Monday, October 24, 2011

Souper Cauliflower


Souper Cauliflower


Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cauliflower
  • 1 ( 1o ounce) can cream of celery soup
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Place cauliflower in 2- quart greased baking dish. In saucepan, combine soup, milk and cheese; heat and mix well. Pour over cauliflower. Bake and 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes and serve.



Lisa

Image adapted by google and doesn't represent the actual recipe but it is considered similar to.

Apple Pork Chops


Apple Pork Chops


Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 butterflied pork chops
  • 2 apples. peeled, cored, halved
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • Salt and Pepper ( to season)

  • Place pork chops in non stick sprayed shallow baking dish. Season with Salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  • Place apple halves on top of pork chops. Add a little butter and a little brown sugar on each apple. Bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven
  • Let stand for a few minutes and serve.
  • Serve with side vegetables of your choice.






Image adapted from google.

Lisa

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Polenta with Fresh Basil and Garlic



Polenta with Fresh Basil and Garlic



Serves 6

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups finely ground oatmeal
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, leaves chopped
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Bring 8 1/2 cups of water to boil in a large heavy boiler. Add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Slowly add cornmeal ( polenta) and stir contiguously. After all cornmeal has been added, cook and stir over low heat until polenta pulls away from sides of boiler. This should only take a few minutes as the water is absorbed quickly. Polenta should be thick, smooth, and creamy. Stir in basil, butter and cheese.

Quick tip: Top polenta with marinara sauce or even better with meat sauce and serve!! Polenta can be served as a side dish to poultry or served as a main course.


What is Polenta?

Polenta is a dish made from cornmeal and is popular in many European cuisines, especially northern Italian foods. Making polenta is easy and it tastes great. Cooked polenta can be shaped into balls, sticks, or patties and fried in oil.


Image doesn't represent the actual recipe but represents the quick note about cooked polenta
shaped into sticks and fried.
Lisa

Monday, October 17, 2011

Tuscan Bean Soup


Tuscan Bean Soup


Serves 8
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch green onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 chopped carrot ( optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, stems removed, finely chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 32 ounce cans great Northern beans with juice or cannellini beans
  • 1/2 cup ham or 1 ham bone
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
In a large -quart boiler over medium heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook for 8 minutes. Add rosemary, broth, beans and ham ( or ham bone) and or optional chopped carrots. Bring to a boil, stir, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve and drizzle remaining olive oil over individual servings for extra flavor.



Image adapted from google and doesn't necessarily represent the above recipe but is similar.

Lisa

Friday, October 14, 2011

Caramelized Pears with Brown Sugar and Almonds


Caramelized Pears with Brown Sugar and Almonds



Serves 4
Ingredients:
  • 3 pears, ripe but still firm
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons almonds, whole or chopped
  • 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

  • 1. Preheat broiler. Fan the pear slices in shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar over the pears. Broil until the sugar is caramelized but not burned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds on top and broil for 1 more minute, until golden brown.

  • 2. To serve, divide the pears among 4 serving plates. Top each with equal parts of the yogurt and garnish with the remaining sugar.

Optional serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

* caramelizing sugar means to lightly brown the sugar. Pay attention when broiling, as the sugar can burn quickly.


Lisa

Image adapted from google and doesn't reflect the recipe but it is similar.

Bruschetta of Eggs, Tomatoes, and Peppers


Bruschetta of Eggs, Tomatoes, and Peppers


Traditionally, bruschetta is an Italian appetizer of toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and topped with extra- virgin olive oil. The traditional Italian bruschetta is topped with chopped tomatoes, extra- virgin olive oil and fresh basil. The recipe below is a version of a combination of Italian- American - style bruschetta.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

  • 1/2 loaf Italian or French Bread
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1. Slice the bread into 43/4 - inch lengthwise slices. Brush 1 side of each with a bit of oil; toast on grill or grill pan. When that side is toasted, brush oil on the other side, flip, and toast that side.

2. Place the toasted bread in a baking sheet, and spread with pesto. Mix eggs with bell pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a saute' pan to medium temperature; add the egg mixture and cook omelet style. Cut the omelet and place on the bread; top with cheese and tomatoes.



Image adapted from google and doesn't reflect the above recipe but to be a similar.