Honey Mustard Brussels

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil ~ or about 2 tbsp or more of bacon drippings, instead of butter and oil
• 1 tbsp good quality Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey ~ I really do just eyeball the amounts of mustard and honey
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

1. Over medium high heat, melt butter and olive oil in large nonstick pan.
2. Add brussels sprouts, toss to mix and add a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook and stir until brown and crisp-tender
3. Stir in mustard and honey until well combined and caramelized, a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy.

Caramel Soak Cake

Ingredients

• 1 chocolate cake , baked in a 9x13'' pan
• 1 recipe caramel sauce , or one 16oz jar caramel topping
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 heath candy bars , chopped*

Instructions

1. Bake cake according to directions in a 9x13 pan.
2. Allow cake cool for about 5 minutes, then poke holes in it with a fork or the handle end of a wooden spoon.
3. Immediately pour caramel sauce all over the cake. Then pour the sweetened condensed milk (I only usually use about 1/2 of the can of sweetened condensed milk because I think it's sweet enough with just half. But, the traditional recipe uses the entire can. It's up to you!)
4. Allow the cake to cool completely.
5. While the cake cools, add the whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks. 
6. Add powdered sugar and then beat the mixture until stiff peaks. Smooth the fresh whipped cream over the cooled cake. 
7. Sprinkle with heath candy pieces. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to one day, before serving. 

Butternut and Pear

For the roasted butternut & pears

• 2 medium butternuts peeled, de-seeded and chopped into large chunks (approximately 2 big handfuls)
• 4 pears peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

for the soup

• 1 tbsp butter
• splash of olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-2.5 l vegetable stock
• 100 ml cream
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 for the Gorgonzola toasts
• 100 g Gorgonzola
• 50 ml cream
• ciabatta toasted

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
2. Place the butternut and pears in a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and toss to coat the butternut and pears in the olive oil.
3. Place in the oven and allow to roast for 30-45 minutes until the butternut and pears are cooked through and caramelised on the edges.
4. In a large pot, melt the butter with a splash of olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf until soft and translucent.
5. Add the cooked butternut and pears to the pot and fry for a minute before adding the stock.
6. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes before removing the bay leaf and blitzing in a blender or with a hand blender.
7. Add the cream and stir through. Season to taste and serve. (I served the soup sprinkled with some dried smoked chillies for heat but this is optional.)
8. To make the Gorgonzola toasts, chop the cheese fine and mash/blend with the cream. You could also mix it with a hand mixer which will make it slighly moussey.
9. Serve the spread on toasted ciabatta.

Creme Brulee French Toast
from Michelle

Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 (8 to 9) inch round loaf Challah bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

ADD CHECKED ITEMS TO GROCERY LIST

Directions

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Cut 6 (1-inch) thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit. In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Full recipe here

• 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
• Olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 limes, juice of
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped; more for garnish
• Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil

Spice mix:

• 1 tbsp seasoned salt like this one
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (or hot paprika, if you like)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix the spices. Pat the chicken thighs dry, and season each thigh on both sides with the spice mix. Be sure to season underneath the skin as well. Let the chicken thighs sit in room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• When ready, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron skillet with a lid like this one.Brown the chicken thighs deeply on both sides in the heated oil. Remove from skillet and set aside briefly.
• Lower the heat and deglaze the skillet with the white wine. Let cook to reduce and then add the broth.
• Bring the liquid to a simmer then add lime juice and garlic.
• Now return the chicken to the skillet; and toss in the cilantro. Bring to a high-simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
• Cover and transfer to the 375 degree F-heated oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like.
• A simple fattoush salad and a side of rice, couscous or Greek potatoes complete this chicken dinner

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

• 1 small/medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound (93% lean) ground turkey
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 peppers, any color, cored and diced
• doesn't call for it but we do a small squash and a small zucchini
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes with Italian spices, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings of choice (or a mix of oregano, basil, and thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if sensitive to spice)
• 1 cup freshly grated part-skim mozzarella or provolone cheese, divided
• Chopped fresh parsley or basil
• My notes - you could also add whatever veggies you have on hand - asparagus, mushrooms, sweet potato, etc

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place in a shallow baking dish, cut-side down, then pour 1/2 cup water into the dish, around the squash. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh of the squash is easily pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle, pull the squash strings out of the squash’s center with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl. The squash strings should look like spaghetti
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high. Add the turkey, onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until meat is browned and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Let cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has cooked off, about 4 minutes, then add the reserved squash. Cook and stir until most of the remaining liquid has cooked off, about 1-2 minutes more, increasing the heat if needed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. There may be some liquid remaining in the pan.
3. Lightly coat a deep 8×8-inch baking dish or 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. With a slotted spoon, scoop the squash mixture into the pan in an even layer, discarding any excess liquid (some in the pan is OK—just not too much). Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, then return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts, about 5-10 additional minutes. For an extra-golden-brown top, place the casserole under the broiler for a few minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and/or basil, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve hot.

I think I would even add summer squash and zucchini or use two spaghetti squash and add more peppers plus the squash. So so good!

1. • Make it ahead: Spaghetti squash can be roasted and shredded, then stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to make the casserole, add to the filling in Step 2 as directed.
   • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.