Stuffed Banana Peppers -OR- Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 6-8 ea banana peppers or zucchini slice in half, remove seeds
  • 16 oz ground turkey or chicken sausage
  • 8 oz cream cheese

Instructions

  • pre heat oven to 375
  • cook turkey or chicken sausage in a large skillet until no linger pink. transfer to mixing bowl and let cool slightly
  • add cream cheese and half of the cheddar to the sausage and stir to combine. place in fridge for 10 minutes to cool
  • once cooled, press into the peppers or zucchini. place on baking sheet
  • bake for 13 minutes
  • remove from oven, sprinkle remainder of cheddar and broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa and Greens

Ingredients

  • 4 each Large sweet potatoes or 8 small
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil
  • 1 each onion – medium to large or 2 smaller
  • 4 cloves Garlic 4 small to medium cloves
  • 1 inch fresh ginger grated
  • 3 cups leafy greens
  • 2 tbs mild Indian curry
  • 1 package Edamame (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cup Quinoa rinsed in cold water
  • 3 cups Chicken stock (or salted water) Chicken stock for best results
  • 3 tbs olive oil or butter for baking the potatoes
  • 1 each lemon to squeeze over dish

Instructions

  • Peel potatoes, slice to 1/4 inch
  • Toss potato slices with salt and olive oil
  • place on baking sheet that has been oiled well
  • cover with foil or another baking sheet
  • place in cold oven, turn on to 450 – the gradual heating up is good for flavor
  • bake for 30 min, until dark orange and soft
  • uncover, and bake for about 15 minutes, turning over a couple of times – until caramelized
  • While potatoes bake:
  • in medium pot heat up the 1/4 cup olive oil and sauté the onions
  • then add garlic, ginger and curry powder and sauté until sizzling and fragrant
  • add the greens and stir until wilted
  • add the Quinoa to the pot with the broth
  • simmer under lid for about 15 minutes
  • fluff with fork and add butter or olive oil if needed (optional)
  • put the Quinoa on a dish and cover with potatoes with a squeeze of lemon
  • optionally add the edamame

Kay’s Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • Bigger can of baked beans 24 oz Bush’s regular
  • Lima bean-green small
  • Lima bean–yellow small can substitute other beans
  • 1/2 pound of bacon
  • One chopped purple onion

SAUCE:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard

Instructions

  • Drain the beans except the baked beans.
  • Fry the bacon then sauté the onions.
  • Put the beans in a glass lasagna dish, sprayed with pam.
  • Add the bacon and onions and the sauce.
  • Bake 350 for one hour.
  • Covered for the first half hour then uncovered for the last 30 minutes.

Gina’s Cheesy Potato Casserole

Ingredients

  • 32 oz shredded potatoes Buy frozen – thaw first
  • 8 oz sour cream can use low fat
  • 1 stick butter melted
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups mild cheddar shredded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups corn flakes (measured before crushing) crushed in blender if measured after crushing – 1 cup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • mix all ingredients except corn flakes
  • pour into greased aluminum pan – half tray
  • sprinkle the corn flakes on
  • bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes
  • can make ahead of time and bake that day

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 1 lime’s zest
  • 1 lime’s juice
  • 1/2 cup cilantro

Instructions

  • cook rice
  • add butter, salt, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro
  • serve

Brussel Sprouts – Balsamic and Cranberry

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb Brussel Sprouts bag
  • 2 tbsp EV Olive Oil spritzed on
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar to taste
  • 1/3 cup Cranberries liberal amount
  • 1/3 cup Pecans optional – finely chopped
  • Bacon optional – to taste
  • Salt optional – to taste
  • Pepper optional – to taste
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese optional – to taste
  • Butter optional – to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven 375
  • Toss trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil and salt, and arrange them with their flat sides down on the pan so they can get tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
  • While the Brussels sprouts are in the oven, soak the dried cranberries in a bowl of warm water so they get nice and plump
  • Toss the sprouts halfway through cooking, and when they’re almost done, sprinkle the pecans (optional) on top and return the pan to the oven. Now you’re roasting your sprouts and toasting your pecans at the same time!
  • Once the sprouts are out of the oven, transfer the sprouts and pecans to a serving platter. Drain the cranberries and sprinkle them on top. You’re almost done.
  • Drizzle good-quality balsamic vinegar on top, sprinkle with Parmesan or add a few little pats of butter (both optional, if you’re watching your dairy intake), and season with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm, or at room temperature. These sprouts are irresistible either way.

Brussel Sprouts – Bacon/Cranberry/Pecan

Ingredients

  • 12 oz brussel sprouts trimmed – yellow leaves removed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  • Roast brussel sprouts
  • preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • slice Brussel sprouts in half
  • mix sprouts plus salt and olive oil in a bowl
  • put sprouts on tray, cut side down
  • roast in 400 degrees for 20 minutes, turn over in the middle
  • Bacon in oven
  • baking sheet with foil
  • one layer slices
  • bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes
  • drain bacon grease off to side
  • Pecans
  • parchment paper on baking pan
  • toast pecans for about 5 min at 350
  • Cranberries
  • put cranberries in a bowl
  • pour boiling water
  • stand about 10 minutes
  • drain
  • Assembly
  • toss everything in a big bowl
  • optional – add some more olive oil

Notes

If you would like to ADD SAUCE TO CREATE MORE FLAVOR, here are some easy options:

  1. Drizzle with a balsamic glaze. Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. For example, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
  2. Drizzle with a very high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar is usually expensive but it does not need cooking down. Just use it as is. And, you don’t need to use much.
  3. Or, use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette-based salad dressing.
  4. You can use white balsamic vinegar to brighten this dish!

Brussel Sprouts – Balsamic Roasted

Ingredients

  • Qtr cup Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 1.25 tsp salt
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, quartered if large

Instructions

  • Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack in oven; preheat oven to 425°. Stir together ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 3 large garlic cloves, finely grated, in a medium bowl; season with freshly cracked black pepper. Taste mixture and add more honey if needed. Add 2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, quartered if large, along with any loose leaves; toss to coat.
  • Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, arrange brussels sprouts cut side down on baking sheet. Roast until deeply browned underneath and tender, 25–30 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Red Wine Reduction Steak Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 each yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 each red onion chopped
  • 2 large challots chopped
  • 2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 each plumb tomato (roma) chopped
  • 1 lb carrots chopped
  • 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 14 oz beef broth
  • 1 1/4 cup merlot wine divided – for two steps

Instructions

  • heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat
  • cook and stir the yellow and red onion, shallots, garlic, tomato, carrots, and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the carrots have softened, 10 to 15 minutes
  • pour in the beef broth and 1 cup of Merlot, and bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving any browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan
  • reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft and the pan juices have reduced by half, about 20 minutes
  • strain out and discard the vegetables from the sauce
  • return the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stir in 1/4 cup of Merlot wine, and reduce heat
  • simmer the sauce until it is reduced to 1/4 of its original volume, stirring occasionally, about 20minutes

London Broil Marinade

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup soy
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon fresh
  • 2 tsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 lb london broil

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients until completely combined. Pour marinade into a large zip-top plastic bag. Add London Broil to the bag, squeeze out all of the air, and seal the bag. Toss gently to coat the London Broil with the marinade.
  • Place in refrigerator to marinate for about 4 hours (or up to 2 days), tossing occasionally to redistribute marinade.
  • Remove meat from the marinade, discard the marinade, and pat the meat dry.

  • To GRILL:

    Allow the meat to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Remove meat from marinade and grill the meat for about 4 minutes per side over direct heat, then move to indirect heat until the meat reaches 125-130° F for rare, 135° F for medium-rare, or 145° F for medium. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

  • To BROIL:

    Allow the meat and marinade to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and the broiler pan to HIGH. Allow to heat for 10 minutes.

    Make sure to use an actual broiler pan, rather than a baking pan. A broiler pan has a rack built in that prevents the rendered fat from becoming a fire hazard. Transfer the meat to the broiler pan and discard the marinade in the bag.

    Broil the steak for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once about halfway through. The specific time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your steak, so use an instant-read thermometer to know when your meat is done. It should be 125-130° F for rare, 135° F for medium-rare, or 145° F for medium. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Notes

  • Marinate the meat for at least 4 hours (preferably longer) to help tenderize the tough cut. It is possible to marinate London broil too long, so I don’t recommend leaving the meat in the marinade for more than 1-2 days. After that point, the acid or enzymes in the marinade can cause the meat’s tissue to break down so much that it becomes mushy.
  • The brown sugar in this marinade helps create a nice sear on the outside of the steak, but it also makes it easier for the meat to burn. As a result, it’s best to grill the steak for about 4 minutes per side over direct heat (to get those nice grill marks), but then move the steak to indirect heat for the rest of the cooking time (to prevent burning).
  • Slice the meat against the grain (across the natural lines that you see running through the meat). This way you cut through the fibers and shorten them, rather than cutting alongside the fibers. This makes it easier to chew the steak, since a lot of the hard work of breaking up the muscle fibers has already been done for you.
  • Don’t have balsamic vinegar? You can substitute with an equal amount of rice vinegar. Alternatively, for every 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, substitute 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon sugar.
  • Add fresh herbs or dried herbs to the marinade, such as thyme, oregano, chives, fresh parsley, basil, or rosemary. An Italian seasoning blend would also work well.
  • Dijon mustard would also be a great addition to the marinade.
  • If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves or fresh ginger, you can substitute with smaller amounts of garlic powder and ground ginger.
  • Instead of brown sugar, sweeten the marinade with maple syrup or honey.
  • Use low sodium soy sauce, if desired.
  • Vegetable oil or canola oil will both work as an equal substitute for the olive oil.
  • Make the marinade spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne.