Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I have moved on...
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Pizza Pasta
1 cup chopped pepperoni
seasonings of your choice - I used garlic powder, Italian blend, garlic and basil blend, salt and pepper
Cook hamburger meat, add seasonings, pepperoni and chicken sausage.
Add 26 oz of spaghetti sauce to meat mixture and let it simmer.
Drain pasta, add meat mixture to it and add the other 26 oz of spaghetti sauce.
Stir in pecornio romano and laughing cow cheese.
Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish, top with mozzarella cheese and bake on 350 for about 20 minutes.
Green Olive Tapenade
Sorry I didn't get an after picture...but this was SO good. I got the recipe from Katie at Good Things Catered.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups pitted mild brine-cured green olives, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry
1 1/2 Tbs. coarsely chopped freshflat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine the olives, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and white pepper.
Pulse a few times to combine roughly.
Add the olive oil and pulse briefly, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The texture should be chunky, rather than a smooth puree.
Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
INGREDIENTS
1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line miniature muffin tins (tassie pans) with miniature paper liners.
Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.
My Notes: I would let the cream cheese soften before you use it so you don't end up with lumpy batter. I did not need a full box of vanilla wafers...you may want to start out with grinding up half. This recipe is from Allrecipes.
My First Risotto
INGREDIENTS
1 cup arborio rice
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup pecorino romano cheese
ground white pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a heavy sauce pan, saute rice in butter stirring constantly.
Add garlic powder.
Slowly add 1 cup of stock, stirring frequently.
As the liquid cooks down continue to add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture is very creamy.
Stir in white wine.
Fold in cheese.
Serve immediately and top with fresh ground pepper.
This recipe was adapted from the "S&W Italian Arborio" rice bag.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Fabulous Fruit Salad
This is a simple fruit salad with a wonderful sweetness. I got the idea from Jason's Grandma.
INGREDIENTS
8 oz can pineapple tidbits
11 oz can mandarin oranges
15.25 oz can Bartlett pears
15 oz can peaches
10 strawberries
2 kiwis
1 banana (I didn't add this because the store was out)
1/4 cup reserved fruit juice
1/3 to 1/2 package of pudding mix (i usually use french vanilla, but they were out, so I tried cheesecake and it was great....you can always use other flavors, such as banana cream)
DIRECTIONS
Drain (but reserve some of the juice) all the canned fruits and chop all the fruit. Combine fruit in a bowl with about 1/4 cup reserved fruit juice (I used some of the pineapple juice). Mix in the pudding and mix until well combined. Add more fruit juice if you feel it needs more. Let is hang out in the frig a few hours before serving. If you want to make it even better you can serve the fruit salad with some whipped cream on top!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Moistest Slow Cooker Pot Roast
INGREDIENTS
Roast (mine was about 2.5 lbs)
1 can of Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pkg of Lipton's Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1.5 to 2 cups of water
pepper
thyme
DIRECTIONS
Combine the last five ingredients in the slow cooker and mix until well combined. Place your roast in and cook on low. I cooked mine while I was at work...about 11 hours, but it does not have to cook that long. If you want to use the juice as a gravy you can coat the roast in flour before you place it in the slow cooker and that will help make the juice more like a gravy.
Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Eat to the Beat -Be My Guest for Beef Ragout
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie
And we'll provide the rest
Soup du jourHot hors d'oeuvres
Why, we only live to serve
Try the grey stuff
It's delicious
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes
They can sing, they can dance
After all, Miss, this is France
And a dinner here is never second best
Go on, unfold your menu
Take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest! Be our guest!
Beef ragout
Cheese souffle
Pie and pudding "en flambe"
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!
You're alone
And you're scared
But the banquet's all prepared
No one's gloomy or complaining
While the flatware's entertaining
We tell jokes!
I do tricks
With my fellow candlesticks
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut in 1 1/4 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions,each cut in 8 pieces
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
28 ounces tomatoes, canned, drained, quartered
5 tablespoons parsley leaves fresh chopped, divided
1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup red wine burgundy
1 cup beef broth
1/2 pound mushrooms quartered
6 ounces olives pitted, ripe, drained
Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour.
Add mushrooms;cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.
If desired,simmer, uncovered, last 10 minutes to reduce liquid.
Add olives; heat through; stir in remaining parsley.
Serve ragout with hot cooked noodles, rice or mashed potatoes
Garnish with parsley.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
This recipe has a long story....but let me just say that my oven stopped producing heat while I was making this dinner, and because of that I learned you can cook pasta in the microwave! I am not sure where I found this recipe....but I am pretty sure it was adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe. It was SO good. This was also the first time I had ever made meatballs.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb hamburger
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 tsp parsley
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
salt
Mozzarella, cut into 1/2 in cubes
garlic
Italian blend seasoning
DIRECTIONS
Mix milk with bread crumbs set aside to soak up milk. Add hamburger, egg, parsley, parmesan, salt. Mix all together until well blended. Scoop 2 tsp of meat mixture into your hand, add a cube of cheese in the middle, roll a ball around cheese cube. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 for 25-30 min.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Peanut Butter Bars
I believe I saw these on Amber's blog and they were fantastic! It was like eating a big 'ol Reese's!
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (very finely crushed)
2 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cups chocolate chips (I used half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet)
DIRECTIONS
Mix the crumbs and sugar until completely combined.
Add the melted butter and peanut butter to the mixture above.
Mix well and press into a 9x13 inch pan.
Melt the chocolate chips in microwave
Spread chocolate over the bars.
Refrigerate until hard.
Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting.
My Notes: Next time I want to try them out in an 8X8 or 9X9 dish so they are nice and thick!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sausage Gravy
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Shrimp and Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Parmesan Cream Sauce
sliced pepperoni
Monday, January 28, 2008
Lemon Curd and Raspberry Filled Cupcakes
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Melissa's Three Bean Beef Chili
1 lb stew meat
1 - 29 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 - 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can red chili beans
4 stalks of celery
Texas Pete hot sauce
hot chili sauce
mild jalapeno hot sauce
1 pkg McCormick's chili seasoning
my own seasonings - garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chipotle seasoning, cumin, thyme, oregano and brown sugar
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Sweet, Salty Frito Candy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper or no-stick (Release) foil.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over hot candy. Return to oven for 1 minute to soften chips. Spread softened chocolate chips over bars.
Caramelized Baked Chicken
3 pounds chicken wings (I used chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
20 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream
4 eggs
6 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted, cooled
DIRECTIONS
PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; set aside. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter in large bowl; pour over crust. Top with spoonfuls of the remaining 1 cup plain batter; cut through batters with knife several times for swirled effect.
BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Store in refrigerator.