Spiced Sweet Potato/Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound - 7 medium carrots, peeled and chopped, 3 cups
• 1 pound - 1 large or 2 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced, 3 cups
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, grated on a microplane
• ¼ teaspoon powdered cinnamon, plus more to taste
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne powder, plus more to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crème Fraiche, garnish
• Italian parsley, chopped, garnish

Instructions:

In a medium pot, over high heat, combine the carrots, sweet potato, plus the stock, and cover. Once the stock comes to a boil, lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook until both the carrots and sweet potatoes are falling apart, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, then using a stick/ immersion wand, or blender, carefully blend the mixture until a smooth texture is achieved, blending in the spices, honey, juice, and oil. If you desire a slightly thinner consistency, simply add an additional ½ cup of stock, or water. Season to taste. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, a grind of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley.

Yield, 6 cups.

Oven Roast Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
• 1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound in weight, silver skin removed
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• A few really good grinds of black pepper

Instructions:

Season the tenderloin with salt, pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature, covered, for 30 minutes. Pre heat the oven to 350*F. Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and swirl the pan to distribute the oil. Immediately add the tenderloin and allow to cook for 1 minute, or, until nicely seared. Using tongs, rotate the tenderloin ¼ turn, and continue to sear. Once well seared, rotate again. Upon rotating the tenderloin to the final and fourth side, hold the tenderloin off the pan with your tongs, and insert the digital probe into one side, dead center, half way into the tenderloin, lengthwise. Replace the tenderloin to the pan then transfer the entire pan into the oven. Set the digital thermometer to 145*F. For reference, in my oven, it took approximately 12 minutes to reach 140*F. When the thermometer beeps at 145*F, remove the tenderloin from the hot pan and place it on a cutting board, covered loosely with foil, to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut evenly into eighths
• 1 cup whole milk, warm
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese (chevre), soft/room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped chives, optional

Instructions:

In a medium pot, add the potatoes, cover with cold water and cook over medium-high heat until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, in a small sauce-pan, combine the butter and milk together, and warm until just steaming. Drain the potatoes, then reintroduce them into the same pot. Add almost all of the milk/butter mixture plus the goat cheese. Begin mashing the potatoes using either an old-school potato masher or a very stiff whisk, adding more milk to achieve the desired consistency. Season to taste. Don't over mash the potatoes as this will cause them to get gummy. Cover with foil until service, adding the chopped chives at service, plus a little drizzle of olive oil.

Spiced Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 7 medium apples, cored, and quartered - Pink lady, Rome, or McIntosh work best
• 1 ½ cups fresh apple cider
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger plus juice, grated on a microplane
• 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
• Small pinch Kosher salt
*If you don't like apple skin in your apple sauce feel free to peel them first.

Instructions:

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients then cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cook for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Now, it's going to look a bit like apple soup at this point, but do not worry. Simply get out the potato masher or a stiff whisk and mash/whip/whisk to your hearts content, or until your desired texture is achieved. I, myself, like a few chunks in my fresh, warm apple sauce. If you prefer a smooth texture instead (could happen), simply process with an immersion wand, the same way as if you were making soup.

Warm Beluga Lentil Salad with Mint and Parsley

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (EVOO) as needed
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup black lentils, rinsed, drained and picked over form stones
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (homemade if possible)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste
• A good pinch of chili flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon, Sherry vinegar, or to taste
• ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Toasted walnuts, crushed, optional

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons EVOO plus the diced onions, cumin, chili flakes, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the stock, lentils, and a few good grinds of pepper - but no salt. Increase the heat to high. Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer until the lentils are cooked through, but not mushy, adding additional stock to keep the lentils covered, approximately 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer the drained lentils to a bowl then stir in the lemon juice, vinegar, chopped parsley, mint, feta, walnuts, plus an additional 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Mix well to combine. Season to taste. Serve.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa, for dusting ramekins
• 7 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, between 62% and 70% cocoa
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch, Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose (AP) flour, sifted of whisked

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425*F Butter, then lightly dust four 6 ounce ramekins with the cocoa. Tap out any excess cocoa, then pop them into the fridge to cool until ready. In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate, stirring very slowly to combine … this part is a beautiful thing to witness. Once melted, remove from the heat to cool slightly. Meanwhile, using either a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt together at high speed until thickened, pale yellow in color, and tripled in volume. Reduce the speed to low, then, slowly add the melted chocolate, in addition to the flour. After turning off the machine, I like to use a spatula to check that everything is well combined by slowly folding from the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the chilled ramekins from the fridge, onto a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 9 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are still soft/liquid. I check mine with a wooden skewer. Remove from the oven, and let the cakes cool for about one minute. (Caution – HOT!) Using a paring knife, carefully run the knife around the inside rim of the ramekin to loosen the cake from the sides. Cover each cake with a dessert plate, then carefully invert each one, give it a little shake, then un-mold. Serve immediately. Bask in the culinary glory that is - molten chocolate cake.

Sea salt caramel sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Water, as needed

Instructions:

In a heavy pot with a lid, combine the sugar with just enough water to look like wet sand, approximately 5 tablespoons. Put on the lid then place over medium-low heat. After the water has steamed out, you will see the color of the sugar darken slightly to a light golden/yellow color. Remove the lid, then gently swirl the pot if one area seems to be getting more yellow/color than another area. Continue to cook until a darker yellow/caramel color is achieved. Pay close attention that the sugar not burn. If you are nervous, no problem, just lower the heat to low and continue as normal. When the sugar looks dark yellow/caramel in color, remove from the heat then CAREFULLY add one third of the cream. The mixture will bubble up! Then, slowly add the remaining cream, and stir to combine. Add the salt, plus the pure vanilla extract. Stir 1 minute. Strain, if desired, then use right then and there, or store any excess caramel (that you've allowed to cool to room temperature) in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Rewarm in hot water before using.