green beans , stewed tomates and italian spices

This is a combination of several recipes I found for green beans and stewed tomatoes ,with an italian touch ;) Making it for friends tonight- we'll see if there needs to be any tweaks.

Ingredients

1lb. Fresh Green Beans

or 2 cups of frozen

or 1 can cut green beans (14oz)

2 Tb butter,

or 1 Tb olive oil.( I like butter)

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced - red onions work nicely too,

or 2 scallions

1 Garlic Cloves, crushed/minced

1 tsp dried Basil

1 Tb dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh-chopped.

3 ripe medium to large Tomatoes, diced or one can stewed tomatoes(10 or 14oz)

1 Tb balsamic vinegar

1 tsp steak sauce

2 Tb water

salt & pepper to taste ( I do not use salt )

Optional (as seen in other recipes)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pepper green..or yellow for a splash of color:)

1.if fresh green beans - Trim the ends off the beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths.OR drain the can of beans

2.FRESH only->and optional In a large sauce pot cook the beans in lightly salted water for 3 min. Drain the beans and set aside.

3. In a non-stick skillet, heat butter/oil and add onions,(celery and green pepper at this time too) garlic and basil. Cook for 2 min. or until soften

4. Add remaining ingredients, except the beans, and cook for 3 minutes.

5. Add the beans.

6. Cover and cook for an additional 10-15 min. until beans are tender, stirring often. (you can simmer without a lid but may need to add water as it simmers to keep mixture moist.)

7. ENJOY!!!!

Today I am using fresh green beans, vadalia onion and yellow pepper,plus I am skipping step 2 of the process..... I am SURE I will do this again with frozen or canned beans no doubt!

Mini- cheese cakes

I searched through several recipes and each one was slightly different then the others... so this is what I came up with adding different components of other's recipes

.. I've gotten rave reviews on how little a bite packs alot of flavor!!

1 8oz package cream cheese

24 vanilla wafers

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 c sour cream

1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp almond

1/4 tsp nut meg

1/2 tbs lemon juice

375 for 20-25m -tops get a light golden....

in mini-muffin tin- I used the mini-cup cake papers - place 1 vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup.

In medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sugar and sour cream with beater on low to medium, add egg. Mix well until creamy. Add all other ingredients & mix thoroughly. Spoon cream cheese mix by rounded teaspoon full on top of each vanilla wafer. Should make 24 easily, may have a little extra, go back and fill in if you think a few need a little more.

Bake as directed above until light golden brown on top.

Serve with jelly- I put three different kinds of jelly in small dishes with a spoon for guest to choose which fruit they would like. My fav is red raspberry ( seedless jam!) , Blueberry, and Cherry. Have of course used strawberry too and even spooned apple pie filling & drizzled with caramel- that was a huge hit!!

fresh tomatoes over pasta( a tomato pesto?)

We tried to grow some tomatoes this year. I don't recall what type they were but as you can see they came out small. They're bigger then a cherry tomatoe, smaller then a plum, but very tasty and sweet. There were about dozen + I didn't know what to do with them so I made a one dish pasta ( probably could have been stretched to two..lol)

I'm not one to really measure so these are estimates. It was really tough to do a 'free-hand' recipe like this but I'm glad I tried it. If you decide to attempt to re-create this- let me know what you think please! (be kind -as I said, it was my first try..lol)

I guess it's sort of like a tomato pesto sauce... enjoy!

This is a full tomato flavor dish so it you don't like tomatoes as a whole- don't try this dish.

Ingredients used:

15-20 cherry Tomatoes - or in my case...12-14 small tomatoes ;)

1 clove of garlic- If you really like garlic add more ~ think I should have used at least two

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

Fresh herbs

Basil- chopped - came to about a tablespoon

Oregano- chopped - little over half a tablespoon

Italian flat leaf parsley- chopped- half a tablespoon

1 teaspoon sugar, pinch of mint flakes ***

salt & pepper to taste

I sliced and quartered the tomatoes to prep them for the sauce pot.

In a sauce pot heat up the olive oil over medium heat then add onions & garlic -saute until onions become clear. Add the fresh chopped herbs , turn to a simmer, let cook a few minutes so all the herbs and flavors blend well with the oil.

Add the sliced tomatoes to the pot and turn the heat back up to medium high. STIR FREQUENTLY. My father taught me to add something to tame the acidity of the tomatoes.

*** This is the point where I add a little sugar. Some of my friends add mint, others I know add carrots. I think carrots would have been nice and colorful to the dish,but would have definitely made it taste on a whole new dimension , so it's up to you what you like. Also if you use fresh mint, be careful to only use a small amount as it easily over powers the dish. I decided along with the tsp of sugar, to add a dash of dried mint I had - just a small pinch ;)

Taste as you go- and adjust as you like !!

Remember to stir frequently until the tomatoes start to soften and break down a bit. Not too much- we still want some chunk to it and not boil the taste of the tomatoes out. It's a personal choice of course, others may like the freshness of the tomatoes and only want them heated up a bit... I preferred the consistency as seen in the photo below :

Serve over and mix it in with your favorite pasta- or, I bet this would be good over rice too!

I also sprinkled in some parmesan cheese when I mixed it up and served it..

NOTE: I tried a little more with some shredded mozzarella .... definitely go with the parmesan- It pairs much better with this !! :)

BUON APPETITO!

infinite cheese sauce

This recipe comes form supper weekly- a great blog - you really should subscribe to it!!!

http://supperweekly.blogspot.com/2011/04/infinite-cheese-sauce.html

I'm stashing it here for future reference because it truly is a versatile recipe that will come in handy!

You start with 2 table spoons of butter melted in a soup pot. Add 1/4 cup flour and whisk until smooth. Next, add 2 cups of milk. Once milk sauce thickens, you can add 1-2 cups of ANY kind of cheese: Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Provolone, Blue Cheese... Once the cheese melts, you will have a gooey, cheesy sauce that you can pour over ANY kind of pasta, vegetable, sliced potatoes, rice, enchilada, burrito... endless possibilities!!

Pizza Puff

ok..I was sure I had posted this in here before.... these were an easy snack and a hit with visitors for a tasty appetizer.... so I can find it again :(need it for a party!)

compliments of the Rachael Ray magazine....

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 red bell pepper, sliced Frozen Assets

TIP: Freeze the baked puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat, bake the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 350° oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil. Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the pizza sauce for dipping.

UPDATE: in the dry ingredients I add dry herbs like Italian seasoning , (or separately I add dried oregano , basil) , garlic powder, onion powder and even a pinch of curry. Anything you’d put on pizza goes ! It adds so much more flavor. I also sprinkle chopped  fresh basil and a little fresh grated Parmesan on top of the muffins BEFORE I put them in the oven. This is the recipe I  get the most requests to make for any party. 

Daring cooks' August Challenge reveal

The August 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n'Bites and Anula of Anula's Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

My area is very ethnic and we celebrate our diversity. You'll find an abundance of polish, Italian, Greek , Russian, Pa Dutch/German, and I've even experienced food & culture from friends who's heritage was Ukrainian, Asian , and Lithuanian. Needless to say, Pierogi are quite rampant in these parts and I have made them from scratch many times. I've never had a dessert pierogi though....and I was going to try this, but when I tried to come up with something that represents our locale, all I could think of was pizza - since Old Forge is right next to us and boasts the name of our nation's Pizza Capital, I went for a savory dish instead. I think I'll try the dessert ones next.

The filling came from watching Giada on food network make pizza pockets. I did not hunt down the recipe, instead I just "winged" it. The dough and filling recipe I used will be listed at the bottom.

Thanks again to all the wonderful people behind The Daring Kitchen for making these challenges possible. I am pleased that with each challenge, I do learn something new along the way!

First step- Have the flour and egg ready to make the dough and already have filling, just have to mix it. I chose to make a savory sausage filling mixed with spinach,onion, cream cheese, Parmesan, and of course garlic. The sausage is cooked and then mixed with the cheese. Once the filling is mixed I set it aside and mixed the dough.

Next was the rolling of the dough and filling the pirogi. I bought a dough press set at a yard sale for $1.00 - can't beat that... made it easier to cut the circles and fill the pockets, but I still pressed with the fork in the end so the edges weren't too thick.

Now they were sealed and ready! I cooked them in batches in boiling water... noting of course they were ready when they floated to the top! ;) After they were cooked I put them in a frying pan and sautéed them with fresh chopped basil and butter until they had a light golden crisp on the tops and bottom. The picture below shows the final product, served with a tomato gravy. I was thinking some nice chopped and seasoned tomatoes would make a tasty garnish as well....but that was an after thought- they were already eaten before I could try that!

These were enjoyed by hubby, and I would definitely make them again. It's easier then you think! Thanks again to the daring kitchen for this wonderful challenge. And thank you dear reader for stopping by and checking out my blog.♥

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The Recipe:

I would suggest preparing the filling first and then making the dough....

Dough:

2 to 2 1/2 cups flour

1tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup Luke warm water

I started with 2 cups and added more flour as needed depending on consistency of the dough. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Crack the egg in there, add the salt , and a little Luke warm water at a time. Knead the dough adding more flour or water as needed. You want a nice soft dough. From into a ball. Cover the dough and let sit for 20 minutes.

Filling:

1lb bulk sweet or mild Italian sausage

1/2 medium to small onion-chopped

1 clove of garlic chopped fine

1 cup (8oz) spinach fresh or frozen-thawed and drained

4oz cream cheese

1/2 Parmesan cheese

slat and pepper to taste

In bowl add the cream cheese and Parmesan , set aside.

In frying pan, heat the sausage ,onion & garlic until cooked through and meat is no longer pink. Add the spinach and toss until heated through. Add to bowl- heat will melt the cheese- mix all well. Set aside so it cools and will be ready to use as filling.

(NOTE: I had to make to batches of the dough to use up all the filling and all remaining pierogi were frozen for another day!)

On floured surface, roll the dough out to aprox. 1/8 inch think. Cut with 2 inch round cookie cutter, dough press,or round glass. Spoon a portion of filling on the middle of each circle. Fold dough in half, pinch the edges together. Re roll any scraps of dough and repeat.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Drop pierogi in batches, not too many at once. Bring to a boil again and reduce heat slightly, wait for the pierogi to rise to the top and let simmer for about 5 minutes - they're finished!

Daring Kitchen July Challenge Reveal.

The July 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Margie of "More Please" and Natashya of "Living in the Kitchen with Puppies". They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include 'Better with Nut Butter' by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

I chose to try the **Walnut & white bean dip w/ Rosemary & Sage, the **Chicken with Pecan cream & mushroom sauce, and the Asian Noodle-shrimp with Peanut sauce.

** These two recipes will be Linked at the end of this post.

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to learn about nut butters. The most common nut butter we all know is peanut butter. Making your own is so much better then buying. I can't wait to make traditional Italian pignoli cookies at Christmas with my own almond butter too, now that I know how easy it is!! For more information on Nut Butters and how to make them & what they're used for, go here :

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/nut-butter-00400000040028/

The first Project was the dip. I started with the walnut butter then added the rest of the

ingredients as demonstrated in the following photo.

The Dip was a hit with my family. The finished product is pictured below. I would certainly make this for a party again!

Next is the Chicken with the pecan cream & mushroom sauce. Pecans are my favorite so I was looking forward to this one.The picture below shows the bowl with the pecan butter and the rest of the prep for making the dish.

This following picture is the finished dish. I was disappointed that it was rather bland. One tip: it calls for being served over egg noodles. I ate it that way- MUCH BETTER then served over rice like my husband wanted it. I'm not sure why that made a difference but, it did.

The Asian dish of shrimp with peanut sauce was definitely outside our comfort zone. This seemed really simple to make but did not go well with the family. The picture below is the peanut sauce.

The picture below here is the finished dish. It looks yummy but no one liked it except me. I think maybe it would have been better to try with chicken and ease my husband into it...lol. He is not a big peanut butter fan as it is but he could not stand the combination with shrimp.

Maybe one of you will have better luck then I did..... I think, however, I will revisit this with my good friend who is known for his Asian cooking.....

I'm glad again for the experience and all the work that goes into arranging these challenges. Make sure to check out The Daring Kitchen as well !!

WHITE BEAN DIP with Rosemary & sage from "Cooking Light"- but link led to (myrecipes.com):

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/white-bean-dip-with-rosemary-sage-10000001646350/

CHICKEN with Pecan cream & mushrooms adapted from "Cooking Light":

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=354465

Asian Cashew Dressing ( I used peanut) adapted from "Chinese Peanut Dressing" pg 22 in Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds