SATISFIES: 2

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 fresh skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into fingerling slices
• Dusting of Lawrys Season salt
• 1/2 t. Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 large fresh tomato diced
• Romaine lettuce chopped for 2 (approx. 3 cups)
• 1 ripe avocado cut into 8 slices
• 1 T. Red wine

Dressing: shake up in a jar and set aside

• 1/2 c. Olive oil
• 1/4 c. Red wine vinegar
• 1 T. Dijon mustard

LET'S COOK

Mix the chicken with seasoned salt and montreal seasoning. Place romaine on two dinner plates. Top each pile of greens with 4 slices of avocado.

Heat a sauté pan over medium burner. When hot add olive oil. Then add chicken and move around to evenly begin cooking.

When chicken is all cooked throughly, add diced tomato and stir in. Then add red wine and 1/4 c. of well shaken dressing. Bring to simmer in the pan and mix to evenly incorporate.

When all ingredients are well mixed and hot, spoon over the salad. Divide and distribute remaining sauce. Serve with warm crust of bread.

MORE IDEAS:

You could do this recipe with pork tenderloin. Leftovers can work well also. It makes a hearty lunch or dinner in chilly weather.

The bread works well to sop up extra juices on your plate. Keep leftover dressing in the refrigerator and use on any salad.

SATISFIES: 3-4

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 slices bacon; diced
• 1 small potato; peeled and diced
• 1/2 C. diced carrots
• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 - 32 oz. boxes of chicken stock
• 8 oz. Fresh or frozen, cheese stuffed tortellini
• chopped scallions
• chopped fresh parsley
• parmesan cheese

LET'S COOK

Cut the bacon into small pieces, drop into a soup pot and cook until it renders and takes on some color.

Then add the potato, carrots and celery, stir it up and cook just until the color on the vegetables deepens.

Now add the tomato and the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

Add the tortellini and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the scallions, parsley and parmesan cheese.

MORE IDEAS:

Slices of summer squash, zucchini and even sliced mushrooms can be added to the vegetable roster.

FEEDS: 2

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 T. olive oil
• 2 slices prosciutto
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 C. chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 C. red wine
• 1 T. tomato paste

LET'S COOK

Flatten the chicken, between 2 sheets of waxed paper, until they are about a 1/2”thick. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan of appropriate size over a medium high burner.

Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, then slide into the hot oil and sauté a couple of minutes on each side until lightly golden brown and almost cooked through. Remove it to an oven proof pan or dish.

Leave the sauté pan on the medium high burner and sprinkle the inside of the pan with about a tablespoon or so of the leftover flour you dredged the chicken in. Stir the flour into the cooking oils in the pan using a wooden spoon creating a roux, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add and whip in the cup of chicken stock or broth. Then whip in the red wine and tomato paste. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce and for the flavors to combine well.

Meanwhile, top each cooked chicken breast with a slice of the prosciutto and top that with a slice of the Swiss cheese. Next, spoon the red wine sauce around the chicken breasts. Pop into a 400 degree preheated oven, uncovered and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, plate it up and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

This dish is great served with mashed potatoes and a quick saute of mixed vegetables. Use any type of red wine you have in house. Chianti is a nice choice and perfect at the table with dinner.

Tomato paste is now available in a toothpaste like tube. Having one on hand in your refrigerator makes perfect sense when you just need a small amount in a recipe like this.

This food formula is perfect for entertaining since it can be done in advance, refrigerated and then simply finished off in the oven when guests arrive.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 ripe cantaloupe or honeydew melon
• 5-6 slices of fresh prosciutto
• Wooden toothpicks

LET'S COOK

Cut melon in half, scoop out seeds and cut into wedges. Carve small single bite chunks from each wedge.

Pull strips of prosciutto from the fresh slices. Wrap them around the melon chunks and secure with a toothpick.

MORE IDEAS:

When choosing a melon at the store initially search for one that has an even netting on its exterior and under that an even colored skin. It should feel heavy for its size and an aroma of sweetness at its stem end. Ripen at home on the counter until the kitchen has an off aroma.

Prior to wrapping you can squeeze lemon or lime juice on the melon first to accentuate the flavor.

Try this canapé paired with a glass of Gewurztraminer

FEEDS: 4

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 3 cloves garlic - minced or chopped
• 3-4 T fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t. seasoned salt

LET'S COOK

Preheat your oven to 400˚. Mix garlic, rosemary and salt together on a small tray. Rub oil all over the tenderloin. Roll oiled tenderloin in herb mix until well covered. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

Let sit for 5-6 minutes. Slice and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

Grill on medium high heat turning often for about 20 minutes depending on the heat of your fire.

FEEDS: 2

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 4 slices bread, your choice
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4-5 T. baked beans
• 4 slices American cheese
• olive oil

LET'S COOK

Place two slices of the bread on a cutting board. Place a slice of the Swiss on the bread slices and a slice of the American cheese on the Swiss.

Using a fork, so extra sauce is left behind, divide the baked beans and spread on the American cheese on the sandwiches you've started. Lay another slice of American on the beans, then cover that with the remaining Swiss slices. Top with the last 2 slices of bread.

Place a heavy gauge saute pan on a medium high burner. Drizzle with some olive oil to lightly wet the surface. Lay the two sandwiches in the oil, lightly drizzle more oil on the sandwich tops and cook until both sides are nicely browned. Remove from the pan, cut in half and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

I prefer using B&M Baked Beans. They're whole beans in a nice sauce, real New England style.

For additional punch, slip some cooked bacon strips on top of the baked beans before laying on the last Swiss and American slices. Ham isn't a bad addition either.

Serve this sandwich with sweet pickle wedges or Bread and Butter pickles.

If you're lucky, produce markets may offer very young beet greens, usually sold in plastic bags. Delicately washed and picked over, these little gems are a pleasure. They will only be a few inches long. If you do find them and they look fresh and vibrant, buy them. Use them the same day or the next in a big salad. You'll not be disappointed.

In mid Spring, Farmers Markets will begin to offer beet greens, a succulent harbinger of tasty things to come from this vegetable. Sold in bunches like radishes, the greens can be up to 6 inches long with tiny, narrow beet roots attached. Rinse them in a sink of cold water, then pop into a pot with an inch or so of boiling water. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until a sample yields tender leaves. Drain the liquids from the pot, then add a dash of olive oil, a pat of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and even a drop or two of balsamic vinegar. Toss gently, cover and allow to sit a few minutes. Stir it again gently, then pile as a nest on dinner plates. Served with mashed potatoes and grilled or broiled meats, this is hearty Spring cuisine.

When beets get to the size of a golf ball, they're perfect for boiling. Trim the green tops, which can be boiled later as a green leaf vegetable, rinse to clean them and cover with water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, partially uncover the pot and boil for 20-30 minutes or until they're tender. Once they're done to the degree of tenderness you enjoy, drain them and allow to cool. Once you can handle them, trim the top and bottom with a knife. The skins will now slip off easily. If you have disposable gloves, use them since the intensity of beet juice causes pink staining on your hands. When the beets are cleaned, slice or quarter them and toss with some olive oil, a bit of butter and even a pinch of salt and pepper. Possible flavor additions include a scatter of caraway seeds, some chopped dill or even some grated orange rind.

Beets are also quite good when peeled and sliced fresh into salads. They have an earthy sweetness when served raw. Of course, cooked beets are also a great salad ingredient. Place sliced beets on a base of mixed greens on an attractive plate, scatter with some crumbles of bleu cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, top with walnut meats and drizzle with a vinaigrette dressing.

Whole beets are also tasty when roasted in the oven, or, sliced and grilled. For fun, peel, slice and boil beets in water. Drain them, then mash like you would potatoes. The texture is a great addition to any meal.

Keep in mind that beets are the main ingredient in Borscht, a popular Eastern European soup that has a multitude of recipes and variations.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3-4 medium sweet potatoes

LET'S COOK

The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes makes them one of the easiest vegetables to prepare for a meal.

Begin by simple peeling and then cutting the sweet potatoes into chunks. Remember, the smaller you cut the item, the faster it will cook. Place in a pot, cover with water, cover the pot and cook until tender when poked with of a fork.

When the sweet potatoes are tender, drain them, then mash and serve. Their natural sweetness makes them tasty just the way they are.

MORE IDEAS:

Flavor enhancement possibilities include a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon or both.

A small piece of butter is always nice as well.

For a sweetness twist, boil the sweet potatoes in apple cider or apple juice.

If you’re intrigued by texture combinations, try folding in a 1/4 c. of frozen tiny peas right after you mash the cooked sweet potatoes.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 3 T. canola oil
• 3-5 cloves fresh chopped garlic
• 1 t. seasoned salt
• 2-3 T. Hoisin sauce
• 2-3 T. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 each red and orange pepper, seeded and sliced
• 6-8 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 C. fresh snow peas, cleaned and steamed just till tender
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 2-3 T. soy sauce
• 2-3 C. cooked rice or wheat pilaf

LET'S COOK

Slice the chicken breast into small finger strips. Toss in a bowl with the 3 T. canola oil, chopped garlic, seasoned salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over a high flame. Drop in the chicken, stirring it frequently until it’s almost all cooked thorough. Add the Hoisin, toss to combine, then remove the pan from the stove and spoon the cooked, seasoned chicken into a clean bowl. Set it aside.

Rinse out the saute pan, then place back on the high burner. Add the 2-3 T. of canola oil and when it’s hot, drop in the sliced onion and peppers. Stir it around, cooking just until the vegetables are el dente.

Now add the fresh mushrooms and saute a few more minutes. Drop in the cooked snow peas, frozen peas and cooked chicken, toss it together, then pour in the soy sauce and combine it all together. Now add the cooked rice or wheat pilaf and heat through. Serve right away.

MORE IDEAS:

You can substitute an equal amount of sliced pork tenderloin in place of the chicken breasts.

FEEDS: 3-4

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 bunch fresh asparagus spears
• 1-2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 t. seasoned salt

LET'S COOK

Begin by trimming about an inch off the bottom of the asparagus. I usually cut it while it’s still a bunch wrapped in an elastic band. And, it’s best to trim just above the ends of the bottom of the asparagus where the green begins and the pale part starts.

Place the trimmed asparagus spears in a shallow dish, level it all out and then drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, then roll the spears to distribute the oil and salt. Allow to stand for a few minutes while the grill is heating up.

After scraping and cleaning the hot grill tines, use tongs to place the asparagus on the grill perpendicular to the direction of the tines. Allow to cook a few minutes, then gently roll the asparagus spears to expose the other sides and cook it a few more minutes. Do this until the asparagus is a bright green color. You might also taste one spear to see if it’s done to your liking. If it’s too firm in texture, grill a bit longer, rolling them occasionally to promote cooking evenly. Then, just plate and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

I like to cook over a high flame. As is the case with any grilling, don’t cover the grill and walk away. Cook uncovered, stay with the grill and move the food when flames rise.

A sprinkle of grated Locatelli cheese at service time is a nice flavor boost.

Anyone who’s ever worked in a restaurant kitchen knows of freeze-dried chives. The much maligned herb has been the foundation of production kitchen garnish rosters since who cares when.

In reality, chives are an easy herb to grow with a vast range of culinary applications. They have also managed to sneak into the long list of fresh herbs that now vie for shelf space in food market produce sections.

One of the very first to sprout from the warming earth in early Spring, chives originally hail from the Orient and Eastern Europe. Of the same family as leeks, garlic and onions, they only require a sunny spot in your gardens with well drained, medium fertile soil to flourish, year after year. Sure, you can start them from seed. But, garden centers and friends can provide starter plants. After a year or so, dig up and transplant clumps from your original plants, spacing them at least 18 inches apart for best results. Chives also do well in a pot, on a sunny windowsill for quick, easy use.

To harvest garden chives for the kitchen, gather what you’ll need at the base of the cluster and cut with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Rinse in cold water, remove any less than attractive stems and chop or cut the rest for immediate use. Wrap excess in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 or 3 days.

Freshly chopped chives are wonderful when sprinkled over scrambled eggs, omelets and even a potato frittata. Scattered over a bowl of just about any type of soup, the mild, almost sweet onion flavor of chives is a welcome hit on the palate. Fresh chopped chives are perfect in egg or tuna salad. Strewn over a garden salad, the chives will delicately add another flavor dimension.

As Spring marches on, chives will send up bud spikes that culminate in pink clusters of firm flowers. Cut the flower stems from the base of the plant and use them in bouquets. Or, for fun, stick them into a Bloody Mary or other tomato based drinks as a swizzle stick. Better yet, cut the flowers apart and throw the pink blooms over a salad as a garnish that will add both flavor and crunch to whatever it’s paired with.

For a more sophisticated kitchen use, employ whole chives to wrap bundles of cooked vegetables. Start by peeling and cutting carrots into batons about the size of pencils in 3 inch lengths. Cook them in boiling salted water until just el dente. Drain and cool. Next, harvest long chives, clean them and then drop into shallow pan of simmering water on the stove for about 10 seconds. Remove the chives from the hot water and place on a cutting board. Stretch them out, then make a portion size pile of carrots in the center of the chive. Tie an attractive knot around the carrots, trim the excess and place the secured bundle in a shallow ovenproof pan. When it’s almost time to serve dinner, spoon a tablespoon or so of hot chicken stock over the carrot bundles, cover the pan and pop into a hot oven for 6-8 minutes. When steam rises from the carrot bundles, transfer to dinner plates and serve.

Regardless of how you choose to incorporate chives into your kitchen style, the payoff is the same, brilliant color and taste-bud sensations.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 T. canola oil
• 3 lbs. onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 T. paprika
• 2 t. dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 32 oz. beef broth
• 3 T. canola oil
• 5-6 lb. beef brisket
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 c. orange juice

LET'S COOK

Heat the first 3 T. of canola oil in a large saute pan, add the sliced onions and cook over a high burner until they soften. Add the paprika, thyme,bay leaves and garlic. Toss it all together and then add a cup of the beef broth. Turn off the burner and set the pan aside.

Heat the remaining canola oil in a heavy pan that can eventually be covered and placed in the oven. Liberally salt and pepper the beef on both sides. Gently place the brisket in the hot oil and brown on both sides.

Next, pour the onion mix over the brisket, add the remaining broth and the O.J. Gently combine the ingredients together well.

Cover the pan loosely and place into a preheated 375˚ oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning the brisket over at least twice. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the meat to cool in the pan liquids for at least 35 minutes. Then, remove the brisket, wrap it in foil and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the roasting pan liquids into a container and refrigerate overnight as well. The next day, unwrap the brisket, slice it and arrange the slices in a baking dish of appropriate size. Spoon off and discard the coagulated fat on the top of the refrigerated pan liquids. Also remove the bay leaves. Blend the liquid and onions to a smooth consistency. Heat gently and pour the sauce over the sliced brisket. Cover, place in a preheated 350˚ oven and heat for 25-30 minutes.

MORE IDEAS:

Serve the brisket slices with mashed potatoes and some dilled green beans.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2-3 T. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 c. fresh cabbage, sliced
• 1 lb. good quality ground beef
• 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can cannellini beans, partially drained
• 2 c. Dry pasta, bowties are good
• 1 T. capers, drained

LET'S COOK

Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over a medium high burner. Drop in and saute the onion until it takes on some color. Season with a dash of seasoned salt and ground pepper.

Add the cabbage, stir it all up and continue to cook. After a few minutes, crumble in the ground beef, turn the heat down to a medium setting and cook, stirring often.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until el dente.

Season the meat with some additional seasoned salt and pepper, stir in the crushed garlic and cook a few more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, capers and the partially drained beans. Mix it together gently and cook a few more minutes.

As soon as the pasta is just el dente, drain it and then add it to the saute pan, folding it into the other ingredients. Allow to simmer a few minutes longer, plate it up and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is a nice compliment. Chopped parsley or chives adds color and an additional fresh flavor lift.

It’s continuously fascinating how certain foods fit into the cross currents of culinary popularity. Pomegranate this and that is all the rage while the cheeks of land and sea creatures have found their way onto menus of upscale dining rooms in major cities.

Time was, just a couple of decades ago, when arugula could have been mistaken for a yoga position or the name of an impoverished nation struggling with new independence. Contemporary appreciation for arugula is all about fork and knife, and rightfully so.

Since the time of the marauding Romans, arugula has been served on dinner tables. With historical references in ancient western Asia and Europe, arugula has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity as a flavorful and peppery ingredient in fresh salads. In full possession of a spicy, horseradish-like burst of flavor on the palate, it’s pungent taste is more apparent in relation to the size of the leaves, (bigger is more intense) which can resemble slender, flat leaves like radishes or spinach. High in vitamins A and C, as well as a rich source of iron, arugula has many uses in the kitchen.

In the garden, arugula is easy to cultivate. Seeds sown in early Spring will surrender a delicate crop in due time, especially in well watered soils that enjoy dappled sun. Quick to go to seed, the plants do well if leaves are harvested individually from the bottom up. If seeds are allowed to sow themselves, the following year the crop will take on weed-like proportions, yielding ample leaves for kitchen experimentation.

Picked, the leaves are best cleaned by immersing them in a sink of cold water. Gentle rustling in the liquid will free any clinging soil, which sinks, leaving the greenery to be plucked from it’s bath, drained and then used in a meal. Tossed into a bowl of mixed greens, the arugula will donate bursts of flavor. As a sandwich green, the peppery interludes between slices of bread make for new eating dimensions.

A real show stopper for a luncheon salad is to start with an appropriate portion of washed and chilled arugula leaves as a salad plate base. Drizzle it all with extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Lace it all over with thin strips of sliced prosciutto ham. In a mixing bowl, combine quarters of cherry tomatoes with like sized cuts of seedless watermelon. Toss together with two parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar. Pile the tomato melon mix on the prosciutto topped arugula and serve with a crust of great Italian bread.

Just for kicks, heat a spot of olive oil in a hot saute pan, add a clove of crushed garlic and then drop in a bunch of cleaned arugula leaves. Mix vigorously with tongs to wilt the greens down, just like spinach leaves. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar tossed in will produce a lip smacking vegetable to pair with grilled pork chops or even a steak.

Other palatable possibilities include mixing arugula with soft goat cheese, tossing it into hot pasta and red sauce, as a base for tuna and chicken salads and as an additional ingredient in a vegetable saute in the last minutes of cooking. Bottom line? Buy it and try it.

FEEDS: 8-10

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Filling:

• 4 apples + 2 pears
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup butter (room temp)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup pastry flour
• pinch cinnamon
• 1 C chopped walnuts

• 1 ready made pie crust

LET'S COOK

Filling:

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch together. As you slice the fruit thin sprinkle with the sugar mixture.

Crumb Topping:

Combine butter and sugar. Add flour and cinnamon and mix up. Add walnuts and combine until you have a crumbly texture.

Place pie crust in a pie pan. Fill with fruit mixture and then spread crumb-mix on top of fruit.

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Put pie on cookie sheet to catch any drips that might happen.

Turn temperature down to 350 degrees for another 45-50 minutes. It’s done when golden brown and bubbly.

MORE IDEAS:

You can use all apples if you prefer.