A piece of spaghetti or a military unit can only be led from the front end

Spaghetti Pie

1 pound (455g) dried spaghetti
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
pinch red pepper powder
3/4 cup (70g) finely grated pecorino cheese
3 cups (7 ounces, 200g) grated Comté or a Swiss-style cheese
3 cups (7 ounces, 200g) grated Fontina, or a similar semisoft cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti just until it’s very al dente. Do not cook until completely tender.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan.

Wrap the bottom very securely in one large sheet of aluminum foil.

Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

When the pasta is done, drain it well and let cool slightly.

In the pot, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, black and red peppers.

Set 1/2 cup (40g) of each of the Comte and Fontina cheeses aside. Stir the rest of the grated cheese, as well as the pecorino, into the milk and egg mixture.

Stir the slightly cooled spaghetti into the milk and cheese until it is completely combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan. Smooth the top so it’s relatively even and sprinkle the 1 cup (80g) reserved grated cheese over the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake feels just set in the center and is slightly bubbling around the edges.

Turn on the broiler and brown the top of the torte on the upper-third rack of the oven until well-browned.

Remove from oven and run a knife around the inside of the cake pan to loosen the pie from the sides. Let rest about 10 minutes then released and remove the sides of the pan.

Serve while still warm, in slices. It can also be served at room temperature if you’re looking for a picnic dish.
Storage: The torte can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated, then rewarmed in the oven, covered with foil. It can be frozen for up to two months.

If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?

One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 20. oz can crushed pineapple
Olive oil


Teriyaki Sauce/Glaze

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions
Whisk together Teriyaki Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Add 1/3 cup of this sauce plus 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken to a freezer bag and marinate 1 hour up to overnight.

Refrigerate remaining Teriyaki Sauce separately.

When ready to cook, strain pineapple juice from crushed pineapple and add water to strained juice to equal 3 ½ cups liquid (“Pineapple Water”). Set aside.

Stir reserved Teriyaki Sauce and add to large skillet (nonstick works best).

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened, stirring constantly (glaze will continue to thicken upon standing).

Remove Teriyaki Glaze to same bowl it was refrigerated in.

Wipe skillet (doesn’t have to be thorough) and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat.

Let excess marinade drip off chicken and add to skillet.
Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side (3 minutes on each side for thighs) or until nicely browned (will not be all the way cooked through) and remove to a plate.

Wipe skillet and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and Pineapple Water.

Bring to a simmer then stir in crushed pineapple and rice.

Cover, reduce to medium low and cook for 12 minutes.

Stir rice and nestle chicken on top and brush with Teriyaki Glaze.

Cover and continue to cook for an additional 8-12 minutes or until rice and chicken are cooked through.

Brush chicken with additional Teriyaki Glaze and season rice with freshly cracked salt and pepper.

Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pastries

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries
½ cup blueberry preserves
1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Add the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until combined. In another small bowl, combine the blueberries and the blueberry preserves.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out each of the sheets of puff pastry to about a 10-inch square.

Cut each piece into 6 rectangles, (12 rectangles total), about 5”x3½” each. Transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets.

Using a fork, prick the centers of the rectangles of puff pastry, leaving a ½” border un-pricked around the edges.

Mix together the egg and the water and brush over each of the rectangles.

Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place it in the center of each rectangle of puff pastry, distributing equally among the pieces.

Spread over the rectangle, leaving a ½” border.

Top each with a spoonful of the blueberry mixture, spreading it evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Bake the pastries for 15-18 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it's done right. Even a pancake

Buttermilk and Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup self rising flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 zest lemon
1 cup low-fat ricotta
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp honey, plus extra, to drizzle
125 g punnet, blueberries/raspberries, if liked

Steps
 Sift flour into a bowl.
 Stir in sugar and make a well in the centre.
 In a jug, whisk buttermilk, egg and half zest together.
 Pour into well, mixing to a smooth batter.
 Cover and set aside 30 minutes.
 In a medium bowl, beat ricotta, yoghurt and honey together until smooth.
 Chill until required.
 Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium.
 Spray with a little oil.
 Working in 2 batches of 4, pour 1/4 cupfuls of mixture in pan.
 Cook 1-2 minutes, until bubbles appear on surface and underside is golden.
 Turn and cook a further 1 minute, to cook through.
 Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Serve pancakes dolloped with ricotta mixture.

Top with berries, drizzled honey and remaining zest.


What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow

Muffin Pan Potatoes

3 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder*
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
salt
freshly ground black pepper
8-10 gold potatoes, cut into 1/16 inch slices

First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Then, melt butter and use it to butter your muffin tin.

Next, cut your gold potatoes into thin slices. When finished, place them in a large mixing bowl. Then, add melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and spices. Toss the mixture so that the potatoes are coated evenly.

Now, layer the potatoes into stacks and place them into each individual muffin cup in the muffin tin. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is tender.

Once done, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Garnish the finished potato stack with Parmesan cheese, thyme, or rosemary. And enjoy!



* I plan on omitting the garlic powder for cayenne, but one can put any spice with potatoes and still find happiness

When the oak is felled the whole forest echoes with it fall, but a hundred acorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze.

Herbed Acorn Squash Bisque

2 acorn squashes (about 3-4 lbs. total)
1 Tbsp. vegan butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
dash of kosher salt
dash of ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
1 dried bay leaf
dash of freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

Microwave both whole squashes on high for about 10 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice in half lengthwise.

Preheat oven to 450 F and coat a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking spray.

Scoop out the seeds from the squashes and discard.

Place the four squash halves face-side down on the sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes, until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium low.

Add the diced onion and sauté until fragrant, about 5-8 minutes.

Sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Add the fresh herbs and sauté for a few additional minutes.

Now, add in the remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil.

Carefully scoop out the flesh from the cooked squash and allow to lightly boil for about 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and transfer the soup to a blender.

Blend on high, allowing steam to escape the lid, until smooth.

Add additional water as needed to thicken to desired consistency.