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

Corn Salad

Serves 4

You can use either fresh corn that you grill or a can of corn - and trust me...the can is very easy and still really really good. Don't knock it until you've made it.

Ingredients

• 3 ears of corn, husks removed, or
• 15 ounce can corn kernels
• 1 red pepper, diced small
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped to make about 1/4 cup
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of Kosher salt

Directions

1. Brush corn with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast on the grill until softened and brown in spots (probably 20-25 minutes)- let cool, cut off the husk and put in bowl, or
2. If using the canned corn, drain the water and cook corn in a very hot pan with a little oil until it softens a bit and starts to get browned in spots - then put in a bowl
3. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well - serve and smile

Grilled Hearts of Romaine

Serves 2.  To serve more,  just double or triple as necessary.

Yes, this is grilled, and it's as fun to make as it is to eat. 

Ingredients

• 1 whole heart of romaine

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar

• 3 - 4 slices ready cooked bacon, crumbled

• 1 small tomato, diced

• Parmesan cheese, shredded

• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium

2. Slice a thin piece off the core end of the head, just to clean it up

3. Cut lengthways down the middle and brush each half with olive oil

4. Place cut side down on grill and cook just until leaves begin to wilt and you get grill marks - flip over and repeat

5. Remove from grill and place cut side up on plate.

6. Drizzle each half with balsamic vinegar and a little more olive oil

7. Then top with bacon, tomato and cheese

8. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Artichokes

It's easy to forget about these prickly, goofy-looking things in the supermarket. But they're so good you shouldn't - they make a great appetizer. Sometimes we have them right with the rest of our dinner. Don't forget about the artichoke hearts after...

Ingredients

• 3 artichokes (my family almost eats 1 each)
• 1 1/2 lemons
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 stick of butter

Directions

1. Cut the stem off the bottom so they sit flat, and about 1 inch off the top of each artichoke
2. Cut the point off each leaf, to keep you or your guests from getting poked
3. Place artichokes in large steamer with about about 3 inches of water below, or put them in a large pan with water about halfway up each choke
4. Cut one lemon in half, and squeeze both 1/2's over artichokes
5. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer covered for about 45 minutes, or until you can pull off a leaf quite easily
6. Remove from water, cool & serve with all three dipping sauces - yes all three
7. Dip 1 -Melt butter in small pot - so simple, so right
8. Dip 2 -Mix half the mayo with curry powder and mix well
9. Dip 3 -Mix other half of mayo with basil, garlic and juice from half of a lemon

Spicy Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Come on now, brussel sprouts have been made fun of for too long. Maybe you just need a better way of cooking them? Hey, here's an idea, try this!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Trim sprouts to remove ugly outer leaves - if the sprouts are large, cut in quarters - if small cut in half

2. Steam over boiling water until tender - about 10 minutes, then drain

3. Heat olive oil and garlic in small pan until fragrant, but do not burn

4. Add sprouts & pepper flakes and stir until they begin to brown, maybe 2 minutes

5. Add balsamic, brown sugar - stir for a minute, remove and serve

Crusty Puffed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 8 small red potatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Kosher salt (do not use table salt, and please see "Stuff you Gotta Have" about Kosher Salt)
• Fresh chopped Italian Parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475
2. Rinse and dry potatoes well.
3. Rub in the oil. Cut the potatoes in half, and sprinkle the cut side with salt.
4. Place them cut side down on a wire rack for about 10 minutes - this will draw out the moisture.
5. Bake potatoes directly on the middle level oven rack cut side up about 20 minutes.
6. Turn the oven up to 500 and bake about 5 minutes more, until they get until puffy and golden.
7. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Garlic Cheese Fries

Serves six... I think

Inspired by viewer Ken - no one who eats these doesn't like them.

Ingredients

• 1-28 ounce bag shoestring french fries
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Cook fries according to package directions
2. Combine butter, and garlic in a small pan and simmer over low heat
3. Place cooked fries in large bowl and drizzle with butter mixture
4. Toss well, adding parsley & cheese making sure all fries get mixed well
5. Sprinkle with salt and serve

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 4

Traditionally eggplant is breaded & then deep fried for this sandwich - but we're not doing that. We're going natural and all delicious. I wanna make one just thinking about it...

Ingredients

• 1 large globe eggplant - or 2 smaller ones
• 3 large tomatoes
• 4 slices mozzerella cheese
• 4 crusty Italian type rolls, split in half
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

1. Cut eggplant & tomatoes to get eight 1/4 inch slices of each
2. Brush eggplant with olive oil and season with salt & pepper
3. Grill eggplant on both sides until soft and marked with grill lines
4. Do the same with tomatoes, but for about half the eggplant time
5. Heat broiler, and toast buns lightly
6. Remove from oven and on top of the bottom roll place, in this order...
7. 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices of tomato, 3 large basil leaves, mozzerella cheese and finally about 2 tablespoons of parmesan
8. Place openface under broiler to melt cheese and brown the top - but don't go far you don't want them to burn.
9. Place tops on and slice in half - yummm

Grilled Potato Chips - (sort of)

Sure, I've heard of potato chips in a bag - but these BBQ ones all crispy with grill marks are a blast. Use a variety of potatoes types - sweet, yellow, purple whatever. They'll look so great all mixed together.

Ingredients

• Potatoes, as described above
• Your favorite Italian salad dressing - for every cup of potatoes, use approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing

Directions

1. Heat grill.
2. Slice potatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place in large bowl.
3. Mix potatoes with dressing and mix well.
4. Grill on each side until crispy.
5. Remove and sprinkle lightly with Kosher Salt.

Grilled Scallions

The simple scallion - who knew it could be so good?

Ingredients

• 4-5 scallions per person.
• Olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

1. Toss the scallions with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Throw them on the grill for the last 10 minutes or so of whatever you're cooking until tender.
3. Give them a little splash of oil before serving.

Grilled Vegetables

Try this the next time you grill instead of some heavy, starchy potato thing. Or, how about these as part of an awesome grilled veggy sandwich on a great crusty bread? All it takes is a few minutes - just use any favorite vegetables.

Ingredients

• Baste ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• Vegetables:
• Eggplant - cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices
• Red, yellow or green bell peppers - seeds removed and cut into quarterslengthwise
• Asparagus - end trimmed
• Fresh corn - husks removed and cut crosswise into 4 pieces
• Red onion - cut into thick wedges
• Zucchini - ends trimmed and cut in half crosswise then quartered lengthwise

Directions

1. Heat grill well
2. Put all basting ingredients in a small saucepan
3. Heat over medium and stir well until sauce is smooth
4. Add vegetables to grill and baste tops of each with sauce
5. Grill until marks appear and they start to soften
6. Baste again and turn
7. Baste side that is now on top and finish grilling - baste before removing
8. Remove carefully to a platter - remember 'presentation iseverything' - make it look nice.

Hash Browns

Serves 2

Onions, red pepper and bacon - how can you not like this? I make it with "Ready Crisp" bacon because you can throw it in at almost at the last minute without any necessary pre-cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 large russet potato, peeled & shredded
• 1/2 red pepper, diced small
• 1/2 onion, diced small - any kind of onion you like
• 1/2 pound bacon Ready Crisp Bacon, diced - or1/2 pound bacon, diced and cooked almost crispy
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• olive oil
• butter
• sour cream
• caviar (not the expensive kind - just the kind from the grocery store)

Directions

1. Saute onions and red pepper in olive oil until softened
2. Season with salt, add bacon and cook for another couple of minutes
3. Squeeze any liquid from potatoes and place in large bowl
4. Add onion and pepper mixture to potatoes - mix well
5. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in small pan
6. Add potato mixture, flatten down with spatula and cook until crispy and brown on both sides
7. Top with some sour cream and caviar

Irish Boxty (Potato Pancakes)

Makes about twelve 3 inch pancakes

I like to make sweet potato Boxty's as well. I'm pretty sure they're not traditional, but they're very good. Make a bunch and keep them warm in the oven. Serve them with apple sauce or a little sour cream with fresh dill - a Guinness or two wouldn't hurt either...

Ingredients

• 1 large potato - white or sweet - it's up to you
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup flour
• 1 egg
• milk
• pinch salt & fresh ground pepper
• vegetable oil

Directions

1. Cut potato in half and boil one half in water until tender - drainand put in a large bowl and mash
2. Grate remaining raw half into the bowl and add flour, egg, salt and pepper
3. Mix well and add enough milk to make a thick batter - about 1/4 -1/3 cup
4. Heat oil in a skillet (don't skimp, you'll need 3-4 tablespoons of oil) and drop batter by tablespoons into pan
5. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until browned and crispy

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

Roasted Garlic

This is so different from fresh raw garlic cuz of it’s sweet nutty flavor.  It’s perfect added to mayo, amazing with avo toast – really great anywhere.

Head of garlic - the number depends on how much you'll need

Olive oil

Kosher salt & pepper

• Preheat your oven (or even toaster oven) to 400

• Cut 1/2 inch off the top of the head of garlic - the top is the pointy side

• Put on a double sheet of foil with the cut side up & drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt & pepper, then wrap in the foil sealing edges well really well

• Bake 45 minutes, or until the cloves are lightly browned and squishy when pressed

• When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of their skins with your fingers

• Use

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Yams with OJ

Serves 6

Isn't it time for a 'not creamy' porridge-like potato dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas? I think it is - and roasted is the way to go...in my opinion.

Ingredients

• 2 Yams, peeled and cut into a large dice
• 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into a large dice
• Juice of 1 large orange
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon syrup (maple or pancake will do just fine)
• 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon - your choice but I like Jack
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Place potatoes on large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper
2. Bake at 450 about 30 minutes, stirring about halfway
3. Mix orange juice, sugar, syrup and bourbon in a small bowl
4. Drizzle over potatoes, return to oven and cook for another 5 minutes
5. Remove to serving dish, grate fresh orange over the top and serve

Shitake, Goat Cheese & Spinach Pizza

Serves 4

This has 3 of my favorite foods all in one recipe. It's so good you'll want it again and again.

Ingredients

• 1-10" ready-made pizza crust like Boboli
• 1/2 cup softened goat cheese
• 1/2 pound shitakes, sliced thin
• 4 ounces spinach (about 1/2 bag ready to go & cleaned)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425
2. Heat large pan, add oil and saute shitakes until nicley softened
3. Add garlic and stir for a minute - then add spinach & water, cover allow spinach to wilt - only a minute or so
4. Spread goat cheese on crust and top with spinach mixture
5. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes

Spicy Garlic Broccoli

My brother-in-law and I made this late one night - ate it - and then made it again right away and ate that. Simple, but really good. Definitely falls into the -less is more - category.

Ingredients

• 1 lb broccoli, cut into florets - you know, the nice end parts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken broth
• cashews - some whole, some crushed for the top.

Directions

1. Drop broccoli into boiling water for 5 minutes - remove and drain.
2. Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat and add garlic - stir fry for about a minute.
3. Add broccoli and crushed red pepper, continue to stir fry for 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Add soy and chicken broth mix all and remove after about a minute.
5. Serve on platter with cashews on top.

Vegetable Fajitas

Man I love these. You can add a bunch of other stuff like salsa, cilantro or whatever - but I like 'em (as Billy Joel would say) "just the way they are."

Ingredients

• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, garlic powder, oregano & cayenne
• Sour cream
• Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Tortillas

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet
2. Add both peppers and saute for 5 minutes until they begin to soften
3. Add onion and continue for another 5 minutes or so mixing well, then add zucchini
4. Saute all for another couple of minutes, then add about 3 tablespoons water and cover pan with a lid for 2 minutes - you want everything soft
5. Remove lid, add herbs and mix well
6. Turn down heat, and warm your tortillas
7. Place a little sour cream, some vegetables and a little cheese in each cooked tortilla and roll up