Mediterranean Chicken Wrap

Makes 4

All the flavors of the Meditteranean in your hand - wait...that doesn't sound quite right.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bag of the ready to go Caesar Salad
• 1/2 small cucumber, diced large
• 4 ounces crumbled feta
• 1 1/2 cups shredded deli roasted chicken
• roasted red pepper strips
• 4 wraps, try the spinach ones

Directions

1. Dress approximately 2 cups of the salad greens
2. Warm wraps slightly in non-stick pan and put on flat surface
3. Spread salad among the wraps and add to each: some chicken, some feta, some cucumber and some of the red pepper strips
4. Roll up and serve

Hot Pastrami Wrap

Serves 6

This was an instant classic in my house and has become the Sunday afternoon crowd snack of choice for sporting events or Tivo'd showings of Martha Stewart's Apprentice. Ok so maybe the crowd is a lot smaller for the Martha showings. Fine then, it's just me - you happy now?

Ingredients

• 1 pound pastrami, thinly sliced
• 6 large flour wraps or tortillas
• 2 1/2 cups cole slaw, premade - the kind with the carrot, etc.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle chilis
• 12 thin slices Muenster cheese

Directions

1. Mix cole slaw and adobo sauce, set aside
2. Heat non-stick pan and add pastrami - the goal is to lightly grill it to bring out the flavor
3. I like to try to grill a wraps worth of pastrami at a time so I can melt cheese individually
4. Once grilled, add 2 slices of cheese to each pile
5. Warm wraps in non-stick pan slightly and add pastrami/cheese
6. Place some cole slaw on top, and roll up - or should I say wrap up?

Sticky Sweet Ribs

Serves 4

Basic bbq sauce with only brown sugar and pancake syrup will make you king or queen o' the grill.

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork back ribs, about 4 pounds

• 1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce, plain

• 1/4 cup pancake syrup

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 4 tablespoons white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers (optional)

Directions

1. Mix sauce, syrup and brown sugar, (and chipotle, if you want) set aside

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3. Place ribs in their racks (I just mean do not cut them) in a large baking/casserole dish

4. Pour vinegar into dish with ribs and cover tightly with aluminum foil

5. Bake about 75 minutes or until very tender

6. Remove from oven and carefully lift off tin foil - watch out for steam

7. The ribs are now fully cooked and just need to be 'sauced' finished' and you have 2 options:

8. 1.  Heat bbq to medium and place ribs meat side down without sauce - but you can baste the back with the sauce

9. Cook until they start to develop grill marks, and turn over - now baste the top

10. 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 - that's what I do

11. 2.  Heat broiler to high and place ribs on a baking sheet about 4 inches from the heat source

12. Brush top of the ribs well with the sauce and cook until they start getting a bit brown - then flip to the back, sauce and cook some more

13. Flip back to the top (sauce again) and cook until they get that beautiful rib look

14. Then, no matter how you cooked them, give 'em one extra baste them after they've been removed and just before you serve them.

WATCH ME MAKE THIS

Mexican Stew

Serves 6

Sarah wrote: Hi Sam, I learned this recipe from my Mom (who was born and raised in England so who knows where she figured it out) but it's really good. My measurements and descriptions may seem funky but I make it from memory and never really thought about the exact recipe for someone else to make. It's easy and fast to throw together after work so I think others may appreciate it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 large russet potatoes, cubed 1
• 28 ounces peeled whole tomatoes
• 1 White Onion, cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can (4 oz) Diced Green Chilies
• 1 small can (4 oz) Jalapeno (diced) - I don't add until I take the kids portions out
• 1 cup water
• Chopped cilantro
• Fresh lime wedges

Directions

1. In a large pot, saute onions until soft and translucent
2. Salt and pepper pork cubes and add to the pot
3. Cook the pork until brown on all sides
4. Add potatoes, tomatoes, and water - it just needs to cover the stew ingredients
5. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 45 minutes (or until potatoes are very soft)
6. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash a bunch of the potatoes against the sides of the pot and stir in well
7. If serving to kids, take some out before adding the chilies and jalapenos
8. Simmer another 10 minutes and serve with cilantro, limes & flour tortillas

"Whatever" Spring Rolls

Makes 10

Once you know how easy it is to use the supermarket readily available spring roll wrappers, you can make them with whatever you want - chicken, crab, lobster or just more vegetables. You're totally in the driver's seat.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whatever - cooked chicken that's been shredded, crab meat, chili - it's up to you (ok, maybe not chili)
• 4 ounces bag-ready mixed coleslaw, the tri-colored kind without the dressing
• 4 tablespoons 'your favorite' spicy Asian stir fry sauce
• 10 large spring roll wrappers
• White and Black sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Directions

1. Heat wok until almost smoking, then add 1 tablespoon oil
2. Add coleslaw & 'whatever' and stir fry until coleslaw is slightly wilted - about 1 minute
3. Stir in sauce and remove from heat - let cool slightly
4. Place one wrapper on the counter, with a corner pointing at you
5. Put approximately 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper
6. Fold the nearest corner of the wrapper up covering the filling
7. Fold in the two sides and finish by rolling away from you and moisten the very end with a dab of water to help stick
8. Brush tops very lightly with oil, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake at 375 until lightly brown
9. Cut on diagonal and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Pizza

Makes 1-10" Pizza

You can use a pre-made pizza crust for this - but 'ready to use' dough is a better way. Lots of places now sell the dough all ready in a bag - all you do is take it out and shape it - and it's killer.

Ingredients

• 1/2 ball pizza dough, or 1 pre-made pizza crust
• 8 slices ready bacon, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium and shape dough into circle
2. Brush lightly with olive oil
3. Place oiled side down on grill, and cook until lightly browned
4. Lightly oil top and flip over
5. Add 1/2 the cheese, tomatoes, bacon and then remaining cheese to top and close lid
6. Allow bottom to brown lighlty and for cheese to melt a little
7. Top with lettuce, cut & serve

Ginger Pork

Serves 4

Classic Japanese comfort food. Plus its simple and way, way good. Serve in a bowl over rice.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork loin chops, sliced very thin
• 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese cooking sake) or sake, or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Steamed rice for serving

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except oil and let stand about 15 minutes
2. Heat oil in large pan until almost smokingAdd pork mixture, saving the marinade
3. Stir fry quickly until cooked through and remove - it wont take long
4. Add marinade to pan and boil quickly to thicken
5. Spoon sauce over pork on rice

Smokey Asparagus Sticks

Makes 24

If you're looking for something great to stir up the 'blue hairs' at a snotty society event - this could be it. Finger food at it's finest...

Ingredients

• 24 Asparagus
• 12 large slice Black Forest Ham, cut in half
• Fresh ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Directions

1. Cut off the top 4 inches of each stalk to use (keep the rest for something else, just don't ask me for what
2. Wrap each stalk tightly with a piece of ham and line up side by side in two rows of twelve
3. Spear each set of 12 stalks with 2 long wooden skewers
4. Lightly oil flat grill or spray bbq and heat to medium
5. Grill skewered stalks until nicely browned on each side and remove
6. Carefully pull out sticks, hit with a little fresh ground pepper and serve with horseradish

Ginger Scallops

Makes 12

The key to scallops is NOT to overcook them. The easiest way is to make sure your pan is HOT and turn them once they're nicely browned.

Ingredients

• 1 pound large fresh scallops, about 12
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix butter, ginger and green onion together in a small bowl - set aside
2. Put non-stick pan on medium/high heat
3. Lightly oil scallops and season with salt & pepper
4. When the pan is almost smoking, put half the scallops in the pan and sear until golden, 1 to 2 minutes
5. Flip over, put half the ginger butter in the pan and as it melts spoon it over the scallops
6. Remove when bottom is golden
7. Cook remaining scallops the same way, dig?

French Martini

Makes 1

Chambord is raspberry liquer and a great addition to your bar - or cupboard, too - as it's great even just on ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Vodka
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1/2 ounce Chambord
• 1 lemon twist

Directions

1. Put ice in cocktail shaker
2. Add all ingredients and shake well
3. Pour into glass, add lemon twist and drink

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Raspberry Gin & Tonic

Makes 1

Summer in a glass. Ok, 'raspberry' summer in a glass. Fine then, rasberry summer 'that you have to be 21 to drink' in a glass.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin - and please use decent gin because cheap gin is maybe the worst of the cheap alcohols to drink
• Tonic
• 1 ounce Chambord (raspberry liquer)
• Ice

Directions

1. Put ice in glass and add gin
2. Fill 3/4 of the way with tonic
3. Add Chambord and serve

Matzo Brei

Serves 1 - maybe 2

Whether you're Jewish or not, this is a great breakfast thing. And I agree that crackers and eggs sounds a bit bizarre - ok a lot bizarre, but it's still great.

Ingredients

• 3 sheets matzo
• 3 eggs
• Kosher salt, duh
• Fresh ground pepper
• Grape or raspberry jelly, seriously
• Butter

Directions

1. Break matzo sheets into quarters and cover with very hot water for about 30 seconds then drain well
2. Beat eggs with salt & pepper and add softened sheets, and break sheets into smaller pieces
3. Melt butter and small amount of oil in large pan and add egg mixture
4. Cook over low heat until lightly golden on one side, then flip and cook the other side
5. Remove to a plate and serve with a little jelly on the side

Blintz Souffle

A classic at many Jewish holidays and one I'm very happy to see, over and over and over.

Ingredients

• 1 dozen frozen blintzes, I like to use half cheese and half blueberry
• 1/4 pound of butter
• 2 cups sour cream
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Melt the butter into the bottom of a large baking dish, top with single layer of blintzes
3. Combine sour cream, beaten eggs, vanilla, sugar and Grand Marnier mix well and pour over blintzes
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until top starts to brown

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Stinky Gym Shoes

Serves 1

Got ya. Clearly this is not a recipe, but I had to put something here in case you checked. And see? You did.

Ingredients

• 1 old pair gym shoes
• 1 locker

Directions

1. Put the shoes in the locker and leave them - for a long time

Grilled Cheesy Meatloaf - Best Ever!

Fine, you don’t have to grill this but you sure as hell need to make it cuz it’s so damn good - and with red pepper sauce inside it’s moist as.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small

• 2 stalks of celery, diced small

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

• 1.5 pounds ground beef

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 cup bread crumbs - panko or Italian would be fine but I actually used dry stuffing mix and it was great

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoons Mediterranean or Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

• 1 cup roasted red pepper sauce (or marinara or spaghetti or ?)

• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
  
  

Directions

1. Cook onion, celery & garlic with oil until softened, about 5 minutes then let cool slightly

2. Meanwhile in a large bowl combine ground beef & pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, Med seasoning, 1/4 cup of the red pepper sauce and Parmesan

3. Mix well, shape into a loaf and top with remaining red pepper sauce then mozzarella

4. At this point you could put it on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until it reaches 155 degrees (approximately 40 minutes) or place on foil and cook indirectly on your grill until done

Recipe

BBQ Shrimp PO Boy

Serves 3 - maybe 4, but probably 3

A classic New Orleans-type of sandwich. But instead of deep-fried, it's done on the grill or on a grill pan...

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound shrimp, 21/25's raw shell off and de-veined
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne/li>
• 4 French Rolls
• Shredded Iceberg lettuce
• Sliced tomatoes
• Olive oil
• SAUCE
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon prepared
• horseradish
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

Directions

1. Heat grill or pan to medium
2. Combine mayo, onion, chili sauce, horseradish and hot sauce - mix well and set aside
3. Mix shrimp with cayenne, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt & pepper
4. Slice rolls lengthwise and drizzle lightly with olive oil
5. Grill shrimp until done
6. Place rolls on grill or gil pan and brown slightly
7. Build PO Boy with shrimp, sauce, lettuce & tomato
8. Eat it quick and then make another one...

Cucumber, Mint & Yogurt Soup

Serves 4

Every so often a little cold soup is a beautiful thing - especially this one.

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers, peeled & seeded
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Olive oil, optional

Directions

1. Add cucumber, mint, milk and garlic to blender
2. Blend until smooth then pour into large bowl
3. Stir in yogurt, lemon juice and season with salt & pepper
4. Drizzle lightly with a really good extra virgin olive oil before serving

Chicken Salad

Makes 4 sandwiches

Simple chicken salad is the best, but try toasting or grilling the bread first.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked and shredded or diced chicken
• 3 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced small
• 2 tablespoons jicama, diced small
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well - there, wasn't that simple?
2. Make into a sandwich using a good bread - I'd go with sour dough

Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche

How great is a little pre-dinner ceviche? Really great.

1/2 pound scallops, cut into a small dice

1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled & de-veined & cut into a small dice

Juice of 6 limes

3-6 serrano chiles (depending on your heat tolerance), seeds/membrane removed and cut into a tiny dice

2 vine ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and diced small

3 avocados, diced small

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup diced green onions

1/4 cup finely diced English or Persian cucumber

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Kosher salt to taste

Potato/tortilla chips for serving

• Put scallops, shimp and lime juice in a medium bowl

• Mix well anmd pat it down so the lime juice covering the shrimp & scallops - cover and refrigerate overnight

• The next day, add all remaining ingredients, mix well and season to taste with salt & pepper

• Serve with some kind of crunchy chip to spoon the ceviche onto

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