Cheater Seafood Paella

Serves 8

Paella can be one big pain in the, well - you know. This...is not.

Ingredients

• Two 7-ounce packages Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice
• One 28 ounce can tomatoes to make the Rice-a-Roni
• 3/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled & de-veined
• 1 pound fresh mussels
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions
2. When the rice has about 7 minutes left to cook, add shrimp and mussels and re-cover
3. Remove the lid, stand back and marvel at your excellence
4. Serve with a big fat wedge of lemon on the side - but don't serve any mussels that didn't opened - because they were d.o.a. and that's no bueno

Pimm's Cup

Makes 1

Pimms's is a gin based alcohol created in London in 1840 by the owner of a London oyster bar. It can be mixed with 7up, lemonade or in this case - ginger ale.

Ingredients

• 2 parts Pimm's
• 2 parts ginger ale
• 1 slice orange
• 1 long cucumber spear

Directions

1. Fill a glass with ice and add Pimm's and ginger ale
2. Squeeze and drop in orange wedge
3. Add cucumber to stir, then leave in and drink

Horseradish Cream

Makes about 1/2 cup

Served on the side of a steak - this is quite killer.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients
2. Serve on the side

Pastrami Breakfast Burrito

Makes 4

This is almost a near perfect breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 handfuls frozen French fries, cooked according to package directions and crispy
• About 1/2 pound deli pastrami, rough chopped
• 4 burrito sized tortillas or wraps
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup any kind of cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in nonstick pan and add onions, cook until softened
2. Add pastrami and cook until everything is well mixed and heated through
3. Beat eggs (with salt and pepper to taste) and add to pan mixture, stir well to combine
4. While all this cooks, heat the tortillas
5. Take a tortilla and spread it with about 1 tablespoon of the sour cream and add some filling
6. Sprinkle with cheese, add fries to each, a few dashes of the hot sauce and roll up burrito style
7. Eat, of course

Grilled Lamb Kebabs

Makes 6

Grilled ground lamb with a totally simple but fantastic and simple mint yogurt sauce - so so good.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt, greek style if possible
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 6 wooden skewers
• Kosher salt & pepper
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• olive oil
• 6 pitas

Directions

1. Combine yogurt, mint and lime zest - set aside
2. Heat grill to medium high
3. Season lamb with salt pepper, and mix in cumin - then mold into hot dog shape around the top half of the skewers (or you could do meatballs)
4. Brush lightly with oil, and grill until cooked through
5. As they cook, combine tomatoes and onion - set aside
6. When lamb is done, remove from grill but put on pitas to warm
7. To serve, spread some yogurt sauce on a pita, add a lamb kebab and some of the tomato-onion mixture

Boneless Pork Loin Chops

Makes 6 chops

A simple little marinade. If the 'little black dress' had a food cousin - this could be it.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped very fine

• 8 ounces of a good dark-ish and slightly sweet beer

Directions

1. Put soy, brown sugar, ginger, and beer in a container large enough to hold the marinade and the chops

2. Mix well then add the chops and make sure they all get covered by the marinade

3. Refrigerate 4 hours to overnight

4. Heat grill to medium-high and put on the chops

5. Grill until done to about 145 degrees somewhere around 10 to 15 minutes

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Flank

Serves 4 to 6

Five ingredients that just go together really well. If you don't like bourbon...wait, you don't like bourbon?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 flank steak, about 1.5 pounds

Directions

1. Mix soy, bourbon, brown sugar and dry mustard really well until combined
2. Put the flank and the marinade in a zip lock back and zip shut
3. Refrigerate 2 hours up to over night
4. Pre-heat grill well and cook flank 6 to 7 minutes on each side for medium rare
5. Be sure to slice it against the grain

Chili Cornbread & Honey Butter

Serves 8

'Just add water' cornbread mix and plain ol' chili powder make a great and simple combo. And the honey butter...well that just speaks for itself.

Ingredients

• 1 package cornbread mix
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. Mix cornbread according to package instructions
2. Stir in chili powder, pour into pan and bake
3. While it cooks, stir honey into butter and set aside
4. I shouldn't have to describe what to do next, should I?

Asian Grilled Shrimp

Makes 10

That's kind of a lousy name for this recipe. What I mean are shrimp that are grilled and have an Asian flavor. Not shrimp that are grilled by an Asian...oh well.

Ingredients

• 10 wooden skewers
• 1 pound large shrimp, shell on and de-veined, like under 10's would be great
• 1 cup Asian salad dressing - something with sesame, ginger etc would be ideal
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Put sticks in casserole dish and cover with water - let soak about 30 minutes
2. Put dressing and pepper flakes in a bowl - mix well
3. Add shrimp, stir to coat well and let sit about 20 minutes
4. Heat grill
5. Skewer shrimp with sticks up through the tail so the shrimp stays straight
6. Grill 2-3 minutes a side until done

Chinese BBQ Ribs

Serves 4

So good...and a little different you'll love them. If you're a beer person (and who isn't with ribs?) pick up a some Chinese beer, Tsing Tao to go along with these.

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork back ribs, about 4 pounds
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons 5 spice powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place ribs and vinegar in a large baking or casserole dish - cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 75-90 minutes or until very tender
3. Mix soy, honey, hoisin, garlic and 5 spice powder - set asideRemove from oven and carefully lift off foil - watch out for steam
4. Heat bbq to medium and place ribs meat side down without sauce - but you can baste the back with the sauce
5. Cook until they start to develop grill marks, and turn over - now baste the top
6. 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
7. Give them one extra basting after they've been removed, and just before you serve them

Asian Burgers

Makes 4

Beef, Asiany and crunchy from the slaw. There's no bad here.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, white & light green parts only, chopped fine
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce
• 1 bag broccoli slaw
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 buns, and make them kinda interesting ok?

Directions

1. Mix beef, garlic, ginger, green onions and salt & pepper well - shape into patties
2. Preheat grill to medium high
3. Combine hoisin & chili sauce, set aside
4. Mix broccoli slaw with mayo and sesame oil - set aside
5. Cook burgers to desired doneness, basting each side with the sauce once that side has been cooked, and then again when you take them off
6. Grill buns until light brown
7. Serve burgers on toasted bun with slaw

SEARED TUNA with GRILLED MANGO SALSA

Serves 4

Simple grilled tuna with a delicious salsa. You could eat of ton of this, be really happy and hardly gain a pound...

Ingredients

• Four 6 ounce tuna fillets
• 2 mangos - peeled, pitted and the flesh from each removed side in one piece
• 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh peeled ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium high
2. Lightly rub tuna with olive oil and season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Also lightly oil red onion - then put tuna, red onion and mango on the grill
3. Cook until tuna is just done (still rare) and remove
4. Continue cooking red onion and mango until they get good grill marks, then remove and diced both
5. Combine all ingredients except tuna in medium bowl and toss to blend
6. Serve salsa on tuna with a little extra sprinkle of cilantro

Kaplan Special Breakfast

Serves 4

My mom's old school breakfast - it's perfection on a plate. And if you don't like it, you'd basically be saying you don't like my mom - and I don't think you want to say that.

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into small wedges
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 eggs
• 4 pieces toast (sourdough is excellent for this)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked & crispy

Directions

1. Cook onions in a medium hot non-stick pan with a little olive oil until quite soft, then add tomatoes
2. Season with salt & pepper
3. When both have softened nicely, add Worcestershire and mix well
4. Cook eggs, over easy or sunny-side up - but whatever you do just keep the yolk runny
5. Serve it like this: toast on the bottom, then some onion mix, then the egg and then top with the bacon

Herbed Honey Dijon Burger

Makes 4

Honey & Dijon, not just on - but IN the burger mix with a ton of herbs. Fanfrickingtastic.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1/2 cup fresh herbs chopped fine - any combo of thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro etc

• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

• One big handful arugula or something leafy & green

• 2 large tomatoes

• 4 good buns

Directions

1. Combine honey & Dijon, mix well and set aside

2. Mix beef with half of the honey mix, all the herbs and salt & pepper - combine well and shape into 4 patties

3. Heat grill or cast iron pan well and cook burgers about 4 minutes a side for medium rare, remove and keep warm

4. Lightly grill buns and then top with some of the reserved honey mustard, tomato slices, extra sauce and bun top

5. Enjoy

Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 4

You can bust this out in about 3 minutes. And it's excellent cold or hot.

Ingredients

• One 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 6 large basil leaves
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sour cream for serving

Directions

1. Put everything in the blender
2. Blend until smooth and a touch chunky
3. Top with a little sour cream and some fresh chopped basil - eat

Vodka & Pomegranate Cooler

Makes 1

Great.

Ingredients

• 2 parts vodka
• Splash pomegranate juice
• Splash Grand Marnier
• Soda
• Lime wedge

Directions

1. Add ice to a short glass
2. Put in vodka, pom juice & Grand Marnier
3. Top off with soda
4. Squeeze and drop in lime wedge

Crab Manicotti

makes about 12

Crab, cheese & spinach - all crabby, warm and bubbly. Could it get any better?

Ingredients

• 12 Manicotti Shells
• 16 ounces crab meat, lump if possible
• One 10oz box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and moisture squeezed out
• 8 ounces Ricotta Cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup pasta sauce, tomato sauce, red pepper sauce - just something red and good
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Boil shells according to package directions
3. Put crab, spinach, ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup of the parmesan in a large bowl
4. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper
5. Drain shells and rinse with cool water
6. Pour red sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan
7. Stuff shells with crab mixture and set on top of sauce
8. Top shells with whipping cream and remaining Parmesan cheese
9. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly

Blue Cheese Bacon Mushrooms

Makes about 12

These you can easily make the day before - just don't cook until you're going to eat them. And let them come to room temperature first.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 ounces soft Blue Cheese
• 1 ounce 'ready' bacon, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Remove stems from mushrooms, put caps on a baking sheet
3. Chop stems fine and cook with olive oil in a non-stick pan until softened
4. Add bacon and continue to cook until bacon just starts to get crispy
5. Put mushrooms and bacon in a bowl and add cheese, parsley and pepper - mix well
6. Put mixture into mushroom caps and broil about 10 minutes or until beginning to get brown and bubblyBroil for about 5 minutes until melted and brown

Artichoke & Chicken Stuffed Pizza

Makes one 9inch pizza

Two crusts make this a crazy 'deep dish wonderland of chicken and artichokes' - it's great.

Ingredients

• One Pillsbury 11 Oz Thin Pizza Crust or enough pizza dough for approximately two 10" circles
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 14 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
• 1/3 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Grease a 9" cake tin or pie plate
3. Roll pizza dough into two 10 inch circles and lay one circle on the bottom and up the sides of the tin
4. Sprinkle crust with Parmesan cheese then add chicken & artichokes and top with Alfredo sauce
5. Add second crust on top and pinch both crusts together around the edge
6. Spread pizza sauce on top of the crust, and sprinkle with mozzarella
7. Bake about 35 minutes - or until golden brown

Grandma Ruby's 7-Up Pound Cake

Serves 6 or so

This pound cake is an awesome dessert... but don't take my word for it, bake it and see for yourself.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons lemon extract
• 3 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 to 1 cup 7-Up
• LEMON GLAZE INGREDIENTS (optional)
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• Lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With a mixer beat the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts.
4. Work in the flour and continue beating until well mixed.
5. Slowly add the lemon lime soda and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Completely coat the inside of a bundt pan with vegetable oil spray with flour in it.
7. Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 1 hour.
8. Test with a fork or wooden skewer. When it comes out clean with no batter sticking to it, it's done.
9. Let cake cool and serve with glaze drizzled over the top.
10. LEMON GLAZE DIRECTIONS (optional)
11. In a bowl, slowly add a bit of the lemon juice to the sugar and butter and begin whisking by hand.
12. Add more juice as needed and mix until glaze is thick, but not too thick to pour.