~la petite chef~

NEW SITE LAUNCHED!!! :)

2009-04-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE!!

www.lapetitechef.net

is now UP and RUNNING!

Please continue to follow along with me! :)

Thank you for all your interest!!

2009-04-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

10,000 hits!!

WOW!

Thanks to everyone who keeps visiting the site! :) As I mentioned before, I've been very busy designing the new site, so again I apologize for no new posts, but I'm aiming for May 1st as the date for the new site up!

I'll keep you posted!

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN

LA PETITE CHEF!! :) :)

New Site in the Works!

2009-03-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

So I know I've been a major SLACKER with posting, but the truth is, I'm in the process of making the new and improved la petite chef! This is just what I've been working on so far, so the finished product could be totalllllly different.

I'm hoping to launch the new: www.lapetitechef.net in a few months. (If you go to the .net site right now you will just see a GoDaddy reservation advertisement since I've already purchased the rights. )

Right now I'm adding all the old recipes and posts so we still have them in the archive to dig up some good ol' recipes from! I'm also adding more pages to make it easier to navigate around.
I'm SOOOOOO excited and I hope you are too! I'll keep you posted!!

Lebanese Sorella Night

2009-03-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Another Sorella night! I was searching through other cookblogs, and came across Mag from Hommus & Tabbouli. Her site is composed of Lebanese and other Mediterranean recipes... Obviously I was immediately interested!
Going through Hommus & Tabbouli I found a lot of interesting compilations of ingredients and flavors. For the most part, everything is simple and basic, but comes up with packed flavors.

I decided to make a spread of Shish Taouk (Chicken Kebabs), Fetteh with Hommus, Eetsh (Armenian bulgar salad), and Vegetarian Grape Leaves. Actually, there was SO much I wanted to make, so I have those recipes aside for another time.

What I love about these recipes is the fact that everything is SO good for you, and you feel satisfied after eating but not that bloated stuffed feeling.

Here is the Filling of the Vegetarian Grape Leaves, which I LOVED. I liked the filling so much that I would like it plain as a side even! The lemoniness is so fresh tasting mixed with the onions and tomatoes. YUM!
So here is me rolling and stuffing the grape leaves, now I bought the jarred grape leaves from wegs and although I did soak them in water and rinse them, I still tasted a sort of Brine taste, which I'm not to fond of, but everyone else didn't taste it or seem to mind at all. Either way they were delicious!!

What's interesting is you make the mix with uncooked rice, and then it cooks with water in a skillet. Mag tells us to put a plate on top that will fit so they don't fall apart (good tip!)

The very very top picture is of the Fatteh with Hommus. This was by far all of our favorite as we gobbled up the WHOLE thing. The different textures of the warm crunchy bread with the cold yogurt was SO tremendous, I had no clue why I was so worried! Plus, it's no secret that Larissa is obsessed with Pine nuts so she was immediately drawn in! ;)

Then I cooked up the Shisk Taouk, Chicken Kebabs. Had we been at Nicks we would have definitely grilled them, but baking them was still delicious. The marinate composed primarily of yogurt,olive oil, lemon and TONS of garlic and I tasted it before it hit the chicken and I wanted it as a DIP... humm thats a good thought... well everyone ate those right up too! SO I know that was another favorite of the night! :)

Thanks Mag! :)

Shish Taouk (Chicken kebabs):

recipe by Hommus & Tabbouli

Ingredients:

1 LB Chicken cut in cubes
1 cup plain yogurt
5 or more cloves garlic, crushed
1 TBsp Tomato sauce
2 TBsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Salt-n-pep t.t.

Steps:

In a bowl add the chicken and all the ingredients above. Mix all ingredients very well and place in the refridgerator overnight or all day.
Bake 350F until the chicken is fully cooked but don't let it dry.

Fatteh with Hommos:

recipe by Hommus & Tabbouli

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas
1 contain or plain yogurt (900g)
Flat bread
2 Handfuls of pine nuts
2 TBsp crushed fresh garlic
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 TBsp Olive Oil
Salt-n-pep t.t.

Steps:

Pan fry with oil until golden. Once bread has cooled a bit, cut into small size pieces, and place in bottom of a baking dish.
Add chickpeas to top (I mashed mine in a bag with a rolling pin)
In a pan, place 2 TBsp olive oil, garlic and pine nuts and roast them until brown. Add salt-n-pep t.t.
In a small bowl add yogurt mixture, salt, and garlic powder (if desired)
Layer the yogurt mix over the chickpeas and bread, then add the roasted pine nuts, then top off with parsley.
Serve immediately!

Vegetarian Grape Leaves:

recipe by Hommus & Tabbouli

Ingredients:

1 big tomato or 2 med ones, diced
1 med onion diced (I used red onion)
3/4 cup of rice (white or brown)
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 big lemon
1/2 TBsp of allspice
1/2 TBsp of salt
1/2 cup of Olive oil (or a bit more)
1 jar grape leaves

Steps:

Mix all ingredients together and get ready to roll. (Mix can be prepared the night before)
Remove grape leaves from jar and rinse thoroughly with water.
"Cut the stems if there's any and start adding the filling in the middle of the leaf, then fold the sides and roll while pressing a bit to let the uice out, and also to make it a bit tight so it doesn't fall apart. (just like spring rolls)"
"Then line them up in the pan, after you finish, get a plate that can fit inside the pan, flip it upside down and place it on top of the grape leaves to press them so when they start cookign they don't fall apart."
"Now add water just to cover them and let them cook on med for about 12 mins (brown rice takes longer) if they boil too much reduce the heat."

Armenian Bulgur Salad:

recipe by Hommus & Tabbouli

Ingredients:

1 cup of fine bulgar
1 diced tomato
1 small onion or shallot, diced
Juice from 1 big lemon
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixed with 1/3 cup of water
1 tsp of allspice
salt-n-pep t.t.

Steps:

"In a pan, add the tomato sauce and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn heat off and add the spices, bulgar, chopped onion and tomato. Cover and let it sit for half an hour.
Mix in the oilive oil then transfer into serving dish, add the chopped parsley if desired."

Disclaimer: All recipes are originals from Mag of Hommus & Tabbouli, Please visit her site for more amazing recipes! Thanks again Mag!! :)

Emeril's Chickpea Salad

2009-03-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

HOW DELICIOUS DOES THIS LOOK!??!? :)
Well not only is it just PACKED with flavor, but it looks great and fills you up!

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are SO good for you! They are part of the World's Healthiest Foods with benefits of lowering heart attack risk, Lowering Cholesterol, Stabilizes blood sugar levels, Gives you tons of iron and protein for energy!

I really just loved this dish, and it makes a ton so you can continue to munch on it plain or with salad. This is a great summer dish because of the freshness of the lemon juice mixed with the feta. You don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy this one!! :)

Chickpea Salad: (Compliments to Emeril)

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed under cold water
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped (if jarred rinse well under water and pat dry with papertowel)
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
8-10 pitted olives, chopped, (such as kalamata or green)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
~1/2 cup Olive oil
1 cup crumbled sheep's milk feta
Lettuce leaves and tomato slices

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, roasted red peppers, red onion, parsley, olives, garlic, oregano, salt, crushed red pepper, lemon juice & zest, and olive oil.
Then add feta and stir gently to combine.
Allow chickpea to marinate for at least 1 hour or refrigerate up to overnight, stirring occasionally.
Serve with bed of lettuce and tomatoes, spoon mixture over leaves.

Note:

Eye the amount of olive oil if you want a drier salad

This recipe was featured on the Packing a Punch Episode of Emeril Green.

Eat Well Live Well Challenge

2009-03-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Eat Well Live Well Challenge has been developed by Wegmans and composes of an 8 week long program to encourage activity and healthy eating.

Each participant strives for 5 cups of fruits and/or veggies per day, as well as 10,000 steps per day monitored by a pedometer.

Now... it's really not that easy when you work a desk job or are used to eating junk, hence the whole point of this program!

My Work has decided to participate in this, and I have signed up to be a Team Leader!

My team, "Stinky Sneakers", composes of 20 people which I have to continue to motivate to "strive for five" and "get moving"

Now, this isn't necessary but I have decided to become Vegetarian for the 8 weeks. Basically 99% of the main dishes I make have meat in them. This is to not only help expand my palette as a Chef, but also to test my own self-control.

I open it up to YOU to help me!! If anyone has some great Vegetarian dishes please e-mail them over to me! I'll try your dishes, link them to your site, and of COURSE give you credit!

Corn Dog Muffins

2009-03-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I know a few of you are wondering why I would be making and posting something with meat in it since I've decided to become Vegetarian for 8 weeks during the "Eat Well Live Well" Challenge. Well when I told Nick I was going to try to become Vegetarian for 8 weeks he practically had a heart attack... and you all know how much I eat meat... but I promised him that I would still cook meat for him and make a Vegetarian side for both of us to enjoy :)

Anywho, I made these for Nick last night since they're simple and easy, not to mention he's absolutely obsessed with Corn Dogs. [and there's enough for him to munch on the rest of the week while I eat other things :)]

I would put them in longer than the 15 it calls for, The second batch I put in for 20 with more hot dog in it and Nick said those were perfect!

Corn Dog Muffins:

Ingredients:

2 (8.5 oz) packages cornbread mix
2 TBsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained (optional)
1 package 8 hot dogs
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Steps:

Combine mix and brown sugar, add eggs and milk stirring until moistened.
Stir in drained corn and cheese.
Cut each hot dogs into thirds.
Fill Paper lined muffin cups 1/2 inch, then lay hot dog horizontally in, pushing down a bit. Cover with batter.
Each muffin cup should be approx 2/3rds full when finished.
Bake at 400F for 15 mins or until tops are brown.
Serve with ketchup, franks, ranch.. who knows!

Notes:

The second batch I sliced a hot dog in half, then cut into thirds (making 6 pieces).

I layered this in an "X" across the other hot dog to add more meat to the muffin. (Each muffin then had 1/3 a dog and 1/6 a dog together.)

POMtini™

2009-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Diana from POM Wonderful contacted me to try the amazing 100% Pomegranate Juice. This stuff is SO great tasting and SO great FOR you! :)
She sent me a case of these 8oz bottles which I can't get enough of! I love pouring it over ice or mixed in with drinks. The POM site has a ton of wonderful recipes to incorporate it more into desserts, appetizers, lunch, dinner etc.. I can't wait to try more!

There are amazing Health Benefits to drinking pure Pomegranate juice besides that it is an antioxidant. POM drinks are found in most grocery stores so keep your eyes peeled, you'd be surprised how much you like it!

I decided to start with the original POMtini, which was so delicious I almost couldn't stop myself!

POMtini™:

Ingredients:

1 oz. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice or POM Wonderful juice
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 sour mix, or 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime (approx half a lime)
1/2 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water dissolved)

Steps:

Assemble all ingredients in bar or mixing glass. Shake well with ice and strain into chilled martini glass.
Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2009-03-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot how obsessed with this bread I am! My Mom used to make it in a few loafs at a time and we would just inhale in! I know this is weird... well actually I never THOUGHT it was weird until someone at work told me so.. but I LOVE cream cheese on this bread, tastes delicious! I thought everyone did it! I definitely got my love of cream cheese from my Dad, which seems the two of us put it on just about anything in massive quantities :)

Another reason I love this recipe.. the batter is SO good and egg free! You could eat the whole batch if you wanted!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (half stick)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large bananas, mashed
3 TBsp Sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Steps:

Combine wet ingredients in a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork fairly well.
Then add dry ingredients and mix till well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Grease large loaf pan (9x5x3)
Bake at 350 for 40-50 mins

Jalapeno Burgers with Bleu Cheese Sauce

2009-03-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

We made these DELICIOUS burgers last night for dinner... mixing together a few recipes we ended up with this. I almost had a heart attack when I discovered Nick had no ketchup at his place... but the Bleu Cheese Sauce was MORE than enough and we all ended up just about drinking it...
Kelsey and Craig came over and we celebrated the Bills getting T.O with some beers and burgers! Although it's been rainy out, the temperature is still ok so Nick wanted to fire up the grill for dinner. They were so incredible that Nick's already decided we're making them again this week!

Jalapeno Burgers:

Ingredients:

1 LB ground beef (or turkey, venison, or chicken)
1/2 med onion, finely chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 oz crumbled bleu cheese

Steps:

In a med mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together.
Form pieces into patties (makes approx 6)
Place on grill and cook till desired temp.

Bleu Cheese Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 small leek, sliced thin
1 TBsp butter
8 oz heavy cream
2 oz crumbled bleu cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
salt-n-pep

Steps:

In a med sate pan, heat the butter on med and add leeks. Sweat the leeks allowing no color, just cook till clear.
Add the cream, 1 clove minced garlic, bleu cheese and salt-n-pep.
Turn heat to low and simmer for 20-25 mins, until cream has thickened.
Serve over burgers and as dipping sauce.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

2009-03-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

Nick and I had dinner at my parents house last night and Mom cooked this up! I know Nick can eat alot... but BOY was he happy!! This was such a fun dish PACKED with flavor, and I love the make-it-your-own type dishes! As you can see I was very generous on the cheese and Franks portions...

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup:

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 (16 oz) can white beans or kidney beans
1 (11 oz) can niblet corn
1 (11 oz) can Rotel Tomatoes & Chilies
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (or crushed)
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 LB shreadded chicken, ground beef or meat of choice!

Steps:

Cook meat, drain and shred
All all ingredients to crock pot
DO NOT DRAIN CANS
Stir it up
Cook high 3-4 hours, low 6.
Keep on low till serving time.
Goes great with Sour cream, Shredded cheese, tortilla chips and chopped green onions!

Thanks Mom!!

Dump Cake

2009-03-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

I love this recipe so much because
1. It is SO easy
2. You can keep all the ingredients on hand whenever you need a last minute dessert and
3. Most important... it's DELICIOUS! :)

This is one of my Mom's recipes which she uses cherry pie filling. It's great with any of the pie fillings so pick and choose!
Also, the recipe calls for a 9x13 dish, which works great! of course I'm still building my kitchen items up so I used a 9x9 and baked it longer. It ended up making the crusty top really thick and I actually liked it better!
Yes I know it calls for a lot of butter... breathe... everything's good in moderation, so take a small portion and use low-fat ice cream. It's very filling so you'll be surprised! ;)
Bon Appetite!

Dump Cake:

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 large (21 oz) can raspberry pie filling
1 small (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 stick butter

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Layer everything in bottom of a greased baking dish. Pineapple first, raspberry, then dry cake mix. DO NOT MIX.
Cut stick of butter into ~1/8" thick squares and dab all over top of cake mix.
Bake 25 mins (took me 35 with the 9x9) till golden brown and some bubble.
Enjoy with Vanilla ice cream or plain! YUMMY!

Grilled Moroccan Chicken

2009-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Nick's been in Denver for a week so I've been writing a list of things to make for dinner when he came back... this being at the top of the list!
We cooked this on my grill pan, which actually was perfect. Covering the chicken with one of my pot lids helped cook the inside perfectly and make it super moist but also the grill feel on the outside. We had it with some Goya Mexican rice (obviously this is a HUGE portion... it was more for the picture)
The marinade is SUPER easy to make in a food processor or blender. It tastes salty but cooks perfect on the chicken. YUM

Grilled Moroccan Chicken:

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped scallioin (white part only)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 TBsp minced garlic
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Steps:

Combine everything in the food processor. Mix till smooth.
Coat Chicken with Marinade in ziplock bag, or submerge in baking dig. Let stand min 30 mins.
Grill Chicken till done.

Heath Drop Cookies

2009-02-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

This picture doesn't do justice to how amazing and addictive these cookies are! My best friend Simah's Mom made these for me at college, and trust me... you CAN'T stop eating these things!! Fortunately one batch makes about 5-6 dozen... so grab a gallon of milk and go to town!

I like to bake them at 8-9 mins and when you pull them out you won't think they're done, but about 30 seconds of sit time and they're PERFECT, soft and chewy! Or put them in for 11-12 and they'll be firmer. You decide, there's plenty to play with!

Heath Drop Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed light)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1-1/3 cups (8oz package) Heath Bits o Brickle Toffee Bits

Steps:

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly greasy cookie sheet.
Beat butt, sugars, vanilla and salt in large bowl until blended. Add eggs, beat well.
Stir together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar, gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in toffee bits.
Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 mins or until lightly browned.
Cool slightly, remove to wire rack.

Crock-pot Chicken & Stuffing

2009-02-27T05:12:00.001-08:00

I know it doesn't look exciting but it IS! SO EASY-SCHMEEZY!! I had this recipe for ages but was just waiting for the right time to do some hassle free comfort food. Everything throws together in the crock, stir it up every so often breaking up the chicken as it gets cooked, then serve over Pillsbury Biscuits!
The house smells amazing while it's cooking that by the time it's finally done you won't be able to control yourself!
(as always, served with Franks!)

Chicken-n-Stuffing in a crock!:

Ingredients:

3 Lbs chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
1 (10.5 oz) can chicken broth
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 (6oz) box stuffing mix

Steps:

Place all ingredients in slow cooker
Cook low 8-9 hours, or high 3-4 then turn down to low till serve.

Celebrity Chef - Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells in Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

2009-02-10T09:49:00.001-08:00

My Boss Steve and his lovely wife Beth hosted a party this past Saturday night themed: Celebrity chefs and Blind Wine Tasting. They picked 4 of us from the office to make whatever we wanted as a main course to feed 3 judges and guests. The blind wine tasting involved 4 bottles of excellent wine, labels covered, and samplings of each to come down to a vote for which one was the best.
Myself, Tamara, Mark and Pete were the 4 celebrity chefs. Judges were Bill, Jack and Michelle. All the meals were delicious and it was unanimous that it was a four-way tie!
Obviously you all know what I made, Tamara made a spicy jerk pork, Mark made sheared beef and arugula with creamy risotto, and Pete made manicotti with thin sliced veal and lemon sauce. ummm YUMMMMMMM!!! :)

Steve and Beth made a TON of appetizers one of which was a favorite of Nick's which was a crunchy shrimp mini omelets (per say) It was a 2-biter finger food that if no one was around I think he could have scarfed the whole thing in one bite! :)

The whole night was tremendous and everyone went home with happy bellys and satisfied livers! Thank you Thompsons!!

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells in Tomato Basil Cream Sauce:

Ingredients:

3/4 Lb Hot Italian Sausage, casings removed
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 TBsp minced garlic (approx 3 cloves)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
12oz fresh spinach, blanched, squeezed dry, and chopped (approx 2/3 cup chopped)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup coarsely grated fontina cheese
12oz package jumbo pasta shells
26 oz Italian crushed tomatoes
3 -1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp sugar
olive oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper

Steps:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on med-high and saute onions till clear, then add sausage, salt-n-pep and crushed red pepper and 1 TBsp garlic. Cook till golden brown breaking up the pieces.
Remove from heat and transfer to large bowl to cool.
When mixture has cooled to room temp, stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup parm and sugar. Combine well.
Lightly grease a deep 9x13 casserole or lasagna pan and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta shells until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water then pat dry.
Stuff the pasta shells with the sausage-spinach mixture and place in prepared casserole dish.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium high and saute remaining onions until clear. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant approx 1-2 mins.
Add the crushed tomatoes, salt-n-pep, crushed red pepper (t.t.) and cook for 5 mins.
Add the heavy cream and cook until sauce is reduced by 1/3, about 20 mins.
Preheat oven to 350F
Add the finely chopped basil to the sauce right before pouring the sauce over the shells in casserole.
Sprinkle with the fontina cheese and remaining Parm. Cover casserole tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 mins. Remove the foil and continue baking until the sauce is lightly browned in spots and bubbly around the edges. About 15 mins longer.
Let stand for 10 mins before serving. Goes great with thin sliced garlic bread.
Bon Appetito!

SUPERBOWL!!!

2009-02-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

Besides all the pictures of the food you see here.... we ALSO had a Deep Fried Turkey, Country Sweet Meatballs, Bruschetta, and cheesy bread.. We were all joking about how we needed more friends to help us eat everything! GOODNESS!

Pictured above: Justin's Fried Ravioli, Maggie's Chicken Wing Dip, Chelsea's Pin wheels All the girls boozing it up with a game of Kings! Me, Chelsea, Maggie, Lauren, and Ali

My Hot-n-Sticky wings again, SUPER crispy in the oven and twice as much heat with more jalapenos this time!

My Jalapeno Bites and Chelsea's Shrimp Toast. SO the jalapeno bites I had never tried before... BAD idea... they were way too bready, I also forgot about them in the oven... and they needed to be 4 times the size... needless to say I won't be making those again!
My Friend Onion Rings with Chili Sauce - Paula Deen recipe THE Fryer lady! The game was starting so we tried to fry them fast, they should have gone in longer but were still DELICIOUS!

Fried Onion Rings with Chili Sauce:

Ingredients:

Chili Sauce:

1 cup mayo
5 TBsp Chili sauce
2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Onion Rings:

2 Med white or yellow onions
salt-n-pep
2 cups flour

Steps:

To make Chili Sauce, Combine mayo, chili sauce, cayenne and chili powder in food processor and chill till serving time.
To make Onion rings, slice onions into thing rings and separate. Spread them out and sprinkle salt on them. Then put in ziplock with flour and shake to coat.
Fry in batches till crispy, then place on paper towel.

Sorella - Homemade Pizza & Chicken Wings!

2009-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

For Sorella last-last Friday... I know I'm really behind in posts, I've been studying for my LEED-NC exam and PASSED So now I'll be able to have my life back YIPPEE!
Anyways, we thought we would do something fun with homemade pizza and wings instead of killing ourselves on something elaborately gourmet. Plus It was superbowl weekend so we were getting in the spirit of things.
I made my Hot-Sticky Wings, which I did make before and were SUCH a huge hit that I wanted to make them again! This time we cooked them in the oven for much longer, and then threw them back in after the crockin so they would get crispy. YUM-O as Larissa would say!
It was a great night of food, drinks and rock band without a ton of dishes. Whopie!

Penne with Shrimp and herbed cream sauce & Roasted Garlic Spread

2009-01-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get in a Sunday ritual that I cook while sports are on TV so I keep myself entertained... ;) Plus my favorite thing to do on the weekends is cook because then I'm not in a rush, and I enjoy cooking with the daylight shinning through the windows!

I found this recipe last year and e-mailed it to myself, but completely forgot about it! Thank Heavens it turned up because it is so flavourful and delicious!! It does make a lot so I would say it serves about 6-8 people with leftovers.. there's a complete pound of pasta and shrimp in it!

I also found this recipe for Roasted Garlic Paste. However, I would definitely put it in the food processor with a ton of olive oil and some other spices to make it more of a liquidity spread or a dipping sauce.

Penne with Shrimp and herbed cream sauce:

Ingredients:

1 LB penne pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1 LB med. uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 TBsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice (very important)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parm

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook till al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add garlic, then shrimp and salt-n-pep to taste.
Stir frequently until shrimp turns pink and is cook through, approx 3 mins. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and set aside.
In same skillet with remaining juices, Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, red pepper and cayenne. Cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly.
Add clam juice, wine, and heavy cream. Bring mix to a boil.
Reduce heat to med-low and sim for 7-8 mins until sauce thickens. Then add 1/4 cup parm, cooked shrimp, and remaining herbs. Toss together till everything's coated.
Pour mixture in bottom of serving bowl, throw drained pasta all over it. NOW put rest of parm over hot pasta to allow it to stick and melt. THEN toss everything well together.
Season with salt-n-pep to taste. Serve immediately.

Note: I always use cayenne and red pepper, so omit cayenne if you don't want it as snappy.

The mixture and pasta can be tossed how you want, however this way allows cheese to stick to pasta and then get coated so it does make a difference in bite! :)

Roasted Garlic Spread:

Ingredients:

3-6 heads of garlic
olive oil
salt-n-pep
crushed red pep (opt)
Cayenne powder (opt)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375F
Remove any loose papery skins from the outside of the garlic heads; cut off the top 1/3 of the heads to open the cloves; set aside for another use.
Place heads in a small baking dish, cut sides up; pour olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish tightly and bake until 3/4 done, about 45 minutes; uncover and continue to bake another 15 minutes or until the cloves begin to pop out of their skins and brown; cool.
Squeeze the cloves out of their skins and place in food processor; add the oil from the baking dish and more olive oil (depending on how much garlic you get) blend till consistency is smooth and drips off a spoon.
Now add in cayenne, crushed red pepper and more salt-n-pep.
Serve on bread or as side dipping sauce.

Lasagna In a crock!

2009-01-26T09:38:00.001-08:00

Who said Lasagna has to take forever to make to be delicious?? I found this recipe ages ago and have yet to try it, however my sister made it for a family dinner on Friday night! Thanks sis!

A few of her comments were, try to break up the sausage meat as much as you can, and kick it up a notch with some hot spices! :)
She used a 4qt crock which was plenty of food for 6 people plus a few seconds and leftovers!
Don't you just LOVE crock pots!!

Crockin' Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Lbs Italian Spicy sausage
2 med onions, chopped
1 large (29oz) jar marinara sauce OR 1 (28oz) can tomato sauce & 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp Italian seasoning mix
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBsp crushed red pepper
1 (15 oz) part skin ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan
3 cups shredded mozzarella
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
salt-n-pep

Steps:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over med. heat until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Add sauce and seasonings, mix well, reduce heat to low.
In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parm, 2 cups mozzarella, and chopped basil.
Spoon 1/4 of sausage mix into slow cooker, top with noodles broken to fit. Top with half of cheese mix, then 1/4 sausage and noodles again.
Make another layer of cheese, sausage and noodles, then finish with remaining sausage mix.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or High 3-4.
Sprinkle remaining mozz cheese, cover and cook for last 15 mins till serving.

The one and only BEST BUTTER PIEEEEEEE

2009-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

OK for those of you that know me... know I'm a FREAK about Peanut Butter Pie... like it's an obsession... WELL my sister got me mixing beaters, a big 4qt mixing bowl and tons of kitchen stuff for Christmas that I've been dying to try out...

I know I know... EVERYONE says they're recipes the best... but I'm an EXPERT, I've tasted and tried a thousand versions of peanut butter pie, and if you go on any recipe site they've even numbered them because there's so many... Well my friends... if you want an experts opinion this is THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER PIE FILLING OUT THERE.
I totally recommend mixing it up with different crusts, homemade crusts are the best! but I still find the Oreo brand pie shell to do the trick for me. The next one on my list is homemade nutter butter crust..

Can you tell I'm crazy and excited over this? Well enough already here's the recipe!!

Marielle's Expert Peanut Butter Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
12 oz cool whip
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBsp butter, softened

Steps:

Whip the butter, vanilla and cream cheese for approx 2-3 mins till fluffy.
Add in peanut butter and sugar, whip and keeping whipping for 5-8 mins.
WHIP IN the cool whip, another 2-3 mins.
Spoon into baked shell and chill.
Garnish with choc. chips, nuts, snickers bars, etc.
WARNING: This makes more filling that can fit... Spoon extra filling into cool whip container and eat with a spoon or dipped graham crackers ;)

Steak & Veggies over Rice

2009-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

I know you are ALL over my venison dishes (Larissa... Mom). But I ACTUALLY have a big fan base for those recipes! I've received e-mails from people expressing their interest and wanting more! so BO-YAH! ;)

Anywho, this one Nick and I whipped up last night and it was DE-LI-CIOUS. Everything we already had in the fridge and pantry so we were all set! Quick and easy!

Steak and Veggies over Rice:

Ingredients:

~ 1 lb Venison steak
1 large green pepper
1 med onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb frozen broccoli
1 Tbsp worcheshire sauce
Soy sauce
Chicken Stock

Steps:

chop onions and peppers into large chunks. Throw in Med heat pan with olive oil.
Pour chicken stock a little more than coating the whole bottom and cover. This steams the veggies and makes them soft while packing in their flavors.
Add thawed broccoli to mixture with approx 3 TBsp soy sauce and mix.
Remove from heat and put aside.
In different pan (put veggies in a bowl and use that pan) start sizzling the minced garlic with some olive oil.
Slice Venison steak into ~1/4" strips. Quick zap the meat on med-high to high heat to just brown the outsides. approx 1-2 mins.
Remove from heat and toss in with veggies, more soy sauce and add worcheshire.
Serve over brown rice

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-01-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

These are one of Margaret's favorites. SO easy to make and are just a BURST of flavor in your mouth. They taste extremely gourmet without all the ritzy ingredients or hours of your day.

This is the second time I've made these so I know they're a hit. I also always have extra filling leftover which is a great dip with crackers. my mouth is watering.....

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms:

Ingredients:

2 (10 oz) package baby bella mushrooms
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz) package hot sausage (I use more)
1 med onion
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt-n-pep to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted (opt)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Separate caps and stems while cleaning mushrooms. Let them drain on paper towel a bit.
Chop onions and saute with sausage and spices (add 1 TBsp butter here opt)
Mince mushroom stems and add to sausage just before sausage is fully cooked.
Drain grease (if any) then add cream cheese to pan and put heat low. Mix everything really well then add breadcrumbs and mix well.
Set caps in a 13x9 pan and fill pan with chicken stock (or water) just enough to cover the bottom. Optional: put small amount of melted butter in bottom of each mushroom cap; put leftover butter in bottom of pan.
Fill caps with cream cheese/sausage mixture
Bake 30-45 mins, or till tops are crusty and mushrooms have cooked
Scoop out with slotted spoon and arrange on plate.

Notes: Cream cheese mix is also good on bread or crackers; come in handy for people who don't like mushrooms (little to they know it's also in the mixture!)

Also, I tend to eye out the breadcrumbs to sausage to cream cheese amounts. More sausage with less cream cheese makes a larger batch that's not so rich.

Venison Salami

2009-01-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe to use up tons of venison meat you have, but I think it could be used on most other meats, especially beef and pork. The KEY thing is using the Morton's Tender Quick Salt, which cures the meat. Unfortunately this comes in a 2Lb bag and you only need one tablespoon per pound... but it's not like it goes bad!

This went over great! the only problem was smelling it cook for hours and hours and not being able to eat any! I did this with 1 pound of ground venison, recipe calls for 5 but I can't even imagine that much salami so I cut it down.

Venison (or Beef) Salami:

Ingredients:

1 Lb ground venison meat
1 Tbsp Morton Tender Quick Salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cayenne (opt)
2 tsp crushed red pepper (opt)

Steps:

Mix everything really well with hands or spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap pushed down on meat mixture in corning ware type dish.
Refrigerate 4 days mixing well once a day.
On 4th day form mixture into long roll/rolls and place on baking sheet
Cook 225F for 4 hours, rotating the meat every 30-45 mins
Wrap in plastic wrap to store in fridge after.
Serve with cheese and crackers or thin slices on sandwiches. YUM

Scotch Eggs

2009-01-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

I was browsing google images for some reason, and came across a beautiful picture of a meatball-egg... after further study I discovered it was a Scotch Egg... Everything I love all wrapped into one, and a great jolt of protein to help fill you up!

I made these with Hot Venison Sausage, but anyone can use regular sausage I would just recommend spicing it up a bit before you wrap it around the egg.

Now, these can be a little tricky.. You MUST remember to coat the hard boiled eggs in flour first to help the sausage stick. I also cradled the egg in one hand, while taking small pieces of the meat and flattening them on the side of the bowl before laying it over the eggs, then pressing the seams together. One of the recipes I found called for cooking the eggs in water just below boiling for 30 mins to have the texture of the egg not get so firm... WELL this makes it impossible to peel the shell off without damaging the egg, so I would steer away from that.

I got one of these handy-dandy egg cookers, which is SO COOL by the way. Especially for people who enjoy soft-boiled eggs but can never seem to get the timing just right.

Lastly, If you use real breadcrumbs, which would be deliciousss, then when you roll the egg-soaked ball in it, just press them into the meat with your fingers.

I had under a pound of meat which came out to 5, so for a dozen I would recommend 2 whole LBs of sausage!

Scotch Eggs:

Ingredients:

4-5 eggs, hard boiled
1 Lb Hot Pork/Italian Sausage
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
salt-n-pep

Steps:

Hard boil eggs and peel. Let cool.
Dip/roll eggs in salted and peppered flour.
Cover eggs with sausage meat, carefully closing all seams. Meat should be approx 1/4 to 1/2" thick
Dip meatball in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing crumbs in.
Opt 1: Deep fry in hot oil 6-7 mins, or until meat is thoroughly cooked.
Opt 2: (HEALTHIER) Bake in pre-heated 425 oven, on a pam sprayed cookie sheet. 30-40 mins.

CheeseBall!

2009-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

I decided to make this Cheeseball for a football party at Kelsey and Craigs house this Sunday. Things like this just make me fall in love with my food processor! It really just makes things like this so simple and easy, and well blended that you almost forget there's barely any ingredients!

Again with the camera thing, so this is the best picture I got of it about half-eaten! It's still tasty!

CheeseBall:

Ingredients:

12 oz cream cheese
1 stalk scallion, chopped
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1/2 Tbsp Garlic
1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
salt-n-pep

Steps:

Put everything in food processor and blend till everything is thoroughly combined.
Cover and chill till firm.
Shape into ball on wax/parchment paper.
Chill in fridge till 30 mins before serving.
For Instant serving: Scoop in large ziplock bag-cut one small corner and "frost" into large ball on serving plate.

My Mom also gave me this recipe, but I had already left wegmans so I decided to do it on a different occasion. She said people DIE over this so I wanted to post it! YUMMM

Mom's Pepper coated Cheese Wheel:

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded muenster cheese
3 1/2 oz chopped pepperoni
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper

Steps:

Mix together cream cheese, muenster and pepperoni.
Shape into a 4 in ball and flatten
On wax paper combine paprika and pepper. Pat wheel mixture until well coated.
Cover and chill several hours or can freeze.
Serve with crackers!

Dîner pour deux!

2009-01-07T20:27:00.001-08:00

Nick and I decided to have a nice romantic night and wine & dine with the Marinade and a bottle of Wine we got from the wine tour on our Anniversary! We marinated the chicken with a Roasted Garlic/Red wine balsamic vinaigrette dressing from Billsboro which we COMPLETELY recommend! The marinade was packed with flavor that it easily dresses up a plain chicken breast. We just coated the chicken with olive oil, salt-n-pep and of course Nick had to put some garlic powder on there. Cooked it at 350F for about 25-30 mins, then just poured the dressing over it.
We had a nice side of rice pilaf, I made this without butter or oil! Just using some nice chicken broth in substitute for the water adds all the flavor and butteryness that you need! WITHOUT ALL THAT FAT! I know Nick couldn't tell the difference!

The other side was steamed cauliflower with olive oil, salt and garlic. Nick brought up a good point asking about the benefits of cauliflower. Well cauliflower (similarly with broccoli, cabbage and kale) contain compounds which may help to prevent a number of cancers; such as lung, colon, breast, ovarian, bladder and prostate cancer. It is also a vitamin c-rich food which helps protect against Rheumatoid Arthritis . WOW! All information is found on World's Healthiest Foods; I encourage everyone to browze through this site when you're bored at work, or sitting in front of the computer because I find that most people just don't KNOW about the amazing foods that are SO great for our bodies! We also enjoyed this delicious bottle of red from Anthony Road. I know we should have paired the dinner perhaps with a white but it just didn't feel right. Probably because our dinner dish was SO WHITE! Well they can't all be pretty, but can sure be delicious!
Bon Appetit!

Na na na CROCK THANG!

2009-01-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

I know this looks bad... but it was SO incredibly good we practically ate the whole thing! It's extremely creamy with a great snappy kick at the end of each bite from the cayenne. I was trying to come up with a name for it... my friend Adam came up with "Na na na na na na Crock thing" with the tune from "na na na Batman!"... no one came up with anything else so I guess that will work!

This could also be served over pasta noodles, but we really enjoyed it like an open faced sandwich. Nick bought the bread... of course it's white... I think it would be delicious on a thick crusted Italian with sesame seeds, or a Thick wheat.

I also am a HUGE HUGE fan of Crock Liners! Reynolds sells 3-6.5 qt for round or oval. Seriously saves so much time scrubbing and soaking when the whole idea of the crock is hastle free set-n-forget!

Na na na Crock Thang:

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 scallion bunches - chopped
cayenne pepper
1 green pepper
1 med onion
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 TBsp Red hot (t.t.)
salt-n-pep

Steps:

Turn on crock on High
Throw 2 canned soups, lemon juice, Red hot, and 1 TBsp cayenne pepper into crock and stir to mix.
Cut chicken in large cube chunks, throw in a non-stick skillet on med-low heat and completely season with salt, pep and cayenne. Lightly cook outsides and leave majority pink on inside.
Put semi-cooked chicken into crock and stir to coat.
Chop up scallions and throw them into crock.
Saute loose chopped onion and green pepper to desired texture. Set aside.
Let crock cook on High for 2.5 hours.
In last half hour throw in sauted onions and green pepper, and also 1/2 cup breadcrumbs stir throughly to coat.
Serve open-faced on bread, or over pasta noodles.

Roasted Red pepper dip & Hot and Sticky Wings

2009-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

Like I said before... my camera blew up so this is the best I have of my amazing roasted red pepper garlic dip & fall-off the bone juicy Hot and Sticky Wings... (see pathetic picture way below) I also made Artichoke-spinach dip in the crock.

I had my best girlfriends in town for the break so I had a small get together with a fire in my newly swept fireplace, and some fabulous food!
Left to right Nick (Margaret's bf), Simah, Margaret, ME, my Nick, Danny, Beth & Reed!

Here is the beginning of the chicken wings... YES real tasty wings from scratch! and SO EASY!

Hot and Sticky Wings:

Ingredients:

4 pounds chicken wings
1 (12 oz) jar pineapple reserves
1 (18 oz) jar apricot reserves
~3/4 cup ketchup
~1/4 cup Franks Red Hot
2 jalapenos - finely diced
1 packet hot taco seasoning (or original flavor)

Steps:

Light broiler; line baking sheet with aluminum and set aside.
Rinse wings with cold water, and pat dry with paper towel. Set on baking sheet skin side up.
Salt-n-pepper the chicken and broil for 10-12 mins
Slice wings in half (into drum and wing) and cut off tip of wing and discard. Place all drums and wings in 4-quart crock pot
In a food processor combine ingredients, blend then pour over wings in crock, stir to coat
Cook high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours
Remove and cook in 400F oven for 15 mins for crispier wings.

Note: Leave jalapeno seeds in for extra hotness!

Roasted Red pepper dip:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 jar roasted red peppers (approx 11 oz)
2 scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 TBsp lemon juice
1 cup cream cheese

Steps:

Put everything in food processor and blend until fully pureed
Pour mixture into bowl and chill until needed
Best served with Pita chips or triscuits

Again, I apologize for the horrible pictures or lack their of... I'm in desperate need of a new camera so if anyone uses one they love please drop me a note! :)

Christmas Eve - Food, Family, Food and more FOOD!

2009-01-07T12:00:00.001-08:00

Here's the 3 chefs! Mom, Me and my Sister Larissa.

It's been AGES since I've posted (I know I KNOW!) to make excuses my camera completely broke, I mean I've had it for 6 years... an old Kodak 5.0mp so it's gotten a lot of use and abuse. To my horrible dismay... it erased EVERY photo that was on it :( :( Nevertheless, I've been using other peoples cameras to take pictures of food and now it's just tracking them down!

This is the appetizer spread we had on Christmas Eve at my parents house. Fresh mozzarella with assorted seasonings and olive oil on top, and jumbo shrimp in a snappy cocktail sauce.

For dinner we had my Mom's Chicken Parmesan from scratch, Linguine and my sister's Broccoli Casserole. Mom's been making this so long when I asked for the recipe she couldn't really quantify it. So I've listed the ingredients and use your best judgement, either way it's going to turn out delicious! Thanks Mom! :)

Mom's Chicken Parm:

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts
Flour
Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese
Homemade Marinara sauce
Mozz cheese polly-o type
salt-n-pep

Steps:

Pound Breasts out.
Dredge breasts in Flour and salt-n-pep blend.
Dip in beaten eggs.
Dredge in mix of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese blend.
Fry in olive oil until browned, and pink in the middle still.
Put in low baking dish, top with sauce and cheese. No skimping!
Bake at 350F-375F for approx 25 mins until it's hot and cheese is bubbly. Check it so it's not overdone!

I was in charge of dessert... I REALLY wanted my make my favorite, Peanut butter pie, and try it with a homemade nutterbutter crust... however.. I do not own any beaters (yet) so that idea was out of the picture.. I also had to work Christmas Eve so I knew I wouldn't have much time.

To my HORROR Wegmans was an absolute madhouse so going in there with no idea what to make was DEFINITELY not a good idea and put me in a miserable mood! With some quick brainstorming and dodging in and out of people, I managed to put together 2 recipes in my mind which I THOUGHT (key word here..) would turn out great.

I call this: Marielle cake version of FroonWhanic (finding-recipes-out-of-nowhere-which-have-absolutely-nothing-in-common) aka A doctored up cakemix combo with my Birthday cake (Sour cream chocolate chip pound cake)

So here's what happened... I forgot to get sour cream.. I didn't have enough eggs.. AND I bought heavy cream instead of sweetened condensed milk (BIG DIFFERENCE) So I grab all my so-called ingredients and head to the parents house completely FRAZZLED and started beating and mixing away with what I had. Fortunately my chef mother realized my intention with the heavy cream and deterred me away from that and pulled out a perfect size can of sweetened condensed milk she just HAPPEN to have on hand.

Note: I'd probably be better off shopping in my Mom's pantry than actually going to Wegmans since she has everything anyways and I wouldn't have to deal with crazy hooligans!

AT ANY RATE/LONG STORY SHORT I used too much oil to make up for the eggs and accidentally used a whole bag of PB&Choc chip combo instead of half a bag.. and the cake was DELICIOUS but dense and extremely FLAT!

So I guess good things do turn out semi-well in the end... Here's the correct recipe if I were to do it again:

Marielle's 2-cake recipe combo:

Ingredients:

1 cakemix box - yellow
1/2 small bag peanut butter & choc chips or reg choc chips (use more if feeling dangerous!)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
1 TBsp hazelnut flavoring
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 small can sweetened condensed milk

Steps:

Beat all ingredients (minus chips and condensed milk) for approx 10 mins on med.
Fold in chips and pour in sprayed bunt pan.
Bake 1 hour on 350F. Check after 45 mins with toothpick.
Pull out of oven and immediately flip on serving plate. Poke numerous holes with fork, then pour sweetened condensed milk all over. Sets at room temperature
Serve with vanilla ice cream or plain YUM!

The food was absolutely delicious and surrounded by a warm fire, family and nice Christmas music the evening was a true joy. Happy (belated) Holidays from my family!! :)

Kelsey's Birthday Surf-n-Turf!

2008-12-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

Kelsey's Birthday was last Sunday the 14th, her boyfriend Craig had their families and Nick and I over for Kelsey's favorite... Surf-n-turf! We all contributed different aspects to the dish, and it turned out tremendous!!

Clockwise left to right:

Boiled asparagus with cheese and bacon bits
Steak with a smoked dry rub and butter
Scallops in a yellow pepper cream sauce
Cheesy potatoes
Sausage cheese balls

Everything was so delicious and enjoyable taking turns in the kitchen listening to Football and Christmas music! The party was a hit and our Kelsey turn the big.. 2-3 OH we're getting old! ;)

(Everyone, feel free to correct me on the courses/post one of your recipes from the night!)

Venison Meat Sauce

2008-12-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

I made this in the Crockpot using some Venison Stew Meat I got from my Golf partner over the summer... It sat in my freezer long enough! I got a few tips from a colleague on what I should make with it, but I ended up improvising myself... Turned out a lot thicker than a stew so we decided to serve it over pasta, but it would be BEST on a sandwich like Sloppy Joes!!

We (of course) loved it with Cheese and Franks hot sauce on it to make it snappier. Here you see some extra Sausage rolls I had made the night before. Nick hadn't tasted them yet and almost FELL OVER in the kitchen floor he said they were so good... So there you go! :)

Venison Meat Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 LB Venison Stew meat
4 med yellow onions, large chop
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz tomato paste (almost full can)
4 oz chopped tomatoes
2 TBsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Beef Bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups red wine (Cab or Merlot)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2-3 cups Crimini (Italian brown) mushrooms, large chop
2 TBsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 large green pepper, large chop
1 1/2 cups flour (I used brown)

Steps:

Season Venison with salt-n-pep and lightly brown in skillet with olive oil. Remove and cut into bite size cubes.
Throw everything into crock (minus peppers if you want them crunchier add in last 45 mins) and stir completely to coat everything.
Cook High for 6 hours adding flour in after 4. Flour helps to thicken it, so decide which consistency you would prefer.
Serve over pasta with some grated cheese, or as a Sloppy joe sandwich.
Makes TONS! Freezes great!
YUM YUM YUM!

Top 25 Meatloaf Recipes!

2008-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

My Italian Meatloaf takes #12 in Tipnuts "25 most Temping Meatloaf Recipes" I owe it all to my Fabulous Gourmet Mother for giving me this DELICIOUS recipe! :) Thanks Mom!!

Sausage Rolls

2008-12-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Absolutely EASY and delicious Sausage rolls!! I thought I'd try theses for fun! Technically you're supposed to cook the sausage first... I happen to have Club sized sausage patties boxes in my freezer, so I just chopped up those and heated them up while I added the other ingredients. Worked like a charm! These were so delicious and one sheet of Puff Pastry makes 3 huge logs that cut into 8-10 rolls.

We enjoyed these "plain" seeing that the sause in sort-of built in, and they are SUPER MOIST!! YUMMMM!

Sausage Rolls:

Ingredients:

1/2 LB sausage
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2-3 TBsp Worcestershire sauce
2 TBsp tomato paste
salt-n-pep t.t.
1 sheet puff pastry
sesame seeds

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or use non-stick.
Break up sausage and fully cook. Add breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, tomato paste and salt-n-pep.
Crack egg into small bowl and use fork to mix. Add half the egg to sausage mix and mix all ingredients completely.
Lay out sheet of puff pastry. (Sheet should be approx 5"x10" or 9"x9" depending on brand) Cut into strips, each 2-1/2" or 3" by 10".
Take half the sausage mix and put down the middle of strips. Roll each strip up.
Place each on the baking tray and brush with remaining egg and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly and carefully cut them into desired sizes.

Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Glaze

2008-12-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

I know I know... it's been literally forever since I've posted a recipe. I'm still gathering all the Thanksgiving photos from our Italian-Kosher-Thanksgiving (yes you will here the details later) so that will be a later post.
At any rate, I've been slacking so I needed to cook something delicious!! I turned to good ol' Giada with a recipe I've had for quite some time, but never experimented with.
This is great with Chicken or Steak or even burgers if you want to go that route. The flavors all blend together nicely over heat and you just can't get enough! (I'm serious... I had to tell Nick to stop taking spoonfulls!) ;)
We had this over broccoli and cauliflower which was tossed with butter, salt-n-pep, olive oil and garlic powder. In the background you can see the '06 Estate Red from Hermann J. Wiemer we got on our wine tour!

It paired deliciously with the meal, and we made a dinner-and-a-movie night out of it with The Dark Knight just coming to DVD that same day! Such a good movie I would recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Chicken or Steak with Balsamic BBQ Glaze: Compliments to Giada De Larentiis

Ingredients:

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3-4 pieces of Chicken (any combo of breast, leg or thigh) or 4 pieces of Strip steak (NY or Club)

Steps:

BBQ Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15-20 mins.

Grill:

Place a grill pan over med. heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
Season the meat with salt-n-pep. Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush.
Place the meat on the grill. Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer.
Cook the chicken about 8 mins per side. Cook the steaks starting at about 4 mins per side until desired doneness.
Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few mins. Remove the meat from the grill and serve with BBQ sauce alongside.

Bake (Chicken only)

Preheat oven to 375F. Place chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 mins.
Remove the dish and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the chicken. Return to oven and bake another 15 mins.
Bon Appetito!!

I was featured! :)

2008-12-04T11:57:00.001-08:00

My Creamy Sausage Dip was featured as a Holiday Favorite on Recipezaar! :) Check it out!!

Wine Tour!! - 4 year anniversary

2008-11-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Wine Country!! As I mentioned in the previous blog, Jen from The Bragdon House was our tour guide for a 6 hour wine tour. We told Jen we enjoyed dry reds and whites, so she skipped over the vineyards which didn't offer those and took us to others (she really knows her stuff!!) We we're nervous about the weather, but the sun came out to play! Jen was able to take us to 9 wineries along the Seneca Lake West Side totaling about a 25 mile stretch.

In this order, we stopped at:

-White Springs Winery

Excellent 2007 Riesling, and Mull it over - warm spice wine

-Billsboro Winery

We loved the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Cabernet Franc and one of their famous Marinades.
Fun rustic woodsey interior

-Fox Run Vineyard

Great place to pick up some food on the go or to stay, Boar's head meat and their famous Sudsy fearless hot sauce:

-Anthony Road Wine Cellars

Excellent 2006 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger

-Miles Wine Cellars

This is the location where they distribute the wine from an Old Mansion. There is a Ghost story of the Haunted Mansion... it was previously owned by a couple in the 1800's, the man died falling off a ladder fixing up the house, and the woman died of a broken heart. The story goes, that their ghosts can be seen along the land in photos, at night, sometimes even during the day...spooky...
We loved their Call me a cab - Cabernet and Pinot Noir blend which they won 3 Bronze awards in the Finger lakes International Wine Competition, and they give a free Miles Wine glass with every tasting!

-Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

This had a much smaller interior and wine tasting bar, however it did NOT disappoint.. they have tremendous wines across the bar, including their 2006 Chardonnay which is held in Italian Stainless Steel tanks, causing it to have this fresh crisp taste.
We loved the Estate Red - A Blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Lemberger and Pinot Noir

-Heron Hill Winery

Such an intuitive wine tasting personalized by Pam, who Jen gave us the pleasure of introducing us to. Pam is so passionate about wine and it shows with her knowledge and expertise with pairing and comparing.
We loved the 2006 Ingle Vineyard Cabernet Franc Rose, 2006 Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2004 Eclipse (It sure helped that Jen got us a huge discount!!) :)

-Fulkerson Winery

This is a newer winery which we decided to experiment with. They are unique in that they also offer winemaking packages. The interior is quite large with high lofted ceilings, making the atmosphere feel open and bright.

-Belhurst Winery & Castle

This is a beautiful Castle and Winery which offers many rooms to stay, wine tastings and there was even a wedding going on while we were there! We went to Stonecutters inside, which offers an "eclectic tavern fare"
We enjoyed the beautiful view of the lake from the large amount of lakefront property which it resides on. This is a photo montage I put together because it was so large I couldn't fit it in one picture!

The 1907 Bragdon House Bed & Breakfast

2008-11-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

We found The Bragdon House Bed & Breakfast using Trip Advisor. Our tradition of going to Bed & Breakfast places began on our 1 and 2 year anniversaries when we ventured up to Niagara on the Lake. Our 3 year was aimed more towards Nick when we stayed at a Hotel in Buffalo and went to a Sabres game and a Buffalo Bills game. This year, we wanted to get back to our relaxing more romantic celebrations and decided to try around the Finger lakes.

What we were looking for the most was a comfortable place which also offered a wine tour package. Then we found The Bragdon House!
The Owners, Jennifer and her Mother Diane were more than accommodating and gave us a fun cheerful yet cozy and relaxing environment to stay in. We stayed in Mr. Hoskin's Study on the first level which was incredibly warm and homey with a bed that felt like sleeping on a cloud.
We had not stayed at a B&B which was so welcoming throughout the house. We enjoyed having wine and playing cards in the living room, screened in Veranda and covered porch which overlooks Seneca Lake.

We spent our First night out on this cozy porch, which now has a comfy couch, we loved reading our books and drinking wine by the outdoor heater, while getting some fresh air and viewing the lake. It also has a pub table on the left side where we ate the Broccoli Sausage Orecchiette for dinner.

The whole atmosphere of The Bragdon house was relaxing and comfortable which is exactly what we needed. (doesn't everyone?)

Jen made Gourmet Breakfasts' both mornings which were to die for. Saturday morning we had overnight French toast, homemade apple crisp and grade A bacon. The french toast had everything cooked into it and was so rich and delicious.

Sunday morning she prepared a Crustless quiche, grapes topped with her Grandmothers secret whipped cream, and her infamous raspberry rhubarb. Needless to say it was difficult to stop eating!

It was so nice to sit in the Dining room with the other guests and discuss our different weekend experiences. Everyone's presence and attitude was always upbeat and a joy to have Jen join our conversations and offer advice as well. I tribute that all to the essence of The Bragdon House, which allows everyone to enter a different frame of mind as soon as walking through the door.

Next on our list was a 6-hour wine tour with Jen as our driver and tour guide!
Soon to come!

Broccoli Sausage Orecchiette - 4 year part 1

2008-11-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

Nick and I just celebrated our 4 year anniversary this weekend!! Our original date was October 22, however we've made it a tradition to go to a Bed & Breakfast for the weekends and nothing was available till November 7th. At any rate, it was the best weekend we've had and took tons of photos of all our experiences.

We checked in The 1907 Bragdon House on Friday at 6pm. I made us dinner in advance knowing we would be to tired to find a place to eat dinner, plus we had a 6 hour wine tour on the schedule for Saturday and needed plenty of rest for our bodies and wallets.

Using the rest of the Venison Sausage, I made this 1-2 dish dinner, which was soo filling and amazing! Extremely easy to do and takes less than a half hour!

Broccoli Sausage Orecchiette:
Ingredients:

1 LB Orecchiette pasta (pasta ears)
2 LBs Broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 LB Venison Spicey Sausage or Italian Spicy Sausage
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1+ cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup grated parmesan asiago blend

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta.
Heat Olive oil over medium heat and cook sausage, garlic and onions.
Add broccoli, butter, chicken broth and cayenne.
Bring to boil, covered, for 5 mins, on med. high then cook uncovered for 5 mins, reducing sauce.
Drain pasta and pour into serving bowl.
Add the broccoli sausage mix and cheese stiring till thick. Add more cheese if desired.
YUM

Rich & Moist Chocolate Crinkles - 4 ingredients!!

2008-10-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking... there's no such thing as a cookie with 4 ingredients... I found these on Recipezaar posted by Karen=^..^=, she calls them Fudge Crinkles. After reading the 340+ positive reviews I thought I HAD to try these!!
They turned out SOOO good! We couldn't stop eating them fresh out of the oven, and even when they set they remain extremely soft and moist. I'll definitely be making a lot of these for the holidays because it was so inexpensive and easy!!
Some of the other people have tried it with different cake mixes, but the important thing is to always use Betty Crocker super moist. I would recommend adding more oil if you do not get a "super moist" flavor so they do not dry out. Also, check them in the oven after 10 mins and see how gooey they are, I had to add an extra 4-5 mins because they were really moist, but after they set they became firmer, so it's up to you how much you want them to fall apart... YUMM

Please let me know if you try these with a different cake mix because I am so curious!! :)
Thanks!!

Fudgey Cookies:
Ingredients: makes 38-40 cookies

1 (18 1/4 oz) box Betty Crocker Devils food cake mix - Super Moist
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
confectioner's sugar
Chocolate chips (opt.)
Nuts (opt.)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 F
Stir (by hand) cake mix, oil, eggs and choc chips.
Shape dough into 1"to 1-1/2" balls and place on ungreased non-stick cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet in freezer to harden balls for sugar rolling. (I added this step , it prevents the sugar from being absorbed)
Roll hardened balls in confectioners sugar and place 2" apart on cookie sheet.
Bake ~10 mins until center is just set, but rest is still GOOEY.
Cool on wire racks.

Italian Meatloaf

2008-10-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

So we had Sorella at my house this past Friday! I decided to make some Italian Meatloaf since I had so much sausage in my freezer still. The recipe is from one of my Mom's old cookbooks but I always alter it to be very spicy and never really use measuring cups... So things are eyeballed.

The recipe calls for a total of 3 LB of meat for one "loaf" but it's much easier and more practical to split them into 2 so you can easily freeze or save one. KEY things to remember are using fresh mozzarella... not Polly-O which can barely be called cheese... no offence. ALSO, Fresh tomatoes and basil are extremely important!
The recipe calls for fresh breadcrumbs, but for this one I just threw in a ton of Italian breadcrumbs from the canister, and broke up 3 slices of bread.

Served with fresh Marinara sauce, we all enjoyed it SOOO much and sent them home with leftovers and still have 2/3 a loaf left for us! Larissa brought over a nice salad with even MORE fresh mozz. balls (all four of us have too much Italian blood in us there's NEVER too much cheese!) We also just made an instant box of garlic mashed potatoes to save time and energy and they turned out superb!

Italian Meatloaf:
Ingredients:

2LB beef chuck
1Lb Spicy Italian Sausage
1 med onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 TBsp Italian Seasoning
2 TBsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp chili powder
Salt-n-pep t.t.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups fresh basil leaves
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes
1 LB fresh mozzarella

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 F
Combine the ground beef, sausage, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, parsley, Italian seasonings, and salt and pep in a large bowl. Add eggs, tomato juice, and wine and mix thoroughly.
Lay out 1 large sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper. Spread the meat loaf mixture out in a 15x12 inch rectangle on the waxed paper. Arrange the basil leaves over the surface. Scatter the tomatoes over the basil and arrange 3/4 of the mozz. on top.
Using the waxed paper as aid and starting from one short side, roll up the meat likes it's a jelly roll. Peel back the paper as you roll. Place seam side down on a back sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Bake 1 hour. Place the remaining smoked mozz. over the top of the loaf and back until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes more.
Serve the meat loaf hot with fresh tomato sauce, or refrigerate until cold and cut into slices like a pate.

Notes:

I make the sausage to beef mixture 50-50.

Chocolate Pretzel Delights!

2008-10-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

These are SOOO easy to make just very tedious! So sit down at your coffee table with a trash can next to you and put on a movie!
As always, I've altered this recipe for Hershey Hugs and Reese's versus the traditional Hershey kiss and M&M's so feel free to use different things!
I make TONS of these and then throw them in a bag in the freezer to keep fresh, although they never last that long!

Chocolate Pretzel Delights:
Ingredients: Serves 30

2 (10 oz) bag Checkerboard or Windowpane Pretzels. Or purchase 1 big bag
1 (~18 oz) bag M&M's or Reese's Pieces
2 (13 oz) bag Hershey Hugs or Hershey Kisses

Steps:

Preheat oven to 170F
Place pretzels on wax-paper lined cookie sheet
Unwrap Hugs, place one on each pretzel.. repeat..
Place cookie sheet in oven. Hugs require 4 mins, Kisses require 5-6
Immediately upon removing from oven place 1-2 Reese's pieces or M&M's on top of hugs.
Place cookie sheet in freezer 10 mins to re-set chocolate

Notes:

Only use 1 type of Kiss per sheet because they have different baking times

MUST heat at 170 and NO higher or the chocolate will brown and get lumpy

Upon removal the kisses will still appear intact, but as soon as the Reese's hits them they will melt down, so maybe test with your finger before taking them out of the oven.

Venison Sausage Balls

2008-10-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

This is an AWESOME recipe which is now going to be incorporated in my dinner parties. I made this for a breakfast on-the-go as we were tailgating to the Bills vs. Chargers game last Sunday GO BILLS!! We have season tickets so we're always trying to come up with something fun to eat!
I experimented with these using the Venison meat I got from my golf partner, Melcher. (Thanks Melcher!) This recipe is easily tweaked to get the consistency of the "balls" which you would like. I made them according to the recipe and my first batch came out very meaty and smaller balls.. (photo above) Then I added more bisquick and cheese and they came out larger and more texture, (photo below) so I would definitely make them this way.
I loved them warm dipped in some ketschup (but I love ketshup) My friend Adam wants me to make a batch and freeze it up, then throw it in a crock-pot with Country sweet. I would also experiement with a worshechire-ketchup type sauce. Nick thinks a honey-mustardy sauce.. So they're definitely versitile!

Sausage Cheese balls:
Ingredients: (makes 3 dozen)

~2 LB Sausage, Venison Sausage
3 cups shredded cheese
2.5 cups Bisquick
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder, t.t.
1 TBsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp Chili powder
Salt-n-pep

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375F
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
Form into 1 inch balls (this is where you could freeze them for later use)
Place on ungreased baking sheet
Cook 15-20 mins until golden brown and cooked
For firmer texture add more Bisquick and cheese.

Note: This recipe incorporated the added Cheese and Bisquick but feel free to add even more if desired.

Also, freeze uncooked to use at a later date, but freeze cooked to use within a few days in a crock-pot

Margaret's Creamy Bow-tie Pasta

2008-10-22T04:50:00.001-07:00

My best friend Margaret came over for dinner last Thursday (yes I'm very behind in my postings..) She's very into organic and purchased this organic veggie pasta, hence the rainbow colors. Margarets been working in a restaurant the past few months and has definitely picked up a lot of culinary skills there, so she actually made dinner for me! haha
The ingredients were all purchased at our trusty Wegmans but can be found at other local grocery stores! I would also substitute milk for the butter since I really should not have that much butter in my diet... nor should most, but it does taste fabulous!
She really made this awesome dinner using ingredients I LOVE.. spinach, calamata olives are my snack of choice, an awesome fresh cheese blend which Wegs makes readily available. I find it's very important to use fresh spinach leaves and next time we would throw it in much towards the end so they wouldn't wilt as much as they did.

Margaret's Creamy Bow-tie:
Ingredients: (serves two)

1/2 lb Organic veggie pasta (or any other bow-tie)
1 cup cheese blend - Asiago, Parmesan, Provolone, Romano
3 TBsp Butter
1/4 cup white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 cups FRESH spinach leaves
1 or 1/2 cup asparagus
1 small red onion, sliced
1/2 cup calamata olives
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
Olive Oil
Salt-n-pep t.t. (to taste)

Steps:

Start boiling water up for pasta.
In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter with Onions. Then add in asparagus.
When both veggies seem soft, add in calamata olives, more olive oil, remaining butter, lemon juice, and wine.
Reduce heat and allow flavors to blend.
Add in cheese, stirring often to allow cheese to melt consistently throughout mixture. Salt-n-pep mixture t.t. Add in Spinach last and simmer.
Throw together with Pasta and add remaining cheese to top!

Thanks Margaret!! :)

Crunchy Onion Chicken

2008-10-14T11:35:00.001-07:00

Short-n-sweet... Another CHICKEN recipe... supposedly I'll be getting some venison sausage from a colleague/my golf partner but that has yet to happen... so we wait... with good ol' chicken!
This is a very very easy recipe to quickly do when you're hungry but would like something (semi) homemade. Crunchies tend to come out slightly burnt but do not taste so, perhaps cooking on a lower heat for longer could help with this.

Crunchy Onion Chicken:
Ingredients:

2 Boneless skinless breast
1/2 can french friend onion bits (crushed in ziplock bag)
Garlic powder
1 lemon
1 egg
Salt-n-pep to taste

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. (They'll cook quicker and coat with more crunchies)
Season Chicken with garlic powder (opt.) Salt-n-pep
In a small bowl whisk 1 egg and juice from 1 lemon.
In another small bowl place crushed onion bits.
Drip to coat chicken in egg/lemon sauce then press firmly to get onion bits to stick.
Add remaining onion bits to tops of chicken and spoon egg/lemon sauce on top of that (soaks into onion bits and helps make golden)
Cook for 20-25mins or until chicken is done.

Notes:

-Serve with rice or pasta side

-Dipping chicken in bleu cheese or country sweet is also good! :)

Chicken in a Blanket - SUPER easy!!

2008-10-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been cooking a lot of Chicken lately... but Nick ran out of Venison and him and I both bought HUGE Club packs of Chick Breast and heaven forbid he doesn't have any meat in his dinner! ;)
So I found this easy recipe because I knew we'd be eating late and I wanted something inexpensive and quick. It tasted so great but I'm definitely trying it with a Buffalo Wing sauce coating the chicken. It also took longer to cook than we realized (40 mins versus 25mins) But the flaky crust didn't burn and got super golden brown.
By the time the food was done it was 9:30 when we we're eating so we were FAMISHED and I rushed through the picture taking process so I apologize that it's not sophisticated... come to think of it MOST of my pictures I'm in a rush to eat so they're snapped quickly with my digital.
ANYWHO, I served this with some Vegetables sauted with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.

Chicken in a Blanket:
Ingredients:

2 Boneless skinless breast
4 oz cream cheese
8oz refrigerated crescent rolls
6 TBsp Italian Seasonings (bread dipping seasonings are also good)
1 small onion
Crushed red pepper flakes

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Cut chicken breasts in half. Spread layer of cream cheese on the chicken breast, then sprinkle seasonings, then place some chopped onion.
Leave croissants in a rectangle (2 croissants) and press together so they won't separate. Roll it over the top of the chicken and wrap under as far as possible. Seal the dough together if you can.
Bake on a cookie sheet until chicken is tender. approx 35-40mins.

Notes:

-Pre-marinating the Chicken Breast in Buffalo Wing sauce is recommended. :)

Saucy Chicken Skillet

2008-10-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

What I love about this recipe is how EASY it is to make, and how delicious and filling it is. Originally found on recipezaar (from Mama's kitchen), and I think anything that has cream cheese in it is good... It goes with EVERYTHING!! :)
I altered just about every ingredient but stayed with the concept. I LOVE finding interesting recipes and changing things my way :)

This is also another 1-2 pot meal which makes cleanup awesssommee! There were so many leftovers I was even enjoying it cold!

Saucy Chicken Skillet:
Ingredients:

1 LB boneless Skinless breast
1 Green bell pepper, loose chop
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
1 med onion, chopped
1 TBsp dried basil or 2 TBsp fresh
1/2-3/4 cup crushed tomatoes

Steps:

Boil 1 LB penne (or pasta desired) in large pot.
Cut Chicken into cubes and saute 3/4 done. set aside
Saute garlic and onions, then add peppers. When Onions are brown and peppers are soft add back the chicken.
Add in broth, cream cheese, blue cheese, crushed tomatoes and basil. Let simmer and flavors blend ~20 mins.
Toss in penne in separate bowl or if skillet is large enough. Serve with melted Mozz. cheese on top if desired!

Chicken Pesto

2008-10-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted a recipe in agessss... It's major slacking on my part! I started going back to school part-time for Interior Design, on top of working as a full-time Architect so that's my measly excuse..
I decided to cook up something easy and "quick" to be able to post something.. however it was one disaster after the next.. and here we begin:

We decided to cook at Nick's house since we had some HBO shows we enjoy to watch on tv, and well I don't have any of those stations... So I ran to the store after work to get all the ingredients we needed and Nick assured me we had a baking dish to cook the chicken in..
First, we forgot the thaw the chicken so that was a min. half hour ordeal since there freezer was built in Alaska... THEN while we cook/wait we always drink wine... OUT of wine... had to run to the store... I forgot the breadcrumbs.. had to run to ANOTHER store...

Finally we get back to start the cooking process... Nick shows me the "bake ware" we're going to use and it's not the 9x12 I needed... so we had to cram them in this tiny dish and which turned them into half-moons...

After cooking for 50 mins... they were finally done and the chicken turned out super tender! The mushrooms gave it a nice texture and saltiness, and of course melted cheese is one of my weaknesses :)

Chicken Pesto pour deux:
Ingredients:

2 boneless Chicken Breast
4-6oz pesto sauce
breadcrumbs
4oz sliced mushrooms (can use canned)
sliced Mozz cheese to cover

Steps:

Heat oven to 350
Spray 9x12 baking dish with spray
Moisten Chicken with water or milk, then coat completely with breadcrumbs. Place in Baking dish
Spread thin layer of pesto sauce evenly over chicken. Then layer sliced mushrooms, then mozz cheese all over top.
Bake for 45-50 mins.
Serve with pasta side.

I've been awarded!! :)

2008-09-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

A HUGE Thanks to Sam from Antics of a cycling cook, for passing the Brilliante Weblog award to me!! I'm honored!! :)

1. When you receive a diamond, make a post about it on your blog.
2. Name the blogger from whom you received it.
3. Award the diamonds to seven other bloggers.
4. Link them.
5. Tell them they received an award.

Go Check them out!! :)
Amanda and Tyler - What we're eating
Lindsay and Taylor - Love and Olive Oil
Kim - Foolin' Around in the Kitchen
Su Yin - The Journal of a Girl who Loves to Cook
Fanny - Foodbeam
Jenn - The Leftover Queen
Elle - Elle's New England Kitchen

Adopt a Blog!!

2008-09-19T12:45:00.001-07:00

I've recently volunteered to be a "Veteran" blogger through a program called "Adopt-a-Blogger". Kristin, the host and creator of Dine and Dish, has set up this program to bring new foodie bloggers together and mentor them for a 3 month period.

I have been paired with Sam from Anitics of a cycling cook, looking at his awesome site I'm not sure how much help he really needs!! Sam's from the United Kingdom and spends his days cycling around England (SO JEALOUS) His photos of food on the blog are very professional looking, and you can tell Sam takes care in preparing and enjoying food.
Check out his site!!

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant

2008-09-19T05:23:00.001-07:00

I'm recently been reading another foodie/cookish book called "Alone in the kitchen with an eggplant" Obviously the title caught me.. however, it's a compilation of other foodies stories about Dining and cooking alone. It reveals different peoples struggles, weird tendencies/habits and of course.. cravings, when they're in the comfort of their own kitchen by themselves. The book opens with an intro chapter from Jenni herself, who edited the book, and talks about her journey as a student trying to battle the solitude that came with living on her own.

It gets me thinking to what I was eating in college... Now, I wasn't the typical mac-n-cheese, ragu type girl... But I had weird tendencies of making pancakes for dinner with 2 gallons of syrup to try and kick a sweet tooth (my version of "the healthy way" yeah right...) I came up with concoxions to try and use every single piece of food I had before going to the grocery store. One of my favorites; instant 3cheese penne (from the pasta sides edition...) over Pitas with melted string cheese on top... I got into the frozen veggie bags and would microwave them and drown them in balsamic vinegar. When I would splurge at Wegmans, I would get the small fresh mozzarella balls and pop them in my mouth like CANDY. OO THOSE ARE GOOD!

However now that I'm "all grown up" living in my own place - by myself - I think about the foods I eat/cook when I don't have anyone to entertain. For some reason I only cook great when I'm eating with other people, but when I'm by myself I end up throwing things together and eating similar things of what I like.

First - I munch on calamata olives while staring into my fridge and cabinets wide open in a stance I like to call "my thinking position" one leg bends and rests it's foot on the others knee area, sort of like a 4...

Sometimes I'll also gorge myself in carrotts & hummus or Cashews till I've satisfied a hungry pain and can actually take some TIME to make dinner.

side note: isn't it interesting that when we're really hungry we just want an instant fix? I think it's important to not keep around too many instant things because then we eat FAST and we don't get satisfied so in the end you eat more food. Research has shown that when we smell some good food cooking, at first - you get hungry and sometimes salivate, but after a few minutes the smell tricks the mind and you're not that hungry anymore. I have to constantly remind myself to take some time to make dinner and drink water [or wine ;) ]while waiting. It fills you up and is GOOD for you and when the foods finally prepared you eat the right amount, and have leftovers!!

Then - I typically make the same sort of thing, brown rice, cous-cous, Grandma's marinara sauce (and yes I eat that PLAIN it's so darn good) I'll have a garden burger with ketchup and franks ALL over it. Occasionally I'll defrost some pre-marinated salmon (Sam's club) and have that.

Dessert - tons of chocolate chips of course! :)

College also got me into my canned corn thing.. I LOVE corn.. Canned corn is GOOD (the golden sweet of course) and corns CHEAP. Sometimes I'll eat it right out of the can without a need for salt-n-pep or even warming it up. I also got into "tuna creations" sounds freaky... but it's the tuna packets that are flavored - lemon pepper is my fav - no need for draining just cut the pouch open and eat with a fork. I've also brought these few tendencies to work.. BUT I have to remain conspicuous so no one thinks I'm an absolute weirdo.. I put a paper towel around the canned corn when I eat it, for some reason I think people would think that is weirder than eating straight out of a tuna creations bag...

As I read this I'm hesitant to post it because now my private eating habits are being thrown out there in the world... ah.. I'll get over it :)

So as I was saying... I eat typically the same thing, and weird things while I'm alone. HOWEVER, if I have people over for dinner & drinks or head over to the rents I make something Fabulous! I take the time to make things and buy all my ingredients at wegmans. People think I'm Julia Childs! haha but even SHE must have thrown weird things together if she was going to eat alone.

So foodies, I'm asking you to share some of your stories, we ALL have them! we ALL do interesting things when we're hungry and by ourselves in the kitchen. It's actually quite refreshing to think about and realize what we do in our subconscious of hungry pains.I can't wait to hear them!!

Excerpt: "Let's face it: the truth about eating alone, despite our best intentions, is that nine times out of ten we eat badly. We eat inadequate food; we eat it too fast; and we eat it slouched over a computer or sprawled in front of a television, with all the enlightened social skills of seagulls. I'm convinced that this affects the way we live our lives afterward. It's no doubt why I've been scuffing around in worn-out slippers and a slouchy turtleneck for days, avoiding the future."

Excerpt: "Lowliness, in my book, is a virtue, and therefore by telling you about my dream of the lowly beans I am simply revealing to you my favorite beans. And of all the beans I have loved in my lifetime—and there have been many—no bean stands above the black bean. The black bean reigns supreme. The black bean has the key to my heart. The black bean and me go way back.Now, I should be clear here what I'm actually talking about. I'm not talking about dried black beans, glorious as they are. I mean, they're beautiful and cheap, and every time I see the big bin of them in the bulk aisle of my food co-op, I have to resist the urge to plunge my arms in up to my elbows. If I could, I would like to swim in a sea of dried black beans. But no, it's not dried black beans that I'm in love with. I'm in love with the canned ones. True, some people will say that using canned beans is cheating—like buying canned applesauce instead of making your own—and I understand that point of view. But to get dried black beans tender, in my experience, you have to boil them for approximately six days. You know what I say to that? Give me the can opener."

Sausage Veggie Frittata

2008-09-11T05:40:00.001-07:00

The Best way to a man's heart it through his stomach -- fact. Nick adores breakfast food at ANY time of the day -- fact. Marielle loves Sausage at ANY time of the day -- fact. Both love anything they can put Franks Red Hot on -- super fact. SO we decided to make a Frittata!! I always have sausage in the freezer (Jimmy Dean Hot of COURSE) then we just threw whatever veggies I had on hand in, and had to pick up some eggs at the store.

I must mention Larissa and Chris bought me the Rachel Ray Cookware set for my Maid-of-honor gift to their wedding. I was just moving into my first apartment at the time and FREAKING OUT about having nothing to cook with. These pots and pans are AWESOME, once you go non-stick you will NEVER EVER EVER go back!! You can completely overcook rice and it'll never stick to the bottom, you will never have the dark brown spot in the middle from leaving meat on too high, and most importantly... You can put all of them into the oven up to 400F! So this dish was literally a "one-dish meal" which a. I have never done before and b. makes perfect for someone who doesn't have a dishwasher OR like to wash dishes for the matter (ps who LIKES to wash dishes? please comment if you are.. we NEED to chat!)

Sausage Veggie Frittata:
Ingredients:

3/4 LB Sausage
1 large onion
broc & cauliflower frozen bag mix
1/2 TBsp Garlic powder
1/2 TSsp Crushed red pepper
Salt-n-pep t.t. (to taste)
1 dozen eggs
1/4 cup milk

Steps:

In a 3-qt covered saute, Cook Sausage 75% done. Drain
Add Onion and cook till 50% soft, then add Broc & Cauli. Drain (if needed)
Add egg & milk beated mixture and reduce heat to med-low, cook covered for 10 mins.
Bake in 350F oven for approx. 30 mins, adding cheese on top to the last 8 mins.

Note: Any order of cooking meat and veggies please do if you prefer softer or harder veggies.

Also, check up on it regularly because it tends to puff-up and with a pierce of a knife goes back down.

Stuffed Chicken Breast and Spinach Ricotta Linguine

2008-09-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

One Friday a month my Sister and I get together with our men for a "supper club" that we call Sorella. We trade who's house/apartment (in my case) it's at, and the host makes dinner and a side and/or the guest brings dessert and a side; It all depends what we're having as the main course... Typically it's fairly easy to make and inexpensive, for instance I did a Jamaican Jerk Chicken crockpot recipe with Zucchini as a side and Larissa made cheesy hash browns. Anywho, it's not fancy dining by any means but more of comfort food.

WELL, Larissa decided she was going to be Top Chef for the night and cooked this amazing recipe she tweaked from [insert cookbook title here...Larissa??] This was COMPLETELY raising the bar 50 notches with taste, difficulty, plating, whatever else they say on those shows but you get what I mean. It was DELICIOUS!! So much flavor with each bite we all cleaned our plates.. So you can understand why I'm a bit nervous for next Sorella when I have to prepare dinner... I'll have to ask the Pro aka My Gourmet Mother, for some SERIOUS advice.
The chicken gets stuffed, rubbed and put in a casserole for cooking. Now, I have to tell you exactly what happened to get to the end result because we almost thought we had to order pizza... Nick and I pull up into the neighborhood to see tons of people standing outside chatting on their driveways... both of us living in the city we didn't think anything of it and just thought it was suburban living and everyone's all pleasant-villeish... Then we saw a generator at their neighbors.. but STILL didn't think much of it till we walked in their door and all the lights were off and candles were lite. For SOME reason the power mysteriously turned off and we were told 4 hours till it was back on. Larissa and Chris were ALL for pizza (they LOVE pizza) but Nick was drooling over the chicken and we started thinking of ways to cook it on the grill.. saute-ing it somehow, right AS we we're really getting disappointed BLING! It turned back on!!! Our gourmet night was saved!

Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breast:
Ingredients:

1 cup flat leaf parsley - finely chopped
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2-3/4cup parmesan cheese t.t
Grated zest of one lemon
dash lemon juice
Olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic t.t
coarse salt-n-ground pep
4-5 bone in chicken breast halves

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450F
In small bowl, mix parsely, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, lemon zest and some salt-n-pep
Divide mix into mounds according to however many chick. breasts you have
Carefully loosen chicken skin with fingers and tuck parsely mixture underneath (stuff as much as you like)
Rub olive oil on chicken
Season chicken with additional parsely and saln-n-pep
Place in a 13x9 in roasting pan or corningware with olive oil drizzle on bottom.
Squeeze some lemon juice over chicken (don't over do it!)
bake until skin is crispy, chicken is cooked through, and a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees in thickest part of meat. approx. 30-40 mins

Thanks Larissa!! :)

Spinach Pasta with Ricotta and Pine Nuts:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tsp butter t.t
1 LB spinach pasta (fettucine or penne)
Olive oil
1-1/2 LB baby spinach, washed
Fresh Garlic - minced
1 cup part-skin ricotta cheese
parmesan cheese (if desired)

Steps:

Toast pine nuts - set aside
Cook spinach pasta according to directions until al dente, reserve 1/4 cup pasta water
In a skillet, drizzle olive oil to coat bottom, add tsp butter then add spinach and garlic
Cook until spinach is wilted approx 4-5 mins
Toss spinach mix with pasta, add addtional tsp butter (add splash of pasta waster if noodles are dry)
Season with salt-n-pep
Toss with pine nuts and dollop of ricotta in the middle.

Larissa - Thanks for the recipes! You WOULD use the word dollop haha ;)

Marinated Pork Tenderloin and Baked Zucchini Sticks

2008-09-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor day weekend!! We sure had beautiful weather and I was lucky enough to soak up some rays by the finger lakes. Nick and I decided to cook a nice meal when we got back into the city, which didn't require tons of prep work, although I really wanted to make these Zucchini sticks (definitely a FroonWhanic mood). They ended up being realllllly easy and REALLY good!! We used Italian breadcrumbs that were "roasted garlic" flavoring... (you know Nick and garlic!) and made TONS which end up being a great snack to have around.

I decided to throw together ingredients to make a quick semi-homemade Marinara sauce. One problem... I used tomato paste and tons of onions and sliced cherry tomatoes that it was QUITE thick (which both of us LOVE but it was intended to be a dipping sauce, although in the end it ended up being perfectly delicious all chunky) ANYWAYS, we added some water to thin it out, but ended up "blending the flavors" and simmering it for so long that it did reduce quite a bit. It was still SO delicious and turned out to be easier to eat using a fork and knife with the zucchini sticks.

The Pork was all Nick's idea because I was feeling more of a Spicy mix and decided to let him take over the meat, since he IS the grill man. It helped that we defrosted the meat for hours so it was just like we brought it right home from the store. This was loaded with flavor and cooked so well on the grill it melted in our mouths. We both agreed it was the best meal we had cooked in a WHILE... but it seems like we always say that! Hey, we're good eaters!!

Pork Tenderloin Marinade:
Ingredients:

2 small Pork tenderloins
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 TBsp Worcheshire Sauce
crushed red pepper, ground salt-n-pep (Grill seasoning)

Steps:

Mix sauces and spice in bowl
Add Pork and sit min. 30mins, flipping it over occasionally.
Cook on grill!

Baked Zucchini Sticks:

Ingredients:

2 med zucchini
Italian bread crumbs (any flavor)
100% grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Garlic powder
2 eggs
Cooking spray

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Cut Zucchini into spears. approx. 3"x1"x3/4"
Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl, and mix eggs thoroughly in another bowl
completely coat zucc in egg mix, then roll and completely coat in dry mix.
Place on cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray, then re-spray zucc sticks before they go into oven
Cook 10-12 mins until golden brown. (Put more parm on with 2 mins left to go if desired)
Serve with Marinara sauce.

Where the magic happens!

2008-08-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Here's my Kitchen on a nice sunny day. I used a wide-angle camera so the size is deceiving... I have a built-in butcher block next to my oven but I always use a cutting board because I think it's weird/gross to cut food right on the wood.. right?

and there's my puke-green counter top (or lack there of) which totally clashes with my teal but I don't care.

This bright teal makes me happy :) 6246 - Surfer but if you use it you HAVE to send me a pic of the new room so I can post it :) and of course tell your friends who inspired you!!

Venison-Sausage Creole

2008-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Nick's Dad, who used to make this for Nick a lot while he lived at home. Nick missed it, and I love it too, so we decided to make it. Now, I realize I've been consuming a lot of sausage lately... but Venison is actually extremely good meat for you. It is high in protein and Iron, yet low in saturated fat; in fact, it is one of the 6 meats included in The World's Healthiest Foods.

The recipe calls for us to simmer the whole concoxion for 15-18 for the meat/veggie sauce to reduce a ton. Well... Nick doesn't have a top to his skillet... and I don't even have a large enough skillet... so this is what we "MacGyvered":
I know i know... it's a pan on a dirty stove, but we did make that mess ourselves so it's not like it's always like that. Nick also has a small kitchen like me; however he does have a dishwasher and plenty of counter space (even if it is stone-cold white!) Now you can imagine why he kicks me out sometimes when I linger around when he's cooking because within arms distance I can grab little tastes of things while he's making food... whops! ;)

The Venison Creole turned out fabulous and we did switch the egg-noodles to Penne Plus, and Saute the veggies with 2 TBsp of butter to Olive Oil... It's important to cut corners when you can and make meals healthier while still maintaining tons of flavor. Also, it calls for a lot of salt, which causes the final dish to not have to sprinkle or add any more. Do not add it into the mixture if you are worried about sodium content, and then add to desired taste with each serving.

This dish is awesome because the mixture reduces together over the stove for so long, and the juices get absorbed into the pasta when you mix them all together that it was PACKED with flavor (and a kick!). Thanks Nick's Dad! :)

Venison-Sausage Creole:
Ingredients:

1 LB Venison Sausage, divided
1 large Onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thin-sliced
1 Green Pepper, large-diced
2 large tomatoes, large-diced
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 TBsp Salt
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBsp Worcestershire sauce
2 TBsp hot sauce/chili sauce
1 LB Penne pasta/egg noodles

Steps:

Cook Sausage in skillet or dutch oven over med. heat, turning often until brown, about 10 mins. remove.
Saute onion, garlic and green pepper in Olive Oil until tender and browned. Add tomatoes, seasonings and sauces. Blend well.
Return sausage to skillet and bring mixture to a boil. Lower temp.
Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 15-18 or until mixture has reduced.
Stir in cooked noodles, and serve.

Stuffed Banana Peppers - Appetizer/Side - Family Dinner for 6 (and leftovers!!)

2008-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Lastly, on Friday-day at work I helped myself to 4 banana peppers someone else had brought in to share. Stuffed banana peppers are completely up my alley because they're hot, spicy, cheesy and I make mine with sausage.. :) here we go again with the sausage... SO, they were supposed to be part of the appetizer portion of our meal, but AGAIN I underestimated the cook time and they were served as a side with the meal.
Also, I made SO much of this we had to pile some up in orange peppers my parents also happened to have in the fridge, and still had enough to put in an oven-safe bowl as a spread. I would say dip but it was pretty thick.
THEY WERE HOT!!! But they were.. yes... fabulous! I'm definitely making them again this week while the peppers are still in season and perfect for picking!

Stuffed Banana Peppers:

Ingredients:

1 (8oz) package Cream cheese
1/4 cup Ricotta
1 cup parmesan
1/2 TBsp Garlic powder
Dash oregano
Dash dried parsley
Dash dried basil
Dash salt
1/2 TSsp red pepper flakes
1 small chopped onion
1/2 lb uncooked sausage

Steps:

Combine all ingredients and whip-it with a fork and fast motions till a thick light-pink mixture forms.
Slice peppers forming a "boat" and remove seeds.
Fill up boats, Bake at 375F until brown & cooked (approx 30 mins)

Zucchini Sausage Lasagna - Side - Family Dinner for 6 (and leftovers!!)

2008-08-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

For my part of Fridays dinner I wanted to use up some of this enORMOUS zucchini I got from someone at work. This is genuine home-grown organic beautiful zucchini so it had to be used properly. I found a recipe for Zucchini lasagna promoting it as a "Low-carb" recipe, however after I tweaked the ingredients up and tripled the amount of sausage, by NO means is this a low-carb except for having no bread or pasta in it. Nick said, "I love how when you find a recipe that has sausage in it you completely ignore the quantity and always double or quadruple it" :) yes... it is NO secret that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE sausage! Pork, chicken, turkey, stuffed with cheese.. anything.. I LOVE sausage...
Now that we have that out of the way... here comes the Zuc:

Like traditional lasagna it consists of meat layers, cheese layers and in this case Zucchini layers.

I pre-made it at my apartment to make-it-easier... however after 2 sink fulls of dishes and not the proper size baking dish... this could have been MUCH easier.. Needless to say I managed to make-it-work and it was to the tip top of the brim when it went in the oven.

After you arrange all the layers in the baking dish, everything is already cooked and pretty hot, it's supposed to go back into the oven for another 10 mins to melt the cheese on top (which I forgot to buy from Wegmans..) and have the layers mesh together and get super hot. Well, by the time we got to the house things were slightly cooled down and I thought (another key word here is I) that 20 mins in the oven would be fine. I sliced up some mozzarella my parents ALWAYS have in the fridge (we're Italian!) and threw it in the oven... Needless to say Nick was right when he said it needed a lot longer.. so our dinner time was a little later than expected but it still turned out fabulous and tasted SO good and VERY sausagey! :)

Zucchini Sausage Lasagna:

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups Zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick (approx 2 med.)
1-1/2 lbs HOT sausage
2 small onions, chopped
2 small tomatoes, cut up
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced (or use garlic powder)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
+1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more for snappiness)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt (to desired taste)
1/4 cup water
1 egg
3/4 cup ricotta
8 oz mozzarella, divided (or shredded mozz)
1 tsp flour

Steps:

Cook Zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Can either Boil or Bake.
Saute onions till brown, add meat until all cooked.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, water and all spices. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 mins or reduced and thickened.
In a small bowl beat egg, Add Ricotta, half the mozz and flour.
In 1-1/2 qt. baking-roasting pan arrange half the meat mixture. Top with half the Zuc, then all the ricotta mix. Another layer of meat on top and then zuc.
Bake uncovered at 375F for 30 mins.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Back 10 mins longer.

Note:

-Attention Mild tastebudders: I LOVE hotness and spicyness, So I add red pepper flakes and chili/cayenne powder to everything.. and lots of it...

Main Course - Beer Chicken! - Family Dinner for 6 (and leftovers!!)

2008-08-25T05:47:00.001-07:00

Friday night we decided to have a family dinner at my parents lakehouse. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with mid to high 80's all weekend and beautiful clear skies. Family dinner includes My sister Larissa and her husband Chris, my parents (of course duh..) and Me and my boyfriend Nick. We all enjoy cooking (well the ladies for gatherings like this) so each of us tackled something for dinner and I just realized I didn't even take pictures of Larissa's cheesecake lemon bars which melted in your mouth amazing... We had made it to the campfire by that point but I'll still post the recipe. ANYWHO, Mom made the main course which was Beer chicken.

Who would have thought such an easy way to prepare chicken could turn out soo juicy, flavourful and delicious! well... I KNEW it would because everything my Mom makes is superb, but typically it's more complicated and gourmet. SO she made a simple rub and coated the chicken inside and out. Put the chicken over this beer contraption you can get at Bed bath and beyond or other places like that.. Genesee beer of COURSE I mean we must support our local breweries!
One slightttttt problem however... it needs to cook on the grill for 1-1/2 hours on INDIRECT heat... key word here is indirect.. Nick and I arrived as the chicken had been on the grill a mere 20 mins which my Dad of course greeted us at the door, which also means the grill was unattended.. then we heard a screaming Mom "SAM!!" which means disaster.. We rushed down to the grill and the chickens were on FIRE!! apparently the burners were turned on directly underneath which caused the skin to burn to a crisp! My poor Mom was disappointed but the the meat still turned out tender popping with flavor and Fabulous!!! (I don't like the skin anyways, but everyone else said it still was really good)

Beer Chicken Rub:

Ingredients:

Coarse salt (from a mill)
Pepper
Paprika
Brown Sugar

Steps:

Combine all ingredients of equal proportions.
Rub all over uncooked chicken outside and inside.
Pour out (or drink) half the beer in a can and place on stand.
Push chicken over beer can and cook at INDIRECT heat on grill for 1-1/2 hours.

Note:

-You can also put a garlic clove inside the beer can for some garlicky flavor (thanks Amanda for the tip!)

Grilled Chicken Cheese

2008-08-22T05:55:00.001-07:00

Last night I got back to my apartment after golf at around 9:30... and in NO mood to cook after playing 9 holes in the blistering sun, walking with tons of beer (of course!) I was looking through the freezer and fridge and decided I wanted Grilled Cheese because 1. it's easy and 2. next to cheese quesadillas it's like my favorite thing to eat (i know i know) SO! Nick's always saying how things don't fill him up unless there's meat in it (which i TOTALLY beg to differ, but that's another post on another day) So I decided to use leftovers from the Crockpot Taco Chicken and throw it all together with Cheddar cheese and American cheese slices... and Franks and Bleu Cheese.. a necessity!!

We broke out the grill pan, which, I know it's NO grill, but it definitely does the trick and is better than using a skillet. I made them so meaty that they did take a while, but they were overflowing with cheese and flavor.

Now, Nick had no intention of coming over after Golf.. however when I start to talk about making food.. well he's there in a heartbeat. I've even gotten him to turn around after passing my house because I had just made a fresh batch of hummus (he LOVES hummus) and I was making Gin-n-tonics.. but that's also another post and another day.
So no it's not gourmet, but yes it's different, a good use of leftovers (which just shows how versatile crockpot recipes can be and also a good idea to quadruple the recipes) and it was EASY!

Grilled Chicken Cheese:

Ingredients:

Taco Chicken leftovers (or any type of chicken)

2 slices American Kraft Singles

1/4 cup slices or shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 Slices Whole wheat bread

Franks Red Hot

Bleu Cheese

Butter or Spray butter

Steps:

Put grill pan or skillet on med-low heat

Arrange Sandwich all together

Grill till cheese oozes out and everything hot and melty...

Rigatoni à la rouge

2008-08-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

So Nick decided he wanted to cook for me :) which is ALWAYS a treat because what kind of woman doesn't LOVE when her man makes dinner? He kicked me out of the kitchen a few times because I tend to start bossing around with what should go in where.. and start popping my head into the pots.. along with my little fingers to just take one littttttleee snitch! I just can't help it!

Anywho, by no means is this Nick's signature dish.. but it's something to whip up quick with a few ingredients. Chicken gets grilled up, which he's a PRO at! I swear he's been grilling since he could eat solid foods.. everything always turns out great, and well... it kicks my grill pan's butt!
He always takes the marinade juices and pours them all over the meat while it's grilling too... I think this makes an extra difference. I must mention that Nick LOVES garlic, and I do too for the matter, but when I was sitting with my apple asking him to list off the ingredients for my blog he said "don't tell them that I put that much garlic in this!" which just makes me laugh. Also, he's a cook-without-measuring type of person so thats why the recipe just lists ingredients, but it's easy enough to figure out with portions. Plus it makes a lot (we brought some for lunch!)

I wanted him to come up with a name to call this dish... he started listing cheap beer names.. needless to say he DID come up with this one and keeping with a french twist I really like it!

Rigatoni à la rouge:

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast Marinade:

Chicken Breast

Lemon juice

Chili Sauce

Oil from Pre-minced Garlic Jar

Pasta:

1 lb Rigatoni

Roasted jarred red peppers

Cherry Tomatoes

Balsamic

1 TBsp Garlic powder

White wine

1 TBsp Butter

1 tsp Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

Steps:

Place chicken and marinade together in a bag to soak. Then grill pouring marinade all over.

Chop peppers and quarter tomatoes into bit-size pieces. Place in aluminum foil with balsamic and garlic powder. Grill alongside chicken.

Cook Rigatoni and strain. Toss in Wine, Butter, Garlic and Olive Oil to taste.

Toss tomatoes and peppers into pasta with juices.

Cut Chicken into bite-size pieces and toss into pasta.

Serve with parmesan on top, enjoy!

"Fresh" Stew

2008-08-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

My sister came over for dinner and we decided to have some of the Stew I had made, since I do have a TON of it in the freezer... So I popped it frozen into a pot on med-low, covered, to allow all the juices to start flowing again and thaw it out.

After it got nice and bubbly hot I tasted it... What happend to this fabulous flavor from before? Was I not tasting it because my tongue was still burnt from the night before at Nicks house when I inSISted on taking some sausage from the BOILING-hot vodka cream sauce and popping it in my mouth? perhaps... At any rate it needed... something

... So what I did was run out to my little city patio where I've been growing some Basil and Cherry tomatoes all summer long, and now FINALLY the tomatoes are fresh for the pickin!!

I sliced and chopped them up and added it to the hot stew and let it bubble up for another half hour to make sure everything was soft and the flavors meshed together.

End result? SUPERB! We licked our plates clean! :p

I have been inspired!!

2008-08-19T09:40:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow Foodies!

I have recently read the book "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell... it's about this woman Julie who has a dead-end temp job in NYC, living in a dump with her highschool sweetheart husband, their 3 cats, horrible plumbing problems and rotten floorboards.. She's not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel with hitting almost 30 and being constantly reminded about her "ticking clock"... They're both Texans and after Julie has a nervous breakdown she goes off to visit her parents in Austin. Poking through her Mom's pantry she discovers one of the first Julia Childs Cookbooks, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1" and becomes inspired. She decides to cook her way out of her life "rut" and with the help of her hubby, starts a blog about the ups, downs and inbetweens of this year-long ordeal.

It's fabulous... since then she's become a legend and contines to blog:

http://www.juliepowell.blogspot.com/

so needless to say, she's inspired me to voice a bit of my witty personality to my blog.

For the few out there that have tapped into my wide assortment of recipes have noticed that I cannot possibly tackle a heroic escapade as she has, because my pallet is all over the place.. However, I will stop this initial "Online Cookbook" and actually turn it into a "Online Cooking Blog".. with yes... my ups, downs and in-betweens all mashed together in my tiny-teal painted kitchen with no counter space, dishwasher, or garbage disposal.

Doesn't this sound like fun?

The problem/question is where to start because I find recipes all OVER the place, sometimes I'll catch shows on food network but most of the time I get cravings for things and then just look online until I find something of my skill level, but mostly inexpensive.

Problem/Question #2 is I tend to ramble a lot... but whats the fun in blogging out in cyberspace when you have to have a word count limit? not fun..

Idea: I'll start off with my regular finding-recipes-out-of-nowhere-which-have-absolutely-nothing-in-common, or "FroonWhanic" (wow thats kind of freakishly cool how that worked out...) and then i'll take it from there and see what inspires me. I love cookbooks but the cyber world has made trillions upon trillions of recipes at our fingertips.. so why not take advantage of that?

ok...solved... here we goooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Healthy Veggie Stew

2008-08-11T11:30:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

32-38 oz water
Bunch of Celery
Head of Cabbage
2 small cans diced tomatoes/1 large can (feel free to use seasoned ones)
2 small onions
1 cup scallions
4 packets Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
Brown rice (optional)

Steps:

In a large pot, start heating water up. Add Lipton's Onion Soup mix and start chopping up veggies.
Chop everything as desired; tip: some food processors have a different blade which turns them into slicing machines!!
Throw all chopped veggies into pot and cook until everything is nice and tender. Approx. 2 hours.
For a healthy veggie stew leave as is; Add brown rice if desired.
Makes TONS and freezes well!

Roasted Chickpeas

2008-08-07T11:50:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Cooking Spray
2 cups, canned Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper; toss to coat.
Roast on bottom rack of oven, shaking pan about every 15 minutes, until browned and slightly crunchy, about 45 to 50 minutes. (The chickpeas will still be somewhat soft. Cook longer for desired texture.)
Cool before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken in the Crock!

2008-08-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
4 TBSP Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Jar BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup Diced Scallions
1 green pepper
2 TBSP Dark Rum (opt.)

Steps:

Slice Chicken Breasts into thick tenders 2-3 inches long. Lightly grill to 1/2-3/4 cooked.
Lightly grill or saute diced green peppers (and onions opt.)
Throw Chicken in Crock with Jerk Seasoning, BBQ Sauce, Scallions, and grilled veggies.
Cook High stiring frequently 4 hours.
Serve over rice, pasta or alone!

Sides:

-Cheesy Hash Browns

-Boiled Zucchini tossed with Olive Oil and salt-n-pep

Lemon Artichoke Chicken over Brown rice

2008-08-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
Jar Artichoke hearts with juice
Juice from 2 whole lemons
1 can chicken broth
Italian Seasoning

Steps:

Season Chicken with Italian seasoning and grill 3/4 cooked
In a glass baking dish, add Artichoke hearts and juice, lemon juice, and chicken broth.
Add Partially cooked Chicken Breasts to dish
Bake at 350F 30-45mins (depends on size of breasts and how grilled they were, after 25 mins cut through large part of chicken to determine rest of cooktime) Eyeball it and allow juice to bubble.
Serve over Brown rice with plenty of juice!

Cheesy Pesto Sauce over Rice

2008-08-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Fresh Basil Leaves
Tons of Olive Oil
Monterey Jack
roasted red bell peppers jarred
juice from a whole lime
garlic powder
1/2 med. onion - raw

Steps:

Combine all in Food Processor till fulled blended.
Serve over rice, pasta, or meat!

Chicken Teriyaki - Crock Pot

2008-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2-1/2 LB Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2in pieces
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp hot chili sauce (Franks) opt.

Steps:

Place chicken in crock pot
Pour soy-honey mixture all over, and add 3 whole cloves, Stir.
Cook Covered, low for 2 hours, stir, then cook another 2 hours
Remove cloves and serve over rice!

A Duck Hunter's Venison Dish

2008-06-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 LB ground venison sausage
1 tsp salt
dash black pepper
dash cayenne
2 TBsp butter
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 pkg. macaroni and cheese
2 cups (1 lb can) whole tomatoes, chopped
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2 cups frozen broccoli

Steps:

Season venison with salt, black pepper and cayenne.
Brown venison in butter in a large dutch oven
Add celery, onion, and bell pepper, cook till tender
Prepare mac-n-cheese dinner as directed; add venison with remaining ingredients and mix lightly. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Easy Taco Pulled Chicken Sandwich - Crock Pot

2008-06-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 packets taco seasoning
2 cans chicken broth
3 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
2 Green peppers & 2 med. onions, sliced and cooked on skillet (opt.)
Chedder cheese on top

Steps:

Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth.
Place chicken breasts in crock pot and pour chicken broth over.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Add green peppers to last 30 mins or until soft.
With two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-size pieces.
When serving use a spoon with holes to drain some liquid, it's very juicy!
To freeze, place shredded meat into freezer bags with the juices. Press out all the air and seal.

Other ways:

You can also cube the chicken (photo above) and serve with chedder cheese melted over with sour cream and hot sauce!

Lasagna in a Crock!

2008-06-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Italian Spicy sausage (feel free to use turkey/chicken sausage)

2 medium chopped onion

1 large (29oz) jar spaghetti sauce (or 1-28oz can tomato sauce & 1-6oz can tomato paste)

2 tsp Italian seasoning mix

½ tsp oregano

2 smashed garlic cloves

1 tsp dried oregeno

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt-n-pep

1 (15oz) part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Steps:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.

In large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Add sauce and seasonings, mix well, reduce heat to low.

In bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/4 of sausage mixture into slow cooker, top with noodles, broken to fit. Top with half of cheese mixture, then 1/4 sausage mixture and noodles.

Make another layer of cheese, sausage, and noodles, then finish with remaining sausage mixture.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours (high 3-4 hours).

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, cover and cook 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip - Crock Pot

2008-06-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

16 ounces sour cream

3 ounces parmesan cheese

14 ounces non-marinated artichoke heart (drain, rinse, chop)

10 ounces chopped spinach (can use frozen - thaw and drain well)

6 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded

Steps:

Throw into crock pot and cook on High for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Keep in crock pot to serve, set to Warm.

Italian Stuffed Artichokes

2008-05-08T05:28:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

2 lemons, halved

3 whole garlic cloves, smashed

6 large artichokes

1 lemon, juiced

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

4 tablespoons drained capers

6 ounces Italian bread, crust trimmed, bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 fresh Italian parsley sprigs, for garnish

Steps:

Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into a large pot of cold water; add the squeezed lemon halves and the whole garlic.

Cut off the top quarter of each artichoke and discard. Use a small sharp knife to trim the stem of the artichokes. Starting at the base, bend the tough outer leaves back and snap off where they break naturally, leaving the tender inner leaves. Trim the outside of the base until no dark green areas remain.

Cut the artichokes in half and then into quarters. Cut out the fibrous choke and small purple-tipped leaves. Submerge the artichoke quarters in the lemon water. Cover and boil until the artichokes are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain. Set the artichoke quarters aside to cool to room temperature.

Mix together lemon juice, herbs, garlic, lemon peel, capers, bread, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange artichokes, cut side up, on 2 platters. Spoon the tomato mixture into the center of the artichoke quarters, dividing equally. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the parsley sprigs and serve.

Jumbo Shrimp Stuffed with Cilantro and Chiles

2008-05-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

8 jumbo shrimp, in the shell (about 1 1/4 pounds)

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 large jalapeno, with seeds

2 scallions (white and green parts)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Steps:

Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium-high fire. Without removing the shells, slit about 3/4 of the way through the shrimp down the ridged back and remove the vein that runs down the center. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry.

Whisk thyme leaves, lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow nonreactive bowl or dish. Lay the shrimp cut side down in the lime mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, jalapeno, scallions, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a coarse paste. Add the cilantro and pulse just enough to incorporate into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the opening in the shrimp and close the shrimp.

Grill the shrimp shell side down (to keep filling from falling out) for 3 minutes. Turn to the other shell side, cover, and grill another 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are slightly firm to the touch. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Cook's Note: Shrimp cooked in the shells are more intensely flavorful. Leaving the shells on provides a buffer against overcooking, a misfortune many shrimp suffer. Shrimp, even these jumbos, continue to cook once removed from the grill. It's always best to cook them just until opaque and let the delicate shellfish finish cooking off the heat.

Jumbo shrimp in the shell can be a knife and fork sort of deal unless you're outside and it's summer and you are feeling very relaxed. Serve these with lots of napkins if your crowd is the peel-and-eat type.

Chicken Divan - Nick's Favorite!

2008-05-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken Breast
1 pkg. brocolli cuts
8 oz. can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
8 oz. mayo
1 Tb. lemon juice
Cheese on top or breadcrumbs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350, mix everything in 9x12 baking dish
Boil chicken, cut into cube chunks
Add broc. uncooked
Add soup, mayo and lemon juice, mix and stir in well
Cook at 350F for 35-40 mins.
In last 5 mins sprinkle breadcrumbs and/or cheese on top.

Roasted Potato Wedges

2008-04-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

7 large unpeeled Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 3 lbs.) cut in wedges

1 tsp Wegmans Cracked Pepper Blend

2 Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F

Arrange potato wedges in shaloow backing pan; sprinkle with pepper blend and drizzle with basting oil

Roast 20 min, until bottoms of potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Turn potatoes over; roast 30 min until tender.

Serve with Ranch or Blue Cheese dipping sauce!

Nutrition Info: Calories: 160, Carbs: 31g ,Fiber: 3g, Protein 4g, Fat: 4g, Sat. fat: 0g

Frozen Organic Peanut Butter Pie

2008-03-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

Better-for-you peanut butter pie

Ingredients:

1 package Silken Tofu

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1 9-inch pie shell

Steps:

In a blender, puree first 6 ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Pour mixture into pie shell. Decorate with semi-sweet shocolate shavings or curls.

Freeze for one hour. Before serving, let thaw for about 10 mins.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 380, Sat. Fat: 4.5g, Total fat: 26g, Trans fat: 0g, Sugars: 21g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 6g , 6% calcium

"Essence" Emeril's Creole Seasoning

2008-03-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Steps:

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Cheesy Rice Pilaf

2008-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell peppers

1 cup Brown rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen peas (opt.)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 pound fontina or mozzarella, diced

Steps:

In a heavy, medium saucepan, Saute the chopped onions and bell peppers in a few TBsp of chicken stock, and cook, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add rice, salt, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the rest of stock and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

(Optional) add the peas, cover and continue simmering until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the cheese and parlsey, and stir. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings

Red Pepper Hummus

2008-03-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 cup sauteed red peppers (or jarred!)

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 to 4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Steps:

Rinse and drain 1 can of the chickpeas. Place drained chickpeas in a blender and add red peppers, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin. Process until smooth.

Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with parsley.

Serve hummus with toasted pita triangles arranged alongside.

Spicy Hummus

2008-03-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

2 rounded tablespoons tahini sesame paste, found in both dairy and dry specialty foods sections

A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes

1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground cumin

1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground coriander

1 clove garlic, crushed

Coarse salt

1/2 lemon, juiced Pita breads, grilled and cut into wedges for dipping

Steps:

Combine beans, tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste.

Transfer to a small dip dish and surround spread with warm pita wedges.

Cranberry Chicken

2008-03-01T19:24:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix

1 (16 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce

1 cup French dressing

Steps:

Place chicken breasts in a glass or other non-reactive casserole dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, cranberry sauce, and dressing. Pour over the chicken breasts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350 F and bake for 45 min, or until done.

Alfredo Sauce

2008-03-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic, crushed

1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

Melt butter in a med. saucepan over med. low heat.

Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through.

Stir in parsley and serve

Nick Tahou's Garbage Plate

2008-03-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

-HOT SAUCE

1 med. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBsp oil

1 LB triple-ground beef

1 cup water

1 can tomato paste

1/2 TBsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp powdered cloves

1 tsp salt (to taste)

-Plate

8 frozen beef patties

8 slices white american cheese

4 cups beans

8 cups mac salad

1 med onion, diced

8 cups hash browns, cubed

2 loaves fresh Italian bread

30 pack Genesee beer

Steps:

-HOT SAUCE

In a large skillet, fry chopped onion and garlic in oil until soft.

Add meat, stirring constantly with fork to keep it's texture fine.

Once the meat browns, add water and tomato paste. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add sugar and spices. Simmer 30 minutes, adding water, if necessary to keep it moist but not soupy. Alternatively, you may use the griddle scrapings from cooking the patties to make this the Authentic Nick Tahou way.

Enjoy a taste of Rochester, NY!

Pasta Twist Salad with Olives

2008-03-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

12 oz. fusilli, penne or bow tie pasta

1 (6 oz) can Black ripe pitted Olives, drained and coarsely chopped

1 (7 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, cut into strips

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

1 (4 oz) cup diced provolone or mozzarella cheese

1 (4 oz) diced salami

1/2 cup light or regular Caesar or Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup sliced basil or chopped Italian parsley

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Drain pasta, add to bowl, tossing well.

Serve at room temperature or chill up to 24 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 461, Total fat: 22 g, Cholesterol: 34 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 17 g

Cheesy Hash Browns

2008-03-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 (2 Lb) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/2 cup melted butter

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (8 oz) sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt (to taste)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal

1/4 cup melted butter

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, cheddar cheese, salt-n-pep. Place mix in a 3 quart casserole dish.

In a med. saucepan over med. heat, saute cornflakes in 1/4 cup melted butter, and sprinkle the mix over the top of the casserole.

Back covered in preheated oven for 40 mins

Mexican Layered Dip

2008-03-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cup guacamole

1 cup sour cream, room temp.

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped black olives

Steps:

Spread refried beans in the bottom of a 1 quart shallow edged serving dish.

Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the beans. Layer the diced tomatoes over the beans, the sour cream over the tomatoes, and the guacamole over the sour cream.

Sprinkle the entire layered dip with cheddar cheese, followed by green onion and finishing it off with a layer of black olives.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2008-03-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 Lb lean ground beef

1 TBsp cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 TBsp soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tsp minced pickled ginger

1 TBsp rice wine vinegar

Asian chile pepper sauce (opt.)

1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil

Steps:

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful to not tear them. Set aside.

In a med. skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 TBsp of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to med. if necessary. Drain, set aside to cool.

Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chili pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 min.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and mile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Chicken or Steak with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

2008-02-29T09:42:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

-Balsamic BBQ sauce:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-4 pieces of Chicken (Any combo of breast, leg or thigh) or 4 pieces of Strip steak (NY or Club)

Steps:

-BBQ Sauce:

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

-Grill

Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush.

Place the meat on the grill. Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer while the meat cooks.

Cook the chicken about 8 minutes per side. Cook the steaks starting at about 4 minutes per side until a meat thermometer reads the desired temperature

Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with the heated BBQ sauce alongside.

-Bake (Chicken only)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.