Scratch made Caesar Salad and Dressing

Scratch made Caesar Salad and Dressing
Makes: 4+ servings

Many people don't know that caesar salad originated in Mexico - not italy. It is a mexican salad and it is fantastic when done correctly. When I was 9 years old I traveled to Mexico with my grandparents for the first time. My sister and I spent 3 months of the summer traveling around Mexico and enjoying the country, and locals, not as tourists, as people with the insider information, my grandparents have lived in Mexico since I was little.

When in Guadalajara I had my first caesar salad, it was made at the table by a chef and it was amazing and fascinating and delicious. It was the real deal caesar dressing with raw egg yolk and anchovies and it was salty and perfect.

I'm not scared of raw egg yolk, I eat a poached egg every morning for breakfast, I purchase the best eggs I can find and I have no problems eating them raw in dressings, smoothies or any other way. If you feel uncomfortable eating a raw yolk (even though the process of emulsifying it with salts, oils and other ingredients essentially "cooks" it) then you should quick cook it, by taking the yolk and putting it into a ramekin that is set in simmering water for 1-2 minutes until it has just started to barely thicken.

Ingredients:

Croutons: (can be omitted, but if you can find a quality, traditionally made sour dough bread then by all means include this crunchy masterpiece)
3-4 slices of organic sourdough bread, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt
cast iron skillet

Dressing:
1 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or 2 anchovies
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
Romaine lettuce
Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Take your butter and oil and warm on the stove until melted through, add your bread chunks and spices and toss to coat. Then place in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring every five until your croutons are browned and toasty.

Dressing:

Take a mason jar and place yolk, worcestershire, lemon juice, anchovy, garlic, spicy mustard and salt and pepper into the jar and then shake it with the lid on. Then add in your oil, and shake vigorously until it has emulsified.


Check your seasonings, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Dressings take a lot more seasonings then you would think, you have to season olive oil so it takes a lot for the flavors to show through.

Seafood Cioppino (Soup)

Seafood Cioppino - Northern California Seafood Stew

Serves: 8+

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 cups medium Yellow Onions (diced)
1 1/2 cups Fennel (thinly sliced)
1 cup Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup minced Garlic
1/2 cup Tomato Paste
1 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine
6 cups Tomato Sauce (or blended whole tomatoes)
1/2 cup Clam Juice
Juice of 1 lemon
1 quart Water
2 Bay Leaves
2 tablespoons Red Chili Flakes
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
1 tablespoon dried Basil
2 tablespoons fine Sea Salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
1 package seafood mix, approx. 2lbs (purchased from Costco, includes calamari, mussels, shrimp)
1 bunch of coarsely chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

Directions:

Chop all your vegetables.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onion, fennel, red pepper, and garlic until lightly browned.

Add the tomato paste and cook until it browns, stirring often. Add the wine, tomato sauce, clam juice, lemon juice, water, bay leaves, chili flakes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. Cook out the tomato paste for at least 5 minutes until it is the color of rust.

Simmer for 1 hour. 

Add the seafood and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Do not stir.

Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and serve immediately (with bread if desired).

This recipe was adapted from: Guy's Nor Cal Cioppino Recipe

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

4 poblanos
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups milk
2 cups grated pepperjack cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated Dubliner Irish White Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup parmesan shredded

1/2 can rotel
1/2 pound penne noodles
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with additional 2 tbsp butter, melted



Directions:

Place a large pan of water onto boil.

Char poblanos until blackened, turning often to char each side equally. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Cook macaroni until outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and spices.

Cook, stirring, 2 minutes until the flour is thoroughly cooked.

While whisking, pour in milk and whisk vigorously while heating. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in cheeses. 

Peel poblanos, slice one side open and remove seeds.

Stuff mac and cheese into peppers, sprinkle additional pepperjack cheese on top, place in cast iron pan or casserole dish and cook in 375 oven for 15-20 mins.

This recipe was adapted from: Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/2 pound large defined peeled shrimp 

1 small spaghetti squash

1/2 cup of peas

2 eggs - 1 whole, 1 yolk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pinch of cayenne

2 slices of bacon, cooked, grease reserved

1 large clove of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 and cut your spaghetti squash in half. Place cut side up on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

In the meantime, cook your bacon, keeping the grease in the pan. Sautée your shrimp in the bacon grease until lightly pink, not cooked all the way through. Reserve. 

Adding your minced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. Cut the heat.

Warm your frozen peas in water over low heat until warmed through. Strain.

Add cooked shrimp, peas and crumbled bacon to cooled pan containing garlic.

Take a blender and add in egg and egg yolk, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper, then start blending on low, while slowly drizzling in the melted butter. When complete, pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

When spaghetti squash is done it will be fork tender. 

Taking a fork, scoop out the inside into long "noodles". Warm pan and add in the spaghetti squash. Once everything has warmed up again, cut the heat and sir in the egg/cheese mixture.

Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Buttery rolls with cinnamon honey butter

Buttery rolls with cinnamon honey butter

Makes: 15 rolls

This year for thanksgiving I decided to make EVERYTHING from scratch for a few different reasons. First being that I am taking a whole foods approach, and I want to know everything that is in the foods I eat. second being that if I am going to eat foods that contain wheat or other grains I want to know exactly what is going into them so that I can buy the best ingredients possible.

I removed grains from all the recipes where it would not negatively affect the recipe (Pumpkin pie, apple pie, stuffed mushrooms) and used all natural sweeteners where I could (Pumpkin Pie, apple pie, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce) that way the few recipes I was making that contained wheat and/or sugar (these rolls, stuffing, gravy and jalapeno popper dip) I knew exactly what I was getting, and they are only a small component of the overall meal. Its easy to have wheat and sugar in just about every dish for Thanksgiving, and thats something that I really wanted to try and reduce this year, without sacrificing any of the flavor or texture.

Rolls Ingredients:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (luke warm)
1 large egg
4 1/2 teaspoons lard, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/4 cup bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except butter in the order they are listed above using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.

Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic.
 
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise double in size, about an hour.

Once dough has risen, remove from bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 15 balls. Oiling fingers will help keep dough from sticking to your hands.

Lightly butter a 9x13 baking pan. Place rolls onto baking pan, cover and let rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a light, golden brown.

After removing from the oven, brush with melted butter.

Butter Ingredients:

1 stick room temperature butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions: In a bowl with an electric mixer with whisk attachment beat butter until light in color, add in sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until well combined, light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, serve at room temperature.

Serve warm.

Paleo sweet potato casserole

Paleo sweet potato casserole
Serves: 10-12+



Makes 12 servings
4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
juice of half an orange
Pecan topping
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp melted butter

Instructions:


1. Bake your sweet potatoes in the oven at 375 for 45-60 minutes until they are fork tender.

2. After they have cooled, take the skin and remove it.
3.  Place cubed potatoes into your stand mixer and add in all the other ingredients. Using the mixer, blend until potatoes reach desired consistency and flavor. (You may like to add a little more coconut milk, spices, or syrup based on your taste.)

4. In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients until pecans are well coated.
5. Dump sweet potatoes into an oven safe dish and top with pecan mixture.

6. Bake in preheated oven until topping is browned–about 15 minutes. Serve warm.