8 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 bone in chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper

1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1/2 cup sherry
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1. Dissolve the sugar and salt in water to make a brine. Cover the chicken in the brine and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse well. Dry thoroughly.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Score the skin of the chicken and rub with a generous amount of ground black pepper.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the chicken breasts, skin side down. Fry until dark brown, about 8 minutes.
6. Flip the chicken and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a warm place.
8. Drain all but a tablespoon of the chicken fat from the skillet and place over high heat. Add the shallot, sherry and chicken stock and deglaze the chicken from the pan.
9. Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced by 2/3. Stir in the mustard and thyme and continue to cook until desired thickness.
10. Spoon the sauce over chicken to serve.

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Combine paprika, cinnamon, cumin and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Coat chicken in this and discard any remaining seasoning.
3. Place chicken on a greased baking sheet and put into the oven.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then stir in syrup and mustard.
5. Baste chicken with maple sauce every 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through to the center and skin has crisped, about 20-25 minutes. Allow chicken to rest before serving.

Makes 4 servings

2 pound sirloin bison roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bulb garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Rub roast with salt. Brown all sides, about a minute per side, in the skillet.
4. Meanwhile, combine sage, oregano, peppercorns, garlic, mustard and honey in a bowl.
5. Spread honey mustard mixture over the roast and transfer to the oven.
6. Roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees for rare. Allow meat to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 roast

1/2 small baguette, sliced
8 slices pork bacon
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

1. Butter an ovenproof dish and arrange 3-4 layers of baguette slices and bacon.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the bread and bacon.
3. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or two so that the bread can absorb some of the moisture.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Bake strata in the oven until the center has puffed up and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean, about 1 hour.
6. Let stand for several minutes before cutting. Serve with Hollandaise and top with parmesan cheese to serve.

Makes 4 servings

2 cups macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups milk
1/4 small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 egg, beaten
3 cups cheddar, shredded
salt and pepper
water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni, cooking until just tender. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and mustard and continue to whisk until smooth.
4. Add the milk, onion and bay leaf to the butter and flour and simmer until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and stir in the egg and 3/4 of the cheese.
6. Season the cheese sauce to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the macaroni.
7. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
8. Bake until cheese has melted and starts to crisp, about 25-30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

19 ounces canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces canned sweet corn, drained
1 small red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon mustard
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes

1. Combine beans, corn, onion, celery, bacon and cheese in a bowl.
2. Whisk together sour cream, milk, mustard, relish and chili flakes in a bowl.
3. Mix dressing with the bean mixture and serve.

Makes 8 servings

4 cups cooked navy beans
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine beans with molasses, water, brown sugar, mustard, ginger and salt and place into a baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion slices, separating into rings and sautéing until browned.
4. When the beans have finished baking, remove from the oven, top with the onions and bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

1 chicken breast, cooked (preferably grilled) and halved
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard
salt and pepper

1. Combine cream cheese, dill and chives and place in the cavity of the chicken breast.
2. Mix together honey, mustard, salt and pepper and spread over top of the chicken.
3. Eat hot or cold.

Makes 1 serving

2 cups Romanesco mix (green beans, carrots and broccoflower)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine

1. Bring wine to a boil and stir in butter, mustard and thyme.
2. Add the Romanesco mix and boil until tender, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
19 ounce canned mixed beans
1 teaspoon mustard
salt

1. Coat avocado with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Melt the butter with the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Mix in the pineapple and beans and season with a pinch of salt.
4. Stir the mustard into the cooking juices and add the avocado.
5. continuing cooking for another minute or two, enough to warm the avocado, then serve.

Makes 4 servings