02-26-14: Wrapped Asparagus with Cheese Surprise.

This is a great & tasty appetizer that will surprise you !!!  We actually saw this being prepared by Fred Magnotta on WNEP TV Home & Backyard earlier this winter, we modified it down but you’ll still love it.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, place egg, parsley, Ricotta Cheese & Pecorino Romano Cheese.  Blend together with a whisk or fork.  Add Salt & Pepper to taste.

To start, get out a large baking sheet & cover it with parchment paper.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Set to the side.

Lay out the Prosciutto flat, to cover a 4” x 6” area.  Wrap 5 to 7 pieces of asparagus down on top (towards one of the ends).  Scoop the cheese & egg mixture on top of the vegetable, wrap the prosciutto tight around the asparagus.  Place on baking sheet.  Should make 5 to 6 pieces.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Plate & Serve. 

BE READY FOR THE TASTE SURPRISE !!!!

Ingredients:

·         2 Large Spoons of Ricotta Cheese.

·         ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (shredded).

·         1 Egg, large.

·         ½ TSPN Dried Parsley.

·         Fresh Asparagus, bunch.

·         ½ pound Prosciutto Ham.

2-25-14: Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini Boats in Marinara.

We saw this recipe on a Facebook post.  It was shared by Sandy Earnest, a lady that Mark used to work with at the Chef Boyardee plant.  She spent 50 years there, and recently retired so we know she has seen Plenty of Italian dishes made and marketed.  This recipe makes (4) mushroom stuffed zuchinni boats, covered and baked in home-made Marinara sauce.

In a small sauce pan, add a small amount of EVOO and 1 TBSP butter  to a hot pan.  Add in the minced garlic and chopped onion, heat  till the garlic starts to brown.  Add in the Tomato Sauce and fresh Oregano.  Heat till mixture boils, add in the wine and cook at that temperature for 3 minutes.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Reduce heat to low, stir occasionally.

Sauce Ingredients:

·         (1) 15 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce (we use Hunt’s as it is owned by Mark’s company).

·         Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

·         1 TBSP.  Butter.

·         3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced.

·         ½  Small Yellow Onion, finely diced.

·         1 TBSP.  Fresh Oregano, finely chopped.

·         ¼ cup Red Wine, we used the N.A. version (Fre brand by Sutter Home).

Now it is time to prep the (4) small zucchini’s.  Trim them to length to fit in a 9”x9” baking pan.  Utilize a small paring knife and hollow out the insides (remove seeds & fruit).  Save 1 to 2 large pieces to be used with the mushrooms.  Utilizing a tablespoon, coat the insides of all the zucchini boats with a generous paste of Ricotta Cheese.  Set baking pan & zucchini’s off to the side.

Take 8 ounces of white button mushrooms, clean and dice to approximately ½” cube.  Sautee in pan, add in the left over diced pieces of zucchini, onion, red hot pepper and dried seasonings.

Fill zucchini boats with sautéed mushroom mixture.  Cover with sauce over the four “boats”.   Fill bottom of 9”x9” pam with balance of the Marinara Sauce. 

Top boats with shredded Mozzarella & Pecorino  Romano.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Plate and enjoy !

Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini in Marinara Ingredients:

·         4 small Zucchini.

·         8 oz White button Mushrooms.

·         1 Red Jalapeno Pepper, rough chopped.

·         ½ small Yellow Onion, rough chopped.

·         1 TBSP.  Dried Italian Seasoning.

·         ¼ Cup Shredded Mozzarella.

·         2 TBSP.  Pecorino Romano cheese.

·         Marinara Sauce.

·         Approximately 4 TBSP. Ricotta Cheese (coat the inside of the squash).

2-19-14: Spicy Chicken Gyro.

Here is a twist on the Traditional Greek Lamb Gyro that so many people eat at County Fairs, Carnivals or at Greek Restaurants.  This recipe makes (4) Gyros that are spicy (has a kick), easy to make and are actually very healthy for you at the same time.

To start, you’ll need 2 medium sized Boneless Chicken Breasts.  Cut into strips that are ½ inch wide, don’t worry about the length as long as they aren’t longer than 6 inches.  Cover and rub the chicken with the Creole Seasoning noted below.  Wrap in Plastic or use a Zip-Loc style bag, place in the refridgerator for 2 hours.  Place chicken, EVOO, Oregano and Lemon Juice in a sealed container to marinade over-night.  Stir or turn twice.

Marinade Ingredients:

·         5 to 6 TBSP.  Creole Spice Blend (rub into chicken pieces).

·         ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

·         1 TBSP.  Fresh Oregano (finely cut).

·         ½ Lemon Juiced.

On day two, you’ll cook the chicken, assemble the Gyro’s and the best part is the eating.

Cook the Chicken (and the marinade juices) in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, turn once.

Assemble the Gyro with the following ingredients and douse with the Tzatziki dressing.   Enjoy !!!

Gyro Ingredients:

·         ½ marinated and cooked Boneless Chicken Breast.

·         1 Pita Flat Bread or Gyro Bread.

·         Sliced or Chopped Romaine lettuce.

·         Red Onion, thin sliced.

·         Cucumber, skin on, thin sliced.

·         Tzatziki Dressing.

2-18-14: Tzatziki Dressing.

We are making the Tzatziki dressing or sauce to go with our home-made Spicy Chicken Gyros.  But we thought we would put this simple recipe out on the blog, as it can be used with other dishes that come from your Kitchen.  Total Time = 15 minutes.

Get your Blender or Food Processor out.  Prep all your ingredients, place in vessel and Blend to a smooth consistency.  Let the sauce cool overnight in the refrigerator.  Place in Freezer for ½ hour to thicken before serving.

Ingredients:

·         1 Cup Greek Non-Fat Yogurt.

·         1 Cucumber, skinned, seeded and diced.

·         3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.

·         1 TSP.  lemon zest.

·         1 TBSP.  Fresh Lemon Juice.

·         2 TBSP.  Fresh Chopped Dill.

·         Salt & Pepper.

2-11-14: Cajun Scallops on a bed of Capellini.

If you are in the mood for a light dinner with some “zest” and some seafood, you are going to love eating this dish.  It is really quite simple to prepare and only takes a few ingredients.  The recipe below feeds only 2, so just add to the scallops & pasta if feeding more…

To start, you’ll need a small 9x9 glass baking dish (any bake-ware will work), add in the wine, EVOO and the minced garlic.  Wisk to spread out the garlic.  Add in the scallops, sprinkle in some parsley, oregano and finally some dry Cajun seasoning blend.  We use Zatarain’s, but use what you can find.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping the scallops once.  You know they are done when you see the base start to boil.  Start to cook your Pasta about ten minutes after tossing the scallops in the oven.

Ingredients:

·         ½ pound Sea Scallops (quartered).

·         ¼ cup of White Wine (we use N/A  FRE Brand).

·         6 TBSP.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

·         6 Ounces of Angel Hair Pasta or Capellini.

·         1 TBSP.  Fresh Oregano (finely cut).

·         1 TBSP.  Creole Spice Blend.

·         2 TBSP.  Flat leaf Parsley (finely cut).

Plate the Pasta.  Place Scallops on the bed, and cover with the juices from the baking dish.  Sprinkle with some more parsley to add a splash of color.  Serve with Bread, which your guests will devour as they soak up the juices.  A Glass of white wine tops it off.

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