Lamb (with no bun) Burgers

Serves 4

No 'bun' intended, get it? Quick, easy and borderline sophisticated in taste. You'll love these and if there was ever a time to go without a bun, this is it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds ground lamb
• 2 tablesppons freshly chopped oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
• 1/4 cup onion, diced small
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Heat grill
2. Mix all ingredients except feta
3. Grill until desired doneness - do not dry them out
4. Serve with crumbled feta over the top

Maple Salmon

Serves 4

If this takes more than 10 minutes start to finish - you've done something wrong.

Ingredients

• 4 salmon filets
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 bunch green onions - bottom 3 inches sliced matchstick thin
• 1 small red pepper, sliced matchstick thin
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

1. Heat non-stick pan and add oil when very hot
2. Place salmon skin side up in pan and sear until nicely brown & crusted about 3 minutes
3. Flip and cook skin side down a couple more minutes - remove to plates and keep warm
4. Add green onions and red peppers to the hot pan and stir fry about 30 seconds, remove and place on salmon
5. Mix soy & syrup - add to pan, allow to thicken about 30 seconds and drizzle over salmon

Wasabi Cole Slaw

Serves 4-6

I love this - do I have to say anything else? And it's a nice change from a mayo-based cole slaw. There - I've said enough.

Ingredients

• 1-10 ounce bag ready-made cole slaw - I like the kind without carrot for this
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (regular vinegar's fine if you don't have rice)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• couple dashes sesame oil
• green onion thinly sliced and sesame seeds as garnish

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in small bowl well until sugar is disolved and wasabi paste is fully mixed in
2. Mix with cole slaw just before serving
3. If you want, you could garnish the the top with a little thinly sliced green onion and a few sesame seeds...

Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

Serves 4

This is a piece of cake to make, so to speak. In a hurry you may want to just have the asparagus by themselves-they're so great.

Ingredients

• 1 lb medium asparagus with tough ends cut off
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450
2. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, season well with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and place on baking sheet
3. Roast until just tender, about 10 minutes
4. While that's cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or heavy saute pan over medium high heat, stir in the garlic
5. Saute until just fragrant, about a minute and add mushrooms
6. Saute shrooms until soft about 5 minutes
7. Add the vermouth (off the heat - you don't want a flare up) stir until evaporated then add soy
8. Add in butter at the last minute and serve the whole mushroom mixture on top of the asparagus

Katherine's Meatballs

While Katherine may not be your stereotypical Italian Grandmother (too young looking, too hip) her meatballs taste as if she's been cooking for a hundred years.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef

• 2 eggs

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

• 2 cloves garlic

• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup red wine

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and shape mixture into balls

2. Cook meatballs in small amount of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until just golden brown

3. Remove from pan, and place meatballs in a pot

4. Add Katherine's Spaghetti Sauce to the pot - you'll have to make that too... but it's easy.

5. Let simmer for 2 hours

Katherine's Spaghetti Sauce

If you're making this, you better also be making Katherine's Meatballs. Cuz if you're not, you're making a giant mistake. Believe me.

Ingredients

• 2-28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

• 6 oz can tomato paste

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 handful fresh basil leaves

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Olive oil

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil

2. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown

3. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste

4. Fill tomato paste can with water (3 times) and add to sauce - 4 if it's really thick

5. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then add meatballs and sugar

6. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours and stir often (or sauce will burn) being careful not to break meatballs - no one wants a busted meatball

7. At about an hour, check thickness and flavor - then add basil and salt & pepper if necessary.

8. Cook until meatballs are fully cooked - but not dry.

Maple Chops

Serves 4

If you don't have maple syrup - you can use pancake syrup. If you don't have pancake syrup - what? You don't have pancake syrup? What's going on in your house?

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops - bone in or out (I like it in)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Pre-heat BBQ
2. Combine syrup, soy and garlic - mix well
3. Marinate chops in 3/4 of the mixture as long as you have - 15 minutes or up to overnight
4. Grill until done - baste with reserved sauce during cooking - but save a little extra to drizzle on top when they come off the grill

Tuna Cristo

Makes 2 sandwiches

This is the less sophisticated cousin of the classic "Monte Cristo", but easily as good.

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna
• 2 tablespoons red pepper, diced fine
• 2 tablespoons jicama, diced fine
• 4 slices bread
• 2 slices cheese, the type is up to you, but I kinda like muenster or Havarti
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• butter

Directions

1. Combine tuna, red pepper, jicama, mayo and salt & pepper - mix well
2. Spread mixture evenly on 2 of the bread slices and add cheese to each then top with second slice of bread
3. Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl & dip both sides of sandwiches in mixture
4. Melt butter in non-stick pan and cook sandwiches until golden on both sides and cheese is melted
5. Slice in half and serve warm

Turkey Pie

Serves 6

My favorite - sage scented turkey with mushrooms, onions and bacon all under a golden crust, and all steamy and warm when you bust it open. Yahoooo.

Ingredients

• 1 ready to bake refrigerated pie crust
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 8 slices cooked bacon, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon sage
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Saute onions, mushrooms, sage and bacon in 1 tablespoon of the butter until softened
3. Add turkey to mixture and put into pie plate
4. In same pan, melt remaining butter while stirring in flour - it will make a gritty paste
5. Stir in broth slowly to make a thick sauce and add Worcestershire
6. Pour over turkey mixture
7. Top with crust and brush top with milk
8. Bake until top is golden brown - about 20 minutes - and serve

Champagne Cocktail

Makes 1

A classic that's perfect for New Year's - and way simple. Bitters are just a vegetable extract that's used in making a bunch of cocktails - you can find it at the supermarket. You know sparkling wine is essentilly the same as champagne - you just can 't call it champagne unless it comes from the champagn region of France.

Ingredients

• Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• 1 sugar cube
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Directions

1. Shake 2 dashes bitters on sugar cube and drop in champagne glass
2. Fill with champagne

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White & Green Roasted Asparagus

Serves 6

Roasting them in the oven brings out the flavor - compared with boiling them which washes away the flavor and makes them taste like %$#@. If you can't find white asparagus, use the blue ones. Kidding...use only green.

Ingredients

• 1 lb medium green asparagus with tough ends cut off
• 1 lb medium white asparagus with tough ends cut off
• Approximately 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 Lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425
2. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, season well with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and place on baking sheet
3. Roast until crisp tender, about 10-15 minutes
4. Lightly squeeze lemon over the top before serving

Avgolemono Soup

Serves 4

A wonderful little Greek soup - just like Mrs. Kronopoulos, the wonderful little Greek woman who used to make it for me.

Ingredients

• 6 cups Chicken broth
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Parsly for garnish

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add rice and turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add lemon juice - stir to mix
3. This next part is IMPORTANT - - if you just pour the egg mix into the soup right now it'll turn to scrambled eggs, so don't
4. Take about a cup of the hot broth and slowly stir it into the egg mix - then slowly add one more
5. Now that the egg mix is hot enough, you can add it into the broth in the pot
6. Continue simmering until it thickens and is heated through and you're done
7. Serve with a little chopped parsley on top

Egg Drop Soup

Makes about 4 cups

Instant comfort. You could always add a little cooked chicken or some veggies - but you don't need to.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 4 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Directions

1. Beat eggs in small bowl - set aside

2. Heat the broth in a small pot and bring to a boil

3. Stir in soy sauce

4. Return to a boil then turn off the heat

5. While stirring soup in a fast circular fashion with a fork, slowly pour in beaten egg from about 4-5 inches above the pot

6. Continue stirring until egg gets all cool and kinda stringy, drizzle sesame oil and that’s it

7. Serve in a bowl with the green onions on top

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Grandpa Wally's Car Keys

Serves Grandpa Wally

OK - I knew someone would look and I had to put something here didn't I?

Ingredients

Directions

Pepper Halibut with Salsa Cream

Serves 6

I know - it sounds fancy and I'm not fancy. So who cares, just make it and impress your friends. But heed my warning - if you use red salsa instead of green - this will become one of the most horrifyingly ugly dishes you've ever made - so don't.

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 yellow pepper, finely diced
• 1 Anaheim chili pepper, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds Halibut
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
• 1 teaspoon each cumin, cayenne and chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a non-stick pan to medium high, add olive oil, peppers and garlic and cook until just softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes and set aside
2. While that's cooking, heat broiler
3. Combine cumin, chili powder and cayenne - and sprinkle over halibut
4. Broil halibut until done – about 5-7 minutes depending on thickness
5. While halibut and peppers cook, combine sour cream and salsa in a little pot and simmer until heated through
6. Plate it by putting some pepper mixture on plate, then halibut on top and spoon some of the salsa cream over the top
7. Garnish with a little cilantro

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Makes 12

You're probably tired of me telling you that there are things you should keep in your freezer for last minute appetite supression. Scallops are one of them because they freeze really well and defrost quickly. Sea scallops are the big ones and bay scallops are the little guys - this recipe uses the big boys.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sea scallops, defrosted
• 12 slices 'ready bacon' - the already cooked and ready to go kind
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 long metal skewers - or 2 long wooden ones
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat bbq or grill pan on high
2. Wrap each scallop with a slice of bacon and skewer - 6 to a skewer, make sure they stay tightly wrapped
3. Spray bbq or grill pan with non-stick spray, and lay down the skewers - don't move 'em
4. Let them get cook for 2-3 minutes until really good grill marks develop, then flip over
5. Brush top with sauce and grill 2nd side about 2 more minutes or until that side looks equally as cool
6. Remove and brush just cooked side with sauce
7. Put on a serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving

Roasted Yellow Pepper Pizza

Serves 4

Great color, great taste and you get it together in about 2 minutes. What's not to like?

Ingredients

• 12" precooked pizza crust
• 5 ounce tub goat cheese
• 2 ounces arugula leaves, the ready-to-go kind is easiest
• 12 ounce jar roasted yellow peppers
• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Drain peppers
3. Spread goat cheese on crust, cover with arugula and spread peppers, over the top
4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until beginning to brown and get crispy
5. Remove from oven, season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese
6. Slice (of course) and serve

Optional: If you love red onion like I do, you can roughly chop 1/2 red onion, oven roast it for 10 minutes then sprinkle on top of the pizza with peppers.

Ice Cream Sandwich Deal

Serve 1

This sounds like the dumbest thing on the planet, but its amazingly good...and simple.

Ingredients

• 1 ice cream sandwich

• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

• 2 chocolate-mint cookies, smashed up (Thin Mints are perfect for this)

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. Slice sandwich in half not lengthwise, but...shortwise - I don't really know how else to say it? I just mean across the middle

2. Then slice each half diagonally to create 4 triangles

3. Drizzle syrup decoratively on a plate and place the triangles standing up in the middle

4. Sprinkle cookies over the top and shake powdered sugar over the whole thing

Pork Tenderloin

Serves 6

You'll dig this - it's as good as it looks. Oops, you can't see it can you? Guess you'll just have to take my word for it then...

Ingredients

• 2-1 pound pork tenderloins
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Directions

1. Preheat grill on high
2. Season pork with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3. Grill pork, turning to evenly brown well on all sides, then turn heat to medium
4. Mix remaining ingredients in small bowl
5. Begin basting pork once the heat is turned down - too soon and the sweet sauce will burn
6. Continue cooking and basting until pork is the way you like it - which for me is just a tiny bit pink in the center
7. Remove from grill and allow to rest a few minutes
8. Warm remaining basting sauce and drizzle over sliced pork and serve

Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches

Makes 16 little sandwiches

Two things that have always bugged me about most crab cakes - they're fried in a bunch of oil and almost always have a ton of mayo in them. Mine are baked, not fried and have zero mayo. Plus these are easy to throw together, easy to cook and even easier to eat. Who loves ya baby?

Ingredients

• 1 pound crab meat
• 1/4 cup green onion, diced small
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup panko crumbs, Japanese bread crumbs available at most supermarkets
• 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce
• 2 tubes (8 each) refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
• 1-8 ounce bag ready cole slaw (with the dressing included)

Directions

1. Make biscuits and cole slaw according to package directions and set aside
2. Heat oven to 400
3. Mix crab, onion, soy, panko and chili sauce well in a bowl and shape into 16 tight little pattys and place on greased baking sheet
4. Bake cakes until crispy brown then carefully flip, should be about 10-15 minutes each side
5. Cut biscuits in half and place one crab cake on each bottom half, add some cole slaw then top with other biscuit half