Hallie Norvet

Mini Hassleback Potatoes 

These Mini Hassleback Potatoes are perfect as an appetizer, or a side dish due to their versatility.

Top them with sour cream and chive, dip them in fondue, or just enjoy them on their own.

Makes: 12 Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

12 Mini Golden or Red Potatoes, Washed and Dried

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Tools:

Sharp Knife

Wooden Spoon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Place one potato into the dimple of the wooden spoon. Use your knife to make thin slices into the potato, the edges of the spoon should prevent you from cutting all the way through the potato. Continue making slices until your potato is completely sliced. 

Add all sliced potatoes into a medioum mixing bowl, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of exra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and space each potato one inch apart. Roast on middle rack of oven for 20 minutes, then flip potatoes, and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve warm and garnish with sour cream, chive, bacon, cheese, broccoli etc.

Cornbread and Butternut Squash Bites

Am I the only one already planning Thanksgiving?

These Cornbread and Butternut Squash Bites will definitely be on the hors d'oeuvres menu, and many other menus I am sure. These were created from a happy mistake. I was originally going to do these on a French bread crostini, but I ran out. So I whipped up some cornbread, cut them into rounds, and then twice baked them so they would have a crispy, crunchy edge.

I will be providing you with the recipe for the cornbread and well as the technique for how I made these little cornbread crouton rounds below.

Makes: 25+

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes, 10 Minutes (Twice Baked)

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Cornbread Recipe Adapted By: Bluegirl, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17891/golden-sweet-cornbread/

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Olive Oil

Directions for Cornbread:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Add butter to a 12x12 glass or metal baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Add butter to pan and place in oven for 1 minute until fully melted. Remove pan from oven and pour batter into prepared pan.

 Bake cornbread in preheated oven for about 20 minutes on the middle rack, for until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Directions for Cornbread Croutons:

Allow cornbread to cool. Take a small ring mold, or round cookie cutter (about 2 inches in diameter or smaller) and cut out individual circles from the cornbread pan. Give it a twist and a little wiggle so the cornbread removes in one piece.

Once you have 10+ pieces removed, use a sharp knife to slice each cornbread round in half heightwise, so you have two thinner circles.

Drizzle olive oil generously onto a medium baking sheet. Place each cornbread circle onto sheet, in an individual layer, fitting as many as possible onto the tray.

Return cornbread rounds to middle rack of oven for twice baking. Bake cornbread crouton rounds for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove cornbread croutons from oven, and allow to cool. Croutons will harden once cooled.

Use as a vessel for hors d'oeuvres or crumble to use in salads. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Jalapeños

Summer is here and the grill is fired up, what else do you need? Well, coming from my experience, you need these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Jalapeños at your next cook-out. They are a crowd favorite, and you can never make enough. They're made from just a few ingredients, and you can even make them ahead of time so you can throw them on the grill, or into the oven the next day.

The filling is made from a modified buffalo chicken dip recipe, so feel free to search and take inspiration from those recipes as well. Just add a bit of extra cheddar so they're hearty enough to fill the pepper.

Makes: 28 Jalapenos

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

3/4 Pound Chicken Breast

1/4 Cup of Your Favorite Buffalo Sauce

Water or Chicken Stock

For the Peppers and Dip:

1 Package Cream Cheese, Softened

1.5 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing

1/4 Cup of Your Favorite Buffalo Sauce

1 tsp. Granulated Garlic

Salt and Pepper to Taste

14 Jalapenos, Halved, Cored and De-Seeded

Directions:

1. Add chicken and buffalo sauce to a medium stock pot. Add water or stock to pot until liquid level reaches above the chicken.

2. Bring the contents of the stock pot to a boil by turning your burner to high heat. Allow chicken to come to a boil, then, reduce heat to medium-low.

3. Allow chicken to braise for 30 minutes, until liquid has reduced then turn the heat off.

4. Allow chicken to cool slightly and pull or shred your chicken with two forks. Add chicken and remaining liquid to a medium sized mixing bowl.

5. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch, buffalo sauce, granulated garlic and a light dust of salt and pepper to the mixing bowl with the chicken. Take a spatula and fold ingredients together until everything is combined. If you like your buffalo chicken a little spicier, you can add an extra tablespoon or two of buffalo sauce to the mixture at this point.

6. Preheat your oven 375 degrees.

7. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and lay each halved and cored jalapeno cored side up, so you can fill them easily.

8. Take about 1 tablespoon of the buffalo chicken mixture and fill each jalapeno, until all the jalapenos are filled, or until the filling is gone.

9. (Optional) Finish each jalapeno with a bit of extra cheddar.

10. Bake stuffed jalapenos on the middle rack of your oven for 25-30 minutes until jalapenos are fully cooked.

11. Remove stuffed peppers from oven and finish with additional buffalo sauce if desired. I garnished mine with some scallions too.

Enjoy and let me know how you like them!

Turmeric Quinoa Yam Fritters with Scallion Yogurt

It's Sunday and I needed something light, but satisfying while I am preparing for my Monday clients. There's no doubt about it that these Turmeric Quinoa and Yam Fritters with Scallion Yogurt left me satisfied. The warm spices of garam masala, curry, and cumin with the earthiness of quinoa go wonderfully with fluffy yams. Best part? The recipe can be done in under 30 minutes!

Serves: 3-4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

Quinoa Yam Fritters:

1/2 Cup White Quinoa

1 Cup Water or Vegetable Broth

1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric

2 Medium Yams, Baked or Microwaved until soft, then peeled

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Yellow Curry

4 Scallions, Chopped Fine

1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic

Large pinch of salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Scallion Yogurt:

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

4 Scallions, Chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Chopped

Drizzle of Honey or Agave

Salt + Pepper to Taste

Directions:

For the Scallion Yogurt:

Mix all ingredients togetehr in a small mixing bowl. Season to taste wit salt and fresh cracked pepper.

For the Turmeric Quinoa Yam Fritters:

In a medium pot with lid, add the ground turmeric to the quinoa, and add the water or vegetable broth to the quinoa. bring to a boil, cover the pot with a tigtht fitting lid, and reduce heat to medium. et a timer for quinoa and allow to cook.

Once cooked, add your yams, masala, cumin, scallions, fresh dill, egg, granulated garlic, and salt. Mash with potato masher or large spoon/fork.

Once mixture is incorporated, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan has heated and the oil is slick, either scoop out spoonfuls of fritter mixture into pan, or shape small individual patties and carefully drop them into the oil.

Allow to cook over medium/medium-low heat until golden brown on each side, and cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Remove fritters from pan and allow to cool on rack or paper towels. Finish with scallion yogurt and a light mixed green or herb salad.

Grilled Cilantro Chile Lime Shrimp

As promsied here is my recipe for my Grilled Garlic Cilantro Lime Shrimp. It's been a hot week here in L.A. with temperatures above 80 degrees. This is unusual for January, so now I will make some unusual January food. Instead of chili's and stews like I normally would be making this time of year, we are all seeking relief with fresh, chilled salads. The recipe for these shrimp is very versatile. You can enjoy this warm as an entree, chilled with cocktail sauce, on a salad, or as is.

Makes: 2 Pounds of Shrimp

Prep Time: 10 Minutes:

Cook Time 10-12 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Shrimp, Peeled, Deveined, Tails-on

10 Clove Garlic, Chopped Fine

2 Limes, Zested and Juiced

2 Tabelspoons Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon Cumin

1.5 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl or ziplock bag, allow shrmp to marinade in mixture for 15 minutes prior to grilling.

Preheat your grill. Grill shrimp on skewers or in a grill-safe basket until shrimp are opaque and cooked-through to an internal temp of 145 degrees. Serve with garlic butter, grilled avocado, fresh lime wedges, or cocktail sauce.

Braised Belgian Endive with Lemon and Tarragon

I will admit (way) back in culinary school I had no idea why anyone would ever want to braise Belgian endive. "It's just lettuce." I thought. Then over my many years of cooking I've realized endive is so much more than "just lettuce."

First of all, it's not just lettuce. It's in the chicory family, the same type of green as frisee, raddichio, and escarole. Chicory leaves, buds and roots all have specific beneficial qualities such as aiding in digestion and boosting immunity.

Secondly, endive's pleasant bitterness and naturally sweet, nutty flavor pairs perfectly with brown butter and lemon. Raw or cooked it's straight up delicious. Don't underestimate these little beauties like I once did.

Braised Belgian Endive with Lemon and Tarragon

Serves: 2 (as a side)

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

6 Belgian Endive, Trimmed and Cleaned, Halved

4 Tablespoons Salted Butter

1 Lemon, Juiced

1 Teaspoon fresh tarragon

Sea Salt Flakes

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Tarragon/Parsley (Garnish)

Directions:

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter to pan until melted. Place endive into pan cut side down. Increase heat to high for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Add 1/2 of the lemon juice to pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place a tight fitting lid over the skillet. Braise over low heat for 20-30 minutes until fork tender. Remove endive from pan and serve cut side up. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan until melted, add remaining lemon juice, and serve over endive as a sauce. Garnish with fresh tarragon and/or parsley and additional salt, if needed

Green Goddess Dip

This beautiful green dip is perfect with a fresh crudite platter for any Spring party or gathering. The most time consuming part of this is chopping up some fresh herbs, which means this dip can be made in 10 minutes or less.

Makes: 4 Cups

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 0 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

2 Large Ripe Avocados, Peeled and Pitted

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Chopped Scallion or Chive

2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped

2 Tablespoon Fresh Tarragon, Chopped

4 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Chopped

Juice of 2 Lemons

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse on low speed, then increase to high until smooth. If a smoother consistency is desired, add 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turmeric Herb Falafel

It's one of those nights where you look in the fridge and you have no protein what-so-ever.. and you're definitely not heading to the grocery store.. So you look in the cupboard and what do you see? Garbanzo beans! The savior of all things. Hahaha let's turn this can of bans into something amazing. Like my Turmeric Herb Falafel!

Traditionally falafel is made with fresh or dried chickpeas, since I'm not going back to the store, I'm using canned. It's just a few ingredients into a food processor and you'r golden. As golden as the crispy edges of these falafel.

Makes: 12+ Falafel

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

Falafel:

1 Can Garbanzo Beans, Drianed, Patted Dry

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped Fine

1/4 Cup Scallion, Chopped Fine

3 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Chopped Fine

2 Clove Garlic, Chopped Fine

1 Medium Shallot, Chopped Fine

1/2 Tablespoon Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric

Dash of Curry Powder

1 Egg

1/4 Cup Breadcrumb

Large Pinch Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Tahini Dill Yogurt:

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill, Chopped

1/4 Cup Tahini

Juice of One Lemon

1 Teaspoon Honey

Dash of Cumin

Salt and White Pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for olive oil into a food processor. Use the pulse button to blend garbanzo and herb mixture until a consistency of chunky peanut butter, or smoother if you prefer. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more breadcrumb. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Roll garbanzo and herb mixture into small one inch balls, then flatten a bit with your palm so it create a thick disk. Do this to all falafel and then they're ready to fry.

For the yogurt, mix all ingredients togetehr in a small bowl. Chill and allow flvors to incorporate while you cook your falafel.

In a medium sauce pan, pour a thick layer of olive oil, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, gently and carefully drop in falafel flat side down. Allow to crisp up for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. flip falafel and repeat on other side, if needed, add a bit more olive oil to the pan. This is called a "shallow-fry." Keep falafel warm in a 275 degree oven or enjoy immediately inside a pita pocket or as is, served with a bit of tahini-dill-yogurt!

I also love my falafel with hot sauce made from fresh peppers, and some pickled onions. YUM!

Pork and Vegetable Sichuan Style Wontons with Chili Sauce

Los Angeles had an early rainy season this year, and my mind only goes to one thing.. I needed to make some dumplings. One of my favorite versions are these Pork and Vegetable filled Wontons with a Sichuan-Style sweet and spicy sauce. Normally wontons are used for frying as they are a bit thicker than gyoza wrappers which are typically intended for steaming. So when I prepare these I like to do a quick pan fry and then steam them until the filling is fully cooked. They're so tender, comforting and delicious.. you wont be able to stop.

Makes: 30+ Wontons

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1/2 Head Savoy Cabbage, Finely Chopped

1/2 White Onion, Peeled, Finely Chopped

6 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

1 Tablespoon Ginger, Chopped

5 Button Mushrooms, Chopped

5 Scallion, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Cilantro, Chopped

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Sriracha

2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

30 Wonton Wrappers

1/2 Pound Ground Pork

1/4 Teaspoon Corn Starch

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

Garnish:

Scallion

Sesame Seed

For the Sauce:

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

3 Tablespoons Chili Oil, Including Chiles

5 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1/4 Teaspoon Corn Starch, Dissolved in 1/2 Teaspoon Water

1/2 Water or Vegetable Stock

Instructions:

For the Dumplings:

Heat sesame oil in a medium sauce pot over high heat. Add cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, scallion and cilantro and sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent and vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Add in brown sugar, sriracha, soy sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow vegetables to cool. Add cooled vegetable mixture to ground pork, and mix in corn starch until incorporated. Now it's time to fill your wontons.

Place wonton wrappers flat down on a clean surface. Fill wrapper with 1/2 tablespoon of pork and vegetable mixture. With some warm water, "paint" the edges of the wonton wrapper with your finger. Bring opposite ends of the wonton together and seal, while bringing up the other opposite two edges to make a pyramid. Press the edges together to seal.

Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to large saucepan and heat over high heat. Once pan is hot, reduce heat to medium and carefully place wontons into pan. Allow to cook for 1 minute, and then add water or broth. Cover with lid and allow to steam on low heat for 5-8 minutes until dumplings reach internal temperature of 160 degrees. Keep covered until ready to serve.

For the Sauce:

Add all ingredients into small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once sauce thickens and sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Serve sauce over warm dumplings and garnish with sesame seeds and scallion strings.

Sometimes, you just need something that satisfies every taste. Spicy, crunchy, salty, sweet and sour.. These Pan Fried Chicken Gyoza with Red Thai Curry Sauce take a little time to make but are so worth it in the end.

Makes: 30+ Gyoza

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

Sauce:

3 Tablespoons Ghee or Clarified Butter

1 Yellow Onion

3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Ginger, Skinned

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Garlic

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Lemon Grass

1/3 Cup Red Curry Paste

1 Can Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce

Dash of Salt

Juice of 1 Lime

Dash of White Pepper

Pot Stickers:

1 Pound Ground Chicken

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Scallion

2 Tablespoons FInely Chopped Fresh Ginger, Skinned

1 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Garlic

1 Tablespoon Cilantro

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Sambal Olek or Sriracha

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon Corn Starch

1 Pinch Salt

1 Package Round Gyoza Wrappers

Small Bowl of Warm Water

Vegetable Oil for Frying

Directions:

For the Sauce:

In a small sauce pot over medium heart, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add in onion, ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Saute until onions are translucent. Add in Red curry paste and stir over medium heat for one minute until fragrant. Add coconut milk, honey, turmeric, chicken broth and fish sauce to pot and heat over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and blend with immersion blender, or in food processor. Season with salt, lime and white pepper. If you'd like it even spicier, add in a generous pinch of crushed red pepper. Hold sauce over low heat until ready to serve gyoza.

For the Gyoza:

In a medium mixing bowl add all ingredients except gyoza wrappers, warm water and vegetable oil. Gently mix with a spoon until all ingredients are combined.

Lay out six individual gyoza wrappers at a time. Use your finger or a brush to lightly "paint" water around the edge of each wrapper. Place a small tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Then, fold the wrapper over like a taco, sealing the wet edges together. To seal the gyoza, start making a pleat from the left to the right. 2, 3 or 4  pleats should be fine. Repeat until you run out of the filling or wrappers

In a medium saute pan, heat a 1/2 inch layer of vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees. Then gently drop in a few gyoza at a time to fry. They usually require a turn over or two. The gyoza are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165+ degrees and are golden brown on the outside.

Serve gyoza with warm curry sauce, fresh cilantro, scallion and lime.

Lobster tails were on sale this week.. I don't ever need an excuse to buy lobster but if I did, this was it. "What to make, what to make.." I wondered to myself. It's still 85 degrees here in Los Angeles in the middle of October, I'm starting to think it will be Summer forever here. Something chilled would really hit the spot.. "Ah ha!" Mini lobster rolls. These beauties were born..

Makes: 25+ Mini Toasts

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: None

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

Toasts:

1 Stick Salted Butter, Room Temperature

3 Garlic Cloves, Peeled, Chopped

25 1/3-inch-thick Bread Slices Cut from 1 Baguette, or 7 Slices of Quartered Slices of Thick White Toast

Lobster Mix:

2 Tablespoon Mayonaisse

1 Tablespoon Creme Fraiche

1/3 Cup Celery and Leaves (If Any), Finely Diced

2 tablespoons Fresh Italian Parsley, Chopped

1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Dill, Chopped

Leom Juice, 1 Tablespoon

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/8 teaspoon Lemon Zest for Fine Microplane

Dash of Paprika

12 Ounces Cooked Lobster Meat, Roughly Chopped into Large Dices

Here is a great tutorial on how to cook lobster tails, I reccommend the boiling option for this recipe:

How to Cook Lobster Tails: http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Lobster-Tails

Garnish Options:

• Dill Frond
• Chopped Chive
• Lemon Zest
• Paprika

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix togetehr softened butter and garlic. Spread a thin layer of butter on each side of your bread slices. Place bread slices onto a baking sheet. Place baking sheet on center rack and allow to bake for 7-9 minutes until edges are golden brown. Transfer toasts to plate to cool.

Combine mayonnaise, celery, parsley, dill, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and dash of paprika in large bowl; stir to blend. Mix in lobster and gently fold with spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mound lobster salad onto each toast and serve. Garnish with your favorite fresh herb, lemon or spice from the ingredient list.

The best part about Summer coming to an end is the abundance of heirloom tomatoes in the markets. Days ago, I was craving a tart with the sweetness of these beautiful tomatoes and had to make one (or four). This recipe is quite simple, make a crust from scratch, chill it, roll it, fill it and bake it. Finish this off with some balsamic.. or a fried egg and some mixed greens and you've got a sophisticated brunch. Tell your friends it tooks hours to make.. when it only took one.

Makes : 6-8 Servings

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Inactive: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

Tart Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons cold water

Tart:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 Pound Heirloom Cherry Toamtoes, Halved

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp finely chipped fresh rosemary sprigs

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Directions:

For the dough: Combine the flour, butter and some salt and pepper using a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the water just until the bottom of the mixture begins to cling together. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of oil. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

For the tart: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the chilled dough into a 14-inch circle and place into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Spread the mustard over the bottom of the tart shell. Sprinkle the Gruyere evenly over the mustard and place the tomatoes seed side up over the Gruyere. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Mix together the olive oil, basil, parsley, thyme and garlic in a small bowl. Brush two-thirds of the mixture over the finsihed tart. Remove the tart and cool briefly before serving. Serve warm with the remaining herb oil.

Top with a fried egg, more gruyere, balsamic reduction or enjoy as is.

Bacon. Yes, bacon. Can it get any better? Well apparently, it can. This recipe for my Black Pepper Candied Walnut Bacon will have you returning for slice after slice. Perfect as a snack, or on a sandwich, salad or with brunch these tasty morsels are not only delcicious, but simple to make.

Serves: 2-3

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

1 Pound Smoked Thick Cut Bacon, Cut in Half

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Tip:

If you'd like a spicy version, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a tablespoon of Sriracha when mixing in ingredients.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl add in bacon, bown sugar, paprika and pepper.

On a parchment lined baking sheet or silpat, uniformly place bacon 1/2 inch apart from each other. Place on middle rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check on your bacon at the 20 minute mark to see if you need to remove any fat from the pan. Continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until desired thickness is reached, the longer the bacon cooks the crispier and thinner it will be.

Remove bacon from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts while fresh from the oven. Bacon will stiffen up a bit after a few minutes. Enjoy warm, room temperature or chilled.

So I made this simple, savory Mushroom and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart at an evet a couple of weeks ago and the guests enjoyed it so much I had to make some for myself! I was at the market and king oyster mushrooms were on sale, but really, any mushroom will do in this recipe. I choose to use white button or crimini mushrooms as the base and then add in some oyster, king oyster, enochi, maitake, shiitake, chantrelle etc. to fit whatever flavor profile you are seeking. It's all finished off with a drizzle of balsamic, butter, thyme, chive and crumbled goat cheese. So GOOD you won't be able to help yourself from having one more bite.

Makes: 24 Bite Size Tarts

Prep Time: 20 Minutes:

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Pound Button Mushrooms

1/2 Pound Any Other Mushroom, I used Oyster but you could use Crimini, Enochi, Maitake, Shiitake, Chantrelle etc.

2 Shallots, Peeled and Chopped

3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped

1 Tbsp Thyme, Chopped

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Sugar

3 Tbsp Butter

Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

1 Box Puff Pastry, Unwrapped and Cut into the 6 "Folds" it opens up to, or cut into 6 3x8 Strips

1 Egg, Beaten

Garnish:

Goat Cheese, Crumbled

Balsamic Reduction

Chive, Chopped

Thyme, Plucked

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil and add mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme. Saute or stir with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until mushrooms start to sweat and soften. Add balsamic vinegars, sugar and butter, stir and reduce heat to medium low and allow to cook for 5 additional minutes, stirring every minute or so. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. until mushrooms are fully cooked. Remove from heat and move to next step.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove puff pastry from freezer and place onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets. If you have not cut your puff pastry already, most puff pastry rolls will conveniently open up into 3 perfectly sized sheets, each package should provide you with 6 total. Be sure to give about an inch of space in between each tart. Also, it is important to make sure the puff pastry is always frozen, or it will not rise properly. So if your puff pastry for some reason gets soft or comes to room temperature for being left out too long, just pop it back in the freezer to seize back up. With a pastry brush or clean paint brush, brush the egg yolk (or egg wash) mixture over the top of the puff pastry until coated. You just need a thin layer of egg yolk, this is done to give the tart a nice crispy brown edge as seen above. It really makes all the difference.

Once your puff pastry is coated with egg wash, spoon mushrooms down the center of the puff pastry, leaving the edge naked for a crust. Once your mushrooms are placed on the pastry youre ready to bake. Place your baking sheets on the middle rack of the oven and allow to bake for 15-19 minutes until puff pastry has fully risen, and the edges are golden brown. Remove pasty from oven and allow to cool.

Top each tart with balsamic reduction, goat cheese and herbs to your liking! I thin cut each tart into 4 pieces and serve them up on a cutting board or my guests to enjoy. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Bored of the old standard deviled egg? Well, these two types will certainly spice things up. One afternoon I had an immense craving for deviled eggs, and that is where this platter was born. Two of my favorites of all were the guacamole and Korean versions. The guacamole sounds just what it sounds like, avocado, cilantro, lime and itsurprisingly does play well with the egg. While the Korean egg is seasoned with a bit of gochujang (and/or Sriracha!) and finsihed off with sesame seeds and lightly pickled carrot and scallion.. would be perfect in a bibimbap!

Makes: 12 Deviled Eggs

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

By: Chef Hallie Norvet

Ingredients:

6 Boiled Eggs, Halved, Yolks Moved to Separate Bowl and Whites Kept Yolk Side Up on A Plate or Tray

3 Tbsp Mayonaisse

1/2 Avocado

1 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

1/2 Lime, Juiced

1/2 Tablespoon Gochujang

1/2 Tablespoon Sriacha

1 Carrot, Peeled and Fine Julienned

1/2 tsp Finely Chopped Ginger

4 Bulbs Scallion, Chopped Fine

Salt to Taste

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Sesame Seeds to Garnish

Directions:

Take hardboiled yolks and blend or finely smash with mayonaisse. Separate mixture into two.

Guacamole:

Take your preapared deviled egg filling and mix it with 1/2 avocado, cilantro and juice from one lime. Blend or smash with a fork until all ingredients are smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pipe filling into 6 egg white halves. Garnish with pickled red onion, cilantro or pico de gallo.

Korean:

Take your preapared deviled egg filling and mix it with gochujang and sriracha. Blend or smash with a fork until all ingredients are smooth and integrated.

In a small bowl mix carrot, ginger, scallion, salt, sugar, rice wine vinegar until incorporated. Allow to quick pickle while all eggs are moved to the refrigerator to chill. In about 15 minutes, your pickles will be ready and you can top them on top of the Korean deviled eggs, along with another dash of sriracha and sesame seeds.