Recipes

Lettuce Wraps

1 lb. lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey breast
1 Tbls. grapeseed oil or canola oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 Tbls. soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbls. Thai red chili paste (more if you like it hotter)
1 Tbls. sesame oil
1 oz. can water chestnuts diced
½ cup diced green onion
1/3 cup water
butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce leaves

Brown meat, drain and set aside. In a large sauté pan, add the oil and sauté ginger and garlic, add the meat and remaining ingredients, let simmer until water is reduced down, 10-15 minutes. Scoop meat onto lettuce leaf and fold. Makes about 12 lettuce leaves.

Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Toasted Asparagus Barley

4 chicken breasts; pounded flat
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ cup flour
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs
1 lemon

Mix together panko and parmesan cheese. Season flour with salt and pepper. Mix together eggs. Use the standard breading procedure; dredge chicken in flour, egg and then panko mixture. Sauté in a non stick skillet with about 2 Tbls. olive oil or grapeseed oil. Place on sheet pan and finish in 400 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes to finish cooking, time will depend on thickness of the chicken breast. Just before serving squeeze lemon over chicken.

Toasted barley with asparagus

3/4 cup barley
one bunch of asparagus or sliced sautéed mushrooms
olive oil
1 cup chicken stock

Toast barley in a medium sixe pot with about 2 Tbls. olive oil, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes, add stock and simmer about 15 minutes. Barley should still have some firmness to it, toss with diced asparagus.

Wash and dry asparagus and break off woody part of the stem. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Either roast in 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or you can grill turning occasionally until all sides are charred (not burned). Cut into about 2 inch pieces.


Classic Vinaigrette

1 Tbls. dijon mustard
2 ½ Tbls. balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil & s&p
in a bowl of a food processor. Slowly pour in
oil to form an emulsification. Season to taste
with s&p OR whisk by hand.

Poached Eggs

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The water should be at least five or six inches deep (the deeper the better).
When the water boils, add about a tbsp. vinegar for every pint or so of water. Taste to make sure the level is right. The vinegar should be barely noticeable.
Lower the water to a slow simmer.
Carefully crack one egg into a measuring cup or large ladle.
Lower the cup or ladle into the water and pour the egg out as gently as possible.
The egg white will coagulate in the water and turn white. Most eggs will take between two and three minutes for the white to cook but leave the yolk still runny. Remove the egg at this point with a slotted spoon.
Repeat with remaining eggs. You can poach several eggs at once in the same pot.