Pickled onions

 

• medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or additional white vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)

1. Pack the onions into a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe vessel. Place the jar in the sink, to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water, both vinegars, maple syrup, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onions.
3. Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar and pop any air bubbles in the jar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
4. Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Chicken and Duxelles

 

• 1 pound 

  fresh white button mushrooms

• 2 small shallots 
• 1 clove  

  garlic

• parsley

• 4 tablespoons 

  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon 

  kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

These quantities make quit a bit. Enough to stuff 3-4 chicken breast halves. 

Clean your mushrooms with a brush. 

I use an egg slicer to chop the mushrooms. Stem up - slice. Pick up and turn the sliced mushroom, slice again.  I then chop the sliced mushrooms with a knife to get a nicely diced product. 

I rarely have shallots at hand, so I use about 1/2 an onion finely diced. 

Melt two T butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté till translucent. 

Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute or two. 

Add rest of the butter, mushrooms, salt, pepper and some dry parsley. 

Turn heat to medium low+ and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Trying to get mushrooms to give up their moisture without browning them. May take longer depending upon quantity. 

Cool the mushrooms before stuffing chicken. 

I use them to stuff butterflied chicken breast that has been flattened. Roll and tie the breast. Pan fry in some butter for color and finish in a 400* oven. 

Cedar planked salmon

• Cedar plank(s) for grilling
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pinch salt
• Couple grinds black pepper
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• Pinch rosemary
• Pinch thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salmon fillets, skin removed
• Lemon wedges
• 
  

1. Soak the cedar plank in water for 1 hour.
2. In a dish large enough to hold the salmon, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Mix well. Add the salmon and turn to coat evenly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400°F to 450°F). 
4. Pat the soaked plank(s) dry and place the salmon on top. Place the plank(s) on the grill grates, close the cover and cook for 10 + minutes, or until salmon is done to your liking.
5. Can also do in the oven. Preheat to 400. Put plank on a grid over a foiled lined baking tray and preheat for 3-4 minutes. Add salmon- bake for 20 -25 minutes. 
6. Glaze the salmon with a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of dill. 

Shrimp, leeks and cannellini beans

 

• 1teaspoon fresh lemon zest and 2 tablespoons juice
• 1teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
• 2garlic cloves, grated
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1pound peeled, deveined large shrimp (tails removed)
• 4tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 2large leeks, trimmed, then halved lengthwise, white and light green parts sliced crosswise ½-inch thick (or 1 large onion, minced)
• 1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed
• 2cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• Toasted bread, for serving (optional)

Creamy spinach orzo

 

• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Big handful roughly chopped baby spinach

• Combine the broth and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Add the orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Parmesan and spinach. Keep cooking for about 3 minutes, until the spinach wilts down.
• Taste the orzo. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Spanish garlic shrimp

 

• frozen large shrimp (21-25 count) - thawed, peeled, and deveined

• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (doesn’t have to be hot)

• kosher salt to taste

• cloves garlic to taste

• extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (substitute white wine plus a pinch of sugar for the sherry.)

• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

  1. Place shrimp in a bowl and season with paprika and kosher salt; mix well.  

     Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and increase heat to high. Toss and turn shrimp with tongs until starting to curl but still undercooked, about 2 minutes. Pour in sherry. Cook, stirring continuously, until sauce comes up to a boil and shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

     Serve with creamy spinach orzo. 

PARMESAN POTATO BLOSSOMS

 

Ingredients

• 24 oz. Tasteful Selections® potatoes
• ½ c. salted butter, softened
• 1½ tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 1 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Cut a deep X into each potato, but do not cut through bottom of potato. Place potatoes on parchment lined sheet pan. Mix butter and garlic together until blended. Brush each potato generously with garlic butter.
• Top each potato with one tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender and Parmesan is browned. Top with chopped parsley to serve.