Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch

double crust pie

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries.

3. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, and dot

with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide strips, and make

lattice top. Crimp and flute edges.

4. Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, or until crust is golden

brown.

Italian Style Vegetable Soup with Chicken and Sausage

This makes a HUGE pot! It was enough for family, neighbors, and a few quarts for the freezer!
(One batch I made less spicy for the kids, and used Tortellini)
Prep time: ½ hour - 45 mins (for chopping etc..)
Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

10 Carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
6 stalks of Celery, sliced
3 Medium Onions, in a large dice
3 TBS chopped Garlic
1 28oz can diced Tomatoes, drained
4-5 Large Chicken Breasts
6 Links Spicy Italian Sausage
1 box Elbow pasta
1 bag of frozen Spinach
4-5 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Large Cans Chicken Broth
( I used 1 and the stock from boiling the chicken breasts, drained of all fat)
Herbs and Spices: (use more or less or any others you wish)
Red Pepper Flakes, 3 Bay leaves, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Parsley, Poultry Seasoning, Salt and Pepper

Direcitons:

A few hours ahead of time, fill a large pasta pot with water, salt, pepper, Poultry seasoning and red pepper flakes. Boil chicken breasts and Sausage links until cooked through. Stirring every few minutes. When done, turn off and put aside to cool. After cooled, drain off the fat that floated to the top of the pot, take out Sausage and breasts, and strain all the stock into a bowl.
In a large Stock Pot, add 3-4 TBS of the EVOO, sauté the Garlic, Onions, Carrots, and Celery until soft and slightly browned. Add in the chicken broth and stock , the Tomatoes, Bay leaves, the rest of the herbs and spices and stir. Let Simmer for at least an hour on Low/Medium. Meanwhile, rinse the frozen Spinach under cold water to thaw, drain and squeeze out all the excess water. Cut up all the Chicken and Sausage into small pieces, add to the pot with the broth and vegetables. Simmer another ½ hour to hour, then lastly add the elbows (or pasta of choice) until cooked through. Drizzle some more EVOO over the top of the pot, add the Parsley, mix well, and it’s ready to go! Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

Asiago Herb and Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1- 1/2 cups plus 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust up or down according to heat preference)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (optional)
2 cups hot tap water (around 120-130 degrees)
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus a little for the bowl

Whisk the flour with 1-1/2 cups grated Asiago, yeast, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, rosemary, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic powder. (If using a food processor, simply add those dry ingredients to the food processor bowl and pulse 5 times.) Pour in the hot water and stir 100 times (That is equal to 3 minutes with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If using the food processor, drizzle the water in while the machine is running until the dough forms a ball.)
Knead the dough for 8 minutes (If using stand mixer with a dough hook, allow to mix on low for 4 minutes. If using the food processor, allow the ball to spin 20 times.) Form the dough into a tight round. Drizzle some olive oil into a bowl. Place dough into the bowl and flip over, so both sides are lightly coated with olive oil. Cover with a damp tea towel (or paper towel) and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
Punch down dough and divide into two equal pieces. Form the dough into rounds. To make a nice tight ball, pulling the top of the dough down and over the side. Then, tuck the excess under. Voila! Tight dough balls! Place about 6 inches apart on an ungreased, rimmed baking sheet. Gently pat the dough rounds down so they are relatively flat on top. Use a sharp knife to slash an ‘x’ about 1/4″ deep over the tops of the loaves. Drizzle each loaf with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and then top each loaf with about 1/3 cup additional grated Asiago.
Place baking sheet in a cold oven over a cake or loaf pan filled with hot tap water. Set oven to 400°F. As soon as you turn the oven on, set your timer for 40 minutes. Begin checking the bread when the timer goes off. If bread is a gorgeous deep golden brown, remove it. If it is still light colored, pop it back in the oven. You may need as much as 10 more minutes.
Remove the bread and serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Just one more thing to do with those infamous rotisserie chickens they sell in the food stores:

1 Whole Rottisierre Chicken
6 potatoes (boiled cubed potatoes)
2 cans each of sliced carrots
2 cans of peas
1 Large Onion
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Half and Half
2 TBS butter
2 Pie Crusts (ready made)
5 TBS chopped fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper

Peel and cube potatoes and boil for only 10 minutes. (they should be on the hard side) Drain and set aside. Do a large dice of the onion and sauté it in a small pan with a little Extra Virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, until soft and a little brown, set aside. Cut up the whole chicken into cubes.

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the soup, half and half, chicken, onions, carrots, peas, Salt, Pepper and Fresh Thyme, and toss together. Lastly add the potatoes (gently stir so you don’t mush them). Melt the butter in the microwave.

Roll out the pie crust out (home made or ready made) enough to cover most of the casserole. Pour the vegetables and chicken mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Lay the crust over the mix, poke holes all over the top with a fork, brush with melted better, and sprinkle with more fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the crust is medium brown. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced bacon
4 medium potatoes, peeled
and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups water 3 cups cream-style corn
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half

Directions:

1. Place the bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat, and cook until
crisp. Drain and crumble, reserving about 2 tablespoons drippings in the
pot.

2. Mix potatoes and onion into the pot with the crumbled bacon and
reserved drippings. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Pour in the water, and stir in
corn. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and
cover pot. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are
tender.

3. Warm the half-and-half in a small saucepan until it bubbles. Remove from
heat before it boils, and mix into the chowder just before serving

Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup

Homemade soup!

It's so quick and easy, it can be on your dinner table in 30 minutes.
Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 30 min

Makes: 6 servings (1 1/3 cups each)

Ingredients:
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
2 cups water
6 cups Green Giant® SELECT® frozen broccoli florets
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)


Directions:

1. In 4-quart saucepan, mix soup and water. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly, until boiling and smooth.
2. Add broccoli. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender.
3. Stir in milk, mustard, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Cook uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated. Stir in cheese until melted.


Be sure to stir in the cheese just until melted and serve the soup right away to help prevent curdling.

Serve with fresh baked Garlic bread or a nice big garden salad!

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 370 (Calories from Fat 200); Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 13g, Trans Fat 1 1/2g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 1300mg; Total Carbohydrate 20g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 8g); Protein 20g

4 INGREDIENT, 30 MIN MEAL...Double Cheese Chicken and Vegetables

From Betty Crocker:
You can have a cheesy chicken dinner with veggies in 30 minutes with just four ingredients!
Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings (1 1/2 cups each)


Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rotini pasta (3 oz)
2 bags (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen broccoli,
carrots, cauliflower & cheese sauce
1 cup chopped deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)
1 cup shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (4 oz)






Directions:

1. In 3-quart saucepan, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Return to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, in 2-quart microwavable casserole, place frozen vegetables and cheese sauce. Loosely cover with microwavable plastic wrap. Microwave on High 8 to 10 minutes, stirring twice, until cheese sauce melts and vegetables are just crisp-tender.

3. Stir vegetables, chicken and cheese into pasta. Cover; cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Stir gently.


Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 340 (Calories from Fat 130); Total Fat 14g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 1300mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 7g); Protein 22g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 50%; Vitamin C 25%; Calcium 25%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Medium-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

4 Ingredients/20 mins: Broccoli and Tortellini Alfredo

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min

Makes: 5 servings (1 1/3 cups each)

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups Green Giant® SELECT® frozen broccoli florets
1 bag (19 oz) frozen cheese-filled tortellini
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce or 1 jar (1 lb) Alfredo
pasta sauce
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Directions:
1. Cook broccoli and tortellini as directed on bags. Drain; place in large serving bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat pasta sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour sauce over broccoli and tortellini; toss to coat. Sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese.


Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 420 (Calories from Fat 230); Total Fat 26g (Saturated Fat 16g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 160mg; Sodium 360mg; Total Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 3g); Protein 17g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 35%; Vitamin C 25%; Calcium 30%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Maria's Italian Wine and Honey Cookies

Ingredients:

6-7 cups all purpose flour
2 cups Red Wine (or 1 cup wine/ 1 cup water)
2 cups Mazola Oil (has to be Mazola!)
1 32 oz jar of Grade A Honey
Rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the wine and oil to a boil, blend well, then turn off. Pour out most of the flour onto a large wooden butcher block or wooden surface. Pile it up into a large mountain and dig a large hole in the middle and start adding the hot wine mixture to it, blending it as you go along with a wooden spoon. When its cool enough, start using your hands to mix and knead it until all the flour is incorporated, keep adding enough flour and kneading it until the dough is similar to the consistency of “Playdoh”. Grab a hand full and roll with your hands to make long ropes about one inch thick. With a knife, cut into 3 inch long pieces.

On the inside of a cheese grater, reach in with a piece, push it down and roll it towards you with your three middle fingers so it gets the “nubs” on it and is rolled into a coil shape. You may need to try this several times to get the right shape.

When all are formed into cookies, fill a large pasta pot with about 3 inches of oil, put over medium/high heat. To see if it’s ready you can test the oil by throwing a little piece in to see if its sizzles and little bubbles rise up from it. Drop enough of them in to fill the bottom with room to grow around them, using a hand held strainer or slotted spoon, stir them VERY GENTLY until they’re light to medium brown usually about 7-10 minutes.

Remove them and put them onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. During this process, heat up the honey in a small sauce pan and then turn off. Take the cookies by spoonfuls and dunk them in the heated honey, give a quick stir,then tap off drips and place into a aluminum lined container or large bowl.

If you want to put them directly onto a platter, pile them up in a pyramid shape and sprinkle all over the top with the sprinkles. Wrap tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Tortellini in Brodo

Ingredients:

3 quarts chicken stock

2 10-ounce bags spinach

2 bags frozen cheese-filled tortellini

1 carrot, sliced thinly

A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

Zest of 1 lemon

A couple of handfuls of Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

*optional* chopped carrots or zucchini

Directions:

In a large pot, bring stock and the carrots up to a boil, after10 minutes, drop in the frozen tortellini.

Stir and cook until done. Add in the spinach in the last 5 minutes before serving.

Ladle into soup bowls, top with some lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste and a handful of the Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 6

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat a grill for high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Halloween Pumpkin-Sage Soup

Ingredients:

3 TBS unsalted butter
6 Sage leaves, slightly crushed
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 2 medium onions)
2 pounds fresh pumpkin chunks (canned pumpkin can be used, but not pumpkin puree)
2 cups fresh or canned chicken broth
1 cup Water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1 cup half and a half or heavy cream
¼ tsp grated fresh nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne


Heat the butter in a pot and add the crushed sage leaves and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for one minute. Add the pumpkin chunks, chicken broth, water, salt, and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 20 mins. Transfer to the bowl of an electric blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot.

Add the milk and half and half (or cream), nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and simmer for five to 10 minutes.

Taste for seasoning. Serves six to eight.

(Stew Leonards recipe)

To prepare the pumpkin shell soup tureen-

Wash the outside of the pumpkin with warm water and and pat it dry. Using a sharp knife, insert the tip and cut away a round section from the top of the pumpkin to form a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membrane with a large spoon.
Spray the pumpkin inside and out with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle the inside with salt. Spray a heavy baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray also. Place the pumpkin on the baking sheet. Place the lid aside of the pumpkin, cut side down.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325° for 1 hour or slightly longer, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Bake until the inside of the pumpkin shell just begins to soften. The shell will be a deep orange color and have a shine from the cooking spray. Do not over bake. An over baked shell will not support the weight of the soup. Remove from the oven. Very gently scoop out any remaining stringy areas you might have missed. Check the bottom of the the lid as well

Grilled Steak with Carmelized Onions

Ingredients:

3 Large (or 6 small) Grilled steaks
5 Large onions
2 TBS Extra Virgin Oil
2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBS A1 (or other) Steak sauce
Salt and Pepper


Directions:

Put 2 TBS evoo in pan with sliced onions, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, when theyre almost done, add a few shots of balsamic vinegar (and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits up) and then a little shot of A1 sauce! Pour over steaks and top with a little fresh Parsley.

Asparagus, Sun dried Tomatoes and Crispy Pancetta Lasagna

                                     

This makes a HUGE tray of Lasagna, serve it at a big gathering, or for a family dinner and box up and freeze the leftovers! If you want to make a smaller tray, cut the ingredients in half.

Prep time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

2 boxes Lasagna noodles (preferably curly edges)
4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 10 oz jar of Sun dried tomatoes, drained and sliced into thin strips (reserve oil)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
¾ lb of Pancetta, sliced ½ inch thick
4 TBS chopped Garlic
3 bunches of asparagus
3 lbs of Part Skim Ricotta cheese
¾ cup whole milk
3 Eggs
2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
16 ox shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
3 TBS Parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tsp Olive oil, and a dash of salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. After you put the pot of water on to boil, chop Pancetta into very small cubes, and sauté in 1 TBS of the reserved Sun dried tomato oil until crispy. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon. In the same pan, add another TBS of the oil, add Garlic and cook to light brown in color, drain and put aside. Wash, trim off ½ to 1 inch of the bottom, and then peel the tough outer skin of the asparagus. Cut on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces. (take out about 20 pieces of the nicest looking tips and put aside) Drain pasta, and allow to cool. In large mixing bowl, mix together the Ricotta, Milk, Eggs, Garlic, 2 TBS of the Parsley, Salt, Pepper and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a 10x15 deep dish Lasagna pan, drizzle some EVOO all over the bottom, and start the layering with a layer of Lasagna noodle, then spread layer of Ricotta mixture, sprinkle some Asparagus, then Pancetta, then Sun dried tomatoes, top with some Mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese. REPEAT until you get to the top layer (you’ll probably end up with 4 full layers). Sprinkle with last TBS of the Parsley and drizzle the whole top with the rest of the Sun dried tomato oil or EVOO. Bake until the top is browned around the edges and all the cheese is melted.

Raspberry Pecan Streussel Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Streusel:
1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/3 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 Cup crumbled Pecans (walnuts or almonds also)

Cake:
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 C. dairy sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 pint Raspberries (or Blueberries)

Glaze:
1/2 C. confectioners' sugar
1 Tbs. milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour cake pan (I used a Bundt Cake pan) *For streusel, in small bowl, combine butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon until crumbly; add almonds; set aside.
For cake, in large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda. With electric mixer at low, beat until butter is distributed and mixture is almost smooth. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, then beat at medium speed until combined.
Pour 2/3 batter into prepared pan. Top batter with raspberries then pour remaining batter over berries. Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes until cake is browned on top, but still wobbly in center. Remove from oven and top with streusel. Put back in oven for another 15-20 mins until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean; let cake cool….
Combine glaze ingredients, drizzle on cake. (be sure to wait until cake is COOL)