Strawberry Crumble

A strawberry sale at my local market inspired this quick and delicious desert. Fresh strawberries in a sweet syrup from the own juices baked with a crumb topping that's to die for on its own. This dish will help remind you that spring and summer are almost here and with them the abundance of fresh produce that will soon be available. This recipe is as easy as it is delicious.

2 pints of strawberries
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of sugar
For the topping
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of oatmeal

1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 stick of cold butter (diced)
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the strawberries, remove their stems, and slice the strawberries in half. Place all of the strawberries in a a large bowl and toss together with the sugar and the vanilla extract. Allow them to rest for about 10 minutes. The sugar helps extract all the juices from within the strawberries, this is called macerating.

In a separate bowl. Combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Toss to incorporate. Add the cold butter and mix with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture comes together and starts to form big crumbs.

Fill either individual ramekins or a large baking dish with the strawberries and their juices. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over top. Whatever you choose to bake these in, place it on top of a cookie sheet to prevent any juices that bubble over from falling to the bottom of your oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden and crisp and the juices are bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is one of the most well known and loved Cajun style dishes. The base of Jambalaya is what many chefs call the holy trinity - onions, celery, and bell peppers with meat,tomatoes, and rice added to complete the dish . The meat used in Jambalaya can be customized to your liking but my ultimate Jambalaya holds nothing back using grilled chicken, classic andouille sausage, and delicious gulf shrimp. Packed with bold and robust flavors that compliment each other perfectly, it's one of those dishes you can't seem to get enough of.

1 pound of boneless chicken breast
10 ounces of Andouille Sausage or Smoked Kielbasa (sliced)
1/2 to 3/4 lb of Wild caught Gulf Shrimp
1 large onion (diced)
1 stalk of celery (diced)
2 Yellow bell peppers (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 cup of dry white wine
2 cups of chicken stock
16oz can of diced Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of file gumbo
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Paprika
1/4 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning
2 bay leaves
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1 and 1/2 cups of long grain rice
Fresh parsley
Fresh Scallions

In a heavy bottomed pot, add 2 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Add the diced celery, bell peppers, and onion sauté together until they start to become tender. Add the andouille sausage and stir in with the trinity browning the andouille slightly. Next add the chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring often so that the garlic doesn't burn. Add the white wine and allow the alcohol to cook for for a few minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes along with the chicken stock and the bay leaves - stir well. Add all of the spices to the Jambalaya and bring to a  low simmer - stirring occasionally. Season to taste. I like my jambalaya to have a nice kick to it so I tend to add more heat and spice than I originally call for.

While the jambalaya simmers, cook the chicken and shrimp. You can add the the chicken in right in the beginning with the trinity and the andouille but I like to grill the chicken if possible. Just season with salt and pepper and a pinch of same seasonings we have in the jambalaya itself. Shrimp to me tastes the best when it's grilled or roasted in the oven. Turn your over to 375 and roast the shrimp that have been tossed in a bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper. As soon as the shrimp are pink they're done.

Turn the heat up on the jambalaya until the liquid begins to boil. Add the rice and stir very well to combine. Cover the Jambayala and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Once the rice is tender, remove the bay leaves and and add the shrimp and chicken. stir in freshly chopped parsley and scallions and serve hot.

Cherry Vanilla Scones

I love a freshly baked batch of scones. Unlike many of the store bought scones you'll find that are closer to a cookie, a homemade scone is light, buttery, and flaky. I've made countless batches of scones with various types of dried fruits and nuts but the combination of sweet and tart dried cherries with hints of vanilla is by far my favorite. Perfect for a weekend breakfast or and upcoming bake sale, these scones will be a real crowd pleaser.

4 cups of all purpose flour
½ cup of granulated sugar (Additional needed for sprinkling)
2 tablespoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of lemon zest 
5 extra-large eggs
1 cup of heavy whipping cream 
1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon of Vanilla bean paste
1½ cups of dried Cherries
4 tablespoons of flour

Sift together the flour, baking powder, the kosher salt, and the sugar into the mixing bowl.

The key to the perfect scone is very cold butter To achieve the perfect scone, we need cut the butter into small cubes and add the butter to the flour mixture. Mix the butter and the dry ingredients together until the mixture looks very coarse and the chunks of butter are about the size of a pea.

Crack four of the eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add the vanilla to the eggs and mix with one cup of heavy cream. With the an electric mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream and egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together. The dough will look very wet and lumpy.

The next step is to toss the dried cherries and the lemon zest with 4 tablespoons of flour. Adding flour to the cherries and the zest will help them stick to the dough. Mix into the dough just until they are incorporated.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the one remaining egg and beat together with 2 tablespoons of water or milk to make an egg wash. Sprinkle some flour down onto a clean and flat working surface. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and dump the dough out onto the floured area.

The dough is going to be wet, lump, and sticky. Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it's about 3/4 inch thick (Just eyeball it). You will still see lumps of butter in the dough but that's what we're looking for. The butter will melt in the hot oven and the steam it releases will give us a buttery and flaky scone. Cut the scones out using a cookie/biscuit cutter or you can cut them into squares simply by using a knife.

Place the scones onto the baking sheet and lightly brush them with a little bit on an egg wash and sprinkle the top of the scones with sugar. The egg wash will help give the scones a bit of color and also allow the sugar to stick to the scone. Place the scones into the oven and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and the scones will be firm to touch and you should see the bottom edges just starting to brown. Allow the scones to rest for a few minutes and transfer them to a serving tray or a storage container. They'll stay fresh for about 3 or 4 days

Learn to Chop with Confidence

Being cut by a knife seems to be one of peoples biggest fears in the kitchen. Being mindful of the knife and following these simple key rules will help you chop safely and with confidence.

- Follow the 3 finger rule. I took this advice straight out of Gordon Ramsay's cookbook and have been following it ever since. Place down keeping one in front in two behind (as pictured). Use the knuckle of your finger to guide your knife and your finger nail will act as a guard.

- Keep your knifes in good condition and sharp.You are far more likely to injury yourself with a dull knife compared you one that has been properly sharpened.

- Hold your knife firmly and use the weight off the knife to do most of the labor.

- Take your time. Speed will come as your confidence rises but the important thing is to get the right technique into habit.

My favorite Grilled Cheese sandwich

Grilled cheese may be one of the words most famous sandwiches. Children and grown ups of all ages go crazy for hot and gooey melted cheese in between two slices of perfectly grilled bread. Thickly sliced bacon compliment the tart Granny Smith apple in a way only your taste buds can describe to and extra sharp cheddar cheese only adds to the depth of flavors. In between slices of fresh ciabatta bread, this is my ultimate grilled cheese sandwich

Recipe yeilds 1 sandwich 

3 slices of thick cut bacon (fried until slightly crisp)

6 slices of Granny Smith apple

Extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 slices of bread (ciabatta or sourdough work best)

Softened butter

Start by placing a layer on cheese on the inside of a slice of bread. Next lay the sliced apples down in an even layer and place the slices of bacon over top. Add the remaining cheese and place another lose of bread over top.

Butter the outside of the bread and place the sandwich on either a preheated panini press or a frying pan. Cook the sandwich on each side until the bread is toasted golden brown and the cheese inside has melted. Remove from the heat and enjoy hot.

Homemade Pizza

There is something truly special about homemade pizza. It tastes absolutely incredible and the entire process of making the pizza is so enjoyable and relaxing to me and I love looking down and seeing floured hand prints all over my jeans. Turn on some good music, pour a glass of wine, and really get into the spirit of pizza making. Let your imagination go wild when it comes to toppings but for me, nothing beats using fresh basil and fresh mozzarella and just a touch of sharp provolone. Make sure to use good quality cheese because many of the cheaper options are what tends to make the tops of pizza very greasy. Make this pizza recipe once and I can assure you you'll be taking your local pizza shop off of speed dial.

Pizza Dough
Two 1/4 ounces packages of dry active yeast
4 cups of Bread flour
1 tbsp of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
1/4 cup of olive oil
1-1/3 cups of warm water

Pizza Sauce
Olive oil
One 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
3  tablespoons Tomato paste
1 medium sized onion (Chopped)
3 cloves of garlic
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 sprig of Fresh Oregano
4 Fresh Basil leaves (chopped)
1 teaspoon of sugar
Kosher Salt

Toppings
Fresh Basil leaves
two 8oz Fresh Mozzarella balls
1/4lb of good quality sharp provolone cheese 

To start we need to make our pizza dough. Measure out the warm water and add the yeast and the sugar. Mix gently and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Sift the flour into a large bowl along with the dried Italian seasoning and the salt. Form a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil followed by the yeast and water mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix the wet ingredients together while slowly adding the dry in bit by bit. When the dough begins to form, use your hands to mix until all the flour has begun to form.

Lightly flour a clean counter or table top and dump the dough out. Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until the round dough ball has become smoother. Grease and lightly flour your mixing bowl and place the dough ball back into the bowl. Drizzle a touch of olive oil over the top of the dough and spread around the surface of the dough ball . Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise. Allow the dough to sit until it has doubled in size, this should take about 1 hour.

While the dough rises, sweat the chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the chopped garlic, fresh oregano, and the crushed red pepper flakes and stir together for 1 minute. Next add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and basil leaves. Stir together and allow the sauce to simmer. Season to taste.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down into the center of the dough ball to release the air. Dump the dough back onto the floured working surface. Cut the dough into fours so that you have four evenly sized pieces of pizza dough.

Preheat oven to 425 and heat a large cast iron or oven safe frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Press the dough out to the size of  your skillet. Cooking the dough on the stove top for a few minutes before transferring to the oven is a great trick on getting a really beautiful crust on the bottom.

Cook the dough on the stove top until the bottom beings to turn crisp and golden brown. Spoon some of the pizza sauce over top of the dough and top with some of the fresh mozzarella and provolone and a handful of fresh basil leaves. Bake the pizza for about 7-10 minutes or until the crust of the pizza has turned golden and the cheese has melted. Use a spatula to remove the pizza from the skillet and transfer to a cutting board and garnish with an optional shaving of fresh parmesan cheese.. Slice the pizza and serve hot.

Chocolate and Orange Tart

You may not think of Chocolate and orange as flavor combination but the truth is the two work beautifully together. Chocolate on it's own is very rich and decadent so adding fresh orange zest really brings a much needed element of freshness. Poured into a sweet pastry shell, this Orange Chocolate tart is one of my favorite deserts and is quick and easy to assemble. Perfect for a last minute dinner party of sweet tooth attack.
 
For the filling
8 ounces of dark or semi sweet chocolate
8 ounces of milk chocolate 
3/4 cup of heavy cream
4 Tablespoons of butter
The juice and zest of 1 fresh Orange
For the Crust
1 stick of soft butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1-3/4 cups of flour 


First step is to assemble the pastry. By hand or with an electric mixer, whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and beat until they are incorporated. Sift the flour to ensure there are no lumps and add it along with the salt to the butter mixture. Fold together until a dough begins to form and then dump it out onto a clean and lightly floured working area. Mix the dough by hand into a flat disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.

Once the dough has chilled, place on a floured surface and roll out. Grease a 9 inch tart pan and gently place the dough into the pan pressing it into the corners. Leave the excess dough hang from the tart pan for the time being and using a fork, prick a few wholes in the bottom of the dough to allow steam to escape. Very cold butter is the key to a good dough so we need to chill it once again in for about 20 minutes. Once chilled, preheat oven to 375 and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown. Use a knife to trim off the edges and allow to cool.

Use a  double boiler, which is simply a heat proof bowl over top a pot of gently simmering water (Important reminder- never should the water actually touch the bottom of the bowl) melt the chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and orange juice together. Once the chocolate has completely melted, remove from the heat and pour into our chilled pastry dough. Allow the chocolate to set in the dough by resting in the fridge just until the chocolate is firm enough to cut. Garnish with fresh orange zest and serve with a mound of freshly whipped cream.

Fancy Roast Potatoes

It's easy to allow a side dish to skip our minds when are planning a dinner for our families. You finally decided to do a recipe with chicken and now it comes to picking what you are going to have with the it. Here is a classic side dish with a look you might not have seen before. Roasted potatoes with slices almost all the way through them and topped with a mix of butter and olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh minced garlic, and fresh thyme. Easy, delicious, and they have great presentation.

Yukon Gold and Red Skin Potatoes (1 or 2 per person)
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Rosemary
Room temperature Butter
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400

Make multiple slices down the length of the potato but take your time so that you don't cut all the way through. Drizzle the top of the potato with a touch of olive oil and smear with some of the butter. Season with salt and pepper, rosemary, and the leaves of a fresh thyme sprig.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and tender.