TheVineyardMom

auce 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 serrano chili, seeded,membrane removed and finely diced 1 cup Rutherford Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2 pounds of mussels ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped Saute garlic and chili in extra virgin olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add cleaned mussels and stir. Turn heat to medium high and add wine.  Cover immediately.  Allow the mussels to cook for 3-5 minutes or until they open.  Discard any unopened mussels. Add parsley and gently stir to combine.  Cook for another minute.  Serve with garlicky crusty baguette slices. Garlicky Baguette 1 baguette, sliced into ½ inch slices 4 tablespoons butter 3 cloves of garlic minced 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook together for 2 minutes.  Do not let garlic burn. Remove the saucepan from heat.   Brush sli...

  Serves 6 1 lb. uncooked orzo pasta 1 tablespoon lemon zest ⅓ cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon divided 1 bunch fresh asparagus, tough bottom discarded  and cut into 2 inch pieces 1 lb.uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 ½ cups heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add asparagus pieces to the boiling water with the orzo.  Drain pasta and asparagus well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, make the vinaigrette. In a mason jar, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper.  Shake to combine.  Add ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and shake until combined and smooth. Set aside. In a medium size...

  1 lb. large shrimp peeled, deveined and cut in half  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cummin 1 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon salt  ¼ teaspoon pepper 8 tortillas, warmed 2 limes cut into wedges Coleslaw 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage 1 mango cut into ½ inch pieces ½ avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into ½ inch pieces 1 carrot peeled and grated 2 green onions thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped Dressing:  3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon honey ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon salt In a large bowl, combine cabbages, mango, avocado, carrot, green onion and cilantro.   Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine.  Pour the dressing over the top of the coleslaw and toss well to combine. Refrigerate coleslaw until you are ready to use it. Place shrimp in a mixing bowl and add extra virgin...

6 cups mixed greens ½ cups almonds ½ cups grapes 2 oranges, mandarin or naval, sliced  ½ cup blackberries ¼ cup strawberries, sliced ½ cup crumbled goat cheese Citrus Vinaigrette: 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ⅓ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 1 glove of garlic, grated or finely minced ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Using a mason jar, combine vinegar, orange juice honey, mustard, garlic. Salt and pepper.  Shake well to combine.  Add extra virgin olive oil and shake until emulsified. Set aside. Place mixed greens in a large bowl and top with nuts and fresh fruit.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and toss.  Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve.   Alternatively, you can make the salad on individual plates and add toppings and vinaigrette.  

1 watermelon, sliced into eight 3 inch wedges 8 cupcake liners 2 cup whipped cream 1 cup mini chocolate chips Using a 2 ½ round cookie cutter, cut 8 watermelon circles.  Place each watermelon circle into a cupcake liner.  Top with a scoop of whipped cream and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Serve chilled.   NOTE:  If you want to make ahead of time, cut the watermelon circles out and keep the components separate in the refrigerator and assemble when you are ready to serve. 

10 ounces macaroni pasta 4 ears of corn, husk removed and cleaned 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ⅔ cups mayonnaise ¾ cup sour cream 1 lime, zested ¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon tajin ½ teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ red onion, diced 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely diced 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped ⅓ cup cotija cheese or queso fresco Turn the grill on to medium high heat.   Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on each ear of corn and wrap tightly in foil. Grill for 15-20 minutes, occasionally turning.  Remove corn from the grill and allow it to cool.  Using a knife, turn the corn vertically and run your knife against the center of the cob from top to the bottom, removing the kernels. While the corn is grilling, cook the macaroni pasta according to package directions.  Drain and immediately rinse in cold water. In a medium sized bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream lime zest and juice, tajin, chili powder, salt and pepper. M...

  2 ears of corn 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1 lb. dried macaroni noodles 1 avocado diced Salt and pepper to taste Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette  1 ½ cup cilantro, chopped ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons honey ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper Bush all sides of both cobs with extra virgin olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  Grill cobs for 5-6 minutes on each side until the kernels are slightly charred.  After the corn has been grilled, take the cob and hold it vertically over a bowl and run a knife against the cob from the top of the cob to the bottom.  The kernels will fall into the bowl. Cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.   Make the cilantro lime vinaigrette while the pasta is cooking. Combine the cil...

Mojo Steak Skewers Marinade: ¼ cup fresh orange juice ¼ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper 16 ounces top sirloin steak cut into 1 inch pieces 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 lime cut into half and quartered In a large bowl, mix together marinade ingredients.   Place steak into a glass baking dish, add the marinade and cover.  Refrigerator for 45-60 minutes. If you’re using wood skewers, soak them in water for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the remainder of the marinade. Thread the skewers with a piece of red bell pepper, green bell pepper, steak piece and cherry tomato.  Repeat 2-3 times.  Place a quarter of the lime at the bottom of the skewer. Grill o...

16 oz. cream cheese, softened 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk Zest of 1 lemon ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice 1 store bought 9 inch graham cracker crust Mango Sauce: 2 ½ teaspoons gelatin ¼ cup water ½ cup mango puree * 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons sugar In a bowl, combine water and gelatin powder.  Set aside for 5 minutes to bloom.  Microwave the gelatin for 15-20 seconds or until melted.  Allow to slightly cool.  Add mango puree, lemon juice and sugar. Mix together until combined. Set aside. Add softened cream cheese, condensed milk lemon juice and zest to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on high until smooth.  This will take 3-4 minutes. Pour batter into the crust. Top with mango sauce and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Serve cold with whipped cream or fresh fruit. * Mango Puree- 2 mangos peeled and diced.  Place in a food processor with 1-2 tablespoons of water and process until smooth.  Add more water if too thick.

  5 tablespoons of butter, melted and divided 4 medium sized Yukon Gold or russet potatoes 2 tablespoons of your favorite spice rub mixture 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped Preheat oven to 425 degrees Grease a 12 inch oven safe cast iron skillet. Cut each potato crossvise into ⅛ inch size slices without cutting all the way to the bottom, leaving ¼ inch of the potato intact so it stays together. NOTE: I use chopsticks going horizontal with the potato on both sides.  This stops the knife from going all the way to the bottom of the potato Arrange potatoes in a pan and brush each potato with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  Sprinkle them with the spice rub. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and brush with another 2 ½ tablespoons of melted butter and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Edges should be crispy and soft in the middle. Garnish with parsley and chives.  Serve hot.

  4 bone-in pork loin chops (1-1 ½ inch thick) 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Sauce: ¾ cup apricot preserves 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ cup water  Pinch of salt and pepper Place pork chops on the counter on a plate to allow the meat to get to room temperature. Use ½  tablespoon of salt and a ¼ tablespoon of pepper to season both sides of each pork chop.   Set grill or grill pan on medium high heat and oil the surface to prevent the meat from sticking. Add the pork chops to the grill and allow to cook without moving for 4-5 minutes. Close the cover of the grill to allow for even cooking. With tongs, rotate the pork chop a quarter turn and cook without moving for another 4-5 minutes. Close the grill cover again. Turn over pork chops and repeat the process.   Pork chop should have an internal temperature of 140.  Remove from the grill and immediately cover with foil and a...