Posts

Showing posts from 2012

Basic Homemade Tomato Sauce

Image
Here is my homemade tomato sauce recipe. It is easy and delicious. Make a large batch and then freeze some for later.  It is easy to pull out for a quick spaghetti meal during the week. Ingredients: 4 boxes of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes. 8 cloves of garlic pressed 1 small sweet onion chopped very fine 4 fresh basil leaves pinch of baking soda olive oil Directions: In a large pot,  saute the onions in the olive oil until golden, add the garlic and saute while stirring frequently. You don't want the garlic to burn. Add the 4 boxes of chopped tomatoes. Bring to a hard boil. Add a pinch of baking soda and stir. This takes the acidity out of the tomatoes and makes the sauce sweet. Lastly add the fresh basil. Stir one more time. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour with the pot partially covered. Stir every so often throughout the hour.

Pasta with Sun dried Tomatoes and Mozz

Image
Are you looking for a quick and easy weekday dinner?  Try this simple pasta. It can be served warm or cold. It is also healthy for you.   Sun dried tomatoes :   full of antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and rich in calcium and iron. Broccoli Rabe: good source of pantothenic acid, folate, iron, calcium, and vitamins K, A, and C. Ingredients: 1 pound of pasta 1 bunch of broccoli rabe(boiled in salted water for 1 minute and then set aside) 3 cloves of garlic pressed 1 jar of sun dried tomatoes basket cheese (unsalted Mozzarella) Directions: Boil water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Cook pasta for approximately 10 minutes. In a fry pan, saute the garlic, and broccoli rabe until tender. Add the sun dried tomatoes. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Add the chopped basket cheese last. Regular mozzarella works great too! Enjoy!

Potato Vegetable Salad

Image
I made this Potato Vegetable Salad tonight to go with bbq chicken. This salad can be made for a side dish or a vegetarian main dish. It is simple and has lots of flavors. Don't be nervous about the mayonaise. It is not overwhelming. In fact, my dad does not like mayo at all, but he loves this salad! My secret ingredient to take out the thickness and overwhelming taste of mayonaise is Vinegar. I just let out the secret. Yes, Vinegar!  You must try it. It does wonders! Ingredients: 4 large red potatoes boiled whole in salted water until tender 1 head of fresh spinach washed and chopped 1 carrot grated 5 garlic cloves pressed 1/4 red onion thinly sliced 1 head of white asparagus chopped and steamed 1 head of broccoli chopped and steamed mayonaise 1-2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (rice vinegar works well too!) salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a large bowl add raw chopped spinach, carrot, garlic, onion. Then add the hot steamed broccoli and aspara

The Best Turkey Soup

Image
I have never had a really good Turkey Soup until I made this one.  I usually found Turkey Soup to be bland.  I was reading several recipes for soup in the local Florida newspaper and got some new ideas.  My dad and I decided to give it a try. It was a great way to use the left overs from the appetizer vegetable tray and the extra gravy. This was absolutely  delicious with lots of flavor . I believe the secret ingredient to the soup is adding the gravy. Ingredients: 1 bunch Cilantro 1 bunch Parsley 2 large carrots chopped 2 celery stalk chopped 1 large Spanish Onion diced 5 large garlic cloves pressed From vegetable tray: Red,yellow,orange,and green pepper (5-6 slices of each)  Turkey carcass(whole turkey with some meat and apples, onion, sage that was the stuffing inside) Adobo All Purpose Seasoning (the one with the blue cap) -- be generous--about 2-3 Tbsp. Turkey gravy Sweet paprika-- 1 Tbsp. Water to cover.   Directions: Put everything

Spruced Up Dinner Side Salad

Image
Dinner side salads don't have to be boring. They can be a quite exciting side dish to any meal. In a large bowl mix add the following ingredients: 1 Head Red leaf lettuce (washed, dried and chopped) 2 Vine Tomatoes sliced Asiago Cheese diced Pitted Kalamata olives 1/2 Small Red Onion thinly sliced Walnuts Dressing: 1 part Red Wine Vinegar 3 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Garlic Clove pressed 1/4 Tsp. Kosher Salt 2 Tbsp. Plain Greek Yogurt (It makes the dressing creamy) Mix the dressing in well with the salad using tongs to toss the salad.  Top the salad with Homemade Croutons. Dish the salad in small dinner bowls. Homemade Croutons: 3 Everything Bagels chopped into bite size pieces. Place the chopped bagel in a plastic zip lock bag and pour olive oil in the bag. Shake the bag so that every piece of bread gets covered with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until golden brown and crispy.

Red Lentil Soup

Image
Red lentils are not only great tasting and a staple food in Middle Eastern cooking, but they are very nutritious also. These lovely little lentils are a great source of protein,fiber,iron, anti-oxidants,magnesium,and Vitamin B.  I was in the mood for Red Lentil Soup today. I googled many recipes and decided on one that was featured in the NY Times. The soup was smelling quite nice as it was simmering on the stove, so I had a sample. Bland!  Now what to do? There was no way I was going to be able to eat bland soup for the next three days and I wasn't about to discard it.  Nothing else to do, but open up the trusty spice cabinet and started adding a little of this and a little of that. I sampled the soup again, and it was getting better. I added another splash of this and a splash of that. Voila!!! Soup came out great.  Recipe:  Ingredients: 1 pound of Red Lentils (Lentils need to soak for 1 hour in cold water and rinsed well afterwards.) Canola Oil 4 Cloves o

Bacalao over Yucca

Image
About five years ago, I was a homebound teacher in Mount Vernon. Around 5:30, as the lessons were coming to a close, I would smell wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. I finally asked the mother what she was making the family for dinner. To my surprise, she showed me how she made the meal and packed me a container to take home. It was outstanding! I have made this dish from that day on. I chose to have my Bacalao over Yucca, but it can go over anything. (Potatoes, Yams, Batatas etc.) Bacalao is dried, salted, cod fish. Yucca Root is often called Cassava. It is a native food of South America and consumed in the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Yucca is a starchy vegetable and is a great source of Vitamin A,B,C and Carbohydrates. It also has many health benefits. See the link below to read about all the health benefits of this wonderful root vegetable. http://fuegomundo.com/blog/health-benefits-of-yucca Recipe: Ingredients: 1 large Yucca Root 1 pound Bacal

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

Image
This is my first recipe I am posting. This dish was inspired by Barefoot Contessa's ginger chicken recipe. It is very easy and delish! Ingredients for Marinade:  3/4 cup Soy Sauce (low sodium-otherwise it will be very very salty) 1 cup Honey 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds 4 tsp. Ground Ginger 4 pound Whole Chicken 6 Garlic cloves pressed Directions:  Wash the chicken with water and lemon, then place it in a large bowl. In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients and warm until the honey gets very soft and not clumpy. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Place the chicken in a large zip lock bag and add the remaining sauce to marinate overnight. In the morning place the chicken and the marinade in the crock pot and cook on Low for 7 hours. Crock Pot Whole Chicken Let's travel to new places and experience new dishes. https://dgiusti.dreamtrips.com/