Come to one of our classes and join in the fun. We talk, we learn, we enjoy ourselves. And we have fun while cooking healthy food and even throw in a few time saving tips and tricks of the trade!
Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner at the bottom
Click here to see Spice mix recipes Make your own spice mixes to save $$$$$$$
Stuffed Pork Roast and
Healthy Mashed Potatoes
Pepitas y Camarones Stuffed Pork Roast
Take a 2 lb boneless pork roast or loin and lay flat on cutting board. With sharp knife (check out our FREE knife sharpening class on Tuesday evenings or Saturday Afternoons) and remove excess fat and any silver skin attached. Then holding knife parallel to board, and about one third the way down from top cut into the loin and cut almost to the opposite edge. Cut downward and turn the knife toward the opposite edge and cut almost to the beginning edge. Open the loin up like a book and you should have a three section flat roast. Season with a bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Take one or two canned chipotle peppers in adobo (depending on how hot you like it) and place in food processor. Whirl until minced medium mince. Add ¾ cup roasted pumpkin seeds, a half of a sweet onion, (ask us how to pick a sweet onion out of any bin at the store) and a few garlic cloves. Whiz in the processor until medium chopped. Add 8 ounces shrimp and pulse until just chopped medium again. Add a half cup salsa to bind it all together and spread over the opened pork loin. Roll the loin up like a cinnamon roll and tie with cotton string or close with toothpicks. Generously salt and pepper the outside and set aside. Heat a large flat bottom pan to medium high heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Brown the roast on all sides, turning a quarter turn each time. When well browned, add a half bottle of dark beer and if using pressure cooker bring to boil and place pressure lid on top and bring to pressure. Cook 20 minutes and remove from heat. If using conventional pan, add the liquid and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes. When cooled slightly, remove from pan and let rest for at least ten minutes before carving. Meanwhile make a fabulous gravy out of pan drippings by bringing to a boil and adding 3 tablespoons tapioca flour mixed with either more dark beer or some stock. Or use half and half. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened.
Remove the strings or the toothpicks from the roast and slice. Serve with that gravy and WOW!!!
Nutritious Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cut some Yukon Gold potatoes in half and place in steamer basket that fits into pressure cooker. Add ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Place pressure lid on pan and bring to pressure. Reduce heat to low and cook under pressure 20 minutes. 15 if small potatoes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until pressure releases. Take potatoes out and place in ricer. Rice with about 20 garlic cloves that you baked in the oven previously until soft into large mixing bowl. Oh all right, use 10 cloves if you must. Mix the water from the cooker back into the riced potatoes and add some salt and white pepper to taste. A bit of olive oil and/or butter along with some cream or milk makes it creamier and richer.
Gingered Baby Carrots
Okay this is my favorite side dish ever.
EVER! Take a one
pound bag of baby carrots and place in small saucepan.
Add just enough water to cover, if you are adventurous, make
about ½ cup of it a good white wine.
Add 1 ounce crystallized ginger cut into small slices.
Bring to a boil and cook covered about 7 minutes.
Drain, and then add 2 tablespoons butter and a tablespoon
honey. Return to heat
and cook until the butter and honey are bubbling and the fragrance
is overwhelming. Serve
just like that or add a tablespoon chopped mint leaves.
Meatless Meatball and WOW
Marinara Class Recipes
Meatless Meatballs
In your food
processor, chop up about 6 oz. pecans, or enough to make about a cup
that is rather finely chopped.
In a bowl mix with 1 cup finely chopped Ritz crackers.
Or, alternatively use a cup of good whole wheat bread crumbs.
Then mix in two cups grated Mozzerella Cheese.
Stir in 1 teaspoon oregano,
1 teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon sage and ½ teaspoon thyme.
Crush in a mortar, 1 teaspoon fennel seed and about 1
teaspoon black pepper.
In a separate bowl beat two eggs together and mix it all together
and form small balls with the mixture.
Bake on a tray in the oven at high, 400 degrees for about 15
to 18 minutes. Take the
balls out and allow to cool slightly.
WOW 20 minute Marinara
Take 6 cloves
garlic and slice them thinly.
Finely dice a small onion and place both in a large sauce pan
with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Heat slowly over medium low heat and cook the garlic until
just beginning to brown, about 8 or 9 minutes.
Add a quarter cup of Italian Spice Mix, recipe below, and
allow spices to cook a minute to release oils and become fragrant.
Pour a cup of good red wine on the mix and bring to a boil
and reduce by half. Add
a 26 oz can petite diced tomatoes and a 26 oz can crushed tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and cook for about 4 or
5 minutes to marry the flavors.
Add some meatballs or meatless meatballs and heat through.
Serve over pasta.
Italian seasoning - in a glass jar mix together
1 oz basil, 1 oz oregano, 1 oz parsley, 1/2 oz crushed red pepper,
1/2 oz lemon pepper, 1/2 oz fennel seeds(crushed), 1 tblspn savory,
1 tblspn marjoram, 1 tblspn sage, 1 tblspn thyme, 1 tsp. garlic
powder, 1 tsp crushed rosemary, 1/2 tsp onion powder. Close
tightly and store in freezer. Way better than any mixes from
the store, and great to use as a base for italian dressing, just mix
with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If you want, (and I
always do, grind it fine in a clean coffee grinder) Mix with
tomato sauce for a pizza topping, with canned diced tomatoes for a
spaghetti sauce, add some to some olive oil and allow to sit for an
hour and use as a bread dipping oil.
Stuffed Chicken and Sides Sides Sides Class Recipes
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
For four servings, take four chicken breasts, remove from bone, remove skin and place in brine made with ½ cup kosher salt and 2 quarts water, ¼ cup fresh herbs. Brine for 1 hour or more, remove from brine and rinse in clear water. Allow to dry. Take each breast and place on cutting board, skin side up. Take a sharp paring knife and while holding it parallel to the cutting board, insert it into the thickest part of the breast and with a sawing motion, slice into the breast cutting a pocket in it. Keep your other hand on the breast and you can judge where the tip and edge of the blade are by feel. Be careful not to cut through the breast and just cut a pocket.
In a food processor, place a half cup cooked shrimp, ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds, 1 or more canned chipotle peppers, ½ onion, and a squeeze of lime. Whiz in the processor a few times to chop slightly. Take a spoon and spoon a fourth of the mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast. Close with a toothpick and then season each breast with fresh ground black pepper. There is going to be plenty of salt in there so no need to add extra.
Take your waffle bottom pressure cooker and heat on medium high heat. When hot enough to have droplets of water dance on surface, add the breasts skin side down. Wait about a minute or so and the chicken should release from the bottom of the pan. Turn each breast over, then place the pressure lid on the pan. Bring to pressure, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure by pouring cool water over the edge over a sink. When released, take off top and remove breasts. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into them. Take another cup of chicken stock and add to the pan, bring to a boil and reduce by a third. Add some tapioca flour mixed with a bit of water to the pan and stir until thickened. Use as a fabulous gravy over one of the side dishes below.
Mushroom Quinoa
Make some mushroom stock by placing 3 or 4 dried shitake mushrooms in a small saucepan, adding water to cover and a carrot, a stalk of celery and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes or so. Strain and keep in the fridge until needed.
Slice 2 cups button mushrooms and cook in pressure cooker in ¼ cup olive oil with a ½ tsp salt and some fresh ground pepper. Cook stirring every minute of so until browned and they have given off most of their liquid. Add a half of a diced onion and 2 cups white quinoa. Toast over the heat about 3 or 4 minutes. Toss in some rosemary, basil and thyme. Add 4 cups mushroom stock and bring to a boil. Add the cooker lid and bring to pressure, reduce heat to low. Cook under pressure for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow reduce to pressure naturally. Open, toss in some chopped parsley and serve.
Chrorizo and Brown Rice
Take good chorizo and brown in bottom of pressure cooker. Remove and set aside. In same pan, sweat ½ cup diced onion, ½ cup diced bell pepper, and 3 or 4 sliced jalapenos. Add 2 cups brown rice and toast in the chorizo drippings for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons chile powder, 1 teaspoon each oregano and cumin, 1 teaspoon salt. Add 3 cups water, 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the chorizo back to the pot. Add pressure lid and bring to pressure, reduce heat and maintain pressure at second red ring for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to reduce naturally. Open and top with chopped fresh parsley, diced fresh tomatoes, ½ cup pimento stuffed olives and cracked pepper.
Silky Spicy Polenta
Take about ¾ cup of whole corn and grind in your wheat mill. Should yield about a cup of ground corn. In a large saucepan cook ¼ cup diced onion in 3 tablespoons butter. Cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and then add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Add one cup white wine and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and slowly stir in the ground corn. Keep stirring until thickened. About 10 minutes. Add a cup of cheese, and some chopped parsley. Serve with the gravy from the chicken above.
Chef Roy's
Favorite Chocolate Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients:
1: 1 - 12 oz package Gourmet Texas Pasta Chocolate Lasagna
2: 3 cups milk
3: 3 tablespoons each butter and Organic unbleached flour
4: 3/4 cup Organic Evaporated Cane Juice (or sugar)
5: 1/4 cup cocoa powder
6: 2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
7: 2 - 16 ounce jars natural Raspberry Jam
8: 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted in 2 tablespoons butter
9: whipped cream and Hershey's syrup for garnish
Directions: Cook the noodles in boiling water with just a bit of salt for 8 to 9 minutes. Drain, rinse and keep in cold water until use. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the butter, cook over mdium heat for 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk well while bringing to a boil. When thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Spread a haf cup into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Place a layer of the cooked noodles over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the jam, almonds and cream cheese over the noodles. Dot with another half cup of the sauce. Add another layer of the noodles, cheese, almonds and jam. Top with final layer noodles and poor remaining sauce over the top. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until well bubbly. Remove from oven and cool to room temp. Slice and serve 2 inch squares of the lasagna and serve with whipped cream and drizzle fine lines of the syrup over the whole thing
Visiting Chef Roy will teach healthy cooking techniques to you, your group, or your company. Just call to arrange Healthy Cooking!
Talk to David Oliverio about personal training to be the best you can be, www.DavidOliverio.com a good friend, a great athlete, and the city's BEST trainer around, bar none.