Snappy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Every Thanksgiving I feel compelled to make the traditional desserts: apple pie and pumpkin pie. I decided to search for a new recipe this year, and this one combined with another dessert I love: cheesecake! It looked so pretty and I am a visual person. I decided after reading the ingredients, this is going to be worth it. The only trouble I ran into was finding gingersnap cookies!

This was pretty easy and I can't wait to make it again! Try this. You won't be disappointed.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies ( approx 30 cookies)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
GARNISH:
whipped topping

Directions:

~Grease a 9 inch springform pan and securely wrap aluminum foil around the outside.

~In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and pecans. I used my mini food processor and it did a great job! Stir in melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of pan. Bake at 325degrees for 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

~Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

~Place 1 cup of the filling in another small bowl; stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining sugar. Remove 3/4 cup of pumpkin filling and set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling into the crust (making the first layer)

~Top with the plain filling. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over the top; cut through filling with a knife to make swirls.

Place pan on a large baking pan and fill with water. I used a thick cookie tray you can see in above picture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is set and appears dull. Remove pan from water bath and cool for 10 minutes. Take a knife to loosen around edge. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish with whipped topping.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

I have to give a shout out to Danielle for finding this yummy bread on Pinterest! And what a better day to  make it...drinking some wine and waiting for this hurricane!! :)

I made homemade dough and sauce, but if you want to keep it really simple, follow these simple ingredients:


1 loaf bread dough, thawed ( I make a pizza dough recipe for any stuffed bread)
6 oz spaghetti, cooked - I used angel hair pasta
1 cup spaghetti sauce
8-12 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes ( the more, the better!)
1 egg white ( i brushed the bread with olive oil)
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes
Garlic powder


Lightly flour the surface you are going to roll dough on; make into a 12x16 rectangle.

Cook pasta according to package; drain and let cool slightly.

Mix spaghetti and sauce together and then place in the center of the dough; top with cubed mozzarella cheese.

Make cuts 1 1/2 inches apart so you can braid the dough. Begin by braiding top and bottom strips towards the filling. Then braid strips left over right, then right over left and tuck last strip under braid.

Brush with egg white (or olive oil) and sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until golden.  Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese (Sriracha Style!)

Try this recipe for a new twist to the traditional macaroni-n-cheese recipe! The panko breadcrumbs make a nice crunchy topping!

4 cups (1 lb) dry elbow macaroni

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 small onion, diced

2 TBS flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cups milk

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 TBS Sriracha Sauce

1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese

~Melt 1/2 stick butter; then add panko breadcrumbs,mix and set aside.

~Cook elbow macaroni in salted boiling water for one minute less than recommended time.

~In a large pot, saute the diced onion with the other 1/2 stick of butter over low heat until tender. Add flour and wisk for 2 minutes over low heat. Add dry mustard and black pepper.

~Add milk and stir until thickened. 

~Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese and Sriracha sauce; mix until the cheese melts.

~Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese mixture, then transfer to 13X9 pan.

Top with the parm cheese, then breadcrumb mixture and 1/4 cup cheddar cheese(if desired).

BAKE AT 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Ultimate Sriracha Burger

This recipe comes from "The Sriracha Cookbook", which has some amazingly HOT recipes. Perfect for you spice lovers out there. I am pretty sure I made my neighbors jealous when grilling these awesome burgers! :)

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Sriracha
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
6 slices bacon
1 sweet onion
blue cheese dressing
6 kaiser or sesame seed buns
6 thick slices swiss cheese
1 large tomato, sliced
romaine or curly green lettuce

Form ground beef into six patties. Combine soy sauce, Sriracha and black pepper. Generously brush on both sides of burgers and set aside.

In a medium frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon. Slice the onion thin and once the bacon is done, cook the onion in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until they carmelize, 20-25 min.

Grill burgers and lightly toast the buns. Top with a slice of swiss cheese.

To assemble, spread some blue cheese dressing on buns, top with bacon, cooked onions, tomato and lettuce. This was delicious served with sweet potato waffle fries.

"Farfalle Piccanti" (Spicy Butterflies)

This is one of my favorite recipes from my "Ciao Italia" cookbook by Mary Ann Esposito. She has a family story for each of the recipes, commenting than in an Italian family, love is expressed through kisses, kudos, and in the kitchen!! <3

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes ( I used one tsp and it was spicy!)
1 cup diced prosciutto ( approx 1/4 pound)
one- 28 ounce can plum tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano ( or 1 Tbs of fresh oregano)
Ground black pepper to season
1 cup frozen peas
one pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
grated pecorino romano cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic and crush red pepper. (saute until soft, but do not let the garlic brown) Add the prosciutto and saute until it renders its fat.

Add the plum tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and black pepper. Stir well and simmer, covered over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well. Add the peas to the sauce and cook for 5 more minutes.

My saucepan is large enough to add all the pasta directly into the sauce. This dish is best if the pasta is tossed with the sauce before serving.

Top with grated pecorino romano cheese and serve with a crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!!

Chicken Fried Rice

Who doesn't love fried rice?!? This recipe has been perfected, thanks to my hubby! We cook the rice early in the day and chill it so it "fries" better.

3 cups uncooked rice ( cook in 1 1/2 cups water and then refrigerate)
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken ( great way to use leftover chicken or any meat)
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced raw carrots
3 eggs, scrambled
2 T chicken stock
1 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
spicy garlic
canola oil

Heat skillet on high and add canola. Saute onion,carrots, peas,and chicken, then egg. Mix chicken stock, soy sauce and sherry together in a bowl, then add to rice. Continue to toss rice until it is fried. Looks delish, right?!?

Sweet and Sour Pork Stir Fry

Got a craving for a tasty stir fry? This was put together by creating a recipe with ingredients we love!

2 lbs boneless pork (or pork chops) sliced in strips
Season with:
1/2 tsp spicy garlic
1 T soy sauce

Dice and set aside the following ingredients:
2 red peppers sliced
1 sweet onion sliced
1 large bunch broccoli, use tops only
20 oz can pineapple chunks
canola oil/few drops of sesame oil

Sweet and sour sauce:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T hoison sauce
1 1/2 T dry sherry
1 1/2 ketchup
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp corn starch

Using a hot skillet, cook meat with seasonings, then remove from pan. Next cook all ingredients listed with the veggies. Return meat to skillet and add the sweet and sour sauce. This was really authentic!

Chicken with Kielbasa

This recipe can be made in either a  crock pot or skillet. It is a very tasty combination of two meats and is perfect over rice. Very easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil
1 pkg kielbasa (usually around 12 oz) sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
6 pieces boneless chicken (adjust to number of servings you want)
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2- 1 cup frozen peas

NOTE: If you want to cook rice in the crock pot with meat, the ratio is 2 cups rice and 3 1/2 cup water. I prefer to do mine separately.

Saute onion, garlic, red pepper and carrots until tender. Then over medium heat, brown sausage on both sides.  Add chicken to skillet and brown. This will simmer nicely in a skillet. Add the peas 5 minutes before serving. ( or you can brown the meats and add everything to a crock pot if desired)

Pretty over rice!

Week 17~ Chicken Cordon Bleu

I had been making cordon bleu the same way for a long time. I found this recipe and loved it! The fresh mushrooms really make the sauce delicious. You could also make this ahead of time, and then bake it when you are ready. This is really good!!
The best advice I can give is make sure the chicken is thin so you can easily roll it and be sure to use toothpicks to hold them together.

4 boneless chicken breasts
8 slices deli ham
8 slices swiss cheese
1 cup flour
2 eggs/ 2 TBS water
1-2 TBS oil for sauteing

Cut the chicken breasts in half so you have 8 thin pieces. In the center of each breast, place 1 piece of ham and  one piece of swiss cheese. Roll up each chicken and secure with two toothpicks.
Beat the eggs/water in a bowl and spread the flour with a little black pepper on a plate. First coat the chicken lightly with flour, then dip in egg wash and then dredge in flour again.
Heat skillet on medium-high. Add oil and saute the chicken rolls until golden brown. Place these in a casserole.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the sauce you will need:

2 TBS butter
10 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
one-10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
milk for thinning
3 TBS Sherry

Heat skillet again saute mushrooms and onion in the butter/ Stir in soup and heat until bubbly. Add milk to desired consistency. Stir in Sherry.

Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.

Week 17~ Lemon Pork Chops

Here's an easy, versatile recipe that I actually took from a crockpot cookbook. Decided it could also be made on the stovetop. Brown pork chops and place all ingredients in the crock, or follow my stove top version below.

Ingredients:
1 TBS vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops
1-  8 oz can tomato sauce
1 onion, quartered and sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 TBS lemon-pepper seasoning
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon, quartered


Heat oil in a skillet and saute the onion and pepper; remove from pan. Brown the pork chops on both sides. In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, lemon-pepper, worcestershire sauce and the juice from lemon quarters.

Return pepper and onion to skillet and top with sauce mixture. Simmer on low, approx 30 min. This was very good over rice!

Week 15~ Jalapeno Poppers

I have had somewhat of a lull in trying new recipes! Since my oldest son wanted to try another recipe from his Sriracha cookbook, we tried one over the weekend! It's a fun appetizer, I think even non- pepper lovers should try these! You can adjust the sriracha to how spicy you want them, since you are de-seeding the peppers.

Here's what you need:

Approx 2 dozen jalapeno peppers
16 oz cream cheese
2 TBS sriracha sauce
1 lb center cut bacon

First, clean the peppers and cut in half lengthwise.

Then mix the cream cheese with the sriracha sauce. Fill each pepper with cheese mix.

Wrap each pepper with half a piece of bacon. ( after having tried this, we all agreed they could have had more bacon, esp since these peppers were very large!) Secure with a toothpick.

We used a cooling rack between the peppers and cooking sheet to let the bacon drip through.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let the torture begin! These smell amazing while baking.

Week 12~ Pork Chop Marinade

So I am sooooooooooo excited to start trying new BBQ recipes, salads......all the yummy things that the nicer weather will bring!! Bye bye crockpot. LOL

Try this! I marinated my pork chops overnight and they were amazing!!!

4-6 boneless pork chops

1/2 cup orange juice        1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup lime juice             1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 TBS sugar                    1 TBS wine vinegar
1 Tsp sea salt                  1 clove garlic
1/2 TBS pepper              2 TBS green onion
1/2 tsp cumin                  1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp thyme                  1 dried red chile, finely chopped
1/4 c olive oil

I placed the boneless pork and all the spices in a ziplock bag, and marinated all night.

Grilled this and it was so full of flavor!!

Week 12~ Festive Chicken with Asparagus

Asparagus lovers, its in season!!! Try this recipe, you won't be disappointed. :D

4-6 boneless chicken breasts
2 TBS all purpose flour
3 TBS canola oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pound asparagus


~ coat chicken with flour. preheat oven to 37 degrees. using canola oil in a skillet, cook chicken until lightly browned.

~ in a 3 Qt casserole, mix the wine, feta cheese, undiluted cream of chicken soup, and a little pepper. arrange the chicken in the mixture, covering the chicken with some of it.

~ bake for 30 min uncovered.

~ add the cleaned asparagus to the casserole and cover tightly with foil. bake another 15-20 minutes.

This is so simple and delicious!! ENJOY !!

Week 11~Penne Pasta w/Eggplant

So I realized I have not put ANY good italian recipes on my blog!! I have been so busy trying new things, I forgot to share with you something I stumbled across last summer while reading a magazine on the beach! SIGH.

I tried this new marinara after making my sauce basically the same way for years. This is really, really good......and easy.......and healthy!

It makes a good amount, so I can always freeze some for later.

1/4 cup olive oil                                    1/4 cup fresh oregano (approx 1/8 dry)
2 lg onions, finely chopped                    2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 medium carrots, finely chopped          2 cans whole plum tomatoes
8 cloves garlic

My secret is chopping the onions and carrot in my mini food processor. Gets the pieces nice and small so you would not even know there is carrot in the sauce!!

After you finely chop your carrots and onions, add to your olive oil in a skillet. Saute this until tender, approx 15-20 minutes.
Add garlic, oregano and cook for 2 minutes.
Then add your plum tomatoes .. I actually use a potato masher to crush them :) and the other canned tomato.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least an hour.

For the eggplant variation:

Dice one medium eggplant into cubes. Saute in olive oil with pepper 12-15 minutes until golden brown and tender. Add two cups of the above marinara sauce and remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup basil.

Top with fresh mozzerella! Enjoy over penne pasta.

Week 10~ Braised Chipotle Beef

So I keep trying to move away from crockpot recipes, but it was a lousy 43 degrees yesterday. Ugh. I am soooo ready for warmer weather! This was a spicy, fragrant way to make beef in the crockpot! This one is a keeper for sure.

3 pound chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 large onion cut into 1 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS chipotle chili powder ( can substitute conventional chili powder)
1TBS paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBS ground cumin
3 TBS tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1~ 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1~ pat the beef dry with paper towels, and season with black pepper. Heat 2 TBS of oil over medium high heat. Cook beef in skillet and brown on all sides, transfer to crock pot.

2~ add remaining oil to skillet and saute onions, then bell pepper, and garlic, just until softened.

3~ stir in chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, tomato paste. Transfer to crock pot.

4~ stir beef broth and diced tomatoes in skillet to scrape up any bits from seasonings. Pour over beef in crockpot. Cook on low 7 hours or until the beef is tender.

Server over hot cooked rice.

I could not find chipotle powder at our local farmers market, but did find dried chipotle. (they are jalapenos)
To be sure they wouldn't be too hot, my assistant (hubby) de-seeded them first, then we chopped them up really fine. Only used one and it was plenty hot!

Week 10~ Lemon Chicken

It was so hard for me to pick a new recipe these last two weeks. Having my kids take turns being home from college, they crave their favorite meals, so I have been busy making the traditional things they love!

I have made different variations of this type of chicken, but this one was really easy and smelled fabulous! If you have time, you can marinate the chicken overnight. I soaked mine for about 6 hours.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
4-6 boneless chicken breasts

Mix these ingredients and pour over chicken. Refrigerate and cover for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook,  combine the following:
1/2 cup flour
1 TBS lemon zest (from the lemons you squeezed)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Lightly coat your chicken that's been soaking, in the flour mixture. Brown the chicken breasts on each side, then place in a greased baking dish.

Sprinkle1/4 cup brown sugar over the chicken.
Mix 1/2 cup chicken broth with 1/2 cup lemon juice and pour around the chicken. Top each breast with a lemon slice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Bake this dish for approx 30 minutes.

This was perfect with our favorite Basmati Rice, which was cooked in the skillet after the chicken was removed to savor the drippings. Very light and delicious!!

Week 9~ Five Alarm Lentil Soup

It's been over a week since I posted a new recipe!! I've been cooking traditional food for my oldest son who is home from college, so nothing new until today.
I decided to try something from his cookbook titled, The Sriracha Cookbook. If you have NEVER had sriracha, this recipe is SURE to make you sweat!!

2 TBS olive oil                                   3/4 cup sriracha sauce
2 red onions, chopped                        1 ( 14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
3 large carrots, chopped                     1 pound red lentels
5 cloves garlic, minced                        8 cups vegetable stock                
2 TBS paprika                                    fresh ground pepper
3 bay leaves                                        sour cream, for garnish
1 TBS tomato paste                             chopped fresh cilantro or chives, for garnish


So I will have to tell you, the recipe calls for 3/4 of a cup of sriracha, but it was EXTREMELY hot, so I am recommending to cut it back to 1/4 cup. You can always add more in your own bowl of soup!


Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions and carrots. Saute until they begin to soften.

Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin, bay leaves, tomato paste, and Sriracha, until aromatic. Add the tomatoes.

Pour the lentils into the 8 cups of vegetable stock ( in the pot you are going to simmer the soup) and add your vegetable mixture.

Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are softened.

Garnish with a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. Get ready to sweat!!

Week 8~Chicken, Asparagus and Black Bean Enchiladas

Since yesterday was "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras", it was my quest to find an amazingly delicious, tempting recipe! And what better than from a cookbook I found in my treasured collection titled: "The New Inter Courses", an aphrodisiac cookbook.
So those of you who have never had asparagus, NEED to try this recipe!

This was a really "fancy" meal. It made me so happy making this, and it went perfect with a Margarita! Yummm.

Let me give you the ingredients first!

1 lb asparagus                                                     2 small red bell peppers, finely chopped
6 slices of bacon                                                  1 tsp ground cumin
1 lb boneless chicken                                           1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper ( or chili powder)
3 cloves garlic                                                      1/2 cup sliced green onions                                                  
1 1/2 cups salsa                                                    6 tortillas                          
1- 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed         approx 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
                                                                            1/2 cup light cream

I used a skillet to blanch the asparagus. Bring water to a boil and cook asparagus until it turns bright green, but still crisp. Rinse under cold water to prevent it from cooking further. Set aside.

In another skillet, cook your bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Crumble.
 SAVE THE BACON DRIPPINGS!

You are going to saute the sliced chicken and garlic in the bacon drippings. DON'T skip this step; it made the chicken amazingly tender, so don't worry about the calories.  :)

In another bowl, mix 1 cup of the salsa, the beans, diced red peppers, cumin and chili peppers. Add to the chicken in the skillet. Simmer for approx 7 minutes, then add the diced green onions and bacon.

                                        This is when everything starts to smell A - MAZING!!!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, spoon the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. I have a really large counter and have found if I lay them all out, I can evenly divide up the chicken. ( my scientist husband taught me that!)

 
                                                   Three asparagus per tortilla was perfect!!

As you can see, then I topped each one with a generous amount of cheese. I buy the mexican blend of cheese, my personal favorite......and I never really measure the cheese. Just pile it on!! ( after all, it was Fat Tuesday!)

Roll up each tortilla and place seam-side down in the dish. These can be prepared ahead of time up to this point and refrigerated. Or make one GIGANTIC mess like I did last night!

   For the topping, mix the 1/2 cup of cream ( I used half and half) with approx 1/2 cup of salsa. Pour over the top of each enchilada.

I baked these for approx 15 minutes covered, then uncovered them and topped with a little more cheese!

                                               Impressive if I must say so myself!!!
                                  (My personal bartender made the amazing Margarita!!)

Week 7~ Gnocchi Soup

I was soooooo excited to try this recipe, given to me by a good friend.  My daughter LOVES the Olive Garden's version of this soup. I think if she was here tonight, she would like mine better! <3

We enjoy our soups hardy and it's filling enough to be a meal , so I increased the amount of chicken and spinach from the original recipe. My daughter, mom and I made homemade gnocchi over last weekend. It was a PERFECT excuse to use the leftovers that I froze in this yummy soup! 

1 TBS olive oil                                                                 2 cloves garlic, minced

4 TBS butter                                                                    2 cups chicken broth

4 TBS flour                                                                      1 cup finely minced carrots

4 cups half and half                                                           2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

1/2 cup (2 stalks) celery, finely diced                                 4 cups gnocchi

1 cup spinach coarsely chopped ( I used 3 cups)                1/2 tsp thyme

1 cup onion, finely chopped                                               1/2 tsp parsley

Saute onion, celery, garlic in butter and olive oil until onion is translucent. Add carrot and simmer.

Add flour to make a roux. Slowly add half and half ; stir until it thickens.

( cook your gnocchi)

Into roux, add the diced chicken, and chicken broth.

Last, add the spinach and gnocchi. Add some black pepper to season.

I served this with a homemade crusty bread! 

Week 7~ Gingered Sherry Pork Roast

I just realized I am posting two pork recipes in a row. However, I only use my crockpot in the winter months, and there are still some recipes I want to share with you!! :D

The first step involves searing the pork roast in 2 TBS olive oil and 1 clove of minced garlic. Brown all sides of the meat and set aside.
In your crockpot, place: 2 dozen baby carrots, 1 cup petite onions (I used frozen pearls) 18 baby red potatoes. Pretty, right?

Then place your seared pork roast ( 2-3 pounds) on top of the vegetables.

Combine the following for a delicious sauce:
1 cup dry sherry
3 TBS hoisin sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper

This can simmer on low in your crockpot for 6-8 hrs. If you can, occasionally baste the pork with the sherry mixture.

The pork was VERY tender, and stll had the sauce in the crockpot to put over the meat.

Week 6~ Spicy Citrus Pork with Pineapple Salsa

I absolutely love the colors in this recipe! It called for a 3 pound pork loin, simmered in a crock pot, but I decided to marinade boneless pork chops instead.

1 TBS ground cumin

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2-3 pounds center-cut boneless pork loin  ( I used boneless pork chops)

1- 16 oz can pineapple chunks, coarsely chopped

3 TBS lemon juice

3/4 finely chopped red bell pepper ( approx one pepper)

4 TBS finely chopped red onion

2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ( optional)

~If you buy a roast, cook on low in your crock pot. Combine cumin and black pepper and rub evenly on pork. Heat 2 TBS cooking oil and brown pork. Simmer on low.

~Spoon 4 TBS of reserved pineapple juice and 2 TBS lemon juice over pork. ( cook on low in crock pot)

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, 2 TBS pineapple juice, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, ginger and red pepper flakes. ( I made this in the morning so it had time to combine)

~Served with Basmati Rice, and topped pork with salsa! 

Week 5~ Potato Soup

First.......a confession! I have made this soup once before, and the purpose of my blog was to try all NEW recipes, but this one was so good I had to try it again, and share it! You won't be dissappointed!

6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
5 cups chicken broth
4 slices of bacon
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups of light cream ( I used half and half)
shredded cheese and green onions, for garnish

~Combine potatoes, carrot and chicken broth in a 4 qt pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Mash slightly in the saucepan.
~Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels, reserve the drippings in skillet.
Saute the celery and onion in drippings until tender. Add these to the potato and carrots.
~Stir in the cream and season with black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until heated through.
                                         
                                                 Here are the yummy toppings!!

The soup is very hardy! I made a homemade egg bread in my bread maker!

Week 5~ Lustful Creamy Chicken Fettuccine

 Monday's in our house have traditionally been a pasta dinner night. Sooooooo, I found an interesting twist for a chicken alfredo in a great cookbook titled "Bite Me." ( Gotta love that title for a cookbook) I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Marinade 4 boneless chicken breasts with the following: ( for one pound fettucini)

2 TBS olive oil

1 large clove garlic

2 TBS lemon juice

1/2 dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Tomato cream sauce:

2TBS olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2- 14 oz cans of italian stewed tomatoes, pureed

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup heavy cream ( I used half and half)

1 cup fresh parmesan cheese 

fresh ground black pepper

Allow chicken to marinate at least 30 minutes before grilling. Cook as desired. Set aside and keep warm; slice or dice the chicken.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook fettucine as directed.

For sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until softened.

Stir in pureed tomatoes and add red pepper flakes, cook for 10 minutes.

Turn heat to LOW and add cream. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese, season with pepper.

*Note: I drained the pasta and kept it separate from the sauce, added the sliced grilled chicken to the sauce. This would allow you to add as much chicken/sauce to your pasta.

Bellisimo!! :)

It's the Weekend !!! Here's an appetizer for you!

And guess what? Somebody cooked for ME !!! But I couldn't resist the temptation to make a new appetizer! Easy and colorful, this made me wish for summer even more.....

Isn't this pretty?? I went to our local farmer's market and they had fresh basil and grape tomatoes. I cubed mozzerella cheese and with a toothpick, created these adorable little Caprese Salad bites!!
Drizzled with some olive oil, these little bites were a perfect appetizer as a  starter for our amazing german dinner we had cooked for us!!

Roasted Goose, mashed potatoes, apple stuffing and an amazing cabbage dish! :)

Week 4~Green-Chili Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This recipe comes from my Slow Cooker Bible! Soooooooo easy and delicious!!

3-4 pounds pork loin or shoulder
ground black pepper
1 can( 14 oz) of diced tomatoes w/green chilies ( I used Rotelle)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Also need: hard rolls, 1/2 cup sour cream, and and avocado

1. Season pork with black pepper and place in crockpot.

2. Combine can of tomatoes w/chilies, onion, water, cumin, garlic, and chili sauce in  bowl.

3. Pour over pork and cook on low for 7-8 hrs or until pork shreds easily when poked with a fork.

4. Shred pork. Serve on rolls topping with sour cream and a few slices of avocado.

This combo was really tasty! It was a spicy pulled pork dish and the sour cream and avocado really added an interesting taste to the sandwich. I was pleasantly surprised that we all enjoyed it. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli.
PS~ those of you who know me, can you guess the secret ingredient in the MASHED POTATOES??

Week 4 ~ Beef with Orange-Chili Sauce

SURPRISE!!! I am showing off a dinner on the first day of a new week! Do any of you like to stir-fry? This is super yummy if you make it with homemade fried rice. What do you think?

Make a sauce:
1/3 cup of chicken or beef stock
2 TBS soy sauce
some zest from your orange
2 TBS cornstarch

Mix these together and set aside.

4 TBS vegetable oil
12 dried red chili peppers
1 carrot, peeled and cut into long strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 lb flank steak or london broil sliced thin
1 orange ( I tried clementines and they were good!)
3 green onions thinly sliced

Saute the dried red chili peppers in oil until they turn dark red; remove from oil and set aside.

Saute carrots and red bell peppers until tender; set aside with chili peppers.

Add meat, cook briefly 2-3 minutes. Then add your sauce.

You may need to add more oil to the pan. Toss in all the vegetables.

Add the green onion and orange, once the sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice~

Week 3~ Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This is a very delicious soup! I have a FAVORITE cookbook called "Dancing on the Table". I have not tried a recipe that I did not like. It was relatively easy to make.  The first picture is the sausage that I cooked with the vegetables. I love all the colors !!

This is the soup with the tortellinis added. I made a crusty french bread to serve with it in my breadmaker. :)
I was unsure about a full tablespoon of both basil and oregano, but surprisingly, this really made the soup have a very unique flavor.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb sweet Italian sausage , casing removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef stock
2 cups chopped tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 small squash.(zucchini or yellow) quartered and sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 medium sized green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red wine :)
2 TBS dried basil
2 TBS dried oregano
10 ounces of cheese tortellini
grated parmesan cheese

1~ saute the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, for 10 minutes, breaking up the meat. Add the onion and the garlic, cook for 5 more minutes.
2~ add tomatoes, squash, carrot, green bell pepper until slightly tender.
3~ add beef stock, tomato sauce, red wine, basil and oregano.
4~ reduce heat and cook on low for 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5~ turn up heat and add tortellini; cook approx 8 minutes or until tortellini is al dente.

Serve this in shallow soup bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese!! YUMMY

Week 3~ Preview for tonight's dinner :Beef Bourguignon

So, today I chose a modernized recipe for Julia Child's famous "Beef Bourguignon". I found it in my Slow Cooker Bible cookbook and it smells AMAZING!!

Some preparation pics for you! Doesn't this beef look delicious?!?

It took me approx 30 minutes to prepare, but I think it will be well worth it by dinner time!!

Here's the recipe:
6 strips bacon
3 pounds beef rump roast, cut into one inch cubes
1 large carrot, sliced ( I used approx 10 baby carrots)
1 medium onion, sliced
3 TBS flour
10 ounces condensed beef broth
2 cups of red wine ( LOVE IT !! )
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound small white onions (I used frozen pearl onions)
1 TBS tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 whole bay leaf

1. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp; remove and set aside.
2. Brown beef cubes in same skillet, place in crockpot.
3. Brown onion and carrots in skillet. Transfer to crockpot and season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in flour, add beef broth and stir in bacon.
5. Add wine, mushrooms, pearl onions, tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

It was DELICIOUS!! :)

Week 2- Creole Pork Chops

So, a yummy bread calls for a delicious dinner to go with!! What do you think? We are also hooked on basmati rice. These pork chops are soooooooo easy to make, yet look pretty impressive, con't you think?