Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside. 
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Dont let it burn will have a bitter taste. Remove pan from heat.
• Stir in brown sugar, honey, oregano, thyme and basil until well combined.  Return chicken to the skillet.
• Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
• Once done sprinkle the parsley over the chicken and drizzle with more of the sauce from the pan.
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St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Crust

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

2 tea Baking Powder

1/2 tea salt

1 large egg

1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

1/4 cup milk 

Filling

8 oz Cream Cheese At Room Temp

2 large eggs

1 tea vanilla extract

1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

3 3/4 cups Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare crust first. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six crust ingredients with a wooden spoon until moist. Once moist add the milk. Transfer to a 13″x9″ lightly greased baking pan and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Finished Crust

Next, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and melted butter, and continue to mix. Next, add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time until all sugar is mixed in. Pour filling over the crust, and spread evenly with a spatula.

Mixed Filling

Filling Poured on Top of the Crust

Bake gooey butter cake for 40-45 minutes until it is browned, but the center is still jiggles when the pan is shaken. Cool for 30 minutes.

Finished Butter Cake

Sliced Cake

Seared Scallops with Succotash and Parsley Pesto

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 ears corn, or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 (10-ounce) package frozen shelled edamame beans, thawed

1 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound) quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops (about 12)

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat Oven 400 Degrees

Directions

If using ears of corn, cut the kernels off and set aside. Discard the cobs.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the corn, edamame, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the scallops. Pat them dry and season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.

Heat up cast iron pan until nearly smoking hot, add the oil and gently put the scallops in the pan. When golden brown, turn the scallops over and finish cooking in the oven for 2 minutes.

Stir the vinegar and basil into the succotash, season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and serve topped with seared scallops top with the parsley pesto..

Parsley Pinenut Pesto

1/2 bunch or 2 cups of parsley leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and lemon juice to taste

Place the parsley, pinenuts, reggiano cheese, olive oil and in a food processor and process until it resembles a fine paste. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

Seared Scallops with Succotash and Parsley Pesto

Tilapia with Potatoes and Kale

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces baby fingerling potatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 bag kale torn into pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets, patted dry
2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves torn
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Place the potatoes in the pan cut-side down. Add the garlic and cook until the potatoes are slightly golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper, then add about 1/3 cup water. Cover and steam until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes.

Season the fish with salt and pepper; place on top of the greens in the pan and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Cover and steam until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper.

Transfer to plates. Distribute the greens, potatoes and pan juices around the fish. Drizzle with the lemon-pepper oil.

Spaghetti Bolognese

     4 tablespoons butter

     3 ounces cubed pancetta

     1 medium onion

     2 fat cloves garlic

     1 carrot

     2 stalks celery

     2 large, flat mushrooms such as portobello, about 4 ounces

     2 bay leaves

     1 pound ground beef or lamb

     1 cup crushed tomatoes or passata

     1/4 cup red wine

     3/4 cups stock

     1 nutmeg

     3/4 cups half-and-half or cream 

     Spaghetti or tagliatelle for 4

     Grated Parmesan

• Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot -- then stir in the pancetta and let it cook for five minutes or so, without coloring much. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and stir them into the pancetta. Peel and finely chop the carrot and celery and stir them in, too. Lastly, finely chop the mushrooms and add to the pan, then put in bay leaves and leave to cook for ten minutes over a moderate heat, stirring frequently.
• Turn up the heat and put in the meat, breaking it up well with a fork.
• Now leave to cook without stirring for a good three or four minutes, then, as the meat on the bottom is starting to brown, stir again, breaking up the meat where necessary, and leave to color.
• Mix in the tomatoes, red wine, stock, a grating of nutmeg and some salt and black pepper, letting it come to the boil. Turn the heat down so that everything barely bubbles. There should be movement, but one that is gentle, not quite a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid and leave the putter away for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring from time to time and checking the liquid levels. You don't want it to be dry.
• Pour in the half-and-half or cream a bit at a time, stir and continue cooking for twenty minutes. Check the seasoning, then serve with the pasta and grated Parmesan.