Oregon Bay Shrimp Cakes
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. Oregon Bay Shrimp coarsely chopped-
2 large eggs beaten
1 small green bell pepper small dice about ¼ inch
1/3 cup chopped green onions
½ cup Panko crumbs
½ cup plain bread crumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. Old Bay Seasoning
1 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Freshly cracked black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Chop the shrimp to a size that will make it easier to form the cakes, large pieces will just make it more difficult.
Mix shrimp, eggs, panko, bread crumbs, green pepper, green onion, mayonnaise and Old Bay Seasoning. Test the moisture content by forming a patty. If the cake wants to fall apart you can add more mayonnaise at this point, perhaps 1 tablespoon at a time, mix and retry. Form the cakes and let them rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to let them bind.
Heat a large non stick pan to medium high heat with the olive oil, Carefully add the cakes and check after 4 minutes by gently lifting the cake. You want the underside to be a dark golden brown with a nice crust. Turn the cakes and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Plate while still hot and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy.
Gold Beet and Arugula Salad
INGREDIENTS
bunch golden beets 4-5 medium beets
4 cups arugula
2 oz goat cheese
¼ cup chopped pistachios
¼ cup olive oil plus more for roasting beets
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon minced green onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly wash beets and remove beet greens. Place beets on a sheet of foil on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil over beets and fold together edges, creating a sealed packet.
Roast for 40-50 minutes until fork tender. Let cool to room temperature, then remove skins and cut into wedges.
While the beets are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Shake in a small mason jar or whisk together minced onion, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add arugula and sliced beets to a large bowl and toss with a small amount of dressing just to moisten.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with crumbled goat cheese and chopped pistachios. Drizzle with more dressing or serve on the side. Enjoy immediately.
Swiss Chard Stuffed Portobellos
Ingredients
2 Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and gills removed
2 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 cups of chopped Swiss chard
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
½ cup of Fresh Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp of Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Preheat a skillet over medium high heat with a little oil, add the mushrooms gills side down and cook for just one minute.
Remove the mushrooms and place them in a baking sheet that’s been drizzled with a little oil.
In the same skillet add the bacon and cook it over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet with the bacon drippings, add the garlic and cook for about a minute, add the chard and place a lid on the pan so the chard wilts.
To the chard, add the bread crumbs and the cooked bacon, season lightly with salt and pepper (optional) and mix everything together.
Divide the mixture between your mushrooms and bake them for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.
Purple Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Mash
Ingredients
2 to 3 medium purple Okinawa sweet potatoes
1/3 cup coconut milk, more as needed
2 cloves garlic, minced, more to taste
1/3 teaspoon sea salt, or kosher salt, more to taste
Dash black pepper, more to taste
Instructions
Peel and quarter the potatoes. In a medium saucepan, boil in water until tender, about 45 minutes.
Drain the water and mash with coconut milk. Add more coconut milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Carrot and Zucchini with Yogurt Mint Sauce
INGREDIENTS
For the Fritters
1 lbs. zucchini, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
For the Sauce
1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1 cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of 1/2lemon
1/2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Fritters
Combine shredded zucchini and carrot in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then with your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can over the sink. Return to the bowl.
Add to bowl with zucchini and carrot, the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Over med/high heat, heat large skillet with 1 - 2 TBSP. olive oil until oil begins to shimmer. Spoon a heaping tablespoon into the pan for each fritter and flatten with the back of the spoon. Don't over crowd the pan!
Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown and carefully flip.
Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, then remove to a paper towel lined plate or paper towel lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle with a little more salt, if desired, and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
For the Sauce
Place all of the ingredients into a bowl or sealable container. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until everything is well blended. Taste and season to your preference.
Crispy Onion Fries
Ingredients
3 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons kosher salt,, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
Scrub the potatoes, peel them (if desired) and cut them into 3/8 to 1/2-inch planks.
Cut the planks into 3/8 to 1/2-inch batons.
Combine very hot tap water in a large bowl with the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the salt.
Soak the cut potato batons in the liquid for 15 to 30 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and thoroughly blot them dry with clean towels.
Place 2 foil-lined baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
Place the cornstarch, remaining teaspoon of salt, and oil in a medium bowl and add the potatoes.
Toss the potatoes in the oil mixture until well-coated.
When the oven has reached 450 degrees F, quickly remove the baking sheets, mist them liberally with non-stick spray, and arrange the potatoes on them in an even layer (trying not to allow the potatoes to touch each other).
Bake the fries until golden brown and crisp on all sides, turning them every 6 to 7 minutes (approx. 25 to 30 minutes total).
Pork Chops with Grilled Plums
INGREDIENTS
2 thick-cut, bone-in pork chops (about 1 ½" thick)
3 small plums (or 2 large), red or black
2 tsp honey
3 ½ tsp olive oil, divided
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 450°F).
Rub pork chops on both sides with honey and 2 teaspoon of the oil. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
Cut plums in half, remove pits, and lightly drizzle cut sides with ½ teaspoon of the oil.
Grill pork chops on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part of the chops reads 145°F.
Also grill the plums, cut side down, for 5-10 minutes, or until charred grill marks appear and plums are soft, but not squishy.
While pork chops rest, slice each plum half in half again for quarters. Place a pork chop on each plate and op with plums. Serve immediately.
Melon Mint Granita
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups Cantaloupe, Crenshaw, honeydew or other melon chunks (1/2 to 1 melon, depending on size)
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tsp. minced fresh mint, plus leaves for garnish
Directions
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and 1/3 cup water and cook, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
2. Put a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan in the freezer until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
3. In a food processor, combine the melon, honey, lemon juice, and mint, and the cooled syrup and process until smooth. Pour the melon mixture into the chilled pan and place, uncovered, in the freezer. Freeze for 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the ice crystals away from the sides of the pan and stir the mixture thoroughly. Continue to freeze, scraping every 30 minutes or so, until the granita is completely frozen into fluffy shards, about 1 1/2 hours total. Spoon the granita into a container with a tight-fitting lid, cover, and freeze until serving time.
4. Divide the granita among 6 glass bowls, garnish with 2 or 3 herb leaves, and serve. Serves 6.
Spicy Calamari and Greens Stir-fry
Ingredients
1 lb. of calamari, thawed
1 bunch mustard greens, washed and chopped
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 small knob of ginger
3 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 Tablespoon mirin
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
rice for serving
Instructions
Mince the ginger and garlic.
Mix the fish sauce, mirin, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
Generously oil a large, heavy pan and bring it over high heat. Wait until the oil is nearly smoking, add the chili flakes, ginger, and garlic, and stir fry until fragrant. Add the squid, all at once, in a single layer. After one minute add the greens and cook until wilted. Add the mirin, fish sauce and soy sauce.
Remove from heat and serve over rice.
Greek Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Herbs
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower cut into florets (about 2 lbs, or 3-4 cups)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
juice and zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese (1/2 cup)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Place cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the oregano, garlic powder , and lemon zest. Toss together to coat each floret in the oil and seasoning.
Roast at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure even cooking, or until golden brown and softened.
Transfer cauliflower to a plate or serving dish. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta squeeze on the lemon juice, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve.