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