AVOCADO INGREDIENTS:

1 T         extra virgin olive oil

3         avocados, halved and pitted

 Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper

TURKEY FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1 small        Onion, diced

2 cloves        garlic, minced

1 ea.        jalapeno pepper, minced (or to taste)

1 T         ground chili powder

1 t         ground cumin

1 C         canned tomatoes, chopped

1 #         ground turkey

2 C         fresh corn kernels

¼ C        cilantro leaves, chopped

Pico de Gallo for serving (store bought or homemade)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions, jalapeno, garlic and spices.  Sauté until onions are tender and spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add ground turkey and cook until the turkey is no longer pink and cooked through.  Add canned tomatoes and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.  Stir in cilantro and corn.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside while you prepare the avocados.

Prepare Avocados:

Heat grill to medium high heat.  Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Brush cut avocado halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill avocados, flesh side down until bright green and grill marks appear.  Remove from heat and squeeze cut lime over the top. 

Fill cavity with seasoned turkey mixture.  Top with Pico de Gallo and spicy lime aioli (recipe follows)

SPICY LIME AIOLI INGREDIENTS:

4T        sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt

2T        Fresh lime juice

2T        Honey

2T        homemade or high quality mayonnaise

1T        Ketchup

1T        Chipotle chili in adobo, minced (or to taste)

½ clove        Garlic, minced

¼t        Ground Cumin

2 T        Cilantro, Minced

METHOD:

Mix the yogurt, lime juice, light mayonnaise, honey, ketchup, minced chili, garlic, and cumin in small bowl or with an immersion blender until smooth.  

Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in chopped cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  

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INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs

2 T milk, half and half or cream

1T water

Pinch Cayenne, or to taste

1 t olive oil

2 oz. asparagus, cut into ½” pieces

2 oz. ham, cut into small cubes

2 scallions, minced

¼ roasted red pepper, diced * see previous VDP link

¼ C goat cheese, crumbled

2 T chopped fresh herbs                                                                                                                                                                                   

METHOD:

Whisk eggs, milk, water,cayenne and a pinch of salt in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Heat a 6” non-stick or well-seasoned sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add asparagus, ham and scallion. Cook until asparagus is tender and scallion is fragrant. Add custard to pan and cook while gently stirring eggs. Nudge the custard toward the center of the pan with a spatula, while loosening the eggs from the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan to allow the uncooked eggs to flow to the bottom.  You do not want to cook the custard entirely at this point – the custard should still be slightly wet. Add crumbled goat cheese and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Shake pan to distribute custard and filling evenly. Allow frittata to cook undisturbed for 30-45 seconds or until bottom is set and lightly browned. 

MASTER THE FLIP: When golden, loosen the frittata from the bottom of the pan using a rubber spatula. Then, remove the pan from the heat and tilt the pan forward to allow the frittata to slide to the rim of the pan. Then toss the frittata up (to get the eggs airborne) while at the same time pulling the pan back slightly. This ‘jerk’ will allow you to catch the frittata more easily after the flip. Place pan back on heat and cook until bottom is browned and custard is cooked through.

MASTER THE COOK-INVERT-TRANSFER: When golden, loosen the frittata from the bottom of the pan using a rubber spatula. Then, remove the pan from the heat. Invert a dinner plate over the pan. Then, invert the pan and plate together; lifting off the pan once the frittata is on the plate cooked side up. Slide the frittata back into the pan. Place pan back on heat and cook until bottom is browned and custard is cooked through.

MASTER THE BAKE:  Using an oven proof pan, cook the filling ingredients as directed. Add custard and then slide pan into a preheated 350 oven for 14-16 minutes or until frittata is cooked through.

Loosen the cooked frittata from the skillet and slide onto a cutting board.  Sprinkle lightly with S & P. Cut into wedges to serve with green salad if desired.

Serves 2

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INGREDIENTS:

2 C                           (1/2 C dried) cooked white beans – you may substitute canned beans, drained and rinsed)

2 C                           cherry or grape tomatoes

2 t                            mashed anchovy fillet or anchovy paste (or to taste)

1 T                           roasted garlic (about 3 cloves)

¼ C  + 2 t                 extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 T                           red wine vinegar

1 T                           capers, drained, rinsed

¼  C                         red onion, thinly sliced

1 C                           Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 T                           fresh mint, chopped

1 C                           romaine, chopped

salt and pepper

METHOD:

Roast Garlic: Cut off the top ¼” of a head of garlic to expose the cloves.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place on double thickness of aluminum foil and wrap well.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until garlic is very soft when pierced with the tip of a knife.  Set aside.  You may roast garlic ahead of time and store in refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Prepare Salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss grape or cherry tomatoes in a bowl with 2 t of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Place on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until tomatoes are wrinkled and browned, but still firm.  Set aside.

Mash capers, roasted garlic, and anchovies with a mortar and pestle until you have a somewhat smooth paste.  Add vinegar and a few of the roasted grape tomatoes to paste and mash well.  Slowly add remaining olive oil and whisk until incorporated.  In a large mixing bowl, toss cooked white beans, red onion slivers, kalamata olives and chopped mint with the prepared vinaigrette. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve the bean salad on chopped romaine lightly dressed with a bit of oil and vinegar.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 2 generously

*Roasting the garlic for the vinaigrette may seem like an unnecessary step, but the big-time flavor payoff is totally worth it. Once roasted, garlic loses its raw, sharp flavor and mellows to something that is subtle, sweet and positively addictive. *Video prep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1xJW5PFF_o.   It is such a versatile ingredient that I consider it to be a kitchen essential.  Roasted garlic is often my go-to ingredient when I need to amp up the flavor of a soup, sauce, marinade or dressing. You can even spread it on a toasted baguette or crostini for a delicious hors d’oeuvre. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and can be frozen for much longer. So, while you are at it, I suggest roasting a couple of heads so you will always have this miracle ingredient on hand. Then when a recipe needs a little zing, stir some in, have a taste, and give yourself a hearty back-pat for being so smart!

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1.25 # (3 cups)   seedless watermelon, rind removed – cut into chunks

1 basket               vine ripened grape or cherry tomatoes

1 C                          cucumber, peeled, seeded and rough chopped

¼ C ea.                 red and yellow bell pepper, rough  chopped

3 T                          red onion, minced

½ C                         artisan bread (not sourdough)

1 clove                  garlic, minced

1 t                           jalapeno, minced (omit or to taste)

3 T ea.                   fresh basil and parsley, chopped

1 ea.                      juice and zest of lime

2 T                          Sherry vinegar

2 T                          very fruity olive oil, plus more for finishing the soup

¼ C                         feta cheese, crumbled

2 ea.                      shishito peppers

Salt and ground white pepper to taste

METHOD:

Rough chop all vegetables.  Place each vegetable separately in the food processor fitted with steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Take care not to over-process vegetables.  You want a chunky texture rather than a puree.  As each vegetable is chopped, add it to a large mixing bowl.  Pulse bread in the food processor until it is ground fine.  Add to the vegetable mixture. 

Add watermelon to food processor and puree.  Add puree to vegetable-bread mixture. Add minced garlic, jalapeno, herbs, lime, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and white pepper.  Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Longer refrigeration will intensify flavors.

While soup chills, roast peppers. Heat a heavy flat-bottom skillet over medium high heat. Add 1T of vegetable oil and whole shishito peppers (or sliced bell peppers) and toss well. Cook until peppers are blistered and nicely browned but still crisp. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Ladle chilled gazpacho into bowls, top with crumbled feta, roasted shishito or bell pepper.  Drizzle with additional olive oil.

Serves 2 generously with leftovers

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INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless salmon fillets *Take care to trim off the grey portion of tissue on the skin side of the salmon.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T olive oil

3 T fresh parsley, minced

3T fresh cilantro, minced

1T lime zest

1 ea clove garlic, minced

1 ½ T Dijon mustard

¼ C fresh bread crumbs

Lime wedges and summer squash/tomato salad for serving

METHOD:

Place salmon skin side down on work surface. Butterfly the fillet lengthwise taking care not to cut completely through the flesh.  You want to be able to open the fillet like a book or the wings of a butterfly.

Season the opened salmon generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 285 degrees.

Measure 1T of each of the minced herbs and combine with the ¼ C of breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat until warmed slightly.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the salmon fillets and sprinkle liberally with remaining fresh herbs. 

Carefully drizzle oil mixture over herbs reserving minced garlic.

 Sprinkle lime zest over the surface of the fillets.

Roll salmon fillets (like a jelly roll) lengthwise to form a semi-tight cylinder.  Be sure to end with the seam side down. Place roulade on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Brush tops of roulades with any remaining oil from the oil/garlic mixture.

Combine any leftover garlic with bread crumb herb mixture and sprinkle on top of salmon.

Place in a preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily. ***NOTE The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish and how well done you like your salmon. 

To serve: Place roulade on sautéed summer squash and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 2

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