Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

• Fresh Tomatos (large yellow, red etc)
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (sliced not grated)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup (rated #1 in survey, click to go the site)
• Red Wine Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Basil leaves

Directions:

Slice up the tomatoes and place onto a plate.  Lightly sprinkle with Olive Oil.  Place sliced Mozzarella on top of tomatoes and add torn up Basil to each one.  Take a nice amount of the Balsamic Vinaigrette with a splash or two of the Red Wine Balsamic Vinegar into a small non stick frying pan.  Cook on low/medium heat stirring frequently until reduced to a nice thick reduced sauce.  With a spoon drizzle the sauce on top of the tomatoes/mozzarella and basil and serve immediately.

Grilled stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms on the Grill

Ingredients:

• Portobello Mushrooms
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Shredded Jack Cheese
• Pancetta

Directions:

Remove stems and rinse Portobello mushrooms.  Cook the Pancetta and drain the grease.  Layer the Mozzarella to a desired thickness.  Top with Pancetta and then lightly add Jack Cheese.  Place on grill on LOW and cook until cheese is melted.

Other options:

Add fresh baby spinach under your first layer of cheese. 

Home Made Sloppy Joes

Home Made Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground veal
• 2 packages onion soup mix
• Garlic salt (to desired taste)
• Italian dressing (small splash)
• 2-3 small cans tomato Sauce
• Ketchup and Mustard (to desired taste)
 

Directions:

Cook them all the meats together with the packages of onion soup mix.  Drain the grease.  Add a little garlic salt and can add a touch of Italian dressing then mix well. Add 2-3 cans of tomato sauce and mix well.  Add ketchup and mustard until you reach the desired taste.

Freezes well.

Macaroni and cauliflower cheese bake

This is a recipe from Jamie's Food Revolution and it's amazing!!!!!

You can either serve this macaroni unbaked, so it's loose, gooey, and silky, or bake it  under the broiler for a a few minutes before serving to give if a crispy, golden topping.  You can even try adding a  grated hard boiled eggs or cooked prawns, but I like the simple style, as here.  Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese
• A small bunch of fresh Italian parsley
• Sea salt
• 1 pound dried macaroni (elbows)
• 1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

To prepare your pasta:

Remove outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard.  Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk.  Cut the head into small florets.  Halve the stalk length ways, then slice thinly.  Grate the cheddar and Parmesan into a large heat proof bowl.  Finely shop the parsley stalks and leaves.

To cook your pasta:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Add the macaroni and all of your cauliflower and cook according o the macaroni package instructions.  Please the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the creme fraiche or sour cream.  Carefully stir so often until the cheese is smooth and melted.  If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly.  Add all of the shopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven mitts and put aside.  Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water.  Return the pasts to the pan, pour in the melted cheese and stir.  it should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it's took thick add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.  At this point you can either serve the macaroni  as is, or finish it under the broiler to make it crispy and golden on top.  To do this, preheat your broiler to a medium to high heat.  Add 2/3 cup of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish .  Place under the broiler until golden and bubbling.

To serve your pasta:

Divide the pasta between places or bowls, or place the baking dish in the middle of the table next to a nice green salad and let everyone help themselves.

Shrimp Salad

This is a simple but wonderful shrimp salad.  I don't use measurements I just add as I go and taste until its good.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ramen Oriental Flavor
• Green Onions
• Green Cabbage
• Baby Salad Shrimp
• Mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Break up ramen and cook as directed but do not add seasoning packet.
2. Drain ramen and place in bowl.
3. Slice up 1/2 of the cabbage and add to bowl.
4. Dice up several green onions and add to  bowl.
5. Add baby shrimp (as many as you want) and add to bowl.
6. Add mayonnaise and mix well.. make it hold together but not soupy.
7. Sprinkle oriental seasoning packages and mix well.
8. Refrigerate for an hour prior to serving.

Healthified Smothered Pork

This is a great meal that my family has loved since I found it.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 6 Boneless chopped pork loin chops or chopped pork from meat department 1 lb
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup chipped onion (1 medium)
• 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 1/ cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried save or thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon green chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 fat free or low fat sour cream

Directions:

1. Trim any visible fast from pork.  Heath nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork chops; cook about 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove pork from skillet; set aside.
2. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and mushrooms; cook 3 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Stir in soup, water, soy sauce sage and pepper until well mixed.  Heat to boiling.  Return pork to skillet; spoon some of the sauce over the pork.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring and turning pork occasionally, until pork is no longer pink in center.
4. Stir in sour cream until well blended and smooth.  Coo, stirring constantly, just  until hot.  Serve pork with mushroom mixture over rice or no yolk noodles.

Home Made Spaghetti Sauce

This is my home made spaghetti sauce.  I just made it so it's upside down to seal and cool for storage and later use.

Ingredients:

• 8 or more tomatoes, washed, stems removed.
• 20-30 leaves of fresh basil
• 8-10 green olives (unstuffed) finely diced
• 5-6  Shallots finely diced
• 7-8 garlic cloves peeled and chopped of garlic or a heaping spoon of chopped Garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Green Chili Seasoning (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean the tomatoes and place in hot water and cook until the skins are starting to crack and fall away.
2. Remove from heat and add cool water and let them cool.
3. Remove skins and any center core you don't want etc.
4. Add the the tomatoes, basil, green olives, shallots, garlic to a food processor and pulse till blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. I sterilize jars, lids and caps and fill them with the sauce and place the caps,lids and seals on not too tightly and place in a pot of boiling water.  Once the mixture boils I remove and tightly seal with hot pad holders and place upside down to lock and seal for storage.  Can be used right way if you want.  Just cook up the meat you want and you are good to go.  

Note.  Depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, you may choose to thicken it.  We use Wondra if we need to.