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When I make a caesar salad with grilled shrimp or chicken I brush the protein with the salad dressing and add cracked pepper before I grill it. I dress the salad lightly with the dressing, add chopped oil cured olives, croutons and sprinkle on the parmesan. This week I had a really nice red speckled romaine from my Market Wagon order and I grilled a regular roman for contrast.

These Latin stuffed potato balls are the bomb! Usually they are filled with picadillo. But I used that in my empanadas. So I used pepper jack cheese. Yummy creamy, crispy potato goodness. When I make chile rellenos I usually have some picadillo leftover, and I freeze it. I just thawed out my picadillo, added in some small pieces of diced pepper jack and cut out my discs from a refrigerated pie crust, stuffed them and crimped the edges with a fork and into the air fryer we go. Ta Da empanadas! https://www.thespruceeats.com/cheesy-potato-croquettes-papas-rellenas-recipe-4036496

This pasta is so amazing. Who would have thought use mayo as the creamy component in pasta? But, it works. I did not make the braised pork this time. The Fresh Market had a packaged chile braised pork. It worked great in this dish and I have enough left over to make empanadas. I add double the amount of cherry tomatoes the recipe calls for. https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/274157/creamy-cavatelli-pasta-with-braised-pork-shishito-peppers-basil/

I had this beautiful organic chard delivered in my Market Wagon order this week. Its getting to warm for soup, so I started searching and came up with this. I made the dish a little more Italian than it already was. I skipped the smoked turkey or ham, they called for cubed deli meat. I used hot Italian sausage instead. I started by browning the sausage in the pan then followed the recipe. I used one 19oz cans of chickpeas, and cannellini beans and for the tomatoes I used fire roasted diced. When the lot was ready for the oven I added in some good balsamic and some red wine. I skipped the last uncovered cooking part. This was gorgeous! A keeper. Next time I will used some shredded smoked turkey leg. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/baked-beans-with-swiss-chard-recipe2-1973689

This Canadian dish is usually crispy french fries topped with cheese curds then covered in gravy. I saw this on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, a restaurant called Rustica in Moorhead,MN and I had to make it. The addition of the slow braised beef and using fingerling potatoes instead of fries. I did cut a few steps, I left off the roasted garlic and bacon. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fingerling-potato-poutine-with-chile-braised-beef-11095795

In my 20’s I loved this dish. We had a local bar who had this on their menu and I ordered it alot. I haven’t made this in years. I was coming up with this weeks menu and saw a cajun chicken pasta and this came to mind. It is creamy, spicy and fresh all at the same time. It won’t be that long before this comes out again!!

2 Boneless chicken breasts pounded out even about 1/2 in thick

Blackening seasoning

Olive oil

Butter

2 Large mushrooms sliced

1/2 Red Pepper diced

1 Bunch of green onions chopped-chop the whole thing and set 1/2 aside for garnish

1/4 Cup of white wine

1/2 Cup chicken stock

1/2 Pound of whole wheat penne

1 container of store bough alfredo sauce-I use Buitoni

1 Small tomato diced

Grated Parmesan

Start your pasta water to boil. Head some olive oil and butter in a non stick skillet. Season your chicken with the blackening seasoning to taste. Sear the chicken one breast at a time until crusted on both sides. Set chicken aside on a plate. Take your skillet off the heat. Add your pasta to the water. Cut the chicken into strips or bite size pieces, how ever you prefer. Heat your alfredo sauce. Add some olive oil to your skillet and add in the mushrooms, red pepper and 1/2 the green onions and saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add the chicken and the wine to the pan and reduce by half. Add in your stock and reduce by half. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more blackening seasoning if you need more heat. Toss your pasta with some alfredo until it is well coated and a little saucey. Pour the pasta into the skillet and combine everything. Plate and garnish with the rest of the green onions, diced tomato and parm.

This soup is so spring. I used 3 sliced and washed leeks in place of the onion. I also added 1 medium yukon gold potato, diced and boiled. I did not add the ham hock. I intended to add crispy prosciutto, which would have pulled the ham element more together. I garnished with smoked olive oil and croutons. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/green-pea-and-ham-soup-395073

I have a sandwich similar to this at a local coffee shop. I used a seed rye, spread one side with a roasted tomato, topped that with havarti, on goes the fried egg( I use one whole egg and I yolk and fry the egg until done but still soft in the center of the yolk, salt pepper, top the egg with sauteed spinach and little more cheese and toast in a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

I use a traditional french bread. I cut it in the length that I want for my sandwich and toast in the oven closed, so the inside stays soft. I pull out a little of the bread from the top part of the roll to make room for the shrimp. Cover the inside of the roll from edge to edge with remoulade, put your shrimp in the scooped out side, chopped lettuce on the other and add your sliced tomato, salt and pepper and last but not least add some Crystal hot sauce to your shrimp. Ça c’est bon!

Remoulade

1/2 Cup mayo

2 Tbls creole mustard

1 Tbls catsup

2 Tsps prepared horseradish

1 Tbls lemon juice

1/2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

1 Cloves minced grated

2 Tsp capers chopped

1/2 Tbls hot sauce

1 Tbls shallot minced

1/2 Tbls celery minced

1/2 Tbls red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.