Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
FOR THE LEMON THYME DRESSING
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
To make the dressing, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and thyme in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. In a large bowl, combine pasta, bacon, avocado, lemon-thyme dressing, salt and pepper to taste.Serve immediately, garnished with thyme.
1 pound thinly-sliced chicken cutlets, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 ounces angel hair pasta
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus the juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Sprinkle the chicken with some salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the oil. Working in 2 batches, brown the chicken until golden but not cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to turn golden at the edges, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until very al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and 3/4 cup pasta water to the skillet along with the chicken, lemon zest and juice and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and gently stir the pasta until the butter is melted, adding the remaining 1/4 pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle with the grated cheese and parsley and toss before serving.
24 cooked chicken meatballs (12 ounces), such as Easy Italian Chicken Meatballs. To make these easy Italian chicken meatballs, here is recipe : Ingredients: Directions: Step 1Position a rack in the oven 8 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler to high. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Step 2 Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a medium bowl; let stand for 10 minutes. Step 3 Stir egg, cheese, parsley, garlic and pepper into the breadcrumb mixture. Break sausage into small pieces. Add the sausage and chicken to the breadcrumb mixture, gently mixing until just combined. Step 4 Form the mixture into 24 meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a meatball registers 165 degrees F, 9 to 10 minutes.
4 cups baby spinach
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, cover and bring to a boil. Add orzo, oregano and salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is just tender, about 9 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in meatballs and spinach; cook until the meatballs are heated through and the spinach is wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cheese and drizzled with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
Heat oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add peppers, onions and salt; cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 18 to 21 minutes.
4 (6 inch) whole-wheat sub rolls, split
Directions
Step 1
Arrange oven rack in upper third of the oven. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, oregano and salt; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook until bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, warm peppers and onions in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often. (Alternatively, microwave for 1 minute to reheat.)
Step 4
Lay rolls, split-side open, on the prepared baking sheet. Broil, rotating the pan as necessary, until just starting to brown and toast, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Step 5
Top toasted buns with the beef mixture, dividing evenly. Top with the peppers and onions and then cheese. Broil just until the cheese is melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Wrap each sub in foil until ready to eat. Serve hot.
In a 2-qt. saucepan cook and stir chocolate and cream cheese over low until melted (mixture will be thick and slightly grainy). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill 1 to 1 1/2 hours or just until firm.
Step 2
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in desired coatings. Some examples of desired coatings: Cocoa-Ancho Coating: Roll balls in 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and sprinkle lightly with ground ancho chile pepper. Almond Coating: Roll balls in 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds. Coconut Coating: Roll balls in 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut. Chocolate Coating: Dip balls in 8 ounces melted dark chocolate and place on a waxed paper-lined tray. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Let stand until set. Peanut Butter Coating: Combine 3 ounces melted white baking chocolate and 1 Tbsp. peanut butter. Place balls on a waxed paper-lined tray and drizzle with peanut butter mixture. Let stand until set. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
To prepare crudité: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Set a large bowl of ice water by the stove. Blanch broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes in the boiling water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the ice bath to chill. Drain well. Blanch Brussels sprouts, green beans and snap peas in the same way.
Step 2
To prepare dip: Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, shallot, dill, vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl; set it in the center of a large circular platter or decorative serving board.
Step 3
Arrange kale around the bowl, with the frilly edges on the outside. Top with the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, snap peas and cauliflower. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
7 lb / 3.5 kgleg of lamb. Full legs of lamb are too long for most roasting trays. If you buy it from a supermarket, typically the shaft (bone) will be cut so it bends so it can fit into the pan. If you purchase it from a butcher, ask them to do this for you because you need the roast to fit flat in a roasting pan so it can lie submerged in the braising liquid.
Preheat oven to 220C/430F (fan forced/convection) or 240C/465F (standard ovens) or as high as your oven goes if it can’t go this high. Use a small knife to make around 25 incisions all over the lamb, with most on the top. Cut around 6 cloves into slivers and stuff them into the incisions. Sprinkle the lamb generously all over with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the lamb. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes or until it has a nice brown crust. Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 160C/320F (fan forced) / 180C/350F (conventional). Turn the lamb upside down. Pour / place all the remaining ingredients in the pan around the lamb (including remaining garlic cloves). Fill the roasting pan with hot water so it comes up about 1/4 – 1/3 of the way up the height of the lamb. Cover with lid or with baking/parchment paper then 2 layers of foil. Bake for 3.5 hours. Top up water if it dries out (e.g. Might happen if your lid is loose) Remove the roast from the oven and remove the lid/foil. Turn the lamb over so it is the right side up. Cover again and roast for a further 2 1/2 hours, or until you can pull meat apart with forks. Remove cover and roast for a further 20 – 30 minutes (to brown). Remove from the oven and transfer lamb to serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 – 40 minutes. Strain liquid into a clear jug. The fat will rise to the top. Scoop/pour most of it off – I get 3/4 – 1 cup. There should be 2 – 3 cups of sauce left. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste. Serve lamb with the sauce on the side and crunchy roast potatoes (heat oil while lamb is in the oven, then cook potatoes when the lamb is resting).
Cook spinach in hot oil in a large skillet until wilted. Combine the cooked spinach, dried cherries, cooked wild rice, crushed sage, pecans, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Trim excess fat from pork. To pinwheel the pork loin, start cutting lengthwise ½ inch under the fat cap on the roast. As you cut the roast, gently rotate the roast at the same time. This will allow the roast to “unroll” as you cut it. When the roast is completely cut, it should be a rectangular piece of meat between ½ and 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle cut surface of the meat with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, the ¼ teaspoon ground sage, and the thyme. Spread the spinach mixture over the cut side. Roll up the loin tightly to resemble the initial roast. Tie securely with twine.
Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan; insert a meat thermometer into thickest part. Roast in preheated oven for 1½ to 1¾ hours, or until oven thermometer registers 140°F.
Meanwhile, stir apricot jam and the water in a small saucepan over low heat, until the jam has melted.
Remove the roast from the oven and brush on about half of the apricot mixture. Return to the oven and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 150°F. Remove from the oven; brush with the remaining apricot mixture. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes in a warm place before carving. The temperature of the meat after standing should be 160°F.
For sauce, stir together sour cream, milk, and mustard in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot. Cook for 4 minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in spinach until it just starts to wilt. Set aside.
Fill a medium nonstick skillet halfway with water. Bring water to boiling; reduce heat to simmering (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Break one of the eggs into a small dish. Carefully slide egg into simmering water, holding the lip of the dish as close to the water as possible. Repeat with the remaining egg, allowing each egg an equal amount of space. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until egg whites are completely set and yolks being to thicken but are not hard. Remove eggs from skillet with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, toast the two muffin halves in a toaster. Place each half on a serving plate. Top evenly with mushroom mixture; place eggs on top of mushroom mixture. Spoon sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg. If desired, garnish with thyme sprigs.