1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red onion, cut in half and sliced into half moons
1 strip of bacon, trimmed of fat
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (give or take) red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale
swirl of red wine, we used merlot, to deglaze the pan
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 to 3/4 lb. spaghetti or vermicelli

Heat a pot of water big enough to boil you pasta.

Saute the red onion in the olive oil a few minutes to soften a bit.  Add diced bacon and saute a bit longer, caramelizing the onion and browning the bacon up a bit.  Lower the heat down and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  While they become fragrant, remove the woody stems from the kale and chop.  Add to pan and saute until it begins to soften, a minute or two.  Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and garbanzo beans.  Reduce heat to low and simmer with a lid.

While the sauce simmers, add the pasta to the boiling, salted water.  When the pasta is done, add to pan with sauce and toss.  Top with basque sheep’s milk cheese or parm.

3-4 cloves garlic – minced or run through a microplain

1 red bell pepper – chopped

1# ground turkey, white meat

cumin

chili powder

1/8 – 1/4 tsp cinnamon

chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 15 oz can pumpkin

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

2 15 oz cans kidney beans – drained

Lightly carmelize the onion and red bell pepper.  Add garlic and wait a couple of minutes, but don’t let it brown.  Add ground turkey, a palmful of each:  ground cumin, chili powder, cinnamon & salt and pepper to taste.  Toss around pan until turkey in starting to brown up and spices are fragrant.  I diced two chipotle peppers and added them at this point with 1-2 tablespoons (give or take) of adobo sauce.  Use more or less chipotles and sauce to taste.  Let chipotles saute a bit with the rest of the ingredients, then add the can of diced tomatoes and the can of pumpkin puree.  Stir everything together and reduce the heat to a simmer.  If the chili seems too thick, add chicken stock or water to thin it out a bit.  Add kidney beans and let simmer low for about 30 minutes.  Taste to check seasonings and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Top servings with the usual chili toppings – avocado and cilantro are great on this with cornbread on the side.

• 1 bag of prepared pizza dough (we used whole foods raw dough)
• 1 chicken with spinach and feta sausage (again, from whole foods in the meat counter)
• 2″ piece of garlic and herb chevre
• sliced artichoke hearts
• fresh basil
• tomato
• kalamata olives

Work the dough out into whatever shape you like, round or rectangular works well.  We worked ours out really thin and baked the pizza on a silpat over a pizza stone, which came out really crispy.

Warm up some olive oil and add a couple of cloves of fresh, slightly smashed garlic.  Don’t brown the garlic, just have the oil warm enough to get the cloves bubbling.  The oil from the garlic will infuse the olive oil.

While the oil is cooling, remove the chicken sausage from the casing and brown.  Brush a light layer of your infused olive oil over crust.  Sprinkle crust with sausage, crumbled chevre, a generous portion of torn basil leaves, the sliced artichoke hearts and sliced kalamata olives.  Use the toppings lightly, combined their flavors are potent.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes, checking after 10.  Remove from the over when the crust is brown and crisp.  Top with fresh sliced tomatoes.

• 1/2 cup kidney beans soaked overnight or 1 (14-ounce) can store-bought beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cannellini beans soaked overnight or 1 (14-ounce) can store-bought beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling on bread
• 1/2 pound diced pancetta
• 2 cups diced yellow onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 quarts chicken stock, plus extra water if needed
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 heads Lacinata kale, stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 loaf Italian peasant bread, cut into thick slices
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, for serving

Directions

Place the kidney beans in a medium pot, add water to cover by 2-inches and bring to a boil. (If using canned kidney beans, skip this step.) Turn the heat down, let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until just-tender. Use the same process for the cannellini beans.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta, rendering the fat and cooking until slightly crispy about 3 minutes. Saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Add the diced tomatoes, the cooked and drained kidney beans, cannellini beans, chick peas, and the chicken stock. Using kitchen twine, tie the herbs and the bay leaf into a bundle and add to the pot. Season with the red chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then add the kale. Continue cooking until the beans are completely tender.

Slice the bread into slices and toast under the broiler on both sides.  When toasted, rub one side with a cracked open garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil.

For the green sauce:

1# tomatillos
1 yellow onion
2 jalepenos
4 cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
about 1/2 cup cilantro
juice of 1/2 to 1 lime

Roast tomatillos, onion, jalapenos and garlic at 400 for 15 minutes.  Transfer to a food processor and add seasonings.  Pulse into a chuncky sauce.

For the enchiladas:

1 rotisserie chicken
1/2 yellow onion
cumin
chili powder
1 can creamed corn
1 can enchilada sauce
1 bag fresh spinach
1 small can sliced olives
any type of hot sauce you like

While the tomatillos are roasting, chop 1/2 sweet yellow onion and saute it on low heat with a small amount of oil.  You want just enough to keep the onions from initially sticking.  Add about a palmful (1 to 1 1/2 tbsp) cumin and the same amount of chili powder.  Let the spices soak up any moisture in the pan and kinda roast.  Keep the heat low.

While this is going on, pull off all the meat from a rotisserie chicken.  Add 1 can creamed corn to the onion and spices, stir and add the chicken, a 14 oz can of enchilada sauce (I used old elpaso), and a couple of handfulls of fresh spinach and a few good shakes of hot sauce (we like Il Tapatio).  Stir together till everything looks steamy.

Coat the bottom of a 9×13 pan with enchilada sauce and add a layer of corn tortillas.  Top with about half of the filling, pour on a bit more enchilada sauce and repeat layering steps, ending with tortillas on the top. You’ll have two layers of filling and three of tortillas.  Pour last bit of enchilada sauce on top, four or five good spoonfulls of the tomatillo sauce and olives.

Bake in a 350 convection oven for about 30 to 40 minutes.  It should be nice and bubble with the edges of the top tortillas looking slightly crispy.

Serve with more tomatillo sauce, fresh avacado chunks, and chopped tomato piled on top of each serving.

Instructions

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in large mixing bowl; mix well. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender or blend with your fingers until mixture is the texture of cornmeal. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add egg nog. Stir with fork until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Gather dough and divide into 2 balls. Roll or pat one ball on floured surface to form a circle 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces. Place on lightly greased baking sheet; brush with egg nog and grate a light dusting of fresh nutmeg over tops. Repeat with remaining ball. Bake at 425°F. 12 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes 16 scones.

Variation:  bring 3/4 cup raisins and 1/2 cub bourbon or dark rum to a simmer.  Shut off heat and let raisins soak up liquid while you prepare dry ingredients.  Drain any excess liquid and add to dry ingredients with egg nog.  Combine.  You want your dough to be a bit dry and not sticky.  If it seems too wet, sprinle additional flour and lightly knead into dough.  Roll out & finish per original instructions.

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup light sour cream
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. butter

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender.  Drain and mash until there are no lumps.  Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and egg whites; stir well to combine.

These are great left over or browned up for breakfast the next day.