Start Rubbin'

Garlic and Mustard Dry Rub

1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Just mix it all together and then rub on steak. Then let the steak come to room temperature before grilling. Enjoy!

My Best Hummus

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo bean (chick peas) drained*

1/8 cup tahina paste

1/8 cup extra virgin cold pressed olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

half a fresh lemon

some white pepper

crushed red pepper (garnish)

I usually make a double batch.

Instructions. Drain the beans, conserving the "juice." Add the beans, tahina, olive oil, salt, paprika, cumin into your blender. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon. Dash some white pepper in on top. Grab a wooden spoon or silicon (or rubber) scraper. Turn on the blender at it's slowest setting. Gentle push from the edges into the center just staying on top of the ingredients. Everything will blend. If it's too chunky add either (a) more olive oil (my preference), or (b) some of the "juice" you conserved.

I blend mine in my Kitchen Aid blender until I get to second highest setting and leave it on until the humus is light and fluffy; almost whipped. Everyone loves. Lately I've been adding some fresh garlic. Also, a teaspoon of truffle oil instead of garlic would be a gourmet touch.

Keep it simple. Serve directly on a plate in a big dollup drizze with a touch of olive oil and garnish with crushed red pepper. I like to use barbari bread from my local mediterranean market and it can also be found at Sam's. Pita bread is fine. Try your favorite flat bread. I cut mine in 3 inch square, warm in my counter-top toaster then cut into triangles.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

Here's a great lactose free shake I make for my wife. I say it's lactose free because it has no milk, but it does have yogurt. I use Activia. My wife has found that the Activia does not cause the same problems other milk products do.

Put the following items into your blender in this order:
1 cup of frozen strawberries
3/4 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup of plain or vanilla Activia yogurt
1/2 cup of rice milk
1 scoop of egg protein (vanilla or unflavored) we use Jay Robb's
some honey to taste

Wait... don't leave. When you blend, start at stir and move to liquify. Don't start on high. Pro smoothie machines do just that; go from slow to fast. It makes less mess, wastes less, and blends smoother AND faster with less air.

Enjoy.

Gnocchi with Talapia in White Wine, Mushroom, and Roasted Red Bell Pepper

OK, here's a quick narrative of how to make this dish. There is no recipe, just some guidelines.
I sauteed the fresh frozen talapia for 4 minutes a side on medium-ish in EVOO with kosher, cracked, and squeeze of lemon; then set it aside.
Into my already boiling water, I dumped premade gnocchi. After 5 minutes, I drained and set it aside after a cooling rinse.
Then I sauteed mushrooms in olive oil, white wine, cracked, and kosher. After the mushrooms were cooked, I sliced and added in 1 red bell that was from the olive bar at Tom Thumb - roasted and in olive oil.
Next, I added a little more kosher, cracked, fresh Italian parsley, and diced romas, tossed quickly and removed from heat.
Following that, I took out a big as pan, put it on medium, threw in the gnocchi and drizzled with EVOO and sauteed those suckers until they were warm again and not as doughy, threw on the mushroom sauce, then diced the fish and added it in... toss toss toss.
To plate, I garnished with crumbled feta, Parmesan, and some fresh Italian parsley and cracked for looks.
This is a totally made up dish.
After scarfing it down we concluded that I should have added toasted pine nuts and a lemon wheel into the mix.
I think some crushed red pepper in the sauce after the mushrooms would have been spot on!
Enjoy!

Super Fast Curry

This is not one of my wife's favorite rice bowls. But, it is still quick and easy as all of them always are. Combine all of the ingredients in your big rice steamer in the following order:

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 lb diced raw or frozen chicken
• 16 oz (1lb) package of frozen 3 peppers and onions blend (red, green, and yellow bell peppers with onions)
  
• Maybe some corn or brocolli if you like. Snap peas are cool to. Whatever you like
  

In a measuring cup add:

• 3 teaspoons of your favorite curry spice
• 1 cup chicken stock

Stir the contents of the measuring cup then pour over the stuff in the steamer. Now get all the good stuff out by filling the same measuring cup 3 more times so that you add:

• 3 cups of water

To be sure, we've added a quart of liquid to the steamer in total. Also... NOTHING is sitting in the steamer tray. This is all simply piled in together. Now, close the lid, click on the steamer, go do something else.

Enjoy.
--
Chris Beckworth

Best Banana Pudding Ever

Hands down, the best banana pudding ever. A couple of tips: beat whipping cream just until it makes little peaks that stand on their own - don't make butter. Also, buy the mini nilla wafers and put a smiley face on top. Kids, young and old, will love it.

• 1 can of eagle brand milk
• 1.5 cups cold water
• 1 small package of vanilla instant pudding
• 2 cups of whipping cream (not cool whip)
• Vanilla Wafers... the little ones
• 2 - 3 bananas depending on size

Mix water, milk and pudding together with a wire whisk. Then refrigerate for 10 minutes or so. While waiting, beat the whipping cream. Then cut your bananas the same thickness as the nilla wafers. Then fold whipping cream into pudding. Now you have 3 things... wafers, nanas, pudding/whipping cream mix. Layer cookies, nanas, pudding . 2 or 3 times. Put extra cookies on top for the hell of it.

Enjoy.

Recipe Mexican Lasagna

Yep. This one is great. You have to be an absolute idiot to mess it up. Also, buy a gimme foil pan, do all the assembly, then cook on site. The first time I had this, my friends wife was all bed rest and couldn't cook for him. I know, you'd think he would cook. Listen, his job (as he told me) is make money and eat... or something like that. He does BBQ, but day to day, that's not his deal. So we had this. A couple of months later, my brother and his wife lost her father. I brought this over amd they were very pleased. Your loved ones will be, too.

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2-1/2 cups Herdez Salsa (or some other thick and yummy salsa)
• 1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 12 corn tortillas (6 inch), divided
• 1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Cottage Cheese
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Brown meat in large skillet on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet. Add onions and peppers; cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add salsa, corn and seasonings; mix well.

LAYER one third of the meat mixture and one half each of the tortillas and cottage cheese in 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat layers; cover with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and olives.

BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.

Corn Pudding

OK. This is the bomb. I've had awesome feedback from everyone who has eaten or made this. Today, a colleague told me he made it Thanksgiving, Christmas, and took some to his friend who's wife is recovering from surgery.

Note that if your slow cooker cooks from just the bottom, it may take more time. If your cooker hits it from all sides, do it on high for about 2 hours, low for 2 hours, then keep warm until ready.

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/3 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn
• 1 can (16 oz) cream style corn
• 1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn bread muffin mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Lightly grease slow cooker. In mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, eggs and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours. Serve.

Makes 10-12 servings.

The Waffles of Liege

A Quick Intro

This is a little recipe I researched and have cooked a couple of times to perfect. Some background to get you in the know when you serve these to your pals. There are 2 basic waffles in Belgium. The waffles of Brussels and the waffles of Liege. Those from Brussels are the ones we think of when we hear "Belgian Waffles." Fruit, whip cream, etc. The waffles of Liege are a lesser known, but more commonly eaten waffle... at least in Belgium.

I like to tell people that Liege Waffles are basically the Belgian donut. They are hand-held, sweet, require no syrup, and are good hot or cold. They're more dense than their cousin from Brussels, and frankly, I like them better. Cook them at night for an easy desert, and save the rest for breakfast as you walk out the door or when you get to the office.

The Recipe

• 4 oz. (one stick) butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Some raw sugar or other kind of large granulated sugar (vanilla, cinnamon, etc.)

Cooking Instructions

• Melt butter in microwave but just barely.
• Mix in sugar, then mix in eggs (seriously - if the butter is too hot the eggs will cook), then add the vanilla. Make sure this is all mixed well. You should use a whisk not a fork. Forks are for eating not for cooking.
• Now, add the flour a half cup at a time. Finally, add the baking powder.
• Plug in the waffle iron and let the batter rest. It's very important to give the batter time to rest.
• Sprinkle raw sugar on the batter sitting in the bowl.
• Coat the iron with some non-stick spray for the first waffle
• Put a plop in the middle (sprinkle side down) but not enough to fill up the iron... just enough to press out to a little irregular square when you close the lid.
• Finally, sprinkle a little more raw sugar on top and close the iron.
• Cook.

Enjoy immediately or cool on a wire rack. Don't store in bags, etc. until they are completely cool.