Irish Root Vegetable Medley

Ingredients, Serves 8-10:

• 8 carrots
• 4 turnips
• 12 fingerling potatoes
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 large parsnip
• 2 medium onions
• 2 kohlrabi bulbs
• 1 celery root (celeriac) bulb
• 1 whole head garlic
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVO)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley or chives, for garnish

I made this for a St. Patrick's Day party and it was a hit!  Healthy too!

First pre-heat the oven to 400º F.  Now, prepare all the root vegetables.  You need to peel the carrots, turnips, rutabaga, parsnip, kohlrabi and celery root.  Chop them all up (including the potatoes) into roughly same size pieces.  Separate the garlic head into individual cloves.  You can optionally peel them or leave them unpeeled.

Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season well with salt and black pepper, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly.  Put the baking dish in the oven and cook for roughly 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting, until the vegetables are golden brown and tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Present the vegetables in their baking dish or transfer them to a dinner platter, garnishing with freshly chopped parsley or chives just before serving.  Enjoy!

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Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients, Serves 4-6:

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut up into pieces
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup golden raisins or currants
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 3/4 cup butter milk
• 1 large egg

We decided to throw a St. Patrick's Day party this year and so I decided to cook authentic Irish dishes for the first time!  On the top of the list was Irish Soda Bread, a wonderfully rich and flavorful bread that doesn't use yeast and is super easy to make!

First, pre-heat oven to 425ºF.  Next, we mix all the try ingredients in a bowl.  I used a mixer bowl, but you can use any large bowl.  Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, butter, raisins/currants and optional caraway seeds.  Add the buttermilk and egg and mix until a smooth sticky consistency is achieved.  Don't over mix!

Sprinkle a layer of flour on a cutting board and place the dough in the middle and knead for about 15 seconds.  Place a sheet of waxed/parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the dough in a nice round mound in the middle of the baking sheet.  Using a knife, make two cross incisions on the top of the dough, cutting about 1 1/2" deep into the dough.  You can optionally sprinkle the top of the dough with some flour if you want it to have that "artisian" look!  Pop it into the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes.  It is done when you tap on the bottom of the bread and you hear a hallow sound.

Take the bread out of the oven and let cool, then slice it up and watch it disappear right before your eyes!

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Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1/2 lb headless shrimp
• 2 oz asian rice vermicelli
• Six  8.5" (22 cm)  rice sheets (you can get at an asian market)
• Leaves of cilantro, mint and Thai basil
• Lettuce Leafs
• Peanut sauce:
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Shirachi hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• Water to thin sauce

I LOVE Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls! They are fresh and aromatic and health too!  So I decided to make my own and now you can too!  It's super easy and makes a great snack or appetizer.

First you need to cook the shrimp.  Peel and toss into a boiling pot and cook for only about 2 minutes!  Strain and using a thin sharp knife (be careful), place the shrimp flat on a cutting board and slice the shrimp in half horizontally.  Next, you need to prepare the rice vermicelli noodles.  Place the dry noodles in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes until they soften up.  Then place them in a pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes.  Strain and set aside in a bowl.

Now comes the fun/challenging part....making the spring rolls themselves.  First, fill a bowl with warm water large enough to submerge the rice sheets.  Submerge a rice sheet for 2 seconds only and then lay it on a cutting board near you.  Place 3-4 shrimp halves down in the middle (left to right) and about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the rice sheet.  Place a piece of lettuce wrap over the shrimp, then layer some cilantro, basil, mint and shredded carrots.  Next, add some vermicelli noodles and then another layer of lettuce wraps.  Finally, add another 3-4 shrimp halves.  You should have what looks like a rectangular log of ingredients on the rice sheet.  Now, carefully fold over both sides so that they cover the ends of the ingredients.  Then carefully fold over the lower edge of the rice sheet over the top of the ingredients and roll the "log" away from you, forming the spring roll.  Do this for the other rice sheets and make as many rolls as you like!

For the peanut sauce, mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl and then slowly add small amounts of water, stirring until incorporated.  Add enough water until you reach the consistency you want for the sauce.  Place the peanuts into a zip lock bag and using the bottom of a pot or a meat tenderizer, crush the peanuts.  Add the crushed peanut on top for presentation.  You can also cut the rolls in half too!  Enjoy watching them disappear fast!

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Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

Sous Vide Details: Cook Chicken at 142ºF for 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2-4:

• 1 skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 13oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (use your favorite mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, smashed and halved (3" length)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1/3 cup chopped Thai basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh lime
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1-3 tablespoons chopped Thai peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
• Salt and pepper for taste

I LOVE Thai food and Thai soup is a special treat.  So I decided to try to re-produce a Thai chicken coconut soup that I always get from my local favorite Thai restaurant.  The key to Thai soup is the delicate flavor.

First we want to get the chicken cooked and what better way than to sous vide the chicken.  Sous vide chicken is incredible!  Pre-heat water bath to 142ºF.  Take the chicken breast and lightly salt and pepper.  Place in plastic bag and seal.  Place in water bath and cook for 2 hours.

A half an hour before the chicken is done, you can start on the soup.  In a large pot, heat the EVO on medium high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and stir until their aroma is released.  Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.  Add the lemongrass, red peppers, celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the Thai peppers and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar and turn heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

When the chicken is done, remove from the water bath and bag and cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken and chopped Thai basil to the soup and cook for 3-5 minutes to infuse flavor.  Finally squeeze the lime juice into the soup.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cilantro and scallions.  Enjoy!

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Vinaigrette Cole Slaw

Ingredients, Serves 6-8:

• 1 head green cabbage, julienned
• 1 head red cabbage, julienned
• 1 red pepper,  julienned
• 1 green pepper,  julienned
• 1 orange pepper,  julienned
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 scallion, cut to 1" lengths and then julienned
• For the vinaigrette:
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

I don't normally like cole slaw, but this vinaigrette based slaw is delish and super easy to make.  You can julienne the vegetables with a mandoline if you have one or just old fashion knife and hand!

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl until well integrated.  Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl.  Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and toss to mix.  Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Japanese Eggplant

Sous Vide Details: Cook eggplant at 185ºF for 45 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 3 Japanese eggplants
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shaved Gruyere cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Japanese eggplant makes a great side dish and cooked sous vide makes it tender and juicy.

Pre-heat water bath to 185ºF.  Cut the eggplant into 3" lengths and then slice into 1/4" slices.  Discard the first and last slices.  Arrange the slices flat and next to each other on a cutting board.  Using either a food brush or an oil spray bottle, coat both sides of the eggplant slices.  Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Place each slice in a food bag as a single layer.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and seal.  Drop in water bath and cook for 45 minutes.

When done, remove from the water bath and place on serving tray in overlapping fashion.  Sprinkle the cheese shavings on top and serve!  Enjoy!

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Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 10 cups day old bread, cubed
• 3 cups low fat milk
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 turkey liver, minced
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced cross-wise
• 2 lbs your favorite mushrooms (chantrelle, shitake, oyster), stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped
• Pepper to taste 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

This stuffing is earthy and has an incredible depth to it.  Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with extra virgin olive oil (use an oil spray if you have one).

Toss the bread cubes with the milk in a large bowl and set aside.  Occasionally toss to saturate evenly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVO in a large skillet and add the turkey liver and cook until browned, roughly 2 minutes.  Transfer into a large bowl.

Add the remaining EVO and butter into the large, deep pan and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic and shallots and cook until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms  and truffle oil and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has leeched out of the mushrooms and mostly evaporated, about 8-12 minutes.  Add the mixture to the bowl with the liver.

Add the soaked bread to the mushroom mixture, discard any unused milk.  Add the celery, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and mix everything together.  Add the eggs and mix again.  Transfer to the baking dish and distribute evenly.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top of the stuffing is golden brown.  Pull out and let set for 5 minutes before serving it up!

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Rosemary Potato Rolls

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into thumb size pieces
• 1 lb bread flour (or all purpose unbleached flour)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground sage leaves

The smell of rosemary during the holidays is hypnotic!  Combine that with the fresh smell of baking bread and you have me at "Hello"!  These rolls make a great side dish for dinner and a great sandwich bun for the next day.  My son brought this recipe with him from school.  He's a budding bakery chef and a very good one at that!

First, boil the potato in water for 15 minutes until soft, then mash them up.

Combine the flour, potato, yeast, salt, pepper and rosemary in a large bowl.  Add the water and knead for 5 minutes,.  Add more water or flour until the dough is pliable but slightly sticky.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let the dough rise until is has doubled in volume, roughly 1 1/2 hours.

Flour your hands, remove the dough and knead it some more.  Break apart into palm sized dough balls and place them spaced out on parchment paper on a cooking sheet. Place more saran wrap over the dough and baking sheet and let rise again for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.  Using a water spritzer/spay bottle, spray to top of the buns with some water.  Place them in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes.  Watch carefully towards the end of the time as you don't want them to burn.  They are done when the tops are golden brown.

Pull them out and let them cool slightly, plate them up and serve them with a smile.  They'll be all gone shortly!  If you want to eat them later, you can microwave them for 15-20 seconds and they will soften right up.

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Brussels Sprouts with Frizzled Leeks

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 2 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts cut into quarters
• 3/4 cup extra virgin oil (EVO)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup shallots, minced
• 2 oz anchovies, drained and minced
• Frizzled Leeks:
• 1 leek
• 1/3  cup wondra flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil

Brussels sprouts have a bad rap in some circles.  I used to be in those circles until I tried a couple recipes that used them.  Wow, they have a wonderfully deep taste to them which goes well in the winter and especially for holiday meals.  Here is a great dish for the holidays.

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.  In a large pan or wok (I used my trusty wok), heat 1/4 cup of the EVO on medium high heat.  Add the brussels sprouts and mix thoroughly with the EVO.  Cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes until they are softened, stirring and rotating the sprouts so they don't burn.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Spread the walnuts onto a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Toast for about 8 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool and then coarsely chop.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard and honey together.  Whisk in a 1/2 cup EVO until it is emulsified.  Add the capers, garlic, and anchovies and mix well.  Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Cut the bottom and green top off of the leek.  Split the leek in half length-wise and flatten out each side.  Using a sharp knife, slice the leek into matchstick thin slices.  In a square baking dish, mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the leek matchsticks in the flour.

In a large pan with high sides, pour in enough vegetable oil to a depth of 3/4".  Heat the oil until it reaches 325F.  Drop a handful of leek matchsticks into the oil and let them cook until slightly brown.  Remove them quickly and place them on a paper towel.  You can bend them and create a nice mount as you go.  Do this until all the leeks are done.

When ready to serve, re-heat the brussels sprouts, if necessary.  Add the brussels sprouts, sauce and walnuts to a large bowl mix well.  Pour into a serving dish and mound the frizzled leeks on top.  Serve it up!

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Haricot Vert Green Beans and Chinese Five Spice Tofu

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 lb french green beans (haricot vert)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 1/2 lb Chinese five spice tofu cut into strips(can be purchased at your local asian market)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

I love french green beans (haricot vert)!  They are more delicate than normal green beans and when fresh, they "crunch" in your mouth after blanching!  And Chinese five spice tofu is also delicious.  Together they make a super healthy and easy to make side for any meal!

If your beans are not already trimmed, trim both ends.  Boil a large pot of water and blanch the green beans for 3 minutes.  Strain and place in ice water bath to cool them quickly.

In another large pan, heat the EVO on medium high heat until hot.  Add the tofu and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the green beans and sesame seed oil and stir for 2 more minutes until everything is hot.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Plate and serve! Yummie!

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Diced Vegetable Salad

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced yellow pepper
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup diced English cucumber
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

I love fresh vegetables and so does my wife.  So I decided to do a diced veggie salad the other night.  It's super simple and you can really use whatever veggies you have to make it.  Feel free to substitute!  Also you can dice small or large, your choice!  I did a smaller dice cut.

Mix the veggies and basil together in a bowl and salt to taste.  Then mix the vinegar, EVO, mustard, pepper together and pour over the veggies.  Toss and serve!  Pretty simple, but fantastic result!

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Shirataki Noodles with Vegetables

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 - 7oz bags of Shirataki noodles (can be tofu or regular)
• 3 stalks of baby bok choi, sliced in quarters vertically
• 2 cups sliced napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shimeji mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli tops (optional)
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 - 7oz can of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• Optional 1 tablespoon Husein sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

My wife has been on some kind of new fangled diet lately (don't know why, she doesn't need too!) and she raves about Shirataki noodles.  After some research on the web, I too have become a fan of these noodles.  They are made from the yam root and literally have 0 cabs, 0 calories and 0 fat!  So while they have virtually no nutritional value, they can "fill you up" without the calories!  You don't have to feel guilty about consuming large quantities of Shirataki!

There are some down sides to the noodles though.  First, they have no taste by themselves.  The good news is that they will take on the taste of whatever you cook them in.  In addition, they are stored in a liquid that has a strong fishy odor.  Don't fret, you just have to wash them very very thoroughly!  I recommend the following method to remove the fishy odor:

• Take them out of the package and put them in a strainer.  Toss and rinse for at least 1 minute under cold water.
• Then transfer them to a bowl of cold water and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
• Transfer them back to the strainer and rinse again for 30 seconds.  Press excess water out at the end.

While the noodles are soaking, you can start the broth.  Heat the chicken broth and soy sauce on medium high in a pot until it starts to boil.  Add the broccoli heads first and cook for 1 minute.  Then add the napa cabbage and carrots and stir until it the cabbage softens and wilts, about 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and baby bok choi and again stir until the bok choi is wilted, about 1 minute.  Add the sesame seed oil, bean sprouts and scallions (and optional Husein sauce) last and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the Shirataki noodles and salt and pepper to taste.  You're ready to serve a delicious healthy meal!

You can also mix and match this recipe with meats (chicken, beef, pork), other veggies (oniom, baby corn, bamboo, leeks, fennel) and even eggs (pre-boiled).  There's an endless combination with Shirataki!

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Chinese Chicken Salad

Sous Vide Details: Cook Chicken at 142F for 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 head napa cabbage sliced cross-wise into thin slivers
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts sliced cross-wise into thin slivers
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded almonds
• 1 1/2 cups sliced scallions (green onions)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
• Chinese Rick sticks
• Vegetable oil for cooking rice sticks (~4-8 cups)
• Dressing:
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup EVO
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

One of San Francisco (and probably California in general) signature dishes is Chinese Chicken Salad (CCS)!  In my humble opinion, it is also one of the most widely "interpreted" salad I've ever seen.  You can go pretty much all over the US and if you ask for a Caesar salad, you know what to expect.  Same with a Cob salad or a Spinach salad.  But order a Chinese (or Asian) chicken salad, and sit back in anticipation because you really don't know what is coming out!  In general, what does come out is very good, but I've seen (and tasted) pretty bad CCS!  The variety is its strength and weakness.  Here, I give you my interpretation of the famous CCS, sous vide style!

Salt and pepper the chicken breast to taste and place in food bag along with the thyme sprigs.  Heat the water bath to 142F.  Seal the chicken and place in the water bath and cook for 1-2 hours.  When the chicken is done, take out of water bath and bag, pat dry and either shred by hand into small pieces or cut into small pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, pour vegetable oil into a deep pan until there is roughly 2" of oil in the pan.  Heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat.  When the oil is hot enough to sizzle when you drop a VERY SMALL drop of water in it (be careful here!), carefully place the rice sticks (little bit at a time) into the oil.  The rice sticks will puff up immediately.  Using a metal strainer, remove the rice sticks quickly before they brown and place on paper towel.  Do this with as much rice sticks as you want for the salad.

For the salad, add the shredded chicken, cabbage, romaine, almonds, scallions, carrots, cilantro and
mushrooms into a large bowl and mix well.

For the dressing, add all the dressing ingredients into a shake-able container and shake well.  Toss the salad with a portion of the dress just to coat.  Remember, a little goes a long way!  If you're not going to use all of the salad immediately, only toss that portion you are going to use.  Keep the rest of the salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator separate from the dressing to keep fresh.

To present, place some rice sticks on the plate.   Add some salad on top of the rice sticks.  Place some chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions on top and present!

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Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1/2 lb Green beans (ends snipped)
• 1/2 lb Brussels Sprouts (stem cut off and cut in half or thirds length-wise)
• 3 T EVO
• 1 t Red pepper flakes
• 2 T Mint, rough chopped
• 2 T Cilantro, rough chopped
• 1 Garlic clove thinly sliced
• 1/2 C water

While you might not think of putting these two greens together, the combination is magical! First blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 1 -2 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

In large pot, heat EVO on medium heat.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic slices and stir until garlic is slightly brown.  Add brussels sprouts and cook on medium low for approximately 4 minutes, stirring to make sure they don't burn.  There should be a slight browning to them. 

Add green beans and water and stir over heat for 2 minutes.  Add mint and cilantro and mix.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into presentation dish and serve.

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Panzanella Salad

Ingredients, Serves 8:

• 3 T EVO
• 1 French Baguette bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (4 cups)
• 2 Tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 English cucumber, unpeeled, thinly sliced (1/16-inch thick)
• 2 Bell peppers (Red and Yellow or Orange), seeded and cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1/2 Red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
• 15 Fresh Basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 T capers, drained
• 1 t Kosher salt
• Vinaigrette:
• 1 t Finely minced garlic
• 1/2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C EVO
• 3 T Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 t Kosher salt
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions, basil and capers.  Set aside.  In another bowl,whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together.  In a large bowl, mix the bread cubes and salt and EVO until bread cubes are evenly coated.  Add more EVO if necessary, but do not saturate.  Heat on medium the EVO in a large saute pan.  Add the bread cubes and salt and toss frequently until golden brown.  Be careful, they will burn fast!

Add the bread cubes and vinaigrette to the salad mixture and toss to mix.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve right way or let it marinate!

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Tomato Compote

Ingredients:

• 2 C Cherry Tomatoes (heirloom cherry tomatoes can be used too!)
• 3 T Champagne Vinegar
• 2 T Fresh basil
• 1 T EVO
• 1 T Minced Shallots
• Salt and Pepper

This is a great light airy side dish for chicken, fish or meat.  My wife loves this little compote. I used my daughter's home grown heirloom and regular cherry tomatoes from her garden.  Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.  Slice the basil into thin strips.  Mix the champagne vinegar, EVO and minced shallots in a bowl.  Pour over cherry tomatoes and sprinkle on the basil.  Mix and compose on plate.  Enjoy.

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Asparagus Spears

Sous Vide Details: Cook Asparagus at 183F for 40 minutes

Ingredients - Serves 2-4:

• 16-20 Asparagus spears
• 2 T Mint
• 2 T Basil
• 2T Lemon zest
• 1/4 cup EVO
• 1/2 T garlic powder
• 1 t champagne vinegar
• Salt to taste

Sous vide asparagus spears comes out wonderfully.  You should trim bottoms and peel 2/3 of the base for a nice presentation.  I mix the spears with a mixture of EVO, chopped mint, chopped basil, lemon zest, garlic powder, sea salt and a tiny bit of champagne vinegar to coat.  Pop them in the bag and cook at 183F for 40 minutes.

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