Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

    3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

    2 teaspoons paprika

    1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

    4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)

    1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

Butterfinger Pie

Butterfinger Pie

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Prep Time: 40 min

Cook Time: 12 min

This is a very rich and decadent pie, and it's quite a good way to use up butterfingers...
Ingredients:

CRUST:
14 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
4 Tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:
23 fun-size butterfinger candy bars (or 15 ounces of butterfingers), divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

TOPPING:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Directions:

1. Prepare crust: Preheat oven to 375° F. In a food processor, process the cookies into fine crumbs. Add melted butter to crumbs and continue to process until well blended. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and press evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes. The crust will puff up and shrink slightly. Use the flat bottom of a drinking glass to gently press down on the crust. Cool completely.

2. Prepare filling: In a food processor, process 20 of the butterfinger bars into fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs into two 1/2 cup portions and one 1 cup portion; set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and milk. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Whisk in hot milk mixture 1 Tablespoon at a time until eggs are tempered (slowly warmed up). Then add eggs to remaining milk in the pan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. Scoop out 1 cup of the peanut butter mixture and put it in a medium bowl; cover and set aside. Add chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the butterfinger crumbs to the remaining peanut butter mixture in the saucepan. Stir until chips are melted. Pour this mixture into the cooled crust. Refrigerate while you're preparing the next layer.

4. Prepare peanut butter layer: Whip 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Scoop into the bowl with the reserved peanut butter filling and fold together with 1/2 cup of butterfinger crumbs too. Remove pie from refrigerator and mound peanut butter mixture evenly over chocolate layer and spread to the edges.

5. Prepare the topping: Whip the 2 cups of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining 1 cup of butterfinger crumbs. Spoon over the top of the pie, mounding slightly in the center. Chop the remaining 3 fun-sized candy bars and sprinkle over the top of the pie.

6. Cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

    1/2 cup butter

    1 onion, chopped

    1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli

    4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

    1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food, cubed

    2 cups milk

    1 tablespoon garlic powder

    2/3 cup cornstarch

    1 cup water

                       Directions

    In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
    Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
    In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Microwave Caramels Recipe

Ingredients

    1 cup unsalted butter
    2-1/3 cups (1 pound) brown sugar, firmly packed
    1 cup light corn syrup
    1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

    In 2-qt. microwave-safe pitcher, combine the butter, sugar, syrup, milk and salt. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once after every minute. 

When butter is melted, stir well. Attach microwave candy thermometer. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until mixture reaches 245° (firm-ball stage). No stirring is needed. Remove from microwave; stir in vanilla and walnuts. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring well several times.

 Pour into buttered 13-in. x 9-in. pan (smaller 11-in. x 7-in. pan yields thicker candy as shown in photo). Refrigerate until cool. Invert pan. Carefully tap out whole block of candy; cut in squares. Wrap in waxed paper and store in refrigerator. (Can also freeze.) Yield: about 2-3/4 lbs.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
    Salt and pepper
    2 teaspoons cumin powder
    2 teaspoons garlic powder
    1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
    1 red onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup frozen corn, thawed
    5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
    4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
    1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
    1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
    16 corn tortillas
    1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
    1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
    Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

SERVES: 8; Calories: 383; Total Fat: 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 29 grams; Total carbohydrates: 39 grams; Sugar: 7 grams; Fiber: 6 grams; Cholesterol: 63 milligrams; Sodium: 1,216 milligrams

Potato Sausage Casserole Recipe

   Ingredients

    1 pound bulk pork sausage
    1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
    3/4 cup milk
    1/2 cup chopped onion
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    3 cups sliced peeled potatoes
    2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
    Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

    In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Combine the soup, milk, onion, salt and pepper.
    In a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer half of the potatoes, soup mixture and sausage. Repeat layers.
    Cover and bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with cheese; bake, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, cheese, and garlic powder. Coat the chicken all over with the yogurt mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Garlic Chicken

                                                                                                           Ingredients
 
 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 500°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.
2
In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.
3
Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.
4
Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.
5
Add salt and pepper to taste.
6
Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes.

How To Make Basic Banana Bread

Banana Bread Recipe

    Prep time: 5 minutes
    Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients

    3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
    1/3 cup melted butter
    1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
    1 egg, beaten
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    Pinch of salt
    1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Zesty Tortellini Salad

Another great twist to a classic side dish..and perfect for these summer heatwaves we’ve been having! The tough part about this pairing is the zesty flavors. I love zesty, but zesty and wine often fight. However, a rounded California Zinfandel would be fruit forward enough to take on the challenge here.
Ingredients

1 cup very thinly sliced red onions (or Vidalias)
2 (9-ounce) packages cheese tortellini, cooked and drained*
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 ounces Genoa salami, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup good-quality red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Soak red onions in a small bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine the onions, cooked tortellini, bell pepper, and salami. Whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; toss with pasta until combined. Taste and season with additional vinegar, salt, and pepper if necessary. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.

This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance. Add chopped parsley and a few more splashes of red wine vinegar and olive oil before serving, to taste.

Homemade Bread Recipes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups water, warmed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or 5 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions:

1
In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the warm water and stir in sugar until dissolved.
2
Add the salt and the flour, one cup at a time.
3
Knead bread for about 5-10 minutes.
4
Place bread in a large bowl sprayed with olive oil spray and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and place in(inactive/not hot) oven to rise for one hour, or until dough has doubled in size. (If the kids really can't wait, 45 minutes works too!).
5
Punch down the bread and let the kids shape it, or put it into two loaf pans. I recommend brushing with an egg mixed with a tablespoon of water because it makes the bread taste better and makes it golden and crispy on the outside. Let the dough rise for another half hour (you can skimp on this to 20 minutes again if you have to!). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with margarine mixed with honey (about 2-3 tablespoons, to taste) and brown sugar (ditto, but packed). To store this bread, wrap very tightly in several layers of foil, or put in a large Ziploc bag and seal. But, it's best warm and served the same day -- however putting chunks in the microwave for 10 seconds if it's a day old helps, too. (Forgive me for my run-on sentences -- I am educated!).
6
P.S. Even for a health nut like I usually am, using whole-wheat flour exclusively in this recipe gives it a bad reputation.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

    2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
    1/2 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup packed light-brown sugar
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    2 large eggs
    2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

    Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

    Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Double Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

If you haven't ever made your own birthday cake, I highly recommend it.


makes two 9-inch round layers

For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces dark chocolate (I like 70% for this), melted
1 cup strong brewed coffee
Crushed pistachios and extra cocoa powder for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two standard 9-inch cake pans and set aside. (For the cake you see above I used a 9-inch cake pan and a deeper 7-inch springform to create two different-sized layers.)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using beaters), cream the softened butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time on low speed, then add the vanilla extract and sour cream. On medium speed, mix in the melted chocolate and coffee.

Finally add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in about 2 or three batches. Mix until batter is uniform; it will look light brown and turn much darker in the oven as it bakes.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack and wrap with plastic wrap until you're ready to frost and serve cake.

For the frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

In the bowl of a standing mixer, sift the powdered sugar. Cream the soft butter into the sugar until fully mixed. Add the sour cream, cocoa powder, pinch of salt and vanilla and mix on medium speed until uniform in color. Taste and sweeten if you like by adding a little more powdered sugar (I like my frosting not too sweet).

To assemble the cake:
Use a few strips of wax paper to line a cake stand or plate. Frost generously between the two layers and the exterior; I just used a spoon and made simple swirls. Garnish with crushed pistachios and cocoa powder, if desired. Serve immediately.

How To Make Meatballs

This simple recipe for delicious homemade meatballs can be flavored any way you like, or just make it plain.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:

    1 lb. lean ground beef
    1 egg
    2 Tbsp. water
    1/2 cup bread crumbs
    1/4 cup minced onion
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/8 tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine egg, water, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper and combine. Add ground beef, broken into chunks, and mush with your hands to combine. Form into meatballs about 1" in diameter and place on a broiler pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are no longer pink in center. Cool and freeze, or when baked, use in your favorite recipe

Authentic Spaghetti alla Carbonara

If you’d like to make this pasta for four people, double the recipe, but transfer the pasta back into the pot used for cooking it and then toss it with the eggs and cheese. Serves 2
Kosher salt
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. fatty pancetta or guanciale, sliced 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1-1/2 x 1/2-inch rectangles
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 large eggs, chilled
1/2 lb. imported dried spaghetti (I like Setaro brand; avaiable online)
1/2 cup lightly packed, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta or guanciale and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. (If the meat is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium low.) Add the onion and continue to cook until it’s soft and golden and the meat is crisp, about 5 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully spoon off all but about 2 Tbs. of the fat. Add 1 Tbs. water to the pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until it’s just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the spaghetti. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet, set it over medium heat, and toss with tongs to coat the spaghetti with the fat and finish cooking to al dente, about 1 minute. If the pasta is too dry or starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add 1 or 2 tsp. of the pasta water. You want the bottom of the pan to be just barely wet. If the pan is too dry, the eggs will scramble when you add them.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the eggs over the pasta, tossing quickly and continuously until the eggs thicken and turn to the consistency of a thin custard, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Tossing constantly is important, as it prevents the eggs from scrambling.)

The sauce should be smooth and creamy, and it should cling to the pasta. Add a little more pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Stir in the Parmigiano and season to taste with salt and pepper (you may not need additional salt, as both guanciale and pancetta can be very salty). Serve immediately..

Simple Rosemary-Rubbed Pork Chops

Here's a quick and easy recipe for grilled pork chops, in time for our second week of Meat/Un-Meat coverage.

This dish would be nice with some polenta, or bed of mashed sweet potatoes.

Makes four serving
 4 pork loin chops (about 1/2 pound each)
1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil for the pan
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Preparation

• Combine rosemary, brown sugar, salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over chops. Let spices penetrate meat for a few minutes before cooking. If there's time, cover and put in refrigerator for a few hours before cooking.
• If chops have been refrigerated, remove from refrigerator and let the chill dissipate for 10-15 minutes. Cook on an oiled, pre-heated (medium-high) grill-pan or skillet, oiled grill about 5 minutes on each side.
• A nice, thick 1-inch chop will be done (medium-rare) in about 12 minutes, so about six minutes per side, or when an instant-read thermometer registers 145°.*
• Tent with foil, and let rest a few minutes before serving as the chop will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the grill.
• Serve with pan juices, mustard or a nice chutney.

How to make Griddled Chicken with tomato salsa

This aromatic dish is a great way to enjoy the flavour, colour and health benefit of good quality fresh ingredients. Plum tomatoes are richly flavoured, less watery and have less seeds than regular tomatoes. If unavailable use ripe, flavoursome salade tomatoes-sun-ripened would be ideal. for best result, marinate the chicken overnight.

serves
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, about 175g/6oz each
30ml/2tbsp fresh lemon juice
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
10ml/2 tbsp ground cumin
10ml/2 tbsp dried oregano
15ml/ 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

For the salsa
1 fresh green chilli
 450g/ 1 lb plum tomatoes, skinned (optional), seeded and chopped
3 spring onions (scallions), chopped
15ml/ 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
30ml/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
45ml/3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation
1. with a meat mallet, pound the chicken between two sheets of clear film (plastic wrap) until thin

2. in a shallow dish combine the lemon juice, oil, cumin, oregano and pepper. Add the chicken, cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

3. To make the salsa, char the chilli over a gas flame or under the grill (broiler). Leave to cool, then carefully rub off the charred skin.

4. Chop the chilli very finely and place in a bowl. Add the seeded and chopped tomatoes, the chopped spring onions, chopped fresh parsley and coriander, lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. set aside until ready to serve.

5. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Heat a ridged griddle pan. Add the chicken fillets and cook on one side until browned, for about 3 mins. Turn over and cook for 4 mins. more. Serve with the tomato salsa.

Pineapple and Ginger Juice recipe

 Fresh root ginger is one of the best natural cures for indigestion and it helps to settle upset stomachs, whether caused by food poisoning or  motion sickness.
Ingredients
1/2 small pineapple
25g/1ozfresh root ginger
 1 carrot
ice cubes

Preparations
1. Using a sharp knife, cut away the skin from the pineapple, then halve and remove the core. Roughly slice the pineapple flesh. peel and roughly chop the ginger, the chop the ginger, then chop the carrot.

2. Push the carrot, ginger and pineapple through a juicer and pour into a glass. Add ice cubes and serve immediately.