Pheasant (or Chicken or Turkey) Pot Pie

I'm writing this recipe up with pheasant as the starring meat, because it was a huge hit at our annual game dinner last year, but really, you could use any sort of fowl -- chicken or turkey would be great.   It's also a great way to use leftovers.

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large onion, diced
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)
zest of 1 lemon (this is  the key to the whole recipe -- trust me, it makes it taste so special!)
1/4 cup white wine
16 ounces of chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 cups of shredded pheasant, chicken or turkey
2 pre-made pie doughs (you can make your own if you desire, but it's a lot of work for not a lot of return -- the pre-made pie doughs are really good quality these days.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and over medium heat, saute all your veggies except for the peas until they are soft and translucent.   Add the salt to them right away, as it will draw out the moisture and aid in cooking, and add the lemon zest as well so it will cook and mellow.  When they are soft, add another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle in the flour.   Stir this around and cook it for 3-4 minutes, until the flour is lightly toasted and you cook out the "rawness" of it.

Keeping the heat on medium, add in the wine, whisking as you pour so that it blends into the flour and veggie mix without any lumps.   Once the wine has almost completely evaporated, add in the chicken broth, either homemade (http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/broths.html) or a low sodium variety, and whisk it to dissolve any lumps.   Once the broth starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low, and add the rest of the herbs and the meat.   Stir it all together until the broth and flour become like a gravy and then turn off the heat.   Add the peas, and stir them in gently.

Now you can either take individual sized ramekins, or a larger one, big enough to hold all the meat.   Coat the bottom with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the meat and veggie mixture ( you can put a crust on the bottom if you want, but it's really not necessary).   Then cover with the pie crust, cutting to the appropriate size, and brushing it with some beaten egg so it browns nicely.

Place in a 350 degree oven and cook until the crust is nicely browned -- 12-15 minutes for small ones, about 30 minutes for a large one.   Let it sit for a few minutes before serving and then enjoy!

Broccoli frittata

This is one of Julie's favorite foods in the entire world -- she begs me to make this for her on the weekends and gobbles it down.  I love that I have young kids who love such good food!

First, turn on your broiler.   Then, in a frying pan that you can put under the broiler in your oven, saute 2 minced cloves of garlic with 1/2 cup chopped broccoli (fresh broccoli is a strong preference) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add a pinch of salt, a few grounds of fresh cracked black pepper, and 1/2 tsp dried oregano.

Once the broccoli is soft, pour three beaten eggs over the mixture and allow it to set in the bottom of the pan. 

While it is setting, sprinkle the top of the frittata first with grated parmigiana cheese to taste, and then about 3-4 ounces of shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese.  (Or some other mild, easily melting cheese that you like -- provolone would be great, for example).

Then place the frying pan under the broiler, checking every minute or so until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on the top.   This will also cook the top of the frittata.

Slide it out of the frying pan onto a serving dish and cut into 4-8 wedges.   If this is the only food you're serving, it will likely serve 2 people, though one hearty appetite could finish if off solo.   If it's part of a larger plate of food, with some salad, fruit or bread, it would probably feed 3 people.

Braised Kale and Sausage

8 cups of kale (remove the thick stems and rough chop)
4 links of Italian Sausage (chicken sausage can be a good substitute)
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of minced pancetta
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (red is nice, but white or yellow are fine)
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. of fresh cracked black pepper
a pinch of salt
1/3 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into half

Saute the pancetta, sausage and onions in the olive oil and when the pancetta is starting to crisp, add the garlic, fennel seeds, pepper and salt. After the garlic has sauteed for about a minute, add the kale and salt, and thoroughly toss it all together so the kale is coated with the oil. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let it braise for 5 minutes, toss it all thoroughly, and let it saute for another 5 minutes, covered tightly.

Then remove the cover and turn the heat to medium. Saute until all the broth evaporates and then serve.

Optional -- garnish with a bit of grated parmigiana cheese AND/OR, as the last of the broth evaporates, add a splash of red wine vinegar for a little extra tang.

NY Style Cheesecake

This is a recipe that my Mom and I have been using for as long as I can remember-- I believe it came from a neighbor at one time. It never fails to impress everyone -- including people who don't usually like cheesecake. It's dense, creamy, and just plain old delicious and is so easy to make, so don't fear -- if you're not a baker (and I'm not), you can still make this with ease.

Crust --

1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix these together, and press them into the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Make sure the crumbs go half way up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate this for at least 15 minutes so the crust will set.

Preheat your over to 370 degrees.

Cream together 16 ounces of cream cheese (not whipped) and 1 cup sugar.
When thoroughly mixed, add three eggs, one at a time.
Then add 1 pint of sour cream (reduced fat is fine) and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Mix thoroughly and pour into the crust.

Wrap the spring-form pan in aluminum foil, making sure it's fit tightly around the bottom an goes up close to the top of the pan.

Put it in a baking dish that has 1/2 inch of water (this will minimize the chances of having cracks in the top of the cheesecake, though if that happens, don't despair -- it does NOT impact the taste at all).

Bake for 30 minutes, and then turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake in the over for another hour. Remove after that hour, cool the cake further at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate.

There are many ways you can dress up and vary this cake -- options include:

Using rum or almond extract instead of vanilla
Adding 1/2 cut of small chocolate chips, heath bar crumbles, etc . . .
Pouring canned pie filling on top (cherry and blueberry work best) -- or serving on the side
Serving with fruit syrup that you make at home
Adding lemon, lime or orange zest to the mixture

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

Dried Cherry Sauce

I made this sauce to accompany some wild duck-- it would work with most game meat, would be delicious with cornish game hen, roast pork, and even a great steak. And it's so easy to make.

Combine the following in a sauce pan:

1 cup of dry red wine
1/2 cup of dried tart cherries
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, smashed but not cut up any further
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. honey

Turn heat up to high and boil this mixture rapidly, so the alcohol evaporates and the wine reduces by half. Then take off the heat, remove the garlic and rosemary, and puree either with a blender or immersion blender. Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any bits of cherry that did not fully puree.

This is a very strong sauce so you only need a little bit of it with each piece of meat. Either drizzle on top with a spoon, or put a bit on your plate, and place the meat on top of it.

Roasted Cornish Game Hen

This is a deceptively elegant meal to serve to company -- it looks a lot harder than it actually is.

Serve 1/2 hen per person, and the day before you plan to serve them, soak them in the following marinade, which is enough for 6-8 birds:

The zest and juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges
3 - 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
5 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed

Mix this together and it should be like a thin paste. Slather the hens on the inside and outside with the marinade, making sure to get some under the skin to it flavors the meat directly, pouring the remainder in the pan/dish in which you're marinating them. Cover with foil and refrigerate for for 20-24 hours.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator an hour before you plan to put them in the oven, and drain the excess marinade from them. Put them in a large roasting pan, with at least a little bit of room in between each hen so they can cook evenly.

Preheat your over to 400 degrees, and place the hens in the oven for 1 hour -- for the last 10-15 minutes, turn the heat up to 425 degrees so the skin crisps up a bit.

When they are done, place them on a large platter, cover with foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Strain all the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan into a sauce pan and after letting it sit for a minute, strain off most of the liquid fat that rises to the top. Add 1/3 cup of dry vermouth, sherry, white wine or marsala wine (whichever you like best), and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to evaporate all the alcohol. Serve this alongside the hens in case anyone would like theirs even a bit more juicy and succulent.

Wild rice pilaf is a very traditional side-dish with cornish game hens, but let your imagination run wild!

As a final tip, after dinner, save all the hen carcasses in ziploc bags, and freeze them until you are ready to make chicken broth -- they work perfectly for this!

Lori's Orzo Risotto

Another gem from Lori Demarest-Barrett

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 box orzo pasta
1/2 cup small diced onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (kept warm on the stove)
1/4 tsp. fresh pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)

In a large frying pan, set over medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil & 2 Tbsp. butter. Once the oil is hot & the butter is melted, add the orzo & toast lightly (about 3 minutes). Add 1/2 cup onions, stirring until soft (3-4 minutes). Add 1 1/2 tsp. garlic & cook for 30 seconds, while stirring. Add 1/2 cup wine, stir deglazing the pan. Once the wine has nearly evaporated, add 2 cups of the chicken stock. Add salt & pepper. Cook until the stock has been absorbed by the orzo, stirring often.

1 bag baby spinach
1 pt. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon for zesting
1 tsp. olive oil (if necessary)
8-10 basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
salt & pepper to taste
cooked orzo from above

Pile spinach leaves on the bottom of a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and lemon zest. Add the hot cooked orzo to the bowl. Drizzle olive oil (if necessary). Stir to combine veggies & orzo. The spinach will wilt and the tomatoes will warm. Add basil, toss. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Lori's Luscious Crumb Cake

Thanks to the beautiful Lori Demarest-Barrett for this recipe.

CAKE
1 box vanilla cake mix, prepared as directed

CRUMBS:
2 (4) sticks of melted butter
2 (4) cups flour
2 (4) tsp. cinnamon
1 (2) tsp. vanilla
2/3 (1 1/3) cup sugar
 Pinch of salt



Take cake out of oven 10 minutes early to add crumbs.


CRUMBS

Combine melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon in a bowl.

Create crumbs with your hands. Add equal amounts of flour & sugar to create consistency of play dough.
Place crumbs carefully on top of cake. Bake 10 more minutes in the oven. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven until it cools.

Heart-healthy Trifle

A few years ago, my slender, healthy-eating father had to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. In spite of all he's always done to keep healthy, genetics caught up with him. In the aftermath, we've all adjusted our eating to be more heart healthy -- less sodium and less fat.

This dessert is one I tried for Christmas and it was a huge success -- no one missed a single bit of fat from this concoction. I suggest preparing it at least 24 hours in advance so all the flavors can really meld, and it can be made as much as 48 hours in advance as well.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of low fat pound-cake (or if you want to be SUPER healthy, get a ring of angel-food cake)
2 large bags of frozen mixed berries
3 -4 bananas, cut into thin slices
1/3 cup of sugar or splenda
2 boxes of fat free vanilla pudding mix (can also get fat free/sugar free if you so desire) -- make them according to the directions with either skim or 1% milk
1 can of fat-free whipped cream

Put all the berries and the sugar or splenda into a sauce pot and turn the heat onto medium. Cook and stir frequently, until they start to soften and fall apart. Take the berry mixture off the heat before the berries lose all shape -- you want chunks of berry in the trifle.

Slice the cake into 1/3-ish inch thick slices.

Line the bottom of the trifle dish with cake, spoon 1/3 of the berry mixture over it, spreading it so that all the cake is covered, add a layer of banana slices, and then spoon 1/3 of the pudding over the berries. Repeat these layers twice. Cover the top layer of pudding with whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours, and then spoon out servings that go all the way from the bottom to the top and enjoy!

Kale Chips

Have you resolved to eat healthier? Well, you can cut out greasy, overly-salty chips and crackers and replace them with kale chips. These easy-to-make snacks practically melt in your mouth and appeal even to those who HATE kale.

Fill a large bowl with washed and well-dried kale leaves. Remove the thick stems from the kale. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a few dashes of salt, garlic salt, or any other seasoning blend you like. (I have a "Taste of India" seasoning salt from Tastefully Simple that is AMAZING on these chips.) Toss these really well until each leaf is coated with oil and seasoning and spread on a sheet pan.

Place the pan in a 300 degree oven and let them sit there for 10 minutes. Then shake them around to expose the moister leaves, and keep doing this every 5 to 10 minutes until they are all dried. It should take no more than 25 minutes total, probably even less. Let them cool for just a few minutes, and then put in a bowl.

DO NOT put these into a baggie or tupperware of any sort -- they will get soggy. They'll stay fresh and delicious for at least 2 days without being covered. Can be served as a snack or side-dish.

Tapenades

Tapenade is a fancy name for what is essentially olive puree, used as a dip. But you can be really creative with these and not limit yourselves to just olives. Below are my two favorites.

Olive tapenade

1 10 ounce jar of Manzanilla olives, with pimento centers, with liquid drained off *
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
olive oil

Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of oil and moisture in the olives.

Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!

* In my humble opinion, tapenade is one of the few places where more expensive, exotic, or flavorful olives areNOT preferable. I think the flavor then gets too overwhelming, and judging from the raves I get about this tapenade whenever I serve it, there's no need to spend the extra money on fancier olives.

Artichoke Heart Tapenade

1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, liquid drained off
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
olive oil

Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of moisture in the artichoke hearts.

Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!

Squash Salad

Yet another recipe born from my desire to use up lots of squash we received from friends' gardens.

2 zucchini, cut in half length-wise and then sliced thinly
2 summer squash (the yellow ones), cut in half length-wise and then sliced thinly
1/2 red onion, diced
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
Juice of one lemon
1/4 -1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil
2 tbsp. minced fresh mint

Mix all of these together, at least 12-24 hours before you plan to serve so that the flavors can mingle and the squash can release some of its water and soften up a bit. Bring the bowl out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before you serve to remove some of the chill from the salad.

Zucchini Sticks

Those who have ever dined at The Staaten restaurant on Staten Island know that there are few things more delicious than breaded, fried zucchini sticks -- the place is famous for them! But, it's not necessarily the most figure friendly side-dish out there. My version is healthier, and almost as good.

2-3 zucchini, cut into sticks that resemble thick french fries
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (skim, whole, or anything in between)
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiana cheese (just use something pre-grated -- this is not a recipe that needs fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese)

Whisk together the egg and milk and in a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs and grated cheese. Dunk the zucchini sticks in the egg/milk mixture and after shaking off excess liquid, thoroughly coat the sticks in the bread crumb/cheese mixture. Transfer to a cookie sheet that is sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. When the sheet is full, spray the tops of the sticks with cooking spray as well, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes -- until the sticks brown and crisp up every so slightly.

Serve hot!

Pasta Salad with Squash

1 pound cooked and cooled pasta, such as penne, bowties, etc.
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled (low fat varieties are fine)
2 - 3 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine or champagne vinegar
2 zucchini and/or summer squash, cut into bite-sized cubes.

Mix together, chill for a few hours, or overnight, and allow to warm up slightly before serving so the flavors come alive.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Tomatoes

In my ongoing quest to unlock the beauty of the brussels sprout to more people, I concocted this recipe. My husband, who HATES them, actually ate it and said he would eat it again in the future. My dinner guest, who was also not a fan of the brussels sprout, ate 3 helpings of this! So give it a try -- you never know who will like this!

1 lb. fresh brussels spouts (if they're not fresh, don't even bother)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 ounces pancetta (or bacon) diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
pinch salt
pinch fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh dill (finely chopped)

Saute the pancetta or bacon in olive oil until browned and crisp. If you use bacon, try for center cut to minimize extra fat, and drain off all but a tablespoon or so of the fat.

While this is sauteeing, cut the stems off the sprouts, remove a few outer leaves, and then cut them into thin slices -- about 4-5 per sprout. Scatter these in the pan with all the other ingredients except the tomatoes. Toss them to thoroughly coat in the remaining oil and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Cook over medium heat.

Once they start to wilt and soften ever-so-slightly, toss in the tomatoes, cover the pan, and turn the heat down to low. Let them cook for another 5 minutes, toss them around, and then continue to cook to desired texture. I like them to still have a little bit of a bit to them and not be totally wilted.

You could even sprinkle with some grated cheese before serving if you want to add even more flavor. I guarantee they will be a hit!

Asian Chicken Salad

It's light, refreshing, and filling all at the same time.

1 head of bok choy, sliced thin
1 heart of romaine, sliced thin
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup edamame
1/3 cup thin slivers of red, yellow and/or orange peppers
1 cup of shredded chicken breast (you could easily substitute shrimp, salmon, or your favorite tofu)
1/2 cup Chinese crunchy noodles (optional) as garnish

Toss all of this together with the following dressing:

Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1 tbsp. duck sauce

Whisk this dressing together and toss just enough with the salad to coat the leaves lightly. Left-over dressing can be stored for at least a week.

Mediterranean Chicken (or Shrimp or Scallops) with Orzo

This dish is probably mostly inspired by Greek food, but so many of the flavors and ideas are also common to Sicily and southern Italy, that I've decided to call it Mediterranean instead. With a few minutes of preparation the day before you want to eat, this meal can be ready in less than 30 minutes and is a nutritionally complete, full course meal all in itself. It's fancy enough to impress at a dinner party, but can also be an easy week-night staple.

2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, or chicken breast tenders
1 pound of orzo
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small can (14.5 ounces) on crushed tomatoes (fire roasted add a nice extra bit of flavor)
64 ounces of chicken broth
6-8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced (do NOT substitute dried dill -- fresh dill is essential)
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (if you must use dry, 3 tablespoons will be enough)
6-7 springs of fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dry)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6-8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled (low fat or fat free versions are perfect for this meal -- you'll never miss the fat!)

The night before you want to eat this meal, start marinating the chicken. If using chicken breasts, cut them into strips so they look like chicken tenders. Place all the chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag, and add the olive oil, the juice of both lemons, the rosemary and thyme, roughly chopped, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of pepper. Close the bag, thoroughly mix and massage the marinade into the chicken, and place in the fridge until about 15 minutes before you want to grill the chicken. When you remove the chicken for cooking, strip away most of the herbs that cling to the meat, and place it on a hot grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, until it's cooked through.

To prepare the orzo, first saute the onion and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until they are soft and wilted. Add the chicken broth (low-sodium or homemade if at all possible) to a boil, along with the pepper and dill (no need for any more salt -- between the broth, even if it's low-sodium, and the feta, there is plenty of salt already). When it's boiling, add the orzo. 2-3 minutes before the orzo is done, add the crushed tomatoes and 1 minute before it is done, stir in the chopped fresh spinach, just to get it to wilt.

Once the cooking time for the orzo is done, drain the excess fluid from the orzo, and distribute it in 4-6 shallow bowls (pasta bowls are perfect). Sprinkle each with feta cheese, and then place the chicken on top and enjoy!

Pescatarian Option: Instead of chicken, use shrimp or scallops -- marinate the same way, but be sure to grill them for only a minute or so on each side, until just cooked through. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Tomato Salad

This is really only worth eating with good summer tomatoes, fresh from a farmer's market. 

Below is a very basic recipe for tomato salad, and then I suggest some variations to dress it up and/or make it more substantial. We usually eat tomato salad as a side-dish, but there's no reason that a big tomato salad, when accompanied with fresh, crusty Italian bread, can't make a full meal!

2 large tomatoes
1/4 red onion, cut into small, thin slices
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 -3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

Cut the tomato into bit-sized chunks, and then simply toss everything together. Let it sit for about 30 minutes before you serve, so the salt will release some of the tomatoes' juices, and don't refrigerate -- tomatoes are so much better served at room temperature, and chilling them, can tend to make the tomatoes mealy.

If you like, you could add olives or capers to this salad as well.

If you happen to have some day-or-two day old left-over bread, cut it into cubes, and lightly toast it. When cooled, toss it into the salad, and let it absorb the oil and tomato juices -- this is called panzanella and is an old-fashioned Italian way of making sure that old tomatoes and old bread didn't go to waste.

Of course, cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese go beautifully with any tomato salad. And you could add grilled chicken or shrimp to this recipe and make a more substantial meal salad as well.

How to throw a dinner party, Part 1

When I started this blog, I led off with an introduction about the joy of nurturing people with good food, good company and good conversation. As time goes on, I'm going to lay out dinner parties you can throw -- food that is both easy enough for anyone to prepare, as well as a plan for making it happen in the midst of busy weeks and hectic lives. Here is the first one.

Menu --

Antipasto platter
Lasagna (possibly with meatballs and sausage, though this is optional)
Ceasar salad
Dessert

Here's how you make it happen day by day:

Your dinner party is on a Saturday which in this chronology is Day 8.

On Day 1, which is the Saturday before your party, you go food shopping and buy all the ingredients for your sauce (and meatballs and sausages if you choose to go with that sauce), and lasagna.

Day 2 (Sunday) -- make the sauce (and meatballs and sausages if you're not going with marinara or Bolognese sauce).

Day 3 - Day 5 (Monday - Wed) -- you can pretty much take it easy, but if you have a burst of energy, and a dedicated dining room you won't be using until your dinner party, set the table one night so you won't have to do it on the day of your party. On one of those nights, you can also make your salad dressing . . it tastes good when it's got a few days for all the flavors to meld together and for the sharpness of the garlic to mellow just a bit.  Or see Day 7 if you're really motivated and want to take Friday night off.

Day 6 (Thursday) -- assemble the lasagna (including veggies if you go with that variation), cover tightly with foil, and put into the back of your refrigerator.

Day 7 (Friday) -- on your way home from work, or in a bit of free time that day, go back to the supermarket and pick up ingredients for the salad and your antipasto platter. (More on that later). If you haven't done so yet, set your table.

Day 8 (Saturday) -- in the morning,  buy a nice assortment of Italian pastries (assuming you live in part of the country where that's possible), or some other favorite dessert from a bakery. (Of course, you can bake something more ambitious yourself, but this is all about keeping it simple!)

In the early afternoon, arrange your antipasto platter -- this can be as simple as an assortment of Italian meats (prosciutto, salamis, pepperoni, etc.) and cheeses (boccocini of fresh mozzarella, fontina, chunks of parmigiano, etc.), and you can also add various veggies such as olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers, all of which are available in your grocery store, usually in the same aisle as canned tomatoes or near pickles and condiments. Keep this in the fridge until about 30 minutes before your guests arrive, but take it out a little early to take the extreme chill off, as all the food will taste a little richer if it's not quite so cold.

An hour before your guests are expected to arrive, cut and wash your lettuce, and put it into a salad bowl in the refrigerator to crisp. At the same time, take the lasagna out of the fridge and let it start to come up to room temperature. Don't worry about the cheeses going bad -- it won't happen.

If you are serving meatballs and sausages, put them in a sauce pan and turn the stove burner on as low as it will go. Let them come up to temperature very slowly, stirring every 15 minutes or so. It will not only keep them moist but will perfume the whole house.

When you expect your guests (this is different from the time they actually arrive, for if they're anything like my friends, no one will be on time) pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

When a critical mass of your guests arrive, put the lasagna in the oven, removing the tin foil and just draping it loosely over the baking dish.

Enjoy the antipasto and some cocktails with your guests.

After the lasagna has been cooking for 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes.  The outer edges should be bubbling.

When it's done, take it out of the oven, cover with foil, and set on the stove. Put a few toothpicks in the top of it so the foil won't stick to the cheese.

Toss and serve the salad at the table. (A real Italian meal would serve salad AFTER the main course, which is also an option, but most Americans are used to salad first.)

When the salad is done, remove the foil from the lasagna, bring to the table and serve it, along with the meatballs and sausages if you have them (if you don't, don't worry -- the lasagna is enough of a meal!).

After a sufficient respite from dinner, serve your dessert.

At every opportunity, take your guests up on their offers to help clean up, and when they ask what they can bring for dinner, suggest a nice bottle of Chianti or some other Tuscan red wine. You can also get a guest to bring dessert fairly easily and then it's one less thing you have to do!

Remember, your guests will be eager to dine with you -- they would probably be willing to pay for dinner in a restaurant for the pleasure of your company, so don't feel bad about asking them for wine or a dessert for this party, because odds are it's still cheaper than going out to dinner would have been. People love to pitch in -- they're usually just too daunted to throw the dinner party by themself.

So there you have it . .. .a meal everyone will love, and a plan to do it bit by bit, a day at a time.

World's Best Chocolate Cake

Buy a can of Hershey's baking cocoa powder (not to be confused with any sort of chocolate drink mix!).   Buy all the ingredients on the recipe on the back of the can.

Follow the directions on the back of the can to the letter.

Viola!!!!!

BELTs (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches)

These are best served in August, when farmer's market tomatoes are at their best.

One of my favorite fringe benefits of marrying my husband is learning about his family's favorite breakfast treat -- the BELT. So simple; so delicious. It's a BLT sandwich, with scrambled egg on it as well.

This has quickly become a summer-time week-night favorite in our house. Of course, they can be eaten year-round, but when summer tomatoes are ripe, there is no better time to enjoy a BELT.

Give it a try -- I promise you'll love it!

Banana (and other) Breads

These are the yummy loaves like banana or pumpkin breads that we all love as breakfast, snacks or desserts. I'm not much for baking, but these are so easy to make, that even I can manage.

I prefer to make them in a stand-mixer like my kitchen-aid, but a hand blender will work too.

First, mix the following ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil (OR substitute 3/4 cup of applesauce - you'll never miss the oil nor notice a difference in taste)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. real vanilla extract

And your fruit (or veggies) -- suggestions include: 3 very ripe bananas, 1 can of cooked pumpkin, 1 cup of shredded apple, zucchini or berries. The possibilities are really endless.

Once this is all well integrated, add the following and mix until smooth:

1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. each of baking soda and baking powder
1 pinch of salt.

When it's well-mixed, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, cut with a serrated knife, and dig in!!!

Not Your Ordinary Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad? Who needs a recipe for fruit salad, you ask . . . all you do is cut up some fruit and toss it in a bowl and there you go!

True, that will do and especially if you're using fresh, seasonal fruit, it will be delicious.

But a simple dressing that I love will perk it up a lot!

For every 3 cups of fruit in your salad, mix:

the juice of one lime
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of minced fresh mint (peppermint or spearmint are both fine)

Toss thoroughly -- I promise this will make a huge difference that you will love.

Frittatas

Brunch is one of my favorite meals to host -- it's a fun time of the day to get together, and making brunch food ahead of time is so easy. Plus, it's a fairly inexpensive meal to make, which means you can invite more people.

Quiche is usually a very popular brunch dish, and I love a good quiche . . . but I can go you one easier with my version of a frittata, which is a baked Italian omelet. Once you get the basic technique down, you can literally make ENDLESS varieties. If you can scramble an egg, chop ingredients, and throw them into an oven to bake, you can make a frittata.  And if you really still want a quiche, just line a pie pan with a crust and pour this filling into the pie crust before baking.

So first, the basics . . . .

Take 8 eggs, 1/2 cup milk (whole is best, but 2% is OK -- just don't use skim), a pinch of salt and a bit of fresh cracked black pepper, and whisk them all together until they're well incorporated.  Then you can add whatever fillings you like (I'll suggest a bunch below but let this be the beginning of your own ideas, not an exhaustive list of possibilities)

Take a pie dish, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and pour the egg mixture into the dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes -- until the top is lightly brown and the middle is firm to the touch. Let it rest for a few minutes before you serve, or you can also let it cool to room temperature and serve that way.

That's it -- how easy is that?  (Channeling my inner Ina Garten, for those who know who she is).

Now -- for some of my favorite varieties, but really, you can add anything you want to this.

The All American -- dice 1 onion and saute until it's translucent. Add that, about 1/2 cup of some chopped ham or bacon or breakfast sausage, 8 ounces of shredded cheddar, and 2 shredded potatoes (squeeze out the excess water), and bake as above.

Carciofi -- mince 3-4 large cloves of garlic, mince 10 fresh basil leaves (or use 1 tbsp. dried basil), chop up 1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (about 3 full hearts), 1/4 cup parmigiana cheese, and 8 ounces of shredded smoked fontina (or some such smoked cheese), stir and bake.

Caprese -- remove seeds from 1 large tomato and dice; 10 minced basil leaves (or 1 tsp. dried basil), 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese (don't use fresh mozzarella -- it's too watery); 1/3 cup of parmigiana; stir and bake.

Let your imagination run wild -- great ingredients to use include zucchini, spinach (buy chopped frozen spinach, defrost and squeeze out all the excess water before adding), broccoli, asparagus, roasted red peppers, all sorts of breakfast meats, and cheeses -- there are no limits.

My guest are always FAR too over-impressed with this very easy dish. Make one for every 6 people, put out some bagels or other pastry, a fruit salad, and it's a party.

Bread Pudding/French Toast Casserole

It's a dessert -- no wait, it's a brunch dish -- no wait, it's both!  A flexible and easy to make dish that everyone will love.

1 loaf of bread -- Challah is great; Italian bread too, or something similar, but nothing that's too crusty. A GREAT bread to use is one of Tasetfully Simple's beer breads --either white or whole wheat.
4 eggs (you could substitute egg beaters if you're watching your cholesterol -- you won't notice the difference)
2/3 cup milk (whole is best, but any kind will do -- I made it with Almond Milk once and it was delicious)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp real vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries (or any berry you like, cut up into blueberry size pieces)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2-3 tbsp. butter (optional)
1 bag frozen berries (mixed, or any one kind of berry is fine)
2 tbsp. honey

Cut up the loaf of bread into bit sized cubes.

Mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla extract and add the bread cubes. Toss thoroughly, until the bread absorbs all the liquid.

Put this into a well-greased baking dish, and toss the berries on top, spreading them around. If fresh berried aren't in season, frozen ones will do fine, but defrost them first and let them drain a little so the pudding doesn't get watery.

Cover with a thin layer of brown sugar. If you want, dot butter over the top for some extra richness, but this is purely optional -- trust me, it's delicious and rich enough without it!

Cover with foil and put in the oven at 350 degrees, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until it's hot all the way through. Take off the foil for the last 5 minutes so the top gets a little crunchy, but the middle doesn't dry out.

While it's baking, put the berries into a sauce pan with the honey. (Don't waste your money on fresh berries -- you really won't notice a difference for the sauce). Simmer this on low until the berries totally break down. Stir frequently, and you can use a potato masher to help speed the process. Put the mixture into a fine, mesh strainer, and push out as much syrup as you can with a spatula or spoon.

Pour a few spoons-ful of this over each serving of the pudding.

"Hot Flash" Sauce

Every other year, my husband Dave and I take a trip to Sanibel Island without our girls -- it's a great place to go and do a whole lot of nothing and eat a whole lot of great seafood.  

Our favorite place is the Green Flash restaurant on nearby Captiva Island, http://www.greenflashcaptiva.com/, where everything is fresh and delicious, the service is superb and the view is beautiful.

Dave's favorite food is an appetizer that they call "Hot Flash" Shrimp -- I've seen similar dishes at other places, often called something like "Bang Bang" Shrimp.   It's so delicious that I decided to try to replicate the sauce as best I can, and Dave agrees that I did a really good job of it :)

Most restaurants serve this on top of fried shrimp and I'm not gonna lie --it's delicious.   But it's also fabulous on grilled or poached shrimp, any other type of seafood or fish, or even chicken or pork.

In a small saucepan, combine the following ingredients and let them simmer for about 5-10 minutes until all the flavors meld:

8 ounces of duck sauce
2 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons of Chinese-style hot mustard
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce (look in the Asian aisle in your local supermarket -- this is becoming as ubiquitous as ketchup, at least in urban areas:  http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm)

A little goes a long way so this will make several servings that can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks.

Beef Stew

Another staple for the crock pot -- I usually prep this the night before I want to make it, and then pop it into the crock pot in the morning -- when I get home, we're ready for dinner in 10 minutes!

This amount will feed 4 people:

1.5 pounds of beef chuck roast, seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides *
1 cup of largely-chopped carrots
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 large onion cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
2 large potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
8 ounces of chicken broth (either homemade or low-sodium)
1 cup of water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
Olive oil
2 tablespoons Wondra flour, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Optional -- 1/2 cup red wine in the braising liquid, or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste stirred into the braising liquid.

First, brown the beef on both sides in a skillet that's got smoking hot olive oil in it.  Once the meat is browned, remove it to a platter, and add all the veggies except for the peas, using them to deglaze the skillet of the browned meat bits and to brown them up a bit.

Place the meat in the crock pot, cover it with the veggies, and then add the broth, water, and all the remaining seasonings.   If the liquid doesn't come at least half way up the meat and veggies, add some more water.

If you do not have a crock pot, you can do all of this in a dutch oven or other large pot.   If using a regular pot, bring the liquid up to a boil and then turn the heat down to low, and tightly cover the pot. Let it cook for about 3 - 4 hours.

Cook this for 6-8 hours.

When it's done, using a fork, break the meat into bite sized chunks and add the Wondra/water mixture, stirring gently.  This will thicken the sauce. Add the peas as well, just long enough that they heat through as the sauce thickens while still warming in the crock pot.

This can be served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or just on its own.  Try to fish out the bay leaf before serving as it's inedible.

* A lot of stores sell pre-packaged "stew meat."    Don't buy this.   It is literally the left over of every cut of meat they have -- some of which are not well suited to stew.   And the sizes aren't uniform so they cook unevenly.  And while many cut their chuck into cubes, there's really no need for this extra step -- the meat will fall apart when cooked, with the simple pull of a fork, and be a wonderful texture. 

Cole Slaw

I'm not a fan of over-mayonnaisy cole-slaw -- I like mine a bit more savory.   That being said, there are great commercial cole-slaws, and virtually every deli case has a good variety too.   But if you want to make your own, this is an easy and delicious recipe.

1 bag of pre-shredded cabbage (there's absolutely no reason to shred your own -- these bags are about $1.20 and really fresh -- take it easy on yourself!)
2 heaping tablespoons mayo ( I always use low fat)
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 pinches of celery seed
1 pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Whisk all the ingredients together other than the cabbage, and then thoroughly mix it with the cabbage.  Be sure to make this at least 3-4 hours in advance as the salt will release some moisture from the cabbage and help develop the taste of the dressing.

Pulled Pork

There's nothing like a slow-smoked pork butt or shoulder, shredded and tossed with a homemade barbecue sauce.   But few of us have that kind of time and equipment to make this great Southern delicacy.   I've figured out how to do a darn-good version of this using my crock pot and hope that you enjoy it as much as our family does.

I start with the cut of pork called a "country spare rib" but you can use shoulder, butt, or anything else with sufficient connective tissue and fat in it.  Use about 1.5 pounds for every 4 people you want to serve.

In a crock pot, mix 1/2 cut apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup apple juice/cider, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke.   Place the meat into this mixture, and set your crock pot for 6-8 hours.

When it's done, shred the meat using two forks, and then toss with a ladle of two of the braising liquid and your favorite barbecue sauce.  My recommendation is Pierce's BBQ sauce, from Williamsburg, VA.   You can order some here:  http://www.pierces.com/shop_at_pierces.asp.

Pulled pork is traditionally served on white bread or a soft roll, with a bit of coleslaw on top (http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/cole-slaw.html)-- sounds like an odd choice for the uninitiated, but trust me, it's amazing!

This meat can be prepared over the weekend and simply microwaved the night you want to eat it.   I've also frozen batches of this and defrosted it when needed and it was wonderful.

Orzo Pasta Salad

I have to thank my friend Kristin for this recipe -- she made it for me years ago and I've fully appropriated it into my regular routine both for our own meals, and for parties. It's a vegetarian delight, but can also be supplemented with chicken and seafood.

1 pound of orzo, cooked and cooled (you can really use any type of pasta that you like in a pasta salad, but because the flavors are Greek themed, I like to use the orzo to keep with the theme)
1 cup of diced tomatoes (if it's not summer and you can't get good fresh tomatoes, use grape tomatoes)
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced thin (peeling isn't necessary, but if you don't like the peel, go ahead and get rid of it)
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (low fat varieties work nicely)
3 tablespoons of fresh dill, minced (dried dill is so poor of a substitute that it's not worth making this salad if you don't have fresh dill -- it's easily found in the produce aisle of most any supermarket these days)

Preparation couldn't be easier - you simple toss all the ingredients together with the cooked and cooled pasta. (Once the pasta is done, run it under cold water and toss in a bowl with the olive oil until you're ready to add all the other ingredients). Be sure to taste it when it's all mixed and add more seasoning, oil or vinegar if needed. It should suit your taste.

This will keep for at least a week in your fridge. It makes a great side-dish at a picnic or party, or can be a main course for lunch or dinner.

Braciole Style Meatloaf

Braciole is a fabulous Italian dish that consists of thin slices of beef stuffed with all sorts of goodies (recipes vary by family and region), and then braised for a long time to make it tender. It's a delicious meal, and one that I'll post sometime in the future, but this meatloaf recipe (inspired by a Rachel Ray recipe, but much improved upon, if I do say so myself!) is quicker and easier for a week-night meal.

1 pound of ground meat -- a beef/veal/pork mixture is best and most sumptuous, but you could use all beef
1 large egg
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup grated cheese (parmigiana if you want it to have nutty undertones, romano if you want a sharper tasting meatloaf)
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 -1/3 cup of bread crumbs (either plain or Italian seasoned are fine)
3-4 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
4 slices of proscioutto
2-3 slices of smoked cheese -- fontina, provolone, or mozzarella are best
4-5 slices of pancetta (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the proscioutto, smoked cheese and pancetta. Use only 1/4 cup of bread crumbs at first and only add more if the mixture is too wet to hold together. The mixture should not be firm or bready -- it should only have enough bread crumbs to be able to form it into a loaf.

Once it's mixed, take slightly more than 1/2 of the mixture and place in in a lightly-oiled baking dish - form it into the bottom half of the meatloaf, making a well in the middle for the filling. Place the proscioutto and cheese in the middle of the loaf, and then cover with the rest, sealing all the ends tightly. Some of the cheese will inevitably ooze out while cooking, but try to minimize that by sealing it up well.

If you'd like, you can cover the meatloaf with the pancetta for a bit of extra moisture and taste, but it's optional.

Place the meatloaf in a 400 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, cover it tightly with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes, both to let the juices settle in the meat, but also to let the cheese set a bit so it won't all run out when you slice it.

After it rests, simply slice with a serrated knife and serve -- if you'd like, you can pour a bit of warm tomato sauce on the top as well -- it's just about the best comfort food you'll ever eat!

* I don't add any salt to this recipe -- the cheeses and meat add more than enough for my taste.

Moussaka ala Judy

As with many things I post, I make no pretense that this is the most authentic version of this dish, but it's the one I've developed while experimenting with many different recipes. It's a fabulous Greek dish that can be made with or without meat, can be a main dish or a side dish, and gets more delicious when reheated. As a bonus, it's also very easy to make and can be made days in advance.

2 large eggplants, sliced thin (I don't peel the eggplant in advance, but you can if you don't like the peel)
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
1 medium red onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons each of minced fresh basil, mint and flat leaf parsley (if you use dried, use 2 teaspoons each, but it really won't be nearly as good)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
16 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled (low-fat varieties will work)
1 pound ground lamb, beef, chicken or turkey (optional -- lamb is really the best choice, beef is second. Chicken and turkey are distant thirds)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
1/4 cup of grated parmigiana cheese

In a large bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and pepper. There's no need to saute the onion and garlic in advance, though you can if you want to. I don't add any salt to this because the canned tomatoes usually are salty enough, and the cheese you'll add later is also very salty, but if you like food well seasoned, add a touch of salt.

On a cookie sheet, well-sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, lay the eggplant slices, spray the top with more non-stick cooking spray, and bake them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are slightly softened.

If you're going to add meat, saute it in a touch of olive oil and with a pinch of salt until it's cooked through.

Once the eggplant and meat are cooked, you can start assembling the moussaka.

Spray a baking dish with a good amount of non-stick cooking spray (or use olive oil if you'd like), and line the bottom with the tomato and herb mixture. Cover with a layer of eggplant, meat, feta cheese and more sauce, and repeat until you've used up all the eggplant, meat and cheese. Use all the feta on the inner layers.

On top of the last layer of eggplant, cover with the tomato sauce, and then sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmigiana cheese -- this will brown and crisp a bit as it bakes and make for a nice topping. (Should you be cooking for someone who can't eat any gluten, skip the breadcrumbs -- it'll still be delicious!)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes --until bubbling on the edges, and so hot in the middle that you can't stick your finger into the center for more than a second.

When done, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Crab Cakes/Salmon Cakes

This recipe can also double as stuffing for fish, shrimp or a lobster tail.  You'll pay so much for these in a restaurant, but they're really so easy to make at home, for a fraction of the price. Friends and family will think you're a gourmet, but you'll know the truth :)

1 pound of fresh crab meat (lump is best, but backfin is good too)
Juice and zest of one lemon
2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise (reduced fat versions are fine!)
1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning
1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs -- panko style are best, but any plain breadcrumb is fine
1 egg, well beaten

Place the mayo, Old Bay and egg into a bowl and mix well.   Then fold in the crab meat, breaking up jumbo lumps into 3 or so pieces each, but not too small.   Once that's mixed, fold in the breadcrumbs until they are just evenly distributed.

Divide into four to siz portions and form into patties. You can then either saute these in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides, or broil them for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

The mixture is also a perfect crab-meat stuffing that you can use to stuff flounder, sole, tilapia, etc., or shrimp, or lobster, or mushrooms, etc.

If you don't like crab meat, you could easily substitute salmon. Buy one pound of fresh salmon filet, lightly brush with olive oil, and broil for 6-8 minutes, until it's medium. Let the salmon cook and break it up into chunky flakes, and follow directions as above.

Caramelized Onions

There is no end to what you can do with caramelized onions -- they are sweet and savory, can dress up most meats, can be used in appetizers, or as a delicious dressing for pasta. Once you have the technique down, the possibilities are limitless.

The three essential ingredients are yellow onions (NOT Vidalia or some other "sweet" onion, which end up being a bit too sweet and watery to achieve the right texture -- just regular old yellow onions), olive oil and salt. After that, you can dress them up as you see fit. I have some suggestions below, but these are just to get you started and pique your imagination.

To make about 1 cup of caramelized onions, follow these instructions:

In an oversized frying pan, or some sort of pan in which you have a large cooking surface and can saute, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Take four jumbo-sized yellow onions or 6 large ones, peel them, cut in half length-wise, and cut into 1/8 inch slices.

Pile these on top of the heated oil, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt.

Toss the onions so they are coated in salt and oil, and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let them sweat for 10-15 minutes, until the water releases from the onions, and they start to really cook down.

Then remove the lid, and turn the heat up ever so slightly, still keeping it below medium heat. Let them continue to cook, slowly evaporating the liquid, and every five minutes, toss them thoroughly. After about 30 minutes, perhaps longer, they will become nice and rich-golden brown. Be careful never to let them start to burn and crisp. If this starts to happen, lower the heat and be patient. This process is best described as low and slow -- you need to spend the time necessary to let the sugars really develop in the onions as they brown and soften. The finished consistency will resemble a good orange marmalade.

These onions, just as they are, make a delicious relish for beef, chicken, and pork. Indeed, nothing's better on a burger than a big helping of caramelized onions. You can dress them up a bit by adding some thyme, vinegar, lemon rind, and/or pepper. Really, the sky's the limit in terms of flavoring them up, but I urge restraint so that you don't overpower the taste of the caramelized onions themselves. They are delicious.

Other ideas for caramelized onions:

As a pizza topping -- skip the sauce and cover your crust with these onions and then sprinkle with your favorite cheese before baking -- gongonzola and gruyere are popular, but fontina would be delicious too.

As a topping for bruscheta.

As an appetizer -- get phyllo dough cups or puff pastry cups (both widely available in freezer sections of your grocery store), and put some caramelized onions in them. Top either with grated manchego cheese, or a piece of brie and some jam, and bake until the cheese melts. These will be a huge hit at your party.

As a pasta sauce -- toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil and a big helping of onions and grated cheese. Or toss them with pierogies -- it's a perfect compliment to the potatoes.

As an addition to mashed potatoes - swirl these into your potatoes (or on top of a baked potato) to make them extra savory.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I'm sure you've all had some version of this dip -- most frequently made with gobs of mayonnaise. It may be tasty to some, but for those of us who loathe mayo, it's a tough sell. Plus, there are healthier and better tasting (and textured) ways to make it. Determined to improve upon the standard, I came up with my own version, which is below. While I present this as a dip, there's no reason why it can't be used to stuff vegetables such as eggplant or zucchini before roasting, be used as a layer in lasagna, or in many other delicious forms.

The version below is designed to minimize calories but if you want to be really decadent, go for the full-fat versions of everything below -- it will definitely taste better, but believe me, the healthier version tastes pretty fabulous too.

Ingredients:

8 ounces skim ricotta cheese
1 block of low-fat (but not NO fat) cream cheese
1/2 cup of grated parmigiana cheese
8 ounces of low-fat mozzarella cheese
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 frozen package of chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed until all excess water is removed
1 can of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
5-6 shots of hot pepper sauce (optional -- but it really brings out the flavor and doesn't add any noticeable heat except for the most sensitive of palates)

Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then combine all the ingredients in a large bowl -- a stand-mixer works best, but you can also feel free to dig into this with your hands. Spread this into an oven-safe dish and put into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until it bubbles up all around and is melted through the center. You can also cook this in a microwave. It will take 3-5 minutes, and you should cook it one minute at a time, stirring in between minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave as it starts to cool.

This is best served on pieces of bruscheta, but it's also great on your favorite crackers, toasted pita bread, and even as a dip for sturdy veggies.

Try this version -- I'll be amazed if you don't like it better than the ones you're used to!

Guacamole

Take 5 ripe avocados (the skin should be black, and they should be soft to a slight squeeze, but not mushy and there should be no gap between the skin and the fruit), cut them in half, remove the pits, and scoop the fruit out into a bowl.

Add the juice of 2 limes (lemons are an acceptable substitute, but I prefer limes), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 red onion diced into small pieces, and 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa, with the excess liquid drained so you're left with just the solids of the salsa. With your hands (I'm not kidding about this part -- it's the best way to do this!) or a fork, start mushing the avocados and mixing in the other ingredients. I prefer my guacamole with some good avocado chunks still in it, but you can mix as much or as little as you like.

If you want it to have a bit of a kick, either use a hot salsa, or add a few shots of Tabasco sauce.  If you make it ahead of time, put 2-3 of the avocado pits into it to keep it from turning brown, and cover plastic wrap that's right on top of the dip, so no air can get at the surface.

I think it's best served at room temp, but some folks prefer it cold.

Enchiladas and Quesadillas

OK -- a disclaimer first -- I don't pretend that ANY of this is even remotely authentic Mexican food in the least. But these are some great Mexican inspired dishes I make for us on weeknights that we all love, I can cook up ahead of time, and that are really filling.

For my version of enchiladas or quesadillas, you start with the same filling:

1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 pound of ground chicken or turkey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party dip mix OR 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and cumin, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (if you're not using the Fiesta Party Dip mix)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion, pepper and salt. Saute until the veggies get soft, and a little bit brown to develop the flavors. Once they are done, add the ground meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, and cook until it's well done. Add the remaining seasonings, cook for another minute or two, and remove to a bowl to cool.

For quesadillas, take fajita size tortillas, and spread shredded cheddar, jack, or some preferred blend of cheeses on half. Place about 2 teaspoons of the meat and veggie mixture on top, put more cheese on top of that, fold it over and place on a hot skillet on the stove top. I like to put another skillet on top to weigh them down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, slice into 4 pieces, and serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole (recipe to follow), and/or sour cream.

For enchiladas, generously cover the bottom of a baking disk with mild green salsa. Then take fajita size tortillas, put about 2-3 heaping teaspoons of the meat mixture in the middle, and roll them up. (You can also spread about a tablespoon of refried beans, straight from a can, on the tortilla before you add the meat). Place them in the baking dish and when it's full, cover with either mild, medium or hot salsa (whatever is your preference), and cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until it's all hot and bubbly.

The enchiladas can be made and stored in the fridge days ahead of time. (I often make this on a Sunday and pop it in the oven when I get home). If it goes from the fridge to the oven, it'll take at least 15 minutes more to warm through.

As an equally quick and non-authentic side dish, we're partial to Uncle Ben's Spanish style rice -- in microwavable pouches. As I said, these dishes aren't about authentic -- they're about quick and healthy ways to feed your family on a worknight! Though I will say that I've served the enchiladas for company on many occasions and get real raves about them.

Roasted Chicken

What could be better than a nice roasted chicken for a Sunday night family dinner?   The house smells great, the food is comforting, and the leftover carcass is a future soup in the making.  To me, a roasted chicken is one of the most perfect things to cook and eat.   And it's easy as well.

Pretty much any chicken you get at the supermarket can go right into a roasting pan for cooking, but if you want want to be extra succulent, you could try brining it for a day in advance.   The simplest thing to do is to fill a pot with cold water, add 2-3 tablespoons of kosher salt, stir to dissolve, and soak the chicken in it overnight.   You could also add all sort of herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage, some crushed garlic, peppercorns, or a lemon, cut into quarters, squeezed, and added into the brine.   The key is to let the salty water soak into the meat fibers, breaking it down and making even more tender.

When it's done soaking, rinse if off, inside and out, and place it in a roasting dish that you've lined with sliced onions, carrots and celery, drizzled with a little olive oil and dash of salt (this will make an amazing base for your gravy).

I like to stuff the internal cavity of the chicken with a quartered lemon, a head of garlic cut in half, through the cloves, and some sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and/or parsley. 

On an optional basis, you could also slip thin slices of lemon under the skin of the chicken (breast, thighs and legs) and/or rosemary sprigs for extra flavor.

On the top, I simply sprinkle a little salt, pepper and herbs de provence.   No need for olive oil -- the skin has plenty of fat built in.

Place the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes per pound.  When time is up, gently pull the leg/thigh away from the breast and if the juices run clear, it's cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the roasting pan, and cover it with foil, letting it rest while you make the gravy.

Remove the veggies from the bottom of the pan, and add about 1 cup of warm water to the pan and use it to scrap up all the browned bits of meat and veggies from the pan.   Pour this thru a sieve and into a sauce pot, and to it, add a mixture of 1/2 cup water and 3 tablespoons of Wondra flour.   Stir this together, adding a dash of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet if needed to darken up the gravy.   Taste for salt and pepper, adding what's needed.   Let it sit for a minute or two off the heat, and skim off the excess fat before serving.

Now you can carve and serve the chicken, with the gravy on the side.

And don't you dare throw out the carcass -- be sure to use it for your next pot of soup or broth!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts have a bad rap -- many of us grew up eating them from the freezer case, boiled beyond recognition.   Who could blame us for hating these balls of mush?   Well, when fresh brussels sprouts are cooked the right way (and there are many right ways), they can be a real treat.   My girls literally cheer me when I make brussels sprouts for dinner, so give this a try.

First, you MUST use fresh brussel sprouts, never frozen. I can't stress this enough! Serve about 6-7 sprouts per person.

Wash them, trim off the bottoms, pull off withered or dirty leaves on the top, and cut in half.

Put them all in a baking dish, drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, a dash of real maple syrup (has to be real -- the fake kind just won't do) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until they get lightly brown on the top and bottom.  Toss them around once or twice while cooking so they brown evenly.

They will still be firm on the inside, and slightly carmelized on the outside, making them taste a little sweet and a little nutty.

If you want to kick them up a bit, toss with some crumbled bacon or pancetta. 

You could also cook them in a skillet, pretty much the same way, but the carmelization from roasting really is delicious.



Go ahead -- give them a try -- you might be surprised!

Mashed turnips

This is a Thanksgiving tradition from the German side of my family (Mom's side) -- I must admit that as a kid, I never tried these but when I finally did, I was SO sad about all the years I missed. I've made these for many people over the years, and while they weren't happy about having to try turnips, many became converts.

Here goes -- this recipe is enough for at least 8 servings:

Get three large turnips -- get the round ones that are light orange and purple-ish on the outside. Peel them, cut in to 1 inch cubes, and put them into a large pot, cover with water (there should be at least 3 inches of water over the top of the turnips, but more is fine too), and throw in 1 tablespoon of salt.

Take 3 medium sized potatoes (I like yukon gold best, but anything is fine), peel them, and throw them into the pot whole.

Bring this up to a boil, and boil on low heat for a full hour.

Drain the turnips and potatoes and shake out as much water as you can.

If you want REALLY smooth turnips, put the mixture through a ricer. If you don't mind a bit of texture, you can use a hand masher, or even better, a stand-mixer.

Add 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper, and blend or mash until you are happy with the texture.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed -- but don't add salt at first -- the turnips and potatoes will have absorbed a good deal from the salted water. You may not need any more.

These can be made a day or two in advance and reheated either in a pot or microwave. If reheating in a pot, add a little bit of milk; if reheating in the microwave, stir after each minute to distribute heat throughout the whole dish.

Enjoy!

Stuffing

1 large onion, diced
3 large stalks of celery, diced
1 stick of butter
1 16 oz. can of low-sodium chicken broth
2 loaves of potato bread (or whatever your favorite is for making stuffing)
8 ounces of corn bread
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6-8 oz. of roasted chestnuts, chopped into large-ish pieces (optional -- you can buy this at Trader Joe's, Williams-Sonoma, or most other gourmet grocery stores).

The night before you want to make your stuffing, tear the bread up into small pieces and spread out in a large baking dish or over a few cookie sheets so that it gets a bit dry and stale.

The next morning, saute the onion, celery, herbs and spices in the stick of butter. Do not let the veggies brown -- just cook them for a good 10 minutes so they're really soft.

Pour the veggie/herb/butter mixture over the bread and mix thoroughly. Add just enough broth to make all the stuffing barely moist to the touch, but not wet or drippy.

Add the chestnuts, if desired.

Stuff as much of this into both cavities of the turkey as you can and put the rest in a lightly greased baking dish to heat in the oven.

If you don't like your stuffing cooked inside the turkey, you can cook it all in a baking dish -- will take about 30 minutes at 350 degrees to fully heat through and get a little crisp on top.

White Pizza

One of my favorite comfort foods . . . and I take a shortcut . . I use pre-made dough. Trader Joe's is fabulous, but if you're in an area with lots of good pizza parlors (ie, NYC), they will often sell you their dough as well.

For the toppings:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced finely (or dried garlic, such as Garlic, Garlic from Tastefully Simple.  But do NOT substitute garlic powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mix all this together, and slather over the pizza dough.

Then take 4 ounces of ricotta cheese, that you drain in a sieve for about 30 minutes to get rid of extra moisture, and dot it all over the dough.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and then cover with at least 8 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes, cut and serve!

Feel free to add whatever toppings you like to this -- ones I really love are pine nuts, artichoke hearts and broccoli.  You could also add lightly dressed arugula to this when it's fully cooked.

Venison Roast

So, you may not know it, but my husband is an avid hunter. He just hunts birds (dove, pheasant, goose and duck), but has friends who get us some delicious venison from time to time. I've discovered a great marinade, that I've altered slightly, that helps to tenderize the meat, draw out the gaminess, and leave a great flavor.

Take 1 part red wine, 1 part strong black coffee, and 1/3 part soy sauce, and mix together. Chop up 3 scallions and smash 4 large cloves of garlic, and add to the liquid.

Marinate the meat for 24 hours, rinse it off and dry well, and then roast as you would beef.

If you're "game" to eat game, you'll love this marinade.

Bill Anderson's Ceasar Salad

This recipe came from my dear friend, Bill Anderson. He was a wonderful cook, and particularly, a wonderful baker. I loved having him and his wife Christine Stoneman come to my dinner parties -- not just because they are two of the best people in my life, but also because he always brought the best desserts. We lost Bill in the summer of 2006, but I think of him all the time. And he is responsible for a Ceasar Salad Recipe that the whole gang of our friends loves. And those beyond that circle credit me for the dressing, but he deserves all the credit.

It's delicious, easy to make, and egg free, so no worries about salmonella.

In a small food processor or some such device (like an immersion mixer), add 3 large cloves of garlic, 1 heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of Worchestire sauce, 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste (or 1-2 anchovy filets), the juice of one lemon, 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt, and 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Give this a whir until the garlic is chopped up a bit.

Then drizzle in 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil until the garlic is basically liquified and the mixture is emulsified.

Put this mixture into a bowl and then fold in 1/4 cup of grated parmigiano cheese until well mixed.

Toss with romaine lettuce and croutons and serve. If you want to turn it into a meal, add some grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, steak, portobello mushrooms, etc.

It also makes a great dip for veggies, pita chips, and other assorted munchies, or a sandwich spread in place of mayo or mustard.

Baked Chicken

While this dish will take about 45 minutes to cook, it takes about 4 minutes to assemble and is a crowd pleaser any night of the week, and also a great company dish.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the bottom of a baking dish, no more than to VERY lightly coat the bottom. Line the bottom of the dish with a slices of lemon and slices of onion. Put a pinch of salt over this to draw out the moisture.

Cover with the parts of a full chicken (including the neck, which you can then save for the next time you make broth). Put the wings and the legs in the center and the bigger pieces on the outside. If the breasts are REALLY large, split them in half. Sprinkle a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice on the chicken, some salt, and some herbs de provence.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Once or twice after the half way point, baste the chicken with the juices in the pan.

When the chicken is done, put it on a platter and cover with foil -- let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Take the juices and drippings in the pan, put them through a sieve, and heat them over a high flame for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken. You could add a splash of vermouth or marsala to this for flavoring if you'd like.  Put that into a gravy boat, strain the fat off the top, and serve as a quick and easy gravy.

Crab Chowder

Inspired by Maryland-style crab chowder, that is so popular in this region, here's my take on the recipe.

First, make the broth:

Get one large dungeoness crab or a few clusters of king crab legs and remove all the meat. Set this aside for later. Rinse off all the crab shells if necessary, remove the dead-mens fingers from the whole crab, and place them in a sauce pot. Add three carrots, roughly chopped, 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped, 1 onion cut into quarters, a few crushed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. of black peppercorns, 1 tsp. of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover this all with cold water -- have the water come no more than an inch or so over the top of all the ingredients.

Bring the water slowly up to a low boil, cover, and set the heat to low. Let it simmer for 1-2 hours. Then strain out all the veggies and shells, and let the broth sit so any remaining sediment falls to the bottom of the pot. Place all the clear, sediment free liquid back into a pot (pour it through cheesecloth if you want it pristine), and begin to build your chowder.

Add 2-3 tbsp. of tomato paste to the broth and stir it well until it dissolves. Add the crab meat, and then whatever veggies you like. They should all be chopped into small bite-sized pieces. I love using spinach or kale, zucchini, string beans, carrots, and whatever else I happen to have lying around the fridge.

Let this boil slowly for 30-45 minutes so the flavors meld and the broth reduces a little (which concentrates the tomato flavor). Before serving, taste to make sure there's enough salt (don't add anymore until this point -- the reduction of the broth will concentrate the salt that you've already added and that is in the tomato paste) and pepper. You can garnish with a dollop of pesto if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Quickie Minestrone Soup

It's the perfect meal or first course . . . and when time is short, you can take shortcuts and have it ready in 30 minutes or less. Here is my secret to quick minestrone . . .

32 ounces homemade or low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth)
8 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbs. dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

And LOTS of veggies -- this is the time to clean out your fridge if you want -- here are some of my favorites:

escarole or spinach leaves
string beans cut into bite-sized pieces
zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
sliced scallions or leeks
carrots, cut into small cubes
Basil leaves

Other add-ins are chick peas, white or red kidney beans, and pasta (cook it first and then add so it doesn't absorb all the broth) but if you are eating low-carb, you can skip all of these.

Bring the broth to a boil, cover and turn to relatively low heat -- the broth should continue to boil, but only just barely. Once everything is cooked through and tender, ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese if desired, and enjoy with or without a nice piece of crusty Italian bread.

Corn Chowder

August and early September are peak season for delicious sweet corn -that 's the time to make up a big batch of corn chowder both to eat now, and to freeze for the dog-days of winter when you need a taste of summer sunshine.

This recipe is susceptible to MANY variations and can be made for vegetarians or carnivores.

32 ounces of either low salt chicken broth or vegetable broth (or homemade if you have it!)
1 large onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small to medium red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sized potatoes, washed and cut into small cubes
2 cups of fresh corn, cut right off the cob if possible
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup of milk (whole or 2%)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

1 cup diced or shredded chicken
crumbled bacon to garnish
1 cup of crab meat

In a soup pot, saute the onions, garlic and red pepper in olive oil until they become tender -- do this over low heat so as not to allow any of them to brown. They should turn soft and translucent, but not brown.

Add the corn and potato, toss to coat with the oil and veggies, and saute for another minute.

Then add the broth and pepper, bring to a boil, and then simmer over low-heat for about 20 minutes so all the flavors meld and the potato gets tender.

Add the milk right before serving and make sure the soup is hot enough, but don't bring it back up to a boil again.

This is a really hearty meal -- this and some fresh bread will fill you for the entire night.

If you want to add more flavor or protein, feel free to add chicken, bacon, crabmeat, or any other protein that strikes your fancy.

Straciatella

This is a delicious Roman-style soup that is the Italian equivalent of Chinese restaurant staple egg-drop soup. The word straciatella means "rags" and it conjures up the way the ingredients in this soup look. It's usually made with chicken broth, but can easily be made with vegetable broth for those who do not eat meat. However, I would not recommend beef or fish broth as a substitute.

It's a fabulous first course, or side dish to a lunch-time salad. But it's definitely not rich enough for a full meal unless you have a very small appetite :)

The basic recipe is so simple:

Bring 4 cups of broth to a simmer.
Beat 3 eggs together with 1/2 cup of grated parmigiana cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper.

Slowly drizzle the egg and cheese mixture into the hot broth, whisking as you go. It'll "set" pretty quickly and be ready to serve in about 3 minutes. And this is soup that should be served just as soon as it's done.

For variations, you could add chopped spinach or escarole to the soup as well. Simply saute them in a little bit of olive oil and add to the soup right before serving.

Turkey Soup

My German great-grandmother, Johanna (I took her name when I was confirmed -- she was very special to me), is the genius behind this recipe and method of not just making delicious soup, but cleaning out a lot of your Thanksgiving leftovers at the same time!

In a large soup pot, place the following:

The remaining turkey and carcass, including the leftover skin, neck, and anything else you've got left
Any leftover stuffing
Any leftover veggies that you would like in your soup, especially things like carrots
Any leftover gravy

If you are missing any of these ingredients, don't despair -- they are optional or you can put in substitutes.

To round out the pot, add the following:

1 large onion, cut into quarters (no need to peel or core it)
5 large garlic cloves, smashed (again, no need to peel)
5 stalks of celery, chopped into quarters (include the leaves on the celery -- they add flavor too!)
3 large carrots, cut in half length-wise, and then cut in half through the middle
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns

In a piece of cheesecloth, wrap the following:

If using dried herbs:

1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sage, preferably not ground for it will seep out and muddy your soup

If using fresh herbs:

1-2 sprigs of rosemary
5-6 sprigs of thyme
1-2 sprig of sage

Pour COLD water over this until it just covers all the carcass and veggies. Turn the burner on medium, and let it go just until the water is thoroughly heated, but not boiling -- should take about 15-20 minutes. Once it's warn, turn it down to low and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Then place a large colander on top of a large bowl and drain out the liquid. Arrange all the meat, bones and veggies in the colander in a large cookie sheet and let it cool.

Let the liquid sit until the grease from the gravy and skin float to the top and skim it off with a large spoon. Then line a fine sieve with cheesecloth and strain the broth one more time to get our remaining bits of fat, herbs, veggies, or anything else that mucks it up. NOTE: this broth will not be clear -- it's not intended to be.

Once the veggies and carcass are cool enough to handle, pull off all the edible meat from the bones, shred it into bite sized pieces and add to the soup. If the carrots still look good , slice them into the broth -- otherwise, get some fresh carrots, peel, slice and add to the broth. You can also add any other veggies you'd like at this point.

Cook the whole thing until any new veggies are soft enough to eat, and serve the soup. I do NOT recommend adding noodles to this soup -- it's going to be very thick because of the stuffing and gravy, and really stands on its own --but if you're crazy about noodles, go ahead -- it's your soup after all!

This can also be frozen quite nicely in case you need a turkey moratorium.

Chili

An extremely flexible dish -- can be made with any kind of meat, or no meat at all.   Easy to make ahead of time and reheat as needed, great for a week-night dinner, a football-watching snack, or even a company dish on the weekend.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, pork, even lamb would be OK), or ground firm tofu or tempeh
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bottle of beer (I prefer something like a pale ale -- if the beer is too weak, it makes the chili watery but if it's too strong and it overwhelmes the chili)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 large can of crushed tomatoes -- fire roasted ones are particularly good and Muir Glen makes a great organic version
1 can of corn (or 1 cup of frozen or fresh corn kernels)
1 green pepper, diced (optional)
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed. (If you want a veggie version but are not a tofu fan, skip it and simply add another can or two of beans)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons sweet chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (or more, but only if you like things hot!)
Salt to taste, but you might not need any because the canned ingredients will have plenty already.

Brown the ground meat until cooked through and broken up in to bits. When it's done, add all the veggies except the corn, and saute until they are all soft, but not browned. Then drain off any fat that has accumulated from the meat.

Add the tomato paste and seasonings and mix thoroughly. After this is good and hot, add the beer, and let it come to a rapid boil for at least 2-3 minutes, to burn off the alcohol, but leave all the taste.

Then add the beans, corn, and crushed tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, and once it bubbles, reduce to low heat, cover your pot, and let it simmer for an hour.

By this time it should be nice and thick, but with a bit of "juice" left. Taste for seasoning, and add salt or anything else you think it needs.

Serve with minced raw onion and shredded cheddar or jack cheese.

Sweet Potato Curry Soup

Another easy, hearty, and warming soup for the cold months ahead.

Peel and chop five large sweet potatoes and put into a pot.
Add 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth (Swanson's low sodium will not disappoint)
Add one onion, diced and 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped.

Bring to a boil and simmer on low until the sweet potatoes are well cooked.

With either an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the mixture thoroughly.

Then add 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 tablespoon curry power (sweet or hot, the choice is yours) and 1 tablespoon ground cumin.

Simmer gently for about 10 minutes and then taste for seasoning. You will likely need to add at least a little salt, although there is some in the broth. If you want it a bit more zesty, keep adding some of each of the spices above.

It'll warm you up from the inside out!

Potato Leek Soup

Another really easy soup recipe -- this one can be ready in 30 minutes -- Rachel Ray, eat your heart out!!!

48 ounces of chicken broth (if using commercially prepared, Swanson's low-sodium is my favorite)
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 large leeks, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Tastefully Simple Seasoning Salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup cream (optional)
Crumbled bacon and/or shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Add the potatoes and garlic cloves to the broth, along with the seasoning salt and pepper, and boil gently for about 15 minutes. While that's cooking, dice the leeks and clean and dry them thoroughly ( they can often be sandy and gritty - -a salad spinner works really well), and saute them in the olive oil until they are tender. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, add 1/2 of the leeks and puree the soup. An immersion mixer works perfectly, though you can also use a blender. If you use a blender, only fill it half way, open up the hole in the top, and cover with a towel so steam can escape, but the soup won't. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher if you'd like your soup to be chunkier. Once it's blended, add the rest of the leeks, and the cream if you so desire.

As a final garnish, you can add some crumbled bacon and/or shredded cheese if you want to add a few more flavors.

If you don't have the Tastefully Simple seasoning salt, just use regular salt to taste, but it won't be as good :)

Split-Pea Soup

Fall is here and that always puts me in the mood to make big pots of soup. Nothing is more comforting to make and eat. I'll add other soup recipes as the months go on, but let me start with this one.

1/3 pound of smoked ham
1 tablespoon each of Tastefully Simple Onion, Onion and Garlic, Garlic seasonings (http://www.tastefullysimple.com/default.aspx -- search for Michelle Lacey as your consultant)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 bag of dried split peas
48 ounces of chicken broth (if you must use store-bought broth, Swanson's low sodium is my favorite but use whichever one you like best)
1/4 cup of cream (optional)

Heat up the olive oil over medium heat and when it's warm, add the ham, which should be chopped into fairly small pieces. Let it cook for a while -- till it starts to toast and brown, and leave some yummy brown bits on the bottom of your pan. Once it becomes nicely browned, add the Tastefully Simple seasonings and toast them for a minute (try a taste of them too -- it's delicious!!!), and then add the peas, stirring to coat them all with the oil. Then add the broth and pepper, bring it up to a low boil, cover the pot, and turn it down to a very low simmer. Cook for at least 90 minutes and every half hour, stir the soup until it reaches the texture you like best. If you cook it for 3+ hours, it'll be very smooth, but some folks like it with the peas a bit more in tact. If the soup gets too thick, just add water until it reaches the desired texture. You can also add water when reheating if you need to thin it out. If you'd like the soup to be extra rich, add the cream just before serving, but you won't miss the extra calories if you don't take this last step.

If you don't have the TS spices, then dice one small onion and 4 cloves of garlic and add them to the ham once it's browned up. Cook until they are also slightly brown and soft, but don't let the garlic get too brown, or it will get bitter.

Enjoy!

Broths

The basis for any great soup; the ingredient in many other recipes.   While there are some really good store-bought broths out there nowadays, there's nothing like homemade broth, and it's so easy to make.  I'll start with the basic veggie broth, and then give directions for how to add various meats or seafoods. These can be made in huge batches and frozen for long periods of time so you'll always have some ready when you need it.

Basic Vegetable Broth

1 pound of whole, unpeeled carrots
1 pound of celery
1 large yellow onion
1 head of garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
Bouquet garni (details below) of rosemary, thyme and sage

Wash the carrots, slice the bottoms off, cut them in half, and then into chunks.
Slice off the bottom of the celery, wash it, and cut into chunks.
Slice the onion into quarters -- don't bother peeling it
Slice the garlic in half, exposing the middle of as many cloves as possible.

Put all of this into a large soup pot, with the olive oil in the bottom. Saute it on medium heat for about 20 minutes, until everything gets a little browned around the edges.

Cover it with cold water -- the water should just barely cover the veggies -- no more than 1/2 inch over them.

Add the salt and pepper.

To make a bouquet garnee, take fresh or dried thyme, sage and rosemary, and tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth. Add the cheesecloth sack to the pot.

Bring this all to a low boil and then turn onto low heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Strain everything through a fine sieve and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.

If you want to make meat broths, follow the variations below:

Chicken -- The best thing is to save chicken carcasses after you've picked a roasted chicken clean.  You can bag them up in the freezer and keep for at least a month or two.  Or you can brown 4-6 chicken wings in the olive oil and then add the veggies to brown some more. Then follow directions above.

Beef -- get a half-pound of beef bones from the butcher or your supermarket, or save them when you buy bone-in steaks. Brown them in the oven for 30 minutes on 400 degree heat before you add them to the stock, and then follow directions above, but omit the sage from the broth.

Fish/Seafood -- add fish carcasses, shrimp shells, crab shells, or lobster shells to the veggie broth recipe, and omit the sage and rosemary. Use parsely instead.

When making any of the broths that are not veggie broth, you'll likely have some fat in the broth. If you want to remove it, wait for the broth to cool and it will all float to the top so you can skim it off. If you boil these broths too fast, you might also get some "scum" in the broth from the marrow in the bones. You can do a second straining, lining your sieve with cheesecloth and most of this will be removed.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe and Italian Sausage

This is a true Italian masterpiece dish, and often, an acquired taste. Broccoli rabe is a slightly bitter (in a good way) version of broccoli, with very leafy, thin stems. It needs a dual cooking process to reach its best taste, but it's actually quite easy to prepare. Italian sausage is its perfect partner, but it's also delicious with pasta, as a side dish, or as a pizza topping.

1 pound of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4 links of Italian sausage (hot or sweet; chicken, turkey or pork - it's up to you)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth

Take the broccoli rabe and plunge it into salted, boiling water for about 90 seconds. Drain the broccoli rabe and put in a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking any further. Once it has cooled, drain it again and shake as much water out of the veggies as possible.

Grill the sausage until cooked through and nicely crisped on the outside. Remove from heat and let them sit for 5 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat. While they are cooling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic slices, cooking until translucent but not letting them brown.  Then add the red pepper flakes and saute for another 30 seconds.

Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly -- saute until heated through.

Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and toss into the broccoli rabe. If any of the food is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add enough broth to loosen it up and keep things moist. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, so the flavors meld, using more broth if necessary. It's nice to have a little pool of juice at the bottom of the bowl which can be absorbed by some nice crusty Italian bread.

This is often served as an appetizer, but it really can be an ample meal, especially if served along side some risotto, polenta, or even pasta.