Asian Rabbit Food...

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Lite, quick, and easy!  One of my absolute favs!  I like it so much that I make it repeatedly; anyone who knows me well would know that this is very rare.  The flavors of peanut butter, soy, and teriyaki all mixed together over ground turkey with the crunch of water chestnuts and romaine lettuce.  I omit the nuts for my hubby but other than that, wouldn't change a thing!

** Recipe to come**

Pumpkin in Everything Fall...Even Pasta!!

Pumpkin Won ton Ravioli

My favorite dish ever since I've been little has always been ravioli.  As I've gotten older, I've developed a much more sophisticated palate.  My taste has evolved from traditional cheese ravioli to lobster, butternut squash and now even pumpkin ravioli.  These ones have a bit of an Asian flare being that they are in won ton wrappers but they end up being just like pasta.  I had a little trouble with making them into flat ravioli so I turned them into little dumpling-like packages.  I omitted the pumpkin seeds and put a little less arugula in them.  Next time, I would add a dash or nutmeg and a touch of sugar to add a sweetness to counterbalance the spiciness of the arugula.  Also, a nice browned butter sauce with fresh sage would complement the dish well!  As a good friend would say though, absolutely delish!

Pumpkin Won ton Ravioli Recipe

A Mouthful of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Themed Party w/ Friends

A friend inspired me to come up with a Thanksgiving themed menu for my Bunko night.  My Oct/Nov issue of Taste of Home magazine had the perfect appetizer recipes for a fun night.  Most of the prep-work I was able to do the night before, so all I had to do was pop them in the oven.  I must say that the house definitely was filled with all the familiar Thanksgiving aromas: cranberry, pumpkin, cinnamon, and green bean casserole.  For the menu, cream cheese topped with pepper jelly as a dip, mini turkey sausage in canned cranberry sauce, green bean casserole stuffed mushrooms, turkey cranberry minis, sweet potato casserole crostinis, mini pumpkin cupcakes with fudge frosting, and of course cranberry champagne. 

Green Bean Casserole Stuffed Mushroom Recipe
  

My new table with the spread, minus the sausages, turkey minis, and stuffed mushrooms.

Turkey Cranberry Minis
 Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 4 teaspoons honey mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 30 frozen miniature phyllo tart shells

Directions

• In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients. Add the turkey, celery, cranberries, cheese and pecans; toss to coat.
• Arrange tart shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Fill with turkey mixture. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Sweet Potato Crostini

 Ingredients

• 24 slices french bread baguette (1/4 in thick)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped Diamond of California® Pecans
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1-1/4 cups miniature marshmallows, halved
• Minced fresh rosemary, optional

Directions

• Place bread in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets; brush with butter. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over tops. Bake at 400° for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, pecans, brown sugar and butter. Spoon onto toasts; top with marshmallows, pressing lightly to adhere. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Sprinkle with rosemary if desired. Yield: 2 dozen.

The Perfect Pumpkin Bite!

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Fudge Frosting

I feel like I cheated a little with these since they have a boxed cake mix in them.  I actually felt so guilty that I made sure to bury the box in the garbage.  When you actually look at the recipe though the cake mix is only used for the dry ingredients, the rest is still from scratch.  They are so adorable, easy, and the combination of the pumpkin and rich dark chocolate are sinful.  For a fancy addition, I was thinking sweetened and toasted pumpkin seeds might make a nice/sophisticated garnish.

Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

Pizza-Dilla

Pizza-Dilla Margerita

Two comfort-food favorites, pizza and quesadillas, combined into one awesome recipe.  Tomato, basil, and mozzarella; there couldn't be a more perfect trio!  If you can't find the smoked mozzarella a ball of the fresh stuff will work just fine.  If you can get a few helpers, an assembly line works great to put them together and cook them quickly.  Mine always starts with me assembling, my hubby has perfected flipping them, and the dog waits at the end of the line for something to drop.

Pizza-Dilla Recipe

Pretty Paninis

Proscuitto, Fontina, and Fig Panini

Let me start by saying that the fig jam is next to impossible to find.  I spent hours looking at Wegmans.  It ended up being next to the fresh cheeses and it's called fig and onion jam.  I also don't have a panini pan but that certainly doesn't stop me.  You can make it like a grilled cheese or if you really need the grill marks then use a grilling pan and push the sandwich down with a flat spatula.  This one honestly only took me 5 minutes to make and I was eating it on my way out the door.

slices of thick country-style bread
thinly sliced proscuitto
shredded fontina cheese
baby arugula leaves
fig preserves

Top one slice of bread with several slices proscuitto, sprinkle with fontina cheese, and arugula.  Spread a tbsp of fig jam on other slice of bread and and top the sandwich with it.  Spray each side with olive oil cooking spray.  Cook 3-4 min or until browned on each side. 

Pasta in a Pepper

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

I've had stuffed peppers before that are simply rice and beef.  These peppers are much more fun and flavorful, they also are a little healthier than your traditional beefy pepper. BEEF, it's not what's for dinner this time.  I added a little hot turkey sausage to the filling and spiced things up a bit.  You could try using green or orange peppers but the red and yellow seem to have a little sweeter taste. 

Orzo Stuffed Pepper Recipe

Hash in a Flash

Breakfast Hash

I had some leftover baked potatoes and pancetta so I thought I'd throw together a quick breakfast hash.  Just cube up some leftover potatoes.  Heat oil over medium-high in a pan.  Add diced pancetta and shallot(or bacon and onions).  Saute until pancetta is slightly crispy.  Add potatoes, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook until potatoes are slightly browned and cripsy on the edges.  Serve with an over-easy eggs on top.  Yum!!

Pizza in a Pie?

Pizza Pot Pie

The sauce really isn't that hard to make but if you're in a pinch then use store bought marinara.  Next time I make these I would like to try substituting some smoked salami or sausage, peppers, onions, and olives to make it more like a supreme pizza. 

Pizza Pot Pie Recipe

The Easiest Stew

Turkey Sausage & Tortellini Stew

This is the easiest "set it and leave it" stew.  I make it on weeknights in the fall and winter all the time.  The recipe says to cook it in the slow-cooker for at least 4-5 hours but, honestly, who has that kind of time?  I've done it in a pot on the stove top with a cover simmering for about an hour and it works just as well.  Don't worry, you can't mess it up.  My husband picks on me all the time because I'm usually trying to do a million things at once and I'm always burning creamy soups.  If you wanted a smoked flavor in your potato soup, I've got it mastered.

2- 14.5 oz Italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained
3 cups water
2 cups frozen cut green beans or Italian style
1- 10.5 oz can condensed french onion soup
8 oz smoked turkey sausage halved lengthwise and cut into small pieces
2 cups packaged shredded cabbage w/ carrot (bagged coleslaw mix)
1- 9oz pkg cheese filled tortellini
Shredded parmesan cheese

In slow-cooker combine tomatoes, water, green beans, soup, and turkey sausage.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  Stir in cabbage and tortellini.  Cover and cook 15 min more.  Serve w/ parmesan cheese.