Ham Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Nikki Hollowell Gwin

Ingredients:

3 cups cubed ham
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup fresh chopped parsley (ok, i did not have fresh and had to use dried)
...1 chopped bell pepper
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook rice according to pkg directions. Then mix all ingredients and pour into greased cassarole dish. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Shaved Fennel Salad

Recipe courtesy of Peter Francis Battaglia

A shaved fennel salad with extra virgin olive oil, fresh mandarin juice, fennel fronds, black pepper, sea salt, diced red onion, on a bed of baby spinach

Greek Salad

Recipe courtesy of Peter Francis Battaglia

A crisp and refreshing Greek Salad...a fine dice of red onion, celery, cucumber, oregano, red wine vinegar, Greek Olive oil (it's sooo good), some salad greens, ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives, squeeze of fresh lemon...toss together, and top with delicious feta cheese..

Thai Panang Curry with Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin
Makes 2 -4 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz. Sliced Chicken Breast
1 Can Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons ground Peanuts
1 tablespoon palm sugar
4 Thinly sliced Kafflir Lime Leaves
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce or to taste
4 - 5 Thai Basil Leafs
2 oz. Panang Curry Paste ( more if you like the heat)
1 Red Bell Pepper
Stir fry vegetables, optional
Pinch ground Red Chili (to taste)


Heat sauce pan over medium heat. Add small amount of olive or peanut oil. Add Curry, lime leaves and palm sugar in the pan. As they reduce, add Chicken. Sear chicken while mixing with curry spices. Add Coconut Milk. Bring to near
boil, then simmer. Add peanuts. The longer you simmer the better. Minimum 15 to 20 minutes, several hours if time permits.
Add bell peppers about 15 minutes before serving along with fish sauce.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin
From J. Beethoven's Corned Beef Connection:

6 carrots, cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
2-3 lb. corned beef brisket
12 oz. can beer (non alcoholic is fine)
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
8 wedges cabbage

Spice Mixture
8 allspice berries
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (gourmet blend)
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 fresh thyme sprigs or about 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, tie in cheese cloth and add to liquid.

Preparation:

In 4-6 quart crockpot, combine carrots and onions. Rinse corned beef under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with contents of seasoning mix. Pour beer over brisket and spread mustard on brisket. In small bowl mix brown sugar with water and pour over brisket. Cover crockpot and cook on low setting for 10-12 hours.
Remove corned beef from crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm. Add cabbage wedges to vegetables and liquid in crockpot. Cover crockpot and cook on high for additional 30-40 minutes or until cabbage is crisp tender.

To serve, cut corned beef across grain into thin slices. Remove vegetables from slow cooker with slotted spoon and serve with corned beef. Serve cooking juices over the food, if desired. Offer additional mustard on the side.

If you have a newer, hotter cooking crockpot you might want to check it after 8 or 9 hours.

Black Fermented Garlic Butter

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin

The Taste:
This is an obviously caramelized product. Molasses-like in its deep rich color and it’s slightly sweet and sticky presentation. The first taste is garlicky yes, but more along the lines of slow roasted garlic, quite tame. In addition there are strong sweet-savory notes. This must be umami-rich. Again, a crack research team is investigating.

Read more at Suite101: Black Garlic, New Gourmet Ingredient: Umami-rich, Deeply-flavored, Fermented - Odd and Wonderful http://www.suite101.com/content/black-garlic-new-gourmet-ingredient-a103710#ixzz1BWowlyAl

Directions
1 stick of butter (1/4 of a pound)
2 tbs of Italian Parsley finely chopped
2 tbs of chives finely chopped
zest of one lemon
6 cloves of black fermented garlic
whip all ingredients together

Piri-Piri Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin

Piri-Piri Chicken

Piri-piri chicken is a spicy dish with roots in both Africa and Portugal. The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers arrived with chili peppers (known as piri-piri in Swahili). Timing note: The chicken needs to marinate for at least four hours before being grilled.

IngredientsGlaze
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, backbone removed, opened flat
1 113/4x81/2x1 1/4-inch disposable aluminum baking pan (to catch drips)

Glaze
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cilantro and garlic; cook until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add piri-piri sauce and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes. DO AHEAD Glaze can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before using.
Chicken
Finely chop cilantro, ginger, shallot, and garlic in processor. Add piri-piri sauce, 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, coarse salt, and pepper; process marinade to blend.
Place chicken, skin side up, on work surface. Using palm of hand, press on breastbone to flatten chicken. Tuck wing tips under. Pour half of marinade into 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Open chicken like book; place skin side down in single layer in dish. Pour remaining marinade over. Cover; chill at least 4 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.
Remove top rack from barbecue. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). If using 2-burner gas grill, light 1 burner. If using 3-burner gas grill, do not light center burner. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour onto 1 side of lower grill rack. Place disposable aluminum pan on unlit part of grill. Place upper grill rack on barbecue; brush with oil.
Remove chicken from marinade. Arrange skin side up on grill rack above drip pan. Cover barbecue; grill until skin is browned and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, turning often, about 40 minutes. Transfer to platter. Pour warm glaze over.