Recipes

Watch this cute video and learn two kid-friendly recipes for Halloween! Decorate cupcakes with a spider web and create a black bubbling punch!

Spider Web Cupcakes & Spooky Halloween Punch

Spider Web Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil’s Food Cakemix, follow package directions to bake cupcakes
• 1 16-ounce tub vanilla frosting
• 1 3.5-ounce tube Wilton sparkle gel-black
• Wooden toothpicks
• 18 plastic spider rings

1. Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Let cupcakes cool completely.
2. Frost cupcakes with the vanilla frosting. Use black sparkle gel, and draw a spiral shape on top of each cupcake. Using a wooden toothpick, drag it through the gel icing from the center outwards. Repeat this process on all of the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a plastic spider ring.

Spooky Halloween Punch

• 1 packet unsweetened Orange drink mix (.22 oz)
• 1 packet unsweetened Grape drink mix (.22 oz)
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 8 cups cold water
• 2 liters ginger ale
• 8 ounces dry ice **Do not handle with bare hands. Use tongs….adult participation required!

1. In a large glass punch bowl, combine the grape and orange drink mix packets.
2. Add the sugar and cold water.
3. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
4. Add the club soda.
5. Store in the refrigerator until party begins.
6. Just before guests arrive, place the dry ice into the punch bowl using tongs.

Bacon is one of my favorite ingredients! In this recipe, I stuff large jalapenos with a sinful mixture of cream cheese, bacon, corn, ranch dressing, and spices…and topped with a crunchy seasoned breadcrumb mixture…. Bake and serve for your next tailgater!

Bacon and Corn Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

• 12 large jalapenos, cut in half and seeded
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup bacon bits
• ¾ cup corn, thawed
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons ranch dressing

Topping

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt

1. Wearing gloves, cut the tops off the jalapenos, and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Make the filling by softening the cream cheese and then adding the following: cheddar cheese, bacon bits, corn kernels, 1 ½ teaspoon cumin, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and ranch dressing. Fill the jalapeno halves with this mixture. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet.
3. Make the topping by combining the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Sprinkle topping over the jalapenos.
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

So sweet, so easy, and SO delicious!!! Watch me make this rich tasting chocolaty treat, perfect for Valentine’s Day, dinner parties, or just for fun!

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cups

• 1 ½ cups dark chocolate (Chocolate Decadence is my favorite brand)
• 12 ounces silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup fresh raspberries, for garnish
• 1 ounce fresh mint, for garnish

1. Put chocolate chips in a medium saucepan, and heat on the stovetop using LOW heat. Keep a close eye on the chocolate, and stir it often.
2. Place tofu and raspberries in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, raspberries, and powdered sugar and process until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and process for 30 seconds longer. Pour into martini glasses for elegant presentation. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
4. Make Ahead Tip: Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Watch this cooking demonstration on how to make one of my favorite recipes! Miso, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Japanese rice wine make the perfect marinade for fresh salmon, which cooks up quickly on a cedar plank!

Miso & Ginger Glazed Salmon on Cedar Plank

• 2 lbs salmon, boneless and skinless
• ½ cup miso paste, red, room temperature
• 1/3 cup Mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup green onions, sliced thinly
• ¼ cup ginger root, grated
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• Cedar plank

1. Soak cedar plank in water for 2 to 4 hours before cooking the fish.
2. In a glass bowl, combine the miso with the Mirin. Using a spatula, thoroughly combine the two ingredients, so no lumps remain. Once smooth, add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and sesame oil.
3. Place the salmon filet in a Ziploc bag, and pour the sauce over the fish. Marinate for 2 hours before cooking.
4. Preheat grill to medium heat for 15 minutes. Place the cedar plank on the grill and close lid, to preheat the plank for 5 minutes.
5. Place salmon on top of the hot cedar plank. Pour remaining marinade over the fish. Close the lid and cook salmon for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.
6. Serve immediately.

What a delicious way to use quinoa!!! Watch me prepare a client favorite recipe, using quinoa, black beans, cilantro, corn, and spices! I promise you’re going to love it!

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons cumin
• 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper *you can double or triple the cayenne if desired
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cups broth, HOT
• 1 pound corn kernels, thawed
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained well
• 2/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the cumin and cayenne and stir well.
2. Rinse the quinoa with plenty of water. Add to the pan. Add the white wine and bring it to a boil. Continue stirring until the wine has completely evaporated.
3. Add the 3 cups of broth and bring it to a boil again. Scrape down the sides of the pan to ensure all of the quinoa is submersed in the cooking liquid. Turn heat down to medium-low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.
4. After the 20 minutes are up, add the corn kernels. Stir well, cover again, and cook for 5 more minutes.
5. Mix in the black beans and cilantro. Stir well and heat through.

This dish freezes well. You can portion it out into lunch sized servings and store them in the freezer. Just grab one out of the freezer before you leave for work!

This recipe will knock your socks off!! My friends fight over these, I promise! Toasted baguette topped with blue cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, seared steak, and French-fried onions….need I say more?

Steak Bruschetta

• Baguette (one or two)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Garlic salt
• ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 pound flat iron steak
• 2 teaspoons Montréal seasoning
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup French fried onions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice baguette into ½ thick pieces. Brush lightly with olive oil, and then sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove bread from the oven, and turn on the broiler.
3. Brush steak with olive oil, then sprinkle on the Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat a large non-stick skillet with one tablespoon oil. When pan is hot, sear steak for 90 seconds per side. Remove from pan and place on a cutting board to rest.
4. In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese and mayonnaise. Stir well.
5. Use a small spatula and spread 2 teaspoons of the blue cheese-mayo spread onto each baguette. Place three chunks of sun-dried tomato on each piece of bread.
6. With a sharp knife, slice the steak into pieces about ¼ inch thick. Place one slice of steak onto each slice of bread.
7. Top each steak with a teaspoon of French fried onions.
8. Place bruschetta in the oven, on the middle rack. Broil for about 3 minutes. Keep a very close eye on the food, because it will burn very quickly!

This is a special cookie recipe for any time of year! I’m going to show you how to make something special with everyday ingredients. Making browned butter will give these cookies a delicious caramel taste that you will love!

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

This is a special cookie recipe for any time of year! I’m going to show you how to make something special with everyday ingredients. Making browned butter will give these cookies a delicious caramel taste that you will love.

• 1 cup butter, salted
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar

1. Melt 1 cup butter over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan for 2 minutes. Continue cooking and stirring. Watch closely until butter foams and turns a delicate golden brown color (3 to 4 minutes). Immediately remove from heat and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Use a hotpad or trivet under the pan in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Combine the browned butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat using medium speed until well mixed. Add the flour and mix again.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with tines of a fork, in a crossing pattern.
5. Bake for 11 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Watch me prepare a client favorite recipe, Flank Steak Roll-Ups with Spinach & Bacon!! It’s perfect for grilling on the 4th of July! Follow that with a quick fizzy Strawberry Cooler, for a family-friendly BBQ!

Flank Steak Roll-Ups with Spinach and Bacon

• 1 ½ pound Flank Steak, trimmed of fat and pounded ½ inch thick
• 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 8 bacon slices
• 1 ½ 10 ounce boxes frozen Spinach, thaw and squeeze liquid out
• 1 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 12 skewers, 8 inches long, soaked in water for 30 minutes.

1. Fry bacon slices in a pan using medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes….just until cooked and soft. Do not cook until crispy for this recipe.
2. Trim flank steak, and pound to ½ inch thick with a meat mallet. Sprinkle generously with the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
3. In a large bowl, place the thawed, squeezed spinach. Add the garlic, lemon juice, some Kosher salt, and the thyme.
4. Arrange the bacon slices on top of the flank steak, covering the ¾’s of the flank steak that’s closest to you. This will leave about two inches of flank steak uncovered. Using your hands, arrange the spinach mixture over the bacon in an even layer. Press it flat.
5. Using both hands, begin at the end closest to you, and roll the flank steak tightly, until you have one large roll. Insert three skewers, 3 inches apart, to hold the roll together.
6. Using a very sharp chef’s knife, slice the roll into 1 inch pieces. It’s easiest to slice off only one or two at a time. Lay the pinwheel flat on your cutting board, and insert a skewer through it. This will prevent them from falling apart on the grill, and it will make them easier to flip over.
7. Preheat grill to medium-high. Scrape grill and spray with non-stick spray that is designed for grills (non-flammable). Grill for 4 minutes, then flip over and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.

Creamy Strawberry Cooler

• 1 pound strawberries, washed and trimmed
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream, lowfat
• 1 cup club soda, chilled
• 2 fresh strawberries, greens attached, for garnish
• 2 tall glasses and straws

1. Place one pound strawberries, ice cream, and club soda in a blender. Blend on high for one minute.
2. Pour into tall drinking glasses. Make one cut in the garnish strawberries, running the long way, so they can sit on the edge of the glasses.

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.

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.