TheVineyardMom

  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...

  Merlot Poached Pear and Blue Cheese Salad 2 ripe Bosc pears, peeled and halved 2 cups Rutherford Hill Merlot ½ cup granulated sugar 1 star anise 6 cups of mixed greens 4-5 ounces crumbled blue cheese ½ cup roasted walnuts (whole or chopped) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper Over medium heat, add the Merlot, sugar and star anise to a small high rimmed saucepan. Once the sugar has dissolved and the wine is simmering, add the pears and allow them to poach for 15-20 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Pears should be tender and still holding their shape. When the pears are done poaching, carefully remove them from the saucepan and place them on a plate to cool. Reduce the wine in the saucepan by half or until it has thickened to a syrupy consistency. Once the pears have cooled, thinly slice them.   In a large bowl, add mixed greens, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Mix to combine. Di...

  Sheet Pan Salmon with Quinoa and Veggies 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated  1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 4 cups broccoli crowns, trimmed 2  cups small carrots, cleaned and peeled ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each) or 1 large salmon filled 2 teaspoons sesame oil 3 scallions thinly chopped Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk together the dressing mixture of  soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and half the chopped garlic and ginger. In a bowl combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water.  On a rimmed baking sheet, add the quinoa and water.  Add the other half of the  chopped garlic and ginger.  Place in the oven and cook for 12 minutes. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the broccoli and carrots and 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture and extra virgin olive oil. Add broccoli and carrot mixture and salmon to...

  Healthier Chicken Salad 3 cups cooked skinless chicken breast, chopped or shredded 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup red grapes, cut in half 4 green onions,chopped ⅓  cup sliced almonds ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped Dressing: ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, celery, red grapes, green onion, almonds and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix together, Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Drizzle the dressing over the chicken mixture and mix well to combine.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.   Serve in lettuce cups or on mixed greens.

1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon honey 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced 1 orange, segmented 1 grapefruit, segmented 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 4 tilapia fillets  ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish In a bowl, combine lime juice, honey and jalapeno. Add orange and grapefruit segments, avocado and a pinch of salt.  Gently toss to combine.  Refrigerate while cooking tilapia. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add  extra virgin olive oil.  Evenly salt and pepper the fillets.  Cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the fish is opaque.   Serve fish and top with salsa and sprinkle with green onions.

  Orzo Salad with Peas, Radishes and Herbs 1 ½ cups dried orzo  1 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh peas 6 radishes, thinly sliced ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped ¼ cup fresh mint, finely sliced ½ cup slivered almonds ½ cup crumbled feta cheese Lemon Vinaigrette ¼ extra virgin olive oil Zest of 1 lemon 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 clove of garlic, grated ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Cook orzo according to packaged directions. Add fresh peas into the boiling water with the orzo for the last 3 minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse under cold water. In a mason jar or small bowl, combine the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic,  salt and pepper.  Seal jar and shake or whisk together in a bowl. Place drained orzo, peas, sliced radishes, parsley and mint into a bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and toss.  Add more seasoning if necessary.  Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

  Sole with Pesto Cream Sauce and Confetti Rice 4  2oz. filet of sole ½ cup pesto sauce 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream 4  tablespoons panko bread crumbs Garnish the tops of each filet with some Pine nuts Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a greased baking dish, add the sole filets in a single layer. Mix pesto sauce with the heavy cream and spread the sauce over each filet. Sprinkle each filet on the top evenly with 1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Garnish with pine nuts. Confetti Rice 1 ½ cups long grain white rice 3 cups veggie stock 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup red bell pepper, finely diced ¼ cup carrots, peeled and finely diced 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Cook rice according to package directions. In a skillet on medium high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil.  Add the red bell pepper, carrots, red onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until the veggies have softened. Once the rice ...