From: Cheri Olis
Client Products Used: Trader Joe’s Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
Several Large Beets
Goat Cheese (From Trader Joe’s!)
Romaine or Red Leaf Lettuce

Dressing:
1/3 c. orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
½ Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon Zest

Directions:  Dice and steam beets for about 30 minutes until fork tender.  Let cool and put in fridge to chill.  Prepare lettuce (wash, dry and tear to bite size pieces).  Add chilled beets and pieces of goat cheese to the lettuce.

Dressing:  Add all ingredients together and mix- simple as that!

Serve immediately and enjoy!

From: Ginny Bode
Client Products Used: Hempler’s Fresh Sausage

Recipe from Hempler’s website https://hemplers.com/recipes/
Note: I substituted Apricot Preserves for the cranberry preserves… and it tastes great.

Yields: 36 Pinwheels
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours (includes 1 hour chilling time)

These sweet and savory bites are the perfect addition to a platter of hot appetizers for a holiday cocktail party.

Ingredients
1 lb Hempler’s Italian Ground Sausage

1 pkg (450 g) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed but still cold
Note: I used 4 sheets for each roll. This recipe made three rolls total.

1/2 cup cranberry preserves

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions
1. In skillet set over medium-high heat, cook sausage for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel.

2. Unroll pastry sheets onto lightly floured surface. Spread each pastry sheet evenly with cranberry preserves and crumbled cooked sausage; sprinkle with cheese. Starting at one side, roll up pastry, jelly-roll style, pressing gently to seal edges together. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap each log and cut crosswise into scant 1/2-inch thick rounds.

4. Arrange rounds on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart; brush tops lightly with egg. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for 18 to 20 minutes or until pinwheels are golden brown. Transfer to racks; let cool slightly before serving.
Note: My first batch burned at 18 minutes, the second and third batches were golden at 12 minutes.

Tip: Make-ahead: Pinwheels can be baked, cooled and frozen in single layer in airtight container for up to 1 month. Reheat on parchment paper–lined baking sheet in 375°F oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.

Yields: 36 Pinwheels
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours (includes 1 hour chilling time)

From: Tawni Roetcisoender
Client Products Used: Copper River Seafoods Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Copper River Seafoods Smoked Salmon
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 Tbl. Mayo
1 Tbl. Sour Cream
2 Tbl. Horseradish
1/2 Red Onion Diced Extra Small
Salt
Pepper

• Combine all ingredients in serving bowl, garnish with dill and serve with crackers
• Dill for garnish

From: Ginny Bode
Client Products Used: Firestone Fruit (strawberries) and Columbia Fruit (raspberries)

Summer holidays give me a desire for a berry dessert– even if the berries aren’t quite in season. Plus, it helps clean out my stock of blueberries in my freezer. Mix them up with the flash frozen berries from Firestone and Columbia fruit, and they make a great (and easy) dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blueberries from my freezer
1 cup frozen Firestone Pacific Fruit Strawberries
2 cups frozen Columbia Fruit Raspberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 tsp per cup if using frozen berries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into small cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl toss together the berries, sugar, 1/2 cup flour, cornstarch and salt.  Pour berry mix into a skillet and smooth as much as possible. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the 1 cup flour, oats, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the butter and mix until texture is coarse clumps and mixture is crumbly.
Spread topping evenly on top of berry mixture with your hand and press it down lightly.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes+ if using frozen berries, until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Served up by Office Manager Erin Burkholder
Client Ingredients:  Hempler Uncured Ham, Dole Spinach

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil (may substitute olive oil, or other)
• 10 oz. sliced mushrooms
• Bag of pre-washed spinach
• Pepper, to taste
• Cajun Seasoning, to taste
• 2 ½ cups ham, cubed
• 6 whole eggs

PREPARATION:

(Note:  Use a large skillet with tight fitting glass lid. Set the lid aside, to be used once eggs are added to the pan.)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add mushrooms to the hot pan, stirring until nearly cooked through.

Add entire bag of spinach to pan and stir until both spinach and mushrooms are cooked well. (Note:  It may look like a lot of spinach, but it will cook down considerably.)

Add ham to mushroom and spinach mixture, stir until heated through.

Reduce heat to medium low.  Add pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste.

Create six wells in the mixture, and carefully crack one egg into each well.  Immediately cover pan tightly, and leave closed until eggs are set to desired doneness.

Serve immediately.

Served up by Justine Helbren, Structural Designer
Client Ingredients:  McCain Foods

​The beloved classic poutine, crispy McCain® Superfries® are piled high and smothered in authentic cheese curds and rich gravy. How Canadian eh?

Preparation
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Servings: 6

Ingredients
– 1 650g bag McCain® Superfries® Extra Crispy Straight Cut
– 1 398mL can gravy (poutine is best)
– 400g white cheddar cheese curds

Directions
Cook McCain® Superfries® Extra Crispy Straight Cut according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat gravy in microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
Transfer fries to a platter. Top with cheese curds then pour gravy over fries.

Serve immediately

Served up by Office Manager Erin Burkholder

Client Ingredients:  Hempler Uncured Ham, Alexia Yukon Select Hashed Browns (with onion, garlic, and white pepper), Darigold Half and Half, Darigold Salted Butter, Darigold Medium Cheddar Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 12 whole eggs
• 3 cups cubed ham
• ½ Onion, minced
• 3 cups shredded medium cheddar (reserve 1 cup for topping)
• 7oz can diced green chiles (mild or medium)
• Bag of Hash Browns, completely thawed in microwave
• Salt & Pepper,  to taste
• Cajun Seasoning, to taste
• Optional:  Tabasco Pepper Sauce, to taste

PREPARATION:

Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees F.  Generously grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter.

Spread thawed hash browns evenly in the baking dish. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with heavy cream, salt, pepper, and (optional) Tabasco Pepper Sauce.  Fold in ham, onions, and two cups of cheese.  Stir to combine.

Pour egg mixture evenly over hash browns, top evenly with green chilies and the remaining one cup of cheese.  Sprinkle Cajun Seasoning Blend on top of casserole before baking. Place filled baking dish on a sheet pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes (on middle rack), or until middle of casserole is completely set and top begins to turn golden brown.

Topping Ideas:
Darigold Sour Cream
Salsa or Pico de Gallo
Avocado Slices
Chopped Green Onions

 

Served up by Ginny Bode, Marketing Director
Client Ingredients:  Litehouse Seasoning

Italian Orange Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

SERVES 4-6 | FINISH IN 1 HOUR

Okay, I’m cheating a little here, I haven’t made this recipe yet, but it looks mouth-wateringly delicious. As do all of the recipes on Litehouse’s website. Check out their recipes at https://www.litehousefoods.com/recipe

Try this Italian Orange Chicken!

INGREDIENTS
2-3 boneless chicken breasts, halved
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup flour
1 orange sliced into thin rounds
1 cup orange juice
1 cup chicken stock
1 garlic clove smashed
2 shallots minced
2 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper
2 lbs. sweet potatoes cut into ½ in. cubes
Olive oil for drizzling
1 tsp. Litehouse® Instantly Fresh Italian Herb Blend
1 Tbsp. plus 1 ½ tsp. Litehouse® Instantly Fresh Basil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and the Litehouse® Instantly Fresh Italian Blend. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile place the chicken pieces on a cutting board and cover with a layer of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until no thicker than ½ inch. Season pounded chicken with salt and pepper.

In a pie pan stir together the Parmesan, flour, and 1 Tbsp. Litehouse® Instantly Fresh Basil. Lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Pan fry the coated chicken until golden brown on both sides. You will have to do this in batches. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Throw the orange slices, garlic clove, shallots, and remaining 1 ½ tsp. Litehouse® Instantly Fresh Basil into the hot pan. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the orange juice and chicken stock, scraping the browned bits off the bottom as you stir. Return the chicken to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a serving platter and garnish with the cooked orange slices.
To the pan sauce add the honey. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with a side of the roasted sweet potatoes.

If you love pulling together culinary delights like we do, you’ll find all kinds of great recipes on the websites of our food producer customers.

Hempler’s: https://hemplers.com/our-recipes/

Litehouse Foods: https://www.litehousefoods.com/recipe/search

Lamb Weston: https://www.lambweston.com/recipe

McCain Foods: http://www.mccainpotatoes.com/recipes

Simplot Foods: https://www.simplotfoods.com/recipe

From Hemplers Website
Client Products Used: Hemplers Bacon

When it’s hot out, we fire up the grill and cook everything outside. But after a delicious meal, when that need for bacon isn’t *quite* sated, we turn to this delicious recipe from Chef Dannika Underhill for Bacon Maple Ice Cream.

Ingredients
¾ c whole milk
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
4 strips Hempler’s Smoked Bacon, cooked crisp and chopped into bits
Instructions
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat, to the point of scalding, but remove from heat before it comes to a boil.
In a bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar, and kosher salt until the sugar has dissolved and the yolks have turned pale yellow.
Temper the yolks by adding in a third of the scalded milk and whisking until ingredients are incorporated, and repeating until all the milk has been added to the egg mixture.
Transfer egg/milk mixture to a saucepan and slowly heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. (Custard base will have thickened slightly and given off large puffs of steam.
Remove from heat immediately and whisk in maple syrup and heavy cream.
Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any curdled egg bits and chill in your refrigerator for 8 hours.
Once base has chilled, freeze it in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
After ice cream reaches soft serve consistency, remove from machine and fold in bacon bits, and place in freezer for at least 2 hours or until it becomes scoopable consistency.

Servings: 8 servings of 1/2 cup each