​Make the Vinaigrette:​
In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette except for the olive oil.  While the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil.  Once all the items are combined turn off the blender and set aside.

Make the CousCous:
In a small saucepan warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and let cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the couscous, salt and stock. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cook the couscous for approximately 12 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the couscous and has become soft. Once cooked, transfer the couscous to a plate, spread in a thin layer to cool.

Assembly the Salad:
In a large bowl combine the kale, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, avocado and goat cheese. Season the veggies with a good sprinkle of kosher salt. Add the cooled couscous to the veggies and toss to combine. Drizzle in the vinaigrette, stopping to toss part of the way through. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. When serving, let the salad sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes and give it another toss.

Serves 6 - 8 people

In your salad bowl whisk together your vinaigrette ingredients. Add in the red onion, cucumber and tomatoes. Add a good pinch of salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight is best. When ready to serve, remove the salad from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving. Give the salad a toss and taste to see if more salt or pepper is needed and then serve.

*When peeling cucumbers, I like to leave a little bit of the green skin to add some color. The easiest way to seed a cucumber is to cut in half length wise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

**To seed a tomato, cut the tomato in half length wise and cut our the core. Over your compost or garbage bowl give the tomato a gentle squeeze releasing the seeds.

In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slow drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Stir in the chopped basil, oregano and parsley. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a palmful of kosher salt to the water. Stir to dissolve. Add the pasta to the water and give it a stir. Bring water back up to a boil and cook the pasta 7 - 9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Add the cold pasta to a large bowl. Add in the red onion, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, tomatoes, sliced olives, feta cheese and basil. Add in the dressing and gently stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

Remove the pasta salad from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving. Gently stir the salad and serve.

​Serves 6 - 8 people as a side dish

1/3 c Pearl Barley
3 c Water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 c Diced Rainbow Carrots
1/2 Onion - Diced
1 Stalk Celery - Diced
1 1/2 c Diced Leftover Lamb
2 Cloves Garlic - Finely Chopped
1 Tbsp Oregano - Finely Chopped
3 c Chicken Stock
3 c Beef Stock
1 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley - Finely Chopped
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Rinse the barley under cold running water. Put the barley in a saucepan and add the 3 c water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes, skimming any foam off the surface. Cover and set aside.

In a stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and let them cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the celery, onion and a good pinch of salt and let them cook another 5 - 8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the lamb, garlic and oregano and let it cook for another 3 - 4 minutes. Add the chicken and beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook about 10 minutes.

Drain the barley and add it to the stock pot. Cover the stock pot and turn the heat down to low. Let it cook for about 30 minutes. Add the parsley and taste to see if additional salt, or some pepper is needed. Turn off the heat and serve, topping each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley.

​Serves 6 - 8 people

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Carrot - Diced
2 Stalks of Celery - Diced
1/2 Onion - Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic - Crushed
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
2 c Chicken Stock - Low Sodium
1 Ham Bone - if you have it
1 1/2 c Diced Ham
3 15 oz cans White Beans - Drained
4 c Water
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Chopped Parsley for Garnish

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and let it cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the celery and onion and let it cook another 5 - 8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  Add the crushed garlic, tomato paste and dried thyme. Stir to break up the tomato paste and let it cook for about 4 minutes. Add in the chicken stock and stir to blend in the tomato paste. Add the ham bone, if you have it, diced ham, drained white beans and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Let it cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

When the soup is ready to serve taste to see if any salt is needed. The ham is pretty salty in general, so you might not need any. Remove the ham bone and pull off any ham that is left on it and add it back in. Add a touch of pepper if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with a pinch of chopped parsley.

​Serves 6 - 8 people

1 lb Prepared Raw Pizza Dough
1 Medium Size Shallot - Sliced and Rings Separated
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/3 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil - approximately
Flakey Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

In a large bowl add about 2 Tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil, pouring it along the sides of the bowl. Add the pizza dough to the bowl, coating it in the olive oil. Cover with a towel and let it sit in a warm spot for an hour.

In an 8x8 baking dish pour the rest of the extra virgin olive oil - about 3 Tbsp, evenly. Place the dough in the baking dish, flipping once to coat with the olive oil. Using your fingers stretch and spread the dough to reach the corners and creating dimples all over the top. Evenly sprinkle the rosemary and shallot slices over the dough. Slightly press the shallot slices into the dough. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of flakey sea salt over the top and add a few grinds of pepper. Let the dough sit for another half hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the oven is at temperature place the baking dish in the oven and back the dough for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the focaccia bread from the baking dish to a cutting board and let it cool slightly. Cut into squares and serve.

​Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish

In a bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing, except for the salt and pepper. Give the dressing a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil. Add the chopped bacon and stir to coat it in the oil. Let the bacon cook until crispy, 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon from the skillet to a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.

Clean the butter lettuce in a salad spinner. Slice each leaf in half down the center spine. Then slice the leaves cross-wise in thick ribbons. Place in a salad bowl. Cut the roma tomatoes in half and then in small wedges. Add the tomatoes to the salad bowl. Dice the avocado and add it to the salad. Add a pinch or two of salt to the salad. Add most of the bacon to the salad, leave a bit to top each plate.

Plate the salad, making sure each plate has a bit of each ingredients. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad and top with a few crumbles of bacon. Enjoy!

Serves 4 - 6

​2 c All Purpose Flour
1 c Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Kosher Salt
½ c Chopped Walnuts
1/2 c Golden Berry Blend (a mix of dried Cranberries, Blueberries, Cherries & Golden Raisins)
1 1/4 c Buttermilk - Give or Take
Sugar to Top (Optional) 
 
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a 8 inch round pan.  Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar together. Stir in the chopped walnuts and golden berry blend. With a wooden spoon lightly stir the flour mixture to combine with the buttermilk. Add just enough buttermilk to give the dough a soft, but sticky, feel.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and shape into a round loaf to fit in the cake pan. Place dough in the pan.  core the top to create an X (to let the fairies out). Sprinkle the top with sugar, if desired.

Bake the Soda Bread for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let the bread cool slightly and remove from pan. Bread can be served slightly warm or not. Slice the bread and top it with Kerrygold butter.

Serves 4 - 6 people.

3 Russet Potatoes
Olive Oil
6 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
1/4 c Butter - Melted
1/2 c Sour Cream
1/2 c Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp Chopped Chives
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes. Prick the potatoes a few times. Coat the potatoes with a bit of olive oil. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes have softened. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside to let them cool.

In a medium size skillet heat about a tablespoon of olive oil. Dice the bacon slices and add to the skillet. Give it a stir so that the bacon is spread evenly in the skillet. Let the bacon cook until crispy, 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon from the skillet to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half length wise. remove the inside of the potato, leaving about 1/4 of an inch next to the skin in tack. Place the potato insides in a bowl and give them a quick mash, lumps are okay here. Transfer the potato skin shells to a baking sheet and set aside. Mix in the butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon crumbles, about 1/4 tsp salt and some fresh ground pepper. Give the potato mixture a taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Fill the potato skin shells with the potato mixture.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

​Serves 6

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 c Diced Butternut Squash - 1/2 inch cubes or so
1/2 c Diced Onion
1 Clove Garlic - Crushed
1/4 c Diced Celery
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
6 c Chicken Stock
1 15 oz can Kidney Beans - Drained and Rinsed
1 15 oz can Garbanzo Beans - Drained and Rinsed
1 c Chopped Kale
1/2 c Small Shells - or any other small pasta
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet toss the butternut squash with 1 Tbsp olive oil, a heavy pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tender.  Set aside.

In a large stock pot heat the rest of the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausage, breaking it up as it browns.  Let cook 7 - 8 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, celery, a pinch of salt and some black pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and italian seasoning and give it another stir.  Cook another 2 minutes.  Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes and chicken stock.  Bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes.

Add in the butternut squash, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, kale and pasta.  Stir to combine.  Bring back up to a gentle simmer and cook for another 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Serves 4 -6 people