Paddy's Italian Special

Marinara Sauce:
1 TBSP EVOO
1 cup Chopped Onion
1-2 clove of Garlic Chopped Finely
½ cup red wine (dry preferably)
1 28oz can of Crushed tomatoes (I used crushed and whole peeled tomatoes in can that I crushed in my hand for more texture) use a good quality Spanish or Italian Tomato. Look for San Marzano or Cento brand.
1 tbsp fresh or dried Parsley
1tbsp fresh chopped Basil
1 tsp of crushed red pepper flake
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and add onion turn down to medium heat. Cook for about 15 min until onion are translucent.

Add garlic and cook for 1-2 min more

Add red wine and cook until liquid is cooked out.

Add tomatoes and red pepper flake, basil and parsley. Cook on low heat (like a simmer) for 30-45 min covered. Stir every couple min. so you don’t burn the sauce.

When sauce is done season with Salt and Pepper to taste. If the sauce is too acidic (from the tomatoes) add like a tablespoon of butter. The fat will cut the acidity.

Meatballs:
½ lbs of ground pork
½ lbs ground beef
½ lbs ground veal or lamb or just do all pork and beef for a total of 1 ½ lbs of meat
½ cup grated parm
1 egg
1 tsp dried or fresh basil
1 tsp dried or fresh parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup finely chopped onion (really fine and thinly chopped)
1tsp salt
½ tsp crushed red pepper flake
Black Pepper to taste
¼ cup Panko style Plain
Bread Crumbs (this is a Japanese larger bread crumb. All grocery stores have them so don’t fret!)

Cook a little of the mix in a sauté pan to taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary.

Mix all ingredients by hand. Fill a bowl with a little Oil and dip your fingers in (this is so the meat doesn’t stick). Roll balls to desired shape Place in a baking pan. You can refrigerate for bake right away. Bake at 400 degrees for like 20min.

Garlic Bread:

1 stick of Butter
2-3 Garlic Cloves rough chop
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Melt all ingredients on stove top on low heat.

Slice bread and dip top of bread in mix. Top with Shave Parm and bake until light golden.

Serve with whatever pasta you desire!

Ciao!!!

My First Beef Stew

I did it! I made my first beef stew and if I can do it, so can you!

Ingredients :

-2 lbs. beef stew chunks
-1/2 cup flour
-1 1/2 cup beef broth
-1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
-1 tsp. paprika
-4-5 carrots peeled and sliced into circles
-3 red potatoes diced into chunks (with skin)
-1 large onion chopped (i used a white onion)
-1-2 stalks of celery chopped
-1 bay leaf
-3 oz. tomato paste
-1 tsp. garlic powder
-1 1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix It Up:

-Place thawed meat in crock pot.

-Mix flour, salt and pepper and sprinkle all over meat and stir.

-Add all other ingredients, stir, mixing well.

-Cook on Low 8-12 hrs.

The key is serving this with crusty Italian bread for dipping! If you prefer your stew thick, you can add more flour. I read the ingredients wrong and added 1 cup of flour more than I needed, but it still came out delicious! Don't be afraid change recipes to your taste. And ALWAYS remember to taste as you go!

Breakfast Casserole

Get ready to bite into my new favorite casserole. Even though there's cheese and tater tots, it's so worth trying! I made this as an alternate to the "normal" dinner. Kids will love this too!

Ingredients:

-(Optional) 1 1b. ground sausage, ham, bacon or I used 3-4 ground veggie burgers
-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-1 1/4 cups milk
-8 eggs
-1 lb frozen tater tots
-1 tbsp brown mustard
-parsley
-dried onion flakes
-salt & pepper

Mix It Up :

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Spread meat or veggie burger evenly on bottom of 9 X 13 baking dish

-Spread cheese on top

-Beat eggs, milk and seasonings in a bowl. Pour over meat and cheese. (You can keep going or stop and refrigerate over night at this point.)

-Top with frozen tater tots

-Bake for 45 min.

Yum! Serve with toast and oj for the ultimate breakfast casserole!

Homemade Chicken Noodle or Veggie Noodle Soup

There's nothing like a fresh bowl of homemade soup to warm up the day or night! Aside from the chopping, this is super easy and well worth the time to make. You can also make this vegetarian style by substituting veggie stock and leaving out the chicken.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

-2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 pkg. egg noodles
-2 32. oz. boxes of chicken or vegetable stock
-4 med. carrots
-4 med. celery stalks
-1 med. yellow onion
-1 tbsp. butter

(3-4 dashes of all seasonings)
-parsley
-garlic powder
-thyme
-basil
-sea salt
-pepper
-grated parm cheese

Method:

-Cube chicken and cook (I suggest adding some seasoning to the chicken)
-Peel and chop carrots into small chunks, chop celery, peel and dice yellow onion
-Cook veggies in your soup pot with 1 tbsp. butter on med until tender
-Add chicken and cook for 2 min.
-Add broth and all seasonings, bring to a boil and reduce heat for 10 min.
-Add egg noodles and cook on low/med for 15-20 min.

This soup should be tasted often along the way until you're happy with your seasonings. It's great with saltines or on its own!

Mediterranean Stuffed Shells

This makes about 35-40 shells...........get ready for leftovers!

Try this if your bored with Italian style stuffed shells!

Ingredients :

-1 box San Giorgio shells
-2 10oz packages of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
-10oz feta cheese (i used the tomato/basil flavored crumbles)
-2 cups ricotta cheese
-1 jar marinara sauce
-1 teaspoon garlic powder

Method :

-Boil and drain shells
-Mix spinach, feta, ricotta and garlic powder in large bowl
-Stuff shells with mixture (You may have extra shells)
-Place shells in greased baking dishes (I used a 9X13 and a 9X9)
-Cover shells with marinara sauce
-Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Enjoy!

Amy's Avocado Egg Salad

I haven't tried this, but Amy's got great taste so I bet it's awesome! And how can you go wrong with avocado?

Thanks for the recipe Amy!!!!!

To all my avocado aficionados, my very favorite egg salad recipe! Super easy and delicious.

-6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

-2 avocados, peeled, pitted and cubed

-1/2 cup minced red onion

-3 tablespoons chopped sweet pickles

-1 tablespoon yellow mustard

-1/3 cup mayonnaise

-salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! If you like a creamier consistency, you can smash it up to mix msh the avocado. I prefer it a little chunkier. Season to taste.

*Best to make this fresh because the color can get a little funky otherwise.

Brooklyn and Manhattan, NY NY

Took a trip to visit my cuz Katie in Brooklyn over the weekend and had two fantastic experiences!

One was at Great Jones Cafe - www.greatjones.com - in Manhattan, Noho for brunch. Try the Eggs Tulum with home fries and cornbread. Topped off with a perfectly spiced Bloody Mary!

The second was dinner at Rye - www.ryerestaurant.com - in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Not only did I try a new favorite crisp white wine, Dom Bardo, Rias Biaxis 2008, but I also had one of my favorite dinners....ever! I started with the Endive and Pear salad. The blue cheese was my favorite addition. For my main I had the All Natural Chicken on top of sage butternut squash, pancetta risotto and swiss chard. I usually don't go for the obvious, chicken, but this was awesome!

And there is actually a third fantastic experience. The 44 oz. Grass Fed Ribeye that Mike ordered! WOW!!!!!! Apparently this is the best steak in NY!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

So I threw this together with some ingredients I found in the cupboard last night. I wasn't up for a trip to the grocery store in the rain and this was the result. Turns out, it was awesome!

Ingredients :

-egg noodles
-2 cans of tuna drained
-1 can of peas drained
-1 can cream mushroom soup
-1 cup milk
-1/2 cup of sour cream
-sea salt
-pepper
-1/2 cup grated parm cheese

Optional Ingredients :

-dry onion
-basil
-minced garlic
-pesto
-fresh cilantro
-seasoned bread crumbs

Method :

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Boil noodles and drain
-Mix all ingredients accept bread crumbs
-Top with a thin layer of bread crumbs
-Bake for 45 min.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I could eat this stuff everyday! Great for a hearty fall dinner. There are so many different recipes for acorn squash, but it's great just baked and on it's own as well!

Ingredients :

-Acorn Squash
-Veggie Burger (You could use ground turkey, beef, etc. I used MorningStar Tomato Basil Veggie Burger)
-Grated Parm Cheese (Just a pinch)
-Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (A few pinches)

Method :

-Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
-Slice acorn squash in half
-Scoop out seeds and middle section
-Cover a cookie sheet with water and place squash halves cut-side down
-Bake for 30 min. or until tender
-Flip halves over and reduce oven temp to 325 degrees
-Mush up your veggie burger or meat and place half in each half of squash
-Sprinkle cheeses on top
-Place back in oven for 5-10 min.

All I have to say is YUUUUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes..............are the best! My first time making them leaves me wondering why I never tried before. They're so easy and great anytime of year! They are a great appetizer or side dish!

Ingredients :

-Green Tomatoes - Firm
-Olive Oil
-Panko, Bread Crumbs or Cornmeal (I used Panko and Seasoned Bread Crumbs)
-Flour (I didn't use, but you can)
-Salt
-Pepper
-Garlic Powder

(Be creative and add any seasonings!)


Method :

-Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl
-Slice tomatoes to your liking
-Dip tomato slices into olive oil
-Coat slices with dry ingredients on both sides
-Place a skilled on stovetop, medium heat, add a little olive oil and cook slices for 4 min. per side


You can serve plain or with a remoulade or vinaigrette. I just used a little creamy Caesar. Enjoy!

Ann's Tasty Taco Wraps

My good friend Ann really knows how to make a great party better!!!!

Ingredients :

- 1 package wraps (I use Mission spinach or garlic herb)
- 2 / 8 oz low fat cream cheeses
- 1 package dry taco seasoning
- 1/2 small can diced green chilies (drained)
- 1/2 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained and I use Rotel brand)
- diced jalapenos (drained) , more or less whatever temp of heat you like

Method :

- Microwave cream cheese for about 1.5 min. to soften
- Mix cream cheese in a bowl with other ingredients
- Spread evenly onto wraps, roll up firmly, cover and put in fridge for
about 2 hours.
- Take out, slice and CHOMP!!!!

Mom's Potato Casserole

BEST COMFORT FOOD EVER!!!!!

Ingredients :

- 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots or cubed potatoes
- 16 oz. container sour cream (i like the reduced fat)
- 10.75 oz. can of cream of chicken
- 10.75 oz. can of cream of celery
- 2 cup package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 single DRY package of hidden valley ranch salad dressing and seasoning

Method :

- mix all in a large, greased bowl
- heat at 350 degrees for 45 min. - 1hr.

This makes a great side dish for a cold day, holiday dinner or picnic. I like to have them as my main dish with just a side salad too ;)

Asian Green Beans

I was really impressed with these! I came across a recipe that had some of the ingredients I used, but I added some and took some out to make it my own. It's always fun to play around and create something that tastes great!

Ingredients -

- 1 lb. (or any amount) of fresh or frozen green beans
- olive oil
- balsamic
- soy sauce
- terriyaki sauce
- sea salt

Method -

- Place green beans in a sautè pan
- Sprinkle with sea salt and add all other ingredients to you liking
(You may need to add a little water if your using fresh green beans)
- Sautè over medium-high heat - don't let green beans get soggy
- Drain off excess juices


Enjoy! Great side dish that doesn't take long!

Kristy's Guacamole

Ingredients :

-2 Avocados
-1 Small Handful Diced Tomato
-1 Small Handful Diced Onion
-2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
-Fresh Chopped Cilantro
-Juice of Half or Whole Lime
-Dash of Black Pepper

Spicy -

-Add Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Mix It :

- Mix all together and allow avocado to be chunky.

Kristy Keller really knows her guacamole! Thanks for this awesome recipe Kristy!!!!!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients :

-Tilapia Fillets
-Spanish Rice (I use Goya)
-15oz. Can Diced Tomatoes (I use the seasoned can)
-Hard/Soft shells
-2 limes
-Avocado
-Cilantro
-Onion
-Cheese
-Sour Cream
-Salt
-Pepper


Prep :

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Season Tilapia on both sides in a glass baking dish with salt, pepper and fresh lime to your liking.

-Begin prepping/cooking rice and add can of tomatoes.

-Place Tilapia in oven for 15 min. or until fish flakes with a fork.

-Prep the sides you may want, for instance avocado, cilantro, onion, cheese, etc.

-Remove fish from oven when ready and flake fillets with a fork. Mix with rice or keep separate, you choose!

-Place fish in hard or soft shell alone, with sides, rice, however you like and squeeze lime on top.


Muy bueno! Very simple and refreshing! If you have both hard and soft shells, try spreading a little sour cream on a soft shell and wrap it around the bottom of a hard shell (sour cream will hold them together). Fill with your Tilapia, rice and sides, enjoy!

Squish Squash

Quick and easy zuchinni, squash, tomato casserole. So good on a summer night!

Ingredients :

2 large zuchinni's
2 large yellow squash
1-2 cans or 2 med. fresh tomatoes
seasoned bread crumbs
parm cheese
garlic, basil, onion salt, pepper, whatever seasonings you want!


Make It :

-Preheat oven to 350
-Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish
-Peel and slice zuch and squash into 1/4 inch circles
-Layer bottom of dish with some of the zuch and squash
-Add a thin layer of bread crumbs, parm and seasonings on top
-Continue layering zuch, squash, bread crumbs, parm and seasonings
-Place tomatoes on top
-Bake for 30 min. or to your liking

Using fresh zuchinni, squash and tomatoes from your garden or local farmer is great for this dish!

Stromboli

Tasty and easy stromboli from your oven!

Ingredients -

1 package betty crocker pizza crust
1 small jar of pizza/spaghetti sauce
2 cups of mozzarella or italian shredded cheese
2 grilled chicken breasts (or anything you want to stuff your boli with! meat, veggies, etc.)
1/2 cup hot water
olive oil


Make It -

-preheat oven to 425
-mix dough with 1/2 cup hot water until a ball forms
-cover and let sit for at least 5 min.
-oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan
-cover dough with olive oil - enough that it won't stick at to sheet once pressed
-press dough out with your fingers on sheet - no holes
-spread a thin layer of sauce on the dough - keep away from the outer edges
-place chicken or any filling on top of the sauce
-spread cheese on top of filling
-start at one end, roll the dough up and seal on top - fold in the excess dough to seal
-place in oven on middle rack for about 15 min. until golden brown in spots
-serve with extra sauce on the side

Mmmmmm, so good!

Mom's Potato Salad

Actually...this is a close second on the crack meter...for me anyways...

Ingredients:

1 5 lb bag white potatoes (do not use russet...don't know why, but you could substitute w/ red skin potatoes)
6 hard boiled eggs
Dried onion flakes
Dried parsley
Celery salt
S&P
Kraft mayo (no other will do!)
Yellow mustard (some say Ploughman's is the only kind...)

Method:

Cook your eggs, put them in a grocery bag and leave overnite in the fridgerator. Peel them the next morning and mash completely once the potatoes have boiled.

Peel the potatoes and boil whole for about 45 mins (you don't want them mushy). Remove from water and let cool.

Once cooled, combine potatoes and mashed eggs. Sprinkle a light dusting of celery salt over the mixture, followed by a good amount of onion flakes, then tons of dried parsley, and S&P. Lastly, add the amount of mustard and mayo (which there can never be enough of) and mix.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. Remember that those dried spices will get tasty once you give them time to sit, so don't overdue it on the celery salt and onion flakes. That being said, don't be shy on the parsley.

JT's Graham Cracker Brownies

These are the closest thing to crack I've ever encountered...

Ingredients:

1 box honey graham crackers
1 bag milk chocolate chips (you choose the size depending on how chocolatey you want these!)
2 14 oz. cans full fat sweetened condensed milk
1 14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk

Method:
Blend 1 packet of graham crackers in a blender until it's dust-like consistency (thinking of your cabinet tops, jess;). Mix with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 1/3 bag of the chips.

Repeat with the next 2 packets of crackers, cans of condensed milk, and chips.

Stir all ingredients together before transferring it into an oven baking dish that's been buttered and lightly (very lightly) floured to prevent stickage.

Bake for 30 mins at 350.

Enjoy one and then give most of them away or else you will end up feeling very guilty from continuously eating these brownies!

Two Bean Summer Salad

Ingredients -

-1 can cannellini beans
-1 can chickpeas
-balsamic vinegar
-italian dressing (ken's northern italian is my fav)
-lemon juice
-pesto (i use Classico)
-fresh ground pepper
-shredded or grated parm cheese

Mix It-

-Rinse beans
-Add all ingredients to your liking
-Mix it up and chill in fridge for about 30 min. or longer

So easy and tasty ;)

Super Salmon Alfredo

Ingredients :

Salmon - 1 lb. approx.
No-Yolks Egg Noodles - 1 bag
Cream of Mushroom Soup - 1 can
Reduced Fat Sour Cream - 1 cup approx.
Milk - 1/4 cup approx.
Peas - 1 cup drained
Oregano
Garlic
Pepper
Sea Salt
Cilantro
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice

- Place Salmon in a baking dish with olive oil, lemon and all seasonings
-Bake at 400 degrees to your liking - remove and cut in chunks
-Boil Noodles for 10-12 minutes and drain while salmon is baking
-Place noodles, salmon, peas, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk and more seasonings to skillet
-Simmer for about 10-15 minutes

Sounds too easy to taste amazing!

Panini Bikini

Wow, why didn't I make these before? Mom just gave me this idea to make these on the George Foreman so I went for it last night and all I have to say is "THANKS MOM!" Quick, no mess and you'll never want to go out or carry out for a sandwich again!

WHAT YOU NEED -

-Panini Bread or just a loaf of hard bread like Semolina
-Olive Oil
-Balsamic
-Hard Salami
-Capicola
-Sharp Provolone, Provolone or Mozzarella
-Roasted Red Peppers

(You pick whatever your heart or stomach desires on your sandwich!!!!!)

-Brush inside and outside of bread with olive oil
-Brush inside of bread with balsamic
-Stuff your sandwich
-Place in your George Foreman grill, panini grill, whatever you're using on a low/medium heat for about 10 min.
-THAT'S IT! VOILÀ!

Trust me, you can't go wrong!

KIRBY'S CAKES w/ JESS'S DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients for 6 cakes;
-3 cans of well drained tuna
-2.5 pieces of toast (I used whole wheat)
-1/4 cup bread crumbs approx.
-2 eggs

Add the following ingredients to your liking!
-chopped celery
-chopped onion
-mayo
-worcestershire
-balsamic
-dill
-pepper


Optional;
-Old Bay

-Drain tuna and break toast into small/med chunks
-Mix all ingredients together (you can mix bread crumbs in or dip cakes in bread crumbs after forming cakes)
-Form into a crab cake size ball of your liking
-Sautee over low-med heat in olive oil until golden brown on each side (I also broiled them on each side before serving)

Jess's Dipping Sauce;
-Dijon/Brown Mustard (or both)
-Balsamic
-Dill

-Mix all together

These cakes are good on their own or dipped in cocktail, tartar, etc. Very easy and a great alternative for a boring can of tuna!

Granola & Shallot FYI

I'm back...the two recipes I just posted can be found at the links below. jinny introduced me to this website.

granola: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/02/consider-it.html

shallot salad: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/02/simple-and-unsexy.html

vinegar roasted shallots: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/06/handy-to-have-around.html
(pookie--you might like these for salads. i added them to spinach and goat cheese and it was muy bueno. p.s. i also used balsamic vinegar.)

Rachel's Good For You Granola (well, good for me!)

**original recipe in Nigella Lawson's Feast**

Dry Ingredients:

5 c rolled oats (not the instant kind!)
2 c sliced almonds
1 c hulled sunflower seeds (not salted/roasted!)
3/4 c flax seeds
3/4 c lite brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 c unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 c brown rice syrup (may be hard to find--see if you have a whole foods near you)
1/4 honey
2 Tbsp veggie oil

Method:

1. In a very large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir.
4. Preheat oven to 300 (this should've been step one but i'm too lazy to redo the numbering) and set the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.
5. Spread mixture on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 35-40 mins and stir every 10 mins so granola cooks evenly.
6. Remove from oven, stir it very well to prevent clumping, and let cool. Yields 10 cups, which can be stored in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for a very, very long time!

Warm Chickpea Salad w/ Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette

**original recipe from The Splendid Table Weeknight Kitchen**

Ingredients:

1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp red wine vini
1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 c flat leaf (italian) parsely leaves, chopped
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
ground pepper

Method:

1. Combine shallot, garlic, red wine, and salt in a bowl. Let stand for 10 mins.
2. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil, add the chickpeas and blanch (cook 2-3 mins)
3. Drain chickpeas and then add, along with the parsely, carrots, and olive oil to the shallot mixture.
4. Serve immediately once all ingredients have been combined. Add S&P to taste.