Vegelicious Omelette

Jambalaya!

Biscuits & Gravy

This is my husbands absolute FAVORITE breakfast, I feel like I'm always making it and it can feel and taste a little boring. A new biscuit recipe, new seasonings and fresh strawberries cured the monotony for me this morning. I hope you like!

Biscuit Recipe, slightly changed from my earlier post 'Tea Biscuits'.
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 tspn salt
1 tbsn baking powder
2 tbsns sugar
1/4 tspn cream of tartar
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup cold whole milk

Combine dry ingredients, work in the butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add milk and mix with hands, kneed on floured surface until ball of dough is formed. Roll out with wooden floured rolling pin about 1" in thickness and cut with round cookie cutter. On greased baking sheet place biscuits and bake in preheated oven on 425 for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.

While biscuits are baking heat a medium sauce pan on medium high. Add 2 tbspns butter, 2 tbspns grapeseed oil or olive oil. Once butter is melted add 2 tbspns all purpose flour and whisk until cooked out-you should be able to see and smell the difference. The flour will turn a golden brown. Do not over cook as the flour will burn and turn gritty. Add 1 small carton of heavy whipping cream and whisk until thickened over medium high heat on gas cooktop-adjust your heat as necessary. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg-about 1 tspn each.

Pour over halved biscuits and top with thinly sliced strawberries. Serve with hot breakfast tea, I like Tazo's Organic Chai sweetened with Stevia. ;-) MANGIA!

Spaghetti & Meatballs

It's been a while since I've posted any recipes...things have been so busy around here! We've been doing a lot of eating out, taking out and ordering in , just to keep things in balance with our crazy schedule. I can't believe its already the end of the school year and summer is on its way!

I really love to cook, so I have been missing the kind of joy it brings me during the last couple of months. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of this classic italian dish as I felt the other night, after finally getting in the kitchen to create this simple recipe, all with the help of Dean Martin's voice. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground sweet italian sausage
1 lb of ground beef
1 egg
about a cup of panko (japanese breadcrumbs)
red onion finely diced about 1/4 cup or less if you're not an onion fan
3-4 cloves of garlic finely diced
4-5 fresh basil leaves finely chopped (got mine from the garden-and I'm so proud!)
Parmesan Reggiano, grated about a 1 to 2 cups divided
salt/pp to taste

Pasta:
1 box of barilla spaghetti
1 large jar of Prego- Traditional
Olive Oil to toss

I used raw onion and garlic, but to change the flavor a bit, you can sautee them first in a little olive oil before mixing them into the meat, it will reduce the potency of both and sweeten this recipe to new heights. :)

In a large bowl add onions, garlic, basil, panko, parmesan, egg, salt/pp and meat. With your hands encorporate well then form small to medium sized meatballs. The meatballs should not be too wet and not too dry, in order for them to stick together add panko or egg as needed. Pre-heat oven to 375. Place meatballs onto greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until browned on the outside. In a large pot pour in sauce and heat on medium high, place meatballs into sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover with lid. Boil water in seperate large pasta pot. Once boiling, add salt and then box of pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Return immediately to pot and toss with olive oil & s/pp.

To serve, add pasta first to bowl, then ladle meatball and sauce, top with grated cheese.

MANGIA!

March Madness!

March is the month of endless birthday celebrations in our family...which = lots of cake!!!

Here's the one I made for Simon's recent 'official' birthday party and the one I made for my sisters 22nd! Feel free to ask any questions, they were actually pretty simple to make....Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream Sandwich

A little Martha, Mary & Ben and Jerry! :)

Recipe coming soon...

Baked Ziti

Slightly adapted from Rachael Ray's fake bake ziti recipe aired on 30 minute meals many years ago...

1 box Rigatoni ( I used Colavita)
1 small tub of Colabro Ricotta (preservative free)
1 large jar of Chunky Garden Prego (tomato, onion, garlic)
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper - make sure they are firm and have 3 bumps on the bottom. These are sweeter and in my opionion, better for cooking than the ones with 4.
5 cloves of garlic-smashed out of their skins and chopped.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil-I use the organic brand by Private Selection.
1 package of hot and spicy italian sausage.
Salt/Pepper and Italian seasoning
Balsamic Dipping Oil (seasoned olive oil)
Dry White cooking wine about 1/2 a cup
1 block of Vermont White Cheddar
1 block of Vermont Monterrey Jack ( about 4 cups when combined.)

In large pot bring about 8-10 cups of water to a boil and season with salt. Add box of pasta and cook until al dente. Drain well and toss with seasoned balsamic dipping oil, salt/pepper, tub of ricotta and 2 cups of mixed shredded cheese (cheddar and jack) Heat seperate skillet poke fork holes on both sides of sausage drizzle with olive oil and place in skillet with 1/2-1 cup of water. Cook sausage turning only once until water evaporates and meat is cooked. Slice thinly and then half. In a different skillet heat, then place sliced bell peppers and garlic in olive oil and sautee with salt. Salt added once you get a sizzle going will help reduce your veggies a little and bring out the sugars and flavor! Don't reduce too much b/c then you will have yucky soggy and stringy peppers and overdone garlic. Make sure you stir so that your garlic doesn't burn. Add sausage to the veggies and then 1/2 cup of white wine. Reduce until evaporated or mostly then add sauce. Let simmer.

 I start with 3 prepared pans (pot and two skillets) While water is boiling you should be working on your sausage and veggies in two different pans. Then once the pasta is in the pot the sausage should be done and ready to slice. Once you get the sausage and wine in the skillet with the already sauteed veggies, your pasta should be ready to drain and toss with cheese. Simmering in the meaty sauce will be the last step and I use this time to clean up some of the mess! Pre-heat your broiler on high and get a 9x10 glass baking dish out, spread half of the sauce mixture on bottom, then all of your rigatoni, top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake about 10 minutes or until cheese is a gorgeous bubbly brown. Sprinkle with italian seasoning and serve. Be sure to wait at least 10 minutes before cutting so that you will get nice lasagna like cuts that will hold together instead of fall apart; to make a nice presentation on your plate. With the extra time it takes to bake and wait for the dish to cool you should be able to have a clean kitchen and set table! This is my most favorite recipe! Thanks for the inspiration, Rachael!!! MANGIA!