Happy Halloween

Pumpkin Seeds!

Every year I love to carve pumpkins and bake pumpkin seeds.

After I scoop out the seeds, I boil them in water for about 5 minutes.  This just helps separate the seeds from the guts of the pumpkin.  I then toss the seeds with E.V.O.O. and sea salt. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 25 mintues (may need longer).  Toss seeds in oven after 10 or 15 minutes.  Enjoy :)

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

A few years ago, Jason and I were looking for a healthier option for Sloppy Joes that also was packed with flavor.  Of course, the first thing I did was go to food network and I found this great recipe.  It is easy and flavorful!  This sloppy Joe will surely please your family any night of the week!


2 TB olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup of carrot copped
1 small onion chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
salt and pepper
1 TB red wine vinegar
1 TB brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup hot sauce (franks red hot)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
blue cheese crumbles
4 large rolls

Heat large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add meat and break it up with spoon, cook 5 minutes.  Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.  Cook for another 7-8 minutes.  I a owl combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire hot sauce, tomato sauce and stock.  Pour into the pan and stir to combine.  Sinner for a few minutes. Pile sloppy Buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese crumbles.  Enjoy:)

Buffalo Sloppy Joes with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Brussel Sprouts:

Split brussel sprouts in half.  In a bowl mix brussel sprouts with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  

Pesto Chicken

Garlic, Basil, pine nuts oh, my!  Pesto is a quick way to spruce up any meal!  In the summer I usually make my own pesto, but now that its back to the grind and we no longer have fresh basil in the garden, fresh pesto from Wegmans works every time!  If you are in a hurry and need a tasty chicken dish, this is the recipe for you!  I will need to give out some props for my husband, Jason, for this creation.   When we first started dating, I remember him making this meal and thinking, wow, this is really tasty and tender!  Impressive, right?  

All you need is:

Boneless chicken breasts

pesto

thinly sliced tomato

mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Layer pesto on top of chicken (if you do think of this ahead, you can always marinate chicken in Italian dressing).  Bake in oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, top pesto with 2 thin slices of tomato and a thick layer of mozzarella cheese.  Bake for another 5-7 minutes.  Enjoy :)

Greens and Beans over Tortellini

Greens and Beans are a classic Italian dish, that is delicious on its own, with chicken, sausage, or sausage tortellini as I made it.  To me, growing up in an Italian household, this is a comfort food that I crave!  From the minute I start sauteing the garlic, I just know this was a good decision for dinner.   Here is an easy, delicious meal anyone can make at home!


1 bag of escarole
2 large cloves of garlic
1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans
olive oil
salt and pepper
hot pepper flakes
Parmesan Cheese


Boil pasta water.
Heat up large skillet with olive oil, hot pepper flakes and minced garlic.  Add a large handful of greens to skillet, mix with garlic.  Add a little chicken broth to pan.  Mix until cooked.  Repeat steps until all the greens are in the pan.  Once all the greens are cooked through, add one can of rinsed beans (if you like it thicker, don't rinse the beans).  Salt and pepper greens and beans. Cook on low. When you add the beans to the pan, add pasta to water.  Serve greens and beans over pasta, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. ENJOY :)
Have I mentioned how much I love to shop at Wegmans?  My favorite thing to do each weekend is grocery shopping!  I just love walking around smelling the wonderful flavors, fresh bread, cheeses and plain old goodness!  What is there not to love?  I know, I know the crowds, but it doesn't bother me that much...
Any who, I just love the fresh pastas Wegmans prepares.  Every tortellini is just amazing.  With my greens and beans I paired it with the tortellini with sausage and white wine sauce.  YUMMO!  If you have not tried these tasty treats, I highly recommend scoping them out next time in Wegmans!

Apple Crisp

The smell of autumn leaves, fresh pumpkins and sweet scrumptious soul soothing apple crisp!  

Last week, I was craving this wonderfully delicious fall dessert.  I find this recipe to be the perfect one of all!  I am not a huge fan of nuts and oats mixed into desserts, but this still has that crunchy bite from the  butter, flour and sugar mixture that goes on top of the sliced apples that makes each spoonful perfect.  Each sweet bite of warm apple crisp is like a party in your mouth!  Here is my mom's recipe for apple crisp.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


4 cups of sliced apples
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)


Mound apples in buttered 9" round pan.  Sprinkle apples with 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and 1-2 tsp. of flour.  Mix all together.  
Combine sugar, flour and spices and a dash of salt till mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle over apples.  
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or till apples are tender and top is browned.
Let sit for at least 15 minutes before you enjoy this hot apple crisp recipe.  I always enjoy a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

YUM!

Chicken French

The first time I made chicken french was in 6th or 7th grade for the home and careers unit.  We had to make a dinner for our family and my mom taught me how to make chicken french.  Ever since then, it has been one of my favorite meals.  It is such a tasty meal with the tanginess from lemon, salty from capers, and savory from the sherry wine and butter.  It is a sure dish for tender and flavorful chicken!  

Bread chicken in flour mixture with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Fry in oil until golden brown and mostly cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan.


For the sauce:
1-2 teaspoons of capers
1 lemon
1/2 cup sherry wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 TB butter
optional: quartered artichokes 


To frying pan add: butter, capers, 2 or three thin slices of lemon, the juice of the rest the lemon, capers chicken broth and sherry wine.  Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken to sauce and cook for another 4-5 minutes on each side.  ENJOY :)


I didn't have artichokes in the cabinet, but I usually add them and serve over rice.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

This recipe is another blast from the past!  Scalloped potatoes and ham is a dish that sticks to your bones!  It is an American classic, that is an easy dish for any family to enjoy during the week.   Jason, was not a big fan of this dish growing up and I really didn't change his mind, but I learned that he just is not a fan of ham.  I am also not a huge fan, but think it is yummy every once in a long while.  The main problem with ham is that it is very salty, but with the cheesy potatoes it is just delicious!  


3 Large Red Potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
2 small ham steak
1 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cups of cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
salt and pepper


In a pan, fry the thin onion rings until browned and soft.  Cut the ham steaks up into quarters or eighths.  In a small sauce pan, melt butter.  Add milk and season with salt and pepper.  Add four, lower heat and simmer until sauce has thickened. 
Layer Potaotes, ham, onions and cheese.  

Pour sauce over potatoes and ham.  Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until browned and bubbly!

Enjoy :)

Sweet and Sour Pork

This week I was craving some comfort food from my childhood.  My mom is a fabulous cook and I have to say my love for food started at home, savory and sweet!  Not only did my brother and I have hot, tasty meals every night, but dessert was also a must.  To this day my brother and I are food snots and are always looking forward to our next meal and going home to mom's for a homemade treat!  My brother, Ross, and I are always trying to replicate meals we had growing up.  This week I made two meals that I always enjoyed.  This blog is about one of my favorite pork dishes growing up.  Here it is!

2 bone -in pork chops

Flour Mixture: Flour, ground ginger, salt and pepper

1 cooking onion chopped

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 TB Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Flour both sides of pork in mixture and brown both sides of pork in pan with olive oil.

In a baking dish combine, chopped onions, chili sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar and beef broth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sumerge pork in sweet and sour sauce.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.  The sauce is so delicious you will want to soak up all the flavors!

I took a few spoonfuls of the sweet and sour sauce to marinate and cook broccoli, it was delish!

ENJOY :)

Meatball Calzone

Sunday nights are usually sauce nights in the chilly months of the year, but tonight, I made a massive meatball calzone!  Homemade meatballs and sauce inside delicious dough with lots of cheese, sounded perfect to me!


Roll out dough on a large pizza pan.  I heated up my meatballs and sauce, because I froze batches of homemade sauce earlier this month. Half the meatballs so they are in smaller bite size pieces.

Layer cheese (mozzarella, provolone, parmesan mixture) on half of the dough, then meatballs and sauce, then more cheese.  Fold over the other half of the dough and pinch the ends together.


Brush egg wash over the dough, this will give the calzone a pretty color.  Be sure to cut a few small slits to let out steam while baking!


Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting it open.


Enjoy :)

Bacon Spinach Quiche

Just in the mood for a delicious breakfast to start off the beautiful fall day.  If it involves baking I can make it!  I had all the ingredients and have been craving this dish, so...I made it!  It is easy and delicious, the two best criteria for cooking in the morning! 

Saute 1/2 small cooking onion and chopped bacon.  Add roughly chopped fresh baby spinach until just heated though.  Layer in pie crust.

Combine 6 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of milk/heavy cream (I used 1/2 of heavy cream, 1 cup milk since we drink skim milk), salt and pepper.  Pour over spinach and bacon saute.

Add Cheese.  I used a mix of cheddar, mozzarella, provolone.  Enough for a think layer on top and lightly mix into egg mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  

Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Enjoy a delicious breakfast!

Slow Cooked Chicken Cacciatore

I might be the craziest person in the world, or just about the only person who has never used the crock pot! So I got one (a crock pot) last winter and used it... once.  Does it makes sense that I am more nervous to use the crock pot than to make it all separately?  Well, I am determined this winter to get my self acquainted with the crock pot.  I remember in college at my first student teaching placement every teacher said, "you better learn how to use a crock pot".  I am hoping this will help me in the future have warm, tasty meals after a long days work.  I am also determined that next school year I will have my own classroom :)


The Wegmans magazine sparked my interest in trying out this recipe tonight.  In the Fall 2010 issue, there is a slow cooked chicken cacciatore recipe.  I followed it exactly, except I did not add mushrooms and used my own sauce.   The meal was good...not great.  The chicken breasts were moist and fell right off the bone, but did not really soak up the flavors and was kind of bland.  :( Help!

Before

After 3 1/2 hours in crock pot.

2 Chicken Breasts

green pepper

onion

tomato sauce (I used my homemade sauce)

garlic

1 cup dry red wine

flour

salt and pepper

Flour, salt and pepper chicken breasts.  Brown both sides.  Put in crock pot.  In same pan add peppers, onions and garlic, saute until soft.  Add wine and sauce.  Heat through.  Add mixture to crock pot.  Cook for 3 1/2 hours on high.  Enjoy over pasta.


Have you tried this recipe?  Did you like it?  If you have any good crock pot recipes let me know!  I am hoping to get to know my crock pot this winter!

Roasted Garlic and Stuffed Banana Peppers

One word. HOT. As it turned out, the banana peppers from my garden are SUPER SPICY.  Lip burning, nose running, need a LARGE glass of water spicy.  I should have got the hint when I was cleaning out all of the pepper seeds and my fingers were burning for over an hour!  I did have a small inkling, so I paired these tasty spicy peppers and cheese with roasted garlic!  Roasted garlic is one of my favorite appetizer, not only is it super easy to prepare, but because  its tasty with any of your favorite cheeses and fresh Italian bread.  

Banana Peppers
Provolone Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Cream Cheese


Clean out peppers, fry in pan to get some color, let cool, stuff with cheese mixture, Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Garlic
Cut off the tops, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Spread garlic on fresh baked bread.  Pair with cheese of choice.  I usually like Parmesan or provolone.

BON APPETIT!

Provolone Cheese, Roasted Garlic and Stuffed Banana Peppers!

Garlic Thyme Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Cider Sauce

I am always looking for a good pork tenderloin dish and this one came out pretty good.  As I was searching the internet for a pork dish that incorporated apples...this looked like a good one to try.  It's always easy to come up with marinade, I mean, what type of meat is not good stuffed or smothered in garlic, anyway?!  Just the name of this recipe called out to me!  Garlic, Thyme and Apple Cider! PERFECT.  I paired this meal with my homemade applesauce and acorn squash.  As you know, applesauce and pork are like two peas in a pod...  As for the squash, it just made the meal just a perfect fall dish!  So Apples, Squash and Pork...a great meal any night of the week or a dinner party!

2 pork tenderloins.. brush, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper over the pork.  Cover and marinate for1-2 hours.  In a pan, sear all sides of the pork before baking.  Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

While pork is baking in a small saucepan, add 2 small diced shallots and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Heat until browned.  Add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of apple cider and about 1/2 tablespoon of thyme.  Cook on medium heat for about 6 minutes, until sauce reduces.  Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  Simmer for another 6 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Serve sauce over pork.  Enjoy :) Servings: About 6

Quartered Acorn Squash

ACORN SQUASH!!  This colorful side dish, adds flavor, color and the crispness of fall to any meal!  As I said, my mom and pop had a beautiful garden every year and each fall my mom always makes this side dish.  It's easy, it's colorful, it's... acorn squash!

2 Acorn Squash...

Quarter them...

Add, onion slices, brown sugar, salt and pepper...

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour...

Bon Appetit!

Homemade Applesauce

One of the best parts about living in upstate New York is... apple season!  We have some of the best, crisp, sweet apples across the country!  What is better than a warm batch of applesauce?  I know, I know apple crisp and cider, too!  Love it all!

The Applesauce Process...




For my applesauce I used a mix of Cortland, Macintosh, and honey crisp apples.  I used about a cup of water, 1/2-cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.  Cut up your apples, add water, sugar and cinnamon and simmer until soft.  Mash or blend.  ENJOY :)