2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
Juice from 1 lime
Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

Mix everything together in a small bowl.

You can add chopped jalapeños, avocado, peaches, or pineapple

2 to 3 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
2 large eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Herb & Garlic)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
Olive or vegetable oil for frying

In a shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow bowl. Take each one of the portobello mushroom slices and dip them one by one in the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture; set aside.
Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil has heated, lower heat to medium and place 3 or 4 portbello fries in the pan and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt to taste, if desired. Repeat with remaining portbello fries. Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

For the salad -
12 oz. bag frozen sweet petite peas, thawed
2 cups cubed ham
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
2 cups sliced seedless green grapes
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crispy cooked bacon crumbles
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (see footnote below)

For the dressing -
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, and sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the peas, ham cubes, sliced grapes, and chopped onions. Add in the toasted sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese. Pour the reserved dressing over the top and gently mix to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight, if possible.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 - 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Grilling Spice
1/4 cup olive oil
6 potato roll buns
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Fritos corn chips

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain excess fat. Return ground beef mixture to skillet. Place skillet back on medium-high heat. Add the ground cumin, chili powder, and Grilling Spice; mix to combine. Add the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and tomato sauce. Bring everything to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and allow mixture to simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes more. Remove from heat. Place a scoop of sloppy joe mixture onto each of the potato rolls, top with shredded cheddar cheese, then add the Fritos on top.

2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flake
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Store in an air-tight container or mason jar.

1-1/2 cups Nutella, divided
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or simply spray with cooking spray.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt, and eggs, mixing until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add 1-1/4 cups of the Nutella and mix until smooth. Lower the speed to low and add the flour, mixing until just combined. Place the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out as evenly as possible. Add the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella to a zip-top bag snipping off a small piece of the corner. Squeeze the Nutella in quarter-sized drops on top of the batter and swirl into the batter using a metal skewer or a butter knife. Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 33 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 sticks salted butter (1 cup)
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add the butter to a medium saucepan. Melt over medium heat. Once melted, stir continuously until the butter is a dark amber color. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the sweetened coconut flake and cook until lightly toasted. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the browned butter and brown sugar together on low until well blended. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Finally, add the flour, baking powder and salt; mix until just combined. The mixture will look like a thick cookie dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips and toasted coconut flakes.
Place the dough in the prepared pan and gently press it out to cover the pan. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. I like to eat these warm. Enjoy!

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
5 medium-sized zucchini, shredded
3 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons white wine
3/4 cup plain Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 to 10 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the olive oil, about a 1/4 cup, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, crushed red pepper, and shallot and saute for about 5 to 7 minutes until the garlic starts to brown and the onions are soft. Add the white wine and heat for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and spinach and cook for about 10 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted and the zucchini is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and place mixture in a colander to drain off any excess liquid. In a large mixing bowl, add the Panko and Parmesan cheese. Add the zucchini mixture and the eggs mixing well to combine. Add the crumbled feta and mix again. Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon mixture into the prepared casserole dish, sprinkle with a bit more Parmesan, if desired, and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and the top is slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

6 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a bit more for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup flour
6 eggs, beaten
Bread crumbs (I used Herb and Garlic)
Olive oil for frying
Fresh chopped parsley
Vodka or marinara sauce for dipping


Add the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, crushed red pepper flake, and Italian seasoning in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture onto the wax paper and flatten slightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze for an hour.
In 3 separate bowls, place the beaten eggs, bread crumbs, and flour. Remove the ricotta bites from the freezer and dip each first in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Dip each one last time in the egg and again in the bread crumbs. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place 3 or 4 of the ricotta bites in the oil at a time, and fry until each side is golden brown. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with a bit more grated Parmesan and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve warm with vodka or marinara sauce for dipping.

2 boxes refrigerated pie crust, brought to room temperature (14.1 oz. boxes, 2 crusts each. You will only need 3 of the crusts)
2-1/2 lbs. fresh blueberries, 6 cups
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
We used a 16x12-inch non-stick cookie sheet for this.
On a floured surface, unroll the pie crusts. Using a rolling pin, roll each crust to about double its size. Lay one of the crusts on one side of the cookie sheet, pressing into the corners, and allowing the edges to hang over the edge of the cookie sheet. Do the same on the other side with the other crust. Using a fork, pierce the bottom of the crusts a few times so that it won't bubble as it bakes.
In a large mixing bowl, add the blueberries, lemon juice, 1 cup of the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined. Pour the blueberry mixture into the cookie sheet and spread it out evenly over the crust. Take the edges of the crust and fold them over onto the blueberry filling. You can shape them back a bit or just leave them laying on top of the blueberries. Unroll one of the remaining crusts. On a floured surface, roll the crust out slightly. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut shapes in the dough and place on top of the blueberry filling. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust edges and dough shapes with the milk. This will help the crust brown but not get shiny. Sprinkle crust edges and shapes with the cinnamon sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust is light brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

2 large, ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon sugar

Add the cinnamon, butter, and honey to a skillet over medium-high heat until melted and combined. Add the banana slices and cook for 4 minutes, the bottoms will be golden brown and caramelized. Flip the banana slices and cook for another 4 minutes. Watch the bananas carefully and adjust the cooking temperature so that the bananas don't burn. Serve immediately.

4 to 6 large portobello mushrooms
1 - 15oz. package Steak-Umm Sliced Steaks
1 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup sour cream
2oz. cream cheese, softened
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded provolone cheese, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place sour cream, cream cheese and 1-1/2 cups of shredded provolone in a medium mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
Gently remove stems and gills from each mushroom. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat a large skillet to high heat and cook Steak Umms according to package instructions. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool for a minute, then chop. Add chopped steak to the sour cream mixture, stir to combine. Add the olive oil to the same skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add the peppers and onions and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add pepper and onion mixture to the bowl with the steak mixture, stirring until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into each portobello. Top each with remaining shredded provolone. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

1 - 3.4 oz. box instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

Pour the pudding mix into a mixing bowl. Add the heavy whipping cream; stir to combine. Using an electric hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the mixture for about 30 seconds, until thick and creamy.

1lb. ground pork
½ cup Napa cabbage, core and ribs removed, finely diced
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 - 12oz. package round dumpling or wonton wrappers
Cooking oil, either vegetable or sesame

In a medium bowl, combine ground pork, cabbage, scallions, sherry, grated ginger, soy sauce and salt, mix well to combine. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture in the center of the each dumpling wrapper and fold the wrapper in half. Using your finger, moisten the edge of the wrapper with water to seal the dumpling together. Gently pinch the dumpling edge together to reinforce the seal and remove any air pockets. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Boil the dumplings in batches for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pot and gently pat dry. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the dumplings in the skillet and fry on one side until golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or soy sauce for dipping.