Salsa Macha by Justin Guenther

 Justin got this recipe idea from our fave Rick Bayless but instead of peanuts, he mixed it up a bit:

What you need for a small batch:

• small handful of pistachios finely chopped
• small handful of pine nuts finely chopped
• small handful of walnuts finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 1 dried guajillo chile finely chopped 
• 2 arbor chiles finely chopped 
• 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar
• Avocado oil
• Salt

Fill the bottom of a small saucepan with Avocado oil (enough to cover the entire bottom and then a little more). On medium heat, heat up the oil until it simmers when you add a nut to it. Add everything to the hot oil except the apple cider vinegar and salt. Simmer while stirring the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the mixture so keep a good eye on it. Then, when done (you will know when things look like they are turning slightly brown), remove from the heat, add the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes or so. Add the apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. It gets better and better as it sits for a while.

Broccoli and Garlic Ramen Stir-Fry by Justin Guenther

This is just so good so. I always wonder why you can't get a dish like this at a local restaurant in MN. I mean..... I love a good stir fry but they are always to greazzzzzy and bland. 

Here is what you need (serves 2):

1 head of broccoli (cleaned and cut)

1/2 red or white onion (diced) 

Dash of Red pepper flakes

High heat Oil like Avocado or Sesame

1 head of garlic (if you like it as much as we do) minced

2 dried ramen packets

Big Splash of Rice Wine Vinegar

Big Splash Soy Sauce

Big Splash of Braggs Amino Acids (substitute soy sauce if you do not have this)

Large handful of Mung Beans

2 Scallions chopped

Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Add Sriacha and sesame seeds if your in the mood

(add splash of Kim Chi sauce or paste if you have it)

First, get your ramen going and cook to the amount of time that's on the packet. 

While that is cooking, add your oil and red pepper flakes to the pan and heat up until hot. Then, add your broccoli and onions and cook for a few minutes or until your onions are a little browned. Then, add in your garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and Braggs and sautéed for another minute of two until the garlic is not a lil browned. Then, add you cooked ramen, mung beans and scallions. Mix all together. Give it a taste to see if you need anymore soy sauce or Braggs. Serve with a lil sricha and sesame seeds
(if you like that) and cilantro. 

Viola! Easy and sooooo good!

Malted Waffles by J-Money aka Justin Guenther

Justin’s Malted Waffles

What you Need:

3 Eggs

2 tbsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Malt Powder (King Arthur Non-diastatic)

1/2 cup corn flour (Bob’s Red Mill)

3 cups buttermilk

4 cups all-purpose white flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

3 tsp Baking Powder

In medium bowl add eggs, extract, milt, salt, sugar, malt powder & corn flour.  Mix well. Add buttermilk and white flour. If needed - Add a bit flour or milk to reach perfect medium batter consistency. Too thin batter WILL cause sticking. Finally,  add baking soda and baking powder. Mix well.

Cook for 3 minutes - makes 8-10 waffles. For pancakes use an additional 1/2 cup milk.

Diced Breakfast Potatoes by Justin Guenther

Here is a recipe for the perfect diced breakfast potato. Justin slaved over many batches to get this one perfect so when you are making these, think of his brilliant hands and mind working hard to bring this recipe to you. Ok, I went too far, just make them.

What you need for 2 people:

-2 red potatoes 

-Seasoning

Dice two potatoes up very small and add to a pot of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. 

Drain, and put a tablespoon or so of butter and a little extra virgin olive oil to a fry pan on medium-high. Add the potatoes making sure that there is only one layer. Add you're seasoning. Here are some ideas:

-Salt, pepper, chopped onions, jalapeno

-Salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano

-Salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, jalapeno

-Or the Being Basic, salt and pepper 

Fry the potatoes for about 20-25 minutes tossing periodically until they are looking crispy and delicious. 

Then eat them taters up! YUM!

Roasted Basil Pesto Potatoes by "The Guenthers"

Pesto:

"a sauce consisting of usually fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and grated cheese" 

First of all, I love all things with a sauce.I think it generally makes dishes more interesting, most of the time. Pestos, in general, are just marvelous. Jalapeno, cilantro and tomato pestos are some of our other favorites. The definition above was interesting since I have seen a plethora of "pestos" that were not primarily made of basil, pine nuts, etc. but still were being called "pesto" (like the above examples). I’m making my definition of pesto meaning fresh herbs and uncooked veggies finely blended together to great a savory sauce. I'm just going with it:)  

Anywhos, not only is this a specialty of my husbands, this pesto is a pretty accurate rendition of the previously accepted and defined pesto recipe. What we love most about it is that you can literally put this on everything: pasta, sandwiches (a fave), crostinis or add it to a salad dressing.... the possibilities are endless.

To call it a "Guenther" recipe is because both my husband and I have our specialties of the house.... several dishes that we eat a lot of that only one of us makes. This dish marries two of our staples, pesto (his) and roasted potatoes (mine). 

On a side note, I know that there are a trillion recipes for basil pesto out there, but I am posting my husband's since his measurements are a lot different than most.... we find that most pestos, and dressings/sauces in general, are overly olive-oiled. To each their own:) ENJOY!

What You Need:

Pesto:
2 Cups Basil (de-stemmed and rinsed)
6 cloves of garlic
1.5 cups of good quality parmesan reggiano
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper

Potatoes:
1 Bunch of mini fingerling potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Put your potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top along with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss and roast in the oven, uncovered, at 400 for 30 minutes. While baking, blend all of your pesto ingredients in a food processor, salt and pepper to taste and when the potatoes are ready, add as much pesto to the potatoes as you see fit. Save the rest of the pesto for all of the other delicious meals that you now are able to make.

Fresh Tomato Pesto Pasta Sauce by Justin Guenther

Tomatoes are growing out of our ears this time of year and no better way to enjoy them than in their natural state. Everyone loves a pesto and this tomato pesto is one of the best! There are many different types of tomatoes that you can use, but I prefer the Campari tomato. You can also use this as a topping on croistinis or eat it straight up.

What you Need:

1 package of Campari tomatoes or 3 cups of cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup raw almonds

1 - 3/4 oz. pack of basil

2/3 to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves

pinch or two (or three depending on the level of kick you want) of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat your almonds in a med hot pan for a minute or two. Do not burn them. Blend all ingredients finely together (EXCEPT for the Parmesan). Once blended, add the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY! It's that easy.