Citrus Sugar Gems

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lime zest
• coarse sugar for rolling cookies in

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Using a mixer, beat the butter and white sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue to beat for three more minutes.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and beat at medium speed for several minutes. Add zest and continue to beat for two more minutes.
4. Roll dough into 1½" balls. Coat with coarse sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for eight to ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool on cooling rack.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

2 tsp. oil
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
1-1/2 Tbsp. sliced garlic
6 oz. baby spinach
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
3 oz. provolone cheese, torn into pieces
1-1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 – 20 oz. butternut squash
1 cup ricotta cheese
1-1/2 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

Yield: 1 - 8x8 glass baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic; sauté for 4 minutes.  Add spinach and sauté until wilted; remove from heat.

Place yogurt, milk, and provolone in a blend, blend for 20 seconds.  Add flour, salt and eggs; blend 1 minute.

Peel the neck of the squash.  Cut the neck from the bulb; and slice the neck into 24 long slices 1/8 inch thick.  Place squash slices in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes or until almost tender.

Remove the squash from the baking dish.  Coat the dish with cooking spray; spread ½ cup of the yogurt mixture in the bottom of the pan.

Shingle 1/3 of the squash over the yogurt mixture.  Top with 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, and 1/3 of the remaining yogurt mixture.  Repeat twice ending with the yogurt mixture.

Sprinkle lasagna with Gruyere.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes.  Remove foil and broil until lightly browned.  Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
A double recipe will fit in a 9x13 pan.
You could certainly add some cooked italian sausage.

Reverse Seared Steak

Steaks, preferably around an inch thick
Salt
Oil or butter

Pat the steaks dry and rub about a tsp of salt on each. Let them sit uncovered in the fridge overnight. Let come to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat oven to 200, and put steaks on a baking rack on a baking sheet covered in foil. Let the steaks cook until they reach an internal temperature of 120 (45-75 minutes depending on the thickness of the steaks.)

Let the steaks rest for 5-10 minutes, tented in foil, while a cast iron pan gets as hot as you can get it on the stove. Brush both sides of the steaks in butter or oil (preferably something with a high smoke point), then sear both sides for 60-90 seconds. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve. The steaks should be around 130-135 degrees.