Simply Delicious Garlic and Basil Pesto 11/20/2009

Close Up

This is one addictive and simply delicious recipe for all of you pesto lovers. I was introduced to pesto at my Aunt’s house one evening. My husband and I was immediately hooked to the deliciousness of this sauce. We shopped for it and amazed at how expensive pesto is. So I decided to look for an easy recipe since it would be my first attempt at making it. The recipe that jumped out of me had one of my favourite things in the recipe, GARLIC. That night, with all the right ingredients ready, I made this awesome sauce. I did make my usual alterations to the recipe to fit my taste buds and my pocketbook. Everyone knows how expensive pine and Brazilian nuts are, so I substituted those nuts for that super-food, almonds. This is one recipe that you can make quickly and easily using a blender or food processor. You can use it in so many other recipes, like Pesto Bread sticks. It also makes for a great dip or spread. I ended up mixing pesto in with wheat penne. The second time I made this, I served the pesto over vegetables, chopped cooked chicken and linguini. Very yummy!

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Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves

• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for a thicker pesto, reduce oil by 1/4 Cup)

• 3/4 Cup Almonds (original recipe calls for 1/2 Cup Pine & 1/8 Cup Brazilian Nuts)

• 2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (you may substitute ready to use cheese like Kraft Parmesan Cheese)

• 3 Tablespoons Minced or Chopped Garlic (original recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons)

• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Place the clean basil into blender or food processor.
2. Pour 1 Tablespoon of oil in with basil and blend into a paste.
3. Gradually add nuts, cheese, garlic and chili powder.
4. Slowly pour remaining oil into blender/food processor.
5. Blend ingredients until smooth and well combined.
6. Scrape sides and continue to blend on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.
7. For best taste, pesto should be heated up in the meal it’s being prepared with.
8. Serve as soon as possible.
9. ENJOY!

 

Served!

 

 

Maddening Delicious Mexican Lasagna 10/06/2009

Served

Digging through my refrigerator one day I came to realize I had too many packages of tortillas, whole wheat, jalapeno and sun dried tomato. I noticed they were getting a bit stale so I decided to look around for a recipe where I can utilize most of these tortillas and the rest of the salsa we had on hand. I used ingredients I had on hand and the only thing I bought was low fat sour cream. I found a recipe and change it up, as usual, so I can use what I had. The dish came out extremely delicious and a touch spicy. I would have liked it if it were more spicy since we are going into cold/flu season and eating spicy foods helps ward off illness cause of the vitamin C. I highly recommend kicking it up a notch, if you can handle it, and to use any ‘flavor’ of flour tortillas of your choice (I used all three I had on hand). I believe this dish could be made without the chicken and be made with ground beef, and I also believe it can also be a delicious vegetarian dish. So go and make some delicious Mexican Lasagna, you will not regret it, it’s so easy, anyone can whip it up in 10 minutes. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 Cups Salsa (I used Mild, you can use any kind you prefer)

• 1/2 Cup Taco Sauce

• 1 – 15.5 ounce Can Black Beans or Any Mexican Style Bean

• 2 Cups Chopped, Cooked Chicken Breast

• 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder

• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin

• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Cilantro

• 1 Cup Sour Cream

• 1 Package of 9-Inch Flour Tortilla, any style or flavor (number of tortillas varies depending on size of baking dish)

• 2 Cups Pre-shredded Mexican Cheese Mix (you may use Sharp Cheddar or use Monterey Jack Cheese)

Optional: • 1 Green Pepper, Chopped  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, Chopped  • Chopped Pitted Black Olives  • Shredded Lettuce for Garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Using a 2 Quart rectangle baking dish, evenly spread 1/4 – 1/2 Cups (amount may vary depending on size of baking dish) Salsa on the bottom of the baking dish; set aside.
3. Combine remaining salsa, beans, chicken, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro in a large bowl.
4. To assemble, place one – two (amount may vary depending on size of baking dish) tortillas on top of the salsa. Trim tortilla(s) to fit.
5. Top tortillas with one-third of sour cream. Spread evenly.
6. Top sour cream with one-third of chicken mixture. Spread evenly.
7. Top chicken mixture with one-third of cheese. Spread evenly.
8. Repeat layers two more times, except the last layer of cheese.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and top remaining cheese on top and bake UNCOVERED for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and top is bubbling.
11. Let stand 10 minutes.
12. Serve and if desired, sprinkle shredded lettuce on top with a dollop of sour cream.
13. ENJOY!

Preparing the Layers                                                                                    Fresh Out of the Oven

Delectable Sweet Potato Latkes 09/27/2009

Served

With the recent Jewish Holiday, Rosh Hashanah, about 2 weeks ago and tonight’s celebration of Yom Kippur, I decided to make latkes in honor of my Jewish friends. My friend Paul posted a picture once of his Potato Pancake which he made from scratch, which I was quite impressed with. He tells me they are so delicious and when I get the chance, to try them. Since I am not Jewish, I know I couldn’t wait for Paul to make them for me, so I decided to do it myself. I found a recipe that called for sweet potatoes, one of my favorite things to eat. As usual, I switched things up a bit and it turned out quite delectable. They taste like they should be served along with other desserts, cause it is slightly sweet and could be dusted with powdered sugar. maple syrup or whipped cream. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. I look forward to making more and serving them to my friend Paul (who LOVES Potato Pancakes). Enjoy.

I’ve learned from what I’ve read online, that latkes are potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with eggs, onions, and flour, then fried in vegetable oil. The texture is crispy on the outside and tender within. They’re served hot and often dipped in apple sauce or sour cream. The Maccabbee soliders ate latkes made from cheese, vegetables, or fruits which were brought to them on the battlefields. However, they didn’t eat potato latkes, as potatoes weren’t available until the 16th century.

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Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Shredded.

• 2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten

• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

• 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

• 1/4 Vegetable Oil for Frying

Preparing the Potatoes:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into small to medium pieces.
2. Shred potatoes using a food processor with the grader attachment in place.
3. Remove shredded potatoes and rinse well in colander.
4. Place shredded potatoes into a large bowl and add water to cover potatoes.
5. Let potatoes soak for about 10. ★ Soaking the potatoes help remove as much of the starch as possible. It fries better with less starch. Water should look frothy and dirty.
6. Place potatoes back into the colander, drain and rinse again.
7. Repeat step 3 and soak for another 10 minutes.
8. Again, place potatoes into the colander, drain and rinse. Drain as much water out of the potatoes as much as possible. The less water the less the oil will splatter.
9. Using your freshly washed hands, squeeze potatoes to remove excess water.
10. Let stand, in colander, in the sink while preparing the batter.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, flour, cloves, pumpkin spice and cinnamon; mix well.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet to 375° degrees. Keep the flame medium-high.
3. Using your clean hands, add shredded sweet potatoes and mix well.
4. Form mixture into small pancake sized cakes. ★ I recommend forming all the pancakes first before frying. Your hands will get messy.
5. Gently place pancakes into the hot oil and fry.
6. Flip each pancake after frying for about 4 to 5 minutes (pancakes should be brown on the bottom).
7. Make sure you cook them until they are really brown and look slightly burnt around the edges.
8. Carefully remove pancakes with a slotted spatula, letting excess oil drip back into the pan before moving pancakes to paper towel.
9. Drain a layers of paper towels that are on a dinner plate.
10. Serve hot!
11. ENJOY!

All Mixed Up                                                                    Frying it Up in the Pan                                                                  Served HOT

Most Delectable Baked Ziti 09/23/2009

Fresh Out of the Oven

I used this particular recipe a few years ago when I threw a Christmas party and it was a big hit. My guests had seconds and thirds, which is a good thing. I’ve been meaning to make this delicious dish again, but other recipes have gotten in the way. I guess deep down I was just being selfish, because once you have this dish, you will not crave the usual Baked Ziti ever again, I promise you. As you can see in the “Fresh Out of the Oven” picture, half of the dish was topped with sautéd green peppers. I received a bag full of home grown green peppers and I decided to add it as a topping for my husband, who LOVES it hot and spicy. Feel free to add green peppers to the whole dish as a topping or cook it along with the ground beef, onion and garlic. You can opt not to use ground beef/turkey to make it a lovely vegetarian dish. Throw in more vegetables too!

I highly recommend making this dish, especially if you like it cheesy. Next time I make this, I will use real Parmesan cheese. I keep on saying that, but I keep on forgetting to pick some up at the grocery store. So I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! Serve with garlic bread and grated parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Dry Ziti Pasta (I used Whole Wheat pasta that I had on hand)

• 1 Medium Sweet Onion, Chopped

• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

• 1 Pound Organic Ground Beef or Ground Turkey (You can choose to go meatless, it’s still quite delicious)

• 1 – 2 to 3 pound Jar of Traditional Spaghetti Sauce

• 6 ounces/6 slices of Sliced Provolone Cheese

• 1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream

• 8 ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• Grated Parmesan Cheese

Optional: • 1 Green Pepper, Chopped

1. Preheat Oven to 350° degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions on the box. About 8 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef/turkey over medium head. (Add green pepper at this step if you want to)
5. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Using a bunched up piece of wax paper, grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with olive oil. Make sure you cover sides.
7. Layer ingredients as follows: 1/2 of pasta (bottom), Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.
8. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.
10. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve.
12. ENJOY!

Serves 10 – NUTRITION INFOMATION: Calories: 515 – Total Fat: 24g - Cholesterol: 67mg – Sodium: 894mg - Total Carbs: 47g – Fiber: 4g - Protein: – 26g

Cooking the meat & pasta                                                   Simmering the meat sauce                                                             First layer of pasta

Provolone and sour cream layer                                                    Second layer of pasta                                                             All ready to go into the oven

Zucchini Sauté 09/04/2009

I have developed this recipe from the deep love I have for zucchini and how healthy it is for me. Zucchini is loaded with vitamins and has lots of health benefits (as long as you eat it on a regular basis). This recipe is quite easy and quick. The number of zucchini and squash used depends on how many people you want to serve. I highly recommend serving this dish as a side-dish for your next Thanksgiving meal, like I do. So, go, and saute up some delicious zucchini tonight.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• 1 – 3 Fresh Zucchini, washed well and sliced, cut into strips or cubed (your choice).

• 1 – 3 Fresh Yellow Squash, washed well and sliced, cut into strips or cubed (your choice).

• 1/2 Cup Chopped Mushrooms

• 1/2 Cup Vidalia Onion (you may substitute red onion or yellow onion)

• 1 Teaspoon Cilantro

• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (Optional)

• 1/8 Teaspoon Pepper (Optional)

• 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional Topping)

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium to low heat.
2. Place zucchini and squash into heated pan.
3. Sauté zucchini and squash for about 3 minutes.
4. Add onion, mushrooms, cilantro and the optional salt and pepper.
5. Mix ingredients well and sauté for 5 minutes.
6. Place lid on pan and let cook for another 5 minutes on stove top.
7. If you prefer the zucchini and squash to be softer, sauté for about 3 minutes longer.
8. Remove from heat, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve.
9. ENJOY!

Lovely Ratatouille 08/24/2009

As some of my friends are saying after telling them what I was making for dinner, “I didn’t know there was an actual dish before the Disney Movie, I thought it was made because of the movie”. Well no, it’s been around for a very long time and it is oh so delicious. This is a traditional French stewed vegetarian dish made with some flavorful vegetables. Ratatouille can be served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal. You can use the left overs to stuff crepes or an omelet the next day. I did switch up the original recipe I found on-line. I omitted the green pepper due to my food allergy to the vegetable and I used Salsa Fresca (tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno) as the tomato top layer, which gave it a touch spiciness. I have to say again, this is one delicious dish with all of it’s lovely colors. I hope you enjoy this healthy vegetarian dish as much a I did, my husband absolutely loved it-he could eat this everyday. This is going to be a regular meal for me and hopefully for you too. And next time I will use real Parmesan Cheese instead of the cheaper regular Kraft kind.

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Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 3 Cloves Garlic

• 2 Teaspoons dried Parsley

• 1 Eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• Salt to taste (I omitted the salt for health reasons)

• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

• 2 Zucchini, sliced (I used 1 green zucchini and 1 yellow squash)

• 1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped

• 2 Cups Sliced Fresh Mushrooms

• 11 ounces Salsa Fresca

Optional:

• Use 2 large tomatoes, chopped in place of the 11 ounces of Salsa Fresca

• 1 Green Pepper, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 Quart casserole dish with 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil.
3. Heat remaining Olive Oil in a large skillet or stove top wok over medium heat.
4. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned.
5. Mix in parsley and eggplant.
6. Saute until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt if desired.
7. Remove from heat and spread eggplant mixture evenly across the bottom of prepared dish.
8. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese.
9. Spread zucchini in an even layer over top. Lightly sprinkle salt onto of zucchini if you want.
10. Sprinkle more Parmesan Cheese on top of zucchini.
11. Continue layering in this fashion, with the onion and mushrooms (If you choose to use the pepper, place pepper after the mushrooms).
12. Top with tomatoes and sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese.
13. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
14. ENJOY!

Some of the Ingredients                                              Garlic, Parsley and Eggplant Sauteed                                                 Eggplant Mixture

Zucchini Layer                                                                Finished Prep before Oven                                                   Fresh Out Of the Oven