Chicken with Port Wine

Nibbling on a great blue cheese and sipping a really nice Porto is one of the greatest gastronomical experiences! Let the blue cheese sit on your tong for a few moments, take a sip of the wine, and then press the cheese to the roof of your mouth, letting the wine mix in with the cheese. It is a brilliant experience!!

Chicken with Port Wine

Chicken with Port Wine

1 pound chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 peeled and diced apple

1/4 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup port wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

fresh chopped parsley

 

Season chicken breasts and sear until cooked through completely. Hold warm until ready to serve. In the same pan, add the diced apples and walnuts and saute for 1 minute. Add in the port wine and reduce liquid by half. Swirl in the butter and add in the blue cheese just before serving. Plate the chicken and spoon sauce over top. Serve with roasted potatoes.

 

Feel free to incorporate seasonal fruits (cherries or peaches are excellent choices when in season) into this dish and this also makes an incredible sauce for duck, pork, or venison.

 

 

Cuban roasted mojo pork with black beans and rice

Cuban Mojo Pork Roast

Mojo Pork

pork loin roast, approximately 4 pounds.
4 cups orange juice
zest and juice of 2 limes
zest and juice of 2 oranges
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper

Season the loin well with salt and pepper. Put into a container cover with orange juice plus the zest of the citrus, oregano, and garlic. Let marinate overnight. After marinating, remove from the juice and roast in a low oven, about 275 degrees until the internal temperate reaches 135 degrees. Remove from the oven and finish on a hot grill until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Black Beans and Rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Saute the rice in the olive oil until well coated in the oil but do not brown. Transfer to a casserole dish. Pour in hot chicken broth and add the salt and pepper, cover the dish and bake in a 350 degree until the rice is tender; this should take about an hour. When rice is tender, fluff with a fork and stir in the black beans and garlic. Replace the cover over the dish and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, just until the beans are warmed through. Stir in the chopped cilantro, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Notes:
Feel free to serve with fresh salsa.
Fried plantain chips also makes a nice addition to this dish.

Hang Town Fry

Hang Town Fry
One of my favorite cooking stories!

Hang Town Fry

Divide all ingredients to serve 4 people.

butter as needed for cooking the omelet
12 large eggs, whipped or scrambled
4 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Spinach Filling
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
4 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Mix together all ingredients and put into a casserole dish. Heat in a hot oven until warm and hold until ready to assemble the omelet.

Oyster Sauce
8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 pint fresh oysters
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Add the bacon and oysters to a hot pan and cook slightly. Add the cream and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

Assembly:

In a medium hot sauté pan, add butter and 3 eggs. Swirl around and move the eggs with a rubber spatula to add layers and make fluffy. Turn the omelet over and add the shredded gouda cheese and warm spinach filling. Fold over and slide onto a plate. Repeat to make 4 omelets.

Spoon over oyster sauce and enjoy.

Notes:
This is a version of a recipe called ”Hang Town Fry.” Legend has it that when a man was requesting his last meal before heading to the gallows, he would request this dish because many of the fresh items were not readily available and if could take days or weeks to assemble all of the ingredients. This would give extra time for the prisoner to plan his escape. There really are no set ingredients for the dish; you can vary them as you like. A “Hang Town Fry” would often contain oysters and bacon because of their rarity at the time.

Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Easter Rack of Lamb

Just in time for Easter!! Feel free to substitute chicken in place of the lamb.

Easter Rack of Lamb

1 Rack of Lamb
Salt and Pepper to taste
Whole Grain or Djion Mustard
Fresh Chopped Parsley and other Herbs

Season the lamb rack with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan or on a grill to add flavor. Remove from the pan and spread a generous amount of the mustard over the lamb rack and then coat with the freshly chopped herbs. Place the lamb into a hot oven and roast until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Traditionally this is served with peaches and mint jelly. Today, we served with strawberry preserves, mint, and balsamic vinegar.

1 Head of Cauliflower
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Ground Turmeric
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Remove the core and large stems from the cauliflower, chop the florettes into tiny pieces. Add the chopped cauliflower to a hot sauté pan with the olive oil and toss. Add in the chicken broth and turmeric and continue to stir until the cauliflower is tender. Mix in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. If needed, add in additional olive oil to finish. This is designed to simulate rice pilaf.


Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Salmon Cakes

I have had a super busy time over the past few months but I am back! All is well and everything moving along at a good clip. I know I am missing a few videos and do not know if I can go back, but here are the latest.

Salmon Cakes

12 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Salmon Fillet, roasted
4 Ounces Smoked Salmon (Hot Smoked if you can find)
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 Teaspoons Whole Grain Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

In preparation to make the salmon cakes, roast the salmon in a 350 degrees oven until cooked through and cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, break up and flake together the roasted salmon and the smoked salmon. Add the eggs and seasonings and combine until well mixed. Form into approximate 2 ounce balls and press into patties. Sauté in a hot skillet with added oil until crisp on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve hot with yogurt mustard sauce.

 Mustard Tarragon Sauce

 ½ Cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
½ Fresh Lemon, squeezed
1 Teaspoon Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Chopped Tarragon to taste

Mix all ingredients together and hold chilled until ready to serve.

Notes:
There are various species of salmon, some very expensive and some reasonably priced. Purchase what you can afford.
We served this with fresh arugula greens.
We replaced sour cream and whipping cream with yogurt to reduce calories and lighten the sauce.


Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

This was from Daytime Blue Ridge on January 16. Very tasty!!

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

1 Pound Skip Jack Tuna
2 Tablespoons Pickle Relish
4 Hard Boiled Eggs or Egg Whites, peeled, chopped or grated.
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ Cup Freshly Chopped Parsley
¼ to ½ Cup of White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
2 Ripe, Fresh Sliced Avocados
Gently mix together the first 6 ingredients. Serve over sliced avocado and drizzle with extra vinaigrette.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

¼ Cup Olive or Sunflower Oil
½ Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Place in a shaker bottle and shake together until blended well.

Notes:

Feel free to use fresh tuna that you cook yourself. Bake, broil, pan sear, or grill until desired internal temperature is reached, cool and then flake.
If you can, try to find line-caught tuna. You can also use Albacore tuna in place of the Skipjack.
If you would like to spice it up, feel free to add a little hot sauce or Sriracha.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

http://www.fox2127.com/story/27968056/morning-menu-stuffed-mushrooms

Large Mushrooms, Cleaned and Stemmed

Blanch mushrooms in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the water and cool down quickly in an ice bath. 

Dry in paper towels and hold cold until ready to stuff. 

Place mushrooms onto a cookie sheet and fill with your favorite filling. Bake until the mushrooms and filling are nicely browned. 

Serve immediately.

Filling One:

1 Pound Crab Meat
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Cup Sweet Chili Sauce
Bread Crumbs as needed
Freshly Chopped Parsley

Mix together all ingredients together. Add just enough bread crumbs to the filling to help bind together. They are actually optional if you are adventurous.

Filling 2:
1 Pound Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Freshly Chopped Parsley

Remove the sausage from the casing (unless this is a fresh ground, tray packed), break up and brown in a skillet.Let the sausage cool slightly and mix with the cheese, bread crumbs, and parsley. Add just enough bread crumbs to the filling to help bind together.

BBQ Shrimp Sliders with Blue Cheese Slaw

A great and tasty dish for your upcoming BIG GAME party!

BBQ Shrimp Sliders with Blue Cheese Slaw

http://www.fox2127.com/story/27940903/morning-menu-bbq-shrimp-sliders-with-blue-cheese-slaw

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn up to 450 degrees after par cooking the bacon.

1 Pounds Large or Jumbo Shrimp (approximately 24 pieces)

12 Slices of raw bacon

1 Cup of your favorite Barbecue Sauce

12 Slider Buns or Small Taco Shells

Slice bacon in half and bake in a 350 degree oven until it has rendered off a good majority of its fat. Do not brown or crisp. Let the bacon cool. Increase the over temperature to 450 degrees. Wrap each shrimp in a slice of bacon and secure with a tooth pick if you wish. Bake until bacon is crisp. Brush with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven to glaze the shrimp. Be sure to remove tooth picks before assembling the sliders. Toast and warm the rolls. You may assemble the sandwiches or have your game guests put together on their own. Place 2 shrimp on each roll and top with a nice portion of the Blue Cheese Slaw. Add a little extra sauce if you with. Serve and eat right away.

Blue Cheese Slaw:

6 Cups Shredded White Cabbage

¾ Cup Mayonnaise

¼ Cup Buttermilk

1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

½ Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese, divided

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine white and red cabbage and green onions in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, 1/4 cup of the blue cheese, hot sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper. Process dressing until smooth. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and sprinkle with remaining blue cheese, tossing to coat. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste. Eat immediately or cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours.

Tilapia with Chorizo and Queso Fresco

Add a little health, spice, and flavor to a plain white fish.

Tilapia with Chorizo and Queso Fresco

http://www.fox2127.com/story/27904265/tilapia-with-chorizo-and-queso-fresco

4 tilapia filets, thawed
8 ounces chorizo Sausage
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
fresh chopped cilantro as needed
4 ounces queso fresco
2 avocados, sliced
salt and pepper to taste.

Season fish filets and broil until just done. Should take about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Brown the chorizo, drain off the fat and hold the sausage warm. Add the garlic and lemon juice and reduce down by half. Turn off the heat and add in the butter and cooked sausage and swirl until the butter has melted completely. Season with pepper and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning and salt if needed. Plate the fish and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with sliced avocado, additional chopped cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco.

Notes:
You can make this dish with any fish you like. Flounder, mahi-mahi, and grouper are great options.
We served this with roasted zucchini and black beans, quinoa, and brown rice pilaf.

Healthier Chicken Wings

Removing the skin from a raw wing is almost impossible! This technique makes the task a little easier and also insures that you will not serve raw chicken. 

Healthier Chicken Wings

http://www.fox2127.com/story/27848417/healthier-chicken-wings

Prep for both recipes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Lay out chicken wings and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let wings cool so you can handle them easily and remove the skin from the wings if you wish.

Balsamic Soy Chicken Wings
4 pounds chicken wingettes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy Sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

While wings roast, simmer vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. In a large bowl, season the wings with salt and toss the cooked wings in the reduced sauce until well coated. Turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Return the wings to a foil lined baking sheet and baking until crispy, turning occasionally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes.

Caribbean Spiced Chicken Wings
4-5 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a bowl mix together salt, brown sugar, ginger, coriander, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice and cayenne pepper. In a large bowl, season and toss the cooked wings until nicely coated. Turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Return the wings to a foil lined baking sheet and baking until crispy, turning occasionally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes.

Notes:
You do not have to remove the skin from the chicken wings if you do not wish. It is extremely hard to remove the skin while the chicken is raw. Pre-baking the wings will make the task much easier plus you will end up cooking the chicken wings two time and this should almost guarantee that you will not serve you and your guests raw chicken.

A 10-piece serving of traditional Buffalo Chicken Wings will give you around approximately 1,300 calories. That is not including the blue cheese or ranch dip in the calorie count. A 10-piece serving of skinless chicken wings will give you approximately 450 to 500 calories.

New things in 2015...

It has been a while since I have giving an update on what is going on with me and my healthy journey. I figure it is time since we are starting a new with the year of 2015. All is going well and I am still working very hard. I have tried many new things over the past few months and my weight loss efforts have still stalled and I have even gained a few pounds. I really tried to behave over the Christmas and New Years holiday and I think I kept everything down the center of the road, with only a few tiny slip-ups, but well deserved.

I am still a member of Planet Fitness and will continue to go there when time permits, but the biggest news I have is that I have started participating in a group exercise at Roanoke Fit Body Boot Camp. It is a 30 minute high intensity, total body workout that keeps you moving the whole time and so far, has really kicked my butt each session. My single goal is to build lean muscle and that it is. I really do not know if I can contribute my temporary weight gain to building muscle, but my cloths continue to fit looser all of the time. I am still seeing physical changes in my body, and also seeing changes in how I perform when working out. It is not all about the number on the scale.

I do not really agree with the body mass index scale. I do believe it is outdated and does not truly reflect your over all health. These are the numbers at the beginning and current.

Starting BMI: 64.4
Current BMI: 40.2

I have never had my body fat percentage checked but finally did this week and it came back as: Body Fat Percentage: 33%. I would love to know what it was when I started but I would estimate that it was well over 50% by just looking at the BMI numbers above.

So I still have much work to do but I love the place I am at and the direction I am moving. I really enjoy this boot camp and how it is making me feel. I will try to update and keep posted as things progress.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Protein to help build muscle, carbs for energy, fiber to keep you full. This soup has it all and it is really tasty also.


Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup lentils
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups chopped broccoli, steamed (or thawed and drained if using frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic in the hot oil and saute for 4 minutes. Stir red pepper flakes and curry powder into onion mixture until coated, and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes. Stir lentils and broth into onion mixture; bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until lentils are softened but firm to the bite, about 15 minutes. Stir sweet potatoes into lentil mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender and lentils are fully cooked, about 10 more minutes. Add in the coconut milk and broccoli and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and adjust flavors as needed. Feel free to garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Hummus

Start off 2015 with something really healthy!

Hummus

Hummus - Chef Jeff Bland, US Foods

¼ Cup Tahini
1 Garlic Clove, minced fine.
½ to 1 Teaspoon Cumin
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
1, 15 ounce can Food Lion Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans), drained and washed.
2 Tablespoons Food Lion Olive Oil
Water as needed
Salt

Place the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the processor bowl and process for another 30 seconds. Add in the chick peas and process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the processor bowl, add the olive oil and process for one more minute. Carefully remove the blade and scrape down, along with placing the hummus in a bowl and topping off with extra olive oil and chopped parsley.

Tahini is a sesame seed paste and can be found in the health food section of most stores. 
Hummus is a nutritious snack full of healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber.  Serve it as a dip with fresh cut vegetables, as a filling or condiment for a sandwich or wrap.
You can make hummus out of just about any bean including black beans, cannellini beans, or black-eyed peas. 
Feel free to experiment with different flavors buy adding different ingredients like roasted peppers, artichokes, olives, roasted garlic, or pesto.    

Mushroom and Duck Napoleon

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Mushroom and Duck Napoleon

Mushroom and Duck Napoleon

1 pound mixed mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces heavy whipping cream
¼ cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
duck breast
puffed pastry sheets
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the mushrooms and garlic in the oil, season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the water has been released from the mushrooms and the liquid has evaporated. Place the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until the mushrooms are roughly chopped. Return to the saute pan and add the cream cheese, whipping cream, and cheese. Cook until the mixture in thick and everything have melded together. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Hold warm.

Season the duck breast well with salt and pepper. Sear and roast in the oven until desired internal temperature. Let the duck breast rest before slicing.

Lay the pastry sheets out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut into small squares using a pizza cutter. Place another layer of parchment over top and a second cookie sheet to weigh down. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown and let cool.

Assemble (this is a layered hors d'oeuvre):
Cut the puffed pastry squares in half horizontally. Place a small dollop of the mushroom cream, then a second layer of pastry, then a thin slice of duck and then top with a small dollop of the mushroom cream. Serve warm.

Notes:
You can stack as high as you wish but it may make a little more difficult for your guests to eat.
In place of duck breast, you can use chicken breast or thighs, or pulled pork.
The filling is versatile: You can make a pastry turnover, a mushroom strudel using phylo pastry sheets, or a filling for ravioli.
You may add brandy to the mushroom cream.

Additional: a very easy appetizer for New Year's is an antipasti platter. Arrange on a plate a variety of meats, cheese, olives, and pickles and serve with olive oil and baguettes. You can find a nice variety of pre-sliced meats at your grocery store. Prosciutto ham, salami, and pepperoni are very common and easy to find. It is quick and easy to put together and will make you look like a culinary expert!