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Mini Funeral Potatoes

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  20 ounces shredded hash brown, defrosted if frozen 8 ounces cream of chicken soup 8 ounces sour cream 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated ¼ cup butter, divided ¼ cup green onions, chopped 1 cup cornflakes, crushed 2 tablespoon chives, chopped Melt the butter in the microwave, reserving 2 tablespoons for later. In a saucepan on medium high heat, add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, grated cheese, butter and green onions. Cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is well combined. In a small bowl, add crushed cornflakes and reserved melted butter.  Mix to coat with butter. Take a muffin tin and generously spray with cooking spray.  Take 2 tablespoons of the shredded potatoes and place on the bottom of each muffin cup, slightly pressing them down.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the potatoes in each cup.  Cover each cup with some of the butter coated cornflakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes to cool and set up before taking the pot...

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

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  3 strips of bacon 1 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 12 mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 4 ounces cream cheese, softened ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus some for garnish ¼ tsp each salt and pepper Cooking spray Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Cook bacon in a saute pan on the stove on medium high heat.  Cook until evenly browned and crispy.  Place cooked bacon on a paper towel on a plate to drain.  When cool enough to handle, crumble bacon. Set aside. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add jalapenos and garlic.  Saute for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Transfer the jalapenos and garlic to a mixing bowl.  Add softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, salt and pepper.  Mix well to combine. Spoon a generous amount of mixture into the mushroom caps.  Spray a foil lined baking dish with nonstick spray. Place mushrooms on th...

Tiramisu Dip

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  Tiramisu Dip 16 ounces of mascarpone cheese, softened 2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, plus some for garnish 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder 1 pint of heavy whipping cream 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Lady finger cookies for dipping In a bowl, beat the softened mascarpone cheese, 2 tbsp of confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and instant espresso until smooth. With a hand mixer, whip the cream with the remaining confectioners sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Fold almost all of the whipping cream into the cheese mixture.  Leave a little of the whipping cream for topping. Divide the tiramisu dip into small glasses and top with a dollop of the whipping cream. Sprinkle with some cocoa for garnish.   Serve with lady fingers or your favorite cookie for dipping 
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  Creamy Scallops and Roasted Bell Peppers with Spaghetti 1 lb spaghetti pasta 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 lb of scallops ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper 2 tablespoons butter 3 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ cup roasted bell peppers, drained and finely chopped 2 teaspoons lemon zest ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 ¼ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped Parmesan cheese for serving Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente.  Drain.   Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on high heat with extra virgin olive oil. Season scallops with salt and pepper.  Add scallops to the skillet in a single layer.  Let the scallops sear for 1-2 minutes. Turn and sear for another 1-2 minutes. Add butter, garlic, roasted red bell peppers and lemon zest to the pan.  Saute for 1 minute.  Pour in cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of parsley.   Add cooked drained pasta to the pan and simmer in the sauc...

Longevity Noodles

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  ½ lb Chinese egg noodles (Lo mein) 1 ½ teaspoons salt ¼ cup chicken or veggie stock 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 piece of fresh ginger (¼ inch thick) lightly smashed ¼ pound mixed sliced mushrooms;  button, shiitake, porcini or portobello  ¼  cup thinly sliced carrots or grated carrots 3-4 pieces of Chinese broccoli Extra soy sauce for serving Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add noodles.  Cook according to package directions. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water for a minute to stop the cooking process. Set aside. Stir together stock, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl.  Set aside. Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat until it shimmers.  Add ginger, stirring constantly until the edges brown.  This will take 10-15 seconds.  Add mushrooms, carrots and Chinese broccoli.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. ...

Ricotta and Lemon Waffles with Blueberry Compote

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  2 cups flour ⅓ cup sugar 3 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese 1 ½ cups whole milk 3 eggs 3 tbsp melted butter 3 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp lemon zest 1 tsp pure vanilla extract  Heat your waffle maker.  If it has heat settings, set it to medium.   In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix to combine and set the bowl aside. Melt the butter in the microwave or saucepan on the stove. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, milk, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and slightly cooled butter.  Whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture.  Whisk together until just combined.  Spray waffle maker with non-stick spray and pour about half a cup of batter into the maker. Cook between 3-4 minutes (depends on your waffle maker) or until lightly browned.  Make sure to spray the waffle maker before pouring in the next batch.  Repeat until all of the batter i...

Broccoli Tots

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  Broccoli Tots 12 ounces broccoli florets, chopped ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese 1 egg, lightly beaten ¼ tsp garlic powder  ¼ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper Herb Dipping Sauce 1 cup Greek yogurt ½  cup of finely chopped herbs (dill, green onion, parsley or chives) 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Add all the ingredients to a small bowl or food processor.  Mix or pulse until all the ingredients are well combined.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Add broccoli florets to a small pot of boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes.  Drain. Allow the broccoli to cool down for 5-7 minutes.  Add to a food ;processor and pulse until finely chopped.  You can use a knife if you don’t have a food processor. Add chopped broccoli to a mixing bowl and add breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, egg, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper....