TheVineyardMom

  2.5-4 lb. tri-tip steak Rub Ingredients: 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried rosemary Mix ingredients together in a bowl.   Place tri-tip on a baking sheet with edges.  Sprinkle some of the rub on the meat.  Massage the rub on the meat.  Flip the meat over and repeat.  Cover the steak with foil or plastic wrap and allow the meat to sit for 1 hour on the counter to get to room temperature and for the rub to settle into the meat. Preheat your grill to 400 degrees and sear all sides of the tri-tip.  Lower heat to 300 degrees or move to a cooler or indirect area of your grill. Cover the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 120 F for rare and 140 F for medium.  This will take anywhere from 25-40 minutes depending how hot the grill is and the doneness of the meat. Once the tri-tip reaches desired temperature, remo...

  Herb Potato Salad 3 lbs. Red potatoes, cut into quarters 1 teaspoon salt Dressing: 2 tablespoons chicken or veggie stock 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup green onions, sliced 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped Add potatoes to a large pot of boiling salted water set on high heat.  Once the water is boiling, lower to a simmer and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain potatoes well.  Do not rinse.   While the potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil.  You can also do this in a mason jar and shake until you reach an emulsion.  Set aside. Once the potatoes have slightly cooled,  put them in a mixing bowl and add half ...

  Healthier Pasta and Chicken Primavera with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce: 4 cups vegetable stock 3 cups water 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets 1 cup unsweetened Oat milk 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp of both salt and pepper 1 box Chickpea penne pasta 1 1/2  tbsp canola or avocado oil Pasta Primavera: 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast diced into 1 inch pieces 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 yellow squash, sliced into half moons 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons 1 bunch of asparagus (tough ends removed) cut into 1 inch pieces  1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup frozen or fresh peas ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper 1 cup fresh basil, chopped Parmesan cheese for garnish SAUCE: In a large pot, bring vegetable stock and water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets to the pot and boil until florets are tender.  This will take 4-5 minutes. Before draining florets, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. In a food processor or blen...

  Healthier Blueberry and Raspberry Muffins 1 ¾ cups white or whole wheat flour plus 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ cup maple syrup 2 room temperature eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup blueberries ½ cup raspberries Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Either spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 ¾ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix together with a whisk.   In a medium mixing bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil and maple syrup and beat together.  Add the eggs and beat well to combine.  Add vanilla and yogurt, Mix well.   Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon just until it's combined. In a small bowl, toss blueberries and raspberries with remaining 1 teaspoon of flour.  Gently fold the fruit int...

  Cucumber Mint Sparkler 8 mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish 2 mini cucumbers, sliced into thin disks or peeled into ribbons 3 limes, 2 limes juiced and one cut into rounds for garnish 1 bottle of prosecco or sparkling wine Ice cubes In a wine glass, add 2-3 cucumber disks or ribbons and 2-3 mint leaves.  Gently muddle. Add 1/2 teaspoon of  lime juice.  Fill the glass with ice and top with prosecco or sparkling wine.  Garnish with a mint sprig and lime round.

  Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad with Orange Vinaigrette 4 carrots, cleaned and shaved lengthwise 1 cup radishes cleaned and shaved (thinly sliced)into rounds  2 small red beets, thinly sliced into rounds 2 small oranges, peeled and sliced into thin circles then cut into half moons 1 cup watercress ¼  cup mint leaves Vinaigrette: 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  1 teaspoon honey 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper In a mason jar or small bowl, shake or whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Place in the refrigerator until you're ready to use. Whisk or shake again right before using. Arrange the carrots, radishes, beets and oranges on a platter or plate.  Sprinkle watercress over the top.   Drizzle vinaigrette over the top and garnish with mint leaves.

  Veggie, Egg and Cheese  Bake  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ yellow onion, finely chopped ½ cup white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced   1 cup asparagus, tough ends removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces ½ orange or yellow pepper, diced 1 cup baby spinach ¼  cup roasted red peppers, chopped  2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 12 large eggs 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Garnish with parsley or chives Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Heat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add Asparagus and yellow or orange peppers to the pan.  Cook for another 2-3 or until all the veggies are tender.  Add spinach and toss until wilted.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from the heat. Stir in roasted red peppers. Transfer veggies to the baking dish and spread ou...

  12 oysters 4 oz. butter ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice ⅛ teaspoon pepper Lemon wedges for garnish Allow the butter to come to room temperature.  Add parsley, lemon zest and juice and pepper to the butter and stir to combine.  Place mixture in the middle of a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log that is approximately 6 inches long.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. Set the grill to medium high heat.  Shuck oysters leaving the liquid inside with the meat.  Discard the other half of the shell. Take a grill pan or disposable aluminum pan and place oysters meat side up in the pan.  Slice a thin piece of the butter mixture on top of each oyster.  Place the pan on the grill and close the lid.  Allow the oysters to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.  Check the oysters and continue to cook until the liquid is bubbling and the butter is melted. This will take a total of 5-6 minutes.  Serve with ...

  Maple and Brown Sugar Bacon 12 ounces of bacon slices ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup brown sugar Line 2 baking sheets with foil.  Add a baking rack on one of the racks. Separate the bacon slices on the baking sheet that doesn’t have the rack on it. Using a pastry brush, brush each piece of bacon with some of the maple syrup.  Flip over and repeat on the other side. Sprinkle the maple glazed bacon with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Use the pastry brush to make sure it is evenly distributed on each slice. Flip the bacon over and transfer the slices to the baking sheet with the rack.  Sprinkle the 

  Lobster Tail Eggs Benedict Serves 2 people (2 Eggs Benedict's per person) 2 English muffins 4  Large or extra large eggs 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped Butter Poached Lobster Tails 1 half pound lobster tail, uncooked and defrosted if frozen 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter Hollandaise Sauce 4 Egg yolks, no whites 1 1/2 sticks of butter  3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. cayenne or paprika Toast split English muffins in either a toaster, toaster oven or broil in an oven. PREPARING LOBSTER TAIL: Using a pair of scissors, cut down the full length of the underside of the lobster tail. Gently pull the meat out from the shell.  Pat the tail dry with paper towels.   Add butter to a medium saute pan and melt the butter over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted and hot, add the lobster tail and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Once the lobster is completely cooked through, place onto a cutting board and roughly chop into chunks. Set aside. POACHING EGGS: Bring...

  Lobster Rolls 1 ½- 2 lb. cooked meat from a live lobster or defrost frozen lobster meat ¼ chopped celery ⅓ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest  ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter 4 Split top New England style hotdog buns or rolls Rinse the lobster meat and pick through so there are no shells in the meat.  Drain thoroughly. Chop lobster meat into chunks and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix celery, mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper together.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in lobster meat and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat and toast buns on the cut side for 2 minutes or until browned. Load each bun with equal amounts of lobster salad. Paired with Rutherford Hill 2023 Rosé   

  Spring Mix Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette 8 cups mixed greens like spinach, arugula and escarole 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 red apple, rinsed, cored and thinly sliced ¼ cup pomegranate seeds 4 oz. crumbled blue cheese I cup walnuts, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper. Constantly whisk while gradually adding extra virgin olive oil.  Set aside. In a large bowl, toss greens, shallot, red apple slices and walnuts.  Just before serving, drizzle vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Top with pomegranate seeds and blue cheese.  Serve chilled.

  Retzlaff Gourmet Burger 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (80%-20%) 1 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper 4 Brioche buns or Kaiser rolls Toppings: 4 slices cheddar cheese Butter leaf lettuce 2 large red beefsteak tomatoes 2 ripe avocados 1/2 lb. thick sliced bacon Divide meat into 4 equal size portions. Form meat into patties.  Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper.  Grill or pan fry hamburgers until desired doneness.  Medium rare is an internal temperature of 145 degrees. This will take anywhere from 10-12 minutes per side, Once the burgers are done, immediately top with cheese to melt. Let the burgers rest for 5-10 minutes.  You can make the bacon while the burgers are cooking or even before.  Cook the bacon until crispy.  You can either cook the bacon on the stove top or in the oven at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry several leaves of the butter leaf lettuce.   Wash and cut tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Cut avocados in half lengthwise a...