Pierogi… pierogis? Not sure the proper plural for pierogi but I know one thing… anything filled with potato, fried in butter and dunked in sour cream is good for me! I decided to tackle making homemade pierogi, and boy am I glad I did. They were somewhat time consuming, but I wouldn’t call them difficult. The pierogi dough was the softest, easiest dough that I have worked with. These little dumplings are great for a full meal, or make great appetizers for a party. Give them a try when you have a little spare prep time- turn up some tunes and roll some pierogi. You won’t regret it.

Pork and Potato Pierogi

Dough:
1 cup Warm Water
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt
3 cups All Purpose Flour
Filling:
4-5 Russet Potatoes, peeled and large diced
1 cup Milk
½ tsp Kosher Salt
Pepper
1 lb Ground Pork
2 cups Sauer Kraut
1 egg, for brushing

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Any ideas what can make this chopped ham, swiss and dill pickle sandwich even better?

Why, dunk it in egg and fry it in butter of course! The flavor of a ham sandwich with pickle is hard to beat, but add some French toast action and it is incredible! This sandwich truly requires no recipes, but is much more impressive than cold cuts on a summer day. Simply build your sandwich as you normally would. Mine consisted of: chopped honey ham, swiss cheese (made by my wonderful husband at his families cheese factory!) dill pickle and spicy brown mustard. I stacked all of this on thick sliced Italian bread. The key is to use a bread hearty enough to withstand the dunking. Once your sandwich is constructed simply dip each bread side in seasoned egg with a touch of milk, salt and pepper. Cook much like you would French Toast, over low heat with enough butter to coat the pan. Brown each side and serve right out of the pan!
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There was a time that I thought nothing could beat a good old BLT on a hot summer day. That was yesterday. Today however, I know now that nothing beats a BLT with an amazing crab cake added to the mix! The prep for these cakes is super easy, and doesn’t add much time to making normal BLT. Give them a shot and you may start loving the CBLT!

Crab Cake BLTs

Makes 6

2 cups Crab, drained
Juice of ½ Lemon
¼ cup Sour Cream
½ cup Sweet Pepper Relish
1 egg
¾ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch Salt
Pepper
¾ cup Bread Crumbs
¼ cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Butter

Tartar Sauce
1/4 cup Sour Cream
¼ cup Mayo
¼ cup Pepper Relish
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The mild flavor of shrimp lends itself well to marinades. This recipe is light and fresh tasting and is great on the grill. If you don’t have a grill (or it’s the middle of winter!) simply cook the shrimp in a sauté pan for 1 minute on each side.

Honey Lime Grilled Shrimp

½ cup Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Honey
Juice of 1 Lime
¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Salt
40 Shrimp, peeled with tails removed
8 Skewers

Soak the skewers, if they are made of wood, in a cup of water for at least a ½ an hour. If the skewers are too long for the glass, flip them over halfway through soaking. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill.

In a shallow dish combine oil, honey, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt.
Place 5 pieces of shrimp on each skewer. When putting shrimp on the skewer, be sure to go through both the body and tail (as shown) so they are secure.

Place prepared skewers in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Flip the skewers half way through to soak both sides of the shrimp.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Place skewers on cleaned grill plates. Because of the oil in the marinade they will flame for a few seconds. Cook on each side for one minute. Raw shrimp is gray in color, and cooked shrimp will be light pink. Serve immediately.

~SD

Every chef, cook or avid eater has at one point been asked the inevitable question… what would there last meal be? Now, I have it on good authority (my dad+ the history channel) that some of the most commonly requested meals are steak with A-1 sauce, french fries, mac ‘n’ cheese and fried chicken. I have, of course been asked this question dozens of times, and I have never really had a definite answer. I think my mom’s roast beef would be near the top, maybe sausage gravy and biscuits, never anything with A-1 and perhaps a really great chicken and rice! I know none of those things sound very “chefy” of me, but I love simplicity! I grew up on chicken and rice made with Uncle Bens and Cream of Mushroom soup… and admittedly still love that version. In recent tries, however, I have taken a new outlook on chicken and rice and I hope you will try my recipe.

Chicken and Rice

1 cup Rice, uncooked (I use Jasmine)
1/2 lb Chicken Tenders, trimmed and cubed
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Garlic
3 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup Lima Beans or Peas, fresh or frozen
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

Cook the rice accordingly to package instructions. For my particular rice it calls for 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cup water. I use jasmine rice because the aroma while it is cooking is so great, and the flavor is robust. Set cooked rice aside.

Melt butter in a medium saute pan with high sides, over medium heat. Saute chicken pieces until nearly cooked through. Add Garlic, then stir in flour. Turn heat to low and stir flour mixture for about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with chicken stock,add corn and beans then turn up heat and simmer until sauce thickens. Season lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne, remembering that the parmesan cheese will add a touch more saltiness. Turn heat to low and grate about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in sauce. Add cream and simmer lightly for 1 minute. adjust seasoning if needed. Serve over cooked rice with a garnish of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This recipe makes a great lunch for 2, or a quick dinner. You can add what ever veggies you have on hand to the sauce. I just use whatever I have in the freezer

~SD

Christmas is over, the gifts are exchanged, the relatives are gone… but the ham is not! Of course I love a good holiday ham, but one can only eat so many leftover ham sandwiches! In an effort to change things up a bit and use every bit of the great Christmas ham I made this recipe for Pasta with Ham and Peas. Since many of you have spent hours in the kitchen this week, you will be pleased to know that this recipe took about 12 minutes to put together. I took an inventory of the refrigerator and found some great things like: boiled ham, heavy cream and sweet corn. Feel free to play around with this recipe and add whatever veggies you may have left from christmas.

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Gravy is a staple for nearly every meal at my house… especially around the holidays.  The many cooks in my family all have different methods of making gravy, whether it is water and flour, reduction or heaven forbid corn starch!  Through the years I have been taught each of these recipes, but I have my own varition that works without fail.  This variation has also earned me the seat of gravy maker at our house.

The key to a good gravy is a good stock. I often make chicken stock in a large batch, so I can use it in many recipes. Simply start with a whole chicken, or trimmings then simmer for a few hours in a large pot with onions, celery and carrots. Be sure not to let your stock boil, this will cause the stock to become cloudy.

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“The lower the heat… the better the meat!”

Being a chef I am often asked what my favorite food is.  I know that when people ask that question they are expecting my answer to be some fancy food with an unpronounceable French name-it’s not.  Don’t get me wrong, I love pate and foie gras as much as the next person, but the food I crave the most is much simpler.  The food that I missed when I left for Culinary School in North Carolina, the one thing I could never tire of and one of the few dishes that I will EVER eat left over the next day is (this almost deserves a drum roll)… Roast Beef!

This past weekend my mom took a trip to our favorite “club store”-which could mean only one thing-lots and lots of beef!  Oh yes, when my mom makes the 50 minute drive north she comes home with not one, but four HUGE beef roasts.  This may seem over the top for some folks, but not us!  We make all four roasts and freeze whatever we don’t covet the first day.  This beef is so versatile- it can be served over pasta, with brown rice and gravy, in a soup, on a sandwich, for a midnight snack- Oh the possibilities are endless!

The way that my mom prepares our roast beef is the simplest, yet most flavorful way I have ever tried- and like the saying goes “The lower the heat, the better the meat”.  After pan searing the meat is slow cooked until it is melt in your mouth tender.  My mom and I took the time to take step-by-step photos of this process, so I hope when you get a chance to make this recipe you will agree-this is the best food ever!

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“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many chefs frown upon the use and/or consumption of chicken.  Perhaps this is an un-known truth, but to many culinary professionals chicken is thought to be flavorless, bland and worst of all boring.  I, however, disagree.  In doing so I might subject myself to a fair amount of hazing from any self-proclaimed foodie!  I like chicken because it is moderately priced, accessible and can be quiet tasty when prepared correctly.  The following is my recipe (if you can even call it that) for what I consider to be The Perfect Roasted Chicken.  Rather than complicating a simple process I prefer to bring out the natural flavors of the meat.  All you need to prepare this feast for five is one whole 3-4 pound chicken, olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. 

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