Appetizers & Salads

What, a pear and candied pepitas salad with blue cheese ice cream? Whoa Baby! This salad is made with pears, candied roasted pepitas, dried cranberries, and mixed mache greens . With the addition of fresh mint, chives, and cracked white pepper which enhances and spikes this salad up to the next level. Tossed with a tangy light pear vinaigrette made in a mason jar. Then garnished with a small scoop of Blue Cheese Ice Cream brings together ingredients that really enhance each other. And it’s just a “Fun Twist” to a salad. It’s an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth! Honestly, you will experience nirvana!  Serves:...

OMG, does the title, “Maggot Salad” make you want to spew? Maybe so, but hold it together for one sec… My special spooky salad is composed of an assortment of ancients grains, chopped roasted red peppers, olives, cucumbers, and herbs.   Adding to the yummy is a garlicky honey vinaigrette dressing that has a touch of blackberry balsamic vinegar. The ancient grains include red quinoa, Italian farro, Arborio rice, and Chinese black rice. These are great protein resources and may introduce you to some ingredients you weren’t previously familiar with. Don’t be scared! I got you… In fact, I’ve got...

Roasting vegetables packs their flavor full with deep richness and a special texture. It’s super simple and easy, and you can combine an awesome melody of whatever vegetables you want – carrots, purple onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, butternut squash, parsnips, eggplant, bell peppers, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and radishes…they’re ALL options! Grilling them gives added smokiness that pairs great with your backyard BBQ…or a spooky scary Halloween party!   Tossed with Oily Intestine and topped with Frankenstein’s bones, this is just one of the dishes you can use for your Halloween theme. Check out my outrageous Halloween pumpkin centerpiece, Eggs in Purgatory, Maggot Salad, and Red Devil Cake...

This is a super tasty salad and one that will tantalize your taste buds.   Belgian endive is a crisp, slightly bitter lettuce with white and yellow leaves, but sometimes you can find them in a purple/yellow color. Belgian endive and beets are a perfect study in contrasts. The sweet tender beets offset the slightly bitter, crispy endive, and the color contrasts are stunning. With that said, I do add a bit of mache greens to heighten this lovely salad. The awesome blue cheese I use is from Germany and it’s called champagne noir. And it is undoubtedly the best tasting blue...