Pear & Gorgonzola Bread

Makes one loaf

This comes from our wonderful friend Peg, who lives up the street. I added the sauteed red onions because almost everything is better with them.

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, cut into thin slices
• Olive oil
• 1 loaf good crusty bread, like an Italian or French loaf
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
• 4 pears, ripe and sliced into thin slices

Directions

1. Cook red onion with a little olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat until well softened
2. Preheat oven to broil
3. Mix butter and gorgonzola well in a small bowl, set aside
4. Slice loaf in half lengthwise
5. Drizzle olive oil on cut side of bread and place under broiler a minute or so until it just starts to get crispy
6. Remove and cover cut side of bread with red onion and then cover that with pear slices
7. Then spread gorgonzola butter over pears
8. Put under broiler until light brown and bubbly
9. Remove and slice into serving pieces

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Makes 24 halves

Think deviled eggs are old-school and don't belong in contemporary life? Think again junior.

Ingredients

• 12 hard-boiled eggs
• 6 ounces package smoked salmon, chopped fine
• 1/3-cup mayo, roughly
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced small
• 1 or 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• Big pinch Kosher salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped fine
• Caviar

Directions

1. Slice eggs down the middle lengthwise (you knew that right?)
2. Put whites on your serving plate, and the yolks in a bowl
3. To the yolks add the salmon, mayo, red & green onion, hot sauce, salt, pepper & mustard
4. Mix all well and then fill each of the egg halves
5. Add a tiny amount of caviar to the top of each egg and sprinkle with chives
6. NOTE: You can get these all set a few hours in advance, but don't add the caviar until the last minute because when it sits on the eggs too long the liquid can come out and make the top of the eggs a bit messy.

Blue Cheese & Red Onion Quesadillas

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Think about this - melty blue cheese married to caramelized red onion that's been sweetened with a little brown sugar. On second thought - don't think about it - just make it.

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 8 corn tortillas

Directions

1. Cook red onion in a non-stick pan over medium heat until very soft, then stir in brown sugar
2. Add blue cheese and mix until cheese is melty
3. Divide onion and blue cheese mixture between 4 tortillas, spread out and top each with another tortilla
4. Cook in non-stick pan until both sides are lightly browned, remove, cut into wedges and serve

Greek Panzanella Salad

Serves 4

A Panzanella is just a salad made with cut up leftover bread - but not crunchy like a crouton. Here they soak up the dressing and become little bread pillows of amazing deliciousness. Did I just write that stupid line?

Ingredients

• 1/2 day old baguette, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 medium ripe vine tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into half rounds
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Place bread chunks onto a baking sheet and bake until kind of crispy (but not as hard as croutons, maybe 15 minutes)
3. Mix olive oil, oregano, red wine vinegar and sugar and set aside
4. Put the veggies, cheese and bread chunks in a large bowl and toss with dressing
5. Let sit about 15 minutes before serving

Warm Cabbage Salad

Bacon, mushrooms, blue cheese and that cool looking Napa cabbage you've never known what to do with. In fact, you could make a meal around this I think. Ok, I don't think - I know. I've had it by itself and it's terrific. And how come people don't say 'terrific' all that often anymore? And btw a little grilled chicken would be a great add to the top.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium Napa cabbage (not the core end) finely shredded - about 6 cups
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 1/3 pound bacon, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Approximately 1/3 cup honey mustard dressing, or make your own

Directions

1. Place cabbage in a large bowl and top with blue cheese
2. Cook bacon in large pan until about halfway done & remove grease, but leaving about 2 tablespoons and then add mushrooms
3. Cook until mushrooms have softened and bacon is done, 3 to 4 minutes
4. Add dressing to pan (being careful as it'll splatter a bit) and stir to heat through - about a minute
5. Pour warm dressing with bacon & mushrooms onto the cabbage/cheese and mix well
6. Season with salt, lots of fresh ground pepper and serve

Chimichanga

Makes 6

Baked or fried, these are so delicious and rather impressive looking when done.

5 chicken thighs, or about 2 cups once cooked

Kosher salt & ground pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1-4 ounce can diced green chilis

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, plus extra for serving

½ teaspoon each garlic powder, cumin and chipotle chili powder

1 – 15 ounce can refried beans, optional (they shouldn’t be, but I get it)

6 flour tortillas, burrito size

1 tablespoon oil (for baking)

¼ cup neutral oil (for frying

1 cup red enchilada sauce

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

• Cook thighs in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, set aside

• Add a little more oil to the pan, and put in onion and red pepper – cook until softened, about 5 minutes

• Shred or cut chicken into small pieces and put in a bowl with the onions and peppers, chilis, cheese and spices – mix well

• Heat the tortillas just a bit to make them a little more pliable - microwave or non-stick pan is fine

• If using, add a layer of the beans to the center of each tortilla, then spoon some of the chicken mixture onto each

• Roll up restaurant style - bottom over the filling, sides in then roll away from you

  To Bake

• Preheat oven to 400

• Place chimichanga on a greased baking sheet and brush tops lightly with neutral oil

• Bake until golden, about 20ish minutes

  To Fry

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil to skillet and place chimichangas seam side down. Turn lightly every 2-30 seconds until lightly golden on all sides

  To Serve

• While they cook, warm enchilada sauce, and when done spoon some enchilada sauce on a plate, lay chimichanga on top, and garnish with sour cream, a little more cheese and cilantro

Sammy-Boys Margarita

Makes 1 - go on, be selfish

The Margarita may have been born in Mexico in the 40's, but it came of age in my kitchen in the late 80's. Don't change it, just make it. And please use a decent tequila. I have this theory - crappy tequila makes a crappy Margarita. Oh, and be a little careful, they're kinda strong.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces reposado tequila

• 2 ounces Sweet & Sour - not Margarita mix

• ½ ounce Grand Marnier, plus extra for serving

• 1 splash Roses Lime Juice

• 2 lime wedges

• 2 orange wedges

Directions

1. Add ice to shaker and put in tequila, sweet & sour, Grand Marnier, Roses limejuice and juice from one lime & orange wedge

2. Place lid on shaker and shake well - you want it icy

3. Add fresh ice to a glass and pour in contents from shaker

4. Squeeze a new wedge each of lime and orange on top and drop wedges into glass

5. Then float a little more Grand Marnier over the top and voila - life is good.

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... PLUS, A BUNCH MORE RECIPES

Spicy Steak & Corn Soft Tacos

Serves 4-6

I love this. A lot.

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion, sliced thin
• 1 red pepper sliced into thin strips
• 1 pound steak, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup canned corn kernels
• 1 jalapeno chopped fine with seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Sour cream for serving

Directions

1. Heat oil and cook onion & red pepper in large skillet over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes then set aside
2. Heat skillet again, add a little more oil and cook steak just until the pink is gone - a couple minutes
3. Add the corn, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder along with the onions & peppers
4. Mix well and cook for another couple minutes until all is heated through
5. Serve on warm tortillas with some sour cream, salsa and lime wedges to squeeze on top.

White Bean Chicken Chili

We make this every year for Halloween because it's a nice change from regular chili and really delicious. Plus, it's perfect to put in a mug to eat while you are trick or treating - I mean while the kids are trick or treating.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cans Great Northern White Beans

• One 4 ounce can diced green chilies

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3-4 cups chicken broth

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Drain beans

2. In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic with oil until soft

3. Add remaining ingredients - using broth to make it as thick or thin as you like

4. Bring to a low simmer, turn down and heat through stirring well, salt & pepper to taste

5. Serve topped with cilantro

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Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, so there's a little whipping cream in this - just don't eat the whole thing yourself, ok?

Probably makes 8

3 cups shredded cooked chicken - one of those deli roasted chickens is perfect for this

1 cup Salsa Verde (green salsa)

1-4 ounce can chopped green chilies

1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in sauce (more if you like it hotter)

8 - taco size flour tortillas

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups whipping cream

1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chorizo crema (optional, click here for recipe)

Chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

• Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.

• Pour 1/2 the whipping cream in the bottom of a 9x13-baking dish.

• Pour chicken broth in bowl and one by one submerge each flour tortilla.

• Place approximately 1/8 chicken mixture in each wet tortilla and roll up.

• Place all 8 side by side in dish, sprinkle with cheese, and pour remaining whipping cream over top.

• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

• Optional: top with chorizo crema and garnish with green onions or cilantro

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Barbequed Shrimp (no bbq required)

Serves maybe 5 as an appetizer

I have always been a proponent of keeping a bag of frozen shell-on & de-veined shrimp in the freezer, and this recipe proves my point beautifully. At the absolute last minute you can have an awesome, delicious and fun meal. But it's a shame to eat these alone - turn them into a party.

Ingredients

• 1 pound 21/25 shrimp raw, shell-on & deveined (and defrosted)
• 1.5 sticks butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp each: crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and fresh ground black pepper.
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 bottle beer

Directions

1. Melt 1 stick of butter with garlic over medium heat.
2. Add spices and mix well then add shrimp - turn over when shrimp are pink on bottom side
3. When shrimp are cooked on both sides, add remainder of butter, beer, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice - heat through.
4. Serve with lots of cold bottled beer, warm crusty bread and newspaper as placemats.
5. Lots of napkins too.

Black Bean Salmon

Serves 4 - 6

Only three ingredients, but it tastes like fifty. The black bean & garlic sauce is available in the Asian aisle at any supermarket. Look for the Lee Kum Kee brand.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apricot preserves (which is pretty much the same as jam)

• 1/2 cup black bean & garlic sauce

• 1 whole salmon filet, 1.5 - 2 pounds

• 1/4 green onions, finely chopped

• Toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler to high

2. Mix apricot and black bean in a small bowl - stir well

3. Spread evenly over top of the salmon

4. Put in oven 4-6 below broiler coils - and cook approximately 7 minutes for every inch of thickness

5. Remove to a platter or serving plates and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds

Grilled Lobster Tails

Serves 4

There's this big mystique about lobster being hard to cook. Frankly it's no more difficult than a grilled peanut butter and jelly - it's just more expensive. Try it and see.

Ingredients

• 4 lobster tails
• 1/4 cup Finlandia butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except tails in small pot over low heat until melted
2. Using kitchen shears or really good scissors - cut right up the middle of the shell to towards the tail, but don't cut through the tail
3. Using the cut as your guide, take a good knife and cut all the way down through the meat but do not cut through the bottom shell
4. Pull back the sides of the shell to expose the meat and brush well with the butter mixture
5. Heat grill to medium high and grill meat-side down for approximately 5-6 minutes, then turn and cook another 3-4 minutes or until done
6. Serve with extra butter sauce

Shrimp Tacos

Makes about 4 or 5

I say it all the time - keep a bag of raw, unpeeled shrimp in the freezer for easy last minute recipes like this. The chipotle/sour cream/lime mix that goes with this is so good. But don't get all freaked out with the chipotles, they're not weird. You just buy them in a little can for about a buck and a half in the supermarket. Actually, buy 2 cans - I also use them in my Chicken Enchiladas.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb peeled, uncooked shrimp, (31/50's are perfect) cut into smallish pieces
• 2 limes
• 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• corn tortillas
• purple cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 small chipotle from a can, pay attention now - not a whole can of them - just one as they're hot, minced fine

Directions

1. Mix well sour cream, chipotle and juice from 1/2 a lime in small bowl - set aside
2. Heat pan well then add oil
3. Add shrimp and stir fry quickly - the shrimp will cook fast
4. When almost cooked, sprinkle with Old Bay then squeeze juice from half a lime on top
5. Give 'em a quick mix and you're done
6. That's it. I like to put everything out and let people make their own. Put some of the chipotle sour cream on a tortilla, add a little cabbage, add the shrimp and squeeze a little more fresh lime juice over the top.
7. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Baked Risotto

Serves 8

The thing that makes risotto a pain in the ass (oops, can I say ass?) is that you have to baby-sit it by stirring, stirring and stirring. My recipe is not traditional, but it's also not a pain in the ass. Give it a whirl.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons onion, diced small

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1 cup risotto (Arborio rice)

• 1/3 cup dry vermouth

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil and teaspoon of butter until softened

3. Add risotto and stir until rice has absorbed all the oil and butter

4. Add vermouth and cook for another minute or two

5. Stir in chicken broth and whipping cream, mix well and bring to a boil over high heat

6. Remove, cover and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes

7. Remove from oven and stir in butter and Parmesan

8. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little more Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Serves 6

Love it, love it, love it. What more can I say? Delicious. That's all. Ok, smooth and creamy too. There - I'm done.

5 slices raw bacon, diced fairly small

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, (casings removed if in sausage form)

1 pound penne pasta

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

• Add bacon to a non-stick pan, and cook until just getting crispy - remove to a paper towel to drain

• Remove bacon grease, leaving about a tablesppon, then add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and when melted and add bread crumbs - stirring often over medium high heat until golden brown then add back in the bacon, stir well to combine and remove to a small bowl - set aside

• Heat oil in medium hot pan, add sausage & break apart to crumble

• Cook until no longer pink and stir in garlic - cook another minute

• Add cream - simmer on low about 10 minutes

• While it cooks, add pasta to boiling water - when the pasta's ready, so is the sausage

• Drain pasta and add to sausage

• Add remaining butter, Parmesan cheese & parsley - mix well

• Serve topped with the bacon/bread crumbs

Mashed Potatoes - Three Ways

Let me get this out of the way - it's OK to use frozen or packaged or dried mashed potatoes. It is. They are really quite good. Plus, by the time you add a bunch of extra ingredients - even your grandmother couldn't tell they weren't from scratch. This is just a guide - you can add almost anything to mashed potatoes - goat cheese, sour cream, bits of roast beef, rice pudding, quickly sauted vegetables, crunchy rice noodles - by the way I was just kidding about the rice pudding.

Directions

CHIPOTLE MASH:

• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon adobe sauce
• Chipotle chiles, from a can
• Monterey jack cheese
• Mix the potatoes and sauce - you're done.
• Garnish with a little cheese while still hot so it starts to melt

HORSERADHISH MASH:

• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• Mix all ingredients
• Season with salt & pepper

CARMELIZED RED ONION MASH:

• 1 red onion (of course) sliced really thin
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• olive oil
• 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
• Saute red onion in a little oil until very soft and beginning to brown
• Add brown sugar and mix well
• Serve masked potatoes with a big whack of sauted onions on top and drizzle lightly with olive oil

Potatoes Anna

Serves 6 - 8

This comes out with crispy, really well seasoned layers of a potatoes in a sort of big tart thing. Holy smokes...

Ingredients

• 3 large Russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Sour Cream
• Finely chopped green onions for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Wash and slice potatoes into 1/8" thick rounds
3. Melt butter with garlic - don't let it burn
4. Butter bottom and sides of about 8 or 9 inch cast iron pan, or oven proof pot really well
5. Layer the potato slices in concentric circles on bottom of pan
6. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
7. Repeat layering - potatoes, butter, salt, pepper - until you're out of potatoes
8. Top with a final brushing of butter then salt and pepper
9. Bake about 45 minutes
10. Turn up oven to 500 and bake for 15 minutes more or until the top is crispy
11. Invert onto a platter and serve in wedges, with spoonful of sour cream and caviar on top
12. Sprinkle with green onions

(Faux) Ginger Creme Brûlée

Ok, here's the deal. Creme Brûlée is a pain in the ass to make - no doubt about it. My version is not a pain at all. It doesn't exactly replace the real thing - but it's pretty darn close.

Ingredients

• One 3.5 Kraft Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding, well chilled
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Sugar

Directions

1. Mix pudding and ginger well in a small bowl
2. Fill a small ramekin about 2/3 full with pudding and smooth over the top, refrigerate at least 1 hour
3. Remove from fridge, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top
4. Using a plumbers torch or small culinary torch, burn the top to a golden brown
5. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes
6. Serve...knowing some of your friends will think you worked your ass off making it

WATCH HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE... 

Mango Dessert Tacos

Makes 4

Simple, messy and gooey - just like they should be. No one gets a fork. No one!

Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas
• butter
• cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
• 2 fresh mangos, peeled & diced
• About 1 cup vanilla ice cream (it should be a really good vanilla)
• powdered sugar
• honey
• 1/2 whole lemon

Directions

1. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with butter and sprinkle well with cinny-sugar
2. Cook on both sides in a non-stick pan over medium heat until slightly crispy and brown - remove to a serving plate
3. Add 1/2 cup of the ice cream to each tortilla, the mango on top
4. Drizzle with honey and a squeeze of lemon juice then a final sprinkle of powdered sugar
5. Now just fold and eat kinda like a taco