Moussaka

Base ingredients:
2 large eggplants 🍆 (sliced 1/3 inch thick)
3 medium potatoes 🥔 (sliced 1/3 inch thick)

For the meat sauce:
1 red onion 🧅 chopped
5 cloves garlic 🧄 minced
1 14oz can chopped tomatoes 🍅 (with juices)
1 tbsp tomato 🍅 paste 1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup red wine 🍷 (or broth) 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 lb ground turkey 🦃

For the bechamel sauce:
3 cups milk 🥛
1/2 cup butter 🧈
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 egg 🥚 yolks 4 oz Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese 🧀 grated

Season eggplants with salt and let sit for 1 hour
In large pan fry potatoes in oil until nicely colored and remove to a plate
Rinse eggplants and squeeze to remove excessive water
In same pan fry eggplants in oil until nicely colored and remove to another plate

In same pan sauté onions until softened (add more oil if needed)
Stir in turkey breaking apart until browned
Stir in garlic and tomato puree
Stir in red wine (or broth), chopped tomatoes, sugar & cinnamon (can add a little pepper & salt if you wish)
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer stirring occasionally for 30 minutes

In 9x13 dish, layer bottom with 1/2 of the meat
Layer on the potatoes
Layer on the eggplants
Layer on remaining meat sauce

Melt butter in large pan
Whisk in flour to make a rue
Slowly whisk in milk until thickened
Remove the pan from the stove
Stir in nutmeg and cheese
Quickly whisk in egg yolks

Top dish with the béchamel sauce
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes

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Thai Basil Chicken

 Sauce

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp Oyster 🦪 Sauce

1 Tbsp Fish 🐟 Sauce

2 tsp Sugar l

1/4 Cup Water 💧

2 Tbsp Oil

2 Shallots, sliced thin

5 Cloves Garlic 🧄 , minced

1 Fresno Chili 🌶️, sliced in thin strips

1 Thai Chili 🌶️, sliced in thin rounds

1 lb. Ground Chicken 🐓

2 Scallions, sliced

1 bunch fresh Basil 🌿 Leaves

Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Stir fry shallots in oil 3 mins

Mix in garlic, fresno chili, and Thai chili and stir fry 1 min

Add and brown ground chicken

Add in sauce, scallions and stir fry 2 mins

Turn off heat and stir in basil leaves

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Peach Crisp (skinny)

8 peaches pitted & sliced

3 Tbsps flour

2 Tbsps syrup (or honey)

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)


1/2 tsp vanilla extract


1/2 tsp cinnamon


1/2 tsp nutmeg


1/4 tsp salt

1 cup rolled oats


1/2 cup flour


1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8x8 baking dish


Mix peaches, 3 tablespoons flour, and 2 teaspoons syrup in a bowl until fruit is coated

Spread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish

Mix butter, 1/2 cup syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt


Stir in oats, flour and walnuts

Spread loosely over fruit


Bake 30 minutes

***

Red Beans and Rice

• 1 (12oz) package smoked andouille sausage, each cut in half then thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 cups broth 
• 2 Tbsps tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
• 3 (14oz) cans red (or kidney) beans, drained
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• cooked rice

• Sauté sausage, onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until veggies are tender
• Stir in broth, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, red beans, hot sauce, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil
• Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes
• Mash some of the beans to slightly thicken
• Serve over cooked rice

***

Pepper Pork Stew

2 pounds pork tenderloin 🍖, cut into 1” cubes

salt & pepper 

1/4 cup flour

1 cube of butter 🧈

5 cloves garlic 🧄 minced 

1 onion 🧅 chopped

2 carrots 🥕 sliced 

1 green, 1 red  & 1 yellow bell pepper 🫑 chopped

1 jalapeño 🌶️ chopped

3 tablespoons paprika

3 tablespoons tomato 🍅 paste

4 cups 🐓broth

1 bay leaf 🍃

2 russet potatoes🥔 cut into 1" cubes

Sprinkle pork with salt & pepper

Dredge pork in flour

Sauté pork in half the butter until browned

Remove pork & set aside 

Sauté onions, garlic, carrots & peppers in remaining butter until tender

Stir in paprika, 1 Tbsp flour, tomato paste, bay leaf, broth, pork and bring to a boil

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally

Add in potatoes, bring back to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 more minutes

***

Apple Pie

 

• 2 and 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 cube) butter chilled and cubed
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (crisco) chilled and cubed
• 1/4 cup  ice water
• 8 apples peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 

Crust Prep

• Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl
• Cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles coarse meal 
• Roughly mix in 1 Tablespoon water at a time using a fork
• Separate pastry into 2 balls, create 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour
• Using floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round on lightly floured surface into a round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch pie plate
• Roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and unroll and ease into pie plate  
• Place apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and combine thoroughly
• Spread apples into bottom pie crust. Dot with butter.
• Roll out other round, then roll loosely around rolling pin and place over filling 
• Fold edge of top crust under bottom crust, pressing on rim to seal and flute edges
• Cut 4 slits in pastry so steam can escape
• bake @350 for 40 mins

***

Chicken Cobbler

1 stick butter 

3 cups shredded chicken

2 cups frozen vegetables

2 cups milk 

2 cups pancake mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups broth

Place butter in a 9x13-inch dish, place in oven and set to 350° letting butter melt, then remove

Scatter chicken in pan

Layer frozen vegetables on top

In different bowl combine milk and pancake mix

then layer over vegetables

In same bowl, mix cream of chicken soup and broth then layer over the pancake mix

Bake 45 minutes 

***