Oct 28

Chicken Parm Meatballs

These are absolutely delicious! Depending on the size of your package of ground chicken (1-lb or 1 1/4-lb) this recipe makes 11 to 12 large meatballs. The second time I prepared these, I made a slight change and added olive oil to the meatballs, and thought the texture was better. Whether for a weeknight dinner or a dinner party you will find these quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy!

Chicken Parm Meatballs
1 1/4 lbs. ground chicken
1/2 C. breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 C. Pecorino (or Parm)
salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 egg, whisked
zest of half a lemon
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14-oz. jar pizza sauce
4-oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
into 12 slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together first 12 ingredients. Shape into lacrosse-ball size balls and place a few inches from each other on a foil lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of your pizza sauce with a drizzle of olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with a slice of cheese. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan. Serve meatballs with a dollop of sauce.

Oct 20

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

There are many ways to season sweet potatoes when roasting. Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are a great combo for the holidays, but also delicious any time of the year. So instead of just baking sweet potatoes, try roasting them. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and
cut to bite size
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray, and add potatoes. Melt butter and pour over the potatoes along with the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Bake 50-60 minutes stirring a couple of times.

Oct 14

Rum-Glazed Pumpkin Cake

Just one bite of this moist, delicious pumpkin cake will have you ready for fall. Here are some of the comments I heard after sharing slices with friends. “The best pumpkin cake I have ever had; slices of Heaven; melt in your mouth decadence; nuts, rum, moist, spice, it has it all”. If you’re like my husband and I you will have a hard time waiting for it to cool completely. Enjoy!

Rum-Glazed Pumpkin Cake

1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 can (15-oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. canola oil
4 eggs
1/4 C. water
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
GLAZE
1 c. sugar
1/2 C. butter, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
1/2 C. rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan; sprinkle pecans onto bottom of pan.

In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs and water until well blended. In another bowl, whisk cake mix and spices; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cinnamon and cloves; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in rum; cook and stir 2-3 minutes longer or until sugar is dissolved.

Gradually brush glaze onto warm cake, about 1/4 cup at a time, allowing glaze to soak into cake before adding more. Cool completely.

Sep 30

Oven-Baked Churros

Here is a quick and easy way to have churros without having to deep fry them. Only 15 minutes to cinnamon and sugar on warm puff pastry dough. How good would these be dip in a chocolate sauce! Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Churros
1 (17.3-oz.) pkg. frozen puff
pastry sheets, thawed
1/2 C. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 C. melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unfold and cut puff pastry sheets in half length-wise, and cut each half crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Place strips on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon. Remove pastry strips from oven, and dip in butter; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Let stand on wire rack 5 minutes or until dry.

Sep 25

Caramelized Onion-and Apple Tassies

These bite size appetizers take a little time to make, but I think they are worth it when you have the time. The crust is made up of butter, cream cheese and Asiago cheese, which is a great start. The filling has a wonderful combination of sweet onion, apple, balsamic vinegar, and bacon. Make sure to press the pastry dough all the way up the sides of the muffin cups so the tart shells will be deep enough to hold a generous amount of filling. Enjoy!

Caramelized onion-and-Apple Tassies1/2 C. butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded Asiago cheese, divided
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. butter
1 3/4 C. diced sweet onion
1 3/4 C. peeled and diced Granny Smith
apples (about 2 large)
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. table salt
4 bacon slices, cooked and finely
chopped

Beat first 2 ingredients and 1/2 cup Asiago cheese at medium speed with and electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add flour, beating at low-speed until blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls; place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; add onion, and saute 5 minutes. Add apple and next 4 ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat, and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough balls into cups of a lightly greased 24-cup miniature muffin pan; press dough into muffin cups, forming a shell. Sprinkle bacon into shells; top with apple mixture, mounding mixture slightly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Asiago cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack.

Sep 17

Chipotle Shrimp Appetizer

Spicy shrimp with creamy avocado and lime juice make this appetizer delicious. Once you have marinated the shrimp, this comes together in minutes. If you do not care for cilantro, you can substitute with parsley or just leave it out. Enjoy!

Chipotle Shrimp Appetizer
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled
and deveined
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lime
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 avocados, pitted and cubed
10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes,
halved
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag tortilla chip ‘scoops’

Mix olive oil, chili powder, salt, garlic powder and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl until completely combined. Add the shrimp then stir to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-4 hours.

After shrimp has marinated, remove from the fridge and drain any excess liquid from the bowl.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp. canola oil to the pan. When oil is hot, carefully add the shrimp and cook just until it is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the size of the shrimp.

When the shrimp is cooked through, transfer it to a medium-sized mixing bowl and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over the top. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, stir to combine then set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, stir together avocado, lime juice and tomatoes then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place approximately 2 tsp of the avocado mixture into each tortilla chip and top with a shrimp. Serve immediately.

Sep 09

Dijon Crusted Halibut with Orange Butter Sauce

This is another dish that can be prepared very quickly for a great weeknight meal, or is impressive enough to wow dinner guests. Halibut can be hard to find and pricey; I have used cod and it works just as well. Extra dry vermouth can be used in place of the white wine also. Enjoy!

Dijon Crusted Halibut with Butter Sauce

1 C. Panko bread crumbs
1/2 C. fresh chives, chopped
6 Halibut filets (1-in thick, skinless)
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 C. white wine
6 Tbsp. butter (divided)
1 orange (zest and juice)
3 garlic cloves in their skins, smashed
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Mix the bread crumbs and chives together in a rimmed dish. Season with salt and pepper. Season the fish with salt. Spread Dijon mustard on the bottom (skin side) of each filet. Dredge the mustard-coated side in the bread crumb mixture.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter along with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once smoking, add the halibut breaded side down. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Gently flip and cook on the second side for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

Add the white wine and garlic and reduce by a third. Add the orange juice and zest and then add the remaining butter. Remove the garlic cloves and discard. Serve the filet breaded side up with a drizzle of butter sauce.

Aug 28

Macaroni Salad

One of the great side dishes for summer that is great with anything grilled is macaroni salad. This dish is so simple and quick to make there is no need to buy a pre-made brand from the grocery store. Feel free to use what veggies you would like. Enjoy!

Macaroni Salad
1-1/2 C. uncooked macaroni
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/3 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. white sugar
1 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 C. onion, diced finely
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the next 6 ingredients. Add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Once the pasta is fully cooked, drain the water and rinse the pasta with cold water for a minute to cool and stop the cooking process. Add the pasta to the bowl with the mix folding the pasta until well combined. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Aug 24

San Francisco Pork Chops

I have made these for years using bone-in chops and a crock pot, but I like this way much better. The pork chops simmer in a sweet and savory sauce that, when thickened, is great served over rice, pasta or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

San Francisco Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops (3/4-in thick)
1 Tbsp. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 C. soy sauce
1/4 c. red wine or chicken stock
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chops in hot oil, about 5 minutes per side; remove pork to a plate, reserving oil in skillet.

Cook and stir garlic in reserved drippings until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk wine or stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes in a bowl, dissolving brown sugar. Return pork chops to skillet and pour soy sauce mixture over chops. Bring sauce to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to low. Simmer chops until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Transfer chops to a serving platter. Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into pan juices and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chops to serve.

Aug 17

Baked Avocado with Salsa

You will find these stuffed avocados deliciously packed full of flavor. The salsa is enough for two whole avocados. It is also great over grilled chicken or tossed with cooked pasta. The nutritional facts on avocado, tomatoes, and garlic are so incredible that we should definitely be adding more of these foods to our diets. Enjoy!

Baked Avocado with Salsa

1 Ripe avocado
1/4 C. bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 C Roasted Garlic Tomato Salsa (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Divide the salsa between the two avocado halves. Top with bread crumb mixture. Place on a small baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yields: 2

Roasted Garlic Tomato Salsa:
6 medium-size cloves roasted garlic
1 medium-size ripe tomato, cut into medium dice
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, cut crosswise into thin strips

Peel the garlic carefully to keep the cloves whole. Cut them in half lengthwise. In a bowl, toss the tomato and garlic together. Mix in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the basil leaves and toss. Taste, if needed add more salt and pepper.

Yields: 1-1/4 cups