in the skillet
6. Cook until golden brown (about 3 - 4 minutes before turning) on each side and be sure to cook the ends too
7. Put on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve

Baked Feta

Serve about 8 as an appetizer

Warm, soft and delicious...(that's what she said).

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese1 big (or 2 small) cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat to oven 350
2. Place feta in an ovenproof baking dish
3. Top with crushed garlic, oregano and red pepper - drizzle liberally with olive oil
4. Bake uncovered until the feta is soft, 15-20 minutes
5. Remove carefully and serve with something crunchy

Grilled Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich

Makes 1

Think 'grilled cheese with turkey' but with the addition of stuffing. The amazing, wonderful addition of stuffing.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 slices turkey
• 2 slices good bread, whole wheat, sourdough or even a mini baguette would be good
• 2 slices Muenster cheese
• about 1/3 cup stuffing, heated
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh ground pepper
• Softened butter

Directions

1. Preheat grill pan or non-stick pan
2. Heat turkey (in a non-stick pan or quickly in a microwave) and put on top of one slice of bread then add the cheese and the warmed stuffing
3. Add a few grinds of pepper
4. Add mayo to 2nd slice of bread and put on top
5. Spread one slice of bread lightly with butter and put butter-side down in the pan
6. Cook until golden brown, add butter to top and flip over
7. Cook until 2nd side is beautiful - eat

Stuffing Quesadilla

Makes one 8 inch quesadilla

Until you try it, you can't make fun of me. Well, you can - but just not about this.

Ingredients

• 2 flour tortillas, about the 8 inch size
• About 3/4 cup leftover stuffing, warmed
• 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream and cranberries for garnish

Directions

1. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan over medium heat and spread with about half the cheese, let it start to melt a bit
2. Then add the stuffing, the remaining cheese and then top with the 2nd tortilla
3. Squish down with a spatula
4. Once the bottom starts to get a little bit golden, flip and lightly brown the other side
5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and some cranberry

N. Bars

Makes a 9x12 pan

not complete

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Mix butter, sugar, egg and cocoa

Grandma Fran's Butter Nut Bars

Makes 2 dozen bars

This is Producer Michelle's grandma Fran. She's amazing, and so are these bars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups butter
• 1 cup (6 oz) butterscotch morsels
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 T butter
• 1 T water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in medium size bowl
2. Cut in butter until everything is like a really coarse sand and press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan
3. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned
4. Combine butterscotch morsels, corn syrup, butter, water, and salt in the top of a double boiler
5. Cook over boiling water until all is melted and the mixture is smooth - stir in walnuts
6. Spread butterscotch mixture evenly over the cookie base
7. Bake 8-10 minutes until bubbly and brown on the edges
8. Let cool and cut into 2 x 1 inch bars

Black Velvet

Makes 1

Guinness and champagne - one of my favorite ways to drink Guinness. But for God's sake there's no need for expensive champagne.

Ingredients

• Guinness
• Champagne

Directions

1. Fill glass half way with the beer, then slowly add champagne and serve

Pizza Eggs

Serves 2-3

Forget about eating cold pizza...Pizza Eggs RULE!

Ingredients

• 2-3 slices thin crust pizza - sliced into small thin strips (enough to make about 2 cups)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Put pizza strips into a non-stick oven proof pan and cook over medium heat until they get hot and crisp again
3. Remove pizza from pan and set aside
4. Put butter in pan, let it melt all around and then add the eggs
5. Stir briefly, then add back in the pizza slices
6. Now cook like basic scrambled eggs until almost done, top with cheese while still in the pan, and place under broiler
7. Let cheese melt, then remove and eat - and use some hot sauce...trust me

Manedict

Serves 1

I love traditional the traditional eggs benedict, but sometimes you just want more. And this...is more. But just because it's called a MANedict, doesn't mean women can't have it - they can, and should.

Btw, if you don't want to deal with poaching eggs, it works great with simple fried eggs too.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 bagel, toasted or grilled
• about 4 ounces leftover steak - thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup beef gravy
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 small handfuls French fries, cooked and crispy

Directions

1. Poach eggs
2. While they cook, heat steak in a small non-stick pan
3. Build from the bottom up like this: bagel, steak, egg, fries, gravy
4. Who's the man...or woMAN now?

Mashed Potato & Stuffing Tacos

Makes 4

The only word for what started out as a simple Mashed Potato Taco is legendary...

And if it's not Thanksgiving, a box of Stove Top works beautifully...no really.

Ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 3/4 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/3 cup leftover stuffing
• Hot sauce, about 4 teaspoons
• 6 pieces of bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
• 4 handfuls of potato chips - preferably the extra crispy kettle kind

Directions

1. Heat the tortillas in a non-stick skillet on both sides until just beginning to get a little color in spots
2. Warm up potatoes & stuffing - small pot on the stove...microwave...in your pocket - it's up to you
3. Spread some sour cream onto each tortilla
4. Add some of the mashed potato then stuffing
5. Drizzle with the hot sauce, add crumbled bacon and then take a handful of the potato chips and crunch them over the top of each taco
6. Fold in half and eat...you can thank me later

Raspberry & Cream Cheese Won Tons

Makes 24

Amazingly good and easy - but also amazingly hot. Let them cool down.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 24 round won ton wrappers
• powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix cream cheese & jam in bowl well, then put in fridge for about 20 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 400
3. Put about 2 teaspoons of the mix in the center of each wrapper
4. Dip your finger into a little water, then lightly moisten the edges of each wrapper, fold in half - try to remove as much air as possibleSeal tightly and place won tons on baking sheet
5. Bake until they start to brown - about 15 to 20 minutes and remove from oven
6. Let cool a bit, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, and serve alone or with ice cream

Glazed Corned Beef

Serves 6 to 8

I love a corned beef and this one is simple & delicious. But make sure to save some for sandwiches the next day...

• 1 corned beef - about 4 pounds, the kind from the supermarket with the little packet of spices included

• 1/2 cup apricot jam

• 1/4 cup grainy mustard

• 2 tablespoons soy

Directions

1. Put corned beef in a large pot and cover with water - hang on to the spice pack

2. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that floats to the top, add the spices from the packet, then turn down to a simmer and cover - cook for approx 2.5 hours or until tender

3. Mix jam, mustard, soy - set aside

4. Heat over to 400

5. Remove corned beef from pot, drain and place on a baking sheet lined with foil

6. Baste with the mustard glaze and cook another 30 minutes (adding more glaze occasionally) until you can push a fork into it really easily

7. Slice and enjoy

Pastrami Reuben Dog

Makes 6 dogs

I love a Reuben, but always make it with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. So it just makes sense that if I was going to turn it into a dog I would do the same.

Ingredients

• 6 Kosher dogs

• 6 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

• 12 slices deli pastrami

• 6 good hot dog buns

• 6 slices Swiss cheese

• 1 ½ cups coleslaw, and just the ready deli kind is perfect

• Thousand Island dressing

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium high

2. Cook dogs until beginning to blister and looking great and remove from grill

3. Put pastrami and buns on grill and cook about a minute each side until beginning to brown

4. Put some dressing on each toasted bun, adding the pastrami, drizzle mustard, the coleslaw and finally the cheese

5. Put under the broiler for a final melt of the cheese - then eat

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Grilled Chipotle Flat Iron Steaks

Serves 4-6

A great rub that gives a ton of smokey flavor - we love this.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 pounds skirt steak

Directions

1. Combine chili powder, cumin, salt, sugar, pepper and enough olive oil to make a thick paste
2. Spread on both sides of steak and let sit about 30 minutes
3. Heat grill on high and cook steaks about 5 minutes on each side
4. Remove, cover with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before eating

Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesey Grits

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup grits or cornmeal
• 36 large shrimp (21/25's would be great) shell off & deveined
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder or regular chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• Olive oil - about 2 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Combine milk, water & cornmeal - bring to a boil then lower heat and cook slowly, stirring often until thick - 15 to 20 minutes
2. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the chili powder, salt and olive oil - set aside
3. To the grits, add butter, salt, pepper and cheese - stir well and keep warm
4. Heat a non-stick pan on high and cook shrimp until they are browned in spots and cooked through, 3-4 minutes
5. Serve shrimp on top of grits with a little chopped cilantro

Carne Asada

Serves 6ish

One of our favorites, and if you make extra you'll have enough for Carne Asada Fries. And if ur making tacos, we suggest this most delicious Avocado Cream

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro (no stems) finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 2 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• Zest & juice of one lime

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 pounds skirt, flap or flank steak (I like skirt and flap)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the steak- mix well

2. Put steak and marinade into a large zippered bag, zip shut and squish around to make sure steak is well covered

3. Refrigerate 1-4 hours

4. Heat grill to high and grill steak approximately 5 minutes a side or as necessary until approx 130 degrees

5. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before cutting across the grain (very important btw) and serving

Amazing Steak Sauce Salmon

Serve 4-6

This salmon is stupid good - there's just no other way to put it. If you can find the Japanese mayo called Kewpie - use it. If you can't, just use regular mayo (but try to find the Kewpie for next time).

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
• 1.5 to 2 pound salmon fillet
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat broiler on high
2. Combine mayo & steak sauce well
3. Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet, and cover top of salmon with the mayo mix - covering completely
4. Grind pepper well over the top of the salmon, and place in the oven - about 3 inches from the broiler heat coils
5. Cook approximately 7 minutes for every inch of salmon thickness - no need to flip it over

Chicken Fried Steak

Serves 4

Diet food? No. Amazingly delicious? You fricking bet.

Btw - the confusing name is because it's steak that's cooked like fried chicken.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1.5 pounds sirloin steak - pounded to about an even 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into serving size pieces
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• Oil for frying
• 12 ounces chicken gravy, store-bought is totally fine
• 1/4 cup half & half cream
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Using a couple pie pans or some other dish type thing, combine flour, steak seasoning, salt & paprika in one - and the beaten eggs & milk in the other
2. Dip steak pieces first in the flour (coating both sides), then in the eggs, then in the flour again
3. Put enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom and set over medium/high heat
4. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) cook each piece in the oil on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side - don't crowd the pan though
5. While the steaks cook, warm gravy in a small pot with about 1/2 tablespoon of the seasoning and the cream - stir well to combine
6. Serve steaks with gravy and a little parsley