Oatmeal Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

2 to 3 ripe bananas 

2 eggs 

2 1/2 cups oats - old-fashioned or quick 

1/2 cup honey or agave 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 tablespoons Chia seeds

*extras as you would like chocolate chips, walnuts, peaches etc.

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350°. 
Combine all ingredients and in a blender or food processor. 

You can use muffin liners but I prefer to spray the pan directly with Pam... since there is no oil or flour and these muffins they tend to stick to muffin tin liners. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are set and golden brown. 

Buon appetito!!

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Potato Enchiladas

Ingredients

3-4 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed

1 large onion, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, divided

12-15 tortillas

2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained

4 cups Pepper Jack cheese,

 Olive oil for frying

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). In a bowl, toss diced potatoes together with cumin, chili powder, and place in an oiled baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

2.     Meanwhile, boil tomatillos and chopped onion in water to cover for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, puree with half of the cilantro until smooth.

3.     Mix potatoes together with pinto beans, 1/2 cheese, and 1/2 cilantro. Fill tortillas with potato mixture, and roll up. Place seam side down in an oiled 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon tomatillo sauce over enchiladas, and spread remaining cheese over sauce.

4.      Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

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Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

5-6 Tomatoes, chopped
2 zucchini, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded pecorino romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1/1/2 cups orzo
8 Sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, orange)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Combine tomatoes, zucchini, onion, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to boil, and add the orzo.  Cook for 4 min, the orzo will only be partially cooked.

Drain the orzo, reserving the broth and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables.  Stir to combine.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all seeds.  Fill the bottom of a 9x13 pan with the remaining broth.  Fill the peppers with the vegetable mix and place them into the 9x13 pan.  Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil sprinkle the top with cheese and bake until brown and bubbly, about another five minutes.  

Buon appetito!!

Chicken Parmeasn

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (3-ounces each) chicken cutlets
1 1/2 cups Simple Tomato Sauce, or  marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded provolone
16 teaspoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a heavy large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle cheese over each cutlet. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta!

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Shrimp Alfredo

For the Sauce:

2 lb fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined, and butterflied
1 lb angel hair pasta

2 fresh diced tomato

6 -8 whole garlic cloves

1 shallot, diced

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup dry white wine

olive oil

5 -7 leaves fresh basil

1 cup parmesan cheese, finely shaved

For the coating for the shrimp:

milk

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely shaved

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

14 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Pour enough olive oil in a large sauce pan to cover the bottom, turn to medium high heat. This is the only pot you'll need for the sauce so it should be big. Soak the shrimp in milk and combine the dry ingredients (flour,  cheese, salt, pepper, paprika). Coat the shrimp with the dry ingredients and let them fry in the olive oil, About 2 minutes per side until golden brown. The Flour that falls off the shrimp will add great flavor and consistency to the sauce. Add more oil as necessary, between batches of shrimp. Dab the shrimp with a paper towel, cover and set aside to keep warm.

Add the garlic to the oil, stir for a few minutes, then turn the heat to medium low. Now add the wine and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and cover, let the wine reduce, about 10-15 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring water to simmer. (for pasta later).

Add the cream, and bring it back to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 more minutes. While it is simmering dice your shallot and tomato, and chiffonade your basil. Now add the Basil, diced tomato, and remaining  Parmesan cheese. Stir for a moment then add the fried shrimp, and remove the pan from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Bring pasta pot to a boil and add angel hair and cook.

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Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh gnocchi

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium shallots, chopped

1 pound zucchini, (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat.

Based on ...

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Quick Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients:

6 large tortillas
1 can black beans, drained
1 can white corn, drained
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped, or substitute scallions
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar


Directions:

In a small glass bowl; microwave garlic and olive oil together for one min.  Ensure that you cover the bowl with a paper towel, it will splash! Combine beans, corn, peppers, and onions. Sprinkle with lime juice and olive oil, mix well.  Fill tortillas with bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese.  Fold in half and grill in pan or George Foreman grill, or Panini machine.  Serve with salsa or sour cream!


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Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage
¼ cup bacon, cooked and chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 tbs garlic, minced
2 lb small red potatoes, sliced in to bite size chunks.
10 cups chicken broth
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 cup heavy cream


Directions:

In a large stock pot cook the sausage, once fully cooked remove and let cool.  Add onions, garlic, and bacon to the same pot and sauté till transparent.  Add the broth, potatoes and kale and simmer for 30-45 min until potatoes are tender.  Add the sausage and cream and simmer until all is warm.  Serve with some warm fresh bread!


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Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 bottle (8oz) marsala wine
½ cup flour
1 tbs dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Angel Hair pasta.


Directions:

Combine the flour, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow plate.  Ensure that the chicken breasts are dry, then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.  Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large sauté pan and brown both sides of the chicken, about 2 minutes each side. Turn heat down to simmer and add wine and mushrooms.  Cover and simmer for up to an hour.  Serve over pasta!


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Cranberry Sangria

Ingredients:

64 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
1 bottle red wine (your choice, the sweeter the better)
1 bottle champagne
1 cup orange juice
1 bag uncooked cranberries
2 oranges, sliced

Directions:

Fill muffin tins with cranberries and fill tot the top with water, freeze overnight.  Combine all ingredients and serve.


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Tom the Veggie Turkey

Arrange your favorite veggies for your guests, just because Thanksgiving is about gluttony doesn't mean you can't fill up on the good stuff!

I used black peppercorns for his eyes :)

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Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is slightly different than the traditional Libby's mix because the fresh pumpkin is has a higher water content.  You can let the pumpkin sit and drain off the water, or place it in cheesecloth overnight and let the water drain off the bottom.

This will be enough for TWO pies!

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
**if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice".
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 large eggs
3 cups pumpkin sieved, cooked pumpkin
1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk
2 pie crusts, 9', grahm or fresh dough, it's your preference!


Directions

Combine all ingredients, make sure they are well mixed.  Pour the pie into pie crusts and bake at 425 F  for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Buon appetito!!
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Meatballs and Polenta

Meat mix: 3 lbs meatloaf mix (beef, veal, pork)
1 package thick-sliced smoky bacon, uncooked, raw
2 whole eggs
⅓ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
Herb mix: ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 tbsp chopped oregano, 2 tbsp chopped rosemary

Combine above ingredients and mix well, kneading the mixture with your hands like dough.

⅓ cup  bread crumbs
½ cup whole milk

Slowly add milk to bread crumbs, stirring until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Immediately add to the meat mixture,  and mix well.

olive oil for browning
about 12 cups good-quality tomato sauce, kept warm over low heat
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
two rolls of polenta, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape meatballs, preferably using an ice-cream scoop (to reduce air inside meatball). In a large skillet, heat about a quarter-inch canola oil until very hot. Working in batches, brown all sides of each meatball.  As they finish, transfer browned meatballs to a deep, ovenproof casserole. Cover meatballs with tomato sauce. (Don't skimp — they must be totally submerged.) Place in oven and bake until well done, about 1 ¾ to 2 hours.   While they are baking: brown polenta in oil, turning occasionally, lay on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

To serve: Spoon sauce & meatballs over polenta (2 or 3 per person), top with grated cheese, and pass crusty bread. Makes 25 to 30 meatballs. Buon appetito!!

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Fresh Pumpkin Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice or (2 teaspoons ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves + 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg + 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice)

Technique
Combine the cream, milk and sugar and whisk until completely combined.  Slowly add the spices and then the pumpkin.  Make sure is is thoroughly mixed.  Prepare according to ice cream makers instructions.  Buon appetito!!


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Carmel Apple Jello Shots

Ingredients

(makes about 40 slices/shots)
10 small granny smith apples
1 envelope knox gelatin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 drops yellow food coloring
1 envelope caramel hot chocolate (Regular would do just fine if you can't find caramel)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butterscotch schnapps
lemon juice

Directions

1. Half and hollow out  apples cutting them from the stem down. I used a melon baller to hollow the apples and it worked well. After hollowing them squeeze some lemon juice on top to reduce browning.

2. Mix your 1/2 cup water with your envelope of hot chocolate in a medium sized sauce pan. Whisk it to make sure all the chocolate is combined. Add the 1/2 cup of coconut milk, whisk again.

3. Sprinkle your gelatin on top and let it sit a few minutes. Turn on low/medium heat and mix the gelatin until all is combined.

4. Add 1/4 cup sugar and simmer slightly until sugar is combined. Add your food coloring until you get the caramel color desired. I used two drops. Let mixture cool to warm. Pour in your 1/2 cup of butterscotch schnapps.

5. With your apples arranged so they fit tightly and secure on a cookie sheet, pour your caramel jello mixture into your apples. Refrigerate overnight.

6. Cut halves in quarters and those quarters in half again. Serve immediately. (The lemon juice can only prevent the browning for so long). Trim off the sides of the apples that have browned too much!

Adapted from That's So Michelle  Buon appetito!!

Zucchini Soup

I normally love zucchini and sour cream in any sort of combination, but this just didn't do it for me.  But let me know what you think!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 pounds zucchini, roughly chopped

1 large onion, chopped

6 cups Summer Vegetable Stock

1/2 cup julienned basil

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Sour cream or plain yogurt to top

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot, add zucchini and onion. Saute for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and zucchini is crisp and tender. Then add stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover and cook for 25 minutes. Add basil during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Mix the butter and flour together into a paste. Remove 1 cup of simmering stock and whisk in butter mixture until smooth. Add back into soup, stir until thickened. Remove soup from heat to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and serve with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.

Buon appetito!!


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Sarah's Mom's Chicken Paprikash

I have never had a more delicious chicken paprikash, and I assure you I've made an extensive search!

Ingredients
2-3 large chicken breasts, cubed and sprinkled with lemon juice
2 large onions, chopped
Butter 2-4 tbs to taste
16 oz carton sour cream
Paprika 2-3 tbs to taste
Spaetzle, Dumplings, Noodles or Rice

Directions
Melt the butter in the pan and saute onions until translucent.  Add the chicken and cook on medium until fully cooked.  Scoot the chicken and onions to the side and add the sour cream.  Stir in the paprika until everything is a light orange.  Mix thoroughly.  Add the spaetzle or dumplings and heat to warm all ingredients, or spoon over noodles or rice.  Serve and enjoy! Buon appetito!

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Eggy in a Helmet

Also known as Eggy in a Basket this is a simple fun breakfast!

Ingredients

1 Egg

1Piece of Toast

Butter or Pam

Directions

Using the cookie cutter of your choice (or you can cut out a circle) cut a whole in the middle of the bread.  Butter the skillet and lay down the bread.  Crack the egg right into the middle of the bread, flip, and cook until desired firmness.  I like to toast the center of the bread on the side of the skillet and serve with jelly.  Buon appetito!

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Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Ingredients

2 c. cooked rice
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. raw ground beef
1/4 c. diced, minced onion
1/4 tsp. salt & pepper
1 med. green head of cabbage

For the Sauce

1 can tomato soup

2 tbs sour cream

1 tsp paprika

Technique

Mix together the rice, meat and onion.  Core the cabbage and boil it, only for a few minutes to loosen the leaves.  Remove one leaf at a time and fill wilt 2 tbs of mix.  roll it over, folding in the ends and place in a large casserole dish.  Cover and bake at 350* for 1 hour.  Once finished spread the sauce over the golabki and serve!  Makes 6-8 servings. Buon appetito!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

One bottle of ranch dressing
One bottle of Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
One brick of cream cheese
Three cans of chicken breast
Four cups of shredded cheddar
Chips for Dipping

Technique

Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot.  Cook on high for three hours, stirring frequently.  Serve with tortilla chips!  Buon appetito!

** Leftover Idea**
Reheat and Serve in burritos ;)

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