Blueberry Sauce

Fresh from the blueberry bush or frozen, this recipe is ideal when you’ve already made cobblers, muffins, and ice cream and want something different.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• ½ tsp vegetable oil
• 1 large lime or 2 key limes
• 1 tsp grated lime rind
• 1 tsp granulated sugar

Instructions

• After washing the fresh blueberries, coat a small saucepan with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. You can use a paper towel or shake it around. It doesn’t have to coat the entire surface.
• Add the blueberries and sugar to the pot and set the temperature slightly below medium heat.
• Stir the berries every 2 minutes and mash them with a wooden spoon.
• After 4 minutes, increase the heat to medium-high and continue to stir.
• Turn the heat off when the berries get soft enough to burst.
• It should take around 6 minutes to soften the berries after you’ve increased the heat to medium-high.
• Allow the mix to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, and add the lime juice and grated lime and stir.
• In a strainer with fine mesh, such as a tea strainer, drop in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the berry mash at a time and strain it into another small saucepan.
• Use a spoon to speed up the straining process and continue until you’ve strained the entire mix.
• You can dump the berry skins in the trash. If you drop them in a compost bin, the sugar and lime will attract unwanted guests.
• Heat the sauce on medium for 3 minutes until it just begins to bubble.
• You can serve it over ice cream, granola and milk, waffles, pancakes, pastry, fresh fruit, roasted pork, baked chicken, grilled chicken, braised game hen, black-pepper steak, lamb chops, banana splits, cinnamon toast, and fresh albatross.
• It will keep for a week in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.

Cast Iron Pizza

This recipe can be used to make thin-crust or deep-dish pizzas, and as long as you have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, it takes less than 15 minutes to cook. I used some of the Anaheim peppers from my garden that were pickled, but you can use fresh peppers or other vegetables as toppings.

I usually make a Margherita pizza when I have several home-ground tomatoes, but the dough recipe is great with traditional pizza toppings. Pepperoni and cheese on homemade pizza sauce is one of my favorites, but it’s even better when you go light on the sauce and cheese and use high-quality pepperoni.

The discount, thin-sliced pepperoni often burns up quickly when you crank the temperature to 450°F or higher. If you get the thickly sliced variety that has been aged over 60 days, you’ll appreciate the improved flavor.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp yeast

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1Tbsp wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 cup warm water (100° F)

1 cup cold water

1 tomato sliced

1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese

5 large basil leaves

1/4 cup simple pizza sauce + 1 tsp olive oil

1/4n cup parmigiano reggiano

Cracked black pepper (optional)

Instructions

• Mix yeast with warm water in a metal mixing bowl and let sit for one minute while it bubbles.
• Mix bread flour and wheat flour in a separate bowl and slowly add 1 cup to the yeast mixture and add 1 cup of water and olive oil.
• Add the rest of the flour gradually and cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Add salt and knead the ball into a ball.
• Place in an oiled bowl, seam side down, wrapped with plastic wrap.
• Let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Uncover the dough, punch it down to deflate the gas, and fold it back into a ball with the seam facing down.
• Recover, and allow it to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Lay the dough on the cutting board, and cut it in half.
• Roll both pieces into balls.
• You can freeze one in a sprayed sheet of plastic wrap stored in a Ziplock bag.
• Smash the ball into a disk and place it in the center of an oiled cast-iron skillet (8-10 inches).
• Heat the oven to 450 ° F
• Stretch the pizza to fit in the skillet, puncture the dough in several places with a fork or pastry aerator, and add the sauce, then basil (so it won’t burn), cheese, and the toppings. I used Anaheims from my garden, but I’ve made this recipe without them, and it’s great with only the tomatoes, cheese, and basil.
• Heat the skillet, on medium heat, on the stove for 5-7 minutes to toast the bottom and sides.
• You’ll see steam escaping from the sides and know it’s time to go in the oven.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes in the oven
• Thicker crusts require longer baking times

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Ingredients                                                               

2 ⅓ cups Lukewarm water                                        

¾ tsp Instant Yeast                                                      

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Olive Oil                                              

1½ tsp Kosher Salt                                                      

4 ¾cups +1Tbsp Flour

Baking Spray               

½ cup Fresh Rosemary chopped

Instructions

1) Use a whisk to mix lukewarm water with yeast in a large metal bowl.

2) Mix in 2 tsp Olive Oil, 1 cup of flour, and 1 tsp Kosher salt.

3) Use a rubber spatula coated with baking spray to stir remaining cups of flour- only adding 1 cup at a time.    

4) Fold in Rosemary. Try to distribute Rosemary evenly throughout dough.

5) Use your hands to knead dough and fold into a ball. Remove dough ball from bowl and spray bowl evenly with baking spray.       

6) Place dough seam-side down in metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

7) Remove plastic wrap and push dough down with your hands. Remove all air bubbles from dough and place on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.

8) Fold dough in half lengthwise and form into one log. Place dough seam-side down on the baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400^o F, about 10 minutes before dough has finished rising. The dough should expand horizontally more than vertically–forming a large, rounded rectangle.

9) Using your hands( use gloves coated in baking spray to make it easier), press into the dough to create dimples around the entire surface. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil onto the dough and lightly smooth around with your hands to cover the dough.  Sprinkle remaining ½ tsp of Kosher salt on dough and bake for 20-23 minutes. Bottom of bread should be golden brown when ready. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes and remove to a cooling rack or cutting board for 10 more minutes before slicing.  Will keep for 3 days at room temperature if properly sealed and will keep for 1 month in the freezer.    

Chicken and Roasted Pepper Stew

A Quicker Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients                                                      

4lbs Brined Chicken  Breasts                   

8 cups Chicken Stock                                         

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme                                      

½ tsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp Dried Oregano

6 Roasted Garlic Cloves                                                                                    

1Tbsp Fresh Rosemary                                                                              

4cups Quartered Red/ Yellow Potatoes 

2 cups Carrots                                                     

1 cup Sliced Green Onion                                 

2 cups Celery                                                      

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup Tomato Paste + ½ cup water

2 Tbsp Corn Starch + 2 Tbsp water

1 cup Roasted Red/Yellow Peppers                                                                 

Chicken Rub: 3 tsp Paprika, 1 Tbsp Black Pepper, ½ tsp Cayenne

Instructions

1) If you haven’t brined the chicken, you can add 1 tsp Salt to each breast(1 lb) and refrigerate the chicken for 2 hours or you can keep the chicken covered for 1 hour at room temperature.            

2) Add 4 cups of Chicken Stock to crockpot and turn to High.  Add Thyme, Salt, Oregano, Roasted Garlic, and Rosemary to crockpot and stir. Turn the broiler setting of your oven to low.

3) Boil potatoes for 10 minutes, drain and set aside. Sauté Carrots, Green Onions, and Celery in Olive Oil. Add Balsamic Vinegar, and cook 2 minutes. Add to crockpot. Sauté Potatoes for 5-7 minutes or until browned and add to crockpot.                       

4) Cover Breasts with rub and sauté for 3 minutes a side and place in broiler for 8 minutes- check to make sure chicken reaches 165^o F. Let chicken sit for 5 minutes, then slice and add to crockpot.

5) Cook Tomato Paste/Water mixture on medium heat in small saucepan until it bubbles, stir for 4 minutes and add Corn Starch Slurry. Stir 30 seconds, color of mixture will lighten- resembling tomato soup, and add to crockpot.

6) Add Roasted Peppers and remaining 4 cups of Chicken Stock and cook for 2 hours.  Serve over Rice with Toasted Rosemary Focaccia Bread.

Sesame Cookies

Ingredients                                                         

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350^o F.  In a metal bowl mix Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Cane Sugar, and Cinnamon with a whisk. Toast ¼ cup Sesame by heating in a small skillet for 1 minute on medium heat. Move skillet back and forth until seeds turn light brown and remove from heat.

2) Beat eggs in large measuring cup or bowl and mix in softened Butter, Vegetable Oil, Half and Half, and Vanilla Extract. Mix this into the dry mixture with a rubber spatula.

3) Roll the dough into a log about 10 inches long. With a moist knife, cut 25-30 disks and place on 2 greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes and keep on baking sheet 1 minute before moving cookies to a cooling rack.

Gluten-Free Potato and Cheddar Fritters

Ingredients

½ cup Brown Rice Flour

1 tbsp Xanthan Gum

¼ cup Tapioca Starch

1 tbsp Coconut Flour

1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp White Pepper

1 ½ tsp Fresh Thyme

1 tsp Mustard Powder

2 tsp Brown Sugar

2 cups White Cheddar

2 tbsp Half and Half

3 eggs

2 lbs. boiled white potatoes

3 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

1) Mix all dry ingredients except potatoes and cheddar in a metal bowl with a whisk.

2) In a separate bowl, mash the potatoes and mix in Half and Half, 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, and 3 beaten eggs.

3) Stir in dry ingredients and fold in cheddar last.

4) Form into balls, then flatten in disks that resemble hockey pucks.

5) Heat 2 tbsp Olive Oil in a non-stick pan and cook 4-5 minutes a side.

6) Top with Sour Cream