Wonderful Creamy Roasted Chicken, Potato & Butternut Squash Soup

Slice up 4-5 skinless chicken breasts in ½ lengths, (1) sweet onion, 4-5 golden Yukon potatoes, & 1 ½ cups of butternut squash.

Roast all in a skillet until brown using our garlic & butter olive oil. Salt, pepper, basil & rosemary to taste.

While roasting on med at 275, in a cook top simmering pot, add 2 cups of milk with 1 cup of water & 1 cup of chicken stock. Add in frozen peas & carrots (about ½ cup each) and 1 tomato diced up. I love basil and probably over did it this time, but it was still good!!!.

Once the chicken roasted blend has browned, add all into your simmering pot and bring to a boil for about 15 min. Reduce heat and let simmer for another 20 min. on low.

The potato mixture will begin to thicken. Add in 1 ½ cups of grated Asiago or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese and let melt throughout the soup. Serve with fresh baked corn muffins or just use saltine crackers.

AMATEUR PORK RIBS & BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Cut up a full rack of ribs into 3rds., rinse, bathe with Tuscan or Garlic extra virgin olive oil and rub down both sides with our smoky citrus dry rub and then freeze.

When ready for one night of the week, place all three sections into a glass corningware dish, drizzle more olive oil and coat with our serrano chili pepper infused honey vinegar.

Seal up with aluminum foil tightly and place in oven on 275 for 3 hrs. on your timer.  let cool completely.  Grab your tongs and place on your gas/charcoal added grill just long enough to warm through and then baste with barbecue sauce of your choice.

We made our own with the Chocolate & Espresso Balsamic vinegar with red pepper flakes and honey.  Smooth all together until creamy and warm in microwave or on top of your stove.

Also tried the butternut squash: dice up into 1 inch squares,  toast in a skillet with our vegan butter olive oil with cracked black pepper and rosemary until tender.   I Added 1/2 cup of our Pumpkin Pie Spiced Balsamic Vinegar.  MMMMM Good!!!!

CHOCOLATE ZUCCINNI BROWNIES (W/ BLACK BEAN SUBSTITUTE FOR ALL PURPOSE FLOUR)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (or one can of black beans drained);
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup our Vegan Butter Olive Oil;
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 packed cup grated raw, unpeeled zucchini (1 small)
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg mixture and the zucchini to the flour mixture and stir by hand until almost combined; add chocolate chips and stir just until blended.

Pour into an 8” x 8” pan that has been coated with our vegan butter extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, until the edges are springy to the touch but the middle is still soft — a slight indentation should be left when touched. Do not overbake! Cool in the pan on a wire rack or eat them warm from the pan.

Makes 12-16 brownies.

CHICKEN TORTELLINI W/ WILD MUSHROOM & SAGE CREAM SAUCE

Dice up three large skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch lenghs and 1/4 in. thicknesses (keep consistent) and set to the side for just a tad.

Cut up half of a sweet onion & 4 garlic cloves with basil & rosemary.  Saut’e in a skillet on Med/High with our Vegan butter EVOO and Wild Mushroom & Sage.  Once garlic and onions are carmalized, add in the chicken, place cover on on and let simmer for about 17 min.

Remove cover & chicken dices.  Add into the broth 1 cup of whole milk & a pint of Ricotta cheese and let melt and blend together.  Add in half a cup of each diced tomatoes, habenero peppers & mushrooms ( I used shitake).  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Place the chicken back into the creamy sauce, add in a bag of Tortellini shells (filled with 3 cheeses), sprinkle on some cracked pepper, and layer with parmesan reggiano.

Plate up and drizzle more of the Wild Mushroom & Sage extra virgin olive oil or white/black Truffle Oil.

Enjoy!!!!  40 min

SMOKED BEEF TENDERLOIN with SMOKED BEAN MEDLEY

Cowboy food that’s healthy too!

Take a 3-6 pound Beef Tenderloin & Roast it in the oven covered for about 2 1/2 hrs. on 375 after bathing it in Smoky Chipotle EVOO or Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive O il. Remove and place on your gas grill with either a side tray filled with charcoal or hickory chips. Let grill on low for another hr.

You can either use fresh bagged beans or canned organic beans for your medley. I use canned, just wash off excess juice and read your sodium count. Here, I used edamame, pintos, chickpeas, northern beans & black beans (1 can or half a cup of each). Place in pot and boil on high for about 12-15 min then reduce heat.

Add in Tuscan EVOO, hickory sea salt and pepper. Place into a disposable aluminum tray or cast iron skillet and lay inside your grill for all to smoke together.

In a side pot bring to a boil a cup of red wine, 2 table spoons of our Tuscan olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, red pepper flakes, herb seasonings & hickory sea salt.

Slice your beef thinly and layer into wine sauce. Plate up!!

This a weekend recipe and takes a total of about 4-5 hrs., but it is fantastic. Play some backyard football, baseball, frisbee and enjoy your family!!

Bacon Cream Cheese Wraps

Easy hors d’oeuvre:  Cream Cheese Whipped with Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Chocolate Balsamic Wrapped in Bacon (You get it all!!!  Heat, Tart, Sweet and BACON!!) or you can use Turkey Bacon or prosciutto.
De-Crust a loaf of Fresh Sandwhich bread, spread the Cream Cheese Blend onto each slice, Roll, cut in half and then roll a slice of bacon around each securing with a tooth pick.  Place in oven on 375 for about 12-15 min or until slightly brown on Bacon and Crust.  Cream cheese keeps its consistency and never melts all over the place.  Great even when cool!!!

Cream Cheese blend:  soften in the microwave a block of low fat cream cheese ( I use Neufchâtel cheese.  It has less calories). Smooth in with a spoon two table spoons of Harissa EVOO and the same of our Chocolate Aged Balsamic. You can add in Chives, onion & garlic powder for more punch). For the vegetarian:  You can roll up cut asapragus, julienne carrots, spring onions, etc.. Enjoy!! 25 min.

Cool Creamy Cukes

Cut up baby cucumbers into 1 inch sections, core out, fill with brie or any creamy cheese and smoked salmon or mussle. Top with half of a cherry tomato.

Easy but elegant. 25 min.