Filet Mignon with Shallot Balsamic Sauce

So easy and delicious, you'll never want to pay $50 at the steakhouse again!
Ingredients:
2 Filet Mignon steaks
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 shallot, sliced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey

Preheat pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle pan with olive oil and heat through. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Sear steaks in pan for 3-4 minutes per side till cooked medium-rare. (Leave on for a minute or two longer for medium or medium-well). Remove from pan.

Wipe pan clean. Drizzle with more oil and add shallots. Saute till soft and translucent. Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook till vinegar reduces and thickens slightly. Add honey and whisk in. Drizzle sauce of steaks. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Sugar Cookies

You can make these cookies in any shape, size and color you want. To make it easier, skip the frosting and just sprinkle with crystallized sugar or colored sprinkles. Your kids will love to decorate their own!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter substitute
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1 lb confectioner's sugar
3 oz cream cheese ( can use tofutti for non-dairy cookies)
5 tsp milk or soy milk
food coloring
colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer till blended. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour and baking powder in separate bowl, then add to butter mixture. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to chill dough.

Roll out dough on floured parchment paper. Make shapes with cookie cutters. If using sprinkles only, top cookies with sprinkles of your choosing. Bake cookies for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely.

While cookies are cooling, blend confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, milk and a couple drops of food coloring (not too much, you can always add more if needed). Use butter knife to frost cookies and top with sprinkles.

Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 pints grape tomatoes
1 head garlic, cloves separated
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (located at Ossie's fish counter in Gourmet Glatt)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using vegetable peeler, remove strips of zest from lemon. In large roasting pan, toss tomatoes, garlic, olives, thyme and lemon zest with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Place chicken, skin side up, among the vegetables and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of oil. Season with chicken and vegetables with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through, 35-40 minutes. Serve over rice.

Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds and Peas

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter substitute
1 1/4 lb salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb snap peas
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp capers

Heat 1 Tbsp butter substitute in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plates.

Meanwhile, fill a second skillet with 1/2 inch of water, bring to a boil, and add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the peas, cover and steam until tender, 2 to 3 minutes; drain and transfer to plates.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds and butter are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the capers. Spoon over the fish and peas and serve with brown rice.

Szechuan Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (or more) canned vegetable broth
1 cup super-chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces udon (Asian-style noodles) or linguine noodles
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup shelled edamame (soy beans)
1 cup sugar snap peas, steamed and cut in half
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Mix 1/2 cup vegetable broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, chili-garlic sauce and minced garlic in medium bowl to blend well (sauce will be thick). Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 6 minutes. Drain. Rinse noodles under cold water and cool. Cut noodles into 4- to 5-inch lengths. Transfer noodles to very large bowl. Toss with oil to coat.

Add vegetables to noodles. Toss with enough peanut sauce to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*There will be plenty of extra sauce to put away for another use.

Avocado-Strawberry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

2 navel oranges
1 pint strawberries, quartered (2 cups)
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice, divided
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups baby aruula (4 oz)
4 oz mild goat cheese, crumbled

Cut peel, including all white pith, from oranges. Working over a bowl, cut segments free from membranes. Reserve any juice in another bowl, squeezing membranes for more juice. Gently toss together orange segments, strawberries, avocados, and 1 tsp lime juice in a bowl.

Whisk together oil, remaining Tbsp lime juice, 3 Tbsp reserved orange juice, and 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper.

Toss arugula with dressing and divide among 6 plates. Top with avocado-strawberry mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

Ideal for a picnic, these sesame-speckled chicken wings are so good, you'll be happy to lick your fingers clean.

Yield: Makes 4 main-course servings
Active Time: 15 min Total Time: 50 min

1 large garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne
3 lb chicken wingettes or chicken wings (see cooks' note, below)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 scallion (green part only), finely chopped

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil.

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat.

Arrange wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.