I adapted this recipe from one I found in Fine Cooking to suit my needs. This spread is mellow and brite, and tastes great on a BLT or tomato sandwich. 

Herbed shallot aioli:

Ingredients: 

• one small to medium shallot, finely minced
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 1 medium clove of garlic finely minced
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, beat the shallot, egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and 1 tsp water with a whisk or a hand mixer (go hand mixer, your arms will thank me later). 
2. Slowly drizzle in the oil, a few drops at a time, whisking constantly, until it starts to emulsify. Once the sauce is thickened (no oil pooling in places) send a steady small stream of the oil into the bowl, still continuously whisking until all of the oil is used. You should have a thick, creamy base. 
3. Mix in minced herbs. You can store in an airtight container for up to a week, it makes about a cup and a half of spread. 

Note: To make this vegan, omit the oils and egg yolk and use a vegan mayo as the base. Stir in the other ingredients and allow to meld together for about an hour for the best results. 

Cuban sandwiches are a big deal at my house. I couldn't find a good cuban bread at any of my local markets, so I found a recipe that worked for me by hostess at heart author Julie (link below with original post button). The recipe works very well, and the only changes I've attempted have been Crisco for the lard and AP flour when it became impossible to find bread flour (thanks pandemic). 

My process for this recipe is as follows. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp dry active yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup warm water (about 90-100 degrees)
• 1/2 cup Crisco, melted gently over low heat
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• about 6 cups bread flour
• egg and water for egg wash

Process: 

1. Combine yeast, water, and 3 tbsp sugar in the bowl of your kitchenaid. Allow to foam, about 10 minutes. Place the dough hook attachment on the mixer. 
2. Beat the three eggs in a measuring cup. Melt the shortening and allow to cool so it is still liquid but not hot. Add eggs, salt, remaining sugar and shortening to the mixer bowl and turn on to low speed. 
3. Add the flour one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl. I've used 5 cups to 6 cups of flour in the past, depending on the humidity. 
4. Knead the mixture on medium speed for five minutes. Do not leave the mixer unattended at this point as it could walk itself off the counter. 
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size. I like to leave mine in a sunbeam while it's rising. 
6. Punch out dough and divide into 8-10 rolls. Shape them into rounds for buns or into longer shapes for a sub roll shape. 
7. Place rolls on a lined baking sheet (or two) and cover with clean damp tea towels. Allow to rise another 6 minutes. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls with egg wash and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 
9. Cool the buns on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, I will place the buns in airtight containers and store half in the fridge and freeze the rest. 

Notes: 8 buns will make very large sandwich rolls. 10 is more reasonably sized sandwich rolls. Keep in mind this is a very soft bread and is intended to be pressed when made into a sandwich. 

I like making different brines to amp up whatever I'm cooking. This brine happens to work just as well for chicken and tofu!

This brine will make about 4 cups of brine. It is enough to brine the pork and tofu (in separate containers), or if you'd like you can pour 2 cups of the hot brine into a sterile mason jar to keep for another night. 2 cups of brine should be sufficient for one 1.5 pound pork loin. 

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 pounds of pork loin or tenderloin
• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed

Maple Brine: 

• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 c kosher salt
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 2 tbsp maple vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 cups amber/brown ale or more vegetable stock
• 1 cup ice to chill

Maple Dijon Sauce: 

• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp whole seed dijon mustard

To make the brine: 

1. Add all ingredients to a sauce pan except the 2 cups beer / vegetable broth and the ice. Bring to a boil and stir to mix the salt into solution. 
2. Allow brine to boil for 10 minutes, then turn off heat. Remove pan from heat and add ice, followed by beer or more vegetable stock. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. 
3. Place pork into a small container or plastic bag and cover with brine so it is fully immersed. Allow to sit for 2-24 hours. The longer the pork sits, the more flavor it will pick up.                        (If using tofu, make sure tofu is pressed and allow to sit in the brine for up to 8 hours. Don't let to tofu sit in the brine for too long or it may become salty.)

To cook in the oven: 
Pork: Preheat oven to 425. Cook pork on a rack for 30 minutes, then lower temperature to 325 and cook an additional 30-45 minutes until a thermometer reads 150 for a nice juicy roast. Tent and allow to rest 10 minutes prior to slicing. 

Tofu: Preheat oven to 325. Slice tofu into 4 slices and place in a lightly oiled pan. Cook for 30-45 minutes, depending on how crisp you'd like the outside to be. Alternatively you can add the tofu pan to the oven when you lower the temperature for the pork if cooking these together. 

To cook on a Traeger: 
Preheat the smoker to 425 using cherry pellets. Cook pork for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 and cook until internal temperature is 150, about 30-45 minutes. If cooking tofu as well, you can add the tofu to the smoker when you lower the temperature. When pork is done, tent and allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing. 

Mix the ingredients for the maple dijon in a small container and drizzle over the sliced pork or tofu and enjoy! 

One of my go to classic meals is spicy chicken parmesan. Feel free to make this as spicy (or not) as you want. The chicken is baked instead of fried. 

This recipe as written will make extra sauce- I like to freeze the leftovers. This will feed 4 hungry adults or 6 not so hungry adults. 

Sauce: 

• Oil for the pan
• ​2 shallots, minced
• 1 red onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c red wine (I generally use cabernet)
• 3  28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2-4 habanero peppers, sliced in half (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken: 

• 4 chicken breasts, whole or cut into cutlets or pounded out thinly
• about 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Panko
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Tuscan or Italian seasoning
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese 

Additional: 

• Linguini noodles- 1 pound
• Basil and parmesan for serving, optional
• Garlic bread

Making the sauce: 

1. In a large pot, add oil to pan and heat over medium heat
2. When oil is hot, add onion and shallots and cook until translucent. Add the minced garlic and stir to ensure even cooking. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 
3. When the garlic is fragrant, add the wine and stir to evenly distribute. Reduce the heat to medium low.  Allow wine to reduce to a syrup like consistency, stirring to prevent onions and garlic from burning. 
4. Add in remaining ingredients. Note about the habaneros- My husband likes particularly spicy things. I usually use 2-4 per batch of sauce and pull them out when the sauce is spicy enough for him. Please omit if you are not interested in a spicy sauce, the flavor is really good even without the heat! If you use them, taste the sauce every 10-15 minutes until the heat intensity is to your liking.
5. Bring pot to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow sauce to meld for at least thirty minutes and up to two hours, depending on how thick you would like the sauce
6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper

For the chicken: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a non stick covering (non stick foil, a silicon mat, or parchment paper) OR you can cook the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet for a crispier all over texture. Spray the rack before adding the chicken to ensure it doesn't stick. 
2. If you would like to have thinner chicken, feel free to cut the chicken breasts into cutlets or pound them out. 
3. Put the beaten egg in a bowl. Set up flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Mix together breading ingredients (Panko through crushed red pepper flakes) and place the mix on a plate. Run the chicken through the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the breading mixture. Press firmly to ensure the mix sticks to the chicken. Place the chicken on your prepared baking sheet.
4. Get pasta started- bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta according to package instructions
5. Bake for 30 minutes until breading has browned. Add mozzarella to cover the top of the chicken and return to the oven for five minutes until cheese is fully melted, then remove and prepare for plating. 
6. Plate the linguini noodles, top with a generous serving of sauce. Place chicken on top and cover with extra sauce if desired. 
7. Serve with garlic bread, parmesan and freshly cut basil if desired.