Oven-Roasted Potato & Apple Salad

Savory and sweet come together for this summertime fave!

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 pound Red Potatoes
• 2 large apples (Jazz, Fiji or similar)
• 2 large eggs
• 3-4 sliced green onions, save some for garnish
• 2 cups plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 bunch fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided, plus more for a drizzle
• Pinch or two of Red Pepper flakes, optional
• Kosher (or Sea) Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Ice Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

Chop the potatoes into bite size pieces and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle half of the olive oil over them, then salt & pepper. Using your hands, rub the oil and salt and pepper all over the potatoes, then spread them out in a single layer. Put into the oven for 35-45 minutes until tender and golden brown.

Lay the eggs into a pot and fill with cold water so there’s about an inch over them. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let sit for 17 minutes (yes 17, don’t argue with me, this is Julia Child’s method), then with a slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs and place into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes while bringing the cooking water back to a boil. Transfer the eggs back to the boiling water for a quick 10 seconds, then back into the ice water to cool. Once cooled, peel and chop them, place into a large mixing bowl, cover and set aside (If done right, you’ll see there isn’t that ugly grey membrane around the yoke, instead it’ll be a bright orange-yellow).

Once the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool. You’ll probably want to eat the potatoes right now since they smell good, but only one bite to make sure they’re okay for the guests!

Into the bowl, where the eggs have been hanging out, goes the green onions (holding back a tablespoon’s worth or so for garnish), yogurt, mustard, dill, pepper flakes, if using (it just adds a little kick, it won’t burn your mouth, I promise), parsley, the rest of the olive oil, salt and pepper and combine. When the potatoes are cooled, providing you haven’t eaten them all, add them to the mix. 

Core and chop the apples into bite-sized pieces and place into a small bowl with the lemon juice. Throughly coat the apple bits with the juice, then pour the whole thing, including the juice, into the large bowl and gently mix together. 

To serve, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the remaining green onions.

Note: If making this ahead, wait until just before you are ready to serve to prepare and add the apples, so they don’t turn a yucky brown.

Thirst-Quenching Sparkling Iced Tea

Satisfy your soda cravings with this bubbly and refreshing take on iced tea.

As a kid, the rule was I couldn’t have a “coke” until after 12 noon. Which goes to show that even back before all of the scientific evidence suggesting soda wasn’t all that good for us, my mom knew it was something that shouldn’t be abused. Of course that didn’t mean as a teen and adult I didn’t have my fill of the carbonated beverages. 

But in my infinite wisdom, I’ve tossed out the can of preservatives, salt, chemicals, artificial color (don’t get me started on “fake” sugars) for a healthier alternative. And the recipe couldn’t be simpler. 

Start with your favorite brewed tea. Personally, I like sun tea, but any means of brewing will work. And here’s the secret: You’ll brew it double strength. No, not to keep you up to study for a final, but because you’ll be diluting it with sparkling water and a little sweetener, courtesy of a splash of fresh juice. If you’re caffeine sensitive, try to avoid chemically decaffeinated varieties, instead opt for a naturally stimulant-free herbal choice.

You’ll get the look and feel of a soda, a little pick-me-up if you so desire, minus all of the not-from-this-earth ingredients, and me thinks you’ll never go back to soda again!

Here's the Recipe:

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: Up to One Hour (depending on brewing method)
• Yield: 4-5 glasses

Ingredients

• 1/2 Gallon Brewed Unsweetened Tea (double the amount of tea, but not the water)
• 1/2 Gallon Sparkling Water (unflavored is best)
• 1/3 cup Fresh Juice (unsweetened is best), or more to taste
• Ice Cubes
• Fresh Mint and/or Lemon for garnish, optional

Directions

Star by brewing your tea, using twice the amount of tea as recommended. Once done, remove the tea bags and allow to cool to room temperature. In a one gallon pitcher or container, fill it half way with ice. Next, pour in your juice. Any juice will work, or even lemonade. But I try to keep it fresh without any added sugar. You can use more juice if you really like it sweet, but I prefer just a hint of sweet. Up to you. Then slowly pour in your sparkling water, followed by your tea. Give it a couple of stirs to combine and you’re ready to go. 

Fill a large glass half way with ice, pour in your sparkling tea, garnish with a sprig of mint, or maybe a slice of lemon and enjoy!

Note: If making it for just yourself or to keep it carbonated longer, combine only the juice and tea and keep the sparkling water sealed tight. When you’re thirsty, add ice to your glass, fill it half full of sparkling water and the rest with your tea and juice combo. Re-seal the sparkling water and you’ll have bubbly tea as you want for a few days in the fridge.

White Trash Hash

You don’t have to live in a trailer park to enjoy this easy-to-make meat & potatoes grub, prepared with a can of beer!

We've all heard of and probably had, corned beef hash, especially that kind from a can. White Trash or not, that's just gross. And to make it from scratch properly, with brisket, takes a great deal of time. So forget about the corned beef, we'll use ground beef (or turkey if you want to look good in your swim suit or halter top), potatoes and of course a can (or two) of beer.

Here's the recipe:

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 3-4 Bowls

Ingredients

• 1lb Ground Beef (or Turkey)
• 4-5 Large Red, White or Gold Potatoes, roughly chopped (substitute 2-3 Idaho Russet)
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 Bell Pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Cheap Beers, 1 for cooking and 1 for the chef
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Place your potatoes into a medium pot, fill with enough cold water to just cover them, add a teaspoon of salt, cover, then onto high heat, until boiling. Meanwhile, chop your garlic, onion, bell peppers and set aside. 

Once the potatoes have begun to boil, reduce the heat to a simmering boil, but not too rapid or the potatoes will become mush. Cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. While the potatoes are doing their thing, put your meat into a large skillet over medium high heat and brown. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Once the meat has gotten just browned, use a slotted spoon and remove it from the pan into a strainer or heat-tolerant colander and allow to drain. However, DO NOT remove the rendered fat from the skillet. Over medium heat, add your onions to the skillet and sauté until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add in your bell peppers after about 3 minutes, and finally the garlic for the last minute. Salt and pepper to taste (If your meat is lean, you may need to add a teaspoon or so of oil to sauté your veggies).

Keep an eye on your potatoes. Once tender, carefully pour off the water and cover to keep warm. Add your meat back to the skillet. Over high heat, slowly pour in one beer and deglaze (scrape the bottom of the pan) to loosen up all the browny goodness. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered until it reduces to a thick consistency, about 5-6 minutes.

To serve, place your meat into a medium serving bowl and your potatoes into another. Each person serves themselves, placing potatoes into their bowl, then the meat. 

Top with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce (optional), grated cheese (or canned cheese if you’re REALLY trashy!), schmush together and enjoy!

Semi-Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

A tasty update to the traditional cookie, that happens to be gluten-free and vegan.

Your typical peanut butter cookie recipe calls for a whole bunch of flour, sugar and eggs,  which really weighs down the cookie, and certainly isn’t all that healthy. With this contemporary spin, using puréed banana instead of eggs and no flour, the true taste of the peanut butter shines through and go figure, it’s actually a lot healthier too.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups All Natural Peanut Butter, crunchy and/or creamy, without added sugar, room temperature
• 1/2 ripe large Banana, room temperature 
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1/2 cup raw or granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Optional embellishments:
• Jelly or Jam
• Chopped nuts: such as pecans, almonds, peanuts 
• Nutella*
• Chocolate Chips or Kisses*

*Nutella and chocolate contain milk, which negates the vegan

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325.

While still in its container, place the honey into a small bowl of hot water to soften it. Put your peeled banana into a blender or food processor and purée until smooth; OR toss into a large mixing bowl and with a potato masher, schmush it up. Add into the mixing bowl the peanut butter, baking soda, vanilla, honey and sugar. Using a hand mixer on low or a large spoon, thoroughly stir to combine. 

If using chocolate chips or nuts, gently stir them in. Using a spoon, scoop out some cookie dough, then roll it into a ping-pong-sized ball and place onto a cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. If the dough is a little sticky, dip your fingers into some room temperature water before rolling into balls. Repeat for the rest of the cookies, placing them about an inch apart. 

For old-school cookies, using a fork dipped in water, make crosshatch marks across the top and flatten them out slightly. 

For thumbprint cookies, dip your thumb (or a finger) into some water, push down into the middle of the cookie, then fill with a 1/4 teaspoon of jelly, jam, Nutella or a chocolate kiss.

Into the oven they go for 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Once they’re done, place onto a rack to cool for a for about 10 minutes.

Note: The cookies will be soft when they first come out of the oven, be sure not to disturb them until cool. 

As an added treat, place a scoop of softened vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt in between two cooled cookies and freeze for a couple of hours for a tasty ice cream sammich!

Bangin' Cheesy No B.S. Garlic Bread

In a perfect world, we’d all enjoy fresh ingredients year round. Unfortunately, they’re not always readily available (or in season), often too expensive, and let’s face it, not everyone is comfortable chopping veggies and herbs. 

So I’ve designed my recipe to be easily made with or without fresh herbs. Either way you do it, it’s pretty bangin’! 

Prep Time: 8 mins (if you using fresh ingredients, 3 mins if not)

Cook TIme: 10 mins

Yield: One Split Loaf

If substituting dried herbs, take into consideration a ratio of 3 fresh to 1 dried.

Ingredients:

• 1 Loaf French Bread
• 1/2 cup Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Butter, room temperature
• 6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped OR 2 tablespoons granulated Garlic
• 1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped OR 1 tablespoon Onion powder
• 1 sprig Rosemary, finely chopped OR 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
• 1 sprig Thyme, finely chopped OR 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1 Roma tomato 
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Basil, chiffonade, OR 1 teaspoon dried Basil, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350

Slice the bread in half lengthwise and spread both sides with equal amounts of butter and mayonnaise. Add the garlic and spread it with a knife to blend with the butter and mayo. Next, add the onion, then tomato, then sprinkle the rosemary, thyme and salt & pepper. Top with equal amounts of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Loosely tent each half loaf with foil, being careful not to touch the cheese, or it will get pulled off when you open the foil.

Place side by side on a baking sheet and back for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully opening the foil and fold underneath the bread and bake for another 5 minutes.

To serve, garnish with basil and slice diagonally for a nice presentation.

Peanut Butter Quesadillas

Most of us grew up eating Mom’s PB&J sandwiches. They were a staple in my home, that’s for sure. But after a while, they fall into the “same ole, same ole” category, and that’s why I decided to put my own twist on it.

What makes these fun is you use jelly, jams, preserves, whatever you like, as dipping sauces, something for everyone. Plus, I like to include potato chips and pickles as well. Who didn’t put pickles or chips in their peanut butter sandwich at school, right? 

I guarantee after you try these, you’ll make a batch and take it to your next party! 

Recipe

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Yield: 16 Triangle Wedges

Main Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanut Butter (old fashioned is best without added sugar), divided
• 4 Burrito-Sized Tortillas 

Optional Sauces and Sides

• 3, 1/4 cup portions of different Jellies, Jams or Preserves (Strawberry, Grape, Raspberry, whatever you like)
• Banana Purée (recipe below)
• Nutella 
• Handful of regular potato chips
• Sliced Dill Pickles

Directions

Make sure the peanut butter is at room temperature. It’s much easier to spread and won’t tear your tortillas. Take one tortilla and spread half the peanut butter out to about a half an inch from the edges. Place a second tortilla on top like a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. 

Over medium heat, place a dry skillet large enough for your tortilla (this can also be done on the BBQ over low heat, which gives those cool grill marks like in my photo). Once hot, place one of your tortilla quesadillas and cook for a minute or two so it just begins to brown. Keep an eye on it. Using a spatula underneath and your fingers on top, carefully flip it over and continue cooking for another minute or so. The peanut butter should have just begun to melt. Remove from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with the other quesadillas. 

Once cooled, grab a chef’s knife, cut the quesadillas in half, then in half again and finally into triangle wedges. To serve, layer on a platter or large clean cutting board, put your dipping sauces into little bowls and spread the chips and pickles nearby.

And that’s it. Good munchie food. Oh, and my personal fave bite is banana purée and pickles.

Banana Purée Recipe

• One Large Banana, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Sugar or 1/2 teaspoon Honey

Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Keep covered in the fridge if not using right away to keep the bananas from turning a yuckie grey color.

Pasta in due Modi

Pasta Two Ways... One for the Meat-eater. One for the Vegetarian. 

Sean welcomes his first guest, live via satellite, to the Guerrilla Culinarian, Rhode Island native, Adam Carbone.

While Sean prepares rigatoni with chicken in a red sauce, Adam will simultaneously prepare, using the same basic recipe, rigatoni without chicken in a red sauce.

Watch as they both make a simple and tasty dish that starts with basic store-bought spaghetti sauce & pasta and take it up to an eleven!

Version 1: Pasta with Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

• 1 Jar store-bought regular Pasta Sauce (not embellished, just the basic sauce)
• 1 Zucchini, cut moon shaped 
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Chicken Breast, cooked
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 package dehydrated Rigatoni Pasta (or other basic pasta)
• 1/2 cup Chiffonade of Fresh Basil, divided (cut into ribbons)
• 3 Sprigs Thyme, chopped, stems removed
• 1 cup good Red Wine (Cabernet or other hearty wine is best)
• 1 cup Half & Half 
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil, divided, plus more for garnish
• Juice from One Lemon, divided
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Dash Red Pepper flakes, optional
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions

Prepare half of the pasta “al dente” according to the package instructions. Be sure to generously salt the water beforehand.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté the onion in about half the olive oil for about 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add in the garlic for another minute. Once everything is tender, add in the zucchini for one or two minutes, but make sure it says firm. Finely chop half the fresh basil, then add it to the sauce along with the wine, tomatoes and thyme. Cook until just warm. Next up is the pasta sauce, half & half and one cup of your pasta water. Bring to a moderate simmer, then cover and turn the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, keeping it at a low simmer.

Once you’ve drained the pasta, toss it with a little bit of olive oil, cover and set aside. 

Add the parmesan cheese to the sauce, stir it until it melts, then gently fold in the pasta and stir to combine. Cook for a few more minutes so the pasta can absorb the flavors. Right before serving, stir in the remaining lime juice.

Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, remaining and red pepper flakes.

Version 2: Pasta with Mushrooms (Vegetarian)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

• 1 Jar store-bought regular Pasta Sauce (not embellished, just the basic sauce)
• 1 Zucchini, cut moon shaped 
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 14oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 package dehydrated Rigatoni Pasta (or other basic pasta)
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
• 1 cup Half & Half
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil, divided, plus more for garnish
• Juice from One Lime, divided
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Dash Red Pepper flakes, optional
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions

Prepare half of the pasta “al dente” according to the package instructions. Be sure to generously salt the water beforehand.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté the onion in about half the olive oil for about 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add in the mushrooms for another minute or two, then the garlic for another minute. Once everything is tender, add in the zucchini for one or two minutes, but make sure it says firm. Pour in half the lime juice to de-glaze the pan. Then goes the crushed tomatoes, basil, and thyme. Cook until just warm. Next up is the pasta sauce, half & half and one cup of your pasta water. Bring to a moderate simmer, then cover and turn the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, keeping it at a low simmer.

Once you’ve drained the pasta, toss it with a little bit of olive oil, cover and set aside.

Add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine, then gently fold in the pasta and stir to combine the whole kit & kaboodle. Cook for a few more minutes so the pasta can absorb the flavors. Right before serving, stir in the remaining lime juice.

Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, dried parsley and red pepper flakes.