TheVineyardMom

 1/4 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled cucumber 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 24 uncooked medium sized shrimp (31-40 count), peeled and deveined 2 medium cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, finely diced Dill fronds for garnishing In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic powder, dill and lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator. In a nonstick skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Cook shrimp in 2 batches for 2-3 minutes per side.  Allow shrimp to slightly cool. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the tzatziki on to a cucumber slice and top with a shrimp.  Sprinkle roasted red bell peppers over the shrimp and garnish with a dill frond. Serve immediately.  

 2 large tuna steaks, a quarter of a pound each 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 8 cups fresh spinach leaves 1/2 mini red potatoes, quartered 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 roma tomato, sliced 1 cup green beans, trimmed  Dressing: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper Add all the ingredients into a small bowl or mason jar and whisk  or shake to combine.  Refrigerate until using. Marinate the ahi tuna by combining soy sauce and sesame oil into a large bowl.  Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and cover.  Refrigerate for an hour. Heat a large grill pan on high heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Sear tuna for approximately 2 minutes.  Flip and sear the other side for 2 more minutes.  Take ahi off the pan and place onto a plate to cool. Wash red potatoes and quarter them.  Bring a m...

4 ( 5 ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest ½  cup Meyer lemon segments (approx. 3 medium sized lemons) ½ shallot, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt, divided ½ teaspoon sugar ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons ¼ cup capers, drained and chopped  ¼ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon of pepper Mix together lemon zest, lemon segments, shallot, 1 teaspoon salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Whisk in ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, capers, olives, parsley and red pepper flakes.  Set aside. Preheat a grill pan to high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Brush both sides of salmon with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the teaspoon of salt and pepper. Grill salmon for 4-5 minutes on the first side.  Flip and grill for another 2-3 minutes.  If the fillet is thick, add 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer salmon fillets to a plate ...

  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 3 links of Spanish chorizo sausage (or smoked sausage) sliced 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced 1 ½  tsp smoked paprika 2-4 saffron threads 1 ½ cup medium grain rice or Arborio rice 1 14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes  3 cups chicken stock ½ lb mussels, washed (discard any mussels that are opened) ¼  cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 lemon cut into wedges 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp pepper Place a cast iron, heavy bottom pan or paella pan on medium high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and bring to temperature.  Add chopped onions, peppers, garlic, ½  tsp each salt and pepper. Saute until the onions become translucent.  This will take 4-5 minutes. Add the diced chicken thighs and sliced sausage to the pan. Cook until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the paprika, saffron threads and the rest of the salt and...

  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 lbs. Fresh mussels, cleaned 1 cup dry white wine ½ heavy cream  4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup chopped fresh parsley Crusty bread, to serve Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the shallots and cook until softened,  This will take 5 minutes. Add the mussels, wine, cream, butter, pepper  and half the parsley. Give the pot a stir. Cover and cook until the mussels open and are cooked.  This will take about 10 minutes. Divide the mussels and the liquid mixture between two bowls.  Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley over the mussels and serve with slices of crusty baguette.

  2  four ounce beef tenderloins 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms 2 tablespoons butter 1 peeled shallot, finely minced ¼  cup cognac 1 ½ cups beef broth ⅓ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped ½  teaspoon each salt and pepper 2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped for garnish Season both sides of the tenderloins with the salt and pepper.  Set the meat aside to get to room temperature. Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large saute pan over high heat.  Once the oil is heated to smoking, add the beef loins and sear for 2 minutes.  Flip over and sear for another minute for medium rare.  Internal temperature should read 125 degrees.  Remove steaks to a plate and cover with foil to achieve  a final temperature of 130 degrees. In the same pan, add the mushrooms and saute for 6-8 minutes over medium high heat until browned. Ad...

1 pound asparagus  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Trim woody ends off the washed asparagus.  Spread asparagus in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.   Roast for 10 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through. Hollandaise Sauce 4 egg yolks  3/4 cup (12 tbsp.) butter, melted 2 tsp lemon juice 1 dash cayenne pepper or black pepper Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and pepper to a blender.  Pulse a few times to incorporate. While the blender is running, open the pour hole that is in the middle of the top and slowly stream in the hot melted butter. Once all the butter has been poured in, stop the blender and check consistency.   If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tbsp of hot water and blend for 5 more seconds. Serve immediately over roasted asparagus

  Chocolate Covered Cherries 12 long stem maraschino cherries ½ cup milk chocolate chips ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil ½  cup white chocolate chips ¼  teaspoon vegetable oil Drain cherries in a colander. Let the cherries drain for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, place a couple of paper towels on a plate and put the cherries on the paper towel. Gently blot them with the towels to make sure they are completely dried off. Combine the milk chocolate chips and ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil into a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir well and if needed, heat for another 10 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted.   Do the same process in another bowl with the white chocolate chips and ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil. Holding the cherry by the stem, gently dip a cherry into one of the bowls with chocolate and swirl until all sides are coated with the chocolate. Place on a parchment paper lined plate.  Repeat until all the cherries are coated with either...

  Gnocchi with Meat Sauce and Basil 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 lb. ground beef  ½  cup yellow onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce 1 lb. gnocchi ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese Heat a large skillet with the extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook until the beef is cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat. Add marinara sauce to the meat mixture.  Stir and let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface of the water.  This will take 2-3 minutes. Drain well. Chop basil and grate parmesan cheese. Add some cooked gnocchi to a bowl and ladle on the desired amount of meat sauce.  Top with 1-2 tablespoons of chopped basil and sprinkle on parmesan cheese.

  Oysters Rockefeller 12 fresh live oyster in the shell ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 shallots, diced 9 ounces baby spinach, chopped ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper 2 ounces softened cream cheese 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese ¼ cup panko bread crumbs Rinse the oyster first and make sure they are completely closed. To shuck oysters, carefully open the oysters using an oyster knife starting from the back where the top and bottom shell meet.   Once opened, rinse the knife and cut under the oyster itself to release it from the shell.  Discard the top shell. In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.  Add shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach, salt and pepper cooking until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, cream or half and half and parmesan cheese. Mix well until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture resembles creamed spinach.  Refrige...

  Marry Me Chicken 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) ¾ cup chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped ¼ cup Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large oven safe skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat, Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to the skillet skin side down.  Sear for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip the chicken and sear for another 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  Bring to a simmer. Add chicken back into the skillet skin side up. Transfer the sk...

  Bratwurst Sliders with Beer Braised onions and Beer Cheese 12 slider sized buns Beer Braised Onions 1 large white onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon butter 1 (12 ounce) bottle of German beer 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon worcestershire ¼ teaspoon salt  Bratwurst 10  pre cooked bratwursts cut into fourths Beer Cheese 10 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded 4 ounces of Gruyere cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup German beer 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard Hot sauce to taste To make the onions, add thinly sliced onion and butter into a saute pan and cook onions until translucent.  Add sugar, worcestershire, salt, pepper and the bottle of beer. Cook over medium high heat and cook until the onions start to caramelize and most of the liquid is absorbed.  This will take about 20 minutes. Place onions in a bowl and cover with foil. Set aside. Add sliced bratwurst to a pan and saute on medium high until the skin on the brats are browned. As the brats are brown...

  Fried Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives with Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce 30 pitted Castelvetrano olives 1 cup crumbled feta cheese ¾ cups all purpose flour  3 eggs 1 cup italian breadcrumbs ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Canola or vegetable oil for frying  Garlic Aioli ½ cup mayo 2 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil Add all the ingredients for the garlic aioli into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer into a bowl and refrigerate while you're preparing the olives. Gently rinse and drain olives. Take the feta cheese and stuff into the cavity of each olive.   Grab three bowls: add flour to one bowl, whisk 3 eggs in another bowl, and combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a third bowl. Add a few stuffed olives to the flour and toss to coat. Transfer to the beaten egg and coat. Using forks, transfer the olives to the breadcrumb mixture. Coat. Transfer back to the egg mixtu...