Moo Shu Pork

I found this recipe a while ago on a great blog called For the Love of Cooking and adapted it to my liking. I like the lightness and asian flavors of this dish. I generally eat 2-3 of these lettuce wraps and I'm stuffed, no rice or other carbs needed.

Moo Shu Pork

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips

3 T hoisin sauce

3 T seasoned rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T fresh ginger, minced (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 T toasted sesame oil

1 can water chestnuts, diced

8 oz coleslaw mix

1 large carrot, cut into strips

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

3-4 green onions, sliced

handful of cilantro

butter lettuce leaves

Directions

Whisk hoisin, vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper together. Add the pork and marinate for 10-30 mins.

Heat 1 T oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the pork. Stir-fry until the pork is browned, about 5 mins. Remove from pan and place on a plate, cover.

Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the carrots and bell pepper. After 2-3 minutes add the pork back in along with the coleslaw mix, water chestnuts and half of the green onions and cilantro. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Taste and season, if needed. Serve in lettuce leaves and sprinkle the remaining green onions and cilantro on top just before serving.

Slow-Cooked BBQ Chicken

I was trying to decide what to make and I remembered an awesome pulled pork sandwich I had a few months ago at The Walnut Brewery in Boulder. It was a great BBQ pork topped with an awesome coleslaw. I decided to use chicken instead and boneless, skinless chicken thighs were on sale. It would be perfectly fine to use ones with the bone-in, but remove the skin because it will just end up rubbery due to the cooking method. If you use bone-in, cook for about half an hour longer. The BBQ sauce I got was actually too spicy, so I added a few tablespoons of of brown sugar to mellow it out. I will follow up with the apple coleslaw as soon as I get a good recipe down for it.

Slow-Cooked BBQ Chicken

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1hr 15mins

Ingredients
2 T oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 cup spicy BBQ sauce
1 cup orange juice
2 T brown sugar (optional)
4 hamburger buns

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Heat enameled cast-iron pot on medium-high heat. Add the oil and when hot, add the onions. Cook onions until nicely browned, about 10 mins and then add garlic. Cook for another 2mins. Remove the garlic and onions.
Salt and pepper the chicken thighs. Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Brown the chicken on each side, this will take two batches. Add all of the chicken back in along with the garlic and onions. Pour the BBQ sauce and orange juice into the pot. Add brown sugar if necessary. Place in the oven and cook for 35-45 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove over low heat. Remove the thighs and shred them. Place back in the sauce after all the chicken is shredded. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with apple coleslaw.

Braised Beet Salad

I have relatively recently fallen in love with beets. These very earthy vegetables are great on salads or as their own stand alone salad. At The Kitchen in downtown Boulder they pair these braised beets with a very creamy, local goat cheese and it is a great appetizer with some of their wine. I did both red and golden, but cooked them in separate pans. I like the way the golden ones turned out a little better because they have a milder, sweeter flavor to begin with so they really absorbed the wine and apple cider vinegar. The link to The Kitchen is for a beet risotto they have which I am planning on trying soon because it sounds wonderful.

Braised Beet Salad

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
2-3 medium-sized beets, red or golden
2 T unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
2 cups stock or water
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 apple cider vinegar
3 oz goat cheese

Directions
Peel beets and cut into slices, wedges or cubes about 1/3-inch thick. Place all ingredients in a large sauté pan. Make sure the beets are completely covered by the liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until the beets are al dente, 30-45 mins. Let beets cool to room temperature and sprinkle with goat cheese before serving.

Molten Chocolate Cake

This is a favorite dessert of my sister, my stepmom and myself. On a cruise in the Caribbean we ate this every night. It is amazingly simple and my friend said that it was the best dessert he had had in a long time and I agree. I served it with espresso chocolate chip ice cream which was great, but whipped cream would have been good too. I refrigerated them for about 4 hours and they came out great, so that is something I would recommend doing before your guests arrive if you are having a dinner party. I got the recipe from the New York Times.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus some for molds

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, not chips

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 tsp flour, plus more for molds

Directions

In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted. While that's heating, beat together the eggs, yolks, and sugar with a whisk or electric beater until light and thick. 

Beat together the melted chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined.

Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds, custard cups, or ramekins. Tap out the excess flour, then butter and flour them again. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat, for up to several hours; bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 7 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Milk-Braised Goat

You know the show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network? Well if I am ever on that show this will be the dish I talk about. Until I made this I had never had goat, but now I am a believer. Goat is like lamb, but the flavor is a little more subtle and it is leaner. I found it for $8/lb from Leistikow Farms at the farmer's market in Boulder, but I am sure any speciality butcher would be able to get some goat shanks.
The goat comes out so incredibly tender that you can use a butter knife, which is good since I don't currently have any steak knives. It leaves the bone completely clean as well. I served it with a red wine and cranberry sauce, which my friend, thankfully, helped me with after a few previous attempts. The sauce added a nice fruitiness to a dish that could have been a bit rich otherwise. After throughly cleaning our plates, my friends and I discovered that the cooking liquid left behind in the pot was one of the best things we had ever had. We started "accidentally" dropping whole pieces of bread in it just to soak up all that deliciousness. Next time I make this I will probably strain the cooking liquid and use it in a sauce or use it instead of butter and cream in some mashed potatoes. I almost don't want to share this recipe since it is so incredibly easy while still being totally impressive, but I will. I should say that I got the idea from this recipe for goat ragu, which I am sure is awesome as well.

Milk-Braised Goat

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 mins
Active Cook Time: 15 mins
Inactive Cook Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 2hrs 20 mins

Ingredients
2.5-3 lbs goat shank, bone in
5 T olive oil
5 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 300F. Heat enameled cast iron pot on medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Generously sprinkle goat shanks with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the goat shanks and brown on each side, should take about 10 mins total. Add the garlic when the last side is searing, so that it browns, but does not burn.
Heat the milk in the microwave until warm. Once the goat and garlic are browned, add the milk and spices. Bring to a boil then cover with lid (if the lid does not seal the pot very well, cover with aluminum foil too). Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours. Every 20 mins, turn the pieces of goat so that all the sides get to cook in the liquid.

Baked Eggs

I saw this recipe from Ina Garten, my sister's all-time favorite celebrity chef. She uses herbs in her's, but I didn't have any fresh ones in the house. I think this recipe has the potential to be great, but to master it is harder than it looks. This would be an awesome thing for a brunch, but make sure you try it before serving it to anyone. She, I assume, uses the broiler in her oven or stand alone broiler. I use the broiler in my toaster oven because it was able to heat up faster and my oven is electric too, so I figured I wouldn't gain much by using the full-sized oven. I found that it did not cook evenly and that could be the cooking appliance, or something else. Also, I couldn't figure out how you were supposed to know if the eggs were done other than breaking into that beautiful crust that formed. Next time I think I will try putting it in a hot water bath and then put it under the broiler since it was too liquidly on the bottom.
Now that I have throughly convinced you not to make it, let me tell you what I like about this recipe. I love the salty crust that forms on the eggs from the parmesan cheese and salt sprinkled on top. It would have been great with herbs, as Ina suggests. I think this could be a great way to serve well-cooked eggs to the masses at a large family brunch, for example. It is also very fun and cute for everyone to have their own ramekins.

Baked Eggs

Servings: 1

Prep Time: 3 mins
Cook Time: 13 mins
Total Time: 16 mins

Ingredients
2 whole eggs
small sliver of butter
1 tsp milk
1/2 T grated parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional:
1/8 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp fresh minced thyme
1/8 tsp fresh minced rosemary
1/2 T fresh minced parsley

Directions
Preheat broiler on high. Place a rack 6 inches below the broiler.
Place milk and butter in the bottom of a 4 oz ramekin. Place under the broiler until it begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekin and crack 2 eggs into it. Top with salt, pepper, parmesan and herbs (if desired). Place back under the broiler for 5-10 minutes.
You may need to rotate the dish if the eggs are not cooking evenly. Once removed from the oven they will continue to cook a little. The whites should be throughly cooked while the yolks should be moderately runny. Serve with an english muffin or toast and fresh fruit.

Argula Pesto

This is not what I think of when I think of pesto. Both my mom and dad grow basil and make huge batches of pesto every summer. There is always a debate over whose pesto is the best, but they are both awesome. Since I don't grow basil, due to weather and space, I thought I would make an argula pesto. The flavor is not as pungent as basil, but it is garlicky and peppery. I have served this over a white fish and eggs with toast, but it would also be great on a sandwich, crostini, pasta or mixed into hummus. I made a pizza and used it instead of tomato sauce and it was pretty good.

Argula Pesto

Time: 10 mins

Ingredients
2.5 oz argula
2 oz parmesan
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
about 4 T olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions
Using a food processor, blend parmesan, walnuts and garlic until they are very finely chopped. Add 1/3 of the argula and start blending, add oil as need. Add the rest of the argula in batches and scrape down the sides so that it is gets throughly combined.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I was trying to find something new to make and my friend Kyle suggested risotto. I have really never had risotto let alone made it! I searched around and found this recipe which I basically followed, with a few modifications, of course. We made salmon with the risotto and it was a great combination!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 50 mins

Ingredients
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
10 sage leaves, whole
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1.5 cups butternut squash, cooked and mashed
4-5 cups chicken stock, heated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Heat saucepan on medium-high heat. Add butter and oil. When butter melts add shallots and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves and cook for another few minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with the butter. Cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook until it evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and 1/3 of the chicken stock. Cook until the stock has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add half of the remaining stock and keep stirring, until most of the stock is absorbed. Add the rest of the stock and cook until the risotto is cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

White Bean Soup

Following my white bean hummus, I decided to make this soup. This is a very fast, easy and creamy soup. It can easily be made vegan by using veggie stock instead of chicken. Make sure that you use very high quality stock because the flavor really comes through in this soup. Serve as a side or with bread and/or salad for a nice, light meal.

White Bean Soup

Servings: 2-4

Prep Time: 3 mins
Cook Time: 22 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
2 large shallots or 1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic
6 sage leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 cups of chicken or veggie stock
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan, olive oil or herbs, to garnish

Directions
Heat pan on medium heat. Add oil and when that is hot add the shallots. Sautee for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, sage leaves, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Sautee for another 3 minutes. Add the beans and stock, cover with lid. Note: only put in enough stock to cover the beans since we will not be cooking it long enough for much of the liquid to cook off. Turn the heat on high and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the sage leaves and blend using a stick blender. If you do not have one, wait for the soup to cool more and use a blender, but be very careful so that it does not explode. Taste and season as needed and cook for another few minutes or until it is the thickness you desire.

Chicken Vindaloo

I got this recipe from my mom (thanks!). She likes making it with shrimp, but I already had some chicken in the fridge so I decided to use that instead. This isn't quite what I would consider traditional vindaloo, but it still has really good flavor. I think I am now on a mission to find a great vindaloo recipe that I can make at home, so that I don't have to go out for it. If you would like more spice, something vindaloos are famous for, add more of the ground red pepper. I doubled it from what my mom used and I still don't think it was spicy enough, but I like my Indian food very spicy. Note that ground red pepper is different from cayenne, so make sure you get the right one. I have made that mistake before and I was not happy with the end result. I have also been playing around with my photography set up and I am pretty happy with how these pictures came out.

Chicken Vindaloo

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

Ingredients
2 T fresh minced ginger, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T oil, divided
1.5 cups onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T of golden raisins, chopped (optional)
1.5 cups chicken broth, divided
1 T corn starch
2 large chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine first 10 ingredients and set aside. Heat 2 medium skillets and put 1 T of oil in each. Place onions in one and salt and pepper the chicken and place in the other pan. Cook onions until they are translucent about 10 mins. Brown the chicken and remove from heat, it will not be completely done at this point.
Add garlic to the onions and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the spice mix and cook for another minute. Add 1.25 cup of chicken broth and raisins, if you would like. Simmer this mixture for about 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and quarter cup of chicken broth (i.e. mix the cornstarch and chicken stock very well so there are no clumps). Add the slurry to the onion mixture and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken to the onion mixture and cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Serve with naan or rice.

Chicken Salad

Whenever I have leftover chicken that is getting kind of dry, I make chicken salad. This is so easy to throw together for lunch or dinner. I usually have bell pepper around, but you could use any veggies you have, cucumber is also really good. This is more of a "deviled" chicken salad since it has mustard and that is my favorite part. For a really healthy version use low or non-fat mayo and eat with lettuce instead of bread.

Chicken Salad

Servings: 1

Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients
4-6 oz shredded/chopped chicken
2 T mayonaise (low-fat)
1 T dijion mustard
1 T red onion, diced
1/4 c bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp dried basil or tarragon
1 T pickled jalapenos (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
bread or lettuce, for serving

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve on bread, pita or lettuce.

White Bean Hummus

This past weekend my friend from undergrad was in town so we did a lot of dining out. We went to The West End Tavern and shared some buffalo wings (which are the best in town) and a salad. The salad came with a white bean hummus and crostini. It reminded me that white beans make an awesome hummus since they are very creamy and smooth. Given this texture, very little fat is needed in the hummus unlike traditional hummus which needs tahini and a lot more oil to make it as creamy. I would eat this hummus with pita, crackers, bread or veggies.

White Bean Hummus

Servings: 4-6

Total Time: 7 mins

Ingredients
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 T olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
juice of half a lemon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried basil
Fresh basil or olive oil, for garnish

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides so that everything is incorporated.

Serving Suggestion
I made a salad out of local argula and other greens, carrots, cucumber and local cracked pepper goat cheese. A simple balsamic goes well on this salad and don't forget the crostini to go with it!

Cinnamon Popcorn

I have been craving popcorn for a few weeks now and I finally got some at the store. It is the perfect snack for a Sunday afternoon while doing homework or catching up on TV from the week. I was talking to my friend Craig about popcorn and he said he likes to put cinnamon on his so I decided to try it out. I added the truvia for a little sweetness which really complements the saltiness of the popcorn.

Cinnamon Popcorn

Servings: 1-2

Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients
1 T oil
1 tsp smart balance (or other "healthy" butter)
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 packet truvia or 1/2 tsp sugar

Directions
Place oil, butter and one kernel of popcorn in a pot that is approximately 4 quarts with a lid. Turn on heat to medium-high and cover. When the kernel pops add the 1/3 cup of popcorn, shake to coat all the kernels with oil and cover again. Shake the pan as the kernels start popping so the popped ones move to the top. Once the popping between kernels slows to 3 seconds remove from heat. Add cinnamon, salt and truvia. Shake to mix.

Mango Salsa

I didn't like mangos when I was a kid. To this day I have no idea why because I love them now! They are tied with strawberries for my favorite fruit. This is a great way to eat them with lunch or dinner. This salsa is wonderfully fresh and juicy and goes great with any spicy meat or fish.

Mango Salsa

Servings: 2-3

Prep Time: 10 mins
Wait Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients
1 mango
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 red onion
pinch of salt
2 T cilantro
1/4 jalapeno, seeded (optional)

Directions
Dice all ingredients: chop mangos and bell peppers about the same size and finely dice the onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Mix together and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Serving Suggestions
This goes really well with spicy food. I like it with blackened fish and jerk pork.

Jerk Pork

After making this marinade and spreading it all over my pork my hands burned for at least a day and I still cannot put my contacts in. Lesson: wear gloves when working with habanero peppers! I used 3 habanero peppers and marinated the pork for about 30 hours. I was worried it would come out too spicy, but it wasn't. In fact, the flavor was pretty mild for what I consider jerk seasoning. Next time I will probably cut up the pork into chunks and marinate and cook it that way. Doing the whole roast was fun because I got to use my new tools from Bed Bath and Beyond: oven rubber bands and a meat thermometer.

Jerk Pork


Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins
Active Cook Time: 15 mins
Inactive Cook Time: 3-48 hours

Ingredients
2 bunches of green onions, chopped
2 T white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 T oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp brown sugar
5 cloves of garlic peeled
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 to 4 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped**
1 T brandy or rum
juice of one lime
1.5 lb pork loin, trimmed

Directions
Blend first 15 ingredients together in a food processor.
Cut pork in half length-wise without going through to the other side. Rub the mixture all over the inside and outside of the pork. Let the pork marinate for 3-48 hours.
Heat oven to 350F and heat a pan on high heat. Tie up the roast (if you are doing it whole) and sear on all sides. Place in a pan and into the oven. Cook until it is ~160F in the middle. Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing it.

**Please use gloves when dealing with peppers this hot. I mistakenly did not and my hands burned for several hour afterwards, luckily I did not touch my face. Keep the glove on when rubbing the mixture on the pork as well.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with coconut scented rice, spicy black beans and mango salsa.

Coconut Scented Rice and Spicy Black Beans

I was craving some thing spicy so I decided to make some Jamaican food. To go along with my jerk pork (recipe) coming soon, I decided to cool it down with some coconut rice and add a different type of spice with some black beans. These recipes are slimmed down versions of rice and beans with a Jamaican influence.

Coconut Scented Rice

Servings: 4

Cook Time: 25 mins
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp coconut extract
zest of 1 lime (optional)
salt, to taste

Directions
Put all ingredients into medium pot and cook until rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Garnish with lime or cilantro.

Spicy Black Beans

Servings: 4

Cook Time: 15 mins

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients
oil to coat pan
1/2 red onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tsp cumin
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
juice of half a lime

Directions
On medium high heat, sauté the onions in oil until translucent and slightly caramelized. Add the jalapeno and garlic, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cumin, beans and lime juice and cook until heated through.

Roasted Garlic Naan

I love Indian food. One of my favorites is lamb vindaloo with garlic naan. I decided to make some homemade Indian and naan to go with it. Instead of putting raw garlic on it, I decided to roast some garlic first and use that. It is best to use a heavy bottom pan that can go in the oven under the broiler.

Roasted Garlic Naan

Servings: 6

Active Cook Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Resting Time: 40 mins
Inactive Cook Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 2.5 hrs

Ingredients for the roasted garlic
1/2 head of garlic
1 T oil
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for the naan
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oil
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 (fat-free) half and half

Directions
Heat oven to 350F. Cut the top of the head of garlic off and place in a small piece of foil. Pour oil and salt. Wrap up, not too tightly and place in the oven. Cook for 40 mins. When the garlic is done remove the peel and roughly chop the garlic.
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and put the wet ingredients in. You may not need all of the milk so you can start with half and add more if needed. The dough should be soft to the touch so that your finger would leave an indent when poked. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes with as little flour as possible. Cover and place in a warm place for 2 hours. The dough will not double, but will rise a little and be sticky to the touch.

Turn on the broiler on high. Heat a heavy bottom skillet on medium heat.
Divide the dough into six balls. Roll out each ball, with flour if needed, into about 8 inch rounds. Press the roasted garlic into one side of the dough. Flip the dough over and generously brush the other side with water.
Place the naan in the pan with the water brushed side down. Cover immediately so that the steam can help cook the dough. The naan will start bubbling, after about 2 mins take the pan off the stove and place under the broiler until brown, 1-2 mins. Serve with your favorite Indian dish.

Steak Sandwich

Today I went to the Culinary School of the Rockies (http://www.culinaryschoolrockies.com/) bake sale. They had wonderful pecan tarts, crossants, gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes and many more things. I got a french baguette and was trying to decide what to do with it the whole way home. I decided on a steak sandwich with provolone and dijon mustard, and a salad on the side. It was the perfect lunch for a hot day out in the sun.

Steak Sandwich

Servings: 1

Prep Time: 3 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients
4 oz steak
salt, pepper, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, to taste
1 slice provolone
2 pieces of french baguette
1 T olive oil
1/2 t rosemary
1 T dijon mustard

Directions
Heat a grill or grill pan on high. Sprinkle steak with salt, pepper, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Place the steak on the grill, about 5 mins on each side depending on the thickness of the steak. Brush the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. Place the bread on the grill for a few minutes, until golden. When the steak is done place the cheese on it until it melts. To assemble, place steak with cheese on one piece of bread and spread the the other side with the dijon and enjoy!

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

This is a really simple recipe based on a sauce I love. My aunt would pour the sauce over cream cheese and it was awesome! If raspberries were more in season, I would have used fresh raspberries and simple syrup instead of the preserves. It goes great on steak and sweet potato pancakes. Would also be good with pork, chicken or goat cheese.

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 1 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 16 mins

Ingredients
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 chipotle pepper, with or without sauce
1/4 cup water

Directions
Finely chop chipotle pepper. Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan on medium-low heat. Simmer until the sauce thickens.