Squid Ink Pasta

Ohio City Pasta squid ink fettuccine served with real lobster meat sauteed in butter and mushrooms.  Sauce is made with diced tomatoes, heavy cream, black pepper, Hungarian paprika, and garlic.

Haiku

War in the distance.
The peaceful village harvests
golden lotus blooms.

Ravens eat their fill.
Men battle in the shadows.
The victors emerge.

Maidens sing their praise
the flowers grow so sweetly
Stained red pony hooves.

Pickles

3 c. water
2 C. vinegar
fresh peeled garlic (I used 3 per jar)
fresh flowering dill (I used 2 per jar because I had it)
Jars packed with sliced pickling cucumbers

Stir water, vinegar, and salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely. Combine cucumber spears, garlic cloves, and fresh dill in a large glass or plastic container. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture. Seal container with lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

3C. sliced strawberries
2 C. sliced rhubarb
5-7 C. sugar
1 box pectin

Puree fruit in blender. Gently heat fruit, sugar, and pectin and bring to a boil. Boil jelly for 1 minute at a rolling boil. Remove from heat and fill jars immediately.

Spinach Puff

1 bag baby spinach
1 bag chopped kale
1 egg
8 oz. ricotta cheese
4 oz. feta cheese
fresh ground black pepper
dill, lemon zest
1 package of puff pastry crust

Boil 6 quarts of water in a 12 qt. pan. Boil the spinach and kale for 3 minutes until wilted. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients to make a smooth green paste. Use filling inside puff pastry crust, pinch shut. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes.

Wasabi Talapia on Mushroom Risoto

The tilapia turned out very moist and delicious.

Wasabi Mayo
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tb. mayonnaise
1 tsp. wasabi
black pepper

Stir mayonnaise mixture until all the juice is incorporated. Use the runny mayo to dunk the fish filets so the panko sticks. Bake fish at 350* for up to 20 minutes.

Pesto Ravioli

Ready made spinach ricotta ravioli, topped with sauteed mushrooms, red Himalayan sea salt, and easy pesto.

Easy Pesto
2 C. assorted basil clippings (I took the flowers this morning from my spicy globe and sweet basil and mixed them with the leaves from sweet, spicy globe, blue, and purple basil)
1/4 C. pine nuts
1/3 C. olive oil or more if needed to blend the pesto into a smooth paste.
Puree in blender until smooth. Salt after serving as needed.

Turkey Spinach Spaghetti

I sauteed the turkey breasts in a skillet, then topped them with roasted red peppers and spinach wilted with garlic. The cutlets were plated on Parmesan cheese spaghetti and Provolone cheese was melted on top. Cherry tomatoes garnish the dish for extra color and flavor.

Wild Greens,Quinoa, and Mushroom Linguini

Caprese ravioli

Package ravioli
cherry tomatoes
fresh mozzarella
spicy globe basil
fresh black pepper
balsamic vinegar

Boil ravioli according to package directions, drain, then plate. Decorate ravioli with fresh slices of mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes, and basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add pepper to taste.

Pork chops

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Pineapple-Serrano Relish and Spicy Cheddar Grits via HelloFresh.com
2 servings

2 pork chops
4 oz. pineapple
1 Serrano pepper
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime
1 shallot
1/2 C. instant grits
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
4 oz. watercress
1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. butter

Cut pineapple into 1/4" cubes. Mince shallot. Zest and halve the lime. Chop cilantro. Mince Serrano pepper. Make the relish: in a small bowl combine pineapple, lime zest, half the cilantro, half the Serrano, and 1 Tb. shallot. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small pot, bring 1 C. water to a boil over medium low heat. Meanwhile cook the pork: heat 1/2 Tb olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork chips on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the pork chop to the pan and cook 4-6 minutes per side until cooked to desired doneness. Set aside to rest.
Make the cheddar grits: meanwhile, add the grits to the boiling water and simmer, covered for 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in 1 Tb. butter, the cheddar cheese, and remaining Serrano pepper. cook another 1 minute, until the flavors have melded.
Thinly slice the pork chops against the grain. Toss the watercress with a squeeze of lime, 1/2 Tb olive oil,and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Plate the spicy cheddar grits and top with the sliced pork, pineapple-Serrano relish, and a side of dressed watercress. Garnish with remaining cilantro.