Baked Tilapia with Garlicky Green Beans and Roasted Tomatoes

 4 Plum Tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
¾ teaspoon
Kosher Salt (divided)
½ teaspoon
Black Pepper (freshly ground, divided)
1 tablespoon
Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (thinly sliced)
12 ounces Green Beans (trimmed)
¼ cup Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 ½ teaspoons Fresh Tarragon (chopped)
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
4 6-ounces Tilapia Fillets
⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
8 Lemon Wedges

 Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet and coated with cooking spray. Brush the tomatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 500 ° C for 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 450 ° (do not remove the baking sheet from the oven). Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, oil, garlic, and green beans on a large piece of foil; toss to coat. Wrap the foil and seal tightly to form a bag. Place the bag on a baking sheet with the tomatoes; bake at 450 ° C for 20 minutes.

Combine the mayonnaise, juice, tarragon and Dijon in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Sprinkle the fillets evenly with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over 1 side of the fillet. Spread the panko evenly on top and drizzle with cooking spray.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the tomatoes and bag to 1 side of the pan. Place the fillets on the other side of the pan. Bake at 450 ° C for 6 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil for 3 minutes or until the panko is golden and the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with green beans, tomatoes, and lemon.

Farro Salad

1 cup pearled farro (6 ounces)
1 cup fresh apple cider
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios, whole or chopped
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved through the stem
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes (2 to 3 radishes)
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup shaved Italian Parmesan cheese
Flaked sea salt

Place the farro, apple cider, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender. (If all the liquid is absorbed before the farro is tender, add a little more water.) Drain the farro and transfer to a large serving bowl. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the warm farro and set aside for at least 15 minutes to cool.

Before serving, stir in the pistachios, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radishes. Add the arugula and lightly fold in the Parmesan so as not to break it up too much. Sprinkle with the sea salt and serve immediately.

Braised Pork Ragu Pappardelle

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed

½ yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 sprigs of thyme

5 sprigs of oregano

Handful of fennel seeds

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

24 to 30 ounces dry pappardelle

 Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cut pork shoulder into four equal pieces and season all over with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into Dutch oven and sear pork for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove pork from pan and set aside.

Drain all fat from pot and add remaining oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions begin to sweat and become slightly translucent. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stir together.

Add herbs and continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir together. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Deglaze pot with wine, making sure to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until about ½ wine has evaporated.

Add the whole tomatoes, including juices, and stir together, slightly breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Once mixture is simmering again, add pork back into the pot and bring to a boil. Cover pot and place on the lowest shelf in your oven.

Braise pork for about 2 hours or until the pork is fork tender.

Remove pot from oven and finely shred pork with two forks. Adjust seasonings if needed. Cover until ready to use.

Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat.

Once water is boiling, add a small handful of salt followed by pasta. Boil pasta, stirring frequently, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.

Divide pasta into individual bowls and top with a large ladle of ragu. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve. 

Dill Pickle Dip

 8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 ounces chopped deli ham
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 cup dill pickles, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix sour cream and cream cheese until creamy.  Mix in other ingredients.  Chil until serving.

Chicken Parmesan V2

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 breasts (see note)

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning chicken

½ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces

chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional, for serving

Preheat oven to 425° F. Grease a baking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray or oil.

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to get 4 thin chicken cutlets. (If using thin sliced chicken breasts, no need to slice them in half.) If the chicken cutlets are uneven in thickness, you can pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin to make them an even ½-inch thickness. (Cover the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap or place in a zip-top bag before pounding to prevent splattering.)

To prepare the breading for the chicken, you will need 3 shallow pie plates, bowls or other wide and shallow dishes. In one dish, place the flour. In the second, place the egg and tablespoon of water. Use a fork to beat the egg and water together until well combined. In the third dish, stir together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish.

Bake chicken in the upper third of the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is almost cooked through (at this point it should be about 150° F when tested with an instant read thermometer, you'll cook it more after topping with the sauce and cheese). Spoon 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce over each chicken piece and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Continue baking chicken until it is cooked through (it should register 165° F at the thickest part when tested with an instant read thermometer). This may take about 3 to 8 more minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Serve chicken with pasta and additional marinara sauce, garnished with chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired.

Cream Wafers

 Cookies

 1 cup butter

2 cups flour

¹⁄₃  cup heavy whipping cream

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

 Filling

 ¹⁄₄cup butter

³⁄₄cup sifted confectioner sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix butter, flour and whipping cream thoroughly. Chill dough 1 hour

Preheat oven to 375°

Roll dough 1/8" thick on a lightly floured board

Cut into 1-1/2 inch rounds

Transfer onto waxed paper heavily sprinkled with sugar, turning to coat both sides

Place on ungreased baking sheet; prick in 4 places with fork

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until slightly puffy

Filling

Blend butter, confectioner sugar and vanilla together

Put 2 cookies together with filling

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Ragu

 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1small onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ cup double-concentrated tomato paste

12 oz. mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, and/or maitake), tough stems trimmed, coarsely chopped

¼ cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. rigatoni or other short pasta

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

Heat oil in a small pot or large saucepan over medium. Add onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn golden around edges, about 4 minutes.

Add tomato paste to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and season with more salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 6–8 minutes.

Add cream and 1 cup water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragù is slightly thickened, 13–17 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and more salt as needed.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, butter, 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and 1 oz. Parmesan to ragù. Cook, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid by ¼-cupful as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes.

Divide pasta among shallow bowls or plates and top with more Parmesan.