Parmesan Crumbed Asparagus

Absolutely delicious! The batter is incredibly light and fries up crispy. If you are lucky enough to have left over’s you can reheated in a 350 oven for 10 minutes. They will be just as crispy and delicious as it was when originally made. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup panko

Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Wash asparagus and pat dry with paper towel.

Combine the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese together in a wide bowl. Mix well with a fork. Set aside.

Lightly coat asparagus in flour, then dip in egg and finally, coat in breadcrumbs mixture. Ensure asparagus spear is coated evenly. Repeat process with remaining spears. Set aside

Heat enough oil in frying pan to come up 1/2” (1cm) up side of the pan. Heat over medium heat.

Cook asparagus until golden. Transfer to the plate lined with paper towels.

Serve immediately.

Johnny Garlic's Famous Garlic and Rosemary Mashed potatoes

Wonderful garlic and rosemary flavor in the mashed potatoes. I think you will enjoy these as much as we did!!! Yummy! Yummy!

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri, 2007

Ingredients:

5 pounds potatoes, Yukon gold, washed and cut in 2 to 3-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons freshly minced rosemary leaves

1/2 cup skim milk

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons white pepper

1/4 cup chives (optional)

Directions:

Add cut potatoes into a large pot and cover by about 1-inch with cold water. Place over medium heat and simmer (do not boil) potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork tender.

Strain potatoes from pot, and set aside. In same pot add oil, garlic and rosemary. Lightly saute over medium heat. When slightly brown add potatoes back to the pot, and mix with garlic and rosemary. Remove from heat, add milk, salt and pepper, and mash with potato masher. Garnish with chives.

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

I love Giada's recipes! This was a restaurant quality recipe! Not only is this delicious but it's also easy to make! I added some garlic because we love garlic in everything. The sauce is very light, fresh and quite tasty.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil    

2 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork loin center-cut chops (about 12 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juice
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until they are brown and an instant-read  meat thermometer inserted horizontally into the pork registers 160 degrees F, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Add the onion to the same skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, herbes de Provence, and 1/4 teaspoon  red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend and the juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and more red pepper flakes. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices from the plate to the skillet and turn the pork chops to coat with the sauce.

Place 1 pork chop on each plate. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Cheese Stuffed Potato

These not only look amazing, they are absolutely delish!!!!  I am seriously in love with these potaoes!!! I pan fried the left over potatoes  the next day and they were even better!!!!!!!! All I can say is I will be making these again!! and again!!

Recipe adapted from  A Cozy Kitchen

Start by scrubbing your potatoes good and clean.

Then, using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato, being sure to stop before you reach its bottom. If you’re scared of cutting too far, a good technique is resting the potato in a wooden spoon. The spoon will actually prevent you from going all the way through!

Cut up your butter. Using super cold butter makes it easier to slice and to shove in the potato. I recommend sticking it in the freezer for bit. Then do the same with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. No freezer tip for this one. It’s fine as is.

Next, open the potatoes’ crevices and shove the parmesan and butter, alternating between the two. Transfer them to a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. (I skipped the pepper.) Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the potatoes and they’ll be good to go.

After they’re stuffed with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano, you want to bake them at 400ºF for about 45 minutes to an hour. I found mine were done in a hour.
When they’re done baking, you’re still a few minutes away from cheesy gloriousness!

First you have drizzle the heavy cream atop the potatoes …
And then add the shredded cheddar and bake for an addition 10-15 minutes.
They’ll come out looking all cheesy and inviting.

Transfer them to your plate. Of course, you can serve them just like this or take it a step further and spoon a dollop of sour cream and fresh sliced onion on top. They’ll be amazing.

Note: I had a few left over and pan fried them the next day and they were crazy good!!!!

Chicken and White Bean Chili

Really good stuff, and as far as healthy chili recipes go, this doesn't really need any substitutions or improvement. Both Joe and I are die-hard chili fans; we were extremely reluctant to try a chicken chili. This exceeded our expectations!!  I think I now prefer chicken chili instead of ground beef chili.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/3 cups chopped onion

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded thin and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 15- to 16-ounce cans white beans, drained, juices reserved

1 15 to 16-ounce can red kidney beans, draine

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice

Fresh grated cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink outside, about 5 minutes. Mix in chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano. Add beans, 1 cup reserved bean juices, and canned tomatoes. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and chili is thickened, about 25 minutes. If chili is too thick, add more bean juices by tablespoonfuls to thin. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with fresh grated cheese.

Avocado Salad with Peaches

Wonderful summer salad recipe. Don't skip using a real vanilla bean, I grilled the peaches as well as the avocado, awesome!!!!. 

Ingredients:

1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 almost-ripe avocados
8 cups arugula or sorrel
2 peaches, diced and peeled

Directions:

Roast bell pepper. Peel and chop pepper; purée with red wine vinegar, vanilla, and sugar in a blender until smooth. With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Halve and pit avocados and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and place cut side down on a medium-hot grill until nicely charred, about 5 minutes. Peel and thickly slice.Toss with arugula or sorrel and peaches. Drizzle dressing over and serve. 

Chewy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Thick and chewy cookies studded with chopped peanut butter cups. What more could you want? These delightfully rich and moist cookies were a big hit in our home. Num!! Num!!!

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
I

ngredients:

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla

12 oz package mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped and rough chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silicon mat.

Place butter and sugars in a mixer bowl, mix on medium high until well-combined, 2-3 minutes.

Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla, add dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Add peanut butter cups until distributed.

Chill dough 15 minutes. Scoop 1/4-cup dough balls onto a lined baking sheet.

Bake 12-16 minutes, until the edges brown and the center is still soft.

Let cool on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Baked Ziti

This was delicious. I thought it was going to turn out dry or have something missing, but it was perfect!

After taking it out of the oven it looked so beautiful and mouth watering!!! My husband loved it, and wants me to make it a part of the regular rotation...

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped
1 pound Italian sausage
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce ( I used one Garlic and Herb and one Sausage)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced ( 9 rounds)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and sausage over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add spaghetti sauce and Italian seasonings, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2 sauce mixture, Provolone cheese, sour cream, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture and then mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Black Bean Nachos

This was such a tasty spin on nachos!They were a huge hit!!!
Make sure you have plenty of people around to devour them or prepare a half batch and keep the rest for leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz jar of medium salsa
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup corn kernels, defrosted
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
2 scallions, chopped
2-3 roasted red jalapenos, sliced
organic blue and yellow corn tortilla chips

Directions:

In bowl, combine first 7 ingredients. Spray large baking dish with nonstick spray and spread layer of tortilla chips on bottom. Pour half of black bean mixture over chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with another layer of chips, again with black bean mixture. Sprinkle with remainder of cheese, chopped scallions and jalapeno peppers. Bake in 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and golden.

Apple Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes sounded so unusual that I just had to try them, and I am sooo glad I did!!! They were absolutely heavenly!!!  The roasted garlic is sweet and the crisp, coolness of the Granny Smith Apples just gave the dish whole different dimensions than plain mashed potatoes.

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved

Kosher salt
8 to 10 garlic cloves
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter
2 Granny Smith apples,  cored and sliced in thin pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover by 1-inch with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat; add salt, to taste, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, create a boat shape out of aluminum foil and add the garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and drizzle with oil. Seal the foil and roast until the garlic is nicely caramelized, about 30 minutes. Heat the half-and-half in a small  saucepan  over low heat until hot.

Drain the potatoes and put them back into the pot. The heat from the pot will continue to dry out the potatoes. Add the half-and-half, butter and roasted garlic and mash. Fold in the apples and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary Chicken

This recipe was not only easy, it is so delicious!! The chicken breast with the prosciutto and rosemary has such a great blended flavor along with the minced garlic from the marinade!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,  plus more for drizzling

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 package or bundle fresh rosemary
4 pieces good quality boneless, skinless chicken breast,  trimmed of fat, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 thin slices prosciutto
2 lemons, cut into thin wedges
Drizzle  balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Heat a double burner grill pan,  griddle pan, or outdoor grill over medium-high heat.
Pour about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil into a shallow dish and add the garlic.

Strip the leaves off a sprig of  rosemary and finely chop, about 1 tablespoon. Add the chopped rosemary to the bowl with the garlic and oil. Break the remaining rosemary up into 8 small sprigs about the size of the chicken pieces.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the garlic mixture. Turn to coat. Lay a slice of prosciutto in the center of each piece of Chicken and roll up. Wrap the chicken pieces in prosciutto, securing the ham with a sprig of rosemary as you wrap. The sprigs should stick out a bit at the edges of the ham. Drizzle the chicken with more oil and grill for 12 minutes, turning occasionally.

Serve chicken along with some lemon wedges for squeezing over the top. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Philly Cheese Steak Kicked Up a Notch

I wanted to make a Philly cheese steak sandwich, but I wanted to kick it up a notch.

So I decided I would marinate the meat in my favorite marinate. Can I say it turned out simply amazing!!!!! Joe and Aaron loved it!! Joe said after that he usually does not like philly cheese steak, because it is chewy, grease and does not have much flavor. Well I have managed to change his mind on philly cheese steak, he said this was delicious; it was incredibly tender and he did not miss the greasy... Scrumptious!!

Ingredients:

2 lb. sirloin pounded out thin, trimmed, and sliced in thin strips

Olive oil

Sautéed mushrooms

Caramelized onions

Sautéed peppers

Soft hoagies rolls

Cheese of your choice (I use Sargento Shredded 6 Cheese Italian Cheese)

Directions:

Pound beef out thin. Place steak in freezer for about 30 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer, and slice very thinly. Mix together Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade (recipe below). Place meat in marinade for 1 to 8 hours.

Sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers. Set aside.

Heat  griddle or grill pan over high heat. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes or until desired for this sandwich...Place several slices of the meat on the bottom half of the roll, spoon some of the cheese, and top with the mushrooms, onions, and peppers.

Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade

Coffee has a remarkable affinity with beef. Here, it is complemented by balsamic vinegar, garlic and crushed peppercorns.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Whisk coffee, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a large zip lock enough for meat to lie flat. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Garden Summer Squash & Zucchini Melody

I have found my new favorite summer squash, zucchini recipe!!! Yum!!Yum!!!

This is an easy summer squash recipe, made with summer squash, zucchini, carrot, mushrooms and parmesan cheese, and a few other ingredients. It’s a great way to enjoy both summer squash and zucchini in one dish.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

2 medium summer squash

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

4 to 6 oz sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium - high heat.  Add vegetables and cook stirring, for about 8 minutes, or until tender but still a little crisp. Add butter and toss with the cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Topped Chicken Breast

Awesome dish!! This dish is packed with so much flavor and delivers a smooth profile of tastes from the artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and white wine. Another Joe and Aaron taste tested and approved dish!!

Recipe adapted from Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped marinated  sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons minced  garlic
1/2 cup white wine, divided
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped  Italian parsley leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out thin

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Rinse, trim and pound out chicken breasts to about 1/4-inch thick. Do not over-pound.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts. Brown the chicken on both sides. Set aside, keeping warm.

Add the remaining oil in pan, add the onions  and saute until translucent. Stir in the artichokes   and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, then add the salt, pepper and garlic. When the garlic begins to lightly brown, deglaze  with 1/4 cup of the white wine. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter, allow it to  melt, then toss in the Parmesan cheese,  parsley add remaining butter, and deglaze with remaining white  wine.

Remove from the heat and place in bowl. Place Chicken back in pan and top with the stuffing mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter.  Drizzle with remaining pan drippings, garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and serve.