Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Goat cheese Frittata

Monday's are meatless (mostly) in my house and this week I served up a frittata (fancy name for omelette).  I did use bacon in the dish, but it can be omitted (a shame, but can do it).  This time of year I also like to incorporate the beautiful squashes available that the Fall harvest has for us.  I served this with a baby greens salad tossed in a honey-lemon vinaigrette.  With the addition of the potatoes this was very tasty and satisfying as a (mostly) "Meatless Monday" dinner.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

8 eggs, room temperature and scrambled in a bowl
1/2 sweet onion, skin removed and chopped fine
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped minced
1/2 C. defrosted frozen chopped spinach (I've used kale or swiss chard to substitute)
4 oz. Bacon, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 C. Butternut squash, diced small
1/4 C. Yukon gold potatoes, diced small
4 oz. Goat cheese, rough crumble
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Crusty Bread to serve with

Preheat oven to 425°F

In a mixing bowl combine squash and potatoes.  Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a baking sheet (I like to use parchment paper on the bottom of the rimmed sheet).  Place sheet in oven and roast vegetables for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through.  When done, remove and reserve on the side.  Now, turn oven to high broil.

While waiting on vegetables to roast, heat a large non-stick pan (with oven safe handle) over medium heat.  (If you don't have an oven safe pan, no worries.  Don't use the broiler, you will cook entire dish on top of your range)  Add remaining olive oil to warm, add bacon and cook to golden brown, about 8 minutes.  With slotted spoon remove browned bacon and reserve on the side.  Add onions to hot pan, stir and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic, cook for a minute, stir and add spinach. Add cooked squash-potato mixture and cooked bacon to pan, stir and add scrambled eggs.  Add thyme and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to incorporate.  Let heat for a minute or two to set the bottom.  Dot the top of frittata with goat cheese and place pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes.  You are looking for frittata to expand and cheese to get golden brown.  Once done, remove and let rest for a couple minutes.  Serve with crusty bread and Enjoy! (this can also be served at room temperature)

Tilapia Scampi

(4) 6 oz. filets Tilapia, rinsed and patted dry (any firm white fish could substitute)

½ stick Butter

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

8 cloves Garlic, peeled and halved

1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1 Tbsp. Flat leaf Parsley, chopped fine

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon juice

¼ C. Dry White wine

Pinch red chili flake

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Warm Crusty Bread



Preheat oven to 400°F



Drizzle rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, place fish on top of oil and reserve in the refrigerator.

Heat medium pan over medium heat.  Add butter and melt.  Add garlic and poach for 5 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant, but be careful not to brown.  Increase heat and add wine, reduce volume by half, then add parsley, lemon juice, chili flake, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and with slotted spoon remove garlic halves.  Remove fish from refrigerator and pour butter mixture over fish, sprinkle with minced garlic.  Place into oven and cook until fish turn translucent, about 15 minutes.  Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.  Plate, spooning butter sauce over fish.  Serve with bread so you're able to soak up the buttery sauce and enjoy!

Menu 10/14-10/18

Monday-
Butternut Squash, Bacon and Goat Cheese Frittata
Baby Green Salad with Celery Root, Tomato, tossed in a Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Tuesday-
Tilapia Scampi
Spaghetti Squash and tomato concasse
Sautéed Swiss Chard, Celery Root and Raisins

Wednesday-
Brined and Grilled Pork Chops with Apple sauce
Oven Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Honey
Oven Roasted Asparagus

Thursday-
Cedar Planked Salmon with Shallot Butter
Sauteed Kale
Delacatta Squash with Shallots and Maple Syrup

Friday-
Aged NY Strips with Roasted Mushrooms
Cabernet Demi-glace
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
Sweet and Spicy Carrots

Flat Iron Steak with Cocoa-Ancho Chili Rub

We were at a fabulous dinner event at our friend's restaurant, Republic, in downtown Detroit recently and was served this incredible beef.  It was rubbed with cocoa, cinnamon and spices.  I found it complex, sexy and irresistible.  So, I decided to recreate it.  I did not get the recipe from the restaurant chef, but came up with my own take. It got raved reviews, so I thought I'd share.  Enjoy! 

Serves 4


(1) 2# flat iron steak
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. Ancho chili powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Kosher salt & Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°

Take flat iron steak out of the fridge, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and reserve off to the side. In a small bowl combine cocoa powder, chili powder, and cinnamon. 

Generously salt and pepper both sides of steak. Sprinkle Cocoa rub and garlic on both sides, drizzle olive oil over beef and gently massage into the beef.  Let sit out for 30 minutes to come up to temperature. If your kitchen does not have a proper ventilation hood, the next step of searing the beef can be done on your outside grill, so as not to smoke up your kitchen. Just make sure you get it very hot. You can cook entirely on the grill if desired.

Turn vent fan on high setting. Place a cast iron pan on the stove over high heat (if you do not have, any thick bottom pan will work. Just makes sure it’s large enough for steak). Once very hot, add a tablespoon of canola oil and let it heat to smoking. 

Carefully add beef, pressing it down into pan surface. Sear for two minutes, turn and sear the other side. Take pan and place into hot oven and cook to medium-rare, about 7-8 minutes. You can always transfer the beef back to the rimmed baking sheet in order to place in the oven if you want. 

Remove steak from the oven, transfer back to rimmed pan and tent with tin foil. Reserve off to the side for 10-15 minutes in order to rest. 

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

The Joys of Canning- Tomato Sauce

A few years ago dear friends of ours, Ruth and John introduced us to the art of canning.  As a couple its a hoot. We go to the local Farmer's Market and get the freshest ingredients we can.  Then come back into the kitchen, turn on music, open a bottle (or several) of wine, and cook large quantities of whatever met our fancy; then can it.  We use these finished canned products as gifts for family and friends, as well as eat throughout the year.  We've come to love the experience together.  Talking, much laughing, and creating together.  Here's a tomato sauce we made recently. We bought 40#'s of beautiful ripe tomatoes at the market and made seventeen quarts one Saturday afternoon. Obviously, this can be scaled down, I'm sharing the recipe for 6 Quarts.  It does not need to be canned, but does very well frozen or will hold in the frig for 4-5 days. Enjoy!

The secret to this preparation is the cooking of the tomato paste.  A Nona (Italian Grandmother) once taught me the technique of slowly cooking the paste over low heat, frequently scrapping the bottom of the pot as not to burn and really cooking the paste.  By working it in this manner you caramelize it deeply, fully bringing out the incredible flavors that can only happen with this slow (did I say slow?) and patient process. Trust me this labor intensive step will pay huge dividends in the end.

Makes 6 Quarts

1/2 C. olive oil
1 cup shredded onions
4 Tbsp. minced garlic
24 ounces of tomato paste
1 cup white wine
1 gallon puréed fresh ripe tomatoes

1 1/2# pork spare ribs

2 Bay Leaves

4 tablespoons ea. fresh chopped parsley, oregano, and basil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter

Crushed red pepper flake, to taste

Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Set a 8-12 quart stock pot (thick bottomed pot) over high heat. Add olive oil and warm. Add onions and sauté so deep brown edges emerge. Add garlic, stir and cook another minute and garlic becomes fragrant. Lower heat and add tomato paste, stir and combine with onions and garlic. Slowly cook the paste, scraping the bottom of the pot every so often. Cook for 20-30 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Now, add the white wine and increase heat, reduce liquid by half. Add sugar, tomatoes, bay leaves, and pork ribs. Bring sauce to a boil, then lower the heat immediately to a moderate simmer, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cook sauce for 2 hours and then pull ribs out of the sauce. Let ribs cool enough to handle then pull the tender meat off the bones.  (This can be chopped and added back to the sauce at the end or saved for another use). Return bones back to the sauce and continue to cook until the sauce thickens to the proper consistency, another 1-2 hours.

Once sauce has properly thickened, remove and discard all bones and bay leaves from the sauce. Now, add herbs, red pepper flake and season with salt and pepper. Cook another 15 minutes, then turn off heat and add butter (and if desired, the chopped rib meat). Let butter melt and slowly incorporate into the sauce. Stir and taste, adjust seasoning.

Sauce can be canned (just remember to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart), frozen up to 3 months, or just shared and enjoyed right away. Enjoy!

Menu 10/4-10/11

Friday-
Grilled Flat Iron Steak rubbed with Cocoa and Ancho Chili
Roasted Beets with Feta and Toasted Walnuts
Sautéed Kale with Blistered Tomatoes
Sweet Potato Hash

Saturday-
Slow Roasted Baby Back Ribs with a Fig and Brown Sugar Glaze
Delicata Squash with Toasted Hazelnuts
Romaine tossed in a Warm Shallot Vinaigrette, Parmesan Crisps

Sunday-
Grilled Shrimp with Mint Pesto over a bed of Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini and Summer Squash Medley with Italian Spices

Monday-
Honey-Dijon Glazed Salmon
Roasted Moroccan-Spiced Carrots
Steamed Broccoli with Lemon zest

Tuesday-
Lemon and Herb Grilled Chicken
Baby Green Salad, crispy Shallots tossed in a Citrus Vinaigrette

Wednesday-
Vegetable Frittata
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Arugula Salad with Pears and Ricotta Salata

Thursday-
Oven Roasted Cod with Lemon and Thyme
Butternut Squash with Parmesan and Herbs
Asparagus with Garlic and Red Bell Peppers

Friday-
"Steak and Red Wine Night" and dancing at The Clawson Steakhouse with friends
The perfect end to a busy week

Chimichurri Sauce

What ketchup is to Americans, Chimichurri is to Argentines; it goes on just about anything. When we visited my daughter in Buenos Aires in February 2019, I found some terrific versions.  And was most surprised at how many recipes used much more oregano than I was used to and not as spicy.  Argentines actually use very little heat in their cuisine, compared to other Latin cuisines.  Taking my experiences in this beautiful country back with me, I put together the below recipe, enjoy!

1/4 C. Fresh Oregano, stems discarded
1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, stems discarded
4 large cloves Garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red pepper flake
4 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
1/4 C. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

In a blender or food processor put all ingredients except oil, salt and pepper.  Process until herbs and garlic are finely chopped. Add oil, combine thoroughly and season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Serve at room temperature, Enjoy!

(Sauce can be made three days in advance of use, store covered in refrigerator.  Allow to come to room temperature prior to using.)