Spicy Red Rub

3 tablespoons smoked Paprika
3 tablespoons ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground Cloves
1 tablespoon Chipotle Chili powder
1 tablespoon ground Mustard


Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Stores for up to 3 months.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)

3 cloves of Garlic
1/2 cup white vinegar
4 cups Greek Yogurt
1 large cucumber, peeled, trimmed, seeded, cut into 1/4" dice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Dill
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Combine the garlic and vinegar in a blender, puree until smooth. Combine the yogurt and blended garlic in a bowl. Whisk the garlic into the yogurt.

Fold in the cucumbers, dill, salt and pepper.

Keep in a container with a tight lid in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Spicy Chicken Tacos

1 lb ground ckicken
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon gyro spice mix
1 tablespoon spicy red rub
chopped bell pepper
chopped onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
kosher salt
ground black pepper
Greek yogurt sauce.

Combine the chicken, oil, sliced garlic, spice mix and red rub in a medium pot over medium heat. 

Cook stirring to combine. 

Stir in 2 cups of water. Add the onions and peppers and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and the liquid has evaporated. 

Fill taco shells and add Greek yogurt sauce as desired.

Gyro Spice Mix

1/4 cup Ground Cumin
1/4 cup Ground Cardamom
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Stir to thoroughly mix. The mixture will keep tightly covered for up to 3 months.

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scone

 

DRY INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour, (fluff the flour before scooping and leveling)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chips

WET INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup natural style creamy peanut butter

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade and pulse to combine.

Add the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 25-30 times to get the butter really incorporated in small bits. The mixture will be sandy.

Measure out the heavy cream in a glass measuring cup and then pour in the peanut butter to make 1 cup.

Add the wet ingredients to the processor and pulse/process just until the dough comes together in a lump or lumps.

Turn out into a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a smooth 7-8 inch disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for an hour to an hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 400F

Slice the chilled dough into 8 scones with a large, sharp knife, and place on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scones. Bake for about 15 minutes until the scones are firm and baked through. Look closely at the cracks in the top of the scone, if they look wet inside, bake a little longer. Don’t over bake. Note: you can place the scones closer together in a ring shape if you like the sides to cook into each other, pull-apart style…this makes a softer scone.
Let cool on a rack for a bit before devouring.

Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake

 

1 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries


Preheat oven to 350F. 

Lightly grease and line a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper.

First make the lemon sugar. Put the sugar and lemon zest into a food processor and process until the zest is completely incorporated in to the sugar and it's pale yellow and fragrant. If you don't have a processor, just finely grate the zest and mix it into the sugar.

Cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy, I like to go for a full 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. I do this in a stand mixer.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat each one well, and scrape down that bowl. Blend in the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

Take about a tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss with the blueberries. Then add the rest to the mixer and blend until almost incorporated. Then blend in the buttermilk, just until everything is mixed, but don't over do it. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the dough (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle some sparkling sugar over the surface if you're using. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. I like to loosely cover the cake toward the end of baking to keep it from browning too much.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

 

Colorful small to medium sized bell peppers, allow 1 to 2 per serving
1 small red onion
1 cup seasoned crouton crumbs, I used Parmesan crisps that I processed into crumbs
1 cup walnuts, or pine nuts
1/2 cup heaping pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup heaping sun dried tomatoes, the kind in oil
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 heaping Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 heaping Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

set the oven to 350F

Wash the peppers and trim the stem tops off. For flat shaped peppers I cut them in half lengthwise. Clean out the insides and then fit the peppers snugly into a casserole dish. If any of them don't stand straight you can carefully cut a bit off the bottom where it's uneven.

Put the crumbs in a large mixing bowl.

Peel and cut the onion into quarters. Pulse it in the food processor to finely mince. Remove to the bowl with the crumbs. Do the same with the walnuts, olives, and tomatoes, and add to the mixing bowl.

Toss everything in the bowl with the butter, cheese, and herbs. and mix until well combined.
Stuff each pepper with the mixture, and then add about 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the casserole. 

Cover loosely with foil and cook for about 30-40 minutes, just until the peppers are beginning to soften and everything is heated through.