Pina's Brie Cheese

1-16 oz brie cheese

½ cup pecans chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp brandy or syrup


Place brie in pie plate or oven dish.
Sprinkle pecans the sugar and pour the brandy.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pina's Pizza Dough

1 cup of lukewarm water

2 tsp sugar

1 pkg. Fluscmann’s yeast

4 Tbsp oil

1 ½ tsp salt

2- 2 ½ cups flour

1)            In bowl, put water. Stirring, add sugar and yeast. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then stir.

2)            Add oil, salt, and flour (mixing as you add flour).

3)            Reverse onto a lightly floured board. Knead until well mixed.

4)            Place in a greased bowl & turn the dough so that all sides are greased.

5)            Cover. Let rise for 45 minutes until double in size in a warm place.

6)            Top as desired.

Buttermilk Griddle Cakes

Recipe courtesy of Christine Cushing

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

Butter for greasing the pan

Maple syrup

1)    Sift the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.

2)    Combine the buttermilk, unsalted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

3)    Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking, just until combined.

4)    Cover with plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

5)    Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat and coat with butter.

6)    Cook pancakes.

7)    Serve with maple syrup.

The longer the batter rests, the better the pancakes. If you can, make the batter the night before and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove it from the fridge, give it a stir, and let it come to room temperature before making the pancakes.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

2 large eggs

1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 (½ - to ¾ -inch-thick) center-cut pork loin chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges

In a pie plate, whisk the eggs to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in each of 3 large, heavy skillets over medium heat. Add 2 pork chops to each skillet and cook until golden brown and just cooked through about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with garnish wedges.

Serves 4.

Saffron-Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Red Onions

2 ¼ lb large potatoes, peeled

3 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges

Saffron Dressing

4 tablespoons boiling water

A large pinch of saffron powder or threads

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

5 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons (3 oz) butter, diced

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tablespoons dried)

Salt and pepper

1)    Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Pour boiling water over the saffron and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into three lengthwise.

2)    In a bowl, mix the lemon zest and juice, saffron liquid, olive oil, butter, sugar, rosemary, and salt and pepper.

3)    Place the potatoes and onions in a large roasting pan. Pour over the saffron dressing. Roast for 45 minutes, turning the vegetables every 15 minutes, until tender.

Serves 8.

Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing

Recipe Courtesy of: Giada de Laurentiis

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons plus ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)

1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed

1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a resealable plastic bag, combine ⅓ cup of the olive oil, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the fennel seeds, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a blender, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining ¼ cup lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining ⅓ cup oil. Season the basil sauce to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat or preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Drizzle with the basil sauce and serve.

Serves 6

Shepherd’s Pie with “Squashed” Potatoes

Meat and Vegetables

1 ½ lbs extra lean ground beef

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup frozen peas and carrots blend

1 cup frozen or canned corn

⅔ cup reduced-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons chili sauce (such as Heinz)

1 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper

Potato Topping

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 cups (about ½ lb or 250 g) peeled and chopped butternut squash

½ cup light sour cream

½ cup + 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash nutmeg

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Meat and Vegetables

1)    To make filling, cook beef, onions, and garlic in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink and onions are tender. Stir in paprika and thyme. Cook 1 more minute. Add peas and carrots and corn. Mix well.

2)    In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together broth, chili sauce, flour and Worcestershire sauce. Add to meat mixture in pot, along with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken slightly. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm while you prepare potato topping.

Potato Topping

1)    To make topping, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches (salt water if desired). Bring to a boil. Add squash. Cook until both potatoes and squash are tender, about 12 to 14 minutes. Drain potatoes and squash in a colander. Return to pot. Sprinkle ½ cup Parmesan over vegetables. Cover with lid and let stand 1 minute for cheese to melt. Add sour cream, salt and a tiny dash of nutmeg. Mash well using potato masher. Try to get out as many lumps as possible.

2)    To assemble casserole, spread meat mixture evenly over the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with potato/squash mixture. Fluff with fork so small peaks are formed. Sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp Parmesan over potatoes. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, until bubbly around edges and completely heated through. Remove from oven. Sprinkle top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Per serving: 462 calories, 14 g fat, 5.8 g fiber