Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef shoulder, cubed
10 shallots, cut in half
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 lb button mushrooms, cut in half
4 sprigs thyme
1 cup beef stock
2 cups red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brown the beef and set aside. Saute shallots and garlic until soft. Add the beef to the pot and add wine and beef stock on medium heat.

2. Add carrots and mushrooms to the pot and cook for two hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve alongside rice or mashed potatoes.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

For Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp water
1 clove garlic

For Spring Rolls:

2 pounds chicken breasts
about 30 spring roll wrappers
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
2 carrots, cut into strips
slices of green onion
1 large cucumber, cut into thin strips
large bunch of cilantro, washed
large bunch of fresh lettuce leaves, washed

Directions:

2. Fill a bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper at a time into the water for about 4-5 seconds to soften.

3. Lay the wrapper on a dry chopping board or dinner plate. The rice paper should become pliable within seconds.

4. In a row across the center, put some of each ingredient.

5. Fold the sides inward, then start to roll tightly and firmly from the end that is near to you into a cylinder, enclosing the filling completely.

7. For the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients and stir well.

8. Serve spring rolls with dipping sauce.

Roasted Beets and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

5 beets, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 head romaine lettuce
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, sliced
1 handful walnuts and cranberries
1/2 cup blue cheese

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil. Add the quartered beets and toss together. Bake the beets in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes covered in foil, and another 50 minutes uncovered.

2. In a separate bowl, chop all vegetables for the salad and combine. Top with walnuts, cranberries, roasted beets, and blue cheese.

3. Serve with a salad dressing of your choice.

Japanese Soba Noodles and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 package Japanese Soba noodles
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 onion, diced
1 stalk green onion, diced
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
1 handful snow peas
sweet chili sauce
teriyaki sauce

Directions:

1. Saute the onions in olive oil and then add the portobello mushrooms. Cook until soft.

2. Add the snow peas, garlic, and green onion.

3. Boil the soba noodles for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the sweet chili sauce and teriyaki sauce to the stir-fry and cook for another minute.

5. Place the cooked soba noodles on a plate and top with stir fry. Enjoy!

Delicious Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.

2. Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl where you had mixed it and dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

3. Dump it back on the floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pizza until it's very thin, toss on whatever toppings, cheeses, and seasonings you like (the more the better!).

5. Bake it for about 14-16 minutes until it’s golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Fresh Linguine with Garlic Shrimp and Pesto

Ingredients:

Pesto (see pesto recipe for details)
9 ounces fresh linguine
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Parmesan cheese shavings
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine and cook,
stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking for about 4 minutes, or until al dente.

2. While the linguine cooks, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sauté pan over
medium heat.

3. Add the garlic and shrimp and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through
and the garlic is tender.

4. Add the pesto into the shrimp mixture.

5. Drain the linguine, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

6. Toss the linguine in a large bowl with the shrimp- pesto mixture, adding enough of the reserved cooking
liquid to moisten the sauce so that it coats the pasta evenly.

7. Once everything is cooked, serve onto plates and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Zucchini Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin tins, liberally.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini, carrot and vanilla.

3. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts and chocolate chips.

4. Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

5. Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!