italian meatloaf

My twist on an old favorite

1 pound ground beef
1 cup milk 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1 large egg 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped and sautéed 1/2 onion, finely chopped and sautéed 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 center cut bacon strips
2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
2 teaspoons fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until soft. Fry bacon until crispy, drain and crumble. Set aside. Combine beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, onion, mushrooms, egg, milk, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. On wax paper, form meat mixture into a 8x12 inch rectangle. Mix all herbs together in small bowl. Sprinkle meat with herbs and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Spread bacon and cheese evenly over meat. Roll meat into an 8 inch wide loaf. Place meatloaf into an 8 inch glass bread pan or glass baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over meatloaf, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let meatloaf sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

fresh hot salsa

Eric's Hot salsa!

1 bunch of cilantro

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 serrano chili peppers, *diced

3 jalapeno peppers, *diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 lime

1/2 tsp. salt

5 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

Rinse cilantro, take off leaves and chop. Add finely minced garlic, peppers, onion and mix. Squeeze in lime juice and mix in salt. Add neatly diced tomatoes. Mix well and refrigerate.

*Wear plastic gloves while chopping and do not touch eyes while working with peppers. Discard the seeds.

almond party slush

Reminds me of our days back east in law school!

12 oz. lemonade concentrate

12 oz. orange juice concentrate

4 c. sugar

18 c. water

1 tsp. almond extract

2 liter Sprite

sliced fruit as a garnish

Add all ingredients together, mix and freeze. Pull out of freezer a half hour before serving and mix with sprite and serve. I usually cut the recipe in half.

Michelle’s Fat Tuesday Jambalaya

One of the tastiest meals you will ever eat!

Seasoning mix:

4 bay leaves

1 t. salt

1 t. white pepper

1 t. dry mustard

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. dried thyme

4 T. Butter

12 oz. Kielbasa sausage

6 oz. smoked sausage, diced

1/2 lb. large cooked shrimp 

1 1/2 c. chopped onions

1 1/2 c chopped celery

1 c. chopped bell pepper

1 1/2 t. garlic, minced

2 c. uncooked rice

4 c. chicken stock

Combine seasoning mix in small bowl, set aside. Melt margarine in large heavy skillet over high heat. Add sausage and Kielbasa, cook 5 minutes while stirring. Add onions, celery, peppers, seasoning mix, and garlic. Stir well, and cook until browned, 10-12 minutes. Scrape pan bottom well. Stir in rice and cook 5 minutes. Add stock and stir well. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender. About 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp stir to warm about 3 minutes and Enjoy!!

parmesan bow-tie skillet

3 c. farfalle (bow-tie pasta), cooked, drained

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

1/2 c. ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, divided

Combine pasta, sauce, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 Tbsp. of parmesan cheese in a large skillet or large saucepan.

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or until smothered mozzarella and parmesan is melted.

For South Beach Diet prepare as directed, using whole wheat farfalle.

summer pea salad

3 cups (16oz pkg) Fresh shelled and blanched or Frozen Peas defrosted
1/2 cup (1 large) Carrot diced
1 cup Cauliflower Florets crumbed small
1/2 cup Corn Niblets Fresh blanched or canned drained
3/4 cup Red Onion finely chopped
8 slices Bacon crumbled
Salt & Pepper to taste

1/3 cup Renee’s Ranch Dressing

Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Just prior to serving - Mix salad dressing ingredients together and stir gently into the salad, careful not to break the peas. Enjoy!!

renee's easy bechamel (white sauce)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk, heated
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming. Makes about 1 cup.

Bechamel into Cheese Sauce:
Stir in 1/2 cup grated Cheddar, Parmesan or any other cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

teriyaki chicken

A great, easy recipe to make in a dutch oven while camping. The cheater's version is to buy a really good teriaki sauce ( Very Very Teriyaki)and use it instead of all the ingredients below... except the chicken.

10 chicken thighs
1 c. soy sauce1 c. sugar
3/4 c. mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. freshly shredded ginger

I love adding chile oil or red chile rooster sauce for a kick!

Combine all ingredients into large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the liquid becomes concentrated( about 30 minutes). Take the chicken out of the pot while still hot. The remaining liquid can be used as gravy if desired or you can freeze it. Serve it with a good sticky rice (we sometimes just use regular brown or white 15 minute jasmine rice). You can also make it spicey by adding Duck Chile Sauce.

This is our favorite recipe from Gregory's Aunt Janette!

tortellini vegetable soup

To warm the soul!

2 tsp. dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oil
4-6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. cheese tortellini (I actually use the whole bag)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)(if you like tomatoes, use 2 cans)
1 can green beans (drained)(I prefer French cut)
½ c. sliced carrots (can use baby carrots sliced in half lengthwise)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil in large pan, cook basil and garlic for one minute. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add tortellini, tomatoes, green beans and carrots. Return to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add a baguette and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

chocolate mud cake

2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 1/2 cups boiling water
4 cups vanilla ice cream, approximately


Method:

Recipe portions work best in a 3 1/2 qt crock-pot. If a larger crock-pot is used - increase ingredients to fill crock-pot at least 1/2 full.

In crock-pot mix together 2 cups brown sugar, flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, vanilla, and melted butter.

In small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, and chopped nuts. Sprinkle over batter.

Pour boiling water over top – Do Not Stir. Place lid on crock-pot, cook on high 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Serve warm with scoop vanilla ice cream.

Serves 12.
OVEN METHOD: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut all ingredients in half. Mix as directed above. Place in a 9x13x2 baking pan. Use cool rather than boiling water. Bake 30 minutes. Serves 6 NOTE: Approximately1/3 cup scoop of ice cream is figured into nutrition analysis.

chocolate eclair cake

A cool summer delight!

3 c. milk (I use nonfat)
8 ounce carton cool whip, thawed (I use the lite)
2 small boxes of instant pudding (I use vanilla or French vanilla)
graham crackers

Blend pudding and milk for 2 minutes on low speed. Blend in cool whip. Spread a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, covering the bottom of the pan as well as you can. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham cracker layer. Place another layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture. Then cover with the rest of the pudding mixture. Top off with another layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

3 Tbsp. butter, melted
6 Tbsp. cocoa (rounded 1/3 c.)
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla (add 1/2 to 1 tsp. mint extract to make it minty)
3 Tbsp. milk
1 ½ c. powdered sugar

Mix all frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread over top, cover and refrigerate overnight.

strawberry lemonade

* 2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
* 1 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
* 2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
* Ice *
*Mint sprigs, garnish
* Whole strawberries, garnish

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher. In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled. Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries...YUMMY!!!