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!

After having some health issues a year ago this month, I have really tried to eat a more healthful diet, and consume more fruits and vegetables to see if I feel better doing so.  A year later, I am at a weight I am happy with, and I feel better than ever.  Here is my secrets to feeling great... I hope they make you feel better too, and stronger, and healthier! 

I start my day off with 32 ounces of water mixed with a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 teaspoons of organic cider vinegar.  I drink this FIRST thing... instead of that first cup of joe, I drink water.  It starts my day hydrated... I swear I have lost any belly fat that I might have had... so if this is an old wives tale... I think it's true...at least I am a believer!

Then on my way to work, (I work about 37 miles one way from home)... I have my smoothie...This has helped me not only lose weight, but it gives me energy...( I really noticed when I went on vacation and didn't make a smoothie for a few days...I was CRAVING a smoothie)...plus I feel good about getting more fruits and vegetables in my diet.

As a Chef/Instructor...I don't always eat the healthiest foods.  My job is to not only teach techniques in cooking but, teach how to flavor, season properly and build upon flavors to bring something bland into somthing that explodes with flavor in your mouth...and you can't do this with out tasting...so I like to say... my job is to eat all day!!  I wasn't feeling great about all the white flour, sugar, fat, meats, breads, cream soups, desserts, and all the wonderful things that my students were cooking and serving...so I needed something to fill me up, and make me feel better about..."the tastings", I have to do as part of training students...so when I do eat that chocolate, chocolate bread pudding.... I feel better knowing...I have had something good for me too.

Here is the smoothie recipe that I make every day... try it... and let me know if it makes you feel as WONDERFUL as I do...

Tips:    when using fresh produce please WASH before, putting on your counter, cutting board, or eating!!!  Go to Costco, farmers markets, or buy in bulk whenever possible and you can freeze your ingredients if you need to, such as if they start to go bad, you got too good of deal on something and bought more than you used... you can also just get everything ready to go into your smoothie in a zip lock so it takes no time at all to make straight from the freezer or like I do for my fridge... ..

. Smoothie:

Flax seed (grind first in a dry blender) 2 tablespoons
1/8 fresh lemon WITH rind
1/2 inch whole ginger (remove peel)
3 large Kale leaves
10 to 15 ounces of fresh spinach
1 cup of unsweetened fruit(s) such as strawberries, raspberries,blueberries,mango,pinapple,apple, banana, grapes, watermelon, cantalope,papaya,pear,kiwi
2 cups of water
Blend well and drink within 24 hours.

If the smoothie isn't sweet enough for you add a sprinkle of stevia...or add more fruit.

You can also use any green leaf vegetables whatever you have on hand or is on sale...from beet greens, cabbage, water cress, dandelion, arugula, romaine, green leaf, chicory, purslane...etc...

I also several times a week will add a scant teaspoon of coconut oil to my smoothie... and I use the oil on my lips, face and neck as a wonderful moisturizer.... ( it can even be used as a moisturizer for your hair)...
I use a BlendTec blender... but it took me months to decide to make the investment...

One thing that no one told me... when I first started having the smoothie, I felt like I was putting on weight, my face was breaking out, and I almost gave up... give it some time when you start this...it is your body cleansing out some of the toxins.. Good luck.... here to your

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3/4cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chopped into pieces ( or use chocolate chips)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8 1/2 cups chocolate cake cut into 1 inch cubes (use a fudge chocolate cake)
3 tablespoons Semi sweet chocolate chips chopped
3 tablesspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325

In a heavy sauce pan scald cream and milk with 3/4cup sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove pan from heat and add 1 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate.  Whisk until chocolate is melted.
In a stainless steel bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla together.
Slowly add the hot liquid to the egg mixture
Spray a 10x 13 pan with cooking spray

Place the cake cubes evenly in the pan, whisk the chocolate custard to blend well and pour over cake cubes.
Scatter 3 tablespoons of the semi sweet chocolate on top of the custard and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon

Allow the bread pudding to sit for 15 to 30 minutes ( or can be refridgerated overnight)  Bake for 35 to 50 minutes until the custard has thickened.

Serve warm with a drizzle of melted white chocolate or whipped  cream.

Egg Whites 1 pound
Cream of Tarter 2 tsp
Sugar 2 pounds 8 ounces
Vnailla or Rum Flavoring 1 ounce
Coconut 2 pounds

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until soft peaks
Gradually beat in sugar until glossy
Fold in coconut
Make up:  Bagged method pasty bag with a star tip
Bake 300 about 30 minutes

Butter 1 cup
White Sugar 2 cups
Eggs 2 each
Vanilla 2 tsp
All purpose flour 2 cups
Cocoa powder 3/4 cup
Baking Soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
White Chocolate Chips 1 2/3 cups

Preheat oven to 350
Cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time then stir in vanilla
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, stir in the creamed mixture.  Fold into white chocolate chips

bake 8 to 10 minutes

Butter 1 pound
Peanut butter 1 pound 10.5 ounces
Sugar 1 pound 5 ounces
Brown Sugar 7.5 ounce
Eggs 10.5 ounce
Vanilla 2 Tablespoon
All Purpose Flour 1 pound 12 ounce
Baking Soda 1.5 teaspoon
Dry Milk 4 1/4 ounce

Blend butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamed.
Add Eggs and vanilla
Combine and add to cream mixture
Blend all together
Drop cookies and form with a cross patter fork marks
Bake at 375 8 to 12 minutes

Butter 12 ounces
Sugar, granulated 3 ounces
Vanilla `1 tsp
Flour all purpose 1 pound 2 ounce
Salt 1 tsp
Water 1 Tablespoon
Pecans, finely chopped 8 ounces

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed of a stand mixer for 5 minute using a flat beater.

Add flour and salt to cream mixture.  Mix on low speed until blended
Add water and pecans and blend
Chill dough

Shape into small balls 3/4 inch in diameter.  If mixture crumbles so it will not stick together add a small amount of melted butter.  Place on lighly greased cookie sheet or silicone paper lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350

Roll in powdered sugar while still hot

AP flour  2 1/4 cup
Baking soda 1 teaspoon
Butter softened 1 cup
Brown sugar 3/4 cup
White Sugar 1/4 cup
Instant butterscotch pudding mix 1 (3.4 oz) package
Eggs 2
vanilla extract 1 t
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips  2 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar
Beat in the instant pudding mix until well blended
Stir in the eggs and vanilla
Blend in the flour and baking soda
Stir in the chocolate chips

Drop cookies by rounded spoonfulls onto baking sheet

Bake 8 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown

Butter  4 Tablespoons
Brown Sugar 1 cup
Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
Bananas 4 each
Banana Liqueur 4 Tablespoons
Dark Rum 1/4 cup

Melt butter in small pan..  Add brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur.  Stir to mix, add bananas...add rum and flame. 

Use ofver ice cream or crepes or pancakes...

Trim your steaks... if there is more than 1/4 inch of fat on the steak, then trim the fat down.  Otherwise on a grill you will get more flare ups! 

Get your grill HOT...HOT...HOT before you start.  Depending on your perferred doneness of steak, you can finish your steak over direct high heat... or turn it down, put a lid on your grill and use indirect heat.

Know when to turn your steak...

If you are using the old cut a bit of the steak and look... you are going to ruin your steak.  Invest in a thermometer... or here is a culinary trick...when meat on a grill heats up...the juices run to the surface (this is true of a hamburger too).  You can tell the steaks doneness by the color of the juices on top.  For a rare steak, turn while the juices are red, for a medium turn when the juice is more pink, and for well done turn the steak when the color runs clear.  Remember the time they have been cooking and wait the same amount of time on the other side.  You will have a steak done to YOUR prefection.  Be sure to REST the steak before you cut into it.  It keeps the juices inside.

If you want the diamond look.... when you put your steak on the hot grill ...put it on like your driving instructor used to tell you to keep your hands on the wheel of a car.  Start off at 10: and move it to 2:...then flip over the steak and do it the same amount of time.   It will be beautiful! 

 FIRST:  Read how to thaw your turkey.

After your turkey is thawed and clean....

Please....Please.... Please... don't put your dressing/stuffing inside your turkey.  It is a recognized health haszard, and you have to BE SURE that the stuffing has come to the tempature of 165 degrees.  You run the risk of making your friends and family sick.... so do your stuffing as a side dish!    What ever you put into the cavities of your turkey...is for flavor....not to be consumed....sorry.

This is my method for making a turkey that is beautiful.... 

First I preheat my oven to 325 degrees.  Instead of putting stuffing inside my bird, I like to use fruit and herbs....for a 20 pound turkey use about 4 washed oranges that you zest, then cut into rounds...add herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley.. that are fresh, and washed....add with the oranges into the cavities of the turkey.  Melt some butter, you won't need too much about 1 to 2 sticks of butter which you then add the zest of the orange to it.  Spread with a brush over your turkey, then season with salt, pepper, paparika, and some fresh cut herbs.  Place the Turkey in your roasting pan that has long sticks of celery, and carrots with a rough dice of yellow onion this combination is called a mirepoix.  It is usally 50 percent onions, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery.  Place the turkey on top of the mirepoix. Bake the turkey coverd with foil or the lid of a roasting pan.  I take the foil or lid off the last hour of cooking to be sure that it is nice and golden.
The only way to be sure that your turkey is fully cooked is to use a quality meat thermometer.  Please cook your turkey to 165-170 degrees.  Make sure you LET THE TURKEY REST at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving it...this is the perfect time to make your gravy from the dripping of the turkey. 

Guide lines time to cook your turkey is about 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey. 

You can also stuff your turkey with apples and cranberries, or lemon and thyme, apricots and lemon zest...it is beautiful to glaze a turkey with apricot jam and if you would like a touch of horseradish.... Tangerines and sage.with.... orange marmalde as a glaze...outstanding!!! 

I live in Utah....at a high altitude...things take longer to cook.  So all times can vary.  When my students ask me how long something has to cook...my reply is alway "until it is done".  So please cook your turkey until it has an internal tempature of 165 to 180 degree... and most important... have a Happy Thanksgiving! or Christmas, or whenever you are enjoying a turkey... and share it with people you love.