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Crunchy, quick, and delicious!! This recipe will knock your socks off! Watch Chef Becky prepare onion rings and dill pickles in batter made with Ninkasi beer!

Beer Battered Onion Rings

• ½ cup all propose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup instant mashed potato flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup cold beer **(Nikasi Pravada Pilsner ) ** you may substitute cold club soda
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 large yellow onions (also try baby dill pickles, I dare you!)
• 3 cups canola oil

Sauce

• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup ranch dressing

1. Peel and slice onions to ½ inch thick
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, potato flakes, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. Whisk in the beer and stir until smooth.
3. Place panko in a shallow bowl.
4. Make sauce by combining the ketchup and ranch in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Heat the canola oil in a frying pan with high sides to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels.
6. Place 4 onion rings into the bowl of batter and toss to coat them.
7. Remove onion rings from batter and place into a pan of panko breadcrumbs. Turn to coat completely.
8. Carefully place onion rings in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. The procedure is the same for the dill pickles!

Three simple ingredients are combined to make the perfect appetizer for wine tastings and summer parties!

Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Stuffed Brie

• 8 ounce Brie cheese wedge
• 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and julienned
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped small
• Baguette or crackers for serving

1. Chill the brie in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to handle.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice the brie triangle in half, so you end up with two identical triangles.
3. Place one triangle of the brie on a pretty oven-safe serving dish. Arrange the sun-dried tomato pieces on top, and then sprinkle with the chopped basil. Place the brie wedge on top and score the top of the wedge with a sharp knife. This will make it easier to serve after it’s been baked.
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with sliced baguette, or your favorite crackers.

So DELICIOUS!! Brownies, marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate, graham crackers, and chocolate frosting unite to create a sinfully sweet and tasty dessert!! No campfire needed!

S’more Brownie Cups

• 1 batch of Triple Chocolate Decadence Brownies, or a high quality boxed brownie mix, baked
• 1 tub marshmallow cream
• 1 tub milk chocolate frosting
• 3 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars
• 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
• 8 graham crackers, broken into 1 inch pieces
• 8 clear plastic cups, 9-ounce capacity

1. Bake brownies according to package directions, and let cool. Break brownies up into chunks, about 1 inch in size.
2. Place the 8 cups on the counter. In each of the plastic cups, layer the ingredients in the following order:

Order of Assembly

• Brownie Chunks (about 3 tablespoons in the bottom of each cup)
• 1 tablespoon marshmallow cream
• Hershey bar broken into pieces (about 2 chunks per cup)
• Brownie Chunks (about ¼ cup per plastic cup)
• 2 tablespoons chocolate frosting (spread around to cover brownie chunks)
• 6 to 8 mini marshmallows per cup
• 4 graham cracker pieces
• Hershey bar pieces (arrange with logo facing up)

Serve with a spoon.

This smoothie tastes great!!! I combine a few simple ingredients, including two fruits and a veggie, to create a perfect health drink!

Banana Berry Greek Yogurt Smoothie

• 4 ripe bananas
• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups nonfat Greek Yogurt (honey or vanilla flavor)
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 16 ounces silken tofu

1. Place all ingredients in a large container.
2. Using an immersion blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth.

Makes six smoothies.

A brownie recipe for true chocolate lovers!!! Three kinds of top quality chocolate is key and my favorite brand is Chocolate Decadence, from Eugene, Oregon.

Triple Chocolate Decadence Brownies

• 2 sticks butter (1 cup), cut into pieces, room temperature
• 8 oz. Chocolate Decadence dark chocolate (62%), coarsely chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup Chocolate Decadence Milk Chocolate (chips, buttons, or bars chopped up)
• ½ cup Chocolate Decadence 62% Dark Chocolate (semi-sweet)
• ½ cup Chocolate Decadence 72% Dark (bitter sweet)

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line a 13X9 metal pan with parchment paper (its handy to allow a few inches the parchment paper to come up the sides of the pan). Spray parchment with non-stick spray. Set pan aside.
2. Pour enough water into a 4-quart saucepan that it reaches a depth of 1″. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Combine butter and chocolate in a medium sized metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt; whisk to combine. Stir in chocolate mixture; fold in flour.
4. Stir in the three kinds of chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for two hours. Cut and serve.

Deviled eggs are always the first thing to disappear at a potluck! Watch me prepare deviled eggs with a new twist!

Bacon Cheddar Chive Deviled Eggs

• 12 large cage-free eggs (I like Chino Valley organic eggs)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into tiny pieces
• 2 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced chives
• 2 pinches paprika, for garnish

1. Place cold eggs in a pot, add water to cover eggs by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a gentle boil, and boil for 9 minutes. When time is up, drain the boiling water off of the eggs, and fill the pot with cold water and ice cubes. Chill for two hours in the refrigerator. Peel and shell the eggs.
2. Fry the bacon until crisp, and then chop into tiny pieces.
3. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks into a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, bacon, cheese, and cider vinegar. Stir in mustard.
4. Fill egg white halves with the seasoned yolk mixture. Garnish with chives and smoked paprika.

With bacon, blue cheese, and beef, how can you go wrong? Make these meatballs, and your guests will devour them!

Bacon Blue Cheese Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef (12 to 15% fat)
• ⅓ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon Johnny’s Seasoned Salt
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled fine
• ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles

Condiments for serving: Ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc… whatever you would serve with a burger!!

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, bread crumbs, and seasoned salt. Mixture will thicken and become like a paste. Stir in the crumbled bacon and then the blue cheese crumbles. Add the meat and mix well with your hands.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Use a cookie dough scooper, scoop balls into balls. Roll each ball between your hands to get a perfectly round shape.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and use convection if you have it.
4. Bake meatballs for 7 minutes… open the oven, and give the cookie sheet a firm shake to loosen the meatballs from the foil. Bake 7 minutes longer.
5. Serve with cocktail forks and your favorite condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc.

This oatmeal is quick, easy, and delicious!!! I use rolled oats, rolled red wheat, cinnamon, brown sugar, milk, raisins, and a ripe banana for this recipe. It’s freezer friendly, so you can store some at home, or at work!

Banana Raisin Oatmeal

• 1 ½ cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 ½ cup red wheat
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 cups skim milk (almond, soy, rice, or coconut milk, may be substituted)
• 1 large ripe banana, diced
• ¾ cup raisins

1. Add oats, red wheat, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk to a medium sauce pan.
2. Using medium heat, bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in the banana and raisins.

Makes 4 large servings.

Watch me make a client favorite recipe….it’s healthy and SO tasty! Would you guess, the two secret ingredients are chocolate and refried beans?

Four Bean Turkey Chili with Chocolate

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 ½ teaspoons beef broth concentrate (I recommend “Better than Bouillon”)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, lightly drained
• 1 15-ounce can light red kidney beans, lightly drained
• 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, lightly drained
• 1 15-ounce can refried beans
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• ½ cup sour cream, for garnish
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, for garnish

1. In a stock pot add onions, jalapenos, and bell pepper. Add the olive oil and sauté for a few minutes. Add the wine, and cover. Cook about 10 minutes, or until the bell peppers are nearly cooked through.
2. Add the ground turkey, and break up the turkey with your spatula. Cook until browned.
3. Add concentrated beef broth (do not dilute), tomatoes, black beans, light red kidney beans, and dark red kidney beans. Stir well. Add chili powder, cumin, and chocolate. Mash refried beans well to break up any solid chunks before adding to the pot. The refried beans will help thicken chili.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes, and stir every 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan each time.
5. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

I know you’re going to love this party-perfect appetizer!! Make it ahead of time and take “ready to bake” to any party! All you need is baguette, cream cheese, pesto, salami, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan Cheese.

Genoa Bread

• Baguette
• Soft Cream Cheese
• Pesto
• Quality Salami, thinly sliced, casing removed
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes, oil-packed, thinly sliced
• Parmesan Cheese

1. Slice bread into ½ inch thick slices. Using a butter knife or silicone spatula, spread a thin layer of soft cream cheese on top of each slice of bread (about 1 ½ teaspoons cream cheese on each slice of bread).
2. Place about ¾ teaspoon pesto on top of the cream cheese. Spread it evenly, using the back of a spoon.
3. Thinly slice the salami with as sharp knife, and remove the casing. Slice into half-moon shapes. Arrange on top of the bread.
4. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, and place on top of the salami.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes.