Stuffed Mushrooms

These are a great appetizer or side dish. For a more elegant appetizer top cooked mushrooms with a little bit of sauce and shredded mozzarella. Place under broiled until cheese melts and serve.


Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

10 large white mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs (use enough to fill mushrooms)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and pull off stems. Reserve half of the stems and chop them.
2. Saute garlic and stems in mixture of butter and oil. Add breadcrumbs and parsley and stir together just until breadcrumbs start to brown. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Drizzle pan with a little oil and place mushrooms in pan. Drizzle mushrooms with oil and fill with breadcrumb mixture.
4. Top each mushroom with a small dab of butter.
5. Bake at 350˚ for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Stuffed Mushrooms

These are a great appetizer or side dish. For a more elegant appetizer top cooked mushrooms with a little bit of sauce and shredded mozzarella. Place under broiled until cheese melts and serve.


Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

10 large white mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs (use enough to fill mushrooms)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and pull off stems. Reserve half of the stems and chop them.
2. Saute garlic and stems in mixture of butter and oil. Add breadcrumbs and parsley and stir together just until breadcrumbs start to brown. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Drizzle pan with a little oil and place mushrooms in pan. Drizzle mushrooms with oil and fill with breadcrumb mixture.
4. Top each mushroom with a small dab of butter.
5. Bake at 350˚ for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Mousse Roll for the Baking Challenged

So anyone who reads this little blog regularly knows how much I love bakespace. My new friend Danielle who I have met there shared this fabulous recipe with me. Of course, I managed to make a few mistakes but it didn't matter because at the end it all turned out so well. I made this a second time and it came out perfect! Thank you Danielle for helping me find a dessert recipe that come out good even when I screw it up!!!!

Don't forget that everyone's oven is different. I needed to bake the cake for an extra 5 minutes to cook it all the way through.



Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Pumpkin
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
3/4 cup All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Filling:

8 ounces Cream cheese -- softened
4 tablespoons Butter -- or margarine
1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla


Directions:


1. In large bowl, combine eggs and sugar, beating well. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, mixing until blended.

2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Add to egg mixture, mixing well. Spread batter into greased 10-by-15-inch jelly-roll pan lined with waxed-paper.

3. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for 15 minutes. Place cake on clean tea towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. Cool 10 minutes longer. From 10- inch side, roll cake up in towel. Set aside.

4. While cake is cooling in towel, prepare filling. Beat together cream cheese and butter; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth.

5. Unroll cake. Evenly spread filling over cake. Roll up cake (without the towel). Wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Slice before serving. Keep leftover slices refrigerated. This pumpkin roll freezes well.

Homemade Manicotti

Growing up Nanny made homemade, manicotti, ravioli, cavatelli and tagliolini. She made them all by rolling out the dough by hand. I remember when she made the manicotti and ravioli it seemed like it would take forever before we would start cutting (my favorite part because I could help). Nanny always said it had to be thin enough for you to see through it. In the past few years I have gained more knowlege about cooking and realized that what Nanny made were not really manicotti but cannelloni. Manicotti are crepes made from a very thin batter and cooked in a pan on the stove. Since I'm baking challenged and am not very good with a rolling pin this seemed like something I could do. I never thought I would be able to say I made homemade Manicotti but I did it for Thanksgiving! It was surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. Once you start making a few, you will get the hang of how much batter to use. It all depends on your ladle. You want the crepes to be very thin and delicate. Once you get that part down you're golden!

I used a recipe for the crepes from a cookbook I bought years ago when I worked at Barnes and Noble. It's called Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking by Frank Pellegrino. This recipe can be found on page 55. I only used the recipe for the crepe part. For the filling, I just went with what I know.

I made some small changes to the recipe. I used an 8 inch nonstick omelette pan and used much less batter than stated in the recipe. Instead of oil I used cooking spray and cooked them slighly longer than 30 seconds (at least it felt like longer). I got over 20 crepes which was probably because my pan was smaller than a crepe pan but the size was perfect in my opinion.

Crepes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Approx. 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used cooking spray)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. When well combined, whisk in flour until smooth. Set aside to rest for about 1 hour.

2. Heat a nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat. Lightly brush it with vegetable oil and return to heat. Pour a little less than 1/2 cup of batter into the pan, swirling to cover the bottom evenly. Cook for about 30 seconds or until it is just set and the bottom is lightly browned. Turn the crepe over carefully with a spatula or a fork. Cook for an additional 15 seconds or until set. Remove from pan and place on a piece of waxed paper. Continue cooking and stacking crepes until you have at least 14. The extra 2 will allow for breakage.

Filling:

I don't measure the cheese for the filling. I just taste it before I add the egg and add more cheese as needed.

2 lb container of part skim Ricotta
1 lb part skim Mozzarella block (of course fresh mozzarella can be used)
Locatelli Romano cheese approx 1 cup
parsley fakes
1 large egg
salt and pepper to taste
Marinara sauce, prepared (I used 2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes and had enough for two batches of crepes)

1. Mix ricotta, romano cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning according to taste and then stir in one egg.

2. Slice mozzarella into matchstick size pieces.

3. Lay crepe on flat surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of ricotta (more if larger crepe) into the center of crepe and spread out to edges. Add mozzarella to center. (If you cut them into long sticks which I did with second batch you only need one stick). Fold one edge halfway over and then fold the other side to form a packet. Don't roll them or they will be too thick. They should be sort of flat.

4. Spread a layer of sauce onto a baking pan. Lay manicotti side by side and arrange manicotti until the pan is filled. Add another layer of sauce on top and sprinkle with romano cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes and sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Manicotti can be frozen two way. Arrange rolled crepes on a wax paper lined pan and freeze for about 1 hour. Take out of freezer and put the frozen manicotti in a freezer bag between layers of wax paper. Store in freezer until ready to use. You could also prepare with sauce and place the whole pan in the freezer if you have the space. Let defrost and then bake when ready.

Homemade Manicotti

Growing up Nanny made homemade, manicotti, ravioli, cavatelli and tagliolini. She made them all by rolling out the dough by hand. I remember when she made the manicotti and ravioli it seemed like it would take forever before we would start cutting (my favorite part because I could help). Nanny always said it had to be thin enough for you to see through it. In the past few years I have gained more knowlege about cooking and realized that what Nanny made were not really manicotti but cannelloni. Manicotti are crepes made from a very thin batter and cooked in a pan on the stove. Since I'm baking challenged and am not very good with a rolling pin this seemed like something I could do. I never thought I would be able to say I made homemade Manicotti but I did it for Thanksgiving! It was surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. Once you start making a few, you will get the hang of how much batter to use. It all depends on your ladle. You want the crepes to be very thin and delicate. Once you get that part down you're golden!

I used a recipe for the crepes from a cookbook I bought years ago when I worked at Barnes and Noble. It's called Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking by Frank Pellegrino. This recipe can be found on page 55. I only used the recipe for the crepe part. For the filling, I just went with what I know.

I made some small changes to the recipe. I used an 8 inch nonstick omelette pan and used much less batter than stated in the recipe. Instead of oil I used cooking spray and cooked them slighly longer than 30 seconds (at least it felt like longer). I got over 20 crepes which was probably because my pan was smaller than a crepe pan but the size was perfect in my opinion.

Crepes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Approx. 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used cooking spray)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. When well combined, whisk in flour until smooth. Set aside to rest for about 1 hour.

2. Heat a nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat. Lightly brush it with vegetable oil and return to heat. Pour a little less than 1/2 cup of batter into the pan, swirling to cover the bottom evenly. Cook for about 30 seconds or until it is just set and the bottom is lightly browned. Turn the crepe over carefully with a spatula or a fork. Cook for an additional 15 seconds or until set. Remove from pan and place on a piece of waxed paper. Continue cooking and stacking crepes until you have at least 14. The extra 2 will allow for breakage.

Filling:

I don't measure the cheese for the filling. I just taste it before I add the egg and add more cheese as needed.

2 lb container of part skim Ricotta
1 lb part skim Mozzarella block (of course fresh mozzarella can be used)
Locatelli Romano cheese approx 1 cup
parsley fakes
1 large egg
salt and pepper to taste
Marinara sauce, prepared (I used 2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes and had enough for two batches of crepes)

1. Mix ricotta, romano cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning according to taste and then stir in one egg.

2. Slice mozzarella into matchstick size pieces.

3. Lay crepe on flat surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of ricotta (more if larger crepe) into the center of crepe and spread out to edges. Add mozzarella to center. (If you cut them into long sticks which I did with second batch you only need one stick). Fold one edge halfway over and then fold the other side to form a packet. Don't roll them or they will be too thick. They should be sort of flat.

4. Spread a layer of sauce onto a baking pan. Lay manicotti side by side and arrange manicotti until the pan is filled. Add another layer of sauce on top and sprinkle with romano cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes and sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Manicotti can be frozen two way. Arrange rolled crepes on a wax paper lined pan and freeze for about 1 hour. Take out of freezer and put the frozen manicotti in a freezer bag between layers of wax paper. Store in freezer until ready to use. You could also prepare with sauce and place the whole pan in the freezer if you have the space. Let defrost and then bake when ready.

Cornish Hens with Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing

This recipe was given to me by Steve's Aunt Melissa. I've been meaning to make it for a very long time but it never seemed to make the menu. Now that I've tried it I will make it more often. It was excellent! I can't wait to use this stuffing on a nice big oven stuffer chicken!

Melissa's Cornish Hens with Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:

6-8 Cornish Hens
1 lb Italian sausage (removed from casing)
1 large shallot chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic chopped
¼ c white wine
½ lb sliced mushrooms
1 pkg Uncle Ben’s wild rice
paprika
lemon juice

Directions:

Cook the sausage, shallots, and garlic in olive oil. When cooked, turn up heat and add ¼ cup white wine and ½ lb sliced mushrooms. Cook all together and put aside. Cook Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice (1 pkg) as directed. Add to stuffing and stuff hens. Rub Hen’s with paprika and lemon juice. Heat oven to 350 degrees and cover Hens with foil. After 1/2 hour remove foil. Cook Hen’s for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Mom's Sausage and Peppers

This is the BEST Sausage and Peppers recipe you will ever find! I'm telling you, it doesn't get better than this! Not just because she's my mom but because it really is that good!!! The sauce is so flavorful you'll want to soak your bread in it! My mom uses sweet Italian sausage but you can use hot if you like or a mixture of both. You could also use a combination of red, yellow and orange peppers (not green), whatever looks good that day or whatever you have on hand.

Mom's Sausage and Peppers

Serves 8

Ingredients:

12 pieces Sweet Italian Sausage, each sliced into 6 pieces
5 large red bell peppers, cleaned and sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
6 fresh basil, torn ( my mom freezes basil from her garden so she has it all winter)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large chicken fryer (large surface area with sides about 3 inches high) brown sausage in extra virgin olive oil. Remove from pan, set aside.

Add onions, garlic, basil and crushed red pepper and saute for a few minutes until onions begin to soften and then add peppers. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until peppers soften. Add browned sausage and stir together with vegetbales. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes.

Serve with some crusty Italian bread sandwich style or for dipping.

Mom's Tip - Cut sausage with a scissor instead of a knife. It cuts through easier without sausage coming out of the casing.

Tag - You're It!

I'm really bad at playing these tag games. I plan on doing it and then I get distracted and forget. Sorry!!! Anyway....I've been tagged by Pat over at Mille Fiore Favoriti and Bob at Cooking Stuff. Both of these tags are very similar. The rules of both of these tags are similar, one wants 6 random facts about me and the other wants 7 so I guess I'll do 7...aren't you lucky? ;-)

1. I can't stand cats. I know, you're all going to hate me now...I'm sorry. There is a reason, I assure you. Back when I was in elementary school I spent the night at my friends house. She had one of those cool day beds that hid another bed underneath. I was sleeping on the top one and she on the bottom but hers was lower than mine. I woke up to the cat watching me. I just stood still and tried not to move and the darn thing jumped on me! I screamed and jumped from the high bed over her bed to get to away from it. Everyone woke up scared but then laughed at me...I was embarassed and have been afraid of cats every since. They must know this because when I go to someone's house who has a cat the cat always follows me, I know it's just ready to pounce on me!!!

2. So, if you're still reading...here's my second weird thing. I eat my pierogies with apple sauce. I ignore all the strange looks and continue to eat them that way because that's how my Aunt taught me and that's how they like them. So there.

3. I am clumsy and have zero coordination. I don't even think I can properly throw a ball. I don't know how I walk sometimes. I would make a terrible waitress.

4. Speaking of throwing a ball...I know absolutely nothing about sports. Steve will explain the same thing over and over again. Poor guy thinks one day I'll remember the rules but I just won't. I can't, I have some sort of mental block. Blame it on my father and brother who never watched any sports!

5. I like to watch QVC with my mom. When I lived at home we would curl up under one of her afghans and watch Cooking with Bob on a sunday. Whatever she ordered for herself she ordered for me and my sister. After that we'd watch a lifetime movie.

6. I don't like "stuff" in my ice cream. I like plain chocolate with nothing on it. No sprinkles, or hot fudge, no nuts or m&m's just plain chocolate. Sometimes if I'm feeling a little "wild" I'll thrown some corn pops on it...then it tastes like an ice cream cone.

7. The smell of a car's exhaust reminds me of the ice-cream truck. I guess when I was a child and was short (not that I'm much taller now at 5'2") my nose reached the exhaust and now I associate that smell with being a kid on a summer day in Brooklyn.

So here are the rules of the game:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules.
3. Write 6 (or 7) random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they were tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry has been published.

Can I have a drumroll please.....

I am tagging...

1. Lucy from Sweet, Savories, etc. Lucy is an excellent cook. She could be part of my family since we cook so much alike. Not only does she have some fantastic recipes but she also very sweet and helpful!

2. Lisa from Lime in the Coconut has some great easy recipes on her blog with some great pictures. If you haven't seen her blog yet you need to check it out! Oh and I have to add that everytime I see the title of her blog I can't stop singing in my head!

3. Deborah from Jersey Bites, A quest for food with attitude has her own social network for New Jersey foodies! She has some great giveaways on her blog and some wonderful recipes as well!

4. Katie of Good Things Catered
has menus for all occasions. If you think entertaining is hard, fear not, Katie gives you the recipes you need to pull it off!

5. Chelle over at Brown Eyed Baker will make you drool when you look at the pictures of the goodies she makes. She has more than desserts and breads on her blog but I can't seem to take my "green eyes" off the sweets!

6. Jonny and Nikki from Sunday Sauce are an adorable young Italian couple who live in New Jersey. The love to cook and eat and often review local restaurants. Check out their blog and urge them to post more often!!!

Just want you all to know that I've tagged you because I really enjoy reading your blog. So even though there isn't an actual award with this tag, know that you get a gold star in my book!!!

Alright everyone, start tagging, you're IT!!!

Tag - You're It!

I'm really bad at playing these tag games. I plan on doing it and then I get distracted and forget. Sorry!!! Anyway....I've been tagged by Pat over at Mille Fiore Favoriti and Bob at Cooking Stuff. Both of these tags are very similar. The rules of both of these tags are similar, one wants 6 random facts about me and the other wants 7 so I guess I'll do 7...aren't you lucky? ;-)

1. I can't stand cats. I know, you're all going to hate me now...I'm sorry. There is a reason, I assure you. Back when I was in elementary school I spent the night at my friends house. She had one of those cool day beds that hid another bed underneath. I was sleeping on the top one and she on the bottom but hers was lower than mine. I woke up to the cat watching me. I just stood still and tried not to move and the darn thing jumped on me! I screamed and jumped from the high bed over her bed to get to away from it. Everyone woke up scared but then laughed at me...I was embarassed and have been afraid of cats every since. They must know this because when I go to someone's house who has a cat the cat always follows me, I know it's just ready to pounce on me!!!

2. So, if you're still reading...here's my second weird thing. I eat my pierogies with apple sauce. I ignore all the strange looks and continue to eat them that way because that's how my Aunt taught me and that's how they like them. So there.

3. I am clumsy and have zero coordination. I don't even think I can properly throw a ball. I don't know how I walk sometimes. I would make a terrible waitress.

4. Speaking of throwing a ball...I know absolutely nothing about sports. Steve will explain the same thing over and over again. Poor guy thinks one day I'll remember the rules but I just won't. I can't, I have some sort of mental block. Blame it on my father and brother who never watched any sports!

5. I like to watch QVC with my mom. When I lived at home we would curl up under one of her afghans and watch Cooking with Bob on a sunday. Whatever she ordered for herself she ordered for me and my sister. After that we'd watch a lifetime movie.

6. I don't like "stuff" in my ice cream. I like plain chocolate with nothing on it. No sprinkles, or hot fudge, no nuts or m&m's just plain chocolate. Sometimes if I'm feeling a little "wild" I'll thrown some corn pops on it...then it tastes like an ice cream cone.

7. The smell of a car's exhaust reminds me of the ice-cream truck. I guess when I was a child and was short (not that I'm much taller now at 5'2") my nose reached the exhaust and now I associate that smell with being a kid on a summer day in Brooklyn.

So here are the rules of the game:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules.
3. Write 6 (or 7) random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they were tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry has been published.

Can I have a drumroll please.....

I am tagging...

1. Lucy from Sweet, Savories, etc. Lucy is an excellent cook. She could be part of my family since we cook so much alike. Not only does she have some fantastic recipes but she also very sweet and helpful!

2. Lisa from Lime in the Coconut has some great easy recipes on her blog with some great pictures. If you haven't seen her blog yet you need to check it out! Oh and I have to add that everytime I see the title of her blog I can't stop singing in my head!

3. Deborah from Jersey Bites, A quest for food with attitude has her own social network for New Jersey foodies! She has some great giveaways on her blog and some wonderful recipes as well!

4. Katie of Good Things Catered
has menus for all occasions. If you think entertaining is hard, fear not, Katie gives you the recipes you need to pull it off!

5. Chelle over at Brown Eyed Baker will make you drool when you look at the pictures of the goodies she makes. She has more than desserts and breads on her blog but I can't seem to take my "green eyes" off the sweets!

6. Jonny and Nikki from Sunday Sauce are an adorable young Italian couple who live in New Jersey. The love to cook and eat and often review local restaurants. Check out their blog and urge them to post more often!!!

Just want you all to know that I've tagged you because I really enjoy reading your blog. So even though there isn't an actual award with this tag, know that you get a gold star in my book!!!

Alright everyone, start tagging, you're IT!!!

Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli and A Happy 30th Bday to Steve!

I've been so busy this past week with Steve's birthday that I haven't had a chance to post but I have been taking pictures. Let me start by wishing my other half, Steve, a very Happy Birthday! I love you! XOXOXOX




Now about the food. While visiting with Steve's parents this past weekend I noticed a cookbook on the bookshelf that I have never seen before. It's called "Eat Right, East Well - The Italian Way" by Edward Giobbi and Richard Wolff, M.D. There are a ton of wonderful recipes in this book and I look forward to trying more. I made very slight variations to the recipe because I wanted to use what I had on hand but nothing that really would compromise the end result. This recipe can be found on page 138-139 of the cookbook.

Pasta with Chicken Breasts

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:


1 whole chicken breast, cut into strips about 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound tubular pasta, such as ziti, rigatoni, or penne
6 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons pesto (page 426)

Directions:

Marinate cut-up chicken breasts with garlic, soy sauce, pepper and lemon juice for several hours.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for several minutes over high heat. Add marinade and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds or more. turn off heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt and potatoes. When water returns to a boil, add pasta. Stir, cook about 4 minutes, then add broccoli and cook until pasta is done al dente. Drain. Reserve some of the water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup - and mix with the pesto until it has a thin saucelike consistency. Add to pasta and vegetables in a large serving bowl. Add chicken and juices and toss.

Pesto - page 426

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup walnut meats
4 cups tightly packed fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Put in a jar, add 1/2 inch oil on top of pesto , and refrigerate. It will last all winter.


My changes were simple. I did NOT use this recipe for pesto. I included it here because it is a part of the recipe and I want you to have the option. I have my own recipe for Pesto but I didn't follow that either because I didn't have a lot of basil. So I basically just added the basil I did have (less than a cup), 1/4 cup parsley, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup romano cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and extra virgin olive oil. I used my normal recipe as a guide and used less since I didn't have a lot of basil. It worked and it was delicious. So don't be afraid to make this if you don't have pesto or don't have all the ingredients for pesto.

When I cooked the broccoli it broke down a lot, almost to the consistency of the broccoli in a broccoli soup, so to me this was almost like a broccoli pesto. I loved that and I think that's the way it's supposed to be but then again there was no picture so I don't know for sure. Either way, I liked this dish the way it came out and I would definitely make it again.

Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli and A Happy 30th Bday to Steve!

I've been so busy this past week with Steve's birthday that I haven't had a chance to post but I have been taking pictures. Let me start by wishing my other half, Steve, a very Happy Birthday! I love you! XOXOXOX




Now about the food. While visiting with Steve's parents this past weekend I noticed a cookbook on the bookshelf that I have never seen before. It's called "Eat Right, East Well - The Italian Way" by Edward Giobbi and Richard Wolff, M.D. There are a ton of wonderful recipes in this book and I look forward to trying more. I made very slight variations to the recipe because I wanted to use what I had on hand but nothing that really would compromise the end result. This recipe can be found on page 138-139 of the cookbook.

Pasta with Chicken Breasts

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:


1 whole chicken breast, cut into strips about 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound tubular pasta, such as ziti, rigatoni, or penne
6 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons pesto (page 426)

Directions:

Marinate cut-up chicken breasts with garlic, soy sauce, pepper and lemon juice for several hours.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for several minutes over high heat. Add marinade and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds or more. turn off heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt and potatoes. When water returns to a boil, add pasta. Stir, cook about 4 minutes, then add broccoli and cook until pasta is done al dente. Drain. Reserve some of the water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup - and mix with the pesto until it has a thin saucelike consistency. Add to pasta and vegetables in a large serving bowl. Add chicken and juices and toss.

Pesto - page 426

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup walnut meats
4 cups tightly packed fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Put in a jar, add 1/2 inch oil on top of pesto , and refrigerate. It will last all winter.


My changes were simple. I did NOT use this recipe for pesto. I included it here because it is a part of the recipe and I want you to have the option. I have my own recipe for Pesto but I didn't follow that either because I didn't have a lot of basil. So I basically just added the basil I did have (less than a cup), 1/4 cup parsley, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup romano cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and extra virgin olive oil. I used my normal recipe as a guide and used less since I didn't have a lot of basil. It worked and it was delicious. So don't be afraid to make this if you don't have pesto or don't have all the ingredients for pesto.

When I cooked the broccoli it broke down a lot, almost to the consistency of the broccoli in a broccoli soup, so to me this was almost like a broccoli pesto. I loved that and I think that's the way it's supposed to be but then again there was no picture so I don't know for sure. Either way, I liked this dish the way it came out and I would definitely make it again.

Bruschetta

Anyone who likes to go out to Italian restaurants knows what Bruschetta is. It's not difficult to make and most Italian restaurants have their own way of making it. This recipe was created to use all the ingredients that Steve and I love. I try to add kalamata olives to dishes whenever I can and in this recipe it makes perfect sense. I usually melt fontina cheese on the toasted bread and then top it with the tomato mixture. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. This time I didn't because it was a last minute decision to make the bruschetta and I used what ingredients I had, however, the cheese makes this unique bruschetta even better.


Michele and Steve’s Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 French baguette
5 plum tomatoes, seeded, and finely chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic- finely chopped (or to taste, depends on size of cloves)
1 small red onion
10 leaves basil, chiffonade
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Fontina cheese thinly sliced

Mix tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, garlic, onion, basil, and olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Slice bread and bake or broil on high until lightly toasted. (Keep an eye on it...it will burn quickly) Place one slice Fontina on each slice, bake or broil until melted and bubbling. Add about one tablespoon of brushetta to each slice of bread.

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

Anyone who likes to go out to Italian restaurants knows what Bruschetta is. It's not difficult to make and most Italian restaurants have their own way of making it. This recipe was created to use all the ingredients that Steve and I love. I try to add kalamata olives to dishes whenever I can and in this recipe it makes perfect sense. I usually melt fontina cheese on the toasted bread and then top it with the tomato mixture. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. This time I didn't because it was a last minute decision to make the bruschetta and I used what ingredients I had, however, the cheese makes this unique bruschetta even better.


Michele and Steve’s Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 French baguette
5 plum tomatoes, seeded, and finely chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic- finely chopped (or to taste, depends on size of cloves)
1 small red onion
10 leaves basil, chiffonade
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Fontina cheese thinly sliced

Mix tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, garlic, onion, basil, and olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Slice bread and bake or broil on high until lightly toasted. (Keep an eye on it...it will burn quickly) Place one slice Fontina on each slice, bake or broil until melted and bubbling. Add about one tablespoon of brushetta to each slice of bread.

Enjoy!

Pasta Bella Familia

A couple of weeks ago my Mother and Father went on a cruise with our cousins, Jane and Pat from Arizona. The night they arrived we knew they would be hungry after all that traveling. This is the dish I created for us all to share together the night before they left for their cruise. It took me a while to write up the recipe and now that it's been a few weeks I'm hoping that I didn't leave anything out. It's actually pretty basic and any vegetable can be substituted, so it would be fine to use this recipe as a guide.

I'd like to give a special thank you to Jane, Pat and the rest of my family for inspiring this delicious dish!


Pasta Bella Familia

Ingredients:

2 packages cremini mushrooms
2 cans artichoke hearts
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bags spinach, chopped
1 handful parsley, chopped
Approx 1 cup white wine
chicken broth
2 pounds penne
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté onions and garlic in a combination of extra virgin olive oil and oil from sundried tomatoes. Add mushrooms and try not to stir too much so they will get some color. Once they are soft add tomatoes and cook until they break down and become soft and release their liquid. Add sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives. Let them heat through and then add spinach tossing until coated with oil. Add more oil as needed. Add white wine and let it cook down until liquid has reduced by about half, then add chicken broth. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Toss pasta with veggies and parsley.

Note: Vegetable broth can be substitued for chicken broth if you are vegetarian.

Nanny's Baked Rice and A Rice Cooker

Fridays during lent are always meat free for Catholics and when you get tired of pizza or ailo oilo (pasta with garlic and oil) you need to use a bit of creativity. Nanny would make some white rice, mix it with sauce, mozzarella and grated cheese, put it in a pyrex, top it with some breadcrumbs and bake it until the top becomes crispy. It was always very satisfying for me. When I decided to make this for Steve the first time I knew that he would want a little more added to it for it to be considrered a whole meal. That's how I came up with this. Nanny's version is like a rice ball and mine is like a sicilian rice ball. Make this either way or both ways, they are both great. If you don't like peas you can leave them out or put less in. When I made this last night I only had a couple of handfuls of peas in my freezer and it was still great.

Thanks to my friends over at Bakespace I purchased a rice cooker and used it for the first time yesterday. Eric found this great deal for a 3 cup rice cooker for only $9.99!!!



It was great! I never have to worry about my rice being too mushy ever again! The best part is that it's small enough for me to find a space for in the closet. That was my biggest concern but it turned out to not to be an issue at all. Thanks Eric and all my bakespace friends!

Nanny's Baked Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup of white rice, uncooked
1 can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 lb 85% ground beef
1 small package of frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 package of shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese, to taste
Italian Style breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cook rice, set aside. Meanwhile in a small saucepan sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add basil and let it cook for 1 minute to let flavor release. Add tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar; if too thick add a little water (swish in can). Let cook for 30 to 40 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. While sauce is cooking prepare ground beef. Season beef with salt pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and brown in a nonstick pan (no oil needed if using a nonstick pan). Be sure to constantly break up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain fat. Ladle a little sauce on the bottom of a large rectangular Pyrex dish to prevent rice from sticking. In a large bowl combine rice, mozzarella, ground beef, peas and Parmesan cheese, adding a little sauce at a time. Do not want it to be too wet or too dry. May not need to use all the sauce. Add mixture to baking dish, spreading out and pressing down with spatula. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Place under broiler to crisp the top if necessary

Nanny's Baked Rice and A Rice Cooker

Fridays during lent are always meat free for Catholics and when you get tired of pizza or ailo oilo (pasta with garlic and oil) you need to use a bit of creativity. Nanny would make some white rice, mix it with sauce, mozzarella and grated cheese, put it in a pyrex, top it with some breadcrumbs and bake it until the top becomes crispy. It was always very satisfying for me. When I decided to make this for Steve the first time I knew that he would want a little more added to it for it to be considrered a whole meal. That's how I came up with this. Nanny's version is like a rice ball and mine is like a sicilian rice ball. Make this either way or both ways, they are both great. If you don't like peas you can leave them out or put less in. When I made this last night I only had a couple of handfuls of peas in my freezer and it was still great.

Thanks to my friends over at Bakespace I purchased a rice cooker and used it for the first time yesterday. Eric found this great deal for a 3 cup rice cooker for only $9.99!!!



It was great! I never have to worry about my rice being too mushy ever again! The best part is that it's small enough for me to find a space for in the closet. That was my biggest concern but it turned out to not to be an issue at all. Thanks Eric and all my bakespace friends!

Nanny's Baked Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup of white rice, uncooked
1 can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 lb 85% ground beef
1 small package of frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 package of shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese, to taste
Italian Style breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cook rice, set aside. Meanwhile in a small saucepan sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add basil and let it cook for 1 minute to let flavor release. Add tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar; if too thick add a little water (swish in can). Let cook for 30 to 40 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. While sauce is cooking prepare ground beef. Season beef with salt pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and brown in a nonstick pan (no oil needed if using a nonstick pan). Be sure to constantly break up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain fat. Ladle a little sauce on the bottom of a large rectangular Pyrex dish to prevent rice from sticking. In a large bowl combine rice, mozzarella, ground beef, peas and Parmesan cheese, adding a little sauce at a time. Do not want it to be too wet or too dry. May not need to use all the sauce. Add mixture to baking dish, spreading out and pressing down with spatula. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Place under broiler to crisp the top if necessary

Poor Man's Carbonara

I expected election day to be a long night that wouldn't give me any time to cook. On the news they talked about the lines and all of the people who waited hours to cast their vote. Luckily for us we only waited for 5 minutes at the firehouse and that made me happy but I didn't have anything planned for dinner. After a quick rummage through the fridge I decided that I could make carbonara...without the bacon/pancetta. I never keep bacon on hand and I didn't have anymore pancetta so I figured, what the heck and made it anyway. Honestly, it didn't NEED the bacon in my opinion and considering that Steve finished off the rest of the pound of pasta, he didn't need the bacon either! So the next time you're looking to whip up something fast and don't have all the ingredients, it's okay. As long as the ingredients that you do have are fresh and can stand on their own you'll be okay.

It really doesn't get any easier than this and it's great for the vegetarians in your life!


Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
4 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
1 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
1/2 cup locatelli romano, grated
salt pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water.
2. While pasta cooks scramble eggs in a bowl with milk (I used skim plus).
3. Drain pasta and add butter and a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pasta pot. Add cooked pasta and slowly add in eggs, tossing around to coat the pasta. Add the cheese, pepper and parsley. Toss until well coated.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichokes - Do not be afraid!

I can clearly remember the first time I ever had an artichoke. I was probably about 7 years old and I was extremely picky. It was either Thanksgiving or Christmas and my whole family was sitting around the dining room table. My brother told me he was going to show me how to eat one and since I was always looking for attention from my older brother or sister I wasn't going to say no. In case you never had an artichoke this is how you eat it. Pick off a leaf and use your front teeth to scrape the stuffing and the meat of the leaves off while pulling the leaf away from you. I know some people are put off by eating with their hands or have no idea what to do with an artichoke but hopefully this will help you to see how easy it is. Don't miss out on another artichoke!!!

I make artichokes two different ways, the way my mother taught me and another way that I picked up when I became interested in cooking. My mother keeps most of the artichoke in tact and only cuts of the tops of the artichoke and removes the stem to make a flat surface. Keeping the outer leaves on gives you more leaves for stuffing but those outer leaves aren't as tender as the inner leaves. The other way is to remove most of the tougher outer leaves. You will have less leaves to stuff but practically all of the leaves will be completely edible. Another difference between these two methods are the preparation of the heart of the artichoke. The heart is the bottom of the artichoke which is extremely tender and creamy. This is what you find in cans and frozen in the supermarket. They have some leaves attached and are cut into pieces. I use them in many dishes. So my mother's method leaves the heart completely in tact. Once you get to the heart you use your spoon or knife to remove the choke. The choke MUST NOT be eaten. You seriously will choke on it if you try to eat it. The 2nd method is to use your spoon to remove the purplish leaves from the heart and scrape out the choke before cooking. This gives you a nice hole in the center for stuffing. Either way you chose to make them (and these are not the only two ways!) they will be great. I love artichokes they can be fun, they can be elegant but most of all they are delicious!

I am unable to give you amounts for the stuffing because it really depends on your preference. Some people like a lot of stuffing and some people like very little or no stuffing at all. It also depends on how large your artichokes are and if you are removing the choke and some inner leaves. You'll need more stuffing for the center. So just use this as a guide, I have faith in you!


Ingredients:

Artichokes - cleaned and prepared for stuffing and stems removed and peeled
Plain breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs
Locatelli Romano cheese, grated
onion, cut into small pieces
garlic, minced
fresh parsley, chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano, cut into small pieces
garlic powder
chicken broth or chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil


1. Prepare artichokes by one of the methods described above. Wash them out and drain. Artichokes will turn black once they are cut. You can put them in a bowl with lemon to stop them from oxidizing and turning or you can just ignore it b/c you won't notice that once they are cooked.

2. If using plain breadcrumbs season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and some Romano cheese. If using the seasoned breadcrumbs just add the cheese.

3. Spread the leaves open with your thumb but be careful no to break off those leaves. Stuff the artichoke with breadcrumbs, chopped garlic, onion, parsley and pieces of parmigiano reggiano. Add this stuffing between the leaves and in the center.

4. Once all artichokes are stuffed put them in a pot and fill with water (or chicken broth) until halfway up the artichoke. Make sure they are in a pot that fits the artichokes in tightly. This prevents the artichokes from falling apart once they become tender. If you have too much space in between your artichokes and can't go down to a smaller pot use this tip. Peel a potato (or as many as you need) and add it the pot standing upright. The potatoes get a wonderful flavor and can be served along with the artichokes. Add the artichoke stems in between the artichokes wherever you can fit them. Don't throw these away. They are very tasty and actually taste just like the heart. Drizzle the tops of the artichokes with oil.

5. Once the water comes to a boil add some chicken bouillon granules if using and put a lid on the pot. Lower the flame and let the artichokes cook for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until tender and the leaf easily pulls away from the artichoke.

If you have a lot of broth left over you can serve with some broth and dip your bread into it. It has a really nice flavor.

Enjoy!


By love2cookmb