TheVineyardMom

2 tablespoons butter ½ yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 can of pure pumpkin puree 2 ½ cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves ½ cup half and half Gremolata 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds ¼ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Place pumpkin seeds into a bowl and sprinkle with cumin. Toss to combine.  Place seeds into a dry skillet over medium high heat. Heat for 3 minutes or until fragrant.  Place seeds back in the bowl and add lemon zest and parsley.  Toss to combine.  Melt butter in a medium sized pot on medium low heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Saute for 2 minutes. Add ground ginger, curry powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir to combine and saute for another 30 seconds.   Pour in pumpkin puree and chicken stock.  Add bay leaves and stir well to combine. Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minut...

  Makes 18 regular size muffins 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal ¼ cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1¼ tsp salt 2 large eggs 1½ cups milk ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup chives diced 1 cup crumbled goat cheese Grease a muffin pan, or line with paper liners; set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.) Stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients along with chives and crumbled goat cheese; stir until well combined. Fill each muffin cup until ¾ full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out mostly clean.

 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 yellow onion, diced 1 cup diced tomatoes, with juice 1 cup chicken stock 2 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeds removed 6 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed and seeds removed 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2  lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and onions.  Saute onions for 4-5 minutes until tender and opaque. Add tomatoes and chicken stock to the onions and bring to a slight boil.  Add guajllo peppers and chilies de arbol and reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or until chilies rehydrate and the sauce slightly thickens. Let the sauce cool, then add the pepper tomato mixture, lime juice and salt to a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and allow the shrimp to marina...

  8 oz. bag of your favorite unflavored potato chips 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 1 lb. of ground beef ¼ cup yellow onion, chopped 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ⅓ cup pickles, chopped ¼ cup shredded iceberg lettuce ¼ cup tomatoes, finely diced ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing Preheat your grill to medium heat.   Add extra virgin olive oil to a skillet on medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula.  Cook meat and onions together until the meat is no longer pink.  This will take 5-7 minutes.Drain any excess fat. Season meat and onions with onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and salt.  Stir to combine.   Evenly spread the potato chips out on a baking sheet or disposable aluminum baking pan.  Top chips with the ground beef mixture.  Sprinkle shredded ch...

15 wonton wrappers 4 oz. whipped cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup shredded rotisserie chicken 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 scallions finely chopped ¼ vegetable oil Place cream cheese, chicken, buffalo sauce, cheddar cheese and scallions in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Lay the wonton wrapper on a large cutting board in a diamond shape.  Place a heaping teaspoon of the buffalo chicken filling in the middle of the wrapper.  Slightly press down to spread the mixture out, leaving a border on the 3 sides. Brush the edges with water.  Fold the wrapper up and seal the edges with your fingers. Place aside. Cover the wontons with a damp paper towel until you’re ready to use. Heat grill to medium heat.  Brush the grill and both sides of the wontons with vegetable oil. Place wontons on the hot grill.  Slightly press the wonton down with a spatula so as much surface area of the wonton is touching the grill. Too much pressure will ca...

  1 rack of lamb (6-8 ribs), trimmed and bones frenched 1 tablespoon each salt and pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2–3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 ½  tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stir minced garlic, rosemary and parsley together in a small bowl.   Season rack of lamb with salt and pepper.  On high heat, add extra virgin olive oil to a large oven safe skillet. Add lamb to the hot skillet, fat side down and sear meat until it browns.  This will take 3-4 minutes. Flip the rack over in the pan and spread the dijon mustard over the browned meat.   Pat the garlic and herb mixture onto the mustard.   Immediately transfer the skillet into the oven and roast until an instant read thermometer registers 135 degrees (medium rare). Cover the lamb with foil and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes.   Cut between each rib bone ...

  2 tablespoons butter ½ yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk 2 tablespoons of honey 1 lime, juiced ¼ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped Cooked rice In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the shrimp over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Move shrimp to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle curry powder over the mixture and stir to combine.  Cook for 1 more minute. Reduce heat to medium low and pour in coconut milk, honey, lime juice and salt.  Stir well to combine.  Allow the sauce to cook for 2 minutes until it comes to a gentle bubble. Add shrimp back into the pan and toss to coat the shrimp with the sauce.  Cook for 2 more minutes.  Adjust seasoning if needed.  Stir in basil and serve over rice.

  3 tablespoon butter, divided 1 ½ cups orzo 3 cups chicken broth ½ yellow onion 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup parmesan ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped In a medium skillet over medium, low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add the orzo and stir to coat with the butter.  Cook for 4 minutes or until the orzo is golden brown. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a low boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until pasta has absorbed the liquid. While orzo is cooking, melt the remaining butter in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add diced onion and mushrooms  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and the mushrooms have softened. This will take 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add heavy cream, parmesan, salt and pepper to the mushroom mixture.  Stir...

1 ½-1 ¾ lb skirt steak 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon dried oregano 1 lb. baby red potatoes, cut into ¼ inch pieces 1 green bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch slices 1 orange or red bell pepper, cut into ¼ slices 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2  teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Allow the steak to come to room temperature. Season both sides of the skirt steak with salt, pepper and oregano. Set aside. Preheat the grill to medium high heat (about 375 degrees).  Place the potatoes and bell peppers in a disposable pan.  Drizzle veggies with the extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.  Cover the pan tightly with foil.  Put the pan on the grill, shaking the pan every few minutes so the potatoes or peppers don’t stick to the pan.  The veggies will take 12-15 minutes. In the last 5-6 minutes, place the skirt steak on the grill over direct heat and grill f...

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted ½ cup feta cheese 1 tablespoon capers, drained ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon salt 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 cups vegetable stock 1 box (10 oz.) couscous  ½ fresh lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon chopped parsley In a large mixing bowl, add tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese and capers. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and garlic.  Cook for 2 ½ minutes.  Flip the shrimp over and cook for another 2 ½ minutes. Transfer the cooked shrimp and garlic to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Place 2 uncooked couscous in a bowl.  Add 2 cups of stock to a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Add boiling stock to the bowl with the couscous without stirring.  Immediately cover the couscous tightly.  Allow the couscous to cook and absorb the l...

12-14 oz fully cooked smoked sausage 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon oregano ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon black pepper   Cut sausage on a bias in ¼ inch rounds.  Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook for 4 minutes turning half way through. Remove the sausage from the skillet onto a plate. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the skillet on medium high heat, and add the peppers and the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the veggies soften.   Add the sausage back to the skillet with the veggies.  Season with salt, oregano, garlic powder and black pepper.  Stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over cooked rice or on a bun.

3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 green onions, chopped ¼ cup celery, chopped ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped ¼ red grapes, cut in half ¼ cup chopped pecans 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¾  cup mayonnaise 1 ½ tsp yellow curry powder ¼ tsp each salt and pepper  2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped for garnish 1 head of butter leaf lettuce Shred or chop cooked chicken breasts and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add green onions, celery, parsley, red grapes and pecans.  Add dijon mustard, mayonnaise, curry powder, salt and pepper.  Gently stir to combine.  Serve in lettuce cups and garnish with chives.  Serve.  Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

4 zucchini’s 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil ½ white onion, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, finely diced ½ lb. ground turkey meat 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 ½  cups marinara or any red sauce 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the zucchini’s lengthwise in half and scrape out the flesh leaving a ¼ inch border. Chop the flesh. In a large skillet, heat extra virgin on medium high heat.  Add chopped zucchini flesh, onion and bell pepper.  Saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and ground turkey, breaking meat up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Cook for 6-8 minutes or until meat is cooked thoroughly. Stir in ricotta cheese.  Adjust seasoning if needed. Cook for another minute.   In a 3 quart baking dish, spread marinara or red sauce on the bottom.  Arrange zucchini with the cut side up in the baking dish. Evenly spoon mixture into ...

  4 ears of corn on the cob, husks removed and corn washed 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoon salt 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half ½ cup fresh basil, chopped 8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper Set the grill to medium high heat.  On a piece of foil, drizzle each corn cob with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt.  Tightly wrap each cob individually.  Place corn on the grill and grill for 10-12 minutes, rotating every 2-3 minutes. When corn is cool enough to touch, remove kernels with a knife cutting down the sides of the cob.  Place kernels into a large mixing bowl.   Add tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into the bowl with the corn.  Mix well to incorporate.  Serve.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days.