Trail Mix Salad ala Izaak Walton Inn

I can’t give exact proportions because I got the "recipe" directly from the chef at Izaak Walton Inn, which existed of a list of ingredients. I will give you the Champagne Vinaigrette recipe I used but you may have a favorite. The salad is named for the delicious Trail Snack they included in our lunches when we had boxed lunches packed for a day of skiing. I store the trail snack, dressing and greens separately and put them altogether an hour or so before serving. The amounts below will make a large bowl of salad, serving about 8-10.

Mix in large bowl:
dinosaur kale (I use 1-1.5 bunches), cores and stems removed, shredded (I use the food processor)
shredded Brussel sprouts, I use about 1.5 cups whole, or to taste (I use the food processor)
stems of 1 bunch broccoli, julienned (save the florettes for another use)

Champagne Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dijon Mustard
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and pureé until smooth.

Trail Mix (to sprinkle on top and lightly mix in):
roasted whole almonds, roughly chopped
roasted and salted shelled sunflower seeds
dried apricots (sliced in thin slices)
dried sour cherries or cranberries, roughly chopped

Paleo Beef Roulade

One nice feature of a roulade is that it can be made several days early and then cooked just before serving. Additionally, you can experiment with the stuffing, changing it by adding or subtracting ingredients.  First served at SisterFest 2015 in Portland, with Cauliflower Puree and Spiralized Pesto Zucchini "spaghetti." Serves 6-7

1 1/2 to 2# flank steak
Salt and Pepper
4-5 strips thick bacon, cooked not crispy, chopped
2+ cups loosely packed spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1 cup chopped white button mushrooms (7-10)
Butcher's twine

5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp oil (coconut or olive)

Prep Day:

1. Pound the flank steak with a meat mallet to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Doing so will give you more surface area to work with when rolling the steak.
2. Lay the steak out flat, and season both sides with sea salt and pepper.Layer chopped bacon, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms evenly over the steak. It will look very full so you can't imagine rolling it in any neat fashion without everything falling out.
3. Roll the steak tightly into a log so the grain of the meat is running the long way on the roll. (When you cut slices you'll be cutting across the grain.) Tie the roulade in at least 3 places. Next time I would estimate how many servings I will cut and tie twine for each one so when you cut you have a piece of twine holding the rolled slice together. Having someone help with this makes it easier.
4. Wrap the steak in double or triple plastic wrap, seal it in a plastic bag and either freeze or store a day or two in refrigerator.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw the roulade in the refrigerator overnight and a day.
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°
3. In a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, melt the oil.
4. Place the roulade in the skillet and sear until brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes total. OR sear the steak on a HOT grill, turning to brown all sides. DO NOT cook the meat through!
5. Remove steak from stove or grill,  (if you've used the grill place the steak in an oven-proof pan) sprinkle with minced garlic all over.
6. Roast in hot oven for 10-20 minutes, or 130° on a meat thermometer, until the meat is cooked but still pink in the center.
7. Remove from oven, cover lightly with foil and a kitchen towel. Let sit for 10 minutes.
8. Slice into pinwheels at least one inch thick.

Mom's Real Pie Crust

Mix together: 5 cups all purpose flour and 1 Tbsp salt
Using pastry blender cut in 2 cups (1 #, usually one box) lard
Beat together: 2/3 c. ice water and one cold egg
Mix until barely holding together, do not over work.

Divide into 6 flattened balls and freeze individually, wrapped in foil. Let thaw over night in 'fridge before rolling out.

Jewish Crack

4 to 6 sheets matzo or approximately 40 Saltine crackers or crackers of your choice
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
A big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)
Extra sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet completely with foil, and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper, cut to fit.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzo or crackers, covering all parts. [If using matzo, you’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces, which will be annoying because despite being perforated, it does not actually break in straight lines. I have some luck pressing a serrated knife straight down along a section between perforations, if that (hopefully) makes sense.]

In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and stir it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes, stirring it well. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the matzo or crackers. You’ll want to spread it quickly, as it will begin to set as soon as it is poured.

Bake the caramel-covered crackers for 15 minutes, watching carefully as it will bubble and the corners might darken too quickly and/or burn. You can reduce the heat if you see this happening.
Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand five minutes, and then spread them evenly across the caramel. An offset spatula works great here. If you’re using them, sprinkle the chocolate with toasted chopped nuts and/or sea salt. (The sea salt is great on matzo. On Saltines, it’s really not necessary.)

Once completely cool — I sometimes speed this process up in the fridge, impatient as should be expected in the face of caramel crack(ers) — break it into pieces and store it in a container. It should keep for a week but I’ve never seen it last that long.