Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
  • 5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 4-inch fries shape
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice


Directions:
  1. Preheat over to 400º.
  2. Place the sweet potato fries on a foil baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden which is about 40 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice.
  4. Sprinkle baked sweet potato fries with sea salt and pepper. Serve with garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.



Monday, April 4, 2016

Cornmeal Cranberry Scones

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ cups cornmeal (medium grind, but fine is fine too)
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • 1 cup buttermilk




  1. Heat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the salt, sugar, and cornmeal and mix together.
  3. With a pastry cutter or a couple of butter knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of peas. Mix in the cherries, and then make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the dough comes together; it should be stiff and still a little sticky. (Don’t worry about getting every last bit of flour.) Let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Form the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheets a couple of inches apart. Place in the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 375° F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the scones are golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Baked Dijon Salmon

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 4 salmon fillets
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400º.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs and pecans.
  3. Brush each salmon fillet with honey mustard mixture then sprinkle the top of each fillet with the pecan crumb mixture.
  4. Bake salmon for 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 6 slices of bacon, diced
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cans of clams
  • 4 cans of chicken broth
  • 1 pound white boiling potatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups half-and-half cream
  • salt and pepper

Directions:
  1. Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and diced bacon then saute until clear. Stir in flour and cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate pot, bring clams and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. In a small saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender which is about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  4. Pour hot clam stock into butter and flour mixture and stir constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add cooked potatoes. Add half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper. Heat through but do not boil.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound walnut halves
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spread walnuts over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until walnuts start to turn brown.
  2. Stir sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, and milk together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla immediately.
  3. Combine walnuts with the syrup mixture. Stir and coat very well. Spoon nuts onto a sheet of waxed paper and separate nuts with a fork. Store in an airtight container after walnuts are completely cool.