Braised Beef Short Ribs Family Dinner

This is a favorite winter time dish of mine; it always fills the house with delicious smells and with fall off the bone short ribs, it's a treat that we try to enjoy at least once a year.  Although the short ribs themselves can be expensive (I always try to buy them when their on sale) these recipes and family dinner spread, make it all worthwhile.  If there happens to be any left overs, it's perfect for Braised Beef Short Rib Sliders.

On the Menu

1st Course - Starters: Dinner Rolls & Healthy Mushroom Soup 

2nd Course - Main Dish: Braised Beef Short Ribs

3rd Course - Side Dishes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes &

 Brussels Sprouts Asiago

4th Course - Recommended Dessert: 
Decadent Poached Pear

1st Course - Starters: Dinner Rolls & Mushroom Soup - 

Breaking bread over delicious, earthy flavored soup is a great way to start a meal with family and catch up on everybody's week.  My Healthy Mushroom Soup is broth-based (much healthier than the creamy mushroom soups) and is part of my Winter Soup Series. Click here for the recipe.  The rolls are perfect for sopping up soup or the gravy-sauce from the Braised Beef Short Ribs.

2nd Course - Main Dish: Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients:

4-6 bone in beef short ribs

sea salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. light olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, washed, peeled, cut into large chunks

1 bottle of red wine (I use cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot roir work fine too based on taste preference)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes (I use Italian seasoned ones)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Season short ribs with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place flour into a Ziplock bag or in a bowl and coat the short ribs.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sear ribs on each side (don't over crowd and cook in batches as needed) place seared short ribs on a plate and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, add onions and carrots; cook until veggies begin to soften, scraping up the pan dropping into the mix.
6. Add wine, chicken broth, tomatoes and seasonings. 
7. Increase heat slightly(to achieve simmering) stir and allow flavors to blend (a couple of minutes).
8. Add short ribs back into the gravy-sauce and bring everything to a simmer.
9. (If you're not using an oven proof pan, transfer gravy-sauce and short ribs to a deep baking dish) transfer to the oven and cover with pan lid or tin foil. I make sure the short ribs are laying meatiest part down into the gravy-sauce to soak up as much flavor into the meat as possible.
   
10. Bake for approximately one hour or until the meat on the short ribs begins to shrink back from the bone (exposing the bone).
11. Then reduce oven to 350 degrees F and cook for approximately one more hour or until the meat is fork tender and falls off the bone easily.

The gravy-sauce should be a thicker consistency but if it's still too thin, you can remove the short ribs and place the gravy-sauce back on the stove over medium heat and cover and allow the sauce to reduce until desired consistency.

3rd Course - Side Dishes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts Asiago
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3-4 Gold Yukon potatoes, thoroughly washed

4-5 cups water

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. garlic powder

salt to taste

1. Cut potatoes into 1-2" pieces and place in a medium-large sauce pan with the water and bring to a boil.
2. Continue boiling for about 30 minutes or until potatoes have softened.
3. Drain the water and turn off the heat, but return sauce pan with the potatoes back to the hot burner.
4. Mash up the potatoes and then add milk, butter, garlic paste, garlic powder and salt and continue mashing up until everything is well blended and soaked into the potatoes.

Brussels Sprouts Asiago

Ingredients:

4 servings of fresh Brussels Sprouts (click here to find out my technique to prepare these veggies under Tips)

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. garlic paste

1/2 cup heavy whipped cream

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2-3 bacon strips, cooked

1. Place Brussels sprouts in about an inch of water in a skillet over low-medium heat, covered.
2. Steam Brussels sprouts for about 10 minutes or until the begin to soften.
3. Drain from water and transfer to serving bowl and season with salt.
4. In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add butter, garlic paste and heavy whipping cream and mix until butter has completely melted.
5. Gradually add in shredded cheeses, a small handful at a time, stirring frequently, to melt cheese and avoid burning the bottom.
6. Once cheese is completely melted (almost boiling) about 8 minutes, pour over Brussels sprouts. 
7. Add in onion and crumble the bacon over the sprouts and then mix everything together so that sprouts are evenly coated with cheese and onions and bacon are mixed through all layers of the dish.

Healthy Mushroom Soup (Broth-based)

When it's cold outside, there is nothing better than warming up from the inside out with delicious soup.  But many soups can be cream-based which, while very flavorful, can pack on the calories and grams of fat.  So this is a healthy broth-based mushroom soup, rich in earthy flavors and veggies.  I love to serve this as a starter to my Braised Beef Short Ribs Family Dinner and it's part of my Winter Soup Series.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 carrot, diced
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 pkg of Bella mushrooms, thoroughly washed, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup water
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
salt & pepper to taste

1. Over a medium heat, add butter and onions and carrots and cook until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Scrape up any pan drippings and add celery , garlic paste and mushrooms and the water. 
3. Once veggies soften and mushrooms shrink, add broth and seasoning and reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Cover and let soup simmer and blend flavors stirring occasionally for at least 15 minutes or allow to simmer for awhile over a lower heat setting.

Snowboard Chick Coffee

Ski & Snowboard Season is here..! And for me (as well as many others out there) it's time to buy those lift tickets, make cabin and hotel arrangements, and plan those long weekends.  For me, my fondest memories are of me and a group of my friends using a timeshare cabin up in Vail, snowboarding hard all day, getting massages after our last run, enjoying a true Colorado game dinner near a lodge fireplace and ending the day in the outdoor hot tub overlooking snow-capped mountains.  And since most of us were dragging by the end of our runs, I was relied upon to always have batches of my Snowboard Chick Coffee on hand to enjoy our evening activities without falling asleep prematurely.  But whether you ski, snowboard or just stay in on cold winter nights watching movies all night, this is a great little cocktail.

Ingredients:

10 cups of Hazelnut flavored coffee

1 shot of Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

pinch of cinnamon and/ or nutmeg 

Optional:

whipped cream

white chocolate shavings

1. Brew coffee
2. Pour cups of individual servings
3. Add shots of Godiva liqueur and cinnamon/ nutmeg
4. Add optional toppings...Enjoy!

Please drink responsibly..!

  

Black Forest Swiss Roll Cake

My favorite cake and what I always request as my birthday cake is a Black Forest Cake.  I also have an affinity for Little Debbie Swiss Roll Cakes on my cheat days.  So it makes sense that I would combine these two wonderful treats.  This is not only a unique cake to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions with, but it is the perfect finale to my Romantic Night in the Swiss Alps dinner dish.

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

Parchment baking paper

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cocao powder, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

1/2 cup truvia sugar (or other preferred sugar or sugar substitute

4 tbsp butter

1 cup lite whipped cream

3/4 cup cherry pie filling

small bottle of Hershey's shell chocolate topping (7.25 oz)

Optional:

canned whipped cream or white icing in a piping bag

5-6 maraschino cherries

chocolate sprinkle or dark chocolate shavings

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet with laying down parchment paper and generously greasing it with cooking oil spray.
   
3. Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a pot that can hold a glass dish without the glass dish touching the water (to make a de facto double broiler, see pic).
4. While water comes to a simmer, mix 1/4 cup cocao powder, 1/3 cup flour and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
5. In your glass dish, quickly blend eggs and sugar with a whisk over the simmering water for approximately 5 minutes or until egg mixture is a pale yellow and warm to the touch.
6. Remove glass dish from simmer water, heat, and melt butter and add into egg mixture and continue to beat with a hand mixer until it thickens slightly.
7. Gradually add in cocao and flour mixture, until batter is smooth and thick (approximately 8 minutes) like a box batter mix (add additional flour if mix is too thin).
8. Pour batter on prepared baking sheet/ parchment paper. Bake in oven for about 5-6 minutes or until it is springy to a light touch.
9. Remove cake from oven, and lay out a second sheet of parchment paper and dust with cocao powder.
10. Flip the cake onto second parchment paper and roll the cake up as you would if it had the filling in it just in the parchment paper (provides shaping to cake) and allow to completely cool.
11. Unroll the cake/ parchment paper (Note: this will leave cocao powder on the surface that you unroll it on, lay down towels or a cutting board to keep counter tops clean).
12. Using a silicone spatula, spread whipped cream over the cake leaving a 1" border. Then layer cherry pie filling over the top of the whipped cream.
13. Then re-roll the cake (without the parchment paper) and if the cake roll ends are uneven or scraggly this is the time to cut them to make it even. 
14. Transfer cake to a wire rack over a plate or baking sheet (depending on the room in your fridge).
15. Pour the shell chocolate topping over the entire cake roll, using a silicone spatula to even out the coating of the top shell and cover the cake roll ends.
16. Place in the refrigerate to solidify the shell topping. (With this shell topping it should only take about 5-10 minutes but I usually let it set for approximately 30 minutes.
17. When ready to serve cake, using canned whipped cream (with piping end) or white icing in a piping bag, make a ruffle row down the center of the Swiss roll cake. Sprinkle the whipped cream/ icing with chocolate sprinkle or chocolate shavings. Then top ruffle with maraschino cherries.
    
18. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Meal Prep: Healthy Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Dishes

I am not generally a vegetarian, but I do recognize its many health benefits.  So when I've been indulging in the unhealthier varieties of foods, I turn to a vegetarian based meal prep plan to help balance everything out and detox my system a bit.  

There are a few different categories of vegetarian disciplines: 1) Lacto-ovo vegetarianism, which is a vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy 2) Ovo-vegetarianism, which includes eggs, but no dairy and 3) Lacto-vegetarianism in which dairy is consumed, but not eggs.  This meal prep caters to Lacto-ovo vegetarianism, but even if you eat according to the other categories, stay tuned to That Sexy Dish! because I will post other meal prep plans that accommodate the other vegetarian diets. 

On the Menu

Oatmeal

Tomato Strata Casserole

Ricotta & Beet Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Butternut Squash Risotto

Veggie Flatbreads

Zucchini White Lasagna

Cauliflower Gratin

Veggie Potato Medley

Oatmeal: When it comes to oatmeal, I am pretty particular.  I use only steel cut oats with no additional sugar or flavors added into the base of the oats themselves.  Then I add healthy flavorings such as raw honey, agave nectar or truvia to add some sweetness.  I will also add things like dried cranberries, prunes, dried apricots and raisins.  Finally I will top it off with toasted almond slivers to add a little texture.  I also add a tbsp of coconut oil as I try to consume coconut oil everyday for its health benefits.  I stay way from instant oatmeal packages and many of the packet oatmeal that boasts low sugar or other healthy benefits almost always have the unhealthy, chemical additives (like sucralose) in the ingredients, so if you're wanting to be healthy with oatmeal, shy away from these options.

Tomato Strata Casserole
Most strata recipes call for soaking the casserole overnight before baking, but I've found I

actually prefer to bake it immediately as I prefer the bread to retain some texture and even toast up in the oven (which can't be achieved if allowed to soak all night) over a soggy bread type consistency, but with this recipe if you prefer a more traditional strata, simply do steps 2-11 and refrigerate over night and then proceed to bake.

Ingredients:

3-4 plain whole wheat English muffins, or other preferred sourdough bread

2 ripe, organic tomatoes

1 whole eggs

3 egg whites

1 cups shredded Swiss cheese

4-6 slices provolone cheese, depending on size of slices and baking dish)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp. dried sweet basil

Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Separate/ cut English muffins so they are a single layer/ piece.
4. Line the bottom of baking dish with English muffins, cutting to size as needed to cover the bottom completely in a single layer (a de facto crust)
5. Thoroughly wash and slice tomatoes.
6. Layer the tomato slices over the bread.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sweet basil seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Layer provolone cheese on top of tomatoes.
9. Take remaining English muffins and cube into 2" pieces and sprinkle on top of provolone cheese layer.
10. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg and egg whites, and add in remaining dried sweet basil and milk.
11. Pour egg and milk mixture all over in the baking dish.
12. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese and bake in oven for approximately 45-60 minutes or until cheese becomes bubbly and slightly golden brown.

Click here for my Ricotta & Beet Grilled Cheese Sandwich 

Click here for my Butternut Squash Risotto

Veggie Flatbreads

Four Cheese Broccoli Flatbread - 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 low-carb, wheat tortillas

3/4 cup broccoli, washed and sliced with most of the stems removed (so broccoli lies flat)

1/4 cup Bella mushrooms, washed, stems removed, finely diced

1/4 cup yellow onion, minced

1 and 1/2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese, part/ low-skim mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese blend

4 tbsp. feta cheese crumbles

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Spray cooking olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet (I lay down tin foil for easier clean up) and spray generously with cooking oil spray.
3. Arrange tortillas on baking sheet so that they lay flat and don't overlap.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbs. olive oil and onions and broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften, add mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent. 
5. Season veggies with half of the garlic powder and red pepper flakes.
6. Drizzle tortillas with remaining olive oil. 
7. Generously layer shredded cheese blend evenly between the two tortillas.
8. Spoon out the veggie mixture evenly over the cheese on both tortillas.
9. Add remaining garlic powder and red pepper flakes all over the pizza and sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles.
10. Bake in oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until cheese is all completely melted and tortilla bottom and edges crisp up.

Apple & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

Ingredients:

2 low-carb, wheat tortillas

1/4 cup onion, minced

1/2 apple, washed and cut in thin slices

3/4 cup low-fat medium/ sharp shredded cheese

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet (I lay down tin foil for easier clean up) and spray generously with cooking oil spray.
3. Arrange tortillas on baking sheet so that they lay flat and don't overlap.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbs. olive oil and onions and apple slices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions brown and begin to caramelize. 
5. Drizzle tortillas with remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
6. Spoon onions and and apples onto tortillas and spread evenly.
7. Generously layer shredded cheese evenly between the two tortillas.
8. Bake in oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until cheese is all completely melted and tortilla bottom and edges crisp up.

Zucchini White Lasagna

Ingredients:

6-8 whole wheat lasagna noodles

6 cups water
salt

3-4 small-medium sized zucchini, washed, ends removed and sliced

1 carton Bella mushrooms, washed, stems removed and sliced

1/2 yellow onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 cup part/ low-skim ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded part/ low-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan-romano cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. sweet basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, bring water with some salt in it to a boil and cook lasagna noodles to an al dente consistency.
3. While noodles cook, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic.
4. Blend veggies together well and as they are about to soften, remove from heat and drain of any excess liquid.
5. Season veggies with sweet basil, oregano garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes. 
6. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, milk and egg and mix well until ingredients are blending well and almost smooth.
7. Prepare baking dish by greasing/ spraying with cooking oil.
8. Layer in noodles first, then spread a layer of cheese mixture over noodles and then a layer of veggie mixture, sprinkle veggie mixture lightly with mozzarella cheese.
9. Repeat this layer process until ingredients are used up (yields approximately 2-3 layers, depending on size of dish). 
10. Use the remaining mozzarella cheese to generously top the lasagna.
11. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and a slight golden brown in places and on the edges. 

Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients:
1 small head of cauliflower, base stem removed and chopped into floret pieces
4 cups water
salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup part/ low-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup low-fat medium-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, blended with mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
2. Prepare baking dish by greasing or spraying with cooking oil spray.
3. In a medium pot, over medium heat, cook cauliflower in water and salt just until cauliflower begins to soften.
4. Remove from heat, drain water and place cauliflower into the baking dish and season with garlic powder and (salt and pepper if desired).
5. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, 1/2 cup of each shredded cheese and mustard.
6. Blend well and pour over cauliflower.
7. Top with remaining shredded cheese blend and panko bread crumbs.
8. Bake in oven for approximately 25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and golden brown.

Veggie Potato Medley

Ingredients:
2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)
1/2 carton of Bella mushrooms, stems removed
3 Idaho potatoes
4 cups water
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

1. Thoroughly wash potatoes and cut into 1-2" pieces.
2. Boil potatoes in water until softened.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and add in green beans. As green beans soften or defrost, add in mushrooms.
4. Once mushrooms are softening and shrinking, add in potatoes and seasonings and toss ingredients to blend well.
5. Add a final drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Ricotta & Beet Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I admit that when you first hear this version of the classic grilled cheese sandwich, it may seem like an unlikely, albeit not very good, rendition. But after getting the recipe just right, this has actually become my preferred method for grilled cheese sandwiches.  It is not only vegetarian (which is used in my Lacto-ovo Vegetarian Meal Prep menu) and boasts many health benefits from its ingredients, but it is also an amazing combination of flavors that is absolutely delicious. The sweetness in the beets makes it almost dessert-like and perfectly compliments the earthy tastes of provolone cheese for this classic comfort food. 

Ingredients - 2 sandwiches:

4 slices Ezekiel bread or whole wheat bread

1/2 cup part/ low-skim ricotta cheese
4 slices of provolone cheese

1-2 beets, greens and stems removed, peeled and grated

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. agave nectar

1. In a skillet over medium heat, add in agave nectar, red wine vinegar and grated beets. 
2. Stirring occasionally, cook for approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and beets and set aside in a separate bowl or plate.
3. Prepare each bread slice by buttering one side and spreading ricotta cheese on the other side of each slice.
   
4. In a clean skillet, over medium heat, place a bread slice butter side down on pan.
5. Layer a slice of provolone cheese on top of bread (the ricotta side), spoon beets on top of  provolone slice, top with second provolone slice and place a piece of bread ricotta side down, butter side up on the top.  
6. Once bottom slice of bread is a golden brown, flip sandwich to brown the other bread.
7. Repeat with remainder ingredients to make second sandwich. 
8. Cheese should melt completely with the sandwich in the skillet but if not or re-heating as leftovers, simply pop in a microwave for about 15-30 seconds.

Butternut Squash Risotto

This risotto is very diverse with fall dishes (a perfect side to a Thanksgiving Day menu) or I also like to use it in my Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Meal Prep menu.  This risotto is not only rich in flavor, it is rich in color as well and adds a beautiful aesthetic to any meal, whether its casual or formal.

Ingredients - makes approximately 4-5 1 cup servings:
1/4 cup onion, minced onion
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 cup butternut squash, diced 
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Approximately 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1. In a small pot, add onion, butternut squash and 1 tbsp. of olive oil over a medium heat until veggies onion and is translucent.
2. Add rice and toss all together until rice is is coated well with oil (you may need to add more olive oil.
3. Add wine and bring to a low boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently until liquid is reduced by half.
5. Add 1/2 cup of broth to pot and continue to simmer and stir frequently until broth has soaked into rice.
6. Continue step 5 until risotto reaches the desired consistency: a creamy consistency, with rice soft on the outside but slightly al dente on the inside when you bite into it.
7. Once consistency is reached, top off with 2 tbsp. of olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Romantic Night in the Swiss Alps

Cold nights, crisp mountain air, cuddling up next to a warm fire...This meal paints the picture of spending passionate nights at ski cabin.  Using the very best of traditional Swiss cooking, this is a perfect balance of flavors, comfort food and romance.

On the Menu

1st Course - Appetizer: Swiss Emmenthaler & Gruyere Cheese Fondu

2nd Course - Starter: Swiss Chard & Citrus Salad

3rd Course - Main Dish: Traditional Swiss-Style Steak

4th Course - Side Dishes: Comfort Roesti & Roasted Asparagus

5th Course - Recommended Dessert: Black Forest Swiss Roll Cake 

1st Course - Appetizer: Swiss Emmenthaler & Gruyere Cheese Fondu

Ingredients:

5-6 oz. Swiss Emmenthaler cheese, shredded

5-6 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded

3/4 cup of chardonnay wine

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder 

1. Mix all shredded cheese together in a bowl and coat with cornstarch.
2. In a pan, on medium heat, pour in wine.
3. Gradually add in cheese and stir constantly and quickly to ensure clumping does not occur.
4. Add in final spices and serve.
5. Serve with crusty bread (I used Baby Boule bread), cubed.

2nd Course - Starter: Swiss Chard & Citrus Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch of red Swiss chard

2 tbsp. light extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. garlic paste

8-10 thin slices of red onion

8-10 Mandarin orange slices (I use canned Mandarin oranges)

2 drizzles of balsamic vinegar

1. Remove stems from Swiss chard, and roughly slice/ chop leaves.
2. Thoroughly wash chard leaves in a colander, and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and chard leaves.
4. Cover and allow leaves to cook until they wilt and turn a dark green.
5. Add in garlic paste and stir to coat leaves in oil and garlic.
6. Drain any excess oil/ liquid from pan, and remove from heat.
7. Just before serving (can be served warm or cold) sprinkle with garlic powder and divide onto serving plates.
8. Arrange onion and oranges as desired (see pic) and then drizzle servings with balsamic vinegar.

3rd Course - Main Dish: Traditional Swiss-Style Steak

Ingredients:

3 round steaks

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. meat tenderizer

4 tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 can whole tomatoes

salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle steaks with meat tenderizer and pound until flattened slightly.
3. Cut meat into desired bite-sized pieces.
4. In a plastic Ziplock bag, put in flour and pieces of meat. Seal bag with air blown in and shake to evenly coat meat pieces with flour.
5. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add in 2-3 tbsp. coconut oil, and sear meat pieces on both sides (more coconut oil may need to be added during the process).
6. Remove from pan and set aside.
7. In the pan add in onions and green bell pepper.  Stirring occasionally cook until veggies begin to soften.
8. Add in whole tomatoes.
9. In a small to medium greased baking dish, pour veggies and tomato mix into the bottom and top with meat pieces.
10. Bake in the oven for approximately 45-60 minutes or until veggies and tomatoes become gravy like.

4th Course - Side Dishes: Comfort Roesti & Roasted Asparagus

Comfort Roesti
Ingredients:
2-3 gold yukon potatoes, washed thoroughly
salt
4 cups water
4 tbsp. butter
1 egg
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1. In a medium pot, parboil potatoes (whole) in salted water, approximately 10-15 minutes  or until potatoes just begin to soften.
2. Remove from pot and place in a bowl and refrigerate (or place outside if it's a cold day!) for about 15-20 minutes (do not allow to freeze).
3. Peel potatoes and shred (should yield approximately 4 cups).
4. Beat egg and coat potatoes with it.
   
5. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. of butter and add in half of the "hash browns" and form a circular pancake that is flattened.
6. Once the bottom is a golden brown (and "held together") using a wide spatula, remove the potato pancake from the skillet and set aside (or use a plate placed on top of skillet to "flip" the pancake out of the pan by turn it upside down).
7. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, making a same size pancake as the first one. 
8. When pancake is about half way done (about 15 minutes) add shredded Swiss cheese on top of potato pancake and place other potato pancake on top of cheese.  Cheese should melt and fuse the two pancakes into a singular piece.
9. Use spatula or plate technique to remove from skillet once bottom is also a golden brown and serve.

                                                                                   Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet (I lay down tin foil for easier clean up) and grease or spray with cooking spray oil.
3. Thoroughly wash asparagus and cut the bottom ends off.
4. Lay across baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roll asparagus on baking sheet to evenly coat with oil.
5. Season with garlic powder and salt and pepper.
6. Roast in oven for approximately 30 minutes.