Marry Me Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded flat or sliced into thin cutlets)

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1/4 cup good white wine

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 yellow onion (diced)

• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh basil

• 1 teaspoon chili flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon thyme

Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then coat evenly with flour. Heat olive oil and butter on medium heat in a large skillet. Pan fry the chicken 4-5 minutes on both sides until golden brown, do this in batches if needed, then set aside on a plate. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant, then deglaze the pan with wine, scraping all the goodies off the bottom, then add chicken broth. Reduce heat to simmer and stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Add chili flakes, thyme, oregano, and sundried tomatoes, stirring thoroughly and simmer for a few minutes allowing sauce to thicken. Taste test the sauce for salt and pepper, and add the chicken back in to smother and simmer for a few more minutes. Plate it with some pasta, giving it plenty of sauce, and top it with more grated parmesan and fresh basil. Beautiful!

Zesty Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

A fresh and flavorful twist on classic pancakes, these fluffy zingers are best topped with blueberry preserves!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

• 2 eggs (yolks separated)

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

• nonstick spray or coconut oil

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Then mix buttermilk, egg yolks, sugar, ricotta and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat egg whites with a mixer in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with buttermilk mixture and stir until combined, then gently fold in the egg whites. Put your griddle or pan on medium heat and lightly coat with nonstick spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle and cook until light golden brown on both sides. Keep cooked pancakes in a warm oven to finish the whole batch, or serve as you go. If your meal prepping, allow pancakes to cool on racks before storing in fridge or freezing.

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Short Rib and Barley Soup

Your going to want a fresh baked loaf of french bread or a grilled cheese to soak up every bit of this savory and sophisticated version of the classic vegetable beef soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 beef short ribs

• 1lb stew meat

• sliced baby bella mushrooms

• 1 green bell pepper (diced)

• 1 Vidalia onion (diced)

• 5 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 cup diced celery

• 1 cup diced carrot

• 14oz. can diced tomatoes

• 8oz. can corn

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 16oz. beef bone broth

• 32oz. beef stock

• 1/2 cup dried pearl barley

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1/2 tablespoon adobo seasoning

• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a large soup pot on medium high heat and add olive oil. Sear the short ribs on all sides first then remove and set aside in a bowl or plate with a rim (to catch any drippings). Sear the stew meat, remove and set aside with the short ribs. Add the mushrooms and salt them, saute for a few minutes until most of the water has cooked out. Then add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Season with adobo, oregano, salt and pepper and saute until partially cooked and fragrant. Pour the red wine in and scrape all the goodies off the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon while the alcohol is evaporating, then add tomatoes and corn. Add the celery, carrots, and pour in the bone broth and soy sauce, stir thoroughly. Add the meat back to the pot (with all its juices) and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and cover with lid, simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the short ribs when the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Add the beef stock and turn the heat back to medium high. When soup come to a boil, add the barley, cover and reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until barley is cooked. While the barley is cooking in the soup, de-bone the short ribs and cut or shred into bite size pieces, removing any extra fat that hasn’t dissolved, then add it back to the soup. Remove pot from heat and stir thoroughly, taste test for salt and pepper, and your ready to serve!

CAUTION: SOUP IS HOT AND DELICIOUS!

Cook Time: 4-5 hours, makes 8-10 servings.

Chocolate Buttercream

Frosting for 9x13 sheet cake:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter (softened)

• 1/2 cup cocoa

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

Frosting for 9” 2 layer round cake:

• 3 sticks butter (softened)

• 1 cup cocoa

• 5 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

Peppermint Domino Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/4 cup flour

• 10 oz pack of white vanilla flavored melting wafers

• 1 pack candy canes (unwrapped and crushed)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and salt. Beat in the cocoa. Dissolve baking soda in water and mix into dough. Stir in flour and then chocolate chips. Place dough by spoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake 14-16 minutes until the edges are done, then pull out to cool, transfer to cooling racks with spatula. Once cool, drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Matt’s Famous Pecan Pralines

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• 8 ounces pecan halves

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter, sugars, salt, and milk in a pot on medium heat. Add pecans and stir constantly, slowly bringing the temperature to “soft ball” 234-240 degrees F. Remove from heat, add vanilla and continue stirring for about 3-5 minutes. Just as it begins to thicken, use two spoons to scoop and drop bite size pieces onto parchment paper. Enjoy after they cool.

Makes 1 1/2-2 dozen (depending on size)

WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH HOT SUGAR!!

Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground flax seeds

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup blueberries

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)

• 2 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)

Add rolled oats, chia seeds, ground flax and cinnamon to a pint (or larger) mason jar. I highly recommend using the wide mouth jar for this. Then pour in the almond milk and maple syrup and stir thoroughly. Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight. You can “rush” this time to a minimum of 1 hour, but for best results I recommend 6-8 hours. Top with blueberries and chopped pecans before serving. You can substitute any berries and/or nuts of your preference. Occasionally I use sliced banana and a few spoons of peanut butter instead, the topping combinations can be anything that sounds good to you. As a meal prep, overnight oats will last 3-5 days in the fridge without toppings.

Banana Crisp Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 sticks butter (melted and cooled)

• 3 bananas (2 mashed, 1 chopped)

• 1 cup granola

• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

• additional 3/4 cup each of granola and coconut mixed together for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and butter and stir until combined (do not over-mix). Add mashed banana, chopped banana, granola, coconut and chopped nuts and stir until combined. Spoon batter into lined muffin tin and top with additional granola and coconut (about a tablespoon of toppings per muffin). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, allow to cool 5 minutes and then remove from muffin pan and place on cooling racks.

Makes 24 muffins. Store in fridge for 2-3 days.

Classic Pie Crust

Single 9” Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 sticks butter (very cold, cut into small cubes)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 5 tablespoons water (ice cold)

Double 9” ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 3 sticks butter (very cold, cut into small cubes)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 8-9 tablespoons water (ice cold)

In a food processor, pulse flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Gradually drizzle in ice water and pulse until mixture clumps. Once mixed, pour pie dough onto plastic wrap. Form into ball and flatten out into disc. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Roll out dough to 1/4” thick and large enough to cover pie plate. Carefully lay over pie dish and trim excess overhang so dough is flush with plate. Flute edges and freeze for 30 minutes. Add your pie filling and bake as directed or until golden brown. To blind bake- dock chilled pie crust with fork, cover with parchment or foil, then fill with pie weights. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Carefully remove crust from oven and remove weights and parchment. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees F and bake 15 more minutes. Fill with any no-bake filling.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 whole egg

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about1 lemon)

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature and cubed)

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt (omit if using salted butter)

Fill the bottom of double boiler with 1-2 inches of water. Place on high heat and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low to maintain a steady simmer. Add all ingredients, except butter, into the top of double boiler and whisk nonstop with a silicone whisk. (This keeps eggs from curdling). Continue whisking until it thickens like a hollandaise (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in butter. Cover with plastic wrap touching the curd to prevent film from forming on the top. Once cool, its ready to use or store in airtight container.

Makes 1-1/2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 10 days, store in freezer up to 6 months.

Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 2/3 cup butter (melted)

• 1 1/4 cups sugar (divided- 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup)

• 3 8oz bricks cream cheese (softened)

• 1 cup sour cream

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and wrap the bottom of a 9” spring-form pan in foil. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/2 cup of sugar, then press mixture into spring-form pan. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on a low speed after each addition until well blended. Then pour mixture over crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the center is almost set (do not remove from oven yet). Turn oven off and open door slightly, let the cheesecake set in oven for one hour. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Loosen the cheesecake from the rim of pan with a knife and remove the rim.

Makes 16 servings (depending how you slice it), keep refrigerated up to 3-4 days.

Red Velvet Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups coconut oil

• 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

• 2 tablespoons red food coloring

• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting Ingredients:

• 2-8oz bricks cream cheese (softened)

• 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9” round pans. In a large bowl, sift- flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa. In another large bowl, whisk- oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. In a stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined and a smooth batter is formed. Divide batter between the three pans and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating pans to bake. Let cakes cool on racks after popping them out of the pans. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and butter until fluffy (about 5 minutes), then add vanilla and mix. After the cakes are completely cool, frost and layer them, and top with chopped pecans or walnuts.

Celery Juice Blend

Base Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of celery

• 2 lemons

• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger root

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 granny smith apple

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1 bunch parsley

• 1 bag of spinach

• 1 head of romaine

Cut up and juice ingredients in no particular order, then drink it or store in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend using a juicer with auger for juicing leafy greens. This is the basic juice blend I like to start my day with, but you should absolutely experiment with different veggies and flavors. Try apples, carrots, and even beets add sweetness. Wheat grass, spirulina, and other microgreens can add a lot of nutrition to your daily routine.

Roasted Chicken Sausage and Veggies

Ingredients:

• 6 links smoked chicken sausage

• 2 medium zucchinis

• 2 medium yellow squash

• 1/2 red onion

• 1 1/3 cups sprouted brown rice

• 2 2/3 cups chicken broth

• salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and spray two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray (I recommend avocado oil). Cook rice in a medium pot or rice cooker, using chicken broth instead of water. While rice is cooking, slice squash, zucchini, and red onion into bite size pieces and scatter onto baking sheets. Then slice chicken sausage into bite size pieces and add to baking sheets. Make sure everything is spread out evenly on baking sheets, it will not roast correctly if bunched up. Roast veggies and sausage in oven for about 20 minutes or until done. Allow rice, sausage and roasted veggies to cool, then portion into meal prep containers.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2pk 9” pie crusts

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (organic)

• 1 medium sweet or yellow onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 bunch broccoli (chopped)

• 1 pack small potatoes (quartered)

• 12oz. green beans

• 10oz. pack frozen peas and carrots

• 8oz. can sweet corn (drained)

• 32oz. chicken broth

• splash of white wine

• 1/2 cup cream

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon basil

• salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium high heat and brown chicken thighs. Remove and set the chicken aside, then saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Add in cornstarch and seasonings and whisk out any clumps (add a tab of butter if needed). Pour in a splash of wine and stir until alcohol has evaporated. One at a time, add in the potatoes, broccoli, green beans, corn, peas and carrots, stirring as you go. Then add the cream and chicken broth and bring to boil. While the veggies are heating up, cut up the chicken thighs and put them back in the pot. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and potatoes are fully cooked, then remove from heat and taste to see if you need additional salt and pepper. Prepare the bottom pie crusts in two 9” deep dish (or allow to fully cool and store it for later). Pour the pie filling into the crusts almost to the top, do not overfill. Lay the top crust over the pie, crimp and seal the edges and trim the excess crust. With a knife, cut some vent holes into top of the crust. Bake at 425 degrees F. for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Fermented Garlic and Honey

Ingredients:

• whole garlic cloves (peeled)

• local raw honey

This is super easy to make and very beneficial to your health. Sanitize a jar (I used a pint) and throw in about 3 full bulbs worth of peeled garlic cloves. Then add enough raw honey to completely cover all the garlic. Allow about two weeks minimum for the fermentation, opening the jar once a day or so to “burp” it, releasing the gases from the process. I’ve seen where people use a safety pin to poke holes in the garlic cloves, this is optional, just make sure you sanitize the safety pin first. After it has fermented it’s ready to use. Take it as a shot or even eat one of the cloves (if that’s what your in to) whenever you start feeling under the weather, or as a daily immunity boost. Store it in a cool, dry place, and it should last through the season or until you use it up (unless it’s been contaminated).

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

Ingredients:

9” pie crust

8 strips of bacon

16oz fresh spinach

9 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of choice

Cook bacon per package instructions. After removing bacon from pan, reserve 1 tbsp of bacon grease and discard the rest (not down the drain!). Over medium heat, saute spinach in bacon grease until wilted, remove from pan. Chop bacon.

Spread spinach over pie crust, then add chopped bacon. Whisk eggs with milk, salt and pepper and pour over top of bacon. Cover in cheese and bake until center is no longer jiggly, about 20-30 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Cottage Cheese and Oat Flour Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 cup pecans

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 16oz cottage cheese

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup milk

Pulse oats, baking soda, pecans and salt in a blender or food processor until oats are ground. Then add cottage cheese, cinnamon, vanilla, milk and blend until combined. Be careful not to over mix or pancakes will be flat and dense. Put large skillet or griddle on medium high heat and use coconut oil or nonstick spray. Pour out pancake mix into 5-6” cakes and cook until bubbly, then flip. Pancakes are ready when golden brown on both sides.

Makes 10-12 pancakes depending on size. For meal prep- spread out on cooling racks and store in freezer bags after they come to room temperature. Freeze for up to a month.