Turkey Thigh Osso Bucco

This is a nice replace-ment for veal shanks in the usual Osso Bucco recipe. Thighs are tasty, and very much less expensive than veal. Start by browning 2 strips of diced bacon in an oven proof pan. Remove the bacon to a plate and add the thighs and 3T olive oil. When they are nicely browned, remove them to the plate and add 1 med. onion, 5 or 6 baby carrots, one rib of celery, 1 bay leaf, 1T dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste and 2 garlic cloves. We like to roughly chop the veggies in this recipe rather than a fine dice. When the veggies have softened, deglaze the pan with 1C dry white wine and 1C chicken stock. Add 2T tomato paste, 1-14 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice. Return the thighs to the pan, heat to the boil and then place, covered, in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hrs. Check the liquid level from time to time and add stock and wine if needed. The meat will be very tender but still have body. Adjust the seasonings. We served the dish with risotto but polenta or potatoes or pasta would be good as well. Green peas would be a nice addition.

Tapanade Twists - Coastal Living Magazine

We don't usually post appetizers here but this is a good one. To a food processor add 3/4C grated Parmesan Cheese, 1C Kalamata olives, 1T Rosemary, 2T Basil and 1 anchovie filet . Pulse until a fine paste is achieved. Prepare 2 puff pastry sheets by forming them into 10x12 in rectangles. Place 1/2 of the tapanade mix on 1/2 of the sheet, leaving a 1 inch border for sealing. Fold the sheet over, roll gently and press to seal the edge. Cut into 1/2 inch strips, twist and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min or until the twists are nicely browned.

Penna Pasta with Ricotta, Spinach and Chicken - Adapted from Giuliano Hazan

This recipe sounds a little com-plicated but goes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. The original was prepared meatless. Bring to a boil enough water to cook 1 lb. of penna pasta. Steam 6 oz. of spinach leaves in a small amount of water, drain in a colander, chop roughly and set aside. Saute a diced medium onion in 2T butter. When the onion softens add 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts which have been sliced into strips, or, use chicken "tenders". Cook until the chicken is just done and then add the spinach, 3/4C Ricotta cheese and 1/2C heavy cream. Heat and stir until bubbly. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with 1/4C grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a nice garlic bread and a dry white wine.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad - Adapted from Bon Appetit

There are three mixes for this recipe which can be made a bit in advance. This will prepare 2 1-1/4 lb. tender-loins.

Spice rub: 2t salt, 1/2t black pepper, 1t ground cumin, 1t chili powder, 1t ground cinnamon

Glaze: 1C packed, dark brown sugar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1T Tabasco sauce

Vinaigrette: 3T lime juice, 1T orange juice, 1T Dijon mustard, 1t toasted curry powder (just put the curry powder in a small pan and heat until it becomes fragrant)

Several hours before cooking, rub the pork with the spice rub. Start by browning the tenderloin in 3T of olive oil in an oven-proof pan. When the meat is brown, place the glaze on top of the meat. Place the pan in a preheated 425 degree oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 20 min. Remove the meat and let it rest for 10 min before slicing into 1/4-1/2 in slices. While the meat is resting, put the salad together: greens, red bell pepper, orange slices, and avacado slices. Top with the vinaigrette. The mixture of flavors in this recipe is well worth the effort. We think the flavors would work well with chicken as well. Almost any wine you can think of will work with the bold flavors from a dry white to a red.