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Friday, December 30, 2011

Best Tasting Roast Beef

It's all in the cooking method to make
the juiciest and best tasting roast beef.
This is how I do it at my restaraunt and
the roast will maintain at serving temperature
for a good five hours when cooked this way.
A good recipe to do around this time of year.

Ingredients:
1 Cut of beef to make a roast
12 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
All purpose flour
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Let beef come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the roast in a roasting pan.
Along with the peeled cloves of garlic.
Sprinkle beef with flour, salt and pepper.
Now spread prepared horseradish
over the top of the roast beef.
Put the beef in the preheated oven
and roast about 5 minutes per pound.
When cooking time is finished,
turn off the oven.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!
Allow the roast to remain in the oven
to finish cooking for about two hours.
The roast will have a tasty and crunchy
brown outside and an internal temperature
suitable for serving for as long as 4 hours
after removing it from the oven.

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Gourmet Waldorf Salad

Most recipes for Waldorf Salads taste good enough.
But I find them lacking that little extra somthing.
In this recipe I kick up the flavors a bit.
Adding some crispy bacon, lemon and horseradish!
This is one of my best recipes you must try.
From my kitchen to your taste buds...

Ingredients:
4 bacon stips, cooked and minced
1 half head Iceberg lettuce, choppped
1 red delicious apple, diced
1 green granny smith apple, diced
2 celery stalks, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
12 green seedlees grapes, halved
1/2 cup walnuts, chooped
1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of ground black pepper

Directions:
Place bacon between sheets of paper towels,
cook on high in the microwave until crispy.
Cut into serving pieces and place in a bowl.
Peel and core apples leaving some peel on.
Cut apples into serving size dice, place in bowl.
Peel celery stalks to remove the strings
thinly slice and place in bowl.
Peel and thinly slice red onion into bowl.
Cut grapes in half and you guessed it, into bowl.
Add in chopped walnuts, salt and peeper to taste.
In a seperate bowl combine Greek yogurt and mayonaise.
Add to bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.
Serve chilled inside a leaf of Iceberg lettuce.
Garnish with freash lemon zest and juice to taste.

I Luv NY Pizza
I Love New York Pizza

From the Dr. Oz show and website,
this makes one great tasting pizza.
I must admit though that I add some
canned anchovies when I make this.
Is it still a vegetarian pizza?

Ingredients:
1/2 lb whole wheat pizza dough
Canned crushed low salt tomatoes
1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
Fresh basil for garnish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cornmeal for sprinkling
Flour for dusting
Olive oil for coating pan

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface,
roll the dough into a 12-inch circle,
keeping the edges thicker to form a rim.
Place the dough on a lightly oiled
baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes,
just until starting to lightly brown.
Remove crust from oven and flip over.
Spoon crushed tomatoes evenly over crust
and season with salt and pepper.
Add your desired vegetables, including
peppers, onion, spinach and mushrooms.
Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and vegetables
are tender to crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Deviled Eggs
Stuffed Hard Boiled Eggs

12 eggs
3/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley leaves
Paprika for garnish

Directions:
Place the eggs in enough cold water to
cover in a large saucepan with a lid.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Immediately remove from heat, cover,
and leave for 10 minutes.
Drain off the hot water,
and run the eggs under cold water until cool.
Tap the eggs gently in several places
to crack and then peel.
Slice the eggs in halve lengthwise.
Carefully remove the yolks from the whites,
and place the yolks in a bowl.
Add the salad dressing, mustard,
lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Then mix until well blended.
Refill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture,
using a spoon or small spatula.
Garnish with parsley leaves, paprika
and chill thoroughly before serving.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Roasted Fresh White Grapes

Sweet and bursting with white wine flavor
these roasted grapes are a taste treat.
A good side dish and a great add in to
a bowl of ice cold vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
100 fresh white grapes
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place grapes in a roasting pan,
add and stir in wine, sugar, salt and vanilla.
Bake for 1 hour until the grapes are warmed and
the sugar wine makes a tasty syrup on them.

Homemade Big Mac Burger

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce,
cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
This is my recipe for making that burger at home.
The secret is in making that yummy special sauce.

Ingredients:
4 ounces 85/15 ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon prepared French salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sweet green pepper relish
1 hamburger bun
1 slice of white bread, crust removed
1 slice of an onion, chopped
1 slice iceberg lettuce, chopped
3 dill pickle slices
2 slices American cheese

Directions:
Place beef in a mixing bowl and
season with salt and black pepper.
Mix and form into two beef patties.
Heat a griddle to high heat and
cook beef patties until done.
In a mixing bowl combine yogurt
with French salad dressing
sugar, white vinegar and relish.
Assemble Big Mac by placing dressing
on buns and bread slice, along with burgers
pickles, onions, lettuce and cheese.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New Year's Stuffed Mushrooms

Yummy cheese stuffed baked mushroom caps
are first on my list to make for a really
great tasting New Year's Eve appitizer.


Ingredients:
1/2 pound torn fresh spinach
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
24 large fresh mushroom caps

Directions:
In a saucepan, bring spinach and water to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Drain; squeeze dry and finely chop.
Or use some frozen chopped spinach squeezed dry.
In a mixing bowl, beat ricotta and butter until smooth.
Beat in egg. Stir in Parmesan cheese, water chestnuts,
3 tablespoons pecans and chopped spinach.
Remove stems from mushrooms.
Place caps on a baking sheet.
Stuff with spinach mixture;
sprinkle with remaining pecans.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F.
for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Roasted Grapes and Green Olives

Imagine a grape that tastes like warm
white wine bursting open in your mouth.
With salty pimento stuffed green olives.
The salty olives have enough oil to
make this a gourmet treat all the way.

Ingredients:
40 fresh seedless white grapes
40 pimento stuffed green olives

Directions:
Drain liquid from green olives and
place the olives on a baking sheet
lined with paper towels to dry for at
least 4 hours or even better overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place grapes and olives in roasting pan.
Do not cover, bake for about 90 minutes.

Fresh Grape Pudding

Using whole seedless white grapes,
an egg/milk mixture that soaks into
some stale cubed raisin bread.
This resembles a bread pudding topped
with a layer of grapes that to my surprise
didn't split open as I thought they would.
The baked grapes taste like warm white wine.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups stale babka, cubed
3 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
40 seedless white grapes
2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter the sides of a baking dish.
Place cut up bread in dish.
In a seperate bowl combine eggs
milk and vanilla, pour over bread.
Push bread cubes down to soak up milk.
Place a layer of grapes over bread.
Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
Cover and bake for about 90 minutes.
Let cool some before serving.

Walnut Penne Pasta

I cooked plain penne pasta and tossed
in a few chopped walnuts right into
the salted boiling cooking water.
The pasta looked like it was wheat pasta.
This tastes good and would be a nice
blank canvas to add broccoli, asparagus or
any vegetable to make a good side dish.

Ingredients:
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound plain penne pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh walnuts
2 cups red pasta sauce

Directions:
Cook pasta per package adding in
chopped walnuts as the pasta cooks.
Drain water and toss pasta with sauce.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes
Apple Butter Milk Flap Jacks

I use boxed buttermilk pancake mix,
add in some fresh sliced apples
that are dusted in ground cinnamon,
with fresh cream to make fantastic
looking and tasting buttery pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups buttermilk pancake mix
2 red delicious apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
maple syrup to taste

Directions:
Preheat flat griddle to medium heat.
In a bowl combine cinnamon with sugar.
Peel, core and slice apples to about
1/8" thick and diced 1/2" in size.
Place diced apples in bowl with
melted butter, and cinnamon sugar mixture,
toss to coat apple slices all over.
In a seperate bowl combine pancake mix
and cream stirring to make a batter.
Add in some cold water if needed.
Add in the apples and get ready to
make the best tasting pancakes ever!
I like siver dollar size flap Jacks
because they is easier to flip but
what the heck,
make them what ever size you fancy.
Serve warm with maple syrup on top.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Baked Italian Chicken Fingers

At first read this is a complicated recipe.
Not so if you get all the ingredients set out
in the kitchen before making these appetizers.
I serve these crispy chicken fingers with a few
different dipping sauces, some Hot buffalo sauces
and some Creamy Ranch sauces with gorgonzola.

Ingredients:
1 fresh chicken breast, cut in strips
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl mix up the breadcrumbs,
ground black pepper, cheese and oregano.
In a bowl combine the butter and horseradish.
Dip chicken strips in melted butter mixture and
then dredge them in the Italian breadcrumbs.
Dredge the chicken again in the horseradish butter
and again in the Italian flavored bred crumbs.
Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and bake
for about 1 hour or so until crispy and done.

Green Bell Pepper Meatloaf

A moist good tasting meatloaf made with
green pepper, onion, oatmeal and beef broth.
Add in an egg, some herbs and spices to make
a good old family favorite comfort food that
slices really well for meatloaf sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
4 tablespoons oatmeal
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
4 slices white bread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 cup beef broth or stock
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dice green pepper and onion
and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add in egg, oatmeal, beef broth
and seasonings, mix well.
Cut up bread and using a food processor
pulse to make bread crumbs and add to bowl.
Add in the ground beef and pork
and mix well just to combine.
Place and form meat mixture in baking dish,
spread ketchup over top of meatloaf and
bake uncovered for a good 2 hours.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Red Lentils, Corn & Peas

This dish is so healthy for you and very good.
The red lentils turn a pale orange color.
All you need is a pot of simmering water,
adding herbs and spices to create a tasty side dish.
I add in a few slices of bacon for a flavor boost.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried red lentils
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup diced red onion
4 cups cold water
2 slices of apple smoked bacon
herbs and spices to your taste
sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions:
Place lentils, diced onion, frozen corn,
frozen peas and bacon slices in a sauce pot,
season with dried herbs and spices of your choice.
Cover lentils with cold water, bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer until lentils are soft.
Depending on which lentil, about one hour or so.
Remove cooked bacon slices, drain and serve warm
with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Rice and Ham Casserole

With peas, carrots and cream of celery soup
this is easy to make and tastes really good.
The rice gets all creamy and also a little
crispy around the edges.(That's the best part).
The rice compliments the saltiness of the ham.
This is a colorful and flavorful ham casserole.
I used deli sliced ham and it came out great.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup cooked ham, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour oil in a small roasting pan,
coat bottom with oil and heat on
top of stove just until hot, add rice.
Stir to coat rice, remove from heat.
Stir in carrots and frozen peas.
In a mixing bowl combine cream soup
milk and water and pour over rice.
Add and stir in ham, cover and
bake for about 1 hour until done.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Garbanzo Bean Cookies
Chick Pea Cookies

I made these using canned Chick Peas,
drained and pureed along with spices.
These make hearty cookies with oats and
a good amount of chocolate chips.
They are not a soft cookie but not
so hard as you have to dunk them.

Ingredients:
1 (15oz.) can chickpeas drained, rinsed
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large brown egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup regular oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the
sugar and butter on medium speed until smooth.
Beat in the egg whites and vanilla,
then the chickpeas and chocolate chips.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
Add in lemon zest into the cookie dough.
Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet,
spacing cookies about 1 inch apart.
Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in sugar.
Bake for about 12 minutes, do not overbake.
Remove cookies on parchment paper from baking sheet
to cool and then place in a sealed container.

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

Easy to make using store bought pie crust.
They taste good along with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:
1 (9") prepared pie crust
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste

Directions:
Let pie crust come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll out pie crust, sprinkle
with cinnamon, sugar and salt.
Roll into a log from one side to other.
Slice cookies 1/4" thick and the
place them on a baking sheet to bake
for about 10 minutes or so until browned.
They burn easy so watch how long they bake.
Remove to store in a sealable plastic bag.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Hot Shrimp Chip Dip

This is the best flavored dip to serve warm.
Put out some lime flavored tortilla chips and
watch this warm shrimp dip quickly disappear.
A big hit at every New Years Eve Party !

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup dried parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried flavored bread crumbs
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces real sour cream
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 cups shrimp, chopped
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large fry pan melt butter and add
in red pepper and onions to soften up,
but not to brown or burn the butter.
Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise and cheeses.
Stir in chopped shrimp, Old Bay and horseradish.
Bake uncovered in a casserole for 30 minutes.
That's it, serve warm...

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Fresh Kale Crisps with Gorgonzola Cheese

I just drooled on my keyboard yet again.
If I could moonwalk this recipe is what for.
Fresh Kale baked in the oven gets crispy.
Adding Gorgonzola cheese is a stroke of genius.
The cheese melts clinging to the kale chips.
I added some roasted garlic for the trifecta.
Sprinkled with the juice of one lemon and salt.
More drooling is happening here.

Ingredients:
2 bunches fresh kale
(one is not enough)
1 cup shredded gorgonzola cheese
6 cloves of roasted garlic
juice of one fresh lemon
salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place cleaned and destemed kale
on the baking sheet along with the
cloves of garlic and gorgonzola cheese.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Season with lemon juice and salt.

Fresh Popcorn Cereal

This tastes like puffed corn cereal
but is much better tasting and fresher.
Remember, no salt or butter in this.

Ingredients:
2 cups popped corn kernals
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup or more of milk

Directions:
Pop corn making sure it's all natural
with no salt or flavorings in it.
Place popped corn in a cereal bowl.
Let it cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle with sugar to taste.
Pour on the milk and enjoy.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Sauteed Sweet Potato Slices

I bake the sweet potatoes first and let
them cool before slicing one inch thick.
Place them in a hot skillet to brown some.
They have plenty of sugar in them which
makes them easy to carmalize as they fry up.
This makes for a good side dish with chicken.

Ingredients:
2 fresh sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Bake whole sweet potatoes in oven
or in the micrwave oven if desired.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle
cut into one inch thick slices.
Sautee or fry if you will in a
hot pan until browned on both sides.

Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter

Fresh mushrooms with sliced onions, olive oil
and ground black pepper, a super side dish.
Nothing could be easier to make or tastier.
Somtimes I'll add garlic or fresh parsley.
Serve along with pork, chicken or beef.

Ingredients:
12 ounces sliced mushrooms, cleaned
1 cup sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
a sprinkle of black pepper
add salt to your taste

Directions:
Preheat a large saute pan on medium heat.
Add in oil and butter, when hot add in
the sliced mushrooms and onions.
Saute turning frequently until carmalized.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Pork Roast

Marinated in a spicy garlic rub this
flavorful bone in pork roast is great.
Although you have to plan when making this,
it's easy to make and everybody likes it.
The fat on top gets crispy brown and it
actually tastes just like bacon.

Ingredients:
1 (5) pound bone in pork roast
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 cups water

Directions:
Wash the pork roast and place in
a resealable plastic bag.
In a mixing bowl combine seasonings
along with any herbs you desire.
Pour rub all over pork in bag,
seal bag and place in a bowl.
Refrigerate for up to two days.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Remove pork from plastic bag and rinse
almost all of the dry rub off of it.
Place pork fat side up on roasting rack in pan.
Sprinkle sugar on top of the pork and
pour 6 cups water in bottom of roasting pan.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes
then lower heat to 275 degrees F.
bake for 1 hour, add 6 cups water to pan and
bake for another hour, remove and let rest
15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Peanut Butter and Horseradish

You read that right, horseradish.
Tastes great on toasted wheat bread.
Surprise your family making Ritz crackers
filled with peanut butter and horseradish.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Directions:
Mix together and use as a spread on
bread or your favorite crackers.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Bacon Dumplings

One bite of of these tasty appetizers and
you'll wish you made more, a lot more.
Maple honey sweet with salt and pepper,
is roll your eyes and curl your toes good.
These are one of my football game day snacks.

Ingredients:
1 pound applewood smoked bacon
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 cup (about) Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup prepared horseradish

Directions:
Cook up the bacon as you desire by pan frying,
oven baking or even microwaving until crispy.
Drain bacon and pulse in a food processor
into tiny bits of salty bacon goodness.
Preheat oil in deep fryer to 360 Degrees F.
Combine bacon bits with maple syrup, honey,
brown sugar and black pepper in a mixing bowl.
Add in the Bisquick baking mix just to combine.
Deep fry until crispy brown and then serve.
I like to serve these with prepared horseradish.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Grilled Flat Iron Steaks

Marinated in red wine, rosemary and garlic.
And then grilled to perfection, black on
the outside and rare on the inside.
This recipe serves two people.

Ingredients:
2 flat iron steaks
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
Combine red wine, olive oil, garlic,
rosemary, black pepper and mustard
in a plastic resealable bag.
Add the steaks and marinate in
the refrigerator overnight.
Remove steaks from marinade
and bring to room temperature.
Light grill to high high heat.
Grill steaks 4 minutes per side.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Deep Fried Carrot Sticks

Julienned and dusted with ground cayenne pepper
then deep fried to be crispy sweet and hot.
Adding a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes
these carrot sticks something magical tasting.
I like to dip these in bleu cheese dressing.

Ingredients:
6 fresh carrots, peeled
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red cayenne pepper
oil for deep frying
balsamic vinegar to taste
salt to taste
bleu cheese dressing if desired

Directions:
Preheat deep fry oil to 375 degrees F.
Cut carrots into match stick size.
Place carrots in a bowl with flour, and peppers.
Mix to coat carrots with flour on all sides.
Deep fry carrots in batches until crispy brown
about 5 minutes and remove carrots to drain.
Salt carrot sticks to taste.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Garlic and Frozen Pea Soup

This is one of my favorite soups.
The egg brings it together with
the saltiness of the parmesan cheese.
Creamy and garlicky and oh so good!

Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons small soup pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions:
Bring cold water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a saucepan.
Add the garlic, olive oil and salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon).
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the green vegetables and pasta,
and simmer uncovered for another five to eight minutes until the
peas are tender and the pasta cooked al dente. Taste and adjust salt.
Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, and add a little freshly ground pepper.
Remove a small ladleful of the soup. Ladle into a bowl.
Top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.
Drizzle with some additional extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Roasted Vegetables

With the long and cold winter weather upon us.
Here is a simple recipe for roasted vegetables.
Use any veggies that you like to make a fine
medley of warm, good tastes from Mother earth.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables of your choice:
Onions, beets, carrots, parsnips, eggplant, fennel,
turnips, sweet potatoes, yams, white or red potatoes.
Celery, radishes, what ever you use is just fine to do.
I like to add in a lot of whole heads of garlic with this.
At least 3 tablesoons of olive oil or more to taste.
Chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan.
Place veggies in the roasting pan and roast
until they're brown and tender, about one hour,

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Orange & Vidalia Onion Salad

This is a simple salad with complex flavors.
Dressed with balsamic vinegar and not much else.
I like to use this salad as a base for a grilled
fillet mignon steak or a butter fried pork chop.

Ingredients:
4 Clementine oranges (or blood oranges)
1 or 2 small sweet white onions, peeled
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper
a sprinkling of salt if desired

Directions:
Cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges and
slice off the peels of the oranges.
Slice thinly, removing any remaning white pith.
Arrange orange slices on a serving plate.
Thinly slice onions and lay them on top of the oranges.
Pour enough balsamic vinegar and olive oil
on to the orange and onion salad as you desire.
Grind some fresh black pepper over top to taste.
And if you must, a sprinkling of salt.

Bacon Flavored Butter

With sun dried tomatoes this flavored butter
tastes amazing on just about anything it touches.
I like to even fry up some eggs over easy using it
for a great tasting bacon and sunny side up eggs treat.
You can wrap this flavored butter in plastic wrap and
refrigerate it to make bacon butter sticks.
I just put it in a seal tight container.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes, minced
4 slices maple smoked bacon
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Lay bacon on foil and spinkle with sugar
and ground black pepper to taste.
Bake for about 10 minutes until crispy.
Cut up bacon and pulse in a food processor
into very fine bits of sugared bacon.
Combine bacon, minced sun dried tomato and
softened butter in a mixing bowl.
Place in a container, seal and refrigerate.

Light Waldorf Salad

I wanted to make a lighter Waldorf salad
that didn't use any mayonaise in it.
I added some fresh grapes and avocado.
This is great to serve any time of year.

Ingredients:
1 Red Ida apple, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2 stalks fresh celery, sliced
12 green seedless grapes
12 red seedless grapes
1 fresh avocado, cubed
1 lemon
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1 bunch Iceberg lettuce, torn
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Place apples, grapes, avocado and celery into a
bowl and toss with juice from half of the lemon.
In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard,
honey and the juice from the other half of the lemon.
Serve the salad over the greens and drizzle
with the dressing, garnish with chopped walnuts.

Italian Pancetta Risotto

This is so creamy and good tasting.
The pancetta lends a nice saltyness and
fresh herbal flavors to this risotto.
Making risotto is not difficult to make
it's just a little time consuming as the
chicken stock must reduce down three times,
as the rice cooks, absorbs and expands.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cubed pancetta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup aborio rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
chives for garnish
lemon zest for garnish

Directions:
Use a good size soup pot on high heat
to render the fat out of the pancetta.
Add in the olive oil and then the rice.
Stir to coat rice in oil and then add
in 2 cups of chicken broth. Let reduce
down and then add in another 2 cups
of chicken stock to reduce down again
and the add in the remaining 2 cups
chicken broth and let risotto cook
until to desired doneness.
Add in butter and plate with garnishes.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Crab Toast

If you like Chinese shrimp toast
you'll love this this crab toast.
And I don't deep fry them to keep
the crab yummy and as good tasting
as possible along with tomato and
green onions on top of this appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Italian bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Jalapeno Peppers, drained, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1 Pound Fresh/Canned Crab Meat
3/4 Cup-Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup-Sour Cream
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the bread in half horizontally;
hollow out top and bottom.
Crumble removed bread and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter
over medium heat and add half of the tomatoes.
Add the jalapenos, garlic and cook for about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine the crab,
ricotta and sour cream. Stir in the tomato mixture,
the reserved bread crumbs and 1 cup of the cheese.
Spoon into bread shells. Place on an ungreased
baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Top with the remaining cheese and tomatoes.
Bake for 5-7 minutes longer until the cheese in melted.
Cut crab toasts into 1" or more serving size pieces.
Makes about 6 entree servings or 24 crab appetizers.

Scrambled Egg Bread Pudding

With apples on the bottom and slices of wheat bread,
the eggs soak into the bread and also create tiny
bits of scrambled egg bits that cling to the apples.
Many bread pudding recipes allow the pudding to
fall when taken out of the oven, not this one.
You can add in some dried raisins if desired.
This is real easy to make and tastes wonderful.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter
4 cups sliced apples
4 slices wheat bread
cinnamon sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a casserole dish.
Peel and slice apples, place in dish.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
In a mixing bowl beat eggs wth mil
then add in sugar and vanilla.
Cut bread into 1" pieces and place on apples.
Pour egg mixture over bread and let rest to
allow the bread to soak up some of the milk.
Press bread down into the egg mixture and
sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top.
Cover and bake for about 1 hour,
remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Remove to cool 10 minutes before serving warm.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Homemade Ritz Crackers

Today I wanted a peanut butter Ritz cracker.
Not a Ritz cracker found to be in the house.
So I came up with this recipe to make my own.
It's close to the boxed crackers but better.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup cold water

Topping:
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Put uin a food processor the flour, baking powder,
sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt and pulse to combine.
Add cold butter, pulse to combine.
Add vegetable oil. Pulse to combine.
Add water a bit at a time. Pulse,
until the dough begins to form a ball.
Roll dough out as thin as you can.
The thinner they are the more crisp
and cracker like they are.
Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out.
Bake until brown aqnd crispy about 12 minutes.
Season and drizzle butter and salt to taste.

Homemade Spiced Donuts

These are the best donuts in the world.
Baked in a donut maker, not deep fried.
I bet you can't eat just one!

Ingredients:
For the Batter:
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of allspice
pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons butter

For the Glaze:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves,
salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar together.
Add the egg, applesauce, maple syrup milk, and butter.
Mix well and put the batter into a large Ziploc bag.
Cut off the tip of the bag.
Fill each donut maker cup 1/2 full with batter.
Close and bake until done, about 5 minutes.
Remove and cool donutes to glaze.
Make the glaze begin by melting the remaining
2 tablespoons of butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar
in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the butter/sugar mixture to a boil and
allow it to boil about 2 minutes.
Do not let it burn; lower the heat if necessary.
Add 1 tablespoon milk allow to come to a boil again.
Add the powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick
add an additional tablespoon of milk.
Turn the heat to low and begin dipping
the top halves of the donuts.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Baked Chicken Nuggets

The best tasting chicken nuggets in the world.
There's no heavy breading on these nuggets.
These are marinated and baked, not deep fried.
This just might be the healthiest fresh chicken
nuggets recipe you'll find on the Internet.

Ingredients:
6 boneless chicken thighs
the zest of one fresh lemon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Vegetable cooking spray

Directions:
Place lemon zest, black pepper, paprika,
onion powder, garlic powder, and Old Bay
in a resealible plastic freezer bag.
Remove all skin and fat from chicken.
Cut chicken into nugget size pieces.
Place chicken in bag and shake, shake, shake.
Let chicken marinate in the spice muxture
overnight in the refrigerator.
Take chiken out to reach room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place chicken nuggets on a baking sheet,
spray top of chicken with cooking oil.
Place in oven and Bake for 45 minutes.
That's my recipe for the best dang tasting
baked not deep oil fried chicken nuggets.

Blueberry, Pineapple & Cheese Pie

Creamy Ricotta cheese lines the bottom
and blueberry pie filling covers the cheese
to make a colorful looking and tasty treat.
Placing rings of pineapple in the center
and filling them with some cheese filling,
creates a volcano of creamy goodness.
A slice of this open faced blueberry pie
topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream
is as delishious and as elegant as it gets.

Ingredients:
1 prepared 9" pie shell
1 cup dried blueberies
water
1 (15 ounce) can of blueberry pie filling
5 slices of canned pineapple rings
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Bring pie crust to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place dried blueberries in a glass cup,
add water to cover and microwave 5 minutes.
Drain and add in a bowl with blueberry pie filling.
Place pie crust in center of a 9" pie plate.
Arrange pineapple slices one on top of the other
at the center of the pie crust.
In a mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg and salt.
Carefully fill the center of the pineapple slices.
Then pou the rest of the cheese mixture on the bottom
of the crust around the pineapple slices.
Pour the blueberry pie fill all over the cheese and
around the pineapple slices.
Fold in the pie crust over the pie filling towards
the center of the pie. Sprinkle crust with
cinnamon sugar and bake for about one hour.
Until crust is browned and the filling set.