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!!

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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Aaron's Corn Salsa

Ingredients:


1 package frozen sweet white corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro , chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 c Parmesan shredded

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Corn/Tortilla Chips for dipping

Directions:

Combine corn, black beans, peppers, onions and cilantro in medium size bowl, set aside.  Place garlic in microwave safe bowl, cover with olive oil and microwave for 20-40 seconds until almost hot (you are infusing the oil with the garlic flavor).  Sprinkle seasoning (salt, cumin, pepper) into the bowl, stir.  Pour olive oil and lime juice into the bowl, mix throughly.  Serve with chips.  Buon appetito!!

  

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Lemon Fish with Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

Four pieces of tilapia
Two lemons
Salt and Pepper to taste

Eight small button/white mushrooms
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated provolone
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Two large Portobello mushrooms
Corn Salsa (it holds up better than tomato based salsa to grilling)
1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Technique

Slice the lemon and place one slice on each filet, salt and pepper to your taste.  Grill fish for 7-10 min until moist but not slimy anymore.

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Stir the bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.   Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom.  Top with shredded cheese Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Or grill for about 10 minutes until cheese bubbles.
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Place Portobello mushrooms top side down and fill with salsa and sprinkle on cheese.  Grill for 10 minutes until cheese bubbles.  Buon appetito!!


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Vegetable Marinara

So hearty and sweet even the meat lovers will be asking for more!

Ingredients

One large onion
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 ½ cups celery
¾ cup Italian parsley
4 cups crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt (to your taste)
Extra virgin olive oil

Technique

Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and parsley. In a large pot (I suggest a stock pot) sautè the chopped vegetables in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes until tender on a medium flame, without browning. Add tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 1 hour on low. Serve over your favorite pasta with ridiculously huge quantities of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tips

§  About 10 minutes before the sauce is finished cooking, add a couple spoonfuls of red wine…Mamma mia, che buono!!!

§  Don’t have time to chop up carrots or want to add more veggies? Add in a few jars of stage 2 organic baby food. The more carrots the sweeter your sauce, try adding sweet potato puree!

§  Use for lasagnas, a minestrone soup base, or on your next homemade pizza!

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Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions 

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Beat in eggs, vanilla and bananas until thoroughly blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into a greased 9-in.x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes or until the bread tests done with a wooden pick. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Buon appetito!

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Mushroom and Feta Frittata

Ingredients:

~1 c. chopped onion

~1 T. olive oil

~1/3 of a 10 oz. package of frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out

~3/4 c. chopped button mushrooms (or any other kind you like)

~3/4 c. crumbled tomato and basil feta

~1/2 mozzarella cheese, shredded

~7 eggs, beaten

How:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x9 casserole dish, or a 7x11 casserole dish On the stove in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft. Add mushrooms and cook 1 minute. Add spinach and cook until warmed.

Put the veggie mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Add the feta to the eggs and add to casserole. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in a 9x9 or 25 minutes in the 7x11, or until eggs are set. Cool for a few minutes.

~Next time I think I'll add some sun-dried tomatoes.

~If this is dinner, add a side salad.

~Original recipe can be found at: http://www.food.com/recipe/spinach-feta-frittata-19310

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