Chef Penny Moline shows you how anyone can cook with passion! Keep it simple, Keep it fresh, Keep it safe. And share it with someone you love!

Grape and Blue cheese truffles
4 ounces cream cheese softened
4 ounces blue cheese softened
1 bunch seedless grapes about 2 pounds
1 cup pistachios, ground

Mash the cream cheese and blue cheese together in a bowl until combined.  Grab a bit of the cheese in one hand, a grape in the other.  Put the two together roll the grape until covered in the cheese.  Roll the cheese covered grape in the ground pistachios.  chill until ready to serve.

If you don't like blue cheese, use all cream cheese.  adjust to your liking.

Fresh Tangerine glaze for ham

2 tangerines cut into thin circles
2 cups fresh tangerine juice ( about 8 tangerines)
juice of 1 lemon
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

In medium sauce pan, add all ingredients and simmer over medium heat until it reaches the consistency of a syrupy glaze.  About 20 minutes
Score the out side of a ham into 2 inch diamonds shape with a sharp knife.
Season with salt and pepper
chop 6 to 7 leaves of fresh sage and mix with 1/4 cup olive oil
Form into a paste and slather the outside of the ham with the paste.
Place ham in a large roasting pan. Pour glaze over the ham and arrange the tangerines and the whole sage leaves over the ham.  Tent with aluminum foil and raost at 275 until heated throught and the tangerines are carmelized.

Asparagus with citrus vinaigrette

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lime
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup oil
fresh mint for garnish

Whisk the citrus juices, zest, mustard and salt and pepper together.  Drizzle in oil until the vinaigrette thickens, arrange on a baking sheet pan.  Drizzle 1/2 of the vinaigrette over the asparagus and roast in oven until crisp tender.  Place spears on a serving platter and pour the remanining vinaigrette over the hot asparagus.  garnish with mint

Sea Salt and Herb roasted potatoes

potatoes, red about 1 1/2 pounds
olive oil 1 ounce
garlic minced 1 teaspoon or more depending on your preference
thyme, parsley, or any fresh herbs on hand
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

scrub potatoes, cut if necessary.  Potatoes that are quite small may be left whole.  Combine oil, garlic, and fresh herbs in a bowl.  Roll the potatoes in the mixture until evenly coated.  Bake on a sheet pan until tender.

Lemon mousse

Powdered sugar
coconut chopped fine, and an addtional 4 ounces toasted
milk 10 ounces
sugar 10 ounces
egg yolks 3 1/2 ounces
cornstarch 1 ounce
lemon juice 4 1/2 ounce
lemon zest blanced 1 ounce
egg whites 10 ounces

Combine milk, and half of the sugar ( 5 ounces)
Make a liaison with the yolks, cornstarch and remaining sugar...( this means just add them together in another bowl., because you will be doing a liaison with them).
Heat the milk mixture and liaison the hot milk into the yolks, and sugar ( this keeps it from curdling)
Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and zest.
Whip the egg whites and remaining sugar unil a soft merinque.
Fold the egg whites into the cooled lemon sauce.
Refrigerate or freeze.

I like using a martini glass or a very pretty dessert dish for this recipe.  Fill bottom of glass with coconut and pipe in mousse.  Garnish with toasted coconut.

Grape and Blue cheese truffles
4 ounces cream cheese softened
4 ounces blue cheese softened
1 bunch seedless grapes about 2 pounds
1 cup pistachios, ground

Mash the cream cheese and blue cheese together in a bowl until combined.  Grab a bit of the cheese in one hand, a grape in the other.  Put the two together roll the grape until covered in the cheese.  Roll the cheese covered grape in the ground pistachios.  chill until ready to serve.

If you don't like blue cheese, use all cream cheese.  adjust to your liking.

Fresh Tangerine glaze for ham

2 tangerines cut into thin circles
2 cups fresh tangerine juice ( about 8 tangerines)
juice of 1 lemon
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

In medium sauce pan, add all ingredients and simmer over medium heat until it reaches the consistency of a syrupy glaze.  About 20 minutes
Score the out side of a ham into 2 inch diamonds shape with a sharp knife.
Season with salt and pepper
chop 6 to 7 leaves of fresh sage and mix with 1/4 cup olive oil
Form into a paste and slather the outside of the ham with the paste.
Place ham in a large roasting pan. Pour glaze over the ham and arrange the tangerines and the whole sage leaves over the ham.  Tent with aluminum foil and raost at 275 until heated throught and the tangerines are carmelized.

Asparagus with citrus vinaigrette

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lime
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup oil
fresh mint for garnish

Whisk the citrus juices, zest, mustard and salt and pepper together.  Drizzle in oil until the vinaigrette thickens, arrange on a baking sheet pan.  Drizzle 1/2 of the vinaigrette over the asparagus and roast in oven until crisp tender.  Place spears on a serving platter and pour the remanining vinaigrette over the hot asparagus.  garnish with mint

Sea Salt and Herb roasted potatoes

potatoes, red about 1 1/2 pounds
olive oil 1 ounce
garlic minced 1 teaspoon or more depending on your preference
thyme, parsley, or any fresh herbs on hand
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

scrub potatoes, cut if necessary.  Potatoes that are quite small may be left whole.  Combine oil, garlic, and fresh herbs in a bowl.  Roll the potatoes in the mixture until evenly coated.  Bake on a sheet pan until tender.

Lemon mousse

Powdered sugar
coconut chopped fine, and an addtional 4 ounces toasted
milk 10 ounces
sugar 10 ounces
egg yolks 3 1/2 ounces
cornstarch 1 ounce
lemon juice 4 1/2 ounce
lemon zest blanced 1 ounce
egg whites 10 ounces

Combine milk, and half of the sugar ( 5 ounces)
Make a liaison with the yolks, cornstarch and remaining sugar...( this means just add them together in another bowl., because you will be doing a liaison with them).
Heat the milk mixture and liaison the hot milk into the yolks, and sugar ( this keeps it from curdling)
Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and zest.
Whip the egg whites and remaining sugar unil a soft merinque.
Fold the egg whites into the cooled lemon sauce.
Refrigerate or freeze.

I like using a martini glass or a very pretty dessert dish for this recipe.  Fill bottom of glass with coconut and pipe in mousse.  Garnish with toasted coconut.