• 2 Cups Ham, Diced Or Shredded
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 Large Carrots, Diced
• 2 Stalks Celery, Diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 10 Cups Chicken Broth, Or Ham Broth*
• 2 Pound Head Cabbage, Cored And Roughly Diced
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt And Pepper

In a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the ham, broth, cabbage, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cabbage is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

*To make ham broth, combine 2 smoked ham hocks, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion (quartered), 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns and 4 quarts water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over low heat, reduce to a very gentle simmer, cover and cook until the meat falls off the ham hocks, 3 to 4 hours. Strain the broth and add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 3 quarts.

Serves 10 to 12

Courtesy of Ali Ebright, gimmesomeoven.com

Ham & Cabbage Soup

• 2 Pounds Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast, Or Pork Sirloin Chops, Cut Into 1/2-Inch Dice
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2/3 Cup Flour
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 4 Cups Baby Spinach
• 4 Cups Mixed Frozen Vegetables, Thawed
• 4 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• Salt And Pepper
• 5 Cups Shredded Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Position oven rack about 8 inches from the broiler.

In a small stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, stirring until smooth, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, mixed vegetables, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pork mixture to a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. Arrange potatoes on top and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Turn on the broiler and continue to cook until the potatoes are browned, about 5 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

Pork and Hash Brown Shepherd’s Pie

• 2 Pound Boneless Blade Pork Roast, Cut Into 1/2-Inch Cubes
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 8 Baby Red Potatoes, Quartered
• 4 Carrots, Peeled And Chopped
• 4 Large Onions, Peeled And Sliced 1/2-Inch Thick
• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
• 1/4 Cup Parsley, Chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Caraway Seed
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 10 1/2-Oz Can Chicken Broth
• 1 12-Oz Bottle Imported Stout, Or Beer
• 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

In a bowl combine flour, salt and pepper. Coat pork cubes. Heat oil in Dutch oven; brown meat over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover; medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until meat is very tender. Stir occasionally.

Serves 8

Irish Pork Stew

Pork

• 3 Pound Boneless Pork Loin Roast
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Tarragon, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano, Chopped
• To Taste Salt And Pepper

Green Beans

• 1 Pound Green Beans
• 1/2 Cup Shallots, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Cup Pork Stock
• To Taste Salt And Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the chopped herbs together and divide in half. Cover half the herbs and refrigerate until later. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Rub the other half of chopped herbs all over the pork, including both ends. Place the pork roast on a roasting rack into preheated oven.

Cook roast 50-60 minutes  or until you reach an internal temperature between 145 degrees F. (medium-rare) to 160 degrees F. (medium). Remove roast from the oven carefully remove the rack from the pan. Pour out juice into a bowl with the reserved chopped herbs. Baste the top of the roast with herb mixture. Tent lightly with foil and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, make the green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans and blanch until tender, about 2 to 4 minutes. Then place them in ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process.

To make the salad: In a bowl, pull cleaned lettuce leafs apart and tear into bite sized pieces.

To make the dressing: Place the herbs, buttermilk, honey, and apple cider vinegar into a blender carafe. Begin blending and slowly add the grapeseed oil in a steady stream until the dressing emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve: Place a large sauté pan over medium low heat. Sweat the shallots in butter; add the beans and pork stock. Raise the heat to medium high and reduce the liquid until the beans are nicely glazed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Justin Carlisle, Milwaukee, WI

Herb Crusted Roasted Pork Roast

• 8 Oz Ham, Thinly Sliced
• 4 Tablespoons Strawberry Jam
• 2 Small Baguette
• 2 Cups Arugula, Lightly Packed
• 2 Lemons
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cheese Butter

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1/2 Cup Spreadable Brie Cheese*
• To Taste Salt And Pepper

For the Cheese Butter: bring both the cheese and butter to room temperature. Remove the rind from the cheese and whisk together with the butter until thoroughly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. The Cheese Butter will hold in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To assemble the sandwich: Slice the baguettes in half and place in a broiler, cut side up and toast until golden brown. Lightly dress the arugula with lemon juice and olive oil and hold. Spread a couple tablespoons of the Cheese Butter evenly on the bottom half of the toasted baguettes and spread the strawberry jam evenly on the top half. Place half of the ham slices on the bottom half of the sandwich; top with the lightly dressed arugula and the top half of the baguette.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Cosmo Goss, Chicago, IL

*Note that any triple crème style cheese can be substituted

Ham Baguette with Cheese Butter

• 5 Pound Pork Ribeye Roast , Or Rack Of Pork Or Bone-In Pork Loin Roast
• To Taste Sea Salt
• 1/3 Cup Fennel Seed, Toasted
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Red Chile Flakes, Toasted
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Season the ribeye roast all over with salt. In a food processor, pulse together the toasted fennel seeds and chili flakes. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the roast and shake off any excess rub before cooking.

Place the roast bone side up onto a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast in the oven, checking after 1 1/2 hours (about 20 minutes per pound) until the internal temperature of the roast reaches between 145 degrees F.  Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to 500 degrees F. Slice the ribs away from the loins and cut the rack into individual ribs. Place the ribs cut side up on a sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil. Place back into the oven until the ribs are crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove and serve with sliced pork loin.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ashley Christensen, Raleigh, NC

Fennel and Chili-Rubbed Pork Roast

• 4 Porterhouse (Bone-In Loin) Pork Chops, 1 1/2 Thick
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Bunch Kale, Or Mustard Greens, Washed, Stems Removed, Torn Into Bite Size Pieces
• 1 15 Oz Can Black-Eyed Peas, Drained
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• To Taste Salt And Pepper
• To Taste Lemon Juice

BLACK TEA BRINE

• 2 Cup Water
• 5 Tablespoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Black Tea, Loose
• 3 Cups Ice

To make the Black Tea Brine: In a saucepot, combine the water, sugar, black tea and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, and then remove from heat. Allow the tea to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the mixture and combine with ice. Cool the mixture fully before submerging the pork chops.Brine the chops overnight (up to 8 hours) in a self-sealing bag or a container large enough to hold the chops, ensuring they are fully submerged.

To make the chops in the oven: Preheat oven to broil. Remove the brined chops and pat dry. Season the chops with salt and place on broiler pan, cook 2-3 minutes until seared on the first side, flip and sear 2-3 minutes until browned on both sides. When the chops are browned to your liking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Move broiler pan with chops to the center rack of the oven, cook 12-16 minutes more or until an internal temperature reaches between 145 degrees F. (medium-rare) to 160 degrees F. (medium). Allow to rest for 3 minutes.

To make the chops on an outdoor grill: Preheat a grill with two zones of heat, medium high and medium. Remove the brined chops and pat dry. Season the chops with salt and place on the medium-high zone of the grill, searing 2-3 minutes per side. When the chops are browned to your liking, move them to the cooler medium zone to finish cooking. Cook for 12-16 minutes or until an internal temperature reaches between 145 degrees F. (medium-rare) to 160 degrees F. (medium). Allow to rest for 3 minutes.

To make the greens: Place a sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter and greens. Sauté until the greens wilt slightly, and then add 2 cups of black-eyed peas to warm them through. Add the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook and reduce until the cream coats the greens and peas. Taste and season with lemon juice and more salt and pepper if necessary.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ashley Christensen, Raleigh, NC

Tea-Brined Porterhouse Chops

courtesy of Terra’s Kitchen
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup spinach, packed tightly
• 4 baby bok choy, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ½ cup scallions
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• Canola Oil

Directions:

1. Heat wok or large skillet to high. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil.
2. Sauté the garlic and ginger together.
3. Add the sugar snap peas, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, fish sauce, and half of the sesame oil.
4. Stir-fry quickly until the vegetables start to brown slightly and become tender.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining sesame oil, scallion, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Pro Tip:

Remember HPCO! Hot. Pan. Cold. Oil. When stir-frying always remember to heat your wok BEFORE you add the oil. HPCO goes for sautéing too.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box of white cake mix
• 12 oz of room temperate Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime

Icing

• 1 can of vanilla icing
• 4 drops of green food dye

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Line muffin pan with liners.
3. In a medium bowl combine your Sparkling Ice and cake mix, stirring with a whisk until most of the lumps are gone.
4. Fill each liner ½-2/3 full of batter.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until cupcakes are springy and toothpicks comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely before frosting.

Pesto Ingredients

• 2 cups basil leaves tightly packed
• 1/2 cup high-quality olive oil
• ¼ cup pine nuts lightly toasted
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ tsp kosher salt or to taste
• ¼ cup pecorino romano grated
• hot pasta water

Instructions

1. Soak basil leaves in cold water for 10 minutes.
2. Place olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender and puree until nuts are finely chopped. Add salt. Shake off excess water from basil leaves, still leaving some water clinging to the leaves, add to the blender. Blend until well combined. Add cheese and pulse briefly. Set aside until the pasta is cooked.
3. When the pasta has cooked, with the blender running, slowly stream in enough hot pasta water to get a creamy consistency.

Mandilli Di Seta Ingredients

• 1 box Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagne
• Creamy pesto
• Pecorino Romano
• Edible Flowers
• Small Basil Leaves

Instructions

1. Place Explore Cuisine green lentil lasagne sheets in a large pot of gently boiling salted water with a splash of olive oil. Do not overcrowd and take care to separate the sheets so they do not stick together. In about 6 minutes, they will be al dente. Remove from pot, shaking off excess water. (Remember to reserve some hot pasta water for the pesto).
2. A warmed-up flat shallow pan works perfectly for coating the pasta rectangles. Pour the pesto from the blender into the pan. One at a time, dip the warm pasta sheets into the sauce, coating both sides, then artfully fold onto the plate. Repeat with 2 more rectangles.
3. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano around the perimeter of the pasta. Garnish with edible flowers and small basil leaves.