TheVineyardMom

  Blueberry and Strawberry Dessert 8 oz vanilla yogurt 8 oz of whipped cream 4 cups sliced strawberries, plus whole strawberry for topping 3 cups blueberries 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Combine yogurt and vanilla.  Fold in whipped cream. Layer yogurt and whipped cream mixture in the bottom of a mason jar.  Add some blueberries followed with another layer of cream mixture, then slice the strawberries. Keep layering until you reach the top of the mason jar.  Top with a whole strawberry. Chill for 1 hour.  Serve.

  4th of July Caprese Salad 2 cups blueberries 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil 3 tbsp each extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar 4 slices of mozzarella cut into small star shapes using a star shaped cookie cutter  Salt and pepper to taste Wash blueberries and cherry tomatoes.   Add halved cherry tomatoes and blueberries to a serving bowl. Top with chopped basil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top salad with star shaped mozzarella.  Season with salt and pepper.

  Berry Blue Cheese Salad 10 ounces of salad greens, washed and dried 3 ounces of blue cheese crumble 1/4 cup slivered almonds  ¼ of a red onion sliced 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries 1 ½  cups sliced strawberries Dressing: 3/4 cup fresh blueberries  1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp both salt and pepper Combine dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Place in the refrigerator. Put the salad greens in a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing. Top with blue cheese, almonds, red onions, blueberries and strawberries. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve.

  1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 large egg  2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp. hot sauce 1 cup jumbo crab meat 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley salt and pepper to taste 8 mini potato buns Vegetable or Canola oil for frying.  Approximately 3-4 Tbsp Toppings 1 cup of mayonnaise  8 strips of crispy cooked bacon 1/2  red onion thinly sliced 1 tomato thinly sliced 8 lettuce leaves Heat oil in a large saute pan or cast iron skillet.  Combine mayonnaise, egg, Dijon mustard, hot sauce or cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix crab meat, panko bread crumbs and parsley.   Fold crab mixture into egg and mayo mixture.  Add salt and pepper.   I use an ice cream scoop to form the same size balls.  Slightly flatten them out with your hand. Cook the crab mixture over high heat in a large sauce pan with vegetable or canola oil until they ar...

  1 cup mayonnaise 1-2 tsp yellow curry powder 1/4  cup dry white wine 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 4 cups shredded cooked chicken 1 cup green grapes cut in half 2 celery ribs, sliced in half lengthwise and finely diced 4 green onions finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans or cashews Bibb lettuce leaves or endive 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro In a medium sized mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, curry powder, wine, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Add cooked chicken, green grape halves, celery, green onions and mix well to combine. Fold pecans or cashews into the mixture. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  Scoop mixture into lettuce cups and sprinkle cilantro on the top.  Serve.  

  4 cups of uncooked fusilli pasta 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas or garbonzo beans drained and rinsed 3 cups fresh arugula 1 cup cucumbers, peeled and diced into thin half moons 1/2 cup fresh torn basil leaves 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped  1 cup crumbled feta cheese Dressing: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 cloves of garlic grated or finely minced 1 tsp herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Cook fusilli pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Let pasta cool to room temperature In a small bowl or mason jar with a lid, combine all the dressing ingredients and combine. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and add tomatoes, chickpeas, arugula, cucumber, basil, mint and parsley.  Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Taste and see if more dressing is needed. Top with crumbled feta cheese.  Serve.

  1 lb. uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 8 mini sweet bell peppers, diced 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half 3 cloves of garlic 2  tbsp pickled jalapenos, diced 2 tbsp capers, drained 3 tbsp golden raisins 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper 1/2 cup water or veggie stock Lime wedges for garnish In a large saute pan, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.  Add pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Turn heat to medium and add the tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, capers, raisins, oregano, salt and pepper,  Cook for 6-8 minutes until tomatoes have released their juices. Add ¼ cup of water and saute for another 5 minutes.  The mixture should be saucy.  If not, add the rest of the water. Add shrimp to the top of the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to the top of the shrimp.  Cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip the shrimp and cook another 1-2 minutes. Garnish with lime wedges. Cilantro...

  1 lb. Spaghetti pasta 1 cup broccoli florets 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half 1/4 cup Davis Bynum Chardonnay 1 tsp chili flakes Tarragon and Basil Pesto Pasta 1 cup packed fresh tarragon leaves 1 cup packed fresh Basil leaves 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped 2 tbsp pine nuts 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese In a food processor or blender, combine the first five ingredients up to the salt and process until smooth. With the processor or blender running, slowly add the extra virgin olive oil. When all of the oil is combined, turn off the processor and put the pesto into a bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Cook pasta according to package directions. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot.  Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the pesto, red pepper flakes and the Chardonnay.  Stir together for 1 minute.    Add p...

  Red, White and Blue Cheesecake 1 10 inch graham cracker  pie crust 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp, divided 2 tbsp water, divided 3 8-oz. Packages of cream cheese, soften 1/4 tsp salt 2 large egg whites 1 large egg 3/4 cup sour cream 2 tbsp all purpose flour 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp vanilla extract Combine raspberries and 1 tbsp each sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Stir and mash the raspberries until thickened.  This will take 7-8 minutes.  Place mixture in a fine mesh strain over a bowl.  Press mixture through until there is about 3 tbsp of raspberry puree in the bowl.  Discard solids in the strainer. Repeat the process with blueberries. Cool both purees completely before using. Using a mixer, mix together softened cream cheese, salt and ¾ cup sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add egg whites and egg one at a time to completely in...

  4 Pork chops 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper Glaze 1 cup peach preserves 3 tbsp Bourbon 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper Heat grill to medium high heat Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.   Grill pork chops on each side for 4-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the pork chop.  Do a quarter turn half way through. Turn pork chop over and repeat. Pork chop should read 145 degrees internally with a digital cooking thermometer. Meanwhile, stir together peach preserves, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil on the grill or on the stove top and then turn down to let simmer for 5-7 minutes.   During the last minute of cooking the pork chops, glaze both sides of the pork chop using a brush. Serve pork chops with extra sauce.