INGREDIENTS:

3 cups roasted butternut squash, finely diced, tossed with 2TBSP of olive oil and 2 TSP of our French Made Easy
1 TBSP freshly chopped sage.
1 cup uncooked quinoa. We cooked it with 2 teaspoons of French Made Easy for 15 minutes.
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped

For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TSP honey
Juice from 1/2 a lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the quinoa with 2 cups of water and the seasoning.  Simmer over low heat for 12-15 minutes, then remove from heat but leave it covered for 10 minutes.  This helps finish cooking the quinoa and absorbs and moisture still in the pan. 

While the quinoa is cooking, peel and dice the butternut squash.  If you have read any of our other recipes, you know that we like to keep ingredients uniform in size as much as possible.  Take the extra time to dice the squash in 1/4" cubes, or close to it.  You will be glad you did when you eat this.  Quinoa is a small grain - try to keep the rest of the ingredients relatively small.  Roast the butternut squash at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until it beings to slightly char. 

Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl then toss with the rest of the ingredients.  Give it a taste for seasonings.  If you want to add a little more French Made Easy - now is the time to do it.  This dish is best served cold, after it has chilled for 2 hours or more. 

Enjoy! 

This recipe is fantastic hot or cold!  SpinDip as we call it, is one of our favorite dips that can be used for so much more than a dip!  Top some chicken with it then bake it.  Or, put on top of a baked potato and bake again!  Mix it in some scrambled eggs to start your day.  All kinds of great ways to each this favorable dish!

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Tablespoons of French Made Easy
1 bag frozen artichoke hearts (we got ours at Trader Joe's)
2 bag frozen organic spinach (also from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 7.5 ounce container Cremè Fraiche
1 cup Marscapone cheese
Juice from 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, mashed

*1 cup grated mozzarella for topping if baking

DIRECTIONS:

Place frozen spinach in a pot on your stove over medium heat.  Cook it down until thawed then place spinach in cheese cloth, or strainer, and squeeze out as much water as possible.  

While the spinach is cooking, add the frozen artichoke hearts to a large pan and slightly brown over medium heat.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled to touch, chop the hearts into 1/2" pieces.  

Chop the clove of garlic and juice the lemon. 

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the cheese is evenly blended.  Add the French Made Easy then taste it.  Add more if you'd like.  

That's it!  You can eat it as is, or you top it with some mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes! 

INGREDIENTS:

The Dressing:
1 Tsp Smokin' Chipotle Seasoning (or more depending on your taste)
¼ cup coconut aminos
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey

The Salad:
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 large unripe mango, peeled and pit removed, diced small
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 shredded carrot
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Chop all vegetable as mentioned above and put in a large mixing bowl.    

In a separate bowl, add the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.  Combine the salad with the dressing and enjoy! 

We got the idea for this recipe from a fantastic blog called "The Typical Mom - Surviving and Thriving with Kids"

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons Curry In a Hurry
6 boneless chicken thighs, skin removed, cut into cubes
1 1/2  cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
6 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped + extra for garnish
1 cup basmati rice
Sweet potatoes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place all the ingredients into the Instant Pot.  Select Manual > high pressure > then adjust your time to 6 minutes. If you do not have one, you can use a slow cooker but you'll have to adjust your cooking time to 5 hours on low temperature. 

Once you've started the Instant Pot, go ahead a make the rice according to the package.  Usually, 1 cup rice cooks with 2 cups water/broth and a pinch of salt.  After the rice has cooked, add the chopped cilantro, mix well, then set aside for serving.

Tip* - you can add an extra 1 teaspoon of Curry in a Hurry to the rice when cooking it.  This adds a lot more flavor to it and gives it a beautiful yellow color. 

After the timer has gone off on the Instant Pot, manually release the pressure and enjoy!  Serve up a scoop of rice in a bowl then top it with the butter chicken then garnish with cilantro! 

Picture of finished recipe

You can also serve the butter chicken over a baked sweet potato!  This was my personal favorite.  

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 teaspoons of any of our seasoning blends
1 medium head of broccoli sliced and cut into pieces
1/2 lemon juiced
3-5 tablespoons of olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

First thing you want to do is breakdown the head of broccoli.  I like to use the stems and all so there is no waste.  I cut the head of broccoli in half lengthwise.  Then I take one half and make 1/4" slices and repeat with the other half.  Roughly chop the slices then set aside while you prepare the pan for cooking.

Picture of finished recipe

As mentioned above, the trick to amazing broccoli is searing it in a very hot pan.  Place a large enough frying pan on over high heat then add the oil.  Wait until the oil is just about to smoke then add 2 teaspoons of Italiano Pronto, or any of our seasoning blends as well as the broccoli.  Give it a quick stir/toss then let it sit.  You want the broccoli to char and get a little crispy on the edges.  Don't touch it for 2-3 minutes then toss/stir the pan and let it sit for another 2-3 minutes.  

Take half a lemon and squeeze the juice into the hot pan.  Give it one more toss then remove from heat and place in a serving bowl.  Serve immediately!  

Our Italiano Pronto has a little heat to it!  If you like spicy - then you'll love this dish!  If you prefer less heat in your foods, then try this using out French Made Easy or Go Greek

This technique is also perfect for cauliflower!

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons of French Made Easy (or any of our seasonings)
1 package of steamed lentils from Trader Joe's (you can steam your own lentils - see note below*)
2 green onions - diced
1 red bell pepper - diced in 1/8" pieces
2 jalapenos - seeded and diced in 1/8" pieces
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup Italian parsley - roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Chop all vegetable as mentioned above.  I like to keep all my ingredients roughly the same size as the main ingredient - the lentils.  This take a bit more work, but when you take a bite and all the veggies are uniform in size, you get a much better balance of flavor. 

Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add the seasonings, olive oil and lemon.  Mix well then give it a taste.  You might want to add a little more seasonings - do that now.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour...or just eat right away.  But if you give it time to chill, all the flavors release and intensify.  It's that easy!  

You can have fun with this recipe and get creative.  Try using asparagus or any other vegetables you like.  Maybe instead of using lemon juice, add a little vinegar of choice.  If you want a spicy dish, leave in the seeds when chopping the jalapeno and use our Mexican in a Minute or Smokin' Chipotle seasoning.  Our Mediterranean Magic with a little rice vinegar is amazing too! 

*If you are going to make lentils from scratch, you'll need to steam about 1 pounds worth.  Rinse and sort your lentils and place in a bowl.  Cover them with water and let them soak over night.  Then prepare your steam basked and steam them for about 60 minutes, or cooked to your desired tenderness. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons of Smokin' Chipotle
4 oz sharp yellow cheddar, grated
4 oz sharp white cheddar, finely grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmann's)
1 teaspoon finely grated onion
2 oz pimentos, finely diced

DIRECTIONS:

Here is everything you'll need for this recipe.  We mention in the ingredients to grate, or finely grate, the 2 cheeses.  If your cheese grater has 2 sizes of holes to grate the cheese with, use them both.  It helps with the texture of the dish is one cheese if grated with the smaller holes and the other with the regular ones.  If you only have one size, it's totally okay.  

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined.  If it's a bit dry, you can add another 1/4 cup of mayo.  

Enjoy.  This is as easy as it gets to make - no excuses!  Enjoy

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons of French Made Easy
3 Pounds Rustic or Golden Potatoes
8 oz Cream Cheese
4 oz Butter
1 cup of Half & Half
2 tablespoons chopped chives, diced

DIRECTIONS:

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Using a medium sized pot, fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Add the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in the pot, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and move the cover slightly to the side to let a little steam out. Simmer for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes cook, dice the fresh chives.

Drain potatoes and let it cool down. Once the potatoes are cool enough to touch, rub the skins off. Cut them into large pieces.

Using a mixer bowl that has a whisk attachment, add potatoes, cream cheese, butter, 1 cup of half & half, and 2 teaspoons of French Made Easy into the bowl.

Beat the ingredients until smooth (about 2-3 minutes).

Place mashed potatoes in a large serving bowl and garnish with the chives.

Serve immediately or keep the potatoes warm in the bowl while covered.

Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Recipe Shredded Beef
1 tsp Smokin' Chipotle
7-10 Corn Tortillas
1 Tomato - diced
1 Avocado - cubed
1 Cup Cilantro - chopped
1/2 Onion - diced
1 Lime, juiced
1 cup Cotija Cheese - grated

DIRECTIONS:

First thing you'll need to do is make our Shredded Beef recipe.  Street Tacos are meant to be simple, so this recipe keeps it that way.  Just a few fresh ingredients and you are all set.  

Next you'll need to dice the tomato, onion and cilantro.  Place them in a bowl.

Cut the avocado in half like pictured above.  Take a knife and gently cut the avocado into cubes.  Then, using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place it in the bowl with the tomato, onion and cilantro.  

Squeeze the juice of the lime into the mixture, then add 1 teaspoon of our Smokin' Chipotle seasonings blend.  Mix well.  

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This tastes as beautiful as it looks.  Everyone will admire the beauty of your street tacos as much as they love eating them.  

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Take some of the shredded beef and add it to a hot pan.  You are going to crisp up the meat a bit.  Let it cook over high heat for 5 minutes or until the ends are starting to crisp and darken.  

While the meat is cooking, take another pan out and place it over high heat.  Add 1 tortilla at a time, slightly crisping them too. 

Take 2 tortillas, some of the shredded beef and begin to build the street tacos.  Top with the tomato and avocado mixture, then sprinkle on some Cojita cheese.  Cojita is a nice and salty cheese common in Mexico.  It's dry, almost like a Parmesan, but not as hard.  You can use any cheese you like but if you haven't tried Cojita, you really should use it.  You can but it at any major grocery store. 

Garnish with a couple lime wedges and a pinch more of cilantro!  Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP Mexican In a Minute
1 TBSP Smokin' Chipotle
3-4 Pounds Beef Chuck
1 onion
2-3 Cups Beef or Chicken Stock

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees.

Get out a pan large enough to brown the beef.  We have a stove-top, cast-iron skillet that is perfect for this recipe.  Brush the meat with a light oil, then rub in the Mexican in a Minute seasoning blend.  Set it aside and let is marinate while your pan gets nice and hot - and we mean hot!  You are going to sear the meat before you roast it - it helps seal the meat to keep the juices trapped and it also adds a nice flavor to the shredded beef.  

Once your pan is nice and hot, add a little oil to it then add the meat.  Leave it on there for 3-5 minutes.  You want to brown the meat really well.  If your pan is not hot enough to make the meat sizzle, turn up the heat! 

Make sure there is a nice crust, like pictured above.  Sear all 4 sides then remove the beef and place in a roasting pan. 

Cut the onion like pictured above, then add them to the pan you used to sear the beef.  You want to get all the little burned bits off the pan.  Using the onions is a good way to do help deglaze the pan.

Take 1/2 cup of beef stock and add it to the pan with the onions.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan and "deglaze" the pan. 

Deglazing is a term that means to pour some cold liquid into a very hot pan to get all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan loose. Those brown bits are where all the flavors are, and it is called “fond.”

Place the onion and all the "fond" in the baking dish and with the beef.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of Smokin' Chipotle on the top off the beef and over the onions.  Add the rest of your stock to the pan.  You want to fill the pan with enough stock to almost cover the beef.  Cover the pan with foil then place in a 225 degree, pre-heated oven, for 2.5 to 3 hours.  Slow and low.  Cooking with low heat over longer periods of time helps breakdown the meat so it is more tender and ease to shred.  

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The meat should pull apart easily.  If not, place back in the over for a little more time. Take 2 forks and "pull" or shred the meat then place it in a bowl and add enough of the juices left over to cover the meat!  Taste for seasoning and add a little salt if needed. 

Enjoy...