Moroccan Chicken

• 3 cups hot cooked couscous or rice
• 1 tbls oil
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 poached chicken thighs, skin removed (or leftover rotisserie chicken)
• 1-2 cups salsa
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 - 1 cup dried fruit
• olives
• 1 tbls honey
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cook couscous as directed.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add almonds; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet; set aside.

In medium bowl mix everything except chicken. Add sauce to skillet; add chicken; cook till hot. Serve over couscous and top with roasted almonds.

Birdie's Basil Pesto

• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup pinon nuts
• 2 cloves garlic

Pulse food processor until roughly chopped. Turn on and drizzle in: 2/3-1 cup olive oil.

STOP, add:

• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of Tabasco sauce

Turn on processor and add: 2 tbls red wine vinegar

Mexican Corn Chowder

• 3 tbls butter 
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 can Rotel (or small can petite diced tomatoes + 1 can green chilis)
• 32 oz.creamed style corn (2 cans)
• 16 oz. corn kernels. drained 
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tabasco

Melt butter oven medium heat, Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook 3-5 minutes until onions are tender. Add Rotel and blend well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar. sour cream and scallions. Serve with corn chips.

For more heat add salsa or chopped jalapenos.

For organic, to replace creamed corn, make one cup basic cream sauce and use 3 cans total of organic corn.

Ricotta Pancakes

• 2 cups flour
• 1- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1- 1/3 cup milk
• 1-2 zest and juiced lemons 

Preheat a nonstick griddle.

Sift together the dry. Whisk together the wet. whisk the dry into the wet until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake , pour about 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.( Very good with blueberry sauce)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Sift dry ingredients. Add flour and oats, mizing till just blended. DO NOT OVERMIX. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 330 degrees for 12-18 minutes.

      NOTE add a 1/4 cup each of chocolate chips, Craisins, shredded coconut, and chopped wallnuts for a different but tasty option.

Tres Leches Cake

For the cake:

• 6 3/4 oz. White Lily flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 oz. butter
• 6 oz. sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-n-half

For the topping:

• 1 cups heavy cream 
• 3 oz. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

For the cake
       Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with baker's joy.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream butter till light and fluffy, abut 1 minute. Decrease speed and add sugar slowly. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 -25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze

For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a quart measuring cup. Once combined, port the glaze over the cake. Refrigerare the cake overnight.

Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

     Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (slightly changed)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking power
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 3 cups shredded zucchini ( do NOT squeeze out moisture. With the reduced amount of sugar it will be to dry.)

               Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with baker's joy.
Cream butter, oil, and sugar, add vanilla and eggs. Sift together the dry ingredients. Gentley beat in sour cream or yogurt alternetly with flour, begging and ending with flour. Finally, stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. remove cake and cool on a rack.
 
   credit to the Repressed Pastry Chef

Chef John's Salmon

• 2 (8 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets, with skin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat -leaf parsley
• 3 tbsp mayonaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• Panko bread crumbs
• melted butter

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush salmon with oil. Preheat oven's broiler on high and set the oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source. Grind garlic, salt, tarragon, and parsley in mortar and pestle until it forms a loose paste. Mix mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and cayenne into garlic paste until combined. Place salmon fillets skin side down on the baking sheet, spoon herb spread over the top and sides of each fillet. Mix butter and Panko and sprinkle on top of salmon. Cook under the preheated broiler until fillets are well-browned, about 5 minutes, Turn the broiler off and turn the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Bake until the internal temperature of the salmon is 130 degrees F (55 C) and salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Instant Raspberry Ice Cream

12 oz frozen raspberries
1/4 c sugar
2/3 - 1 c heavy cream

Pulse the sugar and the berries in a blender until finely chopped, but do not pulse to liquid. Turn the blender on medium and slowly pour in cream until the mixture lightens, smooths and comes together. Eat immediately or freeze for a firmer texture.

Bananna Pancakes

Recipe for banana pancakes:

4 eggs

2 ripe bananas

lots of butter

a little pure maple syrup


Mash the bananas with a fork and lightly whisk the eggs in with them. Pour on a hot pan with plenty of butter. Cook for a couple of minutes, checking for brownness and flip.