Blueberry Grunt

Courtesy of Cathy Velte



Ingredients

Filling:
...
3 cups California Giant Blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Crust:

1 cup flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1 egg
1/3 cup milk or heavy cream

Preparation

Toss filling ingredients in a large bowl and place in pie dish.

Sift the dry ingredients and add the wet. Spoon on top of the blueberries in the pie dish and bake at 425° for 20 minutes.

Romaine, Mandarin Orange and Feta Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Poppy seed dressing recipe - from Betty Crocker:

3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/3 cup sugar
...
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons poppy seed

* 1 In small bowl, mix all ingredients with wire whisk. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pour over mandarin oranges, feta cheese and romaine lettuce - thank you for the suggestion Cathy Velte!

 

 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar add flavor to this yummy side dish.

 

3 large sweet potatoes

1/4 stick butter

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 fresh ground nutmeg

3 T brown sugar

Directions:

Pierce potatoes and  cook in microwave for 15 mins.  Remove and and let stand until cool enough to handle.  In the meantime, melt the butter over medium heat and add the spices and brown sugar.  Add the pototoes to a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher.  A few lumps are fine.  Stir in the butter and spice mixture.

Top with toasted walnut bits if desired.

Blueberry Jam

A simple blueberry jam using only blueberries and sugar.  Can't get much easier than this.

 

I found this recipe while surfing the net and stumbled upon Nick Malgieri's website.  Here is the link to his Blueberry Jam Recipe.

 

This recipe is living proof that sometimes simplest is best.  Fresh blueberries and sugar are the only ingredients and they make for a jam that’s full of fresh blueberry flavor.  Blueberries have both the qualities needed for a successful jam – a good balance of sweetness and acidity and plenty of natural pectin to make the jam jell nicely.

 

Here’s how to calculate the amounts:  A pint of blueberries weighs about 10 ounces and you’ll 7 1/2 ounces or 1 cup of sugar, that’s it.  This is best made in small quantities of up to 3 pints of blueberries.  In quantities more than a pint of berries, make sure to use a wider pan so that the mixture is only a couple of inches deep in the pan or it will take longer to cook.

Makes a generous pint of jam

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar

A 2-quart saucepan, plus a canning jar and lid or plastic container with cover

1. Put the blueberries on a jellyroll pan and pick over them to remove any stems, shriveled or green berries.  Put the berries in a strainer and rinse them under cold running water.  Place the wet berries in the saucepan.


2. Stir the sugar into the berries and place on medium-high heat.  Stir occasionally as the berries heat so that the sugar starts to melt evenly.  As soon as a few of the berries burst and release liquid the sugar will easily dissolve.


3. Bring the jam to a full rolling boil, then turn down the heat to medium.  Let the jam simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  When it’s ready the jam with be slightly thickened, not thick.  If you cook it until it’s very thick it will turn to blueberry flavored tar after it cools.


4. When the jam starts to boil bring a pan of water to a boil and put the jar and lid into the boiling water to sterilize them.  Boil for a minute, then remove from heat, leaving the jar and lid in the hot water.  If you’re using a plastic container, use tongs to give the container and lid a quick dip into the boiling water.


5. Pour the boiling jam into the drained jar to within 1/4-inch of the top.  Wipe any drips on the rim of the jar and the sides with a clean damp cloth.  Put the lid in place and screw it shut.  Cool to room temperature.


6. Keep the jam refrigerated (the jar might seal but it’s not fully processed in a pressure canner), and use it within a month

Raspberry Pie

Courtesy of Maggie Tomei

Okay all you pie lovers....this is a really great pie.
Raspberry Pie
6C fresh raspberries drained. Trader Joes has fresh frozen organic raspberries)
1C sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 C. Water
Whipped Cream
Prepare pastry for a 9" pie pan and bake making sure to weight the crust. In a small bowl crush enough raspberries to make 1 C. Combine cornstarch and sugar in a medium bowl then add the remainder of the raspberries and water. Cook the mixture until it boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Let cool. Spoon crushed raspberries into pie shell then pour cooked raspberries into pie shell over that. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Mushroom Pie

Courtesy of Cathy Velte

[caption id="attachment_259" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mushroom Pie"][/caption]

Mushroom Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 basic pie dough recipe, rolled out and lining a 9 or 10-inch pie dish, or 8x8 baking dish, chilled (or one frozen pie crust)
2 Tbsp butter
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
A dash of ground cardamom or nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Line the inside of a pie shell with heavy aluminum foil, pressing it against the side. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil, poke the bottom of the pie crust with the tines of a fork to create air vents. Return crust to oven, bake for an additional 4 minutes, or until the crust just begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

2 In a large sauté pan melt butter on medium heat. Add mushrooms, stir to coat with the butter. Increase the heat to high, stirring constantly until the moisture the mushrooms has released and evaporated, a few minutes. Lower heat to medium, add minced garlic, stir with the mushrooms for 30 seconds then remove from heat.
3 Beat together the eggs, sour cream, milk, and cream. Add freshly ground pepper, a pinch of salt, and cardamom or nutmeg if using. Stir in the grated cheese and chopped parsley.

4 Spread the sautéed mushrooms along the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Pour the cheese and cream mixture over the top of the mushrooms. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until nicely browned on top and a knife inserted in the the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6.

 

 

Cranberry Chutney with Brie

Cranberry Chutney with Brie - from Debbie Thelan
* 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* Dash ground cloves
* Dash ground allspice
* 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
* 1/4 cup golden raisins
* 2 8 ounce rounds Brie cheese
* Assorted crackers or sliced and toasted baguette
* Pear slices (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse cranberries in cold water; drain.
For cranberry chutney:

2. In a small saucepan, stir together the water, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in apple and raisins. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until desired consistency. If you like, cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, place Brie in an oven-safe serving dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is warm and slightly softened.

4. To serve, spoon the cranberry chutney over the warmed Brie. Serve with crackers or bread slices and pears, if you like. Makes 8 appetizer servings

* Warrens Cranberry Festival Warrens, WI Recipe Contributor: Debbie Thelen, Tomah, WI 3rd Place Fresh Cranberry Category2008 Warrens Cranberry Festival 37th Annual September 25-27, 2009 Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center 204 Main Street Warrens, WI 54666 Phone: (608) 3784878 Fax: (608) 378-3328

Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

This is rainy day cooking at it's best - simmer the meatballs and sauce slowly for a few hours.....

Meatballs

 

1 lb ground turkey

2 links chicken sweet italian sausage with casings removed

1/4 C grated parmesan

1 egg

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs - pulse country bread cubes with 2 T parsley in food processor or blender

1/2 C diced white onion

2 T minced garlic

 

Mix all ingredients in a non reactive bowl - mix thoroughly to get the sausage and ground turkey blended well.

Shape into 2 inch balls.

Spray a 9 inch glass pan with PAM and arrange the meatballs - you should have about 18-20 meatballs.  Cook at 400 for 30- 45 mins until browned.

 

Pour marinara sauce  into a deep saucepan.  Add the meatballs and simmer for about an hour.

Boil spaghetti and top with the meatballs and sauce.  Serve with a green salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce  :)



 

 

 

Grocery Shopping and Cooking for One

As a single person who is a foodie, I often find I waste a lot of food - I get excited about recipes and food combinations and buy more than I can consume before the food goes bad.   Or I get in the mood for something ( like broccoli slaw) that I won't eat every day.  A bag of broccoli slaw will feed at least 6! Guess how much of that gets thrown out  :(

Just today I threw out feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, carrots, celery, cooked and seasoned ground turkey, yogurt, lunchmeat, half a bag of fresh mized veggies that got browned and strawberries. A better plan would have been to do some freezing - feta can be frozen, then thawed and used as crumbles in a salad.  I could have frozen the ground turkey in small portions after cooking and used as needed.  Carrots and celery could have been used to make stock - I have lots of  chicken parts and stock keeps in the freezer for quite a while. Same thing with the veggies.  I should have taken the mozz to work with me and added it to my daily salad, or used for a snack with crackers or tomaotes. As for the yogurt, I need to eat some everyday or resort to buying individual cartons ( more expensive) vs the 16 oz tub

I vowed to do better, so here is what I purchased grocery wise and my meal plan for this week:

1 roasted chicken - on sale for 4.99

fresh Italian whole grain bread

Applegate organic ham slices

tub of greek yogurt

organic salad mix

egg beaters

shredded cheese mix

packaged sliced apples

sliced pineapple

cubed cantelope

pint of cherry tomatoes

 

I eat most of my meals at work, so I pack my goodies for the week on Sunday nite and take them to work on Monday, storing everything in the fridge in the breakroom.  ( If you don't have a  fridge at work, you could use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack and pack daily instead of for the entire week)

 

Chicken cut into quarters - 2 quarters in the freezer, the other 2 will be for meals this week.

Frozen green peas on hand - making a batch of soup - most will be frozen in plastic containers.   Recipe here  http://www.simpleandsavoryfood.com/great-summer-soup/

Breakfast every day ( I don't get tired of it) is egg beaters and shredded cheese scrambled in the microwave at work. I add 2 slices of whole grain toast and berries or other fruit.

Snacks - apples and sliced cheddar cheese, yogurt with berries and walnuts, crackers and cheese or fresh peanut butter, or apples with fresh peanut butter.

Lunch - green salad with grape tomatoes, diced apple, sliced strawberries, chopped walnuts, shredded cheese and balsamic viniagrette.  Accompanied by a ham sandwich or chicken and Green Giant seasoned steamer vegetables.

I'm making green peas soup using on hand frozen peas - I'll freeze individual portions.  I'll have the soup with a sandwich or salad for dinner or lunch.

 

So that's it.  I have chicken and soup in the  freezer for later meals.  I'll also freeze some of the sliced lunchmeat as I won't eat all of it during the week. I stock up on the Green Giant Steamer vegetables when they are on sale, as the fresh go bad to quickly.  Some left over celery will be diced for some stock.

 

 

 

 

Antipasti Salad

This is a great way to please a crowd - and no cooking involved :)  Easy and elegant and you don't have to make yourself crazy.

 

Marinated artichoke hearts

Bread sticks wrapped in proscuitto

Small mozzarella balls

Thinly slice italian meats ( salami, copicola, etc)

Olives

Fresh grape tomatoes

Small chunks of parmesan reggiano

Thinly sliced provolone cheese

Marinated veggies

 Pepperoncinis

Romaine lettuce tossed with viniagrette

Crusty bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar

 

Cooking instructions:  None  lol

Shrimp with Insalata Caprese

Can it get any more simple and savory than this?  This is great as an appetizer or light lunch on a hot day

 

Spinach Salad

This is one of my favorite super salads - a meal in itself and full of healthy, clean stuff.  Serves 2

2c  fresh spinach

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

6 sliced strawberries

2 oz crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese

12 walnut pieces

2  small diced apples

12 grape tomatoes, halved

Combine all ingredients and toss with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 

 

Katamala Olives with Feta, Baguette, Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

This is a nice treat for company - my friend Barbara served this during a weekend visit.   Accompany this with a chilled glass of white wine - simple and savory !  Use chunk feta, not crumbled.

Slice the feta into 1/4 inch or thinner slices.  Drizzle a plate with good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar - 2 tbs. each.  Arrange the olives and cheese on the plate.   Slice the baguette horizontially into rounds and enjoy.

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Ham and Noodle Casserole

HAM & NOODLE CASSEROLE   Good comfort food with great ingredients.  Easy to make and also wonderful for leftovers.

1 tbsp. butter 2 shallots,  minced 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 c. sour cream 1/2 lb. cooked, wide noodles 1 1/2 c. chopped ham Sea salt 1/2 c. Gruyere cheese, baby Swiss or Swiss cheese, grated 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2 quart casserole with olive or canola oil. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the shallot over medium heat until soft. In a small bowl, mix the eggs and sour cream, then add the shallots,, cheese and ham. Add salt to taste. Put the noodles into the casserole, then add the sauce mixture and toss gently. Bake 45 minutes . Top with the fresh parsley and mix.    Adapted from Cooks.com Ham and Noodle Casserole

French Bread with Herbed Butter

Mash 1 stick room temperature unsalted butter with herbs of your choice - rosemary and tarragon work well

Slice one large French bread loaf into ½ inch slices, without cutting all the way through. Generously spread the butter mixture evenly onto each slice. Wrap in foil and bake for 15 mins. Serve warm

You could also change this up using a basil pesto for the filling

This is great as an appetizer or served with a soup or stew.

Lime and Avocado Slaw

This is great as a topping for fajitas, or would go well with any summer type barbecue meal.

3 C. thinly sliced cabbage

2 T fresh chopped cilantro

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced

1/4 C  fresh lime juice

Zest of one lime

2 t. sugar

Add cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine the lime juice, zest and sugar.  Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

Green Bean, Walnut & Feta Salad

This recipe is brought to you courtesy of Marilyn Nergord - this looks yummy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2# slender green beans
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 cup slivered red onions
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 TBL best quality walnut oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Snap stem ends from green beans. Bring a pot of water to the boil & add green beans. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until just tender crisp. Drain and chill.

Mix green beans, 1 1/2 cups walnuts, feta and onions together with the dressing & arrange on a large, chilled platter. Garnish with remaining onions, walnuts and feta.
Serve immediately.

Green Market

Love, love, love my trips to the Green Market in Boca Raton on Saturday mornings.  Wonderful fresh veggies, artisian breads, fresh stone crab claws.  It's a bustling market with food, crafts, flowers and music nestled in Royal Palm Place. Cute bistros full of people enjoying a great breakfast or brunch.  Next time I will have to take some pics so you can get an idea of the ambiance.  For today, a pic of some of my goodies.  I just cannot pass up the fresh mozzarella...it will keep for two weeks as long as you keep it in the water.  Oh, and did I say a bunch of basil so fresh it still has the roots attached  :)

Chili Cornbread Casserole

This is good old fashioned comfort food, great for a crowd.  Serve with a nice green salad.  Adapted from Mommy's Kitchen .  Since I didn't have to feed a crowd, I halved the ingredients and used an 8 inch dish.



1 lb. hamburger or ground turkey, browned, (drained) 
½ cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 (15 oz) cans  chili beans
½ - tsp. onion powder
3 - tsp. chili powder
½ - tsp. garlic salt
salt & pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup additonal cheddar cheese for batter (optional)
(2) - packages Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

Mix browned hamburger/ground turkey with onion and drain. Add tomatoes, chili beans and seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes. Put into greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Mix corn bread mix according to box directions.  Pour corn muffin mix on top of the chili and cheese cover completely. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Lunch Menus

Homemade chicken noodle soup, salad, french bread with herbed butter

Homemade creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches - use fresh whole grain country bread

Tortellini salad topped with jumbo shrimp

Platter with chicken apple sausage, cheddar cheese, dark bread, coleslaw or broccoli slaw, gherkins, chutney and Dijon mustard. Serve with a large green salad tossed with honey dijon viniagrette.

Chinese chicken salad

Chicken quesedillas with mango salsa

Chicken salad with almonds, sliced cantelope, strawberried, blueberries and banana bread.  Serve on top of curly lettuce leaves.

Toasted french bread open faced sandwich with brie and thinly sliced apples.

Sliced roast turkey breast and brie sandwiches - use mini french baguettes, slather with a bit of mayo and dijon mustard.

Peel and eat shrimp, sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, extra virgin oil and balsamic viniagrette.

Fettucine with Prosciutto and Peas

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

12 ounces fettuccine

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

4 oz sliced baby portabellos

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed

8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, about 1 cup

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1 lb large shrimp ( 15-16 per pound) - precooked

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.


2. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.Add proscuitto and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add cream , peas, and mushrooms. Bring to a over medium heat unitl peas are heateed through- 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired.  Top with the shrimp, tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Dinner Menus

Grilled steaks and Panzanella Salad

Spaghetti with meat sauce, grated parmesan and green salad, french bread with herbed butter

Bouef Bourgignon with egg noodles, salad and french bread with herbed butter

Simple Roasted Chicken with roasted baby reds and vegetables

Fettucine with peas and prosciutto, topped with jumbo shrimp, green salad, french bread with herbed butter.

Pan grilled pork chops with mashed potatoes and broccolini

Roast turkey breast with thyme and rosemary, wild rice and baby portobello risotto, honey gingr glazed carrots, spinach salad with crumbled gorgonzola and sliced strawberries with honey vinaigrette.

Fettucine with proscuitto, basil pesto and peas, green salad and crusty bread.

Mixed green salad with glazed pecans, grilled steak,  twice baked potatoes with cheese

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

You will love this soup - so easy to make. Switch up the variety of herbs if you like. Thyme and rosemary are a nice combination to add.  Cook the egg noodles seperately so the soup doesn't get starchy.

I keep homemade stock on hand in the freezer to use for making this soup.  Kitchen Basics boxed broth is also good - I buy the low sodium.  In a pinch, you can use canned broth.  Using both chicken and  vegetable broth adds a nice flavor. I don't add onion because the broths I use are already flavored with onion and I don't like a strong oniony taste to the soup.

This freezes well - just leave out the noodles and add them in when you are reheating the soup.  Serve this with a nice green salad and some crusty bread and herbed butter.

Ingredients:  (Serves 6)

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chopped celery

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups  vegetable broth

1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast

1 1/2 cups egg noodles - cooked and drained

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook  carrots and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add drained noodles before serving.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Easy, healthy and flavorful!

Preheat oven to 425

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tsp minced garlic

1/1 t olive oil

1 t fresh basil - chopped

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh mozarella, grated or diced in small cubes.

Place tomatoes in a shallow baking dish.  Drizzle on the olive oil and toss the tomatoes with the salt, pepper and garlic.  Roast for about 15 mins until the skins begin to pop.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and toss with the basil.  Add some fresh grated mozarella, toss and serve.

Glazed Carrots

A great way to add some zing to your vegetables:

1 16 oz bag baby carrots

1/2 T butter

1/2 t fresh grated ginger

1 T honey

Few sprigs of chopped rosemary

Rinse carrots and toss in boiling water until tender - about 5 mins or so.  Drain carrots into a colander.  In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add honey and ginger.  Add the cooked carrots and toss to coat.  Place carrot mixture in serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary.

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2 lbs brussel sprouts, halved horizontally

1/2 lb pancetta or Applewood smoked bacon - diced

 A few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary

1/1 t salt

Cook brussel sprouts in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 mins. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.

In a heavy pan, saute the pancetta or bacon until cooked to your taste.  Remove bacon from pan and drain.  Remove all but 1 T of the drippings. Add  1/2 of the brussel sprouts to the pan, cut sides down.  Heat at med-high, uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the sprouts are browned.  Add additional drippings if necessary. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining sprouts.  Return all the sprouts to the pan and toss with the cooked bacon and herbs.

Makes 8 1/2 cup servings.

Breakfast and Brunch ideas

Looks like I'm going to be having some company next month.  I decided to make a list of menu ideas so I can  keep everyone fed without going crazy.  Since I'm single, I don't have the opportunity to cook for company too often, so I've come up with these ideas.  Keeping everything fairly simple so I won't be in the kitchen all the time.

This isn't a typical recipe post - I'm just going to list my brainstorm menus.  Everything is pretty basic - if you would like a recipe to follow, let me know and I will happy to oblige. I plan on making this a series of posts - starting with breakfast/brunch and continuing on to lunch and dinner...

1. Scrambled eggs, roasted applewood bacon and homefries. 

2. Egg, cheese and bagel sandwiches

3. Greek yogurt with berries, sliced almonds and a drizzle of honey.  I'll serve with spiral sliced ham and toast.

4. Scrambled eggs with ham, cheese and green peppers.  Served with Simply Potatoes hash browns.

5.  Whole grain waffles toasted and topped with greek yogurt and mixed berries, drizzled with honey.

6.  The old standby breakfast casserole - Simply Potatoes hash browns or southwest potatoes with eggs,  shredded cheddar - jack cheese and crumbled sausage.

All of these will only take about 15-20 minutes to prepare.  Nothing super elegant, but delicious and filling.

Easy Tortellini

This is one of my favorites - great for company and so easy to make - it's always a hit. Buy the fresh tortellini, not frozen - more expensive, but sooo worth it.  You can round this out with a protein if you like - this is awesome with shrimp!

Ingredients
1 pound package fresh tortellini
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups freshly diced tomato
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves 
2 tablespoons chiffonade basil leaves
1 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
1 minced shallots
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano cheese

 
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. When fully cooked, drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile,  combine the diced tomatoes, herbs, shallots, lemon juice, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix to combine and season with sea salt and pepper. When the tortellini have cooled to room temperature toss with the tomatoe mixture.  Top with the grated cheese.

Simple Roasted Chicken

This is now my favorite roast chicken recipe.  The simplicity of it is deceptive - this chicken tastes fabulous.  In the past, I've roasted chickens with a variety of herbs, stuffing herbs under the skin, rubbing olive oil over the chicken, stuffing carrots, celery and onion in the cavity....but despite my best efforts, the chicken would be lacking in flavor - often with dry breast meat. 



Very important to bring the chicken to room temp before roasting and also make sure it is dried will after rinsing - you do not want to add any steam. The salt is also key - the original recipe calls for 1 T, but I found it to be a bit too salty for my taste - next time I will use 1/2 T.

With this recipe, the skin is nice and crisp and the chicken is moist and juicy throughout.  The key is cooking the chicken in high, dry heat.  The vegetables add steam, so don't be tempted to play with this recipe.  You can roast the vegetables seperately.

1 small roast chicken

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh chopped herbs - rosemary or thyme work well.

Bring the bird to room temp, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/2 T of salt over the bird and season the cavity with salt and Roast @ 450 for 50-60 min. No peeking, no basting. That's it. After roasting, baste the chicken with the juices and chopped rosemary or thyme. Let rest for 15 mins, carve and slather with butter.

Make some creamy mashed potatoes and drizzle with the pan juices - delicious!

Adapted from Thoman Keller's Simple Roasted Chicken

Boeuf Bourguignon

This recipe is wonderful to make on a lazy Sunday.  It's a bit labor intensive, but so worth it. Put some Norah Jones jazz on the CD player,  pour a nice glass of red wine and life is good.  Your place will smell fantastic as the beef simmers with the herbs.

This is my take on the recipe - adapted from Martha Stewart and Ina Garten's recipes.  Serves 6-8

• 2 lbs stewing beef


• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper


• 2 teaspoons cornstarch


• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 8 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, quartered


• 3 carrots - chopped into large chunks


• 3 shallots, minced


• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped


• 1 package Applewood Smoked bacon.  Slice into 1" pieces.  ( Yes, expensive, but so worth it and this stew will feed a crowd)


• 1 tablespoon tomato paste


• 2 thyme sprigs


• 1 dried bay leaf


• 1 cup dry red wine - I used a decent Pinot Noir- $10


• 8 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef stock (Kitchen Basics brand is my favorite - great flavor!)

1. Cut up all the veggies and set aside.  Chop the bacon. 


2. Cut the beef into smaller cubes if desired.  Toss with the cornstarch.


3. Season the beef with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 T olive oil in the pan and brown the beef on all sides.  You will need to do this in batches so the meat is not crowded.  Otherwise it will steam instead of brown.  Add more olive oil as needed.


4. Transfer the beef into a bowl after it is browned.  You will get some lovely juice rendered.

5. Add mushrooms to pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

6. Add shallots, celery, carrot and bacon to pot. Cook about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.



7.   Return beef with plate juices to pot. Add thyme and bay leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

8.  Add reserved mushrooms. Bring to a simmer; cook for 5 mins.

This is wonderful served with a crunchy french bread for dipping.  Also, serve over egg noodles tossed with butter and fresh parsley.  

Berry Galette

Berry Gallette - this is so easy and so delicious! A great dessert

1 pie crust - I use frozen since I'm not much of a baker lol - however if you have a good homemade pie crust recipe, by all means use it :)

3 cups berries of your choice - frozen is OK if fresh are not available
1/4 C sugar
1 T butter, quartered
1 egg, whisked

Thaw the frozen pie crust slightly - just until you can work with it. Place the berries in the middle of the flattened pie crust. Top with the butter cubes. Fold the sides of the dough over the berries. Most of the berries will remain uncovered. Sprinkle with the sugar. Brush the dough with the egg wash.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 until the dough is gold and flaky.
Great as is, or top with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or honey.

This is a recipe you can get creative with - you could also use apples, peaches, etc for the filling...

Easy Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

2 skinless chicken breasts with rib

2 garlic cloves mashed

1/2 cup sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1 sweet potato, sliced

Penzy's Galena Street Rib and Chicken Rub

Penzy's 4/S seasoned salt

1/2 cup no fat/low sodium chicken broth

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Coat a baking pan with EVOO ( about 2 TBS)

Place chicken in pan and season with the spices - about 1/2 TBS of each

Add garlic cloves, mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

Bake for one hour. Since ovens may very, use a thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to 165 degrees. Make sure to avoid the bone when testing the temp.

Serves 2

The portabellos add great flavor and the broth make the chicken breasts come out so juicy