Bruschetta Pasta Salad October 24, 2016

In the summer time , I am always on the lookout for more pasta salad  recipes! I love how they go with anything – burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken , you name it!

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked pasta
• 5 tomatoes, chopped (I use vine ripened because they have the most flavour!)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp red onion, chopped finely
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 – 4 tsp balsamic vinegar (to your taste)
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chopped basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.
2. Let this mixture rest for at least 15 minutes.
3. Then toss the tomato mixture with the cooked noodles.
4. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. You can serve and enjoy this recipe right away, or let it rest for up to an hour before enjoying!

Moussaka

One of my most favorite recipes to make is Pastistio , aka Greek Lasagna, so when I had an eggplant that I had to use up, I knew I had to try to make Moussaka for my first time – and I am so glad that I did!  It definitely had the flavors of Pastistio, but a little different!

The only thing I did do is add cinnamon to this recipe because I LOVE the way it tastes in the tomato sauce!

 

Eggplant

• 2 large eggplants / aubergines, cut into ¼” / ¾cm thick slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (brown, white, yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.4lb/700g ground beef (beef mince)
• 14oz/400g crushed tomatoes (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (Note 1)
• 1 cup beef broth/stock (or water + 1 beef bouillon cube) (Note 1)
• 1½ tsp sugar (any)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp salt

Bechamel Sauce (Note 2)

• 4 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp plain flour
• 3 cups milk (I use low fat)
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (Note 3)
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk (Note 4)
• Salt and pepper

Topping

• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 5)

Instructions

Eggplant (Note 6)

1. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and place them (stacked) in a large colander. Leave to sweat for 30 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Lay eggplant onto 2 large baking trays, brush with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until just softened. Remove and set aside to cool.

Filling

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, then cook the garlic and onion for 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, using the wooden spoon to break up the mince as you go. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, then cover, lower heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, using a whisk to keep it moving.
2. Add 1 cup of milk and whisk to combine. It will thicken quite quickly, then add the remaining milk. Whisk until smooth then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens so that it thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon, as per photo below.
3. Remove from the stove and whisk in cheese. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk the eggs in.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
2. Place half the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish (I used my 26cm/9″ Lodge skillet), then top with all the Filling.
3. Top with remaining eggplant, then pour over the Béchamel Sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Lasagna

My brother in Law gave us tons of great big Zucchini this year from his garden, and I LOVED this recipe!  Thinly slicing the zucchini makes them JUST like regular zucchini noodles!

• 1 giant zucchini (or 3-4 large grocery store sized ones) – sliced with mandolin
• 1 pint ricotta cheese
• 1-2 jars marinara sauce (depending on size and how saucy you like things)
• 1lbs Italian Sausage (cooked)

Prep your sauce by cooking up the meat if you’re using some and mix with your favorite marinara sauce.

Prep your sauce by cooking up the meat if you’re using some and mix with your favorite marinara sauce.

Then starting with a layer of sauce, then a layer (about 2 pieces thick) of zuccini noodles, then a layer of ricotta.

Repeat until your pan is full an you’re out of ingredients making sure to finish with a layer of sauce. I used about 3 full layers of each.

Throw on a layer of shredded mozerella and then bake at 400 for about an hour or until the zucchini is cooked through and tender. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. When you serve it you will notice that the zucchini will give off some water. I usually just sop some up with a paper towel when I plate it. It still tastes super yummy and holds it’s shape. Hope you like it. And now you only have 50 more zuccs to use up 😉

Veggie Pizza Rollups

 

I am always on a mission to find more rollup recipes – – I feel like every party needs a dip and a rollup , minimum !  Veggie Pizza was one of my first every go to appetizers when I started entertaining – and this is such a brilliant idea – make it into a wrap!  Woo!

 

 

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• homemade ranch dressing mix or 1 packet store-bought
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 3 cups assorted finely chopped vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or green bell peppers
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, , salad dressing mix, and dill weed.
2. Working with one tortilla at a time, or working an assembly-line fashion, spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each tortilla, going all the way to the edge. Divide vegetables and cheese evenly over tortillas.
3. Starting at one end, roll each tortilla tightly and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours before slicing. Slice each roll up into 8 pieces.
4. If the roll ups seem loose when you start to slice them (you see pockets of space or the vegetables seem to be falling out), feel free to unroll the tortillas and re-wrap them tightly.

 

Beer Can Chicken October 21, 2016

 

This is another way of cooking chicken that I do NOT know why I didn’t consider doing earlier!  We starting cooking this way last summer , and it makes the best chicken!  So flavorful!

Ingredients

Beer Can Chicken Rub:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
For the Chicken:
4 pounds chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
Beer Can Chicken Rub
1 (12-ounce) can beer

For the chicken rub:

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and use for the grilled chicken. You can store extra rub mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

For the chicken:

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Rub the chicken and its cavity down with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with rub mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Pour out 1/4 of the beer and sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grill and cover. Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Once cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Hissy Fit Dip

 

Got this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker – it was SO perfect for Steeler Sunday!  What a great and easy dip!

Also, had to post the world’s cutest steeler fans too!

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage
16 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes
4 ounces Muenster cheese, grated
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried ground sage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, crumbling it as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

3. Add the sausage and all remaining ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until well blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.

4. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers, veggies, or your favorite dipping vehicle.

This dip can be assembled in advance, up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated before baking. You may need to add 5 more minutes to the baking time – just keep an eye on it and bake until browned and bubbling.

 

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk, Lemon, and Sage October 20, 2016

Oh My!  I was COMPLETELY blown away by this recipe!  Not only because of its simplicity, but because this was the BEST chicken I have EVER made!  And the sauce, OMG, Liquid Gold!  Go make this now – you will make it over and over again after the first time!

I did cook with the lid on my dutch oven for the first 45 minutes, and then off for the last 45 minutes , it was a suggestion from another blog 🙂

Ingredients

1 (3 pound/ 1.5 kilogram) organic chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (115 grams) or 1 stick butter
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked
2 lemons, zested
6 garlic cloves, skin left on
1 pint (565 milliliters) milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C/gas 5), and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken.  Season it generously all over with salt and pepper, and fry it in the butter, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the butter left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan, which will give you a lovely caramel flavor later on.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce, which is absolutely fantastic.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/chicken-in-milk-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Chocolate chip pie April 11, 2016

When me and mike started dating in the mid 90s, we loved going to chilis on our dates, and I almost always got their chocolate chip paradise pie! I prob haven’t had it since then, and omg this tasted exactly like it! It was perfect for valentines dinner!

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry

2 large eggs

1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed

3⁄4 cup butter, softened

1 cup Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy and pale in color. Beat in flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in butter until combined.

Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell. The mixture will be thick.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. You may want to make a foil tent over the pie towards the end so the crust doesn’t brown too much. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Slow cooker pork over gnocchi

This recipe was starred right away for me! Saucy pork, and gnocchi, sign me up! What a delicious Sunday meal!!

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 to 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup heavy cream

2 pounds dried gnocchi
Directions:
1. Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place the diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the garlic. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onion and garlic. Pour one can of the crushed tomatoes over the pork and around the sides. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning all over and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the second can of crushed tomatoes over. Cover and cook on low for 11 hours.
3. Remove the bone and the layer of fat on the pork and discard. Stir in the heavy cream and then stir in the gnocchi. Cover and cook for an additional 1 hour on low. Serve with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Florida trip 2016

We had another absolutely fabulous trip to Florida to visit family again. Every year just gets better and better! Between seeing old friends, visiting gorgeous beaches, going to amazing amusement parks, and the tons of laughs and good food, it doesn’t get much better!!