Hey all you Rachael Ray fans! My name is Pat Walther, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, currently reside in Arnold, MO with my husband Larry of three years. Larry and I currently have a singles ministry at our church and I dabble in web design. I have done so many things. I have my cosmetology license, I've sold cars, been a legal secretary, bookkeeper, office and property management; but, most of all, I love to cook and entertain family and friends.

Since so many people have told me I need my own restaurant, I decided to do just that on a very small scale. We are building a mobile commercial kitchen to smoke meats and sell to the public called "whatsmokin'." I thank my mom for teaching me how to be so organized and I thank my dad for teaching me how to cook and provide me with the playing field to expand from. I thank Larry for his encouragement, love and support. Who knows what the future holds, but right now I love every minute of today. Many thanks and I'll never forget any of you!

Week 2

Pat’s Turkey Polenta Patties

Ingredients






• 4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 ounces ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup instant polenta
• 2 eggs
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 8-10 asparagus stalks, woody ends removed
• 6 slices smoked turkey bacon (such as Jimmy Dean), cut into strips
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts (canned or frozen and defrosted)



Directions

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. In a medium mixing bowl combine the ground turkey, polenta, eggs, salt and ground black pepper. Form the mixture into four patties and transfer them to the hot skillet. Cook the patties until cooked through and golden brown on the outside, 6-8 minutes per side.

While the patties are cooking, place a medium skillet over medium high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the asparagus and turkey bacon to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Add the tomato paste and basil to the pan and cook for another minute. Season the mixture with salt and ground black pepper and reserve until you’re ready to serve.

In a medium mixing bowl make a simple salad by tossing together the romaine, balsamic vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, salt and ground black pepper. Garnish with artichoke hearts and set aside.

To serve, pour the tomato sauce over the turkey patties and garnish with remaining basil. Serve patties alongside the romaine salad.

Serves 4

Week 1

Chicken English Muffin Points – Three Ways

Ingredients






• 6 English muffins, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
• 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, small diced
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 10-ounce box frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries



Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place English muffin halves on a baking sheet and brush with about 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Toast until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Cut muffin halves into quarters and set aside.

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken, onion, bell peppers and garlic to the pan with a dash of salt and ground black pepper and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and reserve it warm while you prepare your toppers.

To prepare the BBQ sauce, grab a small bowl and combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes.

To prepare the pepper and peas topper, place a small pot over medium heat and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pepper jack cheese, defrosted peas, and shallots. Give everything a very strong stir to combine it and mash it up a little.

With your toppers made, serve up the bites by dividing the chicken and veggie mixture between each of your points. Drizzle a little bit of BBQ sauce over 1/3 of your bites, put a dollop of your pea mash over another 1/3 of your bites, and top the remaining bites with a couple of dried cranberries.

Serves 4-6