Dinner

INGREDIENTS 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cups) 3 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp flour (I use cornstarch) 1 14 oz. can chicken or veggie broth 2 cups refrigerated diced potatoes with onion (1/2 a 1lb 4oz pkg) 1 1/2 c. milk 1 c. half and half 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional) salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS In saucepan cook celery in hot butter over med heat about 5 min. or until tender. Stir in flour until combined. Stir in broth; bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Add potatoes; return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 min. or until tender. Slightly mash potatoes. Stir in milk, half and half and bacon. Heat through. Add variation ingredients; heat through. If desired, thin with additional milk. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 2 1/2 c. whole milk may be substituted for the milk/half and half. VARIATIONS Seafood and Sweet and Spicy Red Pepper ...

INGREDIENTS 2 slices pancetta (1 ounce), minced 2 large leeks, washed, dried, and minced 1/2 cup grated carrots (grated on larger grates) 1/2 cup grated celery root (grated on larger grates) 1 small bunch kale, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces 3 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 cups reduced-sodium V8 juice Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated INSTRUCTIONS Heat the pancetta in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, stirring until it is lightly browned and its fat is released, about 2 minutes. Add the leeks, carrots, celery root, and kale. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and V8; bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil. Ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls and top each bowl with the Parmigiano.

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey mustard 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 pound ground beef chuck 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1 cup shredded white cheddar (about 4 ounces) Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 pound white new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 1 head Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons mustard and ketchup. In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, panko, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Form into four 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet. Brush with mustard mixture; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer meatloaves to upper rack of oven, and place potatoes on lower rack. Bake until loaves are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets after 10 minutes. Remove loaves from oven; continue to roast potatoes until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together remaining tablespoon oil, remaining teaspoon mustard, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce to bowl, and toss. Serve meatloaves with potatoes and salad.

INGREDIENTS 2 Tbs coconut oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 Tbs chili powder 1 tsp ground chipotle 2 tsp sea salt (optional) 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp garlic salt 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1"x1" chunks 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes 2 (4 oz) can diced green chilis 1/2 of a (4 oz) can diced jalapenos (may add more if desired) 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp thyme 1 bay leaf 7 to 8 medium mushrooms, sliced 2 medium carrots, sliced 2 medium zucchini, diced 1 yellow zucchini, diced 1 large red pepper, diced 4 to 6 large kale leaves, shredded fresh cilantro for garnish green onions for garnish 1 small can full fat coconut milk (placed in the fridge for a few hours) INSTRUCTIONS Heat large soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add coconut oil and onion to pot and brown slightly. Meanwhile, combine chili powder, sea salt, cumin and garlic salt in a large dish. Roll raw beef stew meat in the mixture to coat on all sides. When onions have browned slightly, add beef and brown on all sides. Add the diced tomatoes. Fill the empty can with water and add to the pot. Add green chilis, jalepenos, chipotle peppers, mushrooms, carrots, oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and red pepper, and cook for another 20 minutes. Add kale and finish cooking for 10 more minutes. Season with sea salt if desired. Serve with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro and a dollop of thickened coconut milk from the top of the can. NOTES This one is good but it’s a lot of chopping. ...

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt 1 pound dried angel hair pasta 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 ears of sweet corn, kernels cut from the cobs (about 2 cups) 2 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup crumbled feta cheese INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and corn, spreading the kernels out into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Let the kernels cook, without stirring, until browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, oregano, and a good pinch of salt. Cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the red pepper flakes, add the reserved pasta water and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta into the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, and feta. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt 1 pound pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from the casings if not bulk 4 Cups roughly chopped kale leaves (stem before chopping) 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, or more to taste 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and cook, stirring only occasionally, until very well browned, about 4 minutes. Add the kale and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the reserved pasta water and deglaze the pan, scraping with a wooden spoon to get up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning adding additional Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS 1 pound lean ground beef 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce 32 ounces cottage cheese 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons dried parsley salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 9 lasagna noodles 1/2 cup water INSTRUCTIONS In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef. Drain the grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, half of the grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, salt and ground black pepper. To assemble, in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish evenly spread 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with 3 noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup water to the edges of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F(175 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS 1 pound skirt steak 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup greek yogurt 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Season the steak on both sides with the coriander and salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and put on the grill. Cover and cook until nicely charred and the meat releases from the grill, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the chickpeas, scallions, parsley, garlic, yogurt, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the skirt steak against the grain. Spread the yogurt onto plates, top with sliced steak, and then cap it off with the chickpea salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4 ...

INGREDIENTS 4 lbs pork shoulder roast cut in two pieces 1 to 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 cup Water 1 tablespoon Hickory Liquid Smoke 2 teaspoons kosher salt coarse, or Hawaiian salt INSTRUCTIONS Select Sauté Function and add oil to the cooking pot. When hot, brown pork roast on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Brown each half of the roast separately. Remove to a platter when browned. Turn Instant Pot off and add water and liquid smoke to the cooking pot. Add browned roasts and any accumulated juices to the pot. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the pork roasts. Select the Manual function on the Instant Pot and adjust to High Pressure. Set to cook for for 90 minutes. When beep sounds, use a natural pressure release to release pressure (approximately 20 minutes). When valve drops carefully remove lid. Remove the meat from the pressure cooker and shred with two forks (discard excess fat as you shredded). Add some of the juices from the pressure cooker to moisten the meat. Note: A fat separator can be used to remove the fat from the juices.

INGREDIENTS 2 (4 pound) whole chickens, cut into 8 pieces each, patted dry 1 cup gochujang 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup clover honey 1/4 cup light soy sauce 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil Canola oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 green scallions, green and pale green parts only, thinly sliced INSTRUCTIONS Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl and, using a paring knife, make a few slashes in the skin of each piece. ...