Category Archives: Recipes

Nutella Sweet Rolls

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  • 2 cups milk 500 ml
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 stick butter (8 tbsp)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup nutella or jam of your choice
  • 1 egg beaten for brushing over the rolls
  1. Add 1/4 cup of the milk to a cup and warm it up in the microwave until it’s lukewarm. Add the yeast to the milk, a tsp of sugar and mix well. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 10 min until it froths up and bubbles.
  2. Melt the butter in a sauce pan or in the microwave. In a mixer add the melted butter and sugar and mix until the sugar and butter are well incorporated. Add the eggs and continue mixing until the mixture is light. Add the yeast mixture, remaining milk, salt and continue mixing until everything is well incorporated.
  3. Start adding the flour half a cup at a time and mix well. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands. Add additional flour if you need it.
  4. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, make sure you cover it with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap, about an hour to an hour and a half.
  5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  6. Once the dough has doubled in size, on a floured surface cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Set aside and cover with wrap, we’ll work with one ball at a time. Roll out a ball into a circle that’s about 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into either 6 equal pizza slices or 8, depends how big you want your rolls. Drop a teaspoon of Nutella at the top of each slice, you can spread it around or just leave it as one big dollop. Starting at the top roll out each piece and shape into a crescent.
  7. Repeat with the remaining balls. Put the sweet rolls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Before you put them in the oven, brush them with egg wash so they will turn out nice and shiny. You may also dust them with some powdered sugar over the top, if you wish.

No Knead Bread

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  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups water room temperature
  1. In a big bowl mix the flour, salt and yeast together. Pour water into the bowl and using a spatula or a wooden spoon mix it until well incorporated.
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add your cast iron pot to the oven as it’s heating and heat it as well until it’s at 450 F degrees.
  4. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid from it. If you want to make sure your bread doesn’t stick to the pot you can sprinkle some flour or cornmeal on the bottom of the pot.
  5. Flour your hands really well and also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Remove the bread from the pot, it should fall out easily. Let cool completely before slicing into it and serving.

Baked Beans

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  • ¾ cup all-purpose unsulphured molasses
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 15.5oz cans navy beans (like Goya) rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons bacon bits (optional)
  • ½-1 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. In a large bowl stir together molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder.
  2. Add in navy beans and coat was sauce.
  3. Pour into a large saucepan and stir in bacon bits and ½ cup water. Add a little more water if desired. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. Remove from heat and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Skillet Irish Soda Bread

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  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar granulated
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 1 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp butter unsalted, melted
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a skillet with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the caraway seeds and the raisins.
  3. In a smaller bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon. Dust your hands with a little bit of flour and knead the dough, either in the bowl if it’s large enough, or over your floured work surface. Knead it gently just until you can form a rough ball. Do not over knead the dough.
  4. Place the dough in the skillet and score the top in an X shape and about an inch in depth, to help cook the center.

  5. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Feta, Date and Red Cabbage Salad

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  • 1 to 1 1/4 pounds red cabbage (1 small head or half of a large one), sliced thin
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. lime or lemon juice
  • Salt and red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped or sliced
  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled into chunks
  • 1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tsp. well-toasted sesame seeds

Toss cabbage with olive oil and first tablespoons of lime juice, plus salt and pepper, coating leaves evenly. Taste and add more lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. I do this a few times, making sure I really get this base well seasoned because it will be hard to do it as well later.

Toss dressed cabbage gently with half of dates and feta. Sprinkle with remaining dates, then feta, then parsley and sesame seeds.

Pesto Pizza Roll-Ups

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PIZZA DOUGH

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
  • 1/2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups flour (plus some for dusting)
  • 1 tsp salt

FILLING

  • 1/2 cup pesto
  • 2 oz. pepperoni
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce (for dipping, optional)

  1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar, and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes or until the yeast has developed a layer of foam on top of the water.

  2. Meanwhile, add 1 cup of the flour to a large bowl along with the salt.

  3. Once the yeast has become foamy, add the olive oil to the yeast mixture, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt. Stir until a thick batter forms. Begin to stir in more flour, a little at a time, until it forms a ball of dough that you can no longer stir with a spoon.

  4. Turn the ball of dough out onto a clean surface dusted with flour. Knead the dough, adding a small amount of flour as you go, for about five minutes. You should have used around 2 cups flour total from the very beginning, give or take a little.

  5. Place the kneaded dough back in the bowl, cover it loosely, and let it rise until double in volume. Once doubled, begin preheating the oven to 400ºF.

  6. Punch the dough down, scrape it out of the bowl, and onto a floured surface. Stretch the dough out into roughly shaped rectangle, approximately 10×16 inches. Try to avoid using a rolling pin, if possible, as this will compress the dough and prevent it from being nice and fluffy.

  7. Once shaped, spread the pesto over the surface of the dough from edge to edge. scatter the sliced pepperoni over the surface, then sprinkle half of the cheese on top.

  8. Roll the dough up into a log, then use a very shape knife to slice it into 8 (or more) equal sized slices. Place the sliced rolls in a casserole dish that has been coated in non-stick spray (or oil if you prefer). Make sure to use a dish large enough to allow the rolls room to expand as they bake. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the rolls in the dish, allowing some to fall around the edges and between the rolls.

  9. Bake the Pesto Pizza Rolls in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed up, golden brown on top, and the pesto and cheese are bubbling around the edges. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

Apple Dijon Kale Salad

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  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 10-15 cranks freshly cracked pepper
  • 1/2 lb chopped kale (about one bunch)
  • 1 medium granny smith apple
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup walnut halves

  1. Rinse the kale well in a colander under cool running water. Allow the kale to drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

  2. In a blender combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, clove of garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until the garlic is minced and the dressing is smooth.

  3. Wash the apple and slice it into thin wedges, or dice it into cubes. Roughly chop the walnut halves. Make sure the kale is as dry as possible and then add it to a large bowl along with the apples, walnuts, and raisins. Starting with just half, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add more dressing as desired

Moroccan Sweet Potatoes

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  • 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl combine the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and olive oil.

  2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into about 3/4-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl and pour the oil and spice mixture over top. Stir the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and spices.*

  3. Spread the spiced sweet potatoes out over a baking sheet so they are in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the potatoes for 15 minutes, then stir the sweet potatoes, return them to the oven, and roast for 15 minutes more, or until tender.

  4. Once the sweet potatoes have finished roasting, give them a taste and add a pinch more salt, if needed. Roughly chop the cilantro and sprinkle it over top just before serving.

Maple Dijon Chicken

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  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp real maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried rosemary or fresh
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, and soy sauce. Mince the garlic and chop the rosemary. Stir both into the marinade.

  2. Coat the inside of a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Arrange the chicken thighs in the dish so that they are close, but not overlapping. Pour the marinade on top and then spread it around until the thighs are completely covered.

  3. Bake the chicken thighs in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the liquid around the thighs is simmering. Spoon some of the liquid over the thighs, return them to the oven, then switch the oven’s setting from bake to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the top of the chicken is golden brown.

Spiced Apple Pork Chops

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  • 4 pork chops
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • Pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 med onion
  • 2 fuji apples
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup chicken broth

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating, open the pork chops and season each side with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.

  2. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, place the chops in the pan. Cook the chops undisturbed for 5-7 minutes or until the bottoms form a nice brown crust. If your chops are sticking to the pan, that means they have not formed a crust yet. They will “let go” once the crust forms. Flip the chops and cook the second side in the same manner. It should take 5-7 minutes for each side.

  3. While the chops are searing, thinly slice the onion and slice the apples into wedges. Once the chops have browned on both sides, remove them to a clean plate (they do not need to be cooked through at this point). Add the apples, onions, and butter to the skillet and sauté until the onions are softened. Allow the moisture from the apples and onions to dissolve the browned bits from the skillet as they cook.

  4. Add the broth, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the skillet with the apples and onions. Stir until everything is combined, then return the chops to the pan, along with any juices that may have collected on the plate. Nestle the chops down in the mixture, making sure some onions and apples are on top of the chops.

  5. Simmer the chops in the apple and onion mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half, the apples are soft, and the pork chops are cooked through. Stir occasionally, moving the apples and onions around so they all have a chance to simmer and soften. Serve each chop with apples, onions and sauce spooned over top.