"Flaming Mo"

I haven't determined a fitting title for this festive drink, so in honor of The Simpsons, I am calling this "The Flaming Mo" for now. If you have suggestions, please post them!

Fill glass with ice.

Add equal parts of Root Beer-flavored vodka and Whipped Cream-flavored vodka.

Add an equal part of club soda and another equal part of Coke.

Top with a scoop of ice cream.

Drink slowly! These go down way too easily!

Happy New Year. Be safe, be prosperous, and be grateful.

This is a PERFECT side dish for Thanksgiving!

WILD RICE SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

1 box Uncle Ben’s wild rice mix, cooked according to package directions

½ cup diced celery

½ cup diced red pepper

½ cup diced yellow pepper

½ cup toasted, chopped pecans

¾ cup dried cranberries (I use Craisin’s, can find with the raisins)

Dressing:

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup olive oil

(may have to fool around with the oil measurements – I sometimes use a little more, but you don’t want the rice to be dripping with dressing, just to coat for taste.)

Combine cooked and cooled wild rice mix with celery, red pepper, yellow pepper, pecans and cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, brown sugar, and mustard. Slowly begin to whisk in the oils. Whisk together until well blended. Toss enough of the dressing into the salad to coat and flavor well. Season and pepper, if desired.

P.S. I make this for every Thanksgiving and every party I’m invited to and it’s always a hit, even with kids! Serve room temperature. It’s gross if it’s too hot or chilled.

Green Fruit Salad w/ Honey Lime Vanilla Dressing

Green Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vanilla Yogurt

This is truly an eyeball-it recipe. Use as much fruit as you like, in the proportions that you like.

green grapes
sliced kiwi
sliced bananas
cubed honeydew melon
diced green apples
zest and juice of one lime
fresh chopped mint
Combine and mix. Lime adds flavor but also helps keep fruit from oxidizing

Vanilla yogurt (about 1 cup)
Lime juice and zest (about 1 lime)
About 1 TB honey

Mix and serve over the fruit or on the side

Killer Roast Beef Sandwich

For one sandwich:
1 onion roll, split
Spread each half with mayo and horseradish, to taste

Take bottom roll and layer with good quality deli roast beef slices, spinach, arugula or lettuce, cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion, fresh tomato, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top with other half of onion roll.

YUMMY!!!!!

Topping for roasted corn on the cob, etc.

This "pesto" could be great for roasted corn on the cob or roasted tomatoes.


Into a food processor or blender, put
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (out of shell already)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup shredded quesadilla cheese (or manchego)
pinch of salt
pinch of chili powder

Blend until smooth.

Put over hot roasted corn (roast on grill, turning every 3 minutes for a full rotation, about 15 minutes) or roasted tomato (cut large tomato in half horizontally and roast in oven with pinch of salt for 10 minutes on 375) and add a sprinkle more of cheese while it's hot so it melts.

Carmelized Bacon Popcorn

By popular demand via Facebook, I am posting this.

Carmelized Bacon can be used in a variety of recipes. You can crumble it over a salad (don't expect to eat much of the lettuce, though), put it on a BLT, make it a way guilty snack, or put it in popcorn.

Here's my popcorn bacon recipe.

Cook 5 pieces of bacon in a stock pot until all of the fat is completely rendered. Don't worry about the state of the bacon. . .you are after the fat.

Add some vegetable oil and popcorn kernels, add a lid. . .and pop like you did when you were 10 years old (if you're my age. . .before the age of microwave popcorn and when Jiffy Pop was a novelty!)

In a bowl, mix 3 minced cloves of garlic (fresh is best) with 4 TB brown sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 2 TB olive oil. Mix into a paste. Add more oil to make the paste as needed.

Take 10 strips of raw bacon and slather each side with the paste. Put on either a wire rack on top of a baking sheet or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 - 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes every minute - you don't want it to burn. The bacon should appear crisp.

Let bacon stand for 5 minutes to crisp up further. Crumble into the popcorn and add 1 TB smoked paprika.

That is, if you don't eat all the bacon first. It's addictively awesome.

I put it in a salad one night and brought to my friend Toni's house. She picked all the bacon out and ate no salad. It's THAT good.

Enjoy!

Addition to Tuscan Soup Recipe--Correction

After the soup simmers with the beans in it. . .mix 3 tablespoons of milk (I use fat free, lactose free and it works fine) with 3 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch. Drizzle into the soup slowly, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 more minutes until the soup slightly thickens. Should not be too thick. If need be, thin with more chicken broth.

Tuscan Beans and Greens Soup

1 pound Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or spicy, pork, chicken or turkey, ground or link)
2 leeks, thoroughly rinsed (very sandy) sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced, using the white and light green parts
olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 32oz low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped.
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Brown sausage. If using ground, break up into small pieces. If using link, brown whole, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Remove from the pan and drain. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Heat with 1 TB olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic. Season with pinch of salt and pepper. Add about 1 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot to get that great sausage flavor.

Sautee until translucent. Add the rinsed beans and rest of the chicken broth. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sausage back in, then the kale. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the kale is wilted.

Adjust salt pepper.

Ladle into bowls, top with grated cheese. Drizzle with olive oil if you like.

Great served with toasted, crusty bread.

Pickle - anything

I love anything pickled - especially a savory pickle. Here is a favorite recipe of mine!

1 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
1 cup water
2 TB kosher salt
2 TB sugar
3 bayleaves
3 garlic cloves, smashed, but added whole

Chop 2 cups of your favorite veggie. I recommend cauliflower (cut into small florets), carrot (sliced), cucumber (sliced), or I guess you could try anything. It keeps in the fridge forever. Put it in a salad, serve with BBQ, or as an appetizer. It's simple, but amazing!

Asian Cole Slaw

This goes awesome with Asian dishes! Just made it up tonight!

Serves 4

Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 TB rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp ponzu sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

1 head of Napa cabbage, cut into thin strips
1 carrot, shredded
4 scallions, sliced (use about half of the greens)
1 TB chopped fresh mint

Mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk. Add the shredded/sliced vegetables. Toss well. Sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Greek Frittata

Wow - has it really been six months since I've posted? Shame on me!



6 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
greek or italian seasoning
1 large roasted red pepper
3 sliced scallions
2/3 cup chopped, cooked chicken (I like leftover rotisserie)
3/4 cup cooked small pasta (mini farfalle, orzo, mini penne)
1/2 cup chopped raw asparagus
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and let cool slightly.

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Crack 6 eggs into a bowl and beat until fluffy. Add salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of Greek or Italian seasoning, lemon zest, feta cheese. Whisk to combine.

Chop chicken, asparagus, scallions, and red pepper into bite sized pieces and add to egg mixture. Stir to combine.

Add pasta and stir once more.

Spray a quiche or baking dish with non-stick spray and pour mixture into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Move dish under the broiler. Broil on low for 5 minutes to give the frittata a nice crust.

Let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve with a green salad.

I discovered a fabulous line of salad dressing. I found it a Publix. Vidalian Onion Brothers: the Vidalia Vinaigrette is fat free, gluten free, 25 calories for a tablespoon, and low in sodium. The summer tomato dressing is also great - 40 calories for 2 tablespoons, only 5 calories from fat.

Fresh Summer Dinner - Gluten Free Too!

I made this last night, and there were NO leftovers. Even Jordan liked it! The best part - any leftovers could be tossed over a salad the next day for lunch.

BBQ Chicken

4 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken (I like mine very thinly cut, but any will work)
1 cup bottled Italian salad dressing (I like Wishbone)
1 cup good BBQ sauce

Mix the dressing and sauce, pour into large ziploc bag, add chicken, and marinate for at least 4 hours or even overnight. Grill on a medium grill until chicken juices run clear.

Fresh Corn Salad

3 ears corn, husks removed
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3/4 cup packed cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
Salt, Pepper to taste
2 TB Rice Wine Vinegar (can use white or cider if you don't have rice wine)

Grill the corn on a hot grill or grill pan for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Run a knife down the side of the cob to slice off the roasted corn. (Rachel Ray trick: invert a smaller bowl inside a large bowl, use the base of the inverted bowl to prop the corn on; the larger bowl will catch all the flying corn.)

Add corn and all other ingredients and mix. Allow to sit for a few minutes for flavors to blend. Serve room temp.

Potato Skins

3 baking potatoes--pierced to release moisture
Shredded cheddar cheese and Monterrey Jack cheese
1 scallion, sliced, including green tops
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

Bake potatoes until done (I start mine out in the microwave then finish in a 400-degree oven)
Slice in half long-ways Scoop out the inner layer of potato, but leave some on the bottom and sides.

Sprinkle each with desired amount of cheese, scallion, and bacon (you can use turkey bacon and reduced fat cheese to make this lower in fat)

Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, until cheese melts. Serve with reduced fat sour cream, salsa, bbq sauce, or honey mustard.

The chicken and corn salad can be tossed with a salad and some ranch dressing for a great lunch the next day.

Tomato Pie

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who grew up in South Alabama. This is so Southern it's ridiculous. And it's soooooooo delicious.

Tomato Pie

Bake one pie shell according to package directions.

Slice 3 large tomatoes and 1 medium Vidalia onion
Layer tomato and onion in the pie shell, sprinkling salt, pepper and dried basil on each layer.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup of mayo and spread over the top of the pie like a crust.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until top is brown and bubbly.

Bacon, beans and greens

OMG, I made this tonight and it is awesome! Truly an Italian classic. I didn't use a recipe - just put it together on a whim! I used pancetta, which is an Italian form of bacon that is not smoked.

I am going to apply to be on the next season of The Next Food Network Star. Why not!!!

Heat 2 TB olive oil in large skillet
Add 1/4 pound of pancetta (thick cut) diced

Once it starts to crisp up, add 1 large garlic clove, minced
Cook for a couple of minutes

Add 1/2 bag of chopped escarole, kale, or mustard greens. Allow to wilt, about 2 minutes, stir.

Stir in 1/2 cup of chicken broth and keep on high heat. Add 1/2 cup of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) and fresh ground black pepper. Do not add salt, as the pancetta, chicken broth, and beans are already salty.

Top with freshly grated parm cheese. Good with a crusty bread, too.

Angel Hair Caprese

There isn't much you can do to a tomato that I don't love. Have had a rough week with my beloved kitty, Charlie. Vet opened him up and found him littered with cancer and did not recommend waking him up. Well, Charlie is sitting here watching me type and giving headbutts. So I am back in the kitchen. . .trying to figure out what to do with stuff I already have on hand.

Boil large pot of water, add handful of salt
Add 1/2 box of Angel Hair pasta (I like Barilla Plus - very good texture)
Boil according to package directions

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Put tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes

Add the pasta to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and the oil they were roasted in.

1/2 a container of fresh mozzarella cheese (I prefer the small balls that come in water) and quarter them. Toss with the hot pasta and tomatoes.

Chop or chiffonnade a handful of fresh basil and mix the pasta through.

Adjust salt and pepper.

Boil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar then reduce to medium heat. Heat for about 10-15 minutes until it turns into a syrup. Drizzle over the pasta. One final toss.

Top with freshly grated parmesan.

Spaghetti Sauce - my grandmother's

My grandmother, who arrived here from Italy many decades ago (and sadly left us after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease) cook boil a pot of rocks and it would taste amazing.

Her spaghetti sauce, and dinner at her house (this is my step-mother's mother) were the most amazing ever.

2 28 ounce cans good quality tomato puree
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 onion shredded on a box grater or in a food processor
salt and pepper
1 small can tomato paste
32 ounce box of chicken broth
2 cups dry red wine
2 bay leaves
Dried Italian seasoning
Dried oregano
Sugar
1 package of chicken drum sticks

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the vegetables and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sautee on medium heat until soft. Stir in tomato paste (trick - open both ends - it slides right out.) Add 2 cans of tomato puree, chicken broth, wine, 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons oregano, bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Add chicken legs.

Stir every so often (the sauce should reduce be a few inches and be very thick on the bottom. Stir it up.) Simmer for 3 -4 hours. Taste after a couple of hours and adjust seasoning.

Remove bay leaves and transfer chicken legs to a dish and serve with whatever you use the sauce for. I never get to eat the legs, which are awesome, because my kids beat me to it.

Freezes well.

Bubble Burgers

And let's not even get started on the "Bubble" burgers. Ground meat mixed with croutons and fried in a skillet. She made the patties flat, and they naturally expand into an eliptical shape. Then Mom fried the buns in the grease of the pan. (For the record, when you form hamburger patties, make divits in the center so that when they expand you wind up with a flat burger.)

To add insult to injury, our standard side dish was frozen green peas. There is no math that would ever explain that combo. My dad STILL to this day is pondering that meal. And he's a Ph.D. And he doesn't get it.

In fact, he called me one Sunday night (which is our tradition, and since I am the youngest, I get called last) and I had been cooking homemade chicken and dumplings (from the stock to the dumplings) and he actually said, "Where did you ever learn to cook, because you certainly didn't learn it here!"

Hahaha!

There is no harnessing a passion that is driven by learning, testing, improving, and investigating.

Sooooo, is Food Network calling anytime soon? :)

Poopy Casserole

I grew up eating this creation that I think my mother got from some women's magazine. Something about getting all 4 food groups into one meal. I thought it was fine as a child, but when she served it once I was of legal age, I almost puked at the table. My husband, who thought this casserole was a made-up joke, was horrified when it was served to him. He tried to get her two dogs to eat it so it would look like he made an effort. They were even smarter than to ingest this. And they were ShiTzu's, like the dumbest dogs on the planet. Not that dumb, apparently!

1 package of biscuits (from the tube) split in half.

Line a brownie pan with half the biscuits.

Brown a pound of ground beef, drain, and mix with sour cream, chopped green pepper, can of tomato paste, chopped onion, and shredded cheddar cheese. Spread on the biscuits. Top with remaining biscuits and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake according to package directions.

The measurements don't matter, because you're not dumb enough to make this and serve it to people you remotely care about. I dubbed it "Poopy Casserole" because, well, let's face it, that's what it looks like.

However, it does contend with the electric skillet project: Diced Spam, cabbage, diced potatoes, carraway seeds, sauteed in an electric skillet with butter. Hello, this was the 1970's. I know we were in a recession and energy crisis, but wasn't the Great Depression over in 1945? Why were we eating this???

Grilled Ceasar Salad

I had a grilled salad at Antonio's in Hilton Head last year, and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. So I devised this beauty. . .


For 2 servings. . .

Take one head of romaine lettuce and remove outer leaves and slice off the core. Heat a grill pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Put the cut side of the lettuce down on the hot grill. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn over. Sprinkle the cut side up with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove to plate and drizzle ceasar dressing over the top. Garnish with croutons, parmasean cheese and anchovies if you dare!

My favorite Ceasar dressing EVER is from the Three Rivers Cookbook I (from Pittsburgh) printed in 1973. I love the sticker on the front of it: $6.95, from Gimbels. I must have stolen it from my Mom. No worries, she can't cook worth a crap. Never could. Recipes were of no help. Will have to post one of her famous recipes that we gagged, I mean, grew up on.

Blender Ceasar Dressing
by Mrs. Edward I. Sproull, Jr.

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 salad oil
1 egg
Another 1/4 cup salad oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (my twist)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
anchovies (or anchovie paste)

Put first five ingredients in blender. Crack egg into microwave safe dish and cook on high for 30 seconds to "coddle" (to zap out any bacteria.)

Add egg to blender and turn on high. Immediately remove cover and add the rest of the oil. Turn off and add lemon juice and cheese. Add anchovy paste if you like (comes in a tube) or 2 - 3 anchovy filets. Pulse one more time. Or add anchovy filets to the salad. Or leave out if it grosses you out.

Chill to blend flavors. Do not double recipe - make twice instead.
Yields 1/2 - 2 cups.

Stays good in the fridge for 2 - 3 weeks.

Chicken Picatta

This was one of my step-son's favorites growing up. In fact, when we'd go to an Italian restaurant, this little 12 year old would ask the waitress for a side of pasta "with a white wine, lemon sauce" instead of the regular red sauce fare. Too funny!



Heat large pot of water to boiling. Toss in a handful of salt (critical to salt the pasta water!) Cook pasta according to package directions. I prefer Angel Hair for this recipe, because the sauce is so light. A thicker pasta will overpower the sauce.


1 package thinly sliced chicken breast

1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

Dredge the chicken in the flour, do not shake off excess. It makes a nice thickener for the sauce.

2 garlic cloves cut in half.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Heat oil in non-stick pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add chicken a couple pieces at a time. Cook on each side about 3 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan or you will bring the temperature down and boil the chicken. Yuck!

Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Remove garlic and toss.

Now for the sauce. Time to deglaze the pan. The brown bits on the bottom of the pan are your base - they are packed with flavor!

Add 1 cup of dry white wine (always remember to use something you would actually drink) and scrape up the bits off of the bottom of the pan. When the wine is heated through, Add 1 cup of chicken stock or broth. Allow the mixture to reduce by half at a moderately high heat. Taste it along the way. It will get concentrated and a little thick. If it's too salty, add more wine or chicken broth (or both.) Add in 8cleaned and sliced button mushrooms, the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 tablespoons of drained capers.

Adjust salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and reheat. Serve over the pasta.

Top with sprinkle of chopped flat leaf parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

I actually am making this right now and typed it as I made it.