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.