Russian Snowballs

This is my new addition to my Christmas cookie baking extravaganza!  Let's see how they turn out!

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 t. salt
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Powdered sugar


Cream butter  until light.  Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients in 3 batches.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 12 fours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Form dough in to 1 inch balls.  Space 1 inch apart on cookie sheet  Bake until just firm to touch, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to rack and cool slightly.  Rollin powdered sugar.  Cool completely.  Roll cookies in powdered sugar again.


ENJOY:)  


Let me know if you have made/tried this recipe!

Chewy Chocolate Kringles

This may be one of my all time favorite recipes.  They are exactly what the title says, chewy and chocolaty... YUMMO!

1 1/4 cups butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients and add gradually to butter mixture.  Form into 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling rack.  Enjoy :)

Peanut Butter Blossoms

This month, I am going to be posting all my favorite holiday cookies!  Peanut butter blossoms are a staple for the holiday season.  Here is a simple recipe for a peanut butter treat!

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t. backing soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tb. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 egg

sugar to roll cookies in before baking and chocolate kisses to place in center of cookie

In a mixer add sugar, brown sugar, shortening, peanut butter.  Add milk, vanilla, egg and mix.  Add flour, salt and baking soda.

Roll into 3/4 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until are golden brown.  Immediately add chocolate kiss to center of cookie.  Let cool.  Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Cookies

Around this time of the year, I swear my sweet tooth goes on overload!  I just can never eat enough cookies!  I am starting off my baking season with a cookie I make for Thanksgiving.  Since I am not a big pumpkin pie fan, I found another great alternative for pumpkin that everyone will love!

1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

In a mixer, beat together sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add pumpkin, vanilla an egg and blend well.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon, salt and mix well.  Drop rounded spoonfuls about an inch apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or just until the edges are light and golden brown.

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. milk
1 t. vanilla

(may need more powdered sugar)

Make sure cookies are cooled before you dip cookie in icing.  Enjoy!

Baked Risotto Balls

Last month I made butternut squash risotto and since I always make enough for leftovers I decided to make some risotto balls for an appetizer.  Yesterday, I decided to take them out of the freezer for a tasty appetizer, which I must say was absolutely delicious.  If you are looking for a new appetizer this holiday season, try this recipe out!

Squash:

2-3 cups butternut squash (3/4 inch cubes)
fresh sage
olive oil
salt and pepper
Mix ingredients, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
When done, I left in oven to keep warm until risotto was done.

Risotto:
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
thyme
salt and pepper
1 Tb butter
1 - 2 Tb olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup provolone cheese (for risotto)
2/3 cup provolone cheese (for risotto balls)
2 eggs
plain (unseasoned) bread crumbs
In pot heat butter, oil, onions, garlic, thyme salt and pepper.  Add rice, heat through about 3 minutes over medium heat.  Add 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir often. Add next cup of broth once the liquid is soaked up in risotto.  Keep stirring!  Add 1 cup white wine.  Once all liquid is about all absorbed, add cheeses (1/4 of provolone cheese).  Add butternut squash.  Refrigerate overnight.  Form 1 inch balls with risotto, add a pinch of provolone cheese to center of risotto ball.  You will need two bowls, one for egg wash mixture and one for unseasoned bread crumbs.  Roll risotto balls in egg wash, then in breadcrumbs. On a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil so the pan has a thin layer of olive oil.  Bake risotto balls for 6 minutes at 375 degrees, then flip and bake for another 6 minutes.  Enjoy :)

Rice and Eggplant

Here is a new creation that was made up on the fly!  I was in the mood for eggplant and rice, so why not put them together!  It came out to be pretty tasty too!  This goes to show if you always keep the pantry stocked, you can surely make up a tasty healthy meal on the whim.


1 eggplant
unseasoned bread crumbs
1 large garlic clove (minced)
1 cooking onion (thick slices)
1 cup brown rice
1 can diced tomatoes in garlic and oil
thyme
pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cube eggplant, toss with bread crumbs, garlic, pepper and olive oil (you don't want soak with oil, just enough for bread crumbs to stick to eggplant cubes).  Place on cookie sheet.  Add onions and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Toss after 10 minutes, may need to drizzle more oil.


While eggplant is baking, cook rice.  Add 1 tsp of butter and 1 tsp of thyme to rice.  When you think the rice is just about done, add 3/4 of a can of petite diced tomatoes to rice.  Mix tomatoes into rice.  

When eggplant is done, mix with rice.  Enjoy :)

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

One word, YUM!  Stuffed baked potatoes are a delicious side to any meal.  Here it goes...


2 Large Potatoes
cheddar cheese (about 2/3 cup)
milk (about 1/4 cup)
sour cream (about 1/4 cup)
2 TB butter
real bacon bits (about 2 TB)
chives (about 1 TB)


Here is my trick, after washing the potatoes and putting them in the oven to bake, pop them in the microwave for 5 minutes to get the process started.  Now, you only need to bake the potatoes for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.  On the week nights, this is a great option! 


After you let the potatoes rest, cut in half. Scoop out potato and place in a bowl.  In bowl, add cheddar cheese, milk, butter, sour cream, chives and bacon bits.  Mash all together, add less or more milk until potatoes are at the consistency you like.

Add filling to potato halves, top with cheese and chives, bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. ENJOY :)

Pasta with Veggies and Ranch Sauce

This is one of our favorite meals because not only is it flavorful, but very easy!  Jason got this great recipe from his mother and was the first dish he ever cooked me!  It will be a sure hit anyone can whip up!

Whole wheat pasta (Penne and Rotini Mix)

1 zucchini (thinly sliced)

1 summer squash (thinly sliced)

1 green pepper (chopped)

1 carrot (long slivers)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

olive oil

2 ranch dressing packets (NOT the dip packet)

fresh cracked pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil pot of water, cook pasta.

In a large pan, heat olive oil, garlic and fresh cracked pepper.  When hot, add all veggies to the pan.  Add one packet of ranch seasonings.  Look on medium heat.  You don't want to cook too long.  I recommend adding the veggies to the pan once the pasta is in the water.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to veggies.  Add other packet of ranch, drizzle a little olive oil over pasta.  Toss and ENJOY :)

Paired with Greg Norman
Pinot Noir

Chicken Quesadillas

Simple and Tasty!  


For two:
1 Large chicken breast
salsa
taco seasoning
mexican cheese
sour cream
guacamole
whole wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pound chicken so it cooks through evenly.  Chicken does not need to be thin.  In a baking dish, sprinkle chicken breast with taco seasoning, then spread about 2/3 cup of salsa on top.  Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender.  Cut into bite size pieces for the quesadilla.

Heat Griddle or frying pan.  Place 2 tortillas on griddle.  Layer with cheese, salsa and chicken.  When cheese has melted and the tortilla is browning, remove.  Place 2 more tortillas on the griddle.  Layer with more cheese.  Melt the cheese and brown the tortilla for about 2-4 minutes.  Place tortilla on top of tortilla with cheese and chicken.  Place back on griddle for another minute.  Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole.  ENJOY :)

French Onion Soup

Now that November is here, the air is a little more brisk, for me this means it is officially soup season!  Last night, I made a delicious French Onion Soup that is easy, fast and full of flavor!

3 thinly sliced cooking onions

1 tsp. thyme

4 Tb butter

4 cups of beef broth

2/3 cup white wine

2 Tb cream

Gruyere cheese

garlic toasts

1 garlic clove

In a pot, add butter, onions and thyme.  Cook on  medium -high heat until caramelized (about 20 minutes).   Then add beef broth, wine and cream.  Simmer on medium heat for another 10-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, slice day old bread and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toast in oven about 5 minutes at 400 degrees.  When it's done, rub the garlic clove over the hot bread.  The garlic will melt into the toasts.  

Ladle 2 cups of soup into each ramekin.  Lay 1 garlic toast over the soup then layer with gruyere cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  ENJOY :)

Veal Cutlets with Fennel

This recipe is from a cookbook my mom gave me, Perfect Italian.  This is a great cookbook if you are looking for some new classic Italian cuisine.  The first time I made this dish, I was in love!  Usually, I make this dish with pork, but I found some veal cutlets on sale at Wegmans, so I felt adventurous.  If you have never cooked with fennel this is a great dish to incorporate it in.  It gives just the right crunch, sweetness and texture to enhance all flavors of your meal!

Fennel Sauce Mixture

Veal Cutlets
flour mixture (flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder)
1 egg
1 cup of thinly sliced fennel
thyme
sage
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 cup white wine
gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles
olive oil


Start by dipping veal in egg wash, then flour mixture.  Fry veal in pan on medium-high heat, about 3 minutes on each side.  You just want to brown the sides.  Since the veal is very thin, it cooks very fast.  You will also be putting the veal back in the pan so you don't need to worry about cooking it through.  Place on plate.  In the same pan, add fennel, thyme, sage and white wine.  Reduce to medium heat, cook until the fennel has browned and softened.  Add cream and cheese crumbles.  Reduce and heat sauce.  Add veal to pan.  Cook veal for another 2-3 minutes on each side in sauce. Plate and Enjoy :)

Pizza Italiana

I love pizza, simply because all of my favorite indulges are in one bite!  Hot, delicious crusty crunchy bread, saltiness, of fresh cheeses, salami and prosciutto, tomatoes, sauce and basil. YUM!


whole wheat pizza dough (room temperature)
pizza sauce
(both I cheated and bought from Wegmans :))
genoa salami (thick slices)
fresh tomato slices
mozzarella cheese (rolled with fresh basil and prosciutto)
parmesan cheese
pizza seasoning


Roll out pizza dough.  Layer sauce, tomatoes and salami.

Then cut mozzarella cheese roll into thin slices and layer on the pizza.  Top with parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning.
Bake pizza at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  ENJOY :)