Rhonda

Hubby and I teamed up in the kitchen today to prepare steak quesadillas! We are working on perfecting our recipe. This time we used flank. We sautéd veggies (red / green peppers, onions) separate from the meat. Of couse I had to have a non-traditional quesadilla. I used goat cheese and tortillas (@rudisglutenfree)! We also added green pepper sauce by @cholulahotsauce which added an extra delicious punch!

I prepared lemon basil garlic oil. I used a 16oz package of basil, one medium lemon (squeezed), 1 large +1 medium garlic cloves, sea salt and olive oil. I blended it all together in the Vitamix. Once done, I poured the oil in these 2oz portion cups and placed them in the freezer. I love basil and cannot wait until the summer so I can get lots of fresh basil—that is the peak of basil season!

Vanilla infused maple syrup! I LOVE maple syrup this way. It is super easy to make! Just select your favorite grade of maple syrup. I usually go with Grade A syrup from Vermont. In the states it is available in lots of grocery stores as well as whole vanilla beans (also called pods). I usually take about 1/2 of a whole pod, sliced in half and place in a clean 1oz empty spice jar. Then pour the syrup in the jar until full. Place the jar in fridge and allow the tiny seeds to release and infuse in the syrup. I usually let mine set for about two months before I consume it. The longer it sets the more intense the vanilla flavor will be. This jar as been in my fridge a very long time and it is delicious! (Short cut process would be to just add a whole bean or more.)

Gluten free pizza dough from @traderjoes topped with beef, cheese and mashed avocado with a drizzle of Yuzu sauce. A healthier alternate to the traditional burger.

The first step in preparing nut butter spread—carefully roast nuts of your choice. Today I have roasted Oregon hazelnuts and cashews. Tip: you must roast the nuts separately because each nut has a different density, which requires a different cook time and temperature to achieve the right level of roast without burning the nuts!

After I sautéed the carrots and onions for five minutes, I added fresh ginger, turmeric, and garlic to the pan. Then I added only salt and cracked black pepper. Cook until fork tender.

The sweet sounds of organic coconut oil, onions and carrots! The first step to preparing my fennel dish!

Went shopping today for more beets and ginger roots to make a fresh batch of my immune booster juice! Perfect for those challenged with heart disease and diseases ( etc). This is also great to help build your immune system to help protect you from various viruses. Ingredients list: ginger root, turmeric root, beet roots, carrots, apples and tangerines.

I found some lima beans in the freezer so decided to cook them today. Initially, I cooked them in the pressure cooker but I had too much water. Since the beans had completed cooking, I decided to do the creaming process in a pot the old fashioned way! How? Turn up the heat on the highest setting and stir to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do not put the lid on the pot. This allow the water to evaporate during this process and the beans get creamier!

Decided to challenge myself today. I cooked an organic duck in the rotisserie oven! I must be admit, I thought it would be easy to prep like a chicken but it was not. I didn’t know how thick the skin was on the duck and pretty dense when trying to inject it. I usually season chicken and turkey under the skin but it was difficult to do that with the duck. I was able to still inject with my seasonings. I rely on my husband to taste it because I do not eat poultry. He approved— said it was good and well seasoned. Yay! That was the most important part! I did let the duck marinate for 24hours in the fridge. @maryschicken