Perfect Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup (170g) plain yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups (490g) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs; stir into cornmeal mixture just until combined.
4. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke.
5. Add butter, and stir until butter is melted.
6. Stir melted butter into cornbread batter.
7. Pour batter into hot skillet.
8. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
9. Bake for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.
10. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Cook’s Notes

Experimemt with adding orqmge extract, vanilla extract, substituting brown sugar for granulated sugar, making adjustments to baking powder and baking soda and adding either an extra egg or an egg yolk.

Sous Vide Egg in an Avocado

If you love eggs and avocado, then you’ll love combining the two into this heart-healthy breakfast. It’s easy to prepare and gives you the boost of energy you need to start your day.

Ingredients

• 1 Avocado
• 2 75 °C Eggs

Preparation

1. Cook Sous Vide Eggs according to directions.
2. Remove the egg from water and place in the avocado, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
3. Add a little salsa, or hot sauce, or desired topping of your choice to add a boost of flavor.

Cook’s Note

This recipe serves 2 people, but it’s very easy to double or triple, based on your needs.

Steve’s Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 14.5-ounce cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Peppers, Celery & Onions
• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce

Preparation

1. Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the fish sauce in a saucepan.
2. Place over medium heat (#6 1/2 Setting) and bring to a simmer (#2 Setting).
3. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon.

Cook’s Note

This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

Apple Green-Chili Chimichangas

Ingredients

For the Apple Pie Filling

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 peeled and thickly sliced tart apples, such as Jonagold, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted green Hatch chilies, mild or medium hot

For the Chimichangas

• 8-10 small tortillas
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• Oil for frying

Instructions

For the Apple Pie Filling

1. Combine the water, cornstarch,, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg and salt, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes very thick.
3. Add the chopped apples and and reduce to a simmer. Allow the apple mixture to simmer until the apples become just tender (approximately 10 minutes).
4. Add the Hatch peppers. Allow the mixture to cool.

For the Chimichangas

1. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.
2. Spoon apple pie filling across the bottom 1/3 of the tortilla.
3. Roll in both sides of the tortilla before rolling up the bottom of the tortilla over the filling, and then continue to roll the tortilla up like a burrito.
4. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet with 1/2 an inch of oil. Once oil is hot, fry the chimichangas on all sides until the tortilla turns golden brown. (approximately 30 seconds on each side)
5. Remove the chimichangas to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to drain briefly. Immediately roll the warm chimichanga in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and serve.
6. You can serve the chimichangas drizzled with salted caramel sauce if you desire.

Pork Chimichanga

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound 68°C Sous Vide Pork
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup onion confit
• 1 can Hatch Peppers
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Hickory powder
• Flour tortillas

Procedure

1. Preheat oil in a deep fryer.
2. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, onions, chilies, cheese and spices.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
5. Fill each flour tortilla with 1/4 cup of the filling.
6. Fold the sides in and roll the tortilla up. Secure each tortilla with 2 toothpicks.
7. Fry a couple of the chimichangas at a time until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Remove and drain on paper towels.
9. Season with salt.

Copper Cleaner

• ½ cup flour
• ½  cup salt
• ¼ cup Bar Keeper’s Friend
• ½ cup vinegar

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and Bar Keeper’s Friend. Stir until well mixed.
2. Add vinegar and stir to create a paste.
3. Store the paste in the refrigerator.

Steve’s Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1/2  to 1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 pounds peaches, halved, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and cut in half again crosswise (about 6 cups)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pastry, divided
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add peaches and lemon juice; toss to combine. Let mixture stand 10 minutes or un­til sugar dissolves.
3. Roll half of pastry to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Break strips into pieces.
5. Spoon half of blackberry mixture into a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish; top with pastry pieces. Spoon remaining blackberry mixture over pastry; dot with butter.
6. Roll remaining pastry to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into 1-inch strips, and arrange in a lattice design over filling. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Place cobbler on a baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream and Blackberry Syrup, if desired.

Pastry

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup milk

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture forms a soft ball.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 6 to 8 times.

Cherry Cobbler

• 6 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened pitted tart red cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For filling, in a large saucepan combine the cherries, the 1 cup sugar, and the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until cherries juice out, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Keep filling hot.

Rhubarb Cobbler

Prepare as above, except substitute fresh or frozen sliced rhubarb for the cherries.

Spinach Pesto

• 4 cups packed spinach leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• ¾ cup pecans, lightly toasted
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped.
3. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil into the feed tube.
4. Use immediately or freeze for up to a month.

Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking sofa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries

Procedure

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, blend well.
2. Add eggs, milk and melt d butter; stir to make a smooth batter; fold in cranberries.
3. Fill well-greased muffin pan cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake in a hot oven (425°F.) for 15-20 minutes or until well browned; remove from pans.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

• 6 pounds ground turkey
• 6 Tablespoons Country Pan Sausage Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Diced Dried Jalapeños
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large mixing bowl combine ground turkey and spices.
2. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
3. For immediate use, sauté patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Sauté until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Cooked patties can be frozen and reheated as needed.