Toasted Orzo with Roasted Garden Vegetables

It took a bit of time to think of an appropriate title for this dish because it is complex in flavor, yet so easy to make. The key flavor is centered around summer vegetables that please so many like me, who suffer through snowy and long winters.

My family requests this dish for summer functions because it can be served warm or cold. What distinguishes this dish from your typical orzo pilaf or salad, is toasting the orzo. Such an approach not only brings a contrast of color, but enhances the flavor of the pasta.
As for the vegetables, the simpler the better. Once again, you do not have to do much to fresh ingredients. The dressing focuses on lemon, which complements the richness of the pasta and roasted vegetables.


Toasted Orzo with Roasted Garden Vegetables
Serves 4-6

For the orzo:
1 16 oz. box orzo
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5-6 cups water
3-4 zucchini, sliced thin
2 medium sized Italian eggplant, quartered then sliced
2-3 yellow summer squash, sliced thin
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon black pepper

For the dressing:
2 shallots, minced
juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Kefalotyri or Roman cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place seasoned vegetables on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

While vegetables are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottom 6 qt. pot. Over medium heat toast half the box of orzo, stirring frequently for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Remove pot from the heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining untoasted orzo and water. Bring to boil. Season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes until water is absorbed and orzo just tender.

Combine the orzo and roasted vegetables. Mix the shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, cheese and parsley. Toss the orzo mixture with the dressing. Serve warm at room temperature or cold.

BB: Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Food snobs have any number of coveted spectacular ingredients where the premium price reflect the reputation. Sun-dried tomatoes are such an item. While the concept of preserving tomatoes by drying in the sun and then soaking in olive oil sounds tasty, the chewy texture does not please my palate. Even with such a skeptical perspective on the key ingredient, I was pleased when Cat of Delta Whiskey chose Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes for the first July Barefoot Bloggers recipe.

Substituting oven roasted grape tomatoes mimicked the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes while creating a more pleasant texture with a price that fit my budget.

This recipe was a winner and is an excellent addition to any summer dinning table. The flavors were rich while still light for summer, with a bit of tang. Below is my adaptation, for the original recipe visit The Food Network or buy Barefoot Contessa Family Style.

Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Adapted from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style pg. 58
Serves 4

1/2 pound Gemili pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced (half-pint grape tomatoes)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced

For the oven roasted tomatoes:
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved long wise and seeded
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of sugar

For the dressing:
Oven roasted grape tomatoes
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes and mozzarella.

For the oven-roasted tomatoes: pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine, sliced tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Cook for 30-40 minutes until almost burnt. For the dressing, combine the oven-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, olives, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

In my part of the world, dried beans are principally associated with winter stews and soups, because protein filled beans will help one survive long and nasty winters. To my surprise, I learned that countries where beans play a principal dietary role, experience mild winters. So, I presented myself a challenge to integrate beans into our summer diet. Not in the the traditional sense of baked beans, which are fabulous, but not exactly week night or waistline friendly.

Black-eyed peas have a mild flavor with a firm texture. Often served warm, I like texture served cold with fresh herbs and spring green onions. What completes this salad is a tahini vinaigrette. Tahini brings a nutty flavor to the party. I have used tahini in hummus and dipping sauces for chicken or lamb and until coming across a recipe in Bon Apetit it never occurred to me to use in a vinaigrette. I am sold. Enjoy!

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as side dish
Requires 24 hour soaking time

8 oz. black eyed peas (half bag)
5 springs fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 spring mint, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Soak beans in cold water for at least 24 hours. Pick through and discard any off colored beans. Rinse with cold water and place in large pot. Cover with water, bring to boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until beans are tender. Meanwhile, chop herbs and place in a large bowl. Drain beans and combine with herbs and seasoning. Dress with tahini vinaigrette. Allow to cool then refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

Tahini Vinaigrette
Adapted from Bon Apetit

1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon, cold water (if need to thin out the tahini)

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, honey, vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick which in a bit of cold water.

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad

Summer salads can be so very refreshing but often too filling. This salad is truly light, colorful, easy and was inspired by a trip to a local market. Nino Salvaggio is one my favorite places. One could visit Nino's each day for at least a month and still not try the in house pre-made items from four different chicken salads to panzanella the options seem endless. Their corn salad mixed with zesty Italian and creamy French dressing focuses solely on the corn and is a lifesaver and was the inspiration for this dish.

Fresh corn doesn't need a whole lot of doctoring so I omitted the pre-made dressings and opted for a more simple vinaigrette. I further added the black beans which bring a texture contrast to the crunchy corn and red pepper. I will make this again and may substitute black eyed peas and use grilled corn. Thank God summer has finally arrived!

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad
Inspired by Nino Salvaggio
Servings: 2 Main Dishes or 4 Sides Dishes

2 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the cob
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups drained canned black beans
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of half a lime
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
dash of cayenne pepper

Combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and cayenne. In a large bowl mix the corn, red pepper, green onion and black beans. Dress with the vinaigrette and serve at room temperature.

BB: Curried (Not Really) Couscous

Couscous is a simple, versatile grain that can stand on its own or play a supporting role. It often makes an appearance on my dinner table so I was pleased that Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester selected this dish as the first June recipe for Barefoot Bloggers. The part of this selection I wasn't so keen on was the curried part of the recipe. One of the great challenges of cooking along with a group is dealing with ingredients that don't please ones palate. In this case, I took a bit of liberty, scratch that, a lot of liberty and substituted zatar seasoning comprised of sumac, dried wild thyme and sesame seeds. Pine nuts seem to be a natural pairing to zatar and from there I changed the focus of the dish away from curry. Regardless of these substitution this was an excellent choice for the first month of summer. The fundamentals of the recipe are strong and very, very good. The yogurt element was tangy and is something I will integrate in my couscous recipes. Enjoy!

Curried Couscous

Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

6 Servings

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omitted)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (used lemon juice)
1 teaspoon curry powder (substituted with zatar seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (omitted)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced carrots (omitted)
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (used only 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins (substituted pan sauteed tomatoes)
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds (substituted toasted pine nuts)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts) (omitted)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion (substituted shallots)

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Parsley Pesto Pizza

Since retruning from vacation laziness has set in and weeknight meals have become typical. When seeking suggestions from my husband pesto always creeps in to the conversation. Now the food Gods may strike me down but I dislike basil and thus pesto is not top on my list. Parsley though, I can live with and have tons always in the fridge. One of the other reasons I dislike pesto is it seems like a ton of bricks has hit my stomach after a meal and the parsley variation was surprisingly light.

Now I am a working girl and am lucky if I have an hour from start to finish to get the meal on the table. I cheated a bit and purchased fresh pizza dough from the market. This truly was unexpectedly light, topped with fresh mozzarella or fresh ricotta (an undervalued kitchen friend) this is very different from the usual cheese and pepperoni. Don't get me wrong nothing can replace my local pizza favorite this dish however is a great homemade alternative.

Parsley Pesto Pizza

Adapted from Michael Chiarello
Servings: 4 six inch pizzas

12 oz. pizza dough
Flour for rolling surface
1/2 cup parsley pesto (see below)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
4 bocconcini fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
olive oil

Heat grill. Roll the dough in to 4 pizzas, each about 1/8 thick and 6 inches round. Brush each side with olive oil. Grill pizzas over medium heat until lightly brown around 5 minutes. Turn the pizzas over and spoon a few teaspoons of ricotta or 5 slices of mozzarella. Cook until the cheese is about to melt. Remove from grill and serve warm.


Parsley Pesto

From Gourmet

yields 1 cup

Note: pizza recipe called for a 1/2 cup, froze the remaining amount in airtight container
1 cup tight-packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Place parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until well combined. Combine oil, lemon and zest in a small bowl. Add the oil mixture to parsley mixture in a slow stream, pulsing to combine.

Roasted Michigan Asparagus with Two Dipping Sauces

In season asparagus roasted with simple seasoning is one of my favorites. It often appears as a side dish on our dinner table. I decided to make two different dipping sauces as I found beautiful locally grown asparagus. Both sauces played on traditional acidic pairings. The first highlighted the sweetness of balsamic vinegar and the second the tartness of lemon. While both were really good, I preferred the lemon vinaigrette.

Roasted Asparagus with Dipping Sauces

2 Servings

1 stalk asparagus cleaned with ends trimmed

Balsamic Honey Reduction

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon good honey

pinch of salt and pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 cup of the best olive oil you have

juice of half a lemon

few pinches of minced parsley

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place asparagus on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes for thicker stalks or 10 minutes for thinner stalks. Meanwhile, over medium-low heat, heat and simmer the balsamic vinaigrette until it becomes syrupy. Add honey, salt, pepper and keep warm until ready to serve. For the vinaigrette, place olive oil in bowl and beat in lemon juice until emulsified. Add parsley, salt and pepper.

Thin Cut New York Strip with Chimichurri Sauce

I love me a thick steak- seared on the outside and red on the inside. Thinner cuts usually dry out and aren't generally that good and remind me of overcooked, tough steaks in Europe. If there is one thing we do well in the US - it's steaks. During my recent grocery shopping trip at Whole Foods this thin cut New York strip caught my eye. Considering the weather is, knock on wood, gorgeous this was a perfect cut for grilling and topped with a slightly spicy chimichurri sauce rivaled a thick cut steak. This came together very quick and I was surprised as to the ease of preparation for the chimichurri that was adapted from the June 2008 issue of Gourmet. A chopped herb sauce prevalent in South and Central America, this chimichurri was light and the lemon complements a somewhat fatty steak. The red pepper flakes add a nice bit of spice. I am a fan of flat leaf parsley but imagine that cilantro would as well work well.

Grilled New York Strip with Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri Adapated from Gourmet, June 2008
Serves 2

2 thin cut New York strip steak about 8 oz. each
Salt and pepper to season the steak
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Chimichurri Sauce
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper until salt has dissolved. Stir in parsley. Let chimichurri stand 20 minutes.



















Grilled Steak:
Heat grill. Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Top with chimichurri sauce.

BB: Meet Monsieur and Madame Croque

A classic French sandwich- Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame brings me back to Paris. Granted, I do not recall a mornay sauce topped croque but the concept is there. I have made this before and was glad to see Kathy of All Food Considered selected this dish as it makes a perfect lunch or a fabulous breakfast-topped with a poached egg. The mornay sauce really adds to the cheese flavor and provides a crunchy texture. I used white bread for the madame version- sans crust, the monsieur version with crust. In retrospect, I should have used a more dense white bread, but it still was a great dinner that came together in a snap. Madam and Monsiuer spent a little too much time in the broiler as I scrambled to find my camera. I halved the below recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris page 48 or you may find the recipe here.

Croque Monsieur

Ina Garten Barefoot In Paris

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

Dijon mustard

8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan, and set aside. To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Open-Faced Roasted Lamb Wrap and Potato Feta Gratin

Regardless of what the Barefoot Contessa thinks-- it is not possible to be a guest when hosting a holiday celebration at your home. This weekend I hosted an Easter party at my home. Greek Orthodox Easter is the culimination of a fasting period where the focus is not only the Resurrection of Jesus Christ but on roasting a lamb on a spit. When people have not consumed meat and other animal products for an extended period of time, breaking the fast is a big deal and places even more pressure on the host as no one wants to go down with the epitaph associated with serving bad lamb at Easter. I thoroughly enjoyed having my family and friends join in the celebration of Jesus Christ, and I am so happy that the lamb once again turned out as the star of the show.

While running around making sure that friends and family enjoyed this wonderful meal, I forgot to take a moment and enjoy the food. But I would be damned if I would not get a good meal out of a 38 lb. roasted baby lamb. All day I had lamb on my mind. More specifically, I was thinking about how to use the leftovers and frankly I was not in a state to do any heavy thinking. So this sandwich was simple and so good! On the right is my husband's creation and on the left is mine. It is simply dressed with tomatoes, onions and tzaziki. I cannot wait to see what comes to mind after some much need sleep.

Nothing goes better with roasted lamb than potatoes. There is nothing particularily inventive about pairing potatoes with feta, expect of course the pretentious name "Potato Feta Gratin". By fanning potatoes on a hot pan and placing in the oven to brown the top, you end up with a tasty and presentable incarination of a classic flavor combination.

Opened-Faced Roasted Lamb Sandwich
Heat enough olive oil to coat a pan and place sliced roasted lamb pieces to heat through. Meanwhile, warm pita bread. I had a naan style on hand, slice fresh tomato, onions or other items such as cucumbers or lettuce. Place lamb slices on pita load up on toppings including lots of tzatziki. Serve and enojy.

Potato Feta Gratin
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice 2-3 medium sized yukon gold potatoes. Heat 3 tablesoons of olive oil in a large pan, fan potatoes slices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Top with crumbled feta and a bit of black pepper. Place in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is browned.

Tortellini Fontina Salad

I have no business making a cold pasta salad during the month of March in Michigan. I am begging for the weather Gods to dump lots of snow and ice. Regardless it's been a long and ridiculous winter. Yes I am a grown woman and consciously elected to live in a cold state but this winter was just too much. This is a relatively basic salad that could use whatever green vegetables one has on hand. Peas are my favorite and call out spring. To save time one could use a bottled dressing but I think homemade allows you to control the vinegar or acid. Store bought dressings usually are to white vinegary for me.

Tortellini:

1 16 oz. package of tri-colored tortellini cooked per package instructions

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas cooked and cooled

1/4 fontina cubed

1/4 cubed grated parmesan

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Dressing or sustitute 2 cups of bottled Italian Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon shallots

pinch of red pepper flakes

Prepare tortellini per package instructions. Meanwhile heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in saute pan, add tomatoes season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes brown slightly. Heat peas per package instructions and drain well. Cube the fontina, grate the Parmesan. Drain tortellini and rinse with cold water. Ensure all water is removed. Combine pasta, tomatoes, peas and cheeses. For the vinaigrette, combine olive oil and vinegar add the shallots. Mix the pasta mixture with the vinaigrette. Allow to cool at room temperature and refrigerate overnight.

Zucchini Cakes with Citrus Yogurt

No one is perfect and this is certainly the case of my ability to meal plan. Sometimes things just don not turn out as planned. I had a great number of Zucchini I need to use and my go to dish for this ingredient was out for this week. My mom told me of a recipe kolokeftetheis, basically at zucchini meatball. Of course Helen's (my mom) version called for either feta or myzethra and since I have neither (cut me some slack, we go through the stuff like candy) I used parmesan. I was not very motivated to make this but was very pleased with the outcome. I like the texture and flavor and the yogurt with zest was excellent. I will certainly make this again especially in summer when zucchini is plentiful.

For the Fritters:

5-6 medium zucchini

1 large egg

2 tablespoons minced italian parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

3 tablespoons minced shallot

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/4 dried bread crumbs

Enough olive oil to pan fry these babies

Salt and pepper

Grate zucchini and please in a mesh strainer, place over a bowl. Add a few pinches of salt and let the zucchini hang out for about an hour. Using a piece of plastic wrap, press down and remove as much water as possible. Meanwhile, combine the parsley, dill, thyme, shallots, parmesan and bread crumbs. Once the zucchini feel most dry combine with the other items and combine with the egg. Heat the olive oil in a shallow saute pan. Form mixture into small cakes and saute until golden brown about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with citrus yogurt.

For the Citrus Yogurt:

1 cup Fage or any Greek style yogurt

Zest of one small lemon

Zest of one small orange

Pinch of kosher salt

Gently mix all ingredients and serve with zucchini fritters

Seared Scallop Salad

A great first course or a meal in itself, these seared scallops served over a simple salad are so satisfying. It is difficult to find good, fresh seafood in the winter months in Michigan. There are wonderful area markets such as Papa Joes that have a great selection of seafood but at $24.99 a pound it's not exactly a wallet friendly experience. Now I am sure scallops are pricey in any part of the country, so I only serve for special occasions or when we really crave this sweet treat. Enjoy!

2-4 servings

Ingredients:

Scallops:

1 lb fresh sea scallops about 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

kosher salt and black pepper

Salad:

1 bag mixed greens

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat butter in large pan, meanwhile wash and thoroughly dry scallops, season each side with generous amounts of salt and pepper. When pan in very hot add about 4 scallops but do not crowd the pan. Sear about 3-4 minutes on each side for medium. While scallops are searing, whisk the shallots, lemon and oil and lightly dress the salad greens. Remove scallops from the pan and place on salad, serve immediately.

Cranberry Orange Chutney

My mother never made and or served Cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. The thought of consuming something that still had can ridges didn't sound appetizing. The first time I had real cranberry sauce is when Mrs. Papakonstantinou graciously brought some courtesy of her daughter. I loved the tart flavor of the cranberry and while mine doesn't hold a candle to Mrs. Papakonstantinou's, I have over the last several years made this recipes with decent success. Granted only few of the guests actually tried this, considering it's is certainly a strong flavor, those that did however enjoy and commented favorably. Made this 2 days prior.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of sugar
zest of one orange

Directions:
1.) Thoroughly wash cranberries and place in saucepan.
2.) Add orange juice, sugar and orange zest.
3.) Simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries burst and soften.
4.) Place in non-reactive bowl and allow to cool completely, refrigerated and serve when needed.

Citrus Turkey with Cognac Gravy

22 lb. Fresh Turkey
1 stick of unsalted butter1 tbsp.
fresh chopped thyme
1 tbsp. fresh chopped sage
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. orange zest
Salt and pepper

About a week before Thanksgiving I venture out for my initial grocery shopping, included in this list are fresh herbs that will truly make the holiday special. With the herbs I make a citrus herb butter and freeze until the night before the big day. Place butter under the breast skin and this concoction helps keep the meat moist and ensures really good flavor. This recipe was inspired by some of my favorite chef's/TV cooking personalities including Ina, Giada, Martha, Emeril, Bobby Flay and Mario.

Herb Citrus Butter:
Combine with a fork herbs, lemon and orange zest a dash of salt and pepper and room temp. unsalted butter. Place mixture on saran wrap and create a log shape. Freeze and thaw in fridge at least 12 hours prior to use.

Prep the Turkey:
Acquire fresh turkey at least 48 hours prior to event.24- hours before event: Wash cavity thoroughly and ensure giblets and company are removed from the back end of the bird. Place bird in kosher salt and very cold water solution for about 15 minutes. I think the kosher salt draws out any yucky stuff.

Morning of :
1.) Take the bird out of the fridge and bring to room temp. This is a very important step and will ensure cooking time stays on target.
2.) Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
3.) Place bird in large roasting pan. Generously season the bird including the inner cavity with salt and pepper.
4.) Gently run hand between the breast and skin and add herb butter. Slather the bird with remaining butter mixture.
5.) Stuff both cavities with dressing of your choice (see below stuffing recipe). Be sure to stuff right before cooking as stuffing sitting in a bird could create a cease pool of bacteria. To be safe, omit the stuffing and place cut lemons, oranges, herbs, onion to the cavities.
6.) Place seasoned, stuffed turkey uncovered in 425 degree oven for 45 minutes.
7.) Turn over temp. down to 350 degree. Cover and cook for about 4 1/2 hour or until internal temp of the thicket part of the turkey and stuffing reach 165 degrees.
8.) Let the bird rest uncovered for at least a half-hour until carving.

Cognac Gravy

Gravy is awesome. End of story. I do however take a little different approach in making gravy.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter
4 cups of turkey stock or good chicken stock
1 cup of turkey drippings
Shot of Cognac

Directions:
1.) Melt butter over low heat and which flour creating a roux cook for 1-2 minutes.
2.) Slowly add stock and bring to slow boil.
3.) Add cognac season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
4.) Prior to serving add turkey drippings.

Pork Souvlaki

I love pork tenderloin and love anything on a stick. I make this in the winter on the indoor grill but there is nothing like grilling outside.

Ingredients:

1 medium Pork Tenderloin

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons oregano

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1 vidalia or purple onion

2 large metal or bamboo skewers

Directions:

-Cut tenderloin into workable pieces. Combine olive oil, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper. Add pork and marinate overnight.

-Slice onion to appropriate size and load up skewers with onion and pork. Grill for 6 minutes on each side.

-Optional: Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, serve with a side of feta, hummus and pita bread

NY Strip Steak Sandwich

I truly love this dish. I adapted a recipe from my favorite cooking show, Barefoot Contessa. I am not a huge fan of mayo but I couldn't resist trying this. I make this at least once a month and have used flank steak and ribeye but truly NY strip is the best for this recipe. Kali Orexi

1 (12-ounce) 1-inch thick New York strip boneless beef top loin steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced in rings
1 medium green or red pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 recipe Mustard Mayo, recipe follows
2 greek pitas

Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat until it's almost smoking, then sear the steak on each side for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook the steak for about 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until medium in the middle. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into strips.

Using the same saute pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and thyme and saute for 10 minutes, until the onions are brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a tablespoon of Mustard Mayo on the bottom of each pita. Place a layer the steak strips on top of the mayo, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with the caramelized onion rings.

Mustard Mayo:
3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature