Roasted Vegetables

You can't go wrong with roasted vegetables. They are an easy recipe to put together for the family. Simply cut up your favorite vegetables...maybe zucchini, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, etc. Place the cut up vegetables in a bowl, drizzle olive oil over them, add salt and pepper, as well as any other seasoning you enjoy...maybe an Italian seasoning. With your hands, mix the vegetables so that they get coated evenly. Spread the vegetables on a baking pan or sheet. Spread them out so they're not sitting on top of each other. This will help them cook evenly. Place the pan or sheet in a 400 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Roasted vegetables go with any meal and the leftovers are delicious in a salad the next day. Hope you enjoy them!

Simple Salad

Summer is the time to eat light, but it can be difficult to make something that will be filling. We love salads in this family, and this is one of our favorites. It's simple...it's easy...and it's perfect to eat alone or with any meal. Simply dice up cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and black olives. We've also made this with artichokes (from a jar). Add a little olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Done! Please share your favorite salad recipes with us! We would love to try them.

Cheesecake

I'm really getting addicted to Trisha Yearwood recipes from The Food Network. Today, my son and I made her cheesecake recipe, but substituted a few ingredients.  (I've linked her full recipe below for you.) We're trying to cut calories and follow the Keto diet, so Vincent and I used Stevia Sugar in place of regular sugar...and we used a lower fat cream cheese. We also made the crust by using almond flour, mixed with Stevia and melted butter, instead of a graham cracker crust. We followed her measurements exactly....and the cheesecake was a success! Hope you get a chance to try it...either Trisha's way or OUR way. We would love to hear from you!

Trisha Yearwood's Cheesecake Recipe

Zucchini Bread: Keto Style

So, my son and I are trying this Keto Diet thing. I've been searching the internet for recipes and putting my own twist to them. Below is the recipe for our zucchini bread. It's made with almond flour instead of all purpose flour. There is certainly a difference in taste, but I think we just need to get used to the new taste that many of the Keto recipes offer. Give it a try and let us know what you think. The hardest part of transitioning to the Keto lifestyle is getting used to foods made with almond flour and sweeteners. We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with making Keto recipes.

Combine the following wet ingredients in a bowl:
3 large eggs, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Combine the following dry ingredients into a separate bowl:
2 1/2 cups of almond flour, 1 1/2 cups of Stevia Sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ginger.

You will need to measure 1 cup (or more) of grated zucchini. After grating the zucchini, place it in some paper towels and squeeze the excess water. Then add the zucchini to your bowl of wet ingredients.

Time to combine your wet and dry ingredients! We used our Kitchen-Aid. Start with your wet ingredients...and add your dry a little at a time until everything is mixed in.

We used a 9x5 loaf pan...and baked for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Good Luck!

Thin and Lacy Pancakes

Another great Food Network recipe we tried was their Thin and Lacy Pancakes. We replace the milk with fat free half and half and the sugar with Stevia sugar. The boys loved it! Click on the link for the recipe.
Thin and Lacy Pancake Recipe

Trisha Yearwood's Lemon-Blueberry Bread

We just love watching The Food Network channel! I've become very addicted to Trisha Yearwood. Her show is fun and her recipes are very easy to follow. We tried making her Lemon-Blueberry Bread. We made a few adjustments...we replaced the sugar with Stevia Sugar and we replaced the whole milk with fat free half and half. It cut the calories down for us and it was delicious. The only problem...one bread was NOT enough for us...LOL...I will need to double up on the ingredients next time in order to make more than one bread. Click on the link for the recipe. Thanks!

 Trisha Yearwood's Lemon-Blueberry Bread

Turkey Burgers

We try to stay away from red meat, so we are always looking for ways to cook turkey and chicken. This turkey burger recipe is delicious and healthy! Hope you try it. It's simple and fast.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. of ground turkey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. of poultry seasoning

After mixing all the ingredients, form whatever size patties you like...then grill! Remember, turkey is ready at 160 degrees. We always use a probe. I suggest that you buy one. It's always great to have that handy. Once the burger are cooked, melt your favorite cheese on top! For this recipe, we melted a vegetable Havarti cheese.

The best part of a burger is what you put on it...agree? Well, we decided not to have the buns (trying to go low carb), so we drizzled the burger with a lemon/mustard dressing.
Mix together 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard, 2 tbs. of honey, 2 tbs. of orange juice, juice and zest from one lemon and a pinch of salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly. We made this dressing ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. It was thick and perfect!

We served our burger with roasted cauliflower and breaded zucchini with goat cheese rolled inside.

Regan’s Orange Goop Salad

• This is a common dessert that I think I found long ago on a Cool Whip container. It’s one of my favorites. The only problem is that I could eat the whole thing by myself.

Ingredients:

1 Large Box of Orange Jello

1 cup of mini marshmallows

1 Large Box of Vanilla (instant) Pudding

1 Large can of Mandarin Oranges

1 Large container of Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Follow the directions according to the box of orange jello.
2. Chill the jello for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Whisk in the vanilla pudding mix until it’s smooth.
4. Chill it again for about 10-15 minutes (until it looks thick)
5. Fold in the mandarin oranges, marshmallows and cool whip...Use your judgement as far as how many oranges and marshmallows you want to use.
6. Chill it once again until it sets! (Might take a few hours)
7. Add some oranges and marshmallows on the top for presentation.

    Regan’s Chicken

**To be cooked after finishing Dan’s slow cooked carrots**

Ingredients:

Leftover liquid from the slow cooked carrots

4 thin cut boneless/skinless chicken breasts

½ of a large onion, chopped

2 tsp. Garlic paste

2 tsp. Basil paste

Zest of 1 small lemon

Juice of 1 small lemon

1tsp. Flour

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. In the skillet that the slow cooked carrots were made, sear the chicken breasts on both sides...about 2 minutes on each side.
2. Remove the chicken and let it rest on a wire rack...be sure to have a plate underneath to catch the drippings.
3. In the meantime, add the onion, garlic paste, basil paste and lemon zest to the skillet. Stir and cook until the onions become caramelized.
4. Stir in the chicken broth and lemon juice.
5. Add the chicken back to the skillet, along with any juice from the plate...and mix together.
6. Cover and simmer on low until the chicken is fully cooked...at 165 degrees.
7. Remove the chicken and add flour to the skillet. Mix it in...it’ll thicken the sauce/glaze.
8. Plate your chicken and pour some thickened sauce/glaze over it….Done!

Regan’s Artichoke/Mozzarella Salad

My family loves artichokes! This salad can’t be any easier to make.

I buy artichokes that are in a jar...I found a jar that has artichokes, red peppers and green olives in an olive oil dressing. It’s delicious. If you can’t find this particular jar of artichokes, then just buy the ingredients separately.

Ingredients:

Artichokes in a jar...2 of them!

Can of green olives

Can of black olives

Sweet red peppers in a jar

Mozzarella Cheese...fresh (to be sliced) or buy the pre-cut mozzarella cubes.

Directions:

1. We like to slice the green and black olives in half, as well as the artichokes. (Note: Save any juice from the jar of artichokes...don’t drain!)
2. We usually buy a fresh piece of mozzarella cheese and slice it ourselves.
3. Add everything to a bowl, including the juice from the jar of artichokes.
4. Taste test it! Does it need a little more olive oil? Salt? Pepper?
5. Mix everything together until the dressing is throughout.

*This is a simple salad that can certainly be changed by adding your favorites to the salad. I’ve made a bigger batch of this salad and added it to small pasta shells or rotini pasta. Some people may like diced onions, green peppers, or carrots. It’s completely up to you! Enjoy!  

Dan’s Carrots...Slow Cooked

If you want to add some delicious carrots to any meal, this is the way to go.

Ingredients:

3 cups of water

6-12 whole fresh carrots, peeled

3 tbs. Butter

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a 12 inch skillet, heat your water, butter and salt. Bring it to a simmer.
2. Have your carrots peeled and ready!  Add the carrots to the skillet, placing them side by side.... (Turn off the burner).
3. Take a piece of parchment paper and cut a small hole in the middle. Place it over the carrots. Cover your skillet and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
4. After 15-20 minutes, remove the lid (don’t remove the parchment paper) and bring the carrots to a simmer again. Let it simmer for about 40-45 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the water has almost evaporated.
5. Remove the parchment paper...cook the carrots on medium...shake the pan frequently...the carrots will glaze and the water will be fully evaporated. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add this delicious vegetable to any dish….you’ll love it!

                              

Chicken and Vegetable Soup
(In a Crock pot)

Ingredients:

2 (48oz.) Chicken Broth

3-6 oz. of tomato paste

Seasonings: ½ Tbs. Of poultry seasoning

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Baby Cut Carrots

6 Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes (cut in half)

1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables

3 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (whole)

1 lb. of your favorite soup noodles/pasta

Directions:

1. Simply add all the ingredients into the crock pot. Set on High and cook for 2-4 hours. (Check on your soup. All crock pots are different. Some like to cook their soup on High while others may cook their soup on Low.)
2. After about 2 hours of cooking, remove the chicken breasts and shred. They should be tender enough and will probably fall apart. Add the shredded chicken back to the crockpot and continue to cook for another hour.
3. Most importantly, taste your soup! You might need more salt or seasonings. Everyone has different taste buds. About halfway through cooking, we do a taste test and decide if it needs more tomato paste or other seasonings.
4. With our soups, we like to cook a different type of pasta or noodle each time. We have eaten this soup with Ditalini, Pastina, Rice, Soup Noodles and Tortellini. Cook what you prefer. ** Don’t add the pasta to the crock pot...the pasta will get soggy...instead, put some pasta in a bowl and then add your desired amount of soup.
5. To top off your already delicious bowl of soup...add some Grated Romano Cheese….yummy!

Strawberry Granita

Ingredients:

¾ cup sugar

2 tbs. Lemon juice (use fresh, squeezed)

1 pound of strawberries (sliced thin..hull it!)

1 cup of HOT water...don’t burn yourself!

Directions:

1. Stir together the sugar, lemon juice and HOT water. Let it all dissolve together. Set aside.
2. Blend the strawberries until they are as smooth as possible.
3. Then add your sugar mixture into the blender. Blend it up!
4. Pour the mixture into a nonstick 13x9 pan...place it in the freezer.
5. Now, here comes the fun part...I don’t necessarily like this part because it bothers my teeth...so I make my husband do it. After the mixture has been in the freezer (about 25-30 minutes), use a fork to stir the icy edges to the middle of the pan. Return it back to the freezer. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for about 2 hours. It should be ready...use your best judgement...it may need to freeze a while longer. Just make sure you keep scraping the icy parts to the middle of the pan. Once the mixture looks completely flaky, cover it and freeze overnight.
6. The next day, scrape the granita into bowls and Enjoy!

• We made this recipe last summer, so I don’t have an original photo. This is a photo from the internet. I wanted you to see what it should look like. We will be making this over the summer...I’ll post it again when we make it.

Pasta alla Russa     

A wonderful recipe from Chef Nick Stellino. Dad loves watching his show each week, he enjoys when Nick speaks to his food in Italian. Now, Dad loves to speak to his food….in English. Photo courtesy of Vincent Maltese. We hope Nick Stellino would be proud!

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water (salt optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 6 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vodka
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3/4 cup clam juice
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 5 tablespoons frozen peas, thawed
• I pound dried pasta—penne rigate

or farfalle (bow tie)

• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Directions

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil with or without the optional salt.

Place the butter in a large skillet set on medium-high heat and cook until it sizzles,

about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, salmon and salt, and cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Pour in the vodka carefully, as it may ignite. Add the whipping cream, clam juice and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Add the peas. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions until just tender.

Drain, and place it back in the pot. Add the sauce and cook over medium heat,

tossing until the pasta is completely coated and most of the sauce is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if you wish.

OUR PERSONAL NOTES

• Be extra careful pouring in vodka sauce
• Serves 3-4 people
• Total time for us was around 25 minutes
• We had cooked the sauce a little too long, and it started to evaporate. Keep some wet ingredients incase you need to add more at the end.  
• 10-15 Minutes of prep, make sure to have everything prepared before, because the process becomes quick.
• Drain pasta, then keep in pot, and pour the sauce in and stir together.
• We used hot pepper to serve
• Try sprinkling goat cheese on the pasta to serve

Rae’s Flatbread Pizza

Easy! Easy! Easy! When you don’t have a lot of time, put this together and your family will love it! You can add any toppings you want! These are our favorites…

Ingredients:

Any flatbread...frozen or fresh...I make 4 at a time

Pizza sauce or your own pasta sauce

Seasoned artichokes (in a jar)

Black and Green olives (cut in half)

Cooked chicken breast...shredded or cubed

Roasted Red peppers (in a jar)

Mozzarella Cheese...as little or as much as you want!

Directions:

1. I like to put the flatbread in the oven (400 degrees) for just a few minutes.
2. Remove the flatbread from the oven and spread the pizza sauce or pasta sauce over the breads evenly.
3. Add the rest…artichokes, olives, red peppers and chicken. (I like to cut the artichokes and olives in half.)
4. For a little extra taste, pour just a pinch or two of the liquid from the artichoke jar, over the pizza.
5. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes...remove...add as much mozzarella cheese you want...return it to the oven and cook until the cheese melts. Enjoy!!!!

Dan’s Italian Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio Rice

1 tbs. Butter

Pinch of salt

3 cups Fat Free Half and Half

2 Cups of Water

1 cup of Sugar

1 Cinnamon Stick

⅛ tsp. Cinnamon spice

1 ½ piece lemon peel

Directions:

1. Boil 2 cups of water...add the rice, along with the butter and salt. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer away until the rice is tender...maybe about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the half and half and sugar. Make sure the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the cinnamon stick, ⅛ tsp. Of cinnamon spice and the lemon peel.
4. Bring the whole thing to a boil again….and then remove it from the heat.
5. Using a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of simmering water, pour the rice mixture into the double boiler. Important….keep stirring the mixture! This could take about 45 minutes. Play some Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra while you stir. Take turns with a family member so your arm doesn’t get tired.
6. Pour the rice pudding into a dish or ramekins. Throw away the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
7. Let the rice pudding cool slightly...top it with more cinnamon spice and try curling a lemon peel. Good Luck!