Ingredients

• 4-6 chicken breast cutlets
• 4-6 thin slices of Italian Prosciutto
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 4-6 slices of Provolone or Fontina cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced plus 1 clove minced (for sauce)
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris)
• juice from half a lemon, plus 1 tablespoon zest for garnish
• 1 tablespoon butter
• lemon wedges and additional torn sage leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread out the chicken cutlets flat in a large baking dish, and season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Layer on top of each chicken breast a slice of prosciutto, two sage leaves, and a slice of provolone or fontina cheese, then fold over the chicken in half and secure with a toothpick to secure.
4. Heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high and sauté chicken breasts approximately 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.
5. Remove the chicken and juices from pan and place back into the baking dish and roast in the oven for another 15 minutes until cooked through. You might want to baste the chicken in its juices once or twice to make sure the chicken doesn’t dry out in the oven.
6. Meanwhile, slice 2 cloves of fresh garlic, mince 1 clove and set aside. Trim the ends off the asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water in a large pot for about 1 minute. Drain, place asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper and sliced garlic. Place in oven and roast for about 10-15 minutes until fork tender and slightly browned (be careful not to overcook or the asparagus will get dark and mushy – aim for tender yet crisp and green).
7. In the same sauté pan for the chicken, heat another tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the additional clove of minced garlic for about 1 minute until lightly golden and soft. Add the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. . Let sauce reduce to about half, then add 1 tablespoon of butter, swirling in to finish the sauce.
8. When chicken and asparagus are done roasting, plate them and top off with the lemon butter wine sauce.
9. Garnish with lemon wedges, torn sage leaves, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a side of cooked orzo or pasta, crusty bread or a green salad with a lemon vinaigrette and a dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients

• SPICED MOROCCAN BURGERS
• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup mint, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic herb infused oil, for basting
• 1/2 cup Mina Harissa Green Harissa Pepper Sauce
• 2-4 sun dried tomatoes, for garnish
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped for garnish
• Dash of smoked paprika, for garnish
• GRILLED PITA BREAD
• 2-4 pieces of pita or flatbread
• 1-2 tablespoon garlic herb infused oil
• Sea Salt, for garnish
• Smoked paprika, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef or lamb with the next 8 ingredients (through minced garlic).
3. Gently knead the meat mixture together until ingredients are combined, and make 4-6 burger patties in the shape of an oval, brush burger patties with herb infused oil and set aside.
4. To make the grilled pita bread: drizzle a tablespoon of herb infused oil on to both sides of the pitas and grill for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned and grill marks appear. Cook each pita separately (depending on the size of your grill pan).
5. Remove pita from pan and sprinkle with sea salt and smoked paprika, cover with foil to keep warm while burgers are cooking.
6. Add the burger patties to the heated grill pan, and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side (for medium) until grill marks appear and they are cooked according to your liking.
7. To serve, place a piece of pita bread on each plate (either whole or broken into two pieces) and place burgers on top of the pita (or in the pita if you prefer).
8. Top burgers with sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, green harissa sauce, fresh chopped mint, a dash of smoked paprika, additional salt and pepper if desired, to taste.

Ingredients

• CHICKEN FRENCH:
• 1/4 cup olive oil/canola oil blend for sauteing (I used Colavita Garlic Oil Blend)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
• 2-3 eggs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup of superfine flour (Pan Searing flour or Wondra)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine or sherry
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Juice from 1 1/2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• Lemon wedges, for garnish
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
• LEMON BROCCOLINI:
• 1 bunch broccolini, trimmed

Instructions

1. CHICKEN FRENCH:
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper, cayenne and fresh parsley in a large mixing bowl.
4. Place flour in another flat bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts, then dredge each one in flour first (left hand), then egg mixture (right hand).
6. Place chicken into the heated saute pan and cook for 6 minutes on one side. Flip chicken over and saute for another 6 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from pan and set aside, covered with a foil tent.
8. In the same skillet, saute the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.
9. Add the wine and bring liquid to a boil over high heat, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.
10. Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and red pepper flakes (if using) and let reduce by half, another 5-7 minutes.
11. Stir in the butter and whisk until it melts.
12. Add chicken back into the pan with the sauce and let simmer another 5-10 minutes.
13. Place chicken on serving plate with the steamed broccolini and spoon lemon butter sauce over the top of both.
14. Garnish with lemon wedges and additional chopped parsley if desired.
15. LEMON BROCCOLINI:
16. Steam broccolini for about 5 minutes, covered. Remove lid and steam for another 5 minutes until fork tender but still bright green.
17. Top broccolini with Lemon Butter sauce, additional lemon, salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients

• 1 bag of medium-large shell pasta (fresh or dried)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thin and halved
• 1 bag of fresh spinach (leaves), chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of cooked Virginia ham, diced (can sub cooked prosciutto or bacon)
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• PARMESAN GARLIC SAUCE:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons flour
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons neufchatel or cream cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
• 1 green onion, sliced for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta shells and cook according to package directions until al dente (about 8 minutes dried, 3 minutes fresh). Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water and set aside.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium-large saute pan and add zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and cook for about 8-10 minutes until zucchini is soft. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic and saute for another minute or so until garlic starts to brown. Remove zucchini-garlic mixture from saute pan and set aside in a medium-large mixing bowl.
3. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the saute pan and heat for a minute or so. Add the fresh chopped spinach, salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes, stirring through. Saute spinach about 3-5 minutes until wilted. Add the cooked diced ham and saute another few minutes until browned. Remove spinach and ham from saute pan and add to cooked zucchini in mixing bowl.
4. To make the Parmesan Garlic Sauce:
5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
6. Add the garlic and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 1 minute.
7. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, another minute.
8. Whisk in the milk, a sprinkle of sea salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes.
9. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute.
10. Combine the cooked pasta shells, 1/2 cup cooking water from pasta, sauteed zucchini, spinach and ham to the alfredo garlic sauce, stir thoroughly to mix ingredients for another minute or so.
11. Sprinkle additional salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste into the pasta mixture. Remove from saute pan and place in a large serving bowl. Top pasta with chopped fresh parsley and green onions, and top with more parmesan cheese to taste.
12. Serve the pasta with some crusty bread, a green salad and glass of wine.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small shallot, diced
• 3-4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
• 6-8 marinated sun-dried tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
• 1 quart tomato sauce (store bought or homemade, pureed smooth)
• 1 cup of vodka
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
• Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh unsalted mozzarella, torn into medium pieces, for garnish
• fresh basil leaves, whole or torn, for garnish
• red pepper flakes (optional), for garnish
• 1 pound package of cooked and drained pasta (spaghetti, linguine or penne)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan according to package directions (until al dente) and drain (reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta water for later); set aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat for about 15 minutes until crispy, drain and crumble.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or pot. Add garlic and shallots, saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add crumbled bacon and sun-dried tomatoes, add salt and pepper to taste. Saute for an additional 5 minutes and turn heat down to medium-low.
3. Stir in tomato sauce and vodka into the same saucepan and let simmer (approximately 20 minutes) until the sauce thickens and cooks down. Stir in the heavy cream, fresh oregano and chives and let simmer on low for another few minutes until sauce is heated through.
4. Return the pasta back to the large saucepot and ladle some of the sauce into it, along with a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water and toss to coat.
5. Ladle coated pasta into serving dishes and top with additional vodka sauce. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, mozzarella, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.