Frittata!!!

Today, my parents came over early for my son's first Christmas. This is a guest post from my favorite chef... my dad!

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This Christmas I came over my daughter's house and we had a beautiful Frittata!

12 eggs

3 egg whites

1 tablespoon butter

turkey sausage

1/2 container of low fat ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Put the turkey sausage in a seperate skillet until done. Remove and drain on paper towel.

2. Whisk egg whites and ricotta cheese in sepereate bowl.

3. Melt butter in another (large) pan and cook until firm. Add sausage in handfulls and top off with ricotta cheese.

4. Bake in oven for 5 mintutes or until egg is firm. Flip to broil for 5 minutes or until brown.

Remove from oven, slice and serve!

Peanut Butter M&M's cookies!!

Wow is all I can say. These cookies are truly divine! Remember when they made peanut butter M&M's? Ok... these are like those, but in a cookie! Bottom line...they rock!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (about 8 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, and butter in large bowl to blend.

Add peanut butter; beat until creamy. Gradually beat in vegetable oil and vanilla extract, then egg. Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Stir in milk chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by level teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread!!

This recipe is from my favorite chef. He is my cousin, Nick, and he is a graduate of the CIA - the Culinary Institute of Amerca. I am so happy to have re-connected with him and to be sharing recipes. Hope you all enjoy!

Gingerbread!

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 ounces butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Bring water and molasses to a boil and remove from heat. Add baking soda. Use a bigger pot than needed because the baking soda will cause the water to froth. Set aside.

2. Combine all ingredients from salt down.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg and incorporate into butter mixture.

4. Alternate molasses mix and dry ingredients a little at a time until all is incorporated.

5. Butter and flour a large baking dish. Add the gingerbread batter and bake for approx. 30-35 mintues.

Serve with stewed apples and vanilla ice cream.

Yum Yum!!!

Chicken Pot Pie

Weight Watchers Style!!

Hubs and I love this recipe, and the band members were equally thrilled. Basically, men love this recipe and woman love that it is low fat! Score one for both teams!!

1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast halves, cut into cubes

1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced-fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup - I used cream of mushroom and it came out wonderfully!

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

1 (1o oz) package frozen vegitables, thawed

1 (8 oz) baked potato, peeled and diced

1 (2 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 (15 oz) package refrigerated piecrusts

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat skillet with cooking spray; add chicken, and cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Add soup and buttermilk, stirring well. Bring to a boil and over medium-high heat; stir in mixed vegitable and potatoes. Make sure you watch it and stir frequently because the cream of soup and the chicken tend to stick. Also, after the potatoes became soft, the broth was a little thick for our liking, so we added a little chicken broth to make it creamier. Or, you could par boil the potatoes beforehand and then add.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in pimiento, salt and pepper, remove from heat.

Place piecrust on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Gently slide baked piecrust over mnixture in skillet.

Enjoy!!

Cranberry Pecan Biscotti!!

I found this on the amazing Lacey's blog! They look so amazing, delicious AND easy. Right up my alley blog.

Cranberry Pecan Biscotti!

- 3/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries

- 3/4 cup pecans

- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 2 teaspoon baking powder

- 2/3 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup butter

- 2 eggsBeat

Add butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Add 2 eggs and beat on medium until well combined.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in contents of jar just until combined.

Divide into 2 loaves on cookie sheet, chilling if necessary to make dough easier to handle.

Each loaf should be about 9 inches long and 2 inches wide.

Bake at 375°F for 25-30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on sheet for 1 hour.

Cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices using a serrated (bread) knife. Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325°F for 8 minutes, then turn over and bake for 8-10 minutes more or until dry and crisp.

Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Thanks again Lacey. This looks amazing!

Penne A La Vodka!

The amazing D.A.R created this amazing recipe. I am so lovin' it!

Enjoy!!

Pasta, Booze, and Cheese...my favorites
Since there was much request for my penne alla vodka, I thought I'd finally share it. It is seriously too easy to make, but looks and tastes like you spent the day in the kitchen. Serve it with warm crusty bread and a salad. Oh, and the leftovers? Taste even better! This is a family recipe, coming from my godmother. She married into a very large Italian family and her mother in law demanded that she learn to cook "the proper way" before she got married. She is, hands down, the best cook I've ever met. I just try to do this recipe justice!

Ingredients:
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I just add a palmful, I like it spicy!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons vodka
1 /2 cup heavy cream
Fresh basil (I chop up about a handful)
1 tablespoon butter (optional, but highly recommended)
1 box of penne (I use whole wheat)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, boil salted water and cook penne about 10-12 minutes.
2. In large, deep saute pan, heat olive oil on medium.
3. Saute garlic until soft, do NOT burn! If you burn it, throw it out, clean your pan and start over.
4. Add tomatoes and red pepper, cook down about 15 minutes.
5. Add parsley and vodka, cook alcohol out--about five minutes.
6. Add cream and basil, turn down heat.
7. Finish with a tablespoon of butter to make the sauce silky smooth. This step is optional, but well, I've never met a dish that wasn't better with butter.
8. Toss in pasta, top with parmesan and serve!

This makes a ton. Z and I can eat it for two dinners and usually a lunch. Keep in mind though, that he is 6'5. And, I am a carb addict. So, it may stretch a bit more with your family!

~D.A.R

Thanks D.A,R you rock!!!

Chili!!

Last night was Halloween and we made a pot of chili for about 14 people.

I cut the recipe in half and because it turned out so amazing, I thought I would share this recipe with all of you!

Chili!!

2 lbs ground beef (85/15)

1 can of red kindey beans - preferrably the one in the chili spices

1 can of sweet corn

1 cup of favorite salsa - preferrably blended (to keep the consistency better)

4 cans of crushed tomatoes

2 tbs paprika

2 tbs cumin

2 tbs chili powder

2 tbs cayenne pepper

red pepper flakes - depending on how hot you like it

black pepper

salt

Season raw meat with spices, salt and pepper.

Brown meat half way and drain some grease out of pan. Add tomatoes and salsa and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse corn and kindey beans. Add to chili and let simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve hot with Fritos and cheese. Enjoy!