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My name is Kathy also know as sweetpea. I am old fashion back to basic girl and in my spare time I love to shop, cook, host and otherwise use my home as a haven of hospitality. I have been sharing my thoughts online for some time now, so please go ahead and search for a favourite recipe or shopping tip!Love to bargain shop.

This recipe sounds wonderful. I love combining black pepper and white wine in recipes. It adds a terrific flavor! Cary and I will try this one very soon! 

Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe 

6 Boneless skinless Chicken Breast 
Black Pepper to taste 
1/2 cup Lemon juice 
1/2 cup Garlic cloves, crushed 
1 teaspoon Seasoned salt 
1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning 
2 dashes Tabasco 
1 cup White wine 

Generously pepper chicken breasts. 

Combine with other ingredients in Crock Pot. 

Set on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. 

Notes
Super easy to make! 
 
 

3#Ground Beef 
1 onion 
1 green pepper 
hot sauce ( to taste) 
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano Leaves 
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
2 cloves of garlic 
3 small cans of tomoto paste 
1 large can kidney beans
Brown ground beef,drain and onion and green peper,and spices put into large pot with tomoto paste add.Cook 3-5 hours. Last half hour add kidney beans.
 

Combine vegetables with 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 3/4 teaspoon of yellow mustard. Mix by hand until evenly blended.

Makes 6 servings

Mix the sauce and pour over the pork chops in a casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and Bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes. Sounds yucky, tastes yummy! 
 
 

Place all ingredients in a crock pot set on medium. Heat until all ingredients are melted. Sir occasionally to blend ingredients and to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

If you are in a hurry, place all ingredients in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 6 or 7 minutes. Stir until ingredients are blended evenly.

Serve hot. A great dip for tortilla chips
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet brown ground beef over a medium heat. Break up the meat into small chunks as it is cooking. When meat is almost done, add union and continue to cook until onions are tender.

Add water and sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place pasta in 6 quarts of boiling water and cook until al dente then drain.

In a 9 x 13 baking pan, mix the drained pasta and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then top with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake in oven, preheated to 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Makes 4 – 6 servings depending on appetites
 
 

2 large garlic cloves
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 cups French baguette slices cut up into 1/2 inch cubes (white bread works too)

For the Salad:

1 large egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, crushed
1 pinch salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 4 flat anchovies 
1 teaspoon capers 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup virgin olive oil 
2 medium heads of romaine lettuce -- outer leaves removed 
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated 
Prepping the croutons - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife (be very careful) or with a garlic press. Slice up the baguette and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.

Prepping the salad - Again crush the garlic. If you are using flat anchovies out of a can, mince one or two to make 1 1/2 teaspoons worth. Grate the Parmesan cheese. It's always better to grate it yourself if you have the opportunity. 
Directions
Croutons - Combine garlic, oil, salt, and bread cubes in a bowl. Mix until cubes are coated evenly. Spread the coated cubes onto a baking sheet and bake until the croutons are golden. This should take about 10 minutes.

To make the salad - Bring a pot of boiling water to boil, add egg and cook for just 45 seconds....NO MORE. This is coddling the egg. Remove from heat and let it cool off.

Meanwhile, mix the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper, anchovy, mustard and capers in a bowl. Crack egg and add to these ingredients. Whisk until smooth. 

Now for the tricky part. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream while constantly whisking again until smooth. Reason: if you add the oil too quickly, the dressing will be separate and not emulsify.

To serve:

Tear the romaine lettuce into 1-2 inch pieces and add them to a large bowl (wooden if you have one). Add half the dressing, toss, add remaining dressing, Parmesan cheese, and croutons and toss again. Serve on chilled plates.
 
 

1/4 cup butter, melted 
1 clove garlic, minced 
Directions 
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). 
2.In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add the milk and cheddar cheese; stir to combine. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. While biscuits are baking mix melted butter and minced garlic. Brush garlic butter over hot baked biscuits. 
 
 

Ingredients:

•2 cans tuna (packed in water)
•1 stalk celery
•1 hard-boiled egg
•1-teaspoon fresh dill
•1-tablespoon pickle relish
•1-tablespoon mustard (my wife used French’s)
•Mayonnaise to taste
•Salt & pepper to taste
Prep the Ingredients

Dice the celery, chop up the hard-boiled egg and get the rest of the ingredients nearby.
Open the can of tuna and squeeze out the excess water.
How to Make Tuna Salad
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the tuna and break it up some. Not too much though. The chunks look nice when serving however the more you break it up the further it will go.

Add the celery, egg, dill, relish, mustard and a little bit of mayonnaise. Mix it together with a fork being careful not to overwork it. Depending how you like it or if you are on a diet or not, adjust the amount of mayonnaise.

Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

My wife served this with a tomato that she cut up into eighths and arranged on a plate with the tuna salad inside. She finished it off with a sprig of fresh dill on top.

Simple but makes a nice lunch.
 
 
 
 
 
 

1 1/2 Pounds Potatoes, Peeled, And Cut Into 2 Inch Pieces 

1/4 Cup Olive Oil 

1 Small Onion, Coarsely Chopped 

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 

3 tomatoes, Halved, Seeded, Cored, And Cut Into Large Dice 

Salt And Pepper To Taste 

Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes 

3 Tablespoons Fresh, Chopped Basil 
 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together the onions, oil, garlic and potatoes. Season with the salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes have started to turn golden brown, and can be easily pierced with a fork. Increase the heat to 400 degrees, add the tomatoes, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil, and serve. 
 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of salad oil 
3 eggs, slightly beaten 
2 cups of sugar 
2 cups grated raw zucchini 
2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 cups all purpose flour 
1 teaspoon soda 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 cup of chopped walnuts 

Direction
Combine oil, eggs, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and blend well.

Stir in flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in nuts.

Spoon batter in 2 well greased 8 1/2 x 4 x 2 5/8 inch loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until done.
 
 

It's important that you pound the breasts to an equal thickness. This is so they cook evenly and one breast doesn't cook faster then another.

Slice the mushrooms into thin slices and finely chop the parsley. 

Add the butter to a sauté pan, melt over medium heat, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. It's hard to tell you exactly how long this will take since all stovetops are not alike. Depending on whether you are using a gas or electric or what make or model, will make a difference. On my household gas stove, it takes 8 - 12 minutes, but on my mom's electric stove, it takes longer. Remove the mushrooms and reserve. 

Add the oil to the pan and up the heat a little. I don't advise cooking at high until you get comfortable cooking at high heat. It means working a little faster and watching a little closer but you want the pan to be hot to sauté the breasts properly. To learn more about the technique of sautéing, check out Cooking Techniques. 

While the oil is heating up, dredge each chicken breast in flour. What I like to do is put the flour in a shallow soup bowl or on a plate and using one hand, dip each breast into the flour and add to the pan. 

Sauté the breasts for approximately 1-2 minute each side. Remember the chicken breasts will cook faster because they are thinner. If you are preparing more than four breasts, it's important not to crowd the pan so they sauté and do not steam. Better to cook in batches than trying to cook them all at once. 

Remove the breasts from the pan, reserve on a platter, and cover with tin foil to keep warm. 

Add the Marsala wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping the small bits of chicken stuck to the pan. (Remember, Marsala is a wine and contains alcohol so be careful when adding it to a hot pan. Better to remove the pan from the heat when deglazing any pan with wine.) Simmer until slightly reduced, approximately 2 minutes, again depending on your stovetop. 

Add the reserved mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and parsley. 

Plate the chicken breasts along with your sides (I served this with rice) and top with sauce. 
 
 
 
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COOKING TECHNIQUES
"It's my belief that the best way to become a good cook is to learn these basic cooking techniques."
Once you learn how to handle these fundamental techniques, you will be able to handle most recipes. Cooking is not just about recipes....it is about how to take ingredients and make them taste as good as possible.

Recipes are great road maps to show us how someone else got there, but one of the joys of cooking is to find your own paths. Knowing these techniques is like taking the car out for a spin in a new location. You're not sure where you are going to end up, but getting there will be fun.

I'm breaking down these cooking techniques into different groups. I'll start with the Basic Fundamental Cooking Techniques that are most important to learn like baking and braising and then we can look at More Specific Cooking Techniques like cooking pasta and deglazing. Lastly we will look at the How To's like how to cut an onion and how to grill corn. 
 
 
 
 

Making chicken salad on a hot summer night couldn’t be easier especially if you have leftover roasted chicken from the night before. Whether you roast the chicken yourself or buy a rotisserie chicken at your local market, one of the best ways to use up leftovers is cut it up to pieces and make chicken salad.

There must be 101 ways to make chicken salad depending on what you have on hand to toss into it. I’m sure everyone has a favorite recipe from his or her mom or great aunt but in our house, we usually go with what’s on hand or in the refrigerator and get creative.

Basically, chicken salad is chicken, chopped up vegetables; some sort of fruit and a dressing that typically has mayonnaise associated with it. A classic chicken salad could be just chicken, celery, mayo and salt & pepper. That’s it. That simple.

Instead of giving you exact recipe with measured out ingredients, I’d wanted to give you some ideas as to what you can try in your own recipe. I’m not giving you measurements because I never make the same chicken salad twice and really don’t have them. I suppose if you come up with the most amazing homemade chicken salad recipe ever, you may want to write it down so you can make it again some time.

This list is by no means exhausted but it’s a good start. I encourage you to experiment with all your favorite ingredients and if you come up with something special, add it to the comments below.

A Few Simple Suggestions

1.Don’t add too many additional ingredients. – Sometimes less is more. You want to combine various ingredients that work well together but don’t completely overpower the flavor of the chicken. They are there to add flavor, color and texture but if you put too many of them together, it will really confuse your taste buds.
2.Prepare all the non-dressing ingredients together separately from the dressing ingredients. – You want the chicken, vegetables and fruit to be balanced just like you want the dressing to be balanced. If you are simply using mayonnaise, the task is easy, but if you start adding other ingredients to the mayo, it gets a little trickier.
3.Don’t add all the dressing to the chicken mixture at one time. You don’t want to overpower the chicken with dressing. It is easier to add more than try to remove excess dressing and remember nothing is worse than an over dressed salad.
4.Customize the mayonnaise by adding ingredients that you like and will work with the rest of the ingredients.
5.Check for seasonings at the end especially salt and pepper.
6.Chicken salad makes great sandwiches, you can also serve it with a salad or on a bed of lettuce. – The art of making a great chicken salad sandwich has as much to do with the type of bread you are serving it on, but that’s a subject for another blog. Since my wife isn’t eating bread these days, we typically serve it with a salad. I eat the leftovers on bread the next day if there is any left.
Classic Chicken Salad Ingredient Suggestions besides the Chicken and Mayonnaise

Celery
Onion
Carrot
Peppers
Seedless grapes

Alternative Ingredients

Toasted almond slivers
Capers – drained
Chopped sweet pickles or pickle relish
Water chestnuts
Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Nuts – walnuts, pecans, cashews, pine nuts, sesame seeds
Fruits- apple slices, pear, raisins, cranberries, craisins, tomato, avocado, olives, mandarin oranges, cherries
Vegetables – asparagus, cucumber,
Cheese – hard cheese, grated or thin slices of soft cheese

Mayonnaise Additions

Herbs – basil, parsley, tarragon, chervil, chives, sage, mint
Spices – ginger, dry mustard, honey mustard, paprika, oregano
Chutney
Jam or preserves
Honey
Citrus juice – lemon, orange, grapefruit
Peanut butter
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Hot Sauce
Maple syrup
Yogurt
 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 yellow onion finely chopped
1 finely chopped celery stick
1-1/3 cup ketchup
1/2-cup cider vinegar
1/2-cup water
1/4-cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2-teaspoon salt

How to make at home:

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté the onion and celery until the onion is translucent. Depending on your stove and pan, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, whisk or stir together and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is the desired thickness. This can take up to 15 minutes or more.

When done, remove from the heat and let cool. If you are not using all the sauce for one meal, remove what you are going to use so you don’t contaminate the unused portion.

This amount of ingredients should make a little over 2 cups of sauce.
 

2 lbs. green tomatoes 
1 1/4 c. sugar 
3 tbsp. flour 
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 
1/4 tsp. ground cloves 
1/4 tsp. cinnamon 
Juice of 1 lemon 
2 tbsp. butter 
2 deep dish pie shells 
Wash tomatoes, cut out stem end but do not peel. In a large bowl, cut tomatoes in 
half lengthwise and slice thinly (1/8 inch). Cover with boiling water and let stand 3 
minMix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon together. Sprinkle sugar mixture overutes, drain. Pour lemon juice over green tomatoes. 
The green tomatoes and toss lightly to coat. 
Fill one of the pie shells with the tomato mixture, dot with butter. Cover with 2nd pie 
shell, fluting edges. Cut slits in center for vents. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven 
for 50 to 60 minutes. Top should be golden brown. 
 
 

•2 cloves garlic, chopped
•1-teaspoon coarse-grain salt
•1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs ( I used ½ tablespoon of dried rosemary and thyme each)
•¼ cup red wine vinegar
•2 tablespoons soy sauce
•1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•1-teaspoon sugar
•¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Prep the Ingredients:

Chop up the garlic, parsley and fresh herbs and you are ready to go.

How to Make at Home:

Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT THE OIL in a blender or food processor and process until blended. The reason I list the olive oil last is because it is the last ingredient to go in. We want to drizzle in the oil a little at a time to emulsify it. Don’t make the mistake I often make by not reading the instructions carefully and add everything at one time.

You can make this marinade up to a week before you are going to use it by storing it in a clean, airtight container. I use glass jars from my youngest daughters favorite jarred peaches.

How Long to Marinate?

I made the marinade in the late morning and cooked the steaks about 8 hours later. Jim says 8 to 12 hours is the best amount of time for skirt steak and I would agree with him.
 

Ingredients 
-   1 chuck roast, 2 - 3 lbs 
-   2 teaspoons salt 
-   1 teaspoon black pepper 
-   1 teaspoon paprika 
-   2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled 
-   2 pounds onions, chopped or thinly sliced 
-   4 cloves garlic, smashed 
-   3 tablespoons tomato paste 
-   1 cup dry red wine 
-   1 cup water 

Directions 
Trim any excess fat from meat. Mix salt, pepper, paprika and oregano. Rub this mixture into the meat. on all surfaces. 
Put onions, garlic, tomato paste and about 1/2 cup of the liquid into crock pot and mix well. Add remaining liquid and stir. Nestle meat down into liquid, cover and cook on low setting 8 - 9 hours, or until meat is tender. Taste for seasoning. Serve with potatoes, rice or noodles.

I picked up a package of ribs at Sams to split with my friend Barbecue Cary  is a real grilling aficionado. In fact, it is because of him that I purchased my Weber Charcoal Grill and I love every minute of it.

Now Barbecue Cary likes to slow cook his ribs but like the rest of us, when in a hurry, he will take a shortcut or two. This barbecue baby back ribs recipe came from his girlfriend Kathy  who let’s just say doesn’t enjoy spending too much time in the kitchen, but has mastered a quick and easy way to make barbecued ribs without a grill.

Now for all you barbecue purists out there, stop reading. You will be horrified, dismayed, upset, and maybe even angry at how Barbecue Bob’s wife, Bert, prepares her ribs. The bottom line is they taste fine and are ready in 70 minutes without any real fuss.
So instead of giving her Barbecue Cary’s half of the ribs, I said let’s just cook them all up and have you over for dinner. So that’s what we did and here is her recipe. By the way, she was given this recipe from her local butcher, Rose.
Bert’s BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

•Baby Back Ribs – our Costco package contained 3 slabs of ribs
•Salt & Pepper
•Paprika – we didn’t measure out the amounts and it really depends on how many slabs and how spicy you like it but you need enough to cover both sides. All I can say is Bert didn’t hold back when applying.
•1 bottle of dark beer – We used a bottle of Holy Grail Ale my boyfriend picked up for a American Idol  dinner and movie night.
Click For The Recipe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon ginger, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
600g good quality beef mince
1 head Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
2 teaspoons sea salt
50 mls vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
1 teaspoon malt vinegar
½ teaspoon Sesame oil
1 small carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1 small red pepper, finely sliced
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the beef and leave to marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the cabbage and salt into another bowl and mix well to combine. Leave to stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water and drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands.

Meanwhile steam the rice.

When you are ready Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a wok until the surface starts to shimmer slightly. Add half of the marinated beef and stir fry for 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set to one side.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the remaining beef for 30 seconds before returning the reserved beef to the pan. Add in the rice wine, hoisin and oyster sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and cook for a further 30 seconds. Toss in the cabbage, carrot and pepper and stir-fry for a further minute.

Stir through the spring onions, reserving a few for garnish and remove from the heat.
 

baking potatoes 
milk (either whole or evaporated) 
butter 
salt and pepper 
cheddar cheese (shredded) 

Bake potatoes until done (either at 400 deg. in oven for 45 minutes or in microwave). Cut open lengthwise and scoop out insides. 
Put insides in a bowl and mix with milk, butter, salt and pepper until creamy consistency. Scoop back into potato hulls, top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake until cheese melts.
 

I made this last night from Adam Perry Lang’s Serious BBQ Book.  Awesome! The best part is the crust that will form as you cook the meat.  I will make this again and plan on trying the paste, rub and glaze on tri-tip as well.

One 5 pound whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

Paste:

1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon
Seasoning Blend

2 tablespoons mild chile powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Glaze

1/2 cup Worcestershire
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Finishing Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 chopped chives
Fleur de sel
Preheat the grill to high, you will lower the temp though after you mark the tenderloin.

Combine all the paste ingredients in a glass bowl, set aside.  Combine all the seasoning blend ingredients in another bowl. Combine the Worcestershire sauce and the honey with the melted butter and combine well. Rub the tenderloin with the paste on all sides.  Then cover with the seasoning blend ingredients.

Place the tenderloin on the grate, set to high and keeping the lid open, grill on the first side until well marked and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn the roast a quarter of a turn, still over high and keeping the lid open, grill until well marked and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn two more times, to grill the third and fourth sides.

Turn the head down from high to medium and cook turning at least once, for 8 to 10 minutes.  Give the glaze a quick stir to mix it well.  Continue to cook over medium heat, brushing with the glaze every few minutes.  Flip and move around as needed.  You want to cook the piece of meat to an internal temperature of 125 degrees for medium-rare.

Drizzle the oil on a cutting board.  Sprinkle the chives, fleur de sel, and the over over the oil.  Top with the tenderloin and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the tenderloin against the grain into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Devour!
 

I asked them if they wanted me to make a sauce but they just wanted butter and grated Parmesan cheese. I gave them what they wanted with some carrots and they were happy.

I wanted a sauce with my pasta but something extremely quick, easy and delicious. There was some sweet Italian sausage and sweet grape tomatoes in the refrigerator so I had the basis for a good sauce.  I was going to make my Quick Pasta with Tomato Sausage Sauce for the family but since the kids only wanted butter, I only needed sauce for one.

I remember a chef once telling me about making fast, delicious sauces, “Keep it stupid simple,” he said or maybe it was “Keep it simple, stupid.”   Not sure now. But I do remember him telling me that sometimes the simplest dishes he makes for his customers are his most popular.

This sauce is extremely simple but I was surprised how incredibly delectable a little sausage, a dozen or so grape tomatoes, some high quality extra virgin olive oil, some grated Parmesan cheese and a little salt & pepper can be.

The trick to this dish is the olive oil. You can purchase various qualities of extra virgin olive oil; I purchase a big jug of it at Costco that I use in lots of various ways but for this sauce, I wanted to use an extra special high-end extra virgin olive oil.

For this sauce I used a fresh Tuscan style olive oil. It is not cheap but I only use it sparingly as a dipping sauce or for sautés like this. You can find plenty of great olive oils at your own favorite market and one of these days I’ll work on an article about the differences between olive oils.

Penne Pasta with Simple

Ingredients

Pasta – amount to be determined by your appetite and if you are feeding some to your kids with butter

2 sweet Italian sausages
10 – 12 sweet grape tomatoes cut in half
3 – 4 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
How To Prepare This Simple Sauce

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water and then your pasta. See my tips on cooking pasta.  When the water comes to a boil, add your pasta, stir immediately and cook to al dente. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and squeeze the sausage meat out of the sausage skin into the saucepan. Break it up with a wooden spoon into bite size pieces. Brown the sausage meat until cooked through.

Add the tomatoes and cook with sausage meat for a few minutes. Add the olive oil and stir to coat the meat and tomatoes. Season with a little salt & pepper. Cook for an additional minute or two.

Drain the pasta and add some of it to the saucepan. It is easier to add more pasta if you have enough sauce than take it away if you don’t have enough sauce. It really doesn’t matter because the sausage and tomatoes are going to give the olive oil a lot of flavor and the oil should coat a decent amount of pasta.

Serve the pasta topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

You are going to be surprised just how good this simple pasta dish tastes. Your going to wish you made more for leftovers.
 
 
 
 
 

INGREDIENTS 
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice 
2 oz. Absolute Citron vodka OR white tequila 
1 oz. Cointreau liquor 
Cup of ice 
Optional: Splash of sparkling water 
Optional: Squeeze of lemon 

Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses. Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish. 
 
 
 
 

1 large eggplant 
1 beaten egg 
3 to 6 tablespoons flour 
1/2 teaspoon red or black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
Directions 

Peel and slice one large eggplant. Steam until tender, then drain. Mash and beat until smooth. Add the following ingredients: egg, flour, salt and pepper and baking powder. Beat well Form into 2 or 3 inch patties and fry in deep hot cooking oil. Brown on all sides (a light brown). 
 
 

Here is what Mary had to say about chicken breasts rolled with basil and cheese. I think she did a great job and I like that she tried baking the chicken instead of pan frying as the original recipe called for.

Mary's First Blog Post

As a recent college graduate with little cooking expertise, I am teaching myself how to cook. After a quick search on the internet for an easy and fun chicken recipe, I landed on this one and cooked it for my parents and brother last week. With little experience in the kitchen, I found this to be very easy to make and super delicious. There are a couple of things I would have done differently:

•Be careful when pounding your chicken flat, as some sections of my chicken were about to fall off and this made rolling a little bit difficult. One solution to this is to focus more on pounding the thick sections and be careful on the thinner areas. Or, you could butterfly your chicken breast, creating a thinner, larger cut of meat that’s much easier to roll.
•Don’t layer on the cheese spread too thick. I was slabbing on the delicious herb cheese spread so thick that when I began to roll the chicken breast, cheese spread was oozing out of the sides and made a mess. So, make sure to spread evenly and use judgment on how thick to pile it on. The chicken turned out fine and tasted great, so if you don’t mind a little mess, pile it on.
•Be careful when cutting off the Butcher’s twine. Unfortunately, some of the outer crispiness from the breadcrumb mixture came off when I cut the butcher’s twine. Obviously this is going to be sort of inevitable, since I highly recommend tying the chicken breasts before dipping them in the egg and breadcrumbs, but use caution so you don’t lose too much!
•Use a lot of basil! I used only 2-3 leaves per breast, which I thought would have been enough. In my personal opinion, it was not. Get enough leaves to coat your chicken breast.
Ingredients:

•4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
•Fresh basil or spinach leaves (enough to coat a chicken breast)
•5 ounces herb cheese or herb cheese spread (Boursin makes a great garlic herb cheese)
•2/3-cup Parmesan breadcrumbs
•1 egg, beaten well
•Salt
•Pepper
•Butcher’s twine
•Toothpicks
How to Make at Home

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Placing chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap, lightly pound the chicken using a meat mallet to about ¼”.  Season breast with salt and pepper.
2.If using basil, place in a small amount of boiling water for a few seconds and then set aside. If using spinach, place in a small amount of boiling water and let them wilt a little, about a minute or so. Place aside, draining excess water and coarsely chop the spinach.
3.Spread the cheese over each half breast, making sure to coat the entire surface. I used herb cheese spread found at my local store, but Boursin garlic herb cheese or similar works well too.
4.For basil leaves and spinach, place on chicken, making sure to cover the surface.
5.Carefully roll the chicken, starting with the smallest end, very tightly. Secure each roll with 2 wooden toothpicks and enough butchers’ twine to wrap around the largest part of the roll.
6.The recipe I used told me to then place the rolls in a skillet, but I decided to go a different way and bake these with a crispy outer skin. For a healthier option, skip these steps and go straight to bake.
7.In one shallow bowl, beat one egg well. In a separate shallow bowl pour out your 2/3-cup Parmesan breadcrumbs, (Can always combine a couple tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and regular bread crumbs). Dip your roll into the egg first, covering all sides, then transfer and roll into the breadcrumb mixture. Finally transfer the chicken rolls to a greased baking dish.
8.Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until your chicken has reached an internal temperature of about 160-165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check temperature. Chicken should be slightly browned.
9.Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve.
TIP: For an excellent pan sauce, deglaze any browned bits from the bottom of the baking dish with white wine and reduce on stovetop with 2/3 cup chicken broth, stir and let cook until the liquid has reduced to half the amount, about 2-3 minutes. Pour this pan sauce over the chicken and serve.
 
 
 

1 15 oz. cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pound of elbow macaroni
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1 Cup grated cheddar cheese (Add more if you like cheese)

While macaroni is cooking, combine condensed mushroom soup, milk, tuna and onion in a sauce pan. Place over a medium-low heat and stir until condensed soup is evenly blended.

Let simmer on an extremely low heat.

Drain macaroni when cooked. Add the condensed soup mixture and grated cheese. Mix gently by hand until all ingredients are evenly blended.

You are ready to serve.

For a real treat, place the mixed ingredients in a casserole dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and top with additional cheese. Place in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
 

  Broil asparagus until topping browns, watching closely to avoid 
 burning, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
 
 
 

Ingredients: 

2 whole lobster tails 
1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can beer – any kind. 
Directions: 

1.In a medium sized pan, over medium/high heat, boil the beer. 
2.Split lobster tails lengthwise if they are in the shells still.  If not you are good to go! 
3.Place a steamer basket on top of the saucepan. Put thawed lobster tails in basket and cover it. Turn hit to a low and simmer for 8 minutes. 
 
 

4 8-to-10 ounce speckled trout fillets (or bass, redfish, grouper, catfish, etc….)
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (21 crackers) 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1 tablespoon snipped parsley 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
1/8 teaspoon pepper 
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 beaten egg 
3 to 4 tablespoons shortening or cooking oil 
Lemon slices, halved (optional) 
Thaw fish, if frozen. In a shallow bowl, combine the crushed crackers, grated Parmesan cheese, and snipped parsley. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Place lemon juice and egg in separate bowls. Dip fish in lemon juice, then in flour mixture, then in egg, and finally in the cracker mixture. 

In a 12-inch skillet heat shortening or cooking oil. Add fish in a single layer. Fry over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or till brown. Turn fish; fry for 5 to 7 minutes more or till fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Serve fish with lemon. Garnish with parsley, rosemary, and dill if desired. 
Serves 4. 

As you can see from the ingredient list, this is going to make a large amount of sauce. Chef Terrell says it needs to be refrigerated and depending on how much barbecuing you do, you may consider cutting the recipe in half. Alternatively, if you have the equipment and experience, you can always bottle some for better storage or even gifts.
Chef Terrell Garrett’s Barbeuce Sauce Recipe© 2007

The dry rub is listed first.

•1/2 cup chile powder
•1/4 cup hickory flavored salt
•3 tablespoons onion powder
•2 tablespoons ground cumin
•1 tablespoon sweet paprika
•1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Mix thoroughly and save in a glass jar or zip-lock bag.

Barbeque Sauce Recipe

•4 cups apple cider vinegar
•6 cups water
•6 cups sugar
•1/3 cup prepared yellow mustard
•1 1/3 tablespoons  freshly ground black pepper
•1/2 cup spice rub,(see previous recipe)
•4 each lemons (juice of)
•8 cloves minced garlic
•3 cups chopped white onion
•1/4 lb. unsalted butter
Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Turn heat to medium and stir well to melt sugar and dissolve mustard.  Bring to a boil carefully (stirring often), reduce heat to medium low and allow mixture to simmer until onions are done stirring frequently. (approximately 20 minutes.)

Then add:

•10 cups ketchup
•1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
•1/2 cup liquid smoke
Stir mixture well and bring back to a simmer for approximately 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Let stand to cool, overnight is best.

Caution!

1. Always cook this recipe in a well-ventilated area.  The smell can be overwhelming.

2. Stirring is very important to prevent the sugar from scorching or burning.

3.NEVER substitute another vinegar for apple cider vinegar.

4. Don’t spend a lot of money on ketchup, the cheaper the better.

5. To add heat add 1-1/2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes.

6. The sauce can be bottled for longer life but must be processed in a canner, which gives it an indefinite shelf life.  However, when opened, the sauce must be refrigerated.
 
 
 
 
 

Ingredients:

•2 cans tuna (packed in water)
•1 stalk celery
•1 hard-boiled egg
•1-teaspoon fresh dill
•1-tablespoon pickle relish
•1-tablespoon mustard (my wife used French’s)
•Mayonnaise to taste
•Salt & pepper to taste
Prep the Ingredients

Dice the celery, chop up the hard-boiled egg and get the rest of the ingredients nearby.
Open the can of tuna and squeeze out the excess water.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the tuna and break it up some. Not too much though. The chunks look nice when serving however the more you break it up the further it will go.

Add the celery, egg, dill, relish, mustard and a little bit of mayonnaise. Mix it together with a fork being careful not to overwork it. Depending how you like it or if you are on a diet or not, adjust the amount of mayonnaise.

Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

My wife served this with a tomato that she cut up into eighths and arranged on a plate with the tuna salad inside. She finished it off with a sprig of fresh dill on top.

Simple but makes a nice lunch.
 
 
 
 

If you want to make your own seafood glace, start with a homemade shellfish stock and reduce it down by half. 

Click For Receipe

HappyFriday.

A lot of you may be grilling and barbecuing this weekend so I wanted to tell you about an award winning barbecue sauce.

I’m not sure if he was trying to send a message, but it’s called Grumpy’s and as you can see by the label, the company who makes it, is having a lot of fun. This stuff is good. It won 1st Place at the 2009 Backyard Awards and was a 2nd place winner at the America’s Zesty Best Food Contest.

What I like about it is the name and the packaging. I know a whole bunch of people I want to send a bottle to including my Grumpy older brother and my buddy Barbecue Cary.

It comes in four different “heats” including Not So Bold, Bold XX, Goodnight Irene and Black Label. I only have tried Not So Bold and Bold XX and they are both excellent. You can read more about them at their web site.

Grumpy’s Shrimp
Serves 4.

I borrowed this recipe from their web site. It’s from Chef Lezlie L. Ringland and features Grumpy’s Barbeque Sauce but I’m sure you can substitute your own favorite commercial sauce or your own homemade bbq sauce but I would definitely give Grumpy’s a try.

Ingredients

1/3 cup of Grumpy’s Barbeque Sauce® (your favorite flavor)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 clove of garlic minced fine
2 teaspoons of honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 lb. peeled & de-veined medium to large shrimp
2 to 3 scallions chopped

How to Prepare

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in a bowl.

Heat pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of oil, cook shrimp.

When shrimp become pink (about 3 to 5 minutes) lower the heat & add the sauce.
Heat long enough for all the shrimp to becomes coated in the sauce.

Serve over Jasmine Rice.

Cook scrubbed potatoes until tender. Drain and peel. Return to pan and shake over low heat until dry. Mash very smooth and mix in egg yolks, salt, and butter. Gradually add flour and work into a smooth, manageable dough (should hold shape and be pliable, but not sticky). Break into several sections. Flour hands and board, then roll dough between palms, and board until you have ropes about the thickness of your thumb. Cut into 3/4-inch lengths. Poach at a slow boil in salted water. Do not crowd. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and place in baking dish with a tomato sauce, (or a tomato and meat sauce). Top with grated cheese if desired. Heat in a 325-degree oven for about 30 minutes. This dish may be prepared in advance and heated before serving.

•2 pounds fresh Florida Red Snapper (or grouper or mahi-mahi) fillets
•8-12 flour or corn tortillas
•1 head shredded lettuce
•2 tablespoons olive oil
Marinade – 

•1/2 cup olive oil
•2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
•1 teaspoon cumin
•1 teaspoon chili powder
•2 tablespoons lime juice
Preparation

1.Combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder & lime juice in a large bowl
2.Skin the fish
3.Chop fillets into bite-sized pieces.
4.Combine fish fillets with marinade mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
5.Heat large skillet on medium-high heat
6.Add olive oil to skillet
7.Add fish & marinade to skillet
8.Fill tortilla with shredded lettuce, fish pieces, and Mango/Avocado Salsa.
Alternate Preparation

1.Combine garlic, cumin, chili powder & lime juice in a large bowl
2.Leave fish whole
3.Add marinade to fish and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
4.Grill fillets on a hot grill.
5.Skin the fish
6.Chop cooked fillets into bite-sized pieces.
7.Fill tortilla with shredded lettuce, fish pieces, and Mango/Avocado Salsa.
Mango/Avocado Salsa

•2 Florida mangos, diced medium 
•1 Florida avocado, diced medium
•1/4 cup red onion, diced 
•1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, minced
•2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
•1 tablespoon lime juice
•Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Salsa Preparation

1.Combine all ingredients; mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Ingredients
1 bottle of any BBQ sauce
1 small can frozen orange juice (undiluted)
6 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 C. red wine
2-3 lb. wings
Directions

Mix together BBQ sauce, orange juice, brown sugar and wine. Set aside. Cut wings at the “elbow.” Dip pieces in sauce and lay in a Pyrex dish or a stainless steel baking pan. You can layer them. Pour any remaining sauce over all and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 1-1 1/4 hours. These are terrific as leftovers so don't think you are making too many.

Ziploc® Zip'n Steam® Microwave Cooking Bags combine the taste and nutritional benefits of steam cooking with all the convenience of your microwave.
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper
Sour cream
Directions: 
1.
Combine potatoes, chopped onion, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder and salt in a Medium Ziploc® Zip'n Steam® Bag.
2.
Seal bag and shake to mix ingredients. Place bag in microwave.
3.
Cook on full power for 7 minutes or until tender.
4.
Allow bag to stand 1 minute before handling. Gently shake bag to distribute seasonings. Carefully open bag and remove contents.
5.
Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon chopped chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream, if desired

1 lb. frozen haddock fillets (Do not thaw.) 2 Tbsp.  KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 

HEAT oven to 450°F. Place fish in 13x9-inch baking dish; drizzle with dressing. 

BAKE 25 min.; top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted and fish flakes easily with fork. 

SPRINKLE with parsley. 
SubstitutePrepare using halibut or cod fillets.

What You Need2 slices OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon 2 slices  multi-grain bread 1 tsp. GREY POUPON Savory Honey Mustard 1   KRAFT Deli Fresh Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slice, cut in half 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh pears 1 tsp.  butter, softened 

HEAT bacon as directed on package. 

SPREAD bread with mustard. Top 1 bread slice with cheese, pears and bacon; cover with remaining bread slice. Spread outside of sandwich with butter. 

COOK in skillet on medium heat 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. 
Serving SuggestionEnjoy with a cold glass of fat-free milk and the remainder of the pear.

Ingredients
2 lb. tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbs. or 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
3 Tbs. finely chopped green onions
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Black pepper to taste
Dash of hot pepper sauce
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In buttered 13 by 9 inch baking dish, lay fillets in single layer. Do not stack fillets. Brush top with juice. In bowl, combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings. Mix well with fork. Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake. Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use. Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook. Makes 4 servings. Note This fish can also