• thin pork chops
• kale
• marcona almonds
• vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
• piri piri (or other pepper mix)
• cumin
• olive oil

Heat up a little olive oil and sprinkle piri and piri and cumin in the pan, let it sizzle a bit. Put the pork chops down and flip over once cooked halfway through.  Steam the kale until bright, beautifully green.

Once the kale is cooked, put it on a plate with some marcona almonds. Slice the pork chops and put on top.

Deglaze the pan with almond milk, letting it reduce into a nice, thick sauce. This sauce is the best deglazed reduction ever. EVAR. Pour it on your dinner and inhale your food.

• 1 winter squash, cubed
• 2 golden yams, sliced
• 1 package mushrooms
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 beet, cubed
• 1 rutabega, cubed

Spices:

• piri piri (peppers, fairly hot, purchased from World Spice in the Market)
• curry powder (also purchased from there)
• sage (same)

dump them all in a crockpot, spice to taste, and cook on low for about seven hours. yum!

• 2 spelt and cornmeal pizza crusts (bought at Madison Market)
• prepared korma simmer sauce
• little purple potatoes
• 1 very large shallot
• 1 large portobella
• 1 sweet italian pepper
• frozen corn
• aged white cheddar

Slice potatoes, shallot, mushroom, and pepper. Start potatoes cooking in olive oil first, then add shallots after the potatoes deepen in color. Add pepper next, then mushroom, and lastly a handful of frozen corn. Saute veggies for a few minutes, spooning the korma sauce on the crusts in preparation. Pile the veggies on the pizza and top with some freshly grated cheddar cheese and fresh ground pepper. Cook at 425 for 15 minutes.

While this was the result of opportunistic scavenging, it was quite amazing enough to write down.

• One nice grilling steak
• World Spice’s Piri Piri
• crumbled peppercorn Boursin cheese

Rub the steak with piri piri, or another peppercentric rub, and char it on the grill until medium rare on the inside. When you take it off the grill, lay it on a light dusting of the cheese, just enough to melt and mix with the spicy blood of the steak to form the most sensual of carnivorous experiences.

• 2 lbs chicken breasts, cut in large pieces
• 1 Mango, diced
• 1/2 White Onion, diced
• 1 huge garlic clove, diced
• red pepper flakes
• Kansas City Style BBQ sauce
• Red Ale
• buns

Poach and fork-pull chicken. When chicken is nearly done, begin to saute the garlic and onion. Add mango and red pepper flakes. When ready, add a bunch of BBQ sauce and a bottle of beer. Bring to a boil and add chicken, simmering until thickened. Serve on buns, with more beer on the side.

I made this up for a party at my house, thinking I had dried cherries. I did not, so I substituted fresh pear and changed up the recipe somewhat.

• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1/3 c. half and half
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 bosc pears
• blood orange rind
• vanilla cognac (Navan)
• World Spice Mayan Cocoa Mix (about three tbs)

melt chocolate over low heat with butter. Add half and half and cognac when nearly melted. Zest the blood orange and chop the pear into little squares and add to chocolate. Spoon onto waxed paper and put in freezer for a couple of hours.

My friends were having a Mexican Potluck, so I spent my afternoon creating a new burrito filling. It was delicious – I wouldn’t change a thing about it and will certainly make it again and again.

• 1.25 lb. flank steak, cut in thin, small slices
• 1 mango, cut in small cubes and roasted
• 2 sweet potatoes, cute in small cubes and roasted
• 2 clove garlic
• 2 serrano peppers, sliced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 yellow onion, cubed
• frozen corn
• fajita and taco spice blend (from World Spice Merchants)

While potato and mango are roasting (325 for 30 minutes, tossed lightly with olive oil and aleppo pepper), prepare other ingredients and get large skillet (I prefer a large sauce pan with high sides) warm on medium heat. Add minced garlic to pan for a minute, then add onion and serrano pepper. When onion just begins to lose opacity, add meat, rubbed with the spice mix. When meat is cooked thoroughly, add frozen corn. Add beans and when heated, add roasted sweet potato and mango.

Served in a toasted tortilla with a bunch of fresh tomato and a little sour cream.

I wasn’t sure about this as I was making it, quite worried the jalapenos would be overwhelming or have that awful taste I typically associate with the peppers (the pickling, it turns out). This, however, turned out to be the best omelet I’ve ever had.

• two eggs
• garlic
• jalapeño
• roast beef
• marscapone
• mini orange tomatoes

When eggs start cooking, put half a clove of garlic and about an inch of chopped, fresh, jalapeno into a sauté pan.

When eggs are nearly firm on the top, pour on the garlic/jalapeno mixture and throw on a small, chopped, orange tomato. Top with some chopped roast beef and flip until eggs are fully cooked.

Remove from pan and add a dollop of marscapone. The light flavor and smooth texture of the cheese is a perfect compliment to the spiciness of the peppers.

I served this with a banana and a slice of toast.