Dice up three large skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch lenghs and 1/4 in. thicknesses (keep consistent) and set to the side for just a tad.
Cut up half of a sweet onion & 4 garlic cloves with basil & rosemary. Saut’e in a skillet on Med/High with our Vegan butter EVOO and Wild Mushroom & Sage. Once garlic and onions are carmalized, add in the chicken, place cover on on and let simmer for about 17 min.
Remove cover & chicken dices. Add into the broth 1 cup of whole milk & a pint of Ricotta cheese and let melt and blend together. Add in half a cup of each diced tomatoes, habenero peppers & mushrooms ( I used shitake). Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Place the chicken back into the creamy sauce, add in a bag of Tortellini shells (filled with 3 cheeses), sprinkle on some cracked pepper, and layer with parmesan reggiano.
Plate up and drizzle more of the Wild Mushroom & Sage extra virgin olive oil or white/black Truffle Oil.
Take a 3-6 pound Beef Tenderloin & Roast it in the oven covered for about 2 1/2 hrs. on 375 after bathing it in Smoky Chipotle EVOO or Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive O il. Remove and place on your gas grill with either a side tray filled with charcoal or hickory chips. Let grill on low for another hr.
You can either use fresh bagged beans or canned organic beans for your medley. I use canned, just wash off excess juice and read your sodium count. Here, I used edamame, pintos, chickpeas, northern beans & black beans (1 can or half a cup of each). Place in pot and boil on high for about 12-15 min then reduce heat.
Add in Tuscan EVOO, hickory sea salt and pepper. Place into a disposable aluminum tray or cast iron skillet and lay inside your grill for all to smoke together.
In a side pot bring to a boil a cup of red wine, 2 table spoons of our Tuscan olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, red pepper flakes, herb seasonings & hickory sea salt.
Slice your beef thinly and layer into wine sauce. Plate up!!
This a weekend recipe and takes a total of about 4-5 hrs., but it is fantastic. Play some backyard football, baseball, frisbee and enjoy your family!!
Easy hors d’oeuvre: Cream Cheese Whipped with Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Chocolate Balsamic Wrapped in Bacon (You get it all!!! Heat, Tart, Sweet and BACON!!) or you can use Turkey Bacon or prosciutto.
De-Crust a loaf of Fresh Sandwhich bread, spread the Cream Cheese Blend onto each slice, Roll, cut in half and then roll a slice of bacon around each securing with a tooth pick. Place in oven on 375 for about 12-15 min or until slightly brown on Bacon and Crust. Cream cheese keeps its consistency and never melts all over the place. Great even when cool!!!
Cream Cheese blend: soften in the microwave a block of low fat cream cheese ( I use Neufchâtel cheese. It has less calories). Smooth in with a spoon two table spoons of Harissa EVOO and the same of our Chocolate Aged Balsamic. You can add in Chives, onion & garlic powder for more punch). For the vegetarian: You can roll up cut asapragus, julienne carrots, spring onions, etc.. Enjoy!! 25 min.
Cut up baby cucumbers into 1 inch sections, core out, fill with brie or any creamy cheese and smoked salmon or mussle. Top with half of a cherry tomato.
Cut your pork loin into 1 inch sections and saute in an electric skillet with the Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil or a Premium with a high polyphenol count such as Cerasuola or Koroneiki with herbs of your choice. I used Rosemary and Basil. Simmer on Med. High 4 min on each side. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while making your Hawaiian topping.
Hawaiian topping: 1 can of crushed pineapple drained or fresh pineapple (I prefer) blended up in a small chopper. Add in half of an onion, fresh cilantro and basil blended up. Then slowly add in our White balsamic pineapple & Tangerine & an olive oil of your choice ( I used the Persian lime)about a tablespoon of each. Transfer your topping or salsa to the skillet towards one side and let simmer until tender and it can absorb the pan drippings. Add In about a tablespoon of fresh capers.
Plate and layer your topping onto each cutlet. Serve with your favorite vegetable or creamed potatoes. I blend in our Vegan butter, pepper and smoky citrus sea salt to taste. ENJOY 40 MIN.
I tried my first Shepherd’s Pie and I actually did NOT burn the crust.
Whoo Hoo!
Those of you who have visited the Taproom know that I am not a baker, just a mom that cooks.
Thinly slice 3-4 potatos, onions and garlic. Add in our italian or Mediterranean herb blend (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc)
Add in thin spaced out layers and drizzle with the Basil olive oil and put into microwave for 10 min. to tenderize. Brown a pound of lean hamburger, drain off fat and rinse well. Layer over potato mix and then add in chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, & peas w/ mushrooms.
Add a half a cup of warmed lowfat milk that you have added in a fork full of flour and blended together until no lumps. Pour over Mix and add in a hefty drizzling more Basil or Tuscan olive oil. Salt & Pepper to taste.
Open two cans of Pillsbury Croissant rolls. Stretch out the triangles over the mix, baste with the butter olive oil and more spices. Place in pre-heated oven at 375 deg. for about 20-22 min and bake until golden brown.
Brown 2-3 Italian spicy sausages with onions, peppers, garlic, pepper chere and no salt.
Dice 2-3 large Idaho Potatoes unpeeled, throw in microwave for about 8 min on high with a little water and then drain.
Stock pot: Add in a can of pickled sweet baby corns, one can of seasoned pinto & black beans, one can of diced tomatoes with chilis, and the sausage & vegetable mix. Let simmer for about 12 min on med/high. Add in Tuna, Halibut filets (approx. 2 small sizes) and 2 Whiting Filets. Add in 4 teaspoons (2 each of the Harissa hot extra virgin olive oil & Tuscan); one can of clams in its own brine with a full cup of “Oriental Seafood Mix” in the frozen section of your local grocer (usually contains: shrimp octopus, squid ring , & mussel meat).
Add in 1 cup of spicy V-8 Juice and two full table spoons of mild Caribbean jerk paste (mild is generally not so mild but hot!!!) & 2 teaspoons of our Italian herb blend or your own herbs.
Let all simmer for about 30 more minutes on low. Turn off and remove from heat to thicken. Either plate over rice, chick peas or eat as a soup.
Enjoy!!!! 35-40 min.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: The Spanish, Italian, and Canarian influences on Creole cuisine were in the heat of the peppers, the wide usage of citrus juice marinades, the supreme importance of rice, and the introduction of beans. The Spaniards and the Italians also used tomatoes extensively, which had not been a frequent ingredient in the earlier French era. Pasta and tomato sauces arrived during the period when New Orleans was a popular destination for Italian settlers (roughly, 1815 to 1925). Many of them became grocers, bakers, cheese makers and orchard farmers, and so influenced the Creole cuisine in New Orleans and its suburbs. The African influences which were extensive, came about because many of the servants were African-American, as were many of the cooks in restaurants and cafes. The first French, Spanish and Portuguese Creole cookbooks date back to the era before the Louisiana Purchase. The first Creole cookbook in English was La Cuisine Creole: A Collection of Culinary Recipes, From Leading Chefs and Noted Creole Housewives, Who Have Made New Orleans Famous For Its Cuisine, written by Lafcadio Hearn and published in 1885.
Manning vs. Romo . Go Teams!!! Should be a great game tonight:
One of my son’s friends is going away to the Armed Forces in a few days, so I wanted to make sure he had a home cooked country meal. So, Frankie here’s for you. Mom Wells loves you and you be safe. I gave my son a 3 book compilation of life’s Little Instruction Book because Frankie gave his original one to my son to keep for him. On another post I will provide the information. This Book is awesome for any young adult venturing out on their own with arms wide ready for the world.
4 Ham steaks thawed. Place in saute pan with Tuscan EVOO and Pepper. Saute with lid for about 17 min on med., then reduce heat and let simmer until browned.
Place fresh washed turnip greens in a pot with just a 1/4 inch of water, a few pieces of the ham, and Serrano Honey Vinegar, with diced turnips, onion & garlic. Let simmer for same amount of time. Lower heat to just simmer while working with Potatoes.
4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced in microwave bowl with pepper, a little water and butter EVOO on high for about 10 min. ( cheating but hey). Drain and add skim milk to cream together with Kraft garlic & herb whipping cream (in cheese section of most grocery stores).
ENJOY!!! 40 MIN (Because of peeling potatoes unless you want to keep the skin on them).
Place fish in a gallon bag with Persian Lime Olive Oil, Serrano Chili Pepper Infused Honey Vinegar & 1/2 cup Chardonnay, Add in fresh Basil & Rosemary & marinade overnight.
Thinly slice two large sweet potatoes, place in pre-heated skillet (325 )with Vegan butter olive oil w/ a dash of sea salt. Turn over after crisp, saute for total of 15-17 min or until toasted on both sides. Remove from skillet, place on a plate then drizzle with maple balsamic.
Grill steaks with a foil sealed packet of cedar chips turning over only one time or until fish is flaky (not opaque).
Plate up with a hefty serving of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh basil & onion marinaded in jalapeno balsamic.
3 cups of Pasta Shells boiled in salted garlic water for about 15 min, drain well and rinse with cold water (gets rid of the excess starch) pasta will be firm not over done.
Brown one pound of low fat hamburger or ground turkey with onions and garlic (as much as you like). (you would just need to add a little more olive oil with the turkey). Set to the side.
Tomato Sauce:
Add one medium can of tomato paste with 3/4 cup of water (paste has much more tomatoy flavor and the lycopene is higher too!!)
Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes.
Because preliminary research has shown an inverse correlation between consumption of tomatoes and cancer risk, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer.[2] WIKIPEDIA SORRY I DIGRESS!!!!
Add 1/2 cup of our italian herb blend or your own: Basil, Thyme, Garlic, Onion, oregano and summer savory. NO SALT, pepper to taste. I also use smoked paprika for a slight smokey flavor about 1 teaspoon.
Add 1/4 cup of Tuscan or Garlic Olive Oil and a splash of any sweet balsamic to substitute for the sugar added to italian sauce dishes which brings out the flavors.
Simmer all together, meat and sauce for about 30 min. let cool down to handle. In a corning wear dish spread some EVOO on the dish, layer in your pasta, then sauce, then your cheeses. I used parmesan reggiano, smoked mozzarella, asiago and ricotta. Layer all one more time with cheese on top.
Place in oven on 375 for about 15 min for cheese to melt and toast up a bit. LIKE MOST ITALIAN DISHES, THE HERBS AND FLAVORS ARE MUCH BETTER THE NEXT DAY.
PREP TIME 20 min. Total time 45 min. unless you simmer your sauce for 2-4 hrs.
