Veggie Fettuccine

Fettuccine with Garden Vegetables and Greens

After a long day and rough workout at the gym, this seems like the perfect dish.  Loaded with fresh veggies and a great carb recharge.  While eating it, it seemed like something was missing.  My husband thought that white truffle oil rather than a drizzle of olive oil at the end would be the perfect addition; he was so right!!  I was also thinking that you could probably substitute whatever fresh veggies you have on hand such as yellow squash, onions, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, etc. 


Pasta Recipe

Bloomin' Onions Soup

French Onion Soup w/ Porcini Mushrooms

If you don't like onions, this soup is definitely not for you.  Be sure to have some tissues on hand for those watery eyes.  It's different than any other french onion soup I've had, with onion pieces and the addition of porcini mushrooms for a unique flavor.  Also, the typical french onion soup has a big glop of cheese that's hard to get through and eventually sinks to the bottom.  This soup has cheese baked directly onto the bread instead.  By mistake, my husband found that soaking the bread in the soup for a great left-over lunch helped to mop up the flavor and make the bread melt-in-your-mouth good. 

Soup Recipe

Grab a Pear

Chicken with Apples, Pears, and Camembert Mashed Potatoes

A moist chicken dish with a natural sweetness from the apples and pears.  The mashed potatoes are absolutely delicious with a creamy cheese (like brie) in place of butter and milk.  It seems like an odd combination but be sure to get all components in one mouthful.

Chicken Recipe

One Hearty Pot

Fish and Potato One Pot Dinner

I'm always trying to find easy and healthy weeknight dinners. This one is a new twist to traditional meat and potatoes; fish, potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Separate, they're boring, but all in one bite is quite a delight! I used tilapia fillets because they're what I had, I think any white fish will work. As much as you want to, resist the urge to lift the lid. Check the fish to make sure it's nice and flaky before serving.

One Pot Recipe

Cookie Dough Craze Waffles

Cookie Dough Waffles

Another in a long list of our regular Sunday morning waffles.  If you like sweet rather than savory, these are definitely for you!  As usual, I have to make things difficult for myself.  I used my usual "Waffle of Insane Greatness" recipe but added small clumps of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough to it.  I also placed a small scoop of cookie dough on top for a finishing touch. When the hot waffle meets the syrup and melts the buttery/chocolaty cookie dough, it's simply irresistible! 

Cake in a Mug? Why not?

 S'more Cake in a Mug

This dessert came about because we ran out of ice cream late on a Saturday night (and in my household that's a big deal).  I also had no milk because I needed to go grocery shopping; I wasn't thinking that I might need it to go with this rich chocolate cake.  The whole recipe for this only took me about 5 minutes to whip up.  I love making microwave s'mores, so this was the perfect dessert.  If I'm being completely honest, it's definitely not as good as an oven baked rich chocolate cake but for a quick fix it does the trick!  I fancied up the recipe a bit by using my kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows on top.  As a word of advice, one mug of cake is definitely a lot for one person so consider sharing with someone you love :-)

S'more Cake Recipe

Best Winter Stoup & Easy Garic Bread

 Deep Winter Minestra- Greens and Beans Soup

This stoup (cross between a soup and stew) is the perfect hearty meal for a cold winter day.  It's quick and easy with little prep-work.  I used pancetta because I prefer it now over bacon; just be sure to ask for a thick cut from the deli.  It's full of vegetables so I even allowed myself to skip them tonight.  A nice crusty bread or homemade garlic bread goes great to mop up the flavorful broth.

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
 In a last minute decision, I whipped up a quick and easy garlic bread from a day old ciabatta bread.  Slice the bread around an inch thick.  Place the bread on a cookie sheet.  Spread with butter and minced garlic.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a little fresh cracked black pepper.  Broil in the oven for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy around the edges.  Mmmmm!! 



Soup Recipe

SOUPer Easy!

 Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Smoky Caprese Paninis

Not your typical soup and sandwich night but just as easy.  If you didn't want to roast your own red peppers you could always buy a jar of them; but it really isn't hard.  Together the whole meal takes about 20 minutes start to finish; one of the quickest soups I've ever made.  I just got a new immersion blender for Christmas and have been trying to use it whenever possible.  I also like to minimize the use of dishes since I hate doing them.  Instead of transferring the ingredients to a food processor, I added the broth to the pot of veggies and used the immersion blender.  For the caprese panini, I used fresh Italian bread sliced about 1/2" thick.  I don't have a panini press, and if I did I don't know where I would put it, so I use my grilling pan and a heavy pot lid to press it down (a little ghetto but works just the same).  The genius part of making these two dishes together is that when the panini is dipped in the soup you get the perfect pairing of flavors.


Soup and Panini Recipe

Friday night Fish Fry, No Way!

Feta Tomato-Basil Fish

I hate fried fish partly because you always seem to smell fishy when you're done eating it.  This fish is light, healthy, and quick.  I used two large haddock fillets as my white fish.  I also salt and peppered them first.  The entire recipe took a total of 10 minute from prep to finish, so no excuses for not having time to cook.  If you're not sure if they are cooked through, test with a fork.  If the fish flakes when poked with a fork then it's done.  Don't skimp out on the fresh basil.

Fish Recipe

Perfect Pot Roast

Stracotto (Pot Roast) with Porcini Mushrooms

I'm not a traditional meat and potatoes kind of girl but this was amazing!!!  There is minimal prep-work, just set it and go.  When reading reviews on this particular cut of meat and how long to cook it, people complained about it being tough.  It's not tough as long as you treat it right.  The porcini mushroom gravy is so delicious and packed full of flavor.  When cutting it, the meat fell apart and when eating it, it melts in your mouth.  Be sure to use a good red wine; one that you'll enjoy drinking the rest of too (I used Apothic red blend, my favorite dryer red).  Instead of mashed potatoes, I served it over egg noodles.  I also only used a 3 lb chuck roast since it's just the two of us and cooked it 2 hours while flipping it half way through.

Pot Roast Recipe

  

Savory Waffles

Scallion Cornbread Waffles w/ Bacon & Eggs

A savory and filling waffle.  The cornbread waffles came off the iron perfectly.  Adding bacon and an over-easy egg on top makes quite a breakfast; in case it wasn't enough on its own.  I would add more scallions than the recipe says so that you get some of their flavor.  An herb butter would add a nice finishing touch.

Waffle Recipe

Spinach and Artichoke Comfort Dish

Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food!  Spinach and artichoke dip has become a popular appetizer that I love.  Imagine that over pasta, it's the best mac and cheese I've ever had.  It's also very quick.  Most of this dish is prepared on the stove top and it's finished under the broiler; just long enough to melt the cheese. 

Mac & Cheese Recipe 

 

Pizza with Pizzazz

Pumpkin, Gouda, & Sage Pizza

As much as I love crazy waffles, I'm am also a pizza addict.  When you think pizza, a kid's favorite food with pepperoni or cheese comes to mind; that's not what I have in mind.  I love interesting combinations and homemade doughs.  The flavors of pumpkin and caramelized sage first came to me in the form of a ravioli; yum!  I turned it into a pizza.  This pizza has a wheat dough, pumpkin mixed with nutmeg and a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.  It's topped with shredded Gouda cheese and sage that is caramelized on the stove top in a little canola oil.  When tasting it, I realized that something was missing; truffle oil.  If you've never had truffle oil, you need to get your hands on some.  It's a little pricey but the unique flavor is well worth it.  Truffle oil is great as a fresh bread topping, on salads, and for a finishing touch on dishes.  Don't let the odd combination scare you.

Red Lobster Biscuit Look-A-Like

Cheddar & Herb Biscuits

If you've ever been to Red Lobster, you've probably enjoyed a basket (or two, or three) of their cheddar biscuits.  They're so much better than your average biscuit and they don't even need butter.  Normally, the rolls at Christmas or Thanksgiving are always left at the end of the meal; these practically jumped right off the table.  They are extremely easy to make with just mixing all the ingredients together.  I used a cookie scoop to drop them on a cookie sheet.  They don't take long to bake, so just enough time for the roast or turkey to cool down a bit after you pull it out of the oven.  So good, you might even want a double batch (I know I did).

Cheddar Biscuit Recipe 

 

Waffle Craze!

Cheddar Waffle BLT

Over the summer, I trained for a half-marathon.  My long runs were on Sunday so we started waffle Sundays afterwards.  We decided to start it up again recently and every Sunday try a different sweet or savory waffle creation.  This Sunday was one of the most insane waffles I've ever had.  It was a cheddar waffle (my waffle of insane greatness recipe with shredded cheddar added) topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried-over-easy egg.  Delicious but filling.  Even if you don't like a BLT, the cheddar waffles are great! 

Sausage, Peppers, & Onions Without the Buns, Hun

Sausage and Onion Kabobs on Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Fresh and fun without the bun.  My husband got me a 'look and see' Rachel Ray cookbook for Christmas; one of my favorite gifts besides my chefs coat.  It sounds like a children's book but it's actually just a cookbook with pictures for every recipe; I love it.  I used to only cook things that looked great in pictures but now I've started to venture out. 

The hardest part of the whole meal is just roasted the peppers.  They need to be extremely close to the broiler and will look like they're burnt when finished but it's amazing how the skin peels right off.  I don't think I'll ever buy a jar of roasted red peppers again when I can turn any color pepper into a roasted one.  I used hot Italian poultry sausage because that's my personal preference; you could use any kind of link sausage.  The cipollini onions are a must, though, they become sweet and full of flavor when roasted.  

Sausage & Onion Kabob Recipe

How to use that left-over canned cranberry sauce...

Cranberry Kissed Pork Chops

We always have that lovely canned cranberry sauce at all the big holiday gatherings but who really likes something that's still shaped like the can it came from?  I have a few alternate uses for it that are really great.  One, is to heat it in a crock pot with cut up kielbasa; quick, easy, and flavorful.  The other is in cranberry kissed pork chops.  The sauce consists of both canned cranberry sauce and dried cranberries.  It adds great zip to a typically tasteless old pork chop.  The only issue I had was getting the pork to cook through.  Be sure to choose a thinner boneless pork chop or pound it a little until desired thickness.

   Cranberry Pork Recipe

Caprese on a Stick

Caprese Salad Appetizer

Extremely easy, festive at Christmas time, and a delicious bite any time of year.  You can use cherry tomatoes or grape, mini mozzarella balls, fresh basil leaves and your favorite dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar is mine).  To stack your stick, start with a tomato, then basil leaf, mozzarella ball in the middle, basil leaf, then end with another tomato.  Add dressing when just about to serve so that they don't become soggy.