Tomato Sandwiches with Basil Mayonnaise

Carl wanted a tomato sandwich today.  I had no tomatoes, but we were about to leave for the Farmer's Market.  Sounded like a win to me.  I bought some heirloom tomatoes since mine are not cooperating.  Then he took it up a notch and asked if I could make some sort of basil mayonnaise.  Sure!  Why not?  Ina had a perfectly acceptable sounding one, and I had all the ingredients, including basil from the garden, so I got to work. 

Uh, yum!!!!  We'll be using a lot of this, and if I can figure out how to freeze it, I will.  Otherwise, I'll just freeze my basil and use it all year long!  Too bad heirloom tomatoes aren't in season all year long.  That would rock.  I just used some English Toasting Bread I had bought at the market last week.  Carl had two sandwiches...that should tell you something.

Ingredients

• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 10 to 15 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 slices country loaf bread
• 1 heirloom or Israeli tomato, sliced

Directions

Whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the top of 2 slices of bread. Place the sliced tomato on top of one

bread slice. Place the remaining slice of bread, mayonnaise side down, on top of the tomato. Cut the sandwich in half and serve.

Pesto Veggie Manicotti topped with Fire Roasted Marinara

I've mentioned it on here before that I am not a huge fan of meat in my pasta. I am, however, a huge fan of pesto and veggies in my pasta. I saw this dish on foodgawker and it was screaming my name, especially since I had just made some pesto last week. It uses a fresh fire roasted marinara sauce, which is another one of those "why didn't I do this sooner" types of pantry items.



Need:

• 15oz ricotta cheese
• 1 box of manicotti noodles (1/2 box of large shells works too!)
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/4 cup of grated carrots
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded parmesan/romano cheese
• 2-4 tbsp of pesto (adjust intensity to suit your tastes!)
• mozzarella cheese for topping (go lean or go cheesy!)
• to taste: black pepper, salt, parsley, oregano, thyme & garlic powder.
• 16 oz fire roasted marinara, or your favorite red sauce (recipe to follow)
  
  

Do:

Preheat your oven to 350. Gently boil shells for approx 11min or until tender/al dente. Drain & arrange cooked noodles in a glass baking dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Fun fact: if you roll the noodles in the red sauce it will help prevent them from sticking/wilting! Dice and sauté, onions and garlic together with shredded carrots and 1/2 tsp of olive oil. In a large bowl, fold ricotta, parm/romano cheeses, pesto, and torn spinach together with all your herbs and spices. Next, add your veggies to the mix. You are free to use your fingers, but putting the stuffing in a bag with a hole cut in the corner and squeezing is muuuch easier =) Stuff the noodles gently and pour a generous pile of sauce on top. Top with sliced or grated mozzarella/parm cheese and bake for approx 20-30 minutes at 350F

Fire Roasted Pasta Sauce:

• 
  
  
• Need:
• 28 oz can diced/crushed tomatoes
  14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  approx 4 oz of tomato paste (controls the thickness)
  1/2 tsp garlic powder
  1/4 tsp salt
  1 tsp dried oregano
  1 tsp dried basil
  1-2 tsp dried parsley
  3 bay leaves
  1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Do:



In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes and blend for just a few seconds, until tomatoes look more crushed than diced. Pour tomatoes into your crockpot, season, and walk away! Set crockpot to low if you'll be leaving the house and high if you'll be around the house. No crock pot? Simply add to a sauce pot and cook at low to medium-low on the stove-top.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

I needed something to pair with the previously posted mushrooms. My original plan was to do some simple lemon, garlic shrimp on the grill, but at the last minute, I changed my tune and wanted to do a scampi of some sort. A quick search brought me to this recipe, Baked Shrimp Scampi. It's an Ina recipe, so, folks, grab your butter! There are a lot of ingredients, but it came together quickly, and would certainly impress your guests! I would love to see this paired with a simple oil and basil spaghetti like I made a few weeks ago. The flavor was so rich that it just needs a simple pairing.

Baked Shrimp Scampi
adapted from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
serves 6 (I cut the recipe in half)

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons dry white wine
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko
• lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425.

Butterfly the shrimp by cutting along the outer curve of each shrimp, and opening like a book. Do not cut all the way through, just deep enough to help them stand up.

Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, white wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside while you prepare the butter mixture.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter with the remaining ingredients, through the panko. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and mix to thoroughly combine.

Starting from the outside of a gratin dish or pie plate, arrange the shrimp in a single layer, cut side down, curling the tails toward the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Drop the butter mixture over the top by the spoonful, and bake 10-12 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top, and serve with lemon wedges.

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Portobellas

I've been doing a lot of gawking. Foodgawking that is. I saw some bright green goodness in these Spinach & Cheese Portobella Mushrooms and wanted to give them a try. It calls to grill them, but I wanted to do all my cooking indoors, so I cooked them stove top in a skillet on low heat, turned out great! Need:

• 2 large Portobella Mushroom Caps
• 3 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese (or ~2.5oz other soft, spreadable cheese)
• 10 oz package frozen Spinach, thawed and drained (I actually sauteed some fresh spinach in just a touch of olive oil)
  
• S&P
• Olive Oil

Do:

Warm grill on medium-high or warm some olive oil in a skillet on medium low.

Wipe down the mushroom caps to clean and scrape out the gills and stem.

Defrost the spinach, and mix together with the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide the spinach mixture in half and fill the mushroom caps.

Brush olive oil on the bottoms and sides of the mushrooms, and place stuffed side up on the grill. Cover and cook until the mushrooms are softened and the spinach is hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Or cook on the stove 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the grill and serve while hot.

Thanks to Ketchup & Chutney for the recipe and detailed instructions!

Annie's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1st, yes, I am alive. And yes, I actually have been eating the last 6 or so months, even though I haven't been telling you about it. To be honest, I haven't tried many new things and when I have, they just haven't been that exciting. But, I think last night might have got me back in the swing of things food-wise!

2nd, I want to live at Annie's house. I would be her maid and she could pay me in food. I love that she makes things that are reasonable and not too far fetched where I can't find the ingredients in my local store.

I had starred this recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup awhile back and this week was finally up to the challenge of making some new meals. I can't really say it's healthy, but you do get a truckload of veggies in your system and it's a super frugal dinner option! Oh and it came together quickly, for a soup especially! I'm enjoying a bowl of it for lunch today and am looking forward to having it for lunch again tomorrow!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more. Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted. Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot. Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.

Source: Annie’s Eats original

My notes: I used my mandoline with the cheese grater slot to shred the carrots and I just rough chopped the broccoli. I like a chunkier soup though. I also noticed that it needed a decent amount of salt and pepper on the first day- so I added a little to the pot, but day 2 was perfect. No need for any additional seasoning. It easily made enough for 4-6 servings.

Pioneer Woman's French Onion Soup

I wanted to make something new this week, and Lindsay, my official guinea pig, told me I just haaaaaaad to try PW's French Onion Soup. Now, I'm a huge fan of FOS, and PW hasn't done me wrong yet, so it only seemed appropriate to give it a go. I'll warn you the same as Lindsay did- this is not a quick recipe. It takes about 2 hours, only about 30 minutes of hands-on time, but just be warned.

Now that I have appropriately warned you about the time, let me warn you on one other thing. You are probably going to eat way more of this than you need. It is some delicious warmness, and you won't want to put your spoon down. See those three ramekins up there in that picture? I did not make this for Carl, Gibson and me. It was just me.

Alright...now that you are really warned, go buy these ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4 large or 6 small/medium yellow onions, halved root to tip and sliced thin
1 generous cup dry white wine
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups beef broth
2 cloves minced garlic
Worcestershire Sauce
Several thick slices french bread or baguette
5 to 7 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (Swiss, Asiago, Mozzarella, or Romano works, too)

Now do this:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
Place soup pot into the oven with the lid slightly ajar to ensure the onions will brown.
Allow onions to cook in the oven for 1 hour, stirring at least once during the cooking process so onions won’t stick and burn.
Remove pot from pan and place over medium heat. Stir pan, scraping all the brown, flavorful bits.
Turn off heat and pour in wine. Turn heat back to medium.
Cook wine for five minutes, allowing it to reduce.
Add broths and minced garlic and reduce heat to low.
Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat, allowing bread to brown and become crispy.

When soup is ready, ladle into bowl or ramekin. Place crispy bread on top, then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Note: I cut the recipe in half. It would fill about 6 small ramekins. I made half up tonight and will probably have the leftovers tomorrow. I only did the bread and cheese portion for the 3 ramekins I made tonight. ENJOY!

Broccoli Slaw

When I host a party, I usually like to make at least one new recipe and one reliable recipe. This way, I at least know that I have one good salad, side, whatever, but then I get to try something new out on a whole bunch of guinea pigs! This past Saturday, we had Carl's cousins over for a cookout, so I decided to try this broccoli slaw from Smitten Kitchen.

And the results? Guinea Pigs say- Success! I'll definitely keep this one in the rotation! I tripled the recipe, and had enough for our party on Saturday and then some to take to my parents' house on Sunday...and we still have a little leftover.



*My go to recipe was Spaghetti Salad. ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!


Here is the recipe copied from SK:
Broccoli Slaw
Adapted a little bit from family, a little bit from Apartment Therapy

Makes about six cups of slaw

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing (Adapted from this salad.)
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce

I wanted something light and easy for tonight since I was dining alone. This recipe in the new Everyday Food magazine caught my eye the other day, and seeing as I could use up some goodies from the garden, it was an easy pick tonight. It was just what I needed. Nice flavor, light and quick! (Granted...that doesn't include the time for roasting tomatoes, but since I didn't have to tend to them while they roasted, I didn't count it towards the actual time)

So...step 1: Cut 10 plum tomatoes in half and lay cut side up on an edged cooking pan. Sprinkle with sugar and roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees. (I used my toaster oven)

Ingredients:
coarse salt and ground pepper
10 roasted tomato halves, roughly chopped
1/2 c evoo
3 tbsp capers (optional)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 lb spaghetti
handful fresh basil leaves, to taste

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine tomatoes, oil, capers (if using), and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with tomato mixture. Serve pasta topped with basil.

Baked Egg Rolls

For a girl that loves fried food, these baked egg rolls, that I found here, were pretty darn good! Next time I will definitely add more things to the filling such as veggies and maybe mini shrimp to give them more flavor. Otherwise they were great and crisped up well!

You’ll need:

* egg roll wrappers
* a bag of cole slaw mix
* a can of mushrooms
* 1 tsp garlic, minced
* 1/4 tsp ground ginger
* a splash of soy sauce
* salt and pepper
* cooking spray or olive oil in a mister (I use olive oil in a mister)

Optional:

* mung bean sprouts
* can of tiny cooked shrimp
* anything else you think would be good inside of the egg rolls
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your cole slaw in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave 3-6 minutes.
2. Chop your mushrooms and put them in a mixing bowl. This is also when you’d put in the bean sprouts, shrimp, or other fillings.
3. Add the soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
4. By now your cole slaw mix should be cooked. Drain it to get out any excess liquid as no one likes a soggy egg roll. Combine it with the rest of the filling.
5. Place a bit of filling in the center of each wrapper. (See that little bowl? That has water in it, which you’ll need for sealing the edges.)
6.Fold in two of the corners.
7. Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge. It helps if you tuck while you roll.
8. Repeat for the rest of the wrappers, and place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil (mmm… olive oil). Spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil, too.
9. Bake 15 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (this will let the wrappers get a little more crisp too).

Family Spaghetti Salad

This has been a staple salad at parties in my family for eons. Just the smell of it brings back memories of sandy bare feet running through my parents' house during a bustling party. Love it. Oh, and it's super easy. Really, you can't screw it up.

I doubled this recipe and had plenty for our party of 17 on Sunday. Modify accordingly.

1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 cucumber (I use English seedless), diced in 1 inch pieces
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced small
2 scallions, diced thinly
2 medium green peppers, diced small
1 bottle Wishbone Italian Dressing (not the huge bottle...the normal sized one- I believe it was 16 oz)
1/2 bottle McCormick Salad Seasoning Supreme

Mix together the noodles and veggies thoroughly, then start adding the dressing and seasoning. I recommend tasting it after you've added about half of each. The flavor can get strong, which is the way I like it, but you may like it a little less powerful. You can't screw this one up, trust me! Carl's words (in between bites mind you) "This...is....so...good. Way...better...than...what...you'd....get...at...the...store."

Classic Potato Salad

Oh potato salad, how you mock me with your unphotographic ways....

Flipping through the newest Food Network magazine I stumbled upon a classic potato salad recipe by Aaron McCargo. I needed a recipe for my Mother's Day menu, and this one looked fresh, and delicious. Oh and it was! I will definitely make this again- most likely the next time will be our Memorial Day party in just a few weeks.

Ingredients

* 3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I actually used regular potatoes)
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1/2 cup diced celery (omitted)
* 2 tablespoons sweet relish
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs; cook for 12 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel the eggs under cold running water, then roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes, eggs and scallions. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Gruyere Potato Soup

Yaaaaaaaay! The Gruyere is gone! Please understand, I really love Gruyere, but to avoid freezing it (because I am horrible at using frozen cheese) I just wanted to use the whole bar of cheese. So one last time, I searched for recipes using Gruyere and found a potato soup, but then I kept searching to find one that sounded the best and came across this one. I wanted to make it for our last Friday of Lent, so I skipped the bacon, but it was still really really good! It had a nice light flavor.

Since I left out the pig, I started with a little olive oil to cook the onion. The only other thing I would do different is add some fresh garlic with the onion to give a little more flavor.

I also cut it in half, and that was the perfect amount for the two of us to have it as our main meal. I served it with my Perfect Side Salad.

Ingredients:

* 4 slices bacon, chopped
* 3 medium onions, chopped fine
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 3 1/4 cups water
* 3 pounds boiling potatoes (preferably yellow-fleshed)
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 1 tablespoon Madeira or Sherry if desired
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Preparation:

In a heavy kettle (at least 5 quarts) cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and spoon off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onions and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add broth and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add potatoes to soup and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth and add to simmering soup, whisking. Simmer soup, covered, 5 minutes.

In a blender purée Gruyère with 3 cups hot soup broth. Stir purée into soup with Madeira, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste and remove soup from heat. Soup may be prepared up to this point 3 days ahead (cool uncovered before chilling covered). Reheat over low heat but do not let boil.

Just before serving, stir in parsley.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Ah yes, you can totally tell it is Lent. One of my favorite recipes to break out on our non-meat days is tuna macaroni salad. It's easy, it's tasty and refreshing!

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow noodles cooked and cooled (or whatever noodle you like)
2 cans tuna, drained
1 bag of peas (the 15oz size)
1/2 red onion chopped
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup Miracle Whip (or regular mayo if you insist)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together. (difficult right?) For best results, refrigerate for at least an hour, but this is always a little tastier the next day!

Thank You...Thank You ::::gracious bow:::::

Jenna at Jenna's Random Thoughts was kind enough to award me with the Refreshing as Lemonade award and the Your Blog is Fabulous award. Thanks so much Jenna! You just made my night! I really have enjoyed adding to my cooking skills and creating this blog. It's good to know others have been enjoying it too :)



I'm passing these awards onto:

Jen @ Domestic Diva
Monica @ My Big Fat Food Blog

Here are the rules…

- Add the logo in your blog.
- Add a link to the person who gave you the award.
- Nominate other (refreshing…like lemonade and fabulous) blogs of your choice.
- Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours.
- Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

Vegetable Lasagna

There is this restaurant down the street that has heavenly vegetable lasagna. I mean heavenly. I've never made lasagna, but it has been sounding sooooo good, AND Carl has been requesting it for weeks. So I scoured the interwebs until I found one that sounded good. I modified it a bit to fit my taste, and I'm glad I did. The presentation was...well....lacking. I did say this was my FIRST time making lasagna. It looked good in the pan, but just messy on the plate. Didn't matter, it tasted delicious! I'm not a fan of meat in pasta (i.e. beef lasagna, meat filled ravioli, etc.) but you could easily add that if you really wanted to...I suppose.

I cut everything roughly in half, and also added some frozen cauliflower and broccoli to the sauteed vegetables about half way through their cooking process. I also added thawed, drained frozen spinach to the ricotta/mozzarella mixture. By roughly cutting it in half, it made enough easily for 4 people...maybe 6.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
* 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 (26 ounce) jars pasta sauce
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
* 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain.
2. In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, green peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and eggs.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Hot Pizza Dip

I've been making this recipe for years and it's always a hit. It's a Pampered Chef recipe from way back when. The only problem with it? Your guests will want you to make a 2nd batch after they eat the first one in minutes! Do yourself a favor...make two in the first place ;) Oh and if you are thinking- oh she took a scoop out to enhance the picture...no. I just dug into it too fast before I remembered. Oops...so not only your guests will eat it up- you will too!

HOT PIZZA DIP

1 (8 oz). cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) pizza sauce
¼ cup diced green bell pepper, sliced green onions or sliced green onions (I prefer the green onions)

I bake in my small oval PC baker, but you can use a glass pie dish too.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine cream cheese and seasoning mix; spread onto bottom of dish.
3. In small bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese mixture over cream cheese mixture. Top with pizza sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese mixture.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Top with bell pepper or onion. (Yes Lindsay- you can leave it off!)

TOASTED BAGUETTE SLICES

24 slices French bread, cut ¼ inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread slices on rectangle stone; lightly brush tops with olive oil. Back 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

So the second side to our fabulous steak dinner...these sauteed mushrooms. They are the perfect compliment to a good filet! I cut the recipe in half because I knew we wouldn't eat anything more than that, and we still had some leftover. These had so much flavor and were so tender, they'll definitely be made again!

Ingredients

* 2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello (I used only about 1 lb of portabello and shitake)
* 1/2 cup good olive oil
* 1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
* 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Oh and just in case you were wondering what the perfect filet looked like...ahem...this is it! To DIE!

The Perfect Side Salad

Well, you can hardly call this a recipe, but I had this salad a few years ago at a bridal shower. All the ingredients have very strong flavors, but they compliment each other perfectly! It never fails to satisfy...Lindsay- I know it's veggies, but the blue cheese totally negates any healthiness. Maybe you could give it a go :)

Hearts of Romaine
Green Pepper
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Dried Cranberries
Crumbled Walnuts
Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ok...that's all I'm telling you. Really...I don't know what else to tell you. It's a salad. Just put it together :) Doesn't the picture look good? Mmmmm.

Panko Shrimp & Fried Rice

I found this Panko shrimp recipe on Savory Safari, and while she was daring enough to make her own sweet and sour sauce, we just settled for some yummy red La Choy sauce. So then I needed a fried rice recipe to go with it and found this one from Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

This has quickly become a favorite in our household. It's honestly better than going out to a restaurant.

Fried Rice:
1 cup leftover meats - pork, chicken, beef, seafood (I left this out, but added more veggies than it called for)
1-2 eggs
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion finely diced
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons light or dark soy sauce
1-2 cups prepared rice, cold (or day old)

In a hot skillet or wok, heat oil.
Add garlic and onions & stir.
Add leftover meats of your choice, chopped up in bite sized pieces.
Stir fry meats until you get them a bit crispy.
Push the meats aside and crack eggs into the pan.
Scramble the eggs into the pan until cooked.
Add cold rice over the eggs & meat into the pan, making sure to crumble it in your fingers. (Dumping a large chunk of rice is not going to work here. You need to crumble it so it separates nicely).
Add salt, pepper, onion & garlic powders and soy sauce; toss.
Allow the rice to heat up and absorb the spices and soy sauce, tossing to help it along.
Add the fresh or frozen veggies and toss into the rice.
Continue cooking it all on high heat until rice is heated through and veggies are cooked.

Panko Shrimp:

Canola oil to cook
Salt and black pepper, to taste
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup all-purpose flour, in a shallow dish
2 eggs, beaten, in a shallow dish
1 cup panko, in a shallow dish

Directions
1. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Dredge shrimp in flour, then egg, then panko.
2. Heat oil until shimmering and a sprinkling of flour sizzles and immediately dissolves. Fry shrimp until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes total, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Florentine Shells

Carl has often complained that he thought he was getting himself an Italian girl, but this isn't what he expected. Well, I am Italian by genetics, but hardly in the kitchen. I promised him I would work on it. Part of the problem is I hate meat in my pasta- but stuffed shells are easily made without meat and still hearty enough to handle Carl's appetite. I served this with a light spinach salad and some Texas Toast. All it needed was a glass of wine, but Carl had already poured the milk :(

Ingredients
* 18 jumbo pasta shells (I use Barilla brand)
* 1 container (15 ounces) part skim Ricotta
* 1 package frozen spinach chopped, thawed, and drained and squeezed dry
* 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
* 3/4 cup half and half (divided)
* 1 garlic clove pressed
* 1/2 tsp. dried basil
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/8 tsp. salt
* 28 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350, cook pasta according to directions, drain.
2. Mix ricotta, spinach, 1 1/2 cups of Italian cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and 1/4 cup of half and half. Press in garlic and seasonings. Mix well.
3. In another bowl whisk the rest of spaghetti sauce with remaining half and half. Pour half of sauce mix on bottom of cooking pan. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture, I use my medium Pampered Chef scoop- its perfect!. Arrange filled shells in baking pan. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce.
4. Cover with foil, bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, top dish with remaining 1/2 cup of Italian cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 5 min. Let cool for 10 min. before serving. Enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings
Notes: I actually used fresh spinach and just chopped it in my mini processor. Not sure if it made any difference, but I had a big thing of spinach that I needed to use. I also doubled the garlic...naturally!