Jamon Iberico de Bellota & Aged Manchego on Baugette

This is the best ham and cheese one can make. Jamon Iberico de Bellota is the most expensive and tasty ham in the world.  Wild pigs that feed on acorns and roam the Spanish county side are cured for 36 month to create this intense and long lasting flavorful meat.  The classic Spanish Manchego cheese is aged for up to two years.  I bought a baguette from Balthazar bakery in NYC and gave it a light swipe of dijon mustard then added the ham and cheese.  Simple but incredible.

Cubano Pressed Sandwich

This is Miami and I love sandwiches so this was a natural, surprised it took this long to do this. This classic costs $7 takes 15 minutes and feeds 2.

Cuban Sandwich
2 Cuban Rolls - sorry there is no substitute
1/3 lb roasted pork
1/3 lb roasted ham
4 sliced bread and butter pickles
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown mustard

Mustard both sides of the cut roll. Place pork on bottom followed by ham, pickles, then cheese on top. Place it on the panini press for a few minutes and press down. Slice and serve. Oye, que vola?

Scallops and Prosciutto on Whipped Potatoes with a Fig-Apricot-Mustard Vinaigrette

This savory and rich dish is a great lunch or early dinner combination. It whips up pretty quick and tastes amazing. The key to the dish is the quality and freshness of the scallops. These are u-10 scallops, or under 10 per pound so they are quite large. I also used fingerling potatoes for the whipped potatoes which gives them more body and a richer flavor than other potatoes. This take 1 hour, costs $20 and feeds one.

Pan Seared Scallops
3 u-10 sea scallops
1 teaspoon butter
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Score each scallops by cutting a 1/16 inch checker board pattern into one side of each scallops. Season with salt and pepper. Get a large frying pan very hot on medium high heat. Once really hot add the butter and then the scallops cut side down. Let them cook without moving them to 3 to 5 minutes or until a very golden brown. Turn them over and then place the whole pan in the oven for 7 minutes or until cooked to desired tenderness. Do not over cook them!

Whipped Potatoes
4 medium fingerling potatoes, sliced
1/8 of a red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme

Start sliced fingerling in a pot of cold water and salt on high heat. Bring to a boil and turn to medium high for 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Start a small saute pan on low and add olive oil, red onion and garlic and let cook 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain cooked potatoes and place in a strong food processor then add cooked onions, garlic and olive oil, butter heavy cream, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth, about two minutes, adjust seasoning and add more cream if they are too stiff.

Fig-Apricot-Mustard Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon, organic fig jelly
1 teaspoon, whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon, dijon mustard
1 teaspoon, apricot juice
1 teaspoon, white balsamic vinegar

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Brush on scallops before placing them in the oven. Top scallops with this sauce when done.



To Plate this whole thing up I place three small mounds of potatoes, then topped that with the center portion of the prosciutto, topped it with a scallop and then some of the mustard sauce. My fresh marjoram is flowering so I added some fresh marjoram flowers to give the dish some added beauty. This is a great appetizer or entrée for a relativly small amount of work. Buon appetito!!

Mustard Crusted Swordfish with Brocolini

Swordfish is amazing. The supermarket had some really fresh pieces so I picked up a single steak and made a quick and delicious lunch. Swordfish can be overcooked quickly which ruins the taste so be careful to follow the cook times. Brocolini is a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli and can be bitter if not cooked properly. This dish cost $15, takes 30 minutes and feeds one.

Garlic Brocolini
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 package brocolini, washed
salt and pepper

Start a medium saute pan on medium low and add the garlic and oil, let cook 15 minutes or until garlic is lightly toasted. Start a large pot of heavily salted water as well. When water is boiling and the brocolini and let cook for 4 minutes. Remove and plunge into and ice bath (1/2 ice and 1/2 cold water in a large bowl). Once cooled remove and drain. Add brocolini to the garlic and olive oil and let cook for 5 minutes, add salt & pepper to taste.

Mustard Crusted Swordfish
1 teaspoon of butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon siracha hot sauce
1 6oz piece of swordfish
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start a small saute pan on medium high heat. Season swordfish fillet with salt and pepper. Once pan is very hot add the oil and butter. Then add the swordfish and let cook 2 minutes on one side and then flip. Add mustard and siracha mixture to the top of the fish and place the whole pan in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place fish on a rack to rest. In the same pan add the extra tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of the mustard. let cook for 2 minutes and stir. Spoon on the side of the fish as a mustard brown butter sauce.

This was a quick and easy dish that made me remember why I love swordfish so much. The brocolini was tender and not bitter at all. Overall this was the best tasting dish I have had in a while. Enjoy!

Florida Stone Crab

Its that time of year in South Florida. Stone crab season runs through the winter and is one of my favorite treats of all time. The crabs are caught in traps and then only the large claw is cut off and the crab is thrown back in to regenerate a new claw. The claws are flash steamed on the boat or at the local dock and chilled. Claw sizes go from medium, to large, jumbo then colossal. This is a jumbo claw. Then are served cold with a mustard sauce that consists of sour cream, powdered mustard, horseradish, cream, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, A-1, white vinegar and seasonings. I served a bit of coleslaw on the side.

Ham and Fontina Panini

Ham and cheese is a classic. I used Boarshead Maple Glazed Ham and some slightly aged Fontina. Fontina is a soft, cow's milk Italian cheese from the Aosta Valley in North West Italy. It is soft when young, but aged Fontina becomes hard and more pungent. Its great either way but for a panini the younger and softer is better. I also used some arugula, sliced red delicious apple and a strawberry mustard dressing as toppings. 2 Sandwiches for about $5. Takes 10 minutes.

Ham and Fontina Panini

4 slices of 5 grain Italian Bread, 3/8" slice
1/4 lb maple glazed maple, split between the two sandwiches
1/8 Fontina cheese, thin sliced, spilt between the two sandwiches
1/2 red delicious apple, thin sliced
1 handful fresh arugula

Strawberry Mustard Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon strawberry preserves

Dress all four pieces of bread on one side. Lay ham down, folding it into three. Top it with the sliced apple then arugula. Now lay two slices of cheese on top. Press for 2 to 3 minutes on the panini press. Let it rest on a baking rack for a few minutes to cool. Slice and serve with some grapes for a great lunch.

Turkey Pastrami and Machego on Whole Grain

Another day another sandwich. Turkey pastrami is awesome and the salty richness of machego creates I good balance. I put some stone ground mustard and fresh parsley for bite and crisp, threw it on the press and viola. Dried plums and figs on the side made for a delicious and healty sandwich experience. Enjoy!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu in Mushroom Cream Sauce with Wilted Spinach

This was the first complex recipe dish I had ever made. It was all grilled cheese and bologna sandwiches before this. The reason for cooking was my first real "date" and I wanted to impress, I think I was about 16. It was a challenge for my first culinary endeavorer but I got it done with some short cuts and both the food and date worked out well. Looking back, that was an amazing day. This is my current version. Since I haven't made it in a few years I added some new techniques. This feeds 4, takes about 2 hours to make and costs about $25. The recipe normally has rosemary but I didn't have any so I substituted with thyme and marjoram.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 oz Vegetable Oil
4 Chicken Breasts, sliced into two thin pieces, lightly pounded
8 slices of good deli ham (I used Board's Head Maple Glazed)
8 slices aged swiss
2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, chopped fine
16 toothpicks
1 cup of all purpose flour
salt and pepper

Cut the "tenderloin" off of the chicken so you have a nice even whole breast. Now cut the breast into two by laying you knife on the cutting board and running it back and forth evenly and slowly creating two thin chicken cutlets. OR you can by thin cut chicken breast and make it easier. Lightly pound out the chicken between two sheet of plastic wrap, make sure you don't pound it to thin, there should be no holes.

Mix the mustard, honey and herbs in a small dish. Coat one side of the breast with mustard mix and place one piece of ham and one piece of cheese toward the thinner end. Starting at the thinner edge, roll the chicken up and secure the roll by sticking in the toothpicks. Pull the roll tight before inserting the toothpicks. Season the rolled chicken with salt and pepper then coat with flour.



Start a deep large frying pan or large pot on medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken in batches, turn a few times to get a golden crust on each side. This take about 2 to 3 minutes per side. We do not have the cook the chicken all the was through at this point. Just get the good color and set them aside on a plate, we will cook them thorough later.



Mushroom Cream Sauce

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 package of button or crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper

In the same pot that you cooked the chicken, add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and let cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Now add the butter and mix, then add the flour and mix well, let that cook for 3 minutes or until flour is incorporated. Now add the white wine and let that cook down, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, herbs and stock then salt and pepper to taste. Let that cook down for 10 minutes.

Now add the chicken back to the mushroom sauce and let that cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Remove the chicken and then take out the toothpicks, they should come out easy now.

I cooked some onions in a sautee pan then I turn it up to high. I threw in my spinach and turned off the heat. I let the spinach cook for about 3 of four minutes and constantly stirred. Lay down two chicken rolls and then spoon some of the sauce over the top. Serve the spinach on the side and you have a love making meal. Buon Apetito!

Turkey and Smoked Gruyère Panini with Arugula Salad

Who doesn't love a salad and a sandwich for lunch? Here is a quick fix in 15 minutes. The parsley gives the sandwich a bright and fresh taste to compliment the bold cheese.

Turkey and Smoked Gruyère Panini

4 slices of onion multi-grain loaf
1/2 lb of Boarshead Cracked Peppermill turkey
1/8 lb Boarshead Smoked Gruyère Cheese
Handful of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, rough chopped

Mustard Aioli
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 drop of agave nectar

Dress all four pieces of bread with the aioli. Place turkey, then chopped parsley, then cheese. Spray or brush the top of the bread with olive oil. Put in on the panini press and cook for 5 minutes. Let it rest on a baking rack or it will become soft on the bottom.

Arugula Salad

1 package of fresh washed arugula
1 roma tomato, chopped

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of EV olive oil

In a large bowl combine the vinaigrette ingredients except the olive oil. Once well combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil. Toss the tomatoes in with the vinaigrette and mix well, then add the arugula and toss. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste.

Slice the panini cross wise and stack, toss the salad and you have a quick lunch for a great price. Enjoy