Lemon almond olive oil dressing

1 lemon

2 tbsp toasted almonds

1 tbsp honey

1-2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Quarter the lemon, remove seeds and hard ends. Chop in food processor.

Add almonds, garlic, honey and slowly mix in olive oil at end.

Pork Belly - marinated and slow cooked

 4 lbs pork belly skin on

Marinade

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup cider vinegar

10 peeled, halved garlic cloves

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

2 tbsp fresh thyme

2 tbsp sliced serrano pepper

2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a blender and pulse until chopped. Put pork belly in a freezer bag and add marinade. Let marinade for at least 12 hours.

2. Cook pork belly in slow cooker for 4 hours on high or in the oven on 250 F for 6 hours.

4. Raise oven temp to 425 and cook pork belly until crisp, about 40 minutes.

Beef Stew

 This is a hearty stew based on a traditional beef stew recipe from the New York Times.

1 lbs cubed beef (I use sirloin when on sale at Costco)

1 cup red cooking wine (burgundy)

3 1/2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup flour + 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp red vinegar

2 1/2 tbsp oil or butter

1 yellow onion

5 carrots

2 bay leaves

2 tsp salt

Stew will need about 2 hrs to simmer and tastes better the next day.

1. Toss cubed beef in flour/pepper mix.

2. Fry tossed beef cubes in the oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron pot.

3. Add vinegar and red wine and scrape while simmering.

4. Add broth and bay leaves.

5. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

6. Add chopped onion an d carrots and simmer for another 20 minutes.

7. Add salt. You can also add a little Worcestershire sauce.

8. Serve with boiled potatoes. You can cube potatoes and boil them in the stew.

Lime Meringue Pie (Key Lime Pie)

4 eggs separated 

1 14 ounce can of condensed milk

1 1/2 cups pulverized graham crackers or gingerbread snaps, or 50/50

6 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp - 1/3 cup light brown sugar (more if using graham crackers)

1/4 cup regular sugar

15 limes or 4/3 cup lime juice

Grated lime rind: 1/2 tsp for the crust, 2 tbsp for the filling

1. Heat oven to 350 F

2. Prep limes by grating rind and then juicing the limes 

3. Mix crumbs with sugar, grated rind and  and butter

4. Press mixture into a pie form.

5. Bake for 10 minutes.

6. Whip egg yolks until frothy, then add condensed milk, juice and remaining grated rind.

7. Add lime mixture to pie form and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove.

8. Heat oven to 450 F. Make meringue by whipping egg whites until you can turn the bowl upside down with whites sticking to bowl. Whip in 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract.

9. Cover pie with meringue mix and bake for 5 minutes or until beige/brown.

10. Cool pie for a couple of hours before serving.