Grilled Asparagus

fresh asparagus
kosher salt
ground pepper
olive oil
ice

I have purposely left out quantities because you can either make enough to feed an army or just for you and yours.

Fill a large bowl with very cold ice water.

In a large pot bring to a boil enough water to cover the amount of aspargus you are using. When water is at a rolling boil add a pinch of salt and asparagus. Let blanch for 2 minutes, pull out and immediately put asparagus in the ice water. Leave in ice water about 2-5 minutes until cold.

Dry asparagus and drissle olive oil over asparagus, just before grilling add salt and pepper.

Grill asparagus for 3-5 minutes depending on the size of asparagus.

Serve immediately
Recipe courtesy Meikel Reece
Photo courtesy Meikel Reece

Sauteed Green Beans

 1 1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Diagonally halve the beans crosswise. Blanch beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then

sautee beans, stirring, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

To make rediculously tasty add 1 tablespoon butter (or more) just before serving.

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

Photo courtesy heathy sprouts

Lime & Salt Rice

2 C brown rice (short grain)
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 2 limes
6 cups water
1 bunch cilantro
Kosher Salt

In the pot, add zest, juice then rice. Cover with water and set to medium heat. Allow the rice to cook until there are holes in the rice and all of the water is gone. Remove from heat and cover until tender (10-15 min.)

Chop cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork, add salt to taste. Fold in cilantro and serve.

Obviously you can make this as limey or salty as you like, just add more lime zest, juice and more salt. You could also use white rice, I prefer the nutty-ness of brown rice.

Recipe courtesy Meikel Reece
Photo courtesy Meikel Reece

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Recipe courtesy Meikel Reece
3 images courtesy Google Images

4 Yams or Sweet Potatoes (there is a difference, see here.)
I generally do a potato for each person I want to serve.
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground pepper
Ceyanne Pepper (optional)
Olive oil

For the Fry Sauce:
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Mayonnaise (I use Veganaise.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel yams and cut into 1/2 inch fries or wedges which ever you prefer. Put on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil until well coated (not dripping just gleaming really) and sprinkle with pepper (not salt, it will pull out the water and make the fries soggy). Place in oven for 20-35 minutes depending on the oven.

In a separate bowl combine equal parts Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, ketchup & mayonnaise combine and set aside.

Test your fries, they should be fork tender. Turn your oven to broil and watch until golden brown. Immediately salt and serve with your fry sauce.

Roasted Tomato, Eggplant and Haloumi Burger

Roasted Tomato, Eggplant and Haloumi Burger
Recipe Courtesy Donna Hay
*My changes & suggestions in italics.

2 vine ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
olive oil, for brushing
4 burger buns, halved, wheat buns are delightful with this.
1 eggplant (abergine), thinly sliced
8 oz Haloumi (or a couple of slices per burger)
You really could use a variety of cheeses, but haloumi is delicious.
Garlic Mayonnaise (recipe to follow)
caramelized red onions (recipe to follow)
Arugula
Hot sauce for serving

Garlic Mayonnaise
place 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Vegannaise) 2 crushed cloves of garlic (it is delicious with roasted garlic) salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomato on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until cooked. Set aside. Brush the bun halves with oil and place on a baking tray. Grill (broil) under a preheated hot grill for 1 minute or until golden. Set aside.

Heat a char-grill pan or barbecue over high heat. You can also roast the eggplant, just follow same instructions for tomato. Brush the eggplant with oil and char-grill, barbecue or roast until cooked through. Set aside. Brush the haloumi with oil and char-grill, barbecue or roast until each side is golden.

Spread the bun halves with garlic mayonnaise and top with the tomato, eggplant, haloumi, caramelized onions and arugula.
Serves 4

Recipe & photo v. Donna Hay Magazine issue 41. Photographer Chris Court
*Donna Hay's recipe measurements have been converted from the metric system.

Chili

Photos courtesy Google imaging
Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson
my changes/additions are in yellow
This recipe can be made Vegetarian
Chili:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried or crushed chili flakes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 cardamom pods, bruised
2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
2 yellow peppers, seeded and finely diced
3 pounds 4 ounces ground beef
I use ground turkey for guests and I omit meat completely for myself.
1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 or 2 cups sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
7 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans
1 or 2 cans cannelinni beans

Cornbread:
This is a great recipe sometimes I do buy a mix.
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated Cheddar

Serving suggestion:
2 cups sour cream mixed with chopped cilantro & lemon juice
Ground paprika, for dusting
3 3/4 cups grated Cheddar

Special equipment: Very large pan
Heat the oil in a very large pan and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.
Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree, and water stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.

Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.

Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili con carne, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible. I don't do this step I prefer the cornbread on the side because after a while it gets quite soggy.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling. How long this takes depends on the how cold or hot the chili was when it went into the oven. Since it's such a huge vat, you may find it easiest to reheat it on the stove in its pan first.

Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath.

Paprika, Lime & Grana Padano Grilled Corn

Recipe credit goes completely to the culinary geniuses at Pizzeria 712
This is my desperate attempt to recreate their amazing dish so that I could have it every night while corn is in season. So please go try it at the Pizzeria while they still have it!

6 ears of corn, shucked
1 cup mayonnaise (I recommend veganaise or olive oil mayo)
2 heaping tbsp of good paprika
the juice of 2 limes
1/4-1/2 cup grana padano cheese (you can use Parmesano reggiano just make sure it's the good stuff)

Remember that my downfall in writing out recipes is that I never use measurements when I cook, I just sort of eye it and then taste it till it tastes right, I encourage you to do the same.

Fire up your grill, if it is a coal grill make sure to leave enough time to have the grill piping hot.

In a pasta pot or steamer pot bring about a cup of water to boil to steam the corn.
While you wait for the water to come to a boil, in a bowl mix together mayo, lime juice, paprika. Once combined add cheese and set aside.

Add corn to boiling pot to steam. Steam for 4 min and remove.

Place corn down on grill in the hottest part of your grill. Brush on Lime Mayo mixture, evenly until coated. Leave on the grill about 5-7 min, you need to watch it and be turning it this whole time. Add more Lime Mayo mixture to your liking, remove from grill and serve immediately.

Banana Muffins

Recipe courtesy Giada De laurentiis.
These are delightful muffins, especially when they are good for you too.
When I make these I make several healthy substitutions, they will all be in brown. enjoy!
Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour Whole wheat baking flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar Beet sugar or Stevia sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature Tofutti non dairy cream cheese (trust me it's delicious!)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature Soy Butter
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature Just use all 8oz of Tofutti Cream cheese
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted I use Peacans because I love them, but walnuts are great too.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

These are mine and Luke's new favorite thing, and they are really filling as well. And even though we all know that cream cheese frosting makes everything better, these are also good bald.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

I would like to preface this recipe with a statement about hard work. Anything worth doing is hard, and so it is with risotto. You may have to stand over a pot of boiling rice, lovingly ladleing steaming spoonfuls of hot broth on to the ever awaiting rice, but it is worth every moment. You reap what you sow, and this is so worth it!
Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
4 cups vegetable broth
1 large vanilla bean
3 cups peeled cubed (1-inch wide) butternut squash, about 12 ounces
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
3/4 cups finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chivesIn a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add them, and the bean, to the broth. When the broth comes to a simmer reduce the heat to low. Add the butternut squash to the simmering broth and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the butternut squash to a side dish. Turn the heat on the broth down to very low and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Discard the vanilla bean. Turn off the heat. Gently stir in the butternut squash, Parmesan, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and salt. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives. Serve
immediately.

Yellow Tomato Salsa

Recipe Courtesy Real Simple
1 1/2 pounds yellow tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 cup red onion
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Pulse tomatoes in a food processor until roughly chopped.

Transfer to a bowl and mix in onion, basil leaves, and salt.

Serve with hearts of romaine, sliced zucchini, and crackers.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese

I would like to preface this recipe with a statement. When I cook I never measure, and when I mess around with recipe's (like the one below) I am always trying to make it taste better, so I do it a little different each time.
I will add my additions and changes, but it does make a different outcome than Giada's. But I think that cooking should be an evolution, what may be great in L.A. may not work so well for Provo. So I make each recipe to match my mood, my climate and more often than not my wallet.
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Additions courtesy of yours truly!
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms I left these out,because the only place I could find them was williams and sonoma
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped also 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves sometimes I omit this completely, depending on mood.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves Basil was on sale when I first made this and I love it,
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves really you can't go wrong with any of these herbs.
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces assorted mushrooms (like shiitake, cremini, and brown), stemmed and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese I use the Toffuti non-dairy cream cheese
1 pound rigatoni pasta I use whole wheat
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 28oz (for a more "soupy" sauce) or 16oz can diced tomatoes.
Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften. Ignore this if you omited the dried mushrooms.

Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, canned tomatoes and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini mushroom liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes remember that whole wheat takes longer. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with Parmesan and serve. This pasta is delicious cold as leftovers too!

Fruit Salad with Cannoli Cream

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 dry pint fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 kiwi, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toastedStir the ricotta and 2 tablespoons of cream in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/3 cup of cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl until semi-firm peaks form. Fold the ricotta into the whipped cream. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to stiffen and yield a creamier filling. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Toss the strawberries, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl to combine. Let stand until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the kiwi.

Spoon the fruit mixture into 4 dessert bowls. Dollop the ricotta cream atop the fruit. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

I love this recipe, and since I am snow weary I wanted a recipe that brought a little spring into my home. I make this delightful dessert anytime I need a crowd pleaser! And it just so happens that this is delicious on top of crepe's or Belgian waffles.

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson
1 large sweet potato
1 large red firm potato
1 red onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

(Meikel's note: I ALWAYS add yams & vidalia or yellow onions to this, I often leave out the cheese, red & yellow pepper to give it a different feel. I always double this recipe, it is great as left overs. Chop it up and put it in an omelet, it's delicious)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the sweet potato into rough 1 1/2-inch cubes and the red potato slightly smaller (1-inch cubes) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion, then cut each half into 4 to 6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. Seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch squares, and separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a 2-quart casserole dish, or whatever you want to use (it should be big, otherwise use 2 dishes) and, using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty (and anyway, the salt will make water leach out).

Bake for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown. You'll need to turn the oven up to maximum heat or light the broiler for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the broiler until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve straight out of the casserole dish.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Recipe courtesy Meikel Reece
This is my absolute favorite way to prepare red potatoes. This recipe is so versatile you can really go as simple or elaborate as you would like. I uphold the belief that good olive oil salt and pepper make everything taste amazing. This is a great dish for crowds, and a great healthy substitute for fries.

12 Red potatoes (or as many as you would like to make, I prefer the small reds.)
Equal parts: (You can start with a tablespoon or so each and go from there)
Dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
Sea or Kosher salt
Dried parsley

1tsp Cheyenne Pepper (more or less depending on the heat level you want to achieve)
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese (get the good stuff and grate it yourself, it is absolutely worth it!)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix the Oregano, Parsley, Cheyenne, salt & pepper together in a small bowl, set aside. Wash and quarter the potatoes, make sure they are dried properly so the olive oil will stick to them. Put them on a large cookie sheet with a lip. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes. Using your hands gently toss the potatoes in the olive oil so you coat every piece. Sprinkle 1/2 of your spice mixture over the potatoes and toss again to coat. You can use the rest of the spice mixture (I do, but I eyeball it you don't want to over do it) or choose to omit it. Put in the oven (I turn all the potatoes so the white side is facing up, but no need to bother with that if you don't want to). It takes anywhere to a 1/2 hour to an hour depending on your oven and amount of potatoes. You want them to become golden and beautiful, then sprinkle the Parmesan over them and put them back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. For you vegans or just if you don't have cheese you can definitely skip the cheese and still have fabulous potatoes. Enjoy!