Turkey Noodle Soup
Broth
Turkey bones {I had a large turkey breast carcass from a 7 lb turkey breast with some meat still attached}
1 carrot halv4ed
1 celery stalk, halved
1 small onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, halved
12 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 large carrot peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
8-10 cups turkey broth
2 cups cooked turkey chopped or shredded
2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
8 ounces noodles {I use whole wheat because they do not become soggy in soup}
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the turkey bones and vegetables in a large Dutch Oven. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bubbling simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 3 hours. Strain the broth in a fine mesh colander and discard the solids, Add salt and refrigerate the broth until ready to make the soup.
Soup
Heat the oil in a large Dutch Oven and add the chopped vegetable. Saute until tender about 10 minutes. Add the prepared broth. You should have 8-10 cups. Bring to a boil. Add the seasoning and noodles. Cook the noodles in the soup for about 12 minutes. Add the chopped turkey. Taste and adjust salt. Serve in individual bowls or refrigerate for a later time.
Turkey Salad
Ingredients
3 cups leftover cooked turkey, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts
½ to ¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine the turkey, onion, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in enough mayonnaise to moisten the ingredients. Sprinkle with chives. Serve or refrigerate until serving time.
2 servings
Ingredients
12 oz boneless ribeye steak or tour favorite steak
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups romaine lettuce
1/ 2 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
¼ cup thinly sliced radish
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 medium avocado, sliced or diced
1/2 cup blue cheese
Ranch Dressing
Directions
Dry the steak with paper towels. Heat a medium skillet until very hot. Add the steak and cook without moving for three minutes. Turn the steak over and season both sides with salt and pepper. Top with the butter,
Cook the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 to 125°F (49 to 52ºC) for medium-rare, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into ¼-inch thick pieces. Cut smaller if desired.
Arrange all the salad ingredients, except the avocado, in two large individual salad bowls. Top with the sliced steak and sliced avocados. Serve with ranch dressing and warm dinner rolls.
Pan-Seared steak
Ingredients
2 center-cut beef tenderloin steaks {filet mignin}, about 5-6 oz each
Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Pound the steaks in plastic wrap until they are an even ½=inch thickness. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a nonstick medium skillet unit, very hot, about 5 minutes. Place the steaks in the pan, lower the heat to medium. Cook 3 minutes without moving the steaks. Turn them over, place one tablespoon of butter on each steak and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
Twice Baked Potatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large russet potato, 12 ounces
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Brush lightly with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet tray covered with foil until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
While still hot, cut the potato in half lengthwise and scoop the potato flesh into a medium bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch shell all around on the potato shell. Season the insides of the potato shell lightly with salt and pepper.
To the bowl with the potato flesh, add the sour cream and butter. Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher and mix until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mound into the potato shells and bake for 15 minutes, then turn on the broiler to high and brown the tops of the potatoes,t. Sprinkle with bacon and chives.
Spinach Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
6 cups fresh baby7 spinach leaves, washed and spinner dried
½ cup diced red onion
2 radishes, sliced thin
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
Italian vinaigrette
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a medium bowl and toss until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add enough of your favorite dressing to lightly coat the spinach leaves. Divide into two salad dishes and serve with the steak.
This is a refreshing dinner on a hot summer day. Make the extra salmon even if you only need two servings for dinner. Leftover Salmon has many uses..Salmon
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon
4 fresh salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
½ teaspoons salt
Directions
Mix the extra virgin olive together with the black pepper, the chopped fresh dill, and fresh oregano together in a non-metallic bowl. Stir well then add in the zest and juice of the lemon.
Place the salmon fillets into the marinade and turn them to coat. Set them aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Once the salmon has marinated, place a heavy paced frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot.
Season the salmon fillets with the salt and then place the salmon presentation side down into the pan.
Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the salmon and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Greek Salad
Serve with warmed pita bread
Dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salad
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 small bell pepper, diced
1/4 of red onion, sliced
Half English cucumber, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
12 kalamata olives,
4 pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Pour all the dressing ingredients into a large jar and shake well.
Place the jar in the refrigerator for a few hours to blend the flavors.
Combine the Greek salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing if desired.
Healthy Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Makes about 1/2 cup. Can easily be doubled.
Ingredients:
Dressing
1/2 small clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salad
Half a head of Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces and1/2 cup croutons
Directions:
Place garlic and salt in a medium bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to form a paste. Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, and pepper; whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly. Add cheese and whisk to combine.
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
Four 6 oz boneless, skinless cutlets (turkey, chicken, veal, pork, or fish), pounded until thin
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, preferably Wondra
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white wine, or dry vermouth
1 lemon, juiced (4 tablespoons),
1 tablespoon capers
Directions
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat in flour. Shake off excess.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, swirl them around the pan, and add the cutlets. Turn the heat to medium and saute for 2 minutes per side. Add the wine, lemon juice, and capers, swirl them around in the pan and turn off the heat. Serve immediately.
Orecchiette Pasta
Ingredients
Hakf Pound Dried Orecchiette Pasta
2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
Half a red onion sliced thin
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced into thin strips
Directions
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook as per package instructions until the last 4-5 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and reserve one cup of pasta water.
In the drained pasta pot, pour 3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil into the pot and heat until warm. Add the zucchini and remaining ingredients. Stir and cook for three minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return the pasta to the pot and adding water as needed to keep it moist.
Insalata Caprese
Insalata Caprese (literally, the salad from Capri) is the perfect summertime dish for cooks in a hurry; slicing is the hardest part. The salad was created in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for regulars out for a light lunch. They’d order a just-picked tomato and freshly made buffalo mozzarella on Capri). The salad has evolved on the island to include a few leaves of fughetta (wild arugula) and a pinch of dried wild oregano, both local products; everywhere else in Italy it takes the form of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. The dressing is always a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil — only. Vinegar would destroy the delicate flavor of the cheese and is never used. Sometimes I add Italian black olives to the salad for a change but it is not traditional.
Ingredients
2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well, and spun dry
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled if using arugula instead of basil
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
On a large platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with oregano and arugula and drizzle with oil. Season salad with salt and pepper.
Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs and Pecans
6 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken
1 garlic clove, peeled
3-4 celery tops
Half an onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried Italian seasoning
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ lb
For the salad
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced onion
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley and tarragon)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Directions
To cook the chicken
Fill a 12-inch covered saute or large saucepan pan 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a simmer.
Add the garlic, celery tops, onion half, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Return the liquid to a simmer.
Add the chicken breasts to the poaching liquid, cover, and simmer until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and set them aside to cool. Save the broth for soup or gravy.
To make the salad
Combine the diced celery, diced onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and herbs in a large serving bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until the chicken is cool
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch dice.
Add the chicken and the pecans to the mayonnaise mixture, and mix well. Cover and transfer the salad to the refrigerator to chill until serving time.
Seafood Salad Stuffed Shells
Yield: 28 Shells
Ingredients
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1/2 lb. cooked shrimp
1/2 lb. lump crabmeat
10 oz cooked lobster
1/2 cup finely diced celery
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh minced dill
Chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
Cook pasta shells per manufacturer’s instructions in liberally salted water.
Drain the shells and spread them out on kitchen towels to cool.
Combine the remaining ingredients to make a seafood salad. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of seafood salad into each jumbo pasta shell. Place the filled shells on a platter. Sprinkle the shells with chopped parsley.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makeup to 24 hours in advance.
Focaccia
Ingredients
1 lb pizza dough-my recipe
Olive oil
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse sea salt
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves or rosemary
Coarse black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Oil a 4-quart baking dish or pam.
Spread the pizza dough out in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise until the dough rises almost to the top of the pan.
Top the dough with cherry tomatoes evenly spaced over the dough. Sprinkle with the remaining ingredients and drizzle lightly with olive oil
Bake 400 degrees F for 15 -20 minutes until golden brown.
Cool and cut into squares to serve.
Sesame Ginger Tuna Fillets And Green Beans
Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
Tuna
1 teaspoon store-bought Asian Spice rub mixture, see below
2 Yellowfin Tuna fillets, wild-caught, (about 6 oz each)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup cooked green beans
Directions
In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, and ginger. Set to the side.
Rinse and pat dry the tuna steaks. Season with the rub mixture and let rest for 15 minutes.
Heat a skillet to high heat with the oil.
Place tuna in the skillet and cook, uncovered, 4 to 6 minutes per ½-inch thickness (6 to 9 minutes for the ¾-inch-thick steaks) or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork but is still pink in the center, turning once during cooking. Adjust the heat as needed if the skillet gets too hot.
Arrange the cooked green beans on two plates and top each with a tuna fillet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the sauce over each serving of fish..
Serve the remaining sauce as a dipping sauce
Note: The Asian spice rub I use contains equal amounts of
salt, brown sugar, red chili flakes, sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic.
Cucumber And Radish Salad
Ingredients
2 cucumbers
Half a white onion, sliced
6 large radishes
Kosher salt
Dressing
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dried dill
Directions
Peel the cucumbers and slice into rounds. Place them in a colander. Add the sliced onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let it drain for 30 minutes.
In a serving dish combine the ingredients for the dressing. Slice the radishes thin and add to the dressing along with the cucumber slices and onion. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Flank Steak Roulade
Ingredients
1½-2pound flank steak
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 jarred roasted red peppers, diced
1 medium green zucchini, shredded
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Squeeze zucchini in a kitchen towel to rid it of excess liquid.
Combine the zucchini, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella in a mixing bowl. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic.
Butterfly the flank steak.Season with half the salt and pepper.
Spread the vegetable mixture evenly over the seasoned flank steak.
Roll the flank steak and tie with butcher twine. Season the outside of the roulade with the remaining salt and pepper.
Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat until very hot. Add oil and sear all of the sides of the roulade until golden brown.
Place the pan in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 120°F for medium-rare (approximately 18-20 minutes). Let the roulade rest for 20 minutes after removing it from the oven and the residual heat will raise the temperature of the meat to 125-130°F.
Slice and remove twine before serving.
Roasted Beet Ane Pear Salad
Ingredients
2 large beets, scrubbed clean with a vegetable brush
A small drizzle of olive oil, for roasting the beets
1 ripe red pear, chopped into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup walnuts, toasted
¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled (or more)
A few handfuls of salad greens of your choice
Dressing
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the beets by drizzling them with a bit of olive oil, some salt, and pepper, and wrapping them in foil. Depending on the size and freshness of your beets, they should take from 40 minutes to 1 hour to roast in the oven. Check occasionally, when they are fork-tender they are done. Set them aside to cool. As soon as they’re cool enough to touch, run them under the faucet and slide off the skins with your hands. Chop into roughly ½ inch cubes and set them aside to cool completely. (To save time, I suggest doing this up to one day ahead of time and popping them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad).
Assemble all salad ingredients on a plate and mix with the dressing.
Green Beans with Dill Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 pound green beans
Directions
Stir together the vinegar, mustard, and salt in a small bowl until the ingredients are combined and the salt has dissolved. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk until emulsified. Gently stir in chopped dill and set aside.
Steam green beans until tender. Drain. Arrange green beans in a serving dish and season with a little bit of salt. Pour the dill dressing over the green beans. Mix well and leave at room temperature until serving time.
