Once you try this fresh and simple salsa you'll wonder why you hadn't made it sooner. 

Kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and rich in calcium, when prepared this way kale is thought to loose minimal nutritional value. These baked kale chips have a deafening crunch (as you will hear) and a pleasurable hint of spice.  Kale can be fun!  Ingredients:  1 bunch kale torn into bite size pieces olive oil ground black pepper course salt  garlic powder  cayenne pepper  Directions:  Add your torn and stemless pieces of kale to your oiled pan, dash ground black and cayenne pepper, drizzle some more oil on the kale. Salt throughout and add a bit of …

This week Jillian cooks her meaty minestrone soup. Minestrone soup is great hot off the stove and for the rest of the week! It is often said that there is no set recipe for minestrone soup as it lends itself to interpretation and any ingredients on hand; this is Jillian's delicious take on the classic Italian staple!  Ingredients for the soup:  1 1/2 lbs. ground beef  1 cup tomato paste 8 cups chicken broth 1 cup (elbow) pasta 1 teaspoon each dried or (fresh if available) oregano, basil, parsley 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 cup parmesan cheese 1 1/2 cups northern white…

Ingredients: Meat of 1 rotisserie chicken2 carrots chopped1/2 yellow onion chopped1 can corn1 small shallot diced1 small broccoli crown cut into bite size pieces6 tbs butter1/2 cup all purpose flour1/2 cup heavy cream4 cups chicken stockSalt and Pepper to tasteTurn stove top on to medium heat and add butter to pot.  When melted add onions and shallot.  Sweat the mixture until the onion and shallot are translucent.  Next add the flour and whisk until the mixture smells like almonds.  Add the rest of the vegetables and one cup of the chicken stock and saute until vegetables are softened (about …

Caramelized peaches, nectarines, plums, and pineapples makes a healthy summer desert.

What you'll need:  Red Wine Vinegar Honey Dijon Mustard  Basil  Garlic Shallots  Olive Oil  Salt & Pepper

Though strawberry is the most common pairing with shortcake and the one used today, feel free to use peach, blueberry, or raspberry. Most any fruit that is in season is acceptable. It's all in what you like; have fun with it!  Ingredients:  4 cups instant biscuit mix 1 ½ cups milk ½ cup sugar 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract strawberries, fresh or frozen Directions:  Add all ingredients to mixing bowl; dry ingredients first, wet ingredients next. Mix in mixer for about 1 to 2 minutes until ingredients are fully incorporated. Spray muffin …

A great hummus should have fresh, crisp notes of lemon, and garlic. When store bought these flavors are almost always lost and the end result is an odd flavored, unappealing, dry paste that is a far cry from the way hummus should actually taste. You can make your own hummus quickly, and simply. You'll never need to buy store bought again.  Ingredients:  1 can chick peas (16 oz.)  2 crushed cloves garlic juice of 1 lemon 1/3 - 1/2 cup (tahini) sesame paste  3 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste Directions:  Add all ingredients to the blender with the exception of the chick peas, …

Try strawberry, pineapple, and coconut in your smoothie this summer, you won't regret it.

Frittatas are an Italian dish made with fried beaten eggs, resembling a Spanish omelet. You can put a variety of ingredients in one. Jillian uses fresh summer vegetables (summer squash, zucchini) in hers.

Salted caramel ingredients: 1/4 cup water 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup sugar 1/2 stick unsalted butter 1 teaspoon sea salt Directions: Set the stove to medium heat and pour the sugar and water into a heavy bottomed pan. Let the mixture cook until it takes on a deep amber color; this means letting it boil for around ten minutes. DO NOT STIR OR DISTRUB THE BOILING SUGAR. Once you have achieved the deep amber color add the butter, heavy cream, and salt. Stir until it takes on the fluid consistency of caramel. If the mixture hardens continue to stir over medium heat until the mixture is completely …

These blueberry muffins will fool your guests into thinking you either bought them, or you're a great cook, with neither being necessary. These muffins are simple, healthy and taste amazing. The recipe comes from pure boredom with breakfast at our house, and using what we had in stock to come up with something new. The muffins are a great treat but also incorporate some great fruits that kids and adults will love.  Ingredients: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature and an additional 2 tablespoons set aside for topping 1 cup of sugar plus 2 tablespoons 2 eggs 1…

Who doesn't love fritters? While we all know about the more traditional American fritters, such as corn and apple, butternut squash is a hearty vegetable that is abundant in our area and excellent when prepared in fritter form. Grating the butternut squash can be arduous, but don't give up... it gets easier from there! Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 10 minutes  Skill: Beginner Yield: 4 fritters Begin by peeling and grating one butternut squash, set aside the grated butternut squash in a bowl and gather the following ingredients. INGREDIENTS: 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg pinch salt  1/…

My sister Jennifer and I love brownies, and one day we combined our brownie addiction with our love for Reese's peanut butter cups. The result is this very sweet chocolate and peanut butter treat. Best enjoyed with a cold glass of milk. SUPPLIES: 8-inch Square Pan Stirring Bowl Wooden Spoon/Spatula Toothpick Whisk Small Pot Measuring Spoons Oven Mitts Nonstick Cooking Spray INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 2 eggs, well beaten (in stirring bowl) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups sugar 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 4 Reese's Peanut Butter …

I needed to whip up a delicious cake for my friend's birthday the other day and I only had about an hour to devote to this baking endeavour. I thought to myself why not bake a rich chocolate cake and put meringue on top of it? Meringue is very easy to make and requires the least amount of ingredients. It turns out this cake-frosting combination was not only easy to make but took less than an hour to cook and assemble! If you are interested in baking a wonderfully rich chocolate cake, this is the recipe for you. The cake has a deep chocolate flavor combined with the sweet white chocolate …

This is a healthier version of eggs in a basket. Instead of the popular version of a fried egg inside the middle of a piece of bread, I chose to bake my dish and cover it in a ranchero sauce. This recipe can make a lovely brunch item, and the ranchero sauce can easily be switched out with fresh herbs and hollandaise sauce for topping if you please. Ingredients  (Yields 2 servings)  3 eggs 3 pieces of bread (You can use any type of bread. I used oat nut bread because it is my favorite and more healthy.) Pam Spray (For the ranchero sauce) 1 large sized tomatoes 1.5 tsp tomatoe paste 2 tbsp red …

From week to week, Patch will post a recipe for a different delicious item. This week, we went with boneless buffalo wings, for anyone who enjoys spicy food. I have always been a huge fan of Buffalo wings, that famous recipe born in New York and perfected all over the U.S. in restaurants like Norton's Wendell's.  My father, a former chef, knew I loved Buffalo wings and decided to surprise me when I was a kid with his very own take on the famous recipe.  These wings a spicy and yet have a slight sweetness to them thanks to the use of maple syrup.   INGREDIENTS:chopped onion, green pepper, …