Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

 1 teaspoon olive oil
 1 tablespoon minced shallot
 5 teaspoons hoisin sauce
 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
 1 pound of ground turkey
 6 thinly sliced green onions
 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
 1 cup matchstick-cut cucumbers
 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
 2 cups Thia thin rice noodles
 8 Bibb lettuce leaves



 Preparation Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon olive to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/3 cup green onions; saute 1 minute. Add ground turkey; saute until browned, stirring occasionally. Add in hoison sauce, crushed red pepper and lime juice. Continue to simmer. In separate pan add soy sauce, ginger, cucumbers, carrots, and remaining green onions.sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat Prepare 2 cups of thin rice noodles as directed on box. Spoon 1/4 cup of meat and vegies into each lettuce leaf. Top with about 1/2 cup meat mixture. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart Ingredients

2- 3 large heirloom tomato ( I used half an orange, half a yellow and half a red heirloom tomato)
12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces rindless goat cheese, crumbled
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs - basil, chives, and parsley

 Directions

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 2. Core and slice the tomatoes into 1/8 thick chunks, discarding the end slices. (The tomatoes should be cut on the thin side so their juices can evaporate during baking before they have a chance to make the crust soggy.) Place the tomato rounds on paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and let stand to drain excess juices while preparing the phyllo crust.

 3. Place a phyllo sheet on the baking sheet. Brush the phyllo with olive oil. Brush remaining phyllo sheets.. Fold over the four sides of the phyllo stack to make a 1-inch-wide border. Sprinkle the area inside the border with the Parmesan. Top with the tomato slices, overlapping the slices as needed.

4. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the herbs and add more Parmesan on top…

 5. Bake until the phyllo is crisp and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly or to room temperature. cut into rectangles and serve!

Apple Pork Roast

It's fall in Minnesota, the leaves are red and yellow, the air is cool and the sun is shining. It's the perfect time for Apple Pork Roast. Fill the house with the smell of apple and tempt your family to the dinner table!

3 1/2- to 4-lb boneless pork top loin roast
3 clove garlic, cut into thin slices
1 tsp coarse salt or regular salt
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 ts[ coarsely ground black pepper
3 medium apples, I suggest something tart like honey crisp
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Trim fat from meat. Cut a few slits about an inch deep in meat; insert a piece of garlic in each slit. Make the rub in a small bowl by combining salt, rosemary, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over meat; rub in with your fingers.

Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer. Roast, uncovered, in a 325° oven for 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 145°.

Spoon off any fat in roasting pan.

In a large bowl combine the apples, brown sugar, apple juice, lemon juice. Spoon the apple mixture around meat.

Roast, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes more or until meat thermometer registers 155°.

Transfer meat to a serving platter. Cover meat with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. (The internal temperature will rise about 5° during standing.)

Remove the rack from the roasting pan. Stir the apple wedges into the pan juices. Serve with the meat.

I love my chicken and cheese!

I was home all alone tonight, cooking for one can be a challenge but oh my did I come up with something good!

Exhausted after a long day at work and tired from the night before I surely didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking. I will blame my lack of motivation to spend hours in the kitchen on my dog Tucker. Tucker, my 6 year old lab, has suddenly developed a great fear of wind...Yes, you heard me right, wind...

It all started one night when we had a storm here in Minneapolis. The wind was howling outside. Living in a cute little brownstone that was built in the early 1900 means that we don't have the best windows. Our front windows are french doors, which I love as they add an element of old world charm to our place, but this particular night they created havoc! As Tuck and I sat in the living room, listening to the rain fall and enjoying the peace and quiet- the wind suddenly came up- it blew so hard that the doors suddenly opened.

Tucker,who was curled up next to me in a deep doggie sleep, went running across the room, tail between legs, hair standing up on his back, looking over his shoulder like the ghost from hell just came through the window. He proceeded to head right for the front door, taking both front paws and scratching wildly like he was saying "get me the hell out of here- NOW"

Needless to say, he has now developed a fear of- wind!

 Well , last night it was windy again, so Tucker paced about all night- sure that the door was going to fly open again and that ghost was going to come in again...So- I am exhausted, he kept me up til 2:30 am...time to keep it simple but delicious!

My version of Parmesan Crusted Italian Chicken Sandwiches
2/3 cup shredded chicken
1 slice of provolone cheese
1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan

4 slices sourdough bread

Top bread with shredded chicken
Top with provolone cheese
Butter outside of sourdough bread
Sprinkle outside of bread with Parmesan cheese

Fry in a frying pan

Amazing!

Enjoy!