Cucumber Caprese Salad

Suggested Piece: 3.5 Qt. Cold Bowl

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp. Dried Oregano

1 tbsp. Dried Basil

Dash Salt

Dash Pepper

1 Cucumber (#3 cone)

1½ c. Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

8 oz. Mozzarella (#3 cone)

½ Large Red Onion (#2 or #4 cone)

Directions

In a small bowl mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil and a dash of salt and pepper; set aside. Process cucumber and mozzarella on #3 cone into Medium Cold Bowl. Quarter washed cherry tomatoes. Add to the bowl with the cucumbers. Process red onion into bowl with cucumbers and tomatoes (of you do not like onion, feel free to omit from the recipe.) Pour marinade over vegetables and cheese; mix well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Bacon Mushroom Spinach Frittata

Suggested Piece: 11" Large Skillet

Ingredients

6 large eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Dash of hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 slices bacon, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 c. baby spinach

1 Roma tomato, diced 

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, basil, oregano, thyme and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. Heat a 11” Large Skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes, pour off excess fat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool, and crumble. Add garlic and mushrooms to the skillet, sauté. Add spinach and tomato to skillet, pour in egg mixture on top, and sprinkle with bacon crumbles. Cover and cook over medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks then reduce heat to low. Cook until center is firm.

Tip: For a healthier alternative omit the bacon.

Ridiculously Easy Maple Pecan Scones

Suggested Piece: Cookie Sheet & 1 Qt. Saucepan

Ingredients

SCONES

1 c. heavy cream, plus more for brushing on top of scones

8 tbsp. butter

2 c. flour

¼ c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ c. chopped pecans

GLAZE

2 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tbsp. butter

2-3 tbsp. heavy cream or half & half, or milk

2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ c. confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Measure 1 c. heavy cream and place in the freezer while proceeding with recipe. (You want the cream to be in the freezer about 10 minutes.) Place butter in a 1 Qt. Saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Once melted set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pecans in large bowl. After heavy cream has been chilled in freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules. Add butter/cream mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Don’t over mix. Generously flour a work surface. Dump dough onto prepared work surface and turn to coat all surfaces with flour. Knead on counter 5-6 times (about 30 seconds). Flip over on work surface to coat with flour then pat into a 6-inch circle. Cut dough in 8 equal pie-shaped pieces. Transfer wedges onto prepared cookie sheet pan and brush tops with heavy cream. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the scones cool before icing. While the scones are baking, make the maple glaze: place maple syrup, half and half, butter and brown sugar in a clean 1 Qt. Saucepan. Cook over medium heat whisking well to smooth out any lumps. Cook for another minute or until mixture is vigorously bubbling. Add powdered sugar to make a thick, but drizzle-able glaze. If glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if too thick add a little more cream. Drizzle glaze over scones. Let scones sit for 15 minutes to let glaze set before serving.

Farmhouse Hash with Poached Eggs

Suggested Piece: 3 Qt. Saucepan, Perforated Basket, & 11” Large Skillet

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 medium onion (#2 cone)

1 carrot (#2 cone)

2 stalks celery (#2 cone)

2 large red-skinned potatoes (#3 cone)

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

6 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Add butter onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 11” Large Skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks, reduce heat to low. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add sausage to perforated basket and set inside 3 Qt. Saucepan with ½ inch water in the bottom. Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through, breaking up pieces with spatula. Add sausage to large skillet, stir. Create 6 dents in mixture and crack 1 egg into each dent. Cover and continue cooking until white of egg is cooked (longer if you like the yoke cooked too). Uncover and season with salt and black pepper.

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse

Suggested Piece: 1 Qt. Saucepan, Stand Mixer, and Blender

Ingredients

Mousse

2 pkg. (4 serving size) instant lemon Jello

1 c. boiling water

2 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 c. cold water

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 c. powdered sugar, divided

berries, for garnish

Directions

Add lemon Jello to a small bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir until Jello is completely dissolved. Pour Jello mixture into a blender. Add in cream cheese and cold water and blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Whip heavy cream in a separate medium mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add in 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar and whip until stiff (but not lumpy) peaks form (shake cream from beaters, no need to clean. Mix together with lemon/cream cheese until well blended and smooth. Spoon into 8 - 12 dessert dishes (depends on how full you want them). Place in the fridge for 2 hours. When ready to serve, top with berries.

Honey Lime Rainbow Salad

Suggested Piece: 3.5 Qt. Cold Bowl

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh strawberries (#3 cone)

1 lb. fresh pineapple, diced

12 oz. fresh blueberries

12 oz. red grapes, halved

4 kiwis, peeled and diced

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges in juice, drained well and sliced into halves

2 ripe bananas (#4 cone)

Honey Lime Dressing

1/4 c. honey

2 tsp. lime zest (zest of 2 medium limes #1 cone)

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice (#1 cone)

Directions

Add all fruit to a 3.5 Qt. Cold Bowl. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, lime zest and lime juice. Pour over fruit just before serving and toss to evenly coat (as it sits for a few minutes the juices will gather at the bottom, so toss again before plating).

Tip: Freeze bananas before processing on #4 cone to get cleaner slices.

Kale & Quinoa Salad

Suggested Piece: 3.5 Qt. Cold Bowl

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 c. quinoa

1 large bunch (about 6 cups) kale, tough stems removed, chopped, and rubbed

15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed & drained (optional)

1 c. blueberries

4 oz. goat/feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

½ c. sliced almonds

1 avocado, cubed

For the Dressing:

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

Dash of black pepper

Directions

Prepare quinoa using the knuckle method. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. Add the kale and, using your hands, toss it with the dressing. Once the quinoa is cool, add it to the bowl with the kale, along with the chickpeas (if using), blueberries, goat cheese (if using), almonds, and avocado. Toss gently to combine. Serve.

Guiltless Macaroni & Cheese

Suggested Piece: 3 Qt. Saucepan with Culinary Basket & Small Skillet

Ingredients

2 heads cauliflower (#3 cone)

2 c. milk

3 oz. cream cheese

2-3 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. butter

3 garlic cloves (#1 cone)

1 c. cheese, sharp cheddar (#1 cone)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat ½ inch of water in bottom of 3 Qt. Saucepan over medium heat. Process cauliflower on #3 cone into Culinary Basket. Set basket in 3 Qt.; cover and cook on medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks. Reduce heat to low and cook for approx. 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a bottom of Small Skillet sauté butter and garlic over medium heat (careful not to overcook!) Then add milk mixture to the skillet. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now. When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt & pepper if needed. Remove basket and pour water from 3 Qt. Transfer cauliflower into 3 Qt. and fold in cheese sauce.

Braised Short Ribs

Suggested Piece: 4.5 Qt. Mini Braiser -or- 5 Qt. Roaster

Ingredients

8 whole beef short ribs

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 c. flour

6 pieces thin sliced bacon, diced

1 onion (#2 cone)

3 carrots (#2 cone)

2 shallots, diced

2 c. white or red wine (preferably dry)

2 c. beef broth

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside. In bottom of piece, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Pour off most of the grease. Raise heat to medium-high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat back to medium. Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. Cover and cook over medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks; reduce heat to low continue cooking (20 minutes per pound) but the longer the better! Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes, spooning a little juice over the top. YUM!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Herbs & Lemon

Suggested Piece: Smokeless Broiler

Ingredients

2-4 skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano

1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

Place chicken breasts in-between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound out to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Place chicken in a large resealable ziploc bag. Add all the other ingredients and massage to evenly coat. Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but ideally four. Coat Smokeless Broiler grates with nonstick spray. Place chicken directly on Smokeless Broiler and cook for 5 minutes; flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°F. Transfer to a plate and let rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve!

Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast

Suggested Piece: 12” Electric Skillet -or- Bake and Roast Pan

Ingredients

1 loaf day old French bread cubed

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries, tossed lightly with flour (leave frozen)

8 large eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Countertop Directions

Spray a 12” Electric Skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half the cubed bread in bottom. With a mixer cream sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls over bread. Toss the frozen blueberries in flour. Layer blueberries. Cover with remaining bread. Whisk the eggs and milk until combined. Pour over bread. Press bread with spatula to help soak up mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight…

The next morning set 12” Electric Skillet temperature to medium-low (250F). Cover and cook for approx. 45-50 minutes. (The Vapo-Valve should not click as you are “baking.”)

Oven Directions

Spray a Bake and Roast Pan with nonstick cooking spray (really get those corners). Layer half the cubed bread in bottom. With a mixer cream sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls over bread. Toss the frozen blueberries in flour. Layer blueberries. Cover with remaining bread. Whisk the eggs and milk until combined. Pour over bread. Press bread with spatula to help soak up mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight…

The next morning preheat oven to 350F. Bake for approx. 45-50 minutes.

Summer Veggie Medley

Suggested Piece: 11” Large Skillet

Ingredients

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 pack asparagus

1/4 c. butter

4 cloves garlic

Directions

Add butter into cold 11” Large Skillet, and then shred the zucchini and the squash one the number #3 cone, and the garlic in the #1 cone. Chop asparagus into bite size pieces, and add to skillet. Cook over medium heat. When Vapo-Valve clicks reduce heat to low for approx. 10-15 minutes.

Notes: A mixture of 2 1/2 teaspoons (total) dried Italian herbs can be substituted for the fresh. To give it some kick, you could add crushed red pepper flakes. And to add some tang, whisk in a few teaspoons of mustard! 

Lemon Rice Pilaf

Suggested Piece: 3 Qt. Saucepan

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp. EVOO (optional... but evens out garlic flavor)

1 tsp. garlic (#1 cone)

1/2 onion (#2 cone)

2 c. rice

1-2 boxes chicken broth (knuckle method)

1 tsp. lemon zest

3-4 tsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. chopped parsley

3 tbsp. chopped dill

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Saute in 3 Qt. over medium heat EVOO, garlic, and onion. Once onion is soft, stir in rice and chicken broth. Cover and cook rice over medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks. Reduce heat to low and cook rice for approx. 15-20 min. Add lemon juice, zest, parsley, dill, salt & pepper and fluff with a fork.

Baked Honey Sriracha Lime Chicken

Suggested Piece: 11" Large Skillet

Ingredients

2 lbs. of meat, poultry, or fish

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 c. honey

1-5 tbsp. sriracha sauce (the more the spicier!)

2 limes (one juiced, one for slicing)

2 tbsp. soy sauce, low sodium

1 tsp. garlic (#1 cone)

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions

Place meat, poultry, or fish in skillet, lay pieces of butter on top. In small bowl whisk honey, sriracha sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic. Pour 1/2 mixture over meat, poultry, or fish. Top with thinly sliced lime and cilantro. Cover and cook over medium heat until Vapo-Valve clicks. Reduce heat to low until meat, poultry, or fish is cooked through (approx. 40-45 minutes.) Drizzle remaining sauce mixture over top before serving.

Gluten Free Alternative: substitute soy sauce for Bragg's liquid aminos.