Category: Recipe

Recipe

Recipe: Yummy Fruit Pizza

Suzanne Strength2 Comments

Summer is here and all of those beautiful fresh fruits are just beckoning us to make something yummy!  This little recipe is simple as can be and my little chef had the best time assembling and then decorating it.  I love recipes that are kid friendly!

Yummy Fruit Pizza

ingredients

  • 1 (16 1/2 ounce) package Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
  • 1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 kiwi fruits
  • 1 banana
  • 5 strawberries (any other fruits you would like to add also)

directions

Roll out cookie dough flat onto a prepared greased cookie sheet. Bake by instructions. Mix with a mixer cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk. Spread this on top of cooled cookie. Slice all fruits as thick as you like. Drop randomly, or you can decorate with your toppings. Chill or serve immediately.

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Recipe

Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Suzanne Strength1 Comment

I’ve been seeing these little gems floating around Pinterest for a while now and I finally got around to trying them.  I didn’t expect much, I’m not much of a muffin person, but these were so incredible.  They were very moist, and packed with huge flavors!  I wish I’d doubled the recipe.  I saved what few we didn’t gobble in the fridge and warmed them in the microwave the next morning and they were still wonderful.

ingredients

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup pepperoni
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce (to serve with Pizza Puffs)

directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • Grease 24-cup mini-muffin pan.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.
  • Whisk in the milk and egg. Stack slices of pepperoni and cut into small pieces.
  • Stir in mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.
  • Bake until puffy and golden, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the sauce with the Pizza Puffs for dipping.

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*Adapted from Plain Chicken

 

Recipe

Recipe: Mop and Marinade Sauce

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Summertime means Grilling Time!  With this recent heat wave we’ve experienced (112 says my car!) I can’t see turning on the oven for anything.  It just heats up the entire house and my air conditioner runs non-stop as it is.  Time to fire up the grill!  This marinade is sweet and tangy and is perfect with pork. It can also be used for beef and even chicken.  Even more important: I have each of these ingredients in my pantry on any given day.  Try it tonight if you are stumped on what to do with that bare pack of meat.  Original recipe from Boomette

Mop and Marinade Sauce

Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 1/4 cup real maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup soy sauce
    • 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
    • 1 teaspoon ground rosemary

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients and pour over meat as marinade, or use as a mopping sauce on ribs or pork tenderloin, basting fresquently on the grill.

Print this recipe here:  Mop and Marinade Sauce

Recipe

Mama Iuliucci’s Famous Meat-A-Balls

Suzanne Strength1 Comment

Mama Iuliucci’s Famous Meat-A-Balls

Sometimes you want a recipe that you just look in the pantry to make.  Late nights when you don’t want to deal with fancy ingredients, short weeks when you are trying to stretch your budget, or…tonight?  I had all of these ingredients in the fridge or pantry.  Plus, these little guys are delicious.  I made a ton and froze  about 3/4 of them and they were still delicious after having been in my freezer.  You can’t ask for more than that from your meatball, folks.

ingredients

  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 8 -10 slices white bread, broken into small 1/2 inch pieces (or you can use rolls or any stale bread you have and want to use up)
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or to taste)
  • 1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or Locatelli)
  • 1 -2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • olive oil (for frying) or vegetable oil (for frying)

directions

  • Mix all ingredients gently in a large bowl until well combined.

  • Roll meatballs 1 1/2- 1 3/4″ in diameter.

  • Heat about 1/4″ of oil over medium heat in a large frying pan.
  • Fry meatballs in oil, rolling frequently, until evenly browned and juices run clear.
  • Drop meatballs in your favorite sauce  and let simmer for awhile to flavor sauce or just serve with your favorite pasta and sauce.

notes

You can also bake or broil these if the frying part is too much of a hassle– I use my broiler pan if I bake them, so the fat drips down and away from the meatballs.

 

Recipe

Mom’s Macaroni and Cheese

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Summer is here, yes!  I’m so thrilled that the weather is warming up so we can do some outdoor cooking on the grill and eat outside on the deck.  The other night we had ribs and macaroni and cheese (and other stuff) and it was so fabulous.  As much as I love grilling, my side dishes are favorites for me.  This macaroni and cheese recipe comes from Taste of Home magazine and is creamy on the inside with a crispy topping for texture.  I hope you love it as much as we did.

Mom’s Macaroni and Cheese

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 ounces process cheese, cubed (Velveeta)
  • 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
  1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cheeses, stirring until cheese is melted. Drain macaroni.
  2.  Transfer macaroni to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni; mix well. Melt the remaining butter; add the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes or until heated through and topping is golden brown.
  3. Serves 6

 

Recipe

Easy Coconut Pie

Suzanne Strength2 Comments

This coconut pie is so sweet, but so good.  I thought after reading the ingredient list and instructions it couldn’t possibly be that great.  But I was wrong.  It was rich and eggy, but just a little crispy-crunchy on top from the coconut.  We had the whole thing gone in hours.

Easy Coconut Pie

ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup margarine, melted
  • 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (3 ounce) can flaked coconut, divided
  • 1 (9 inch) pie crusts, unbaked

directions

  • 1. Cream eggs and sugar in mixer bowl until light and fluffy.

  • 2. Stir in melted margarine.

  • 3. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, and 3/4 of coconut; mix well.

  • 4. Pour into pie shell.

  • 5. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

  • 6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 minutes or until set.

 

Recipe

Frozen Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mud Pie

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I’m always keeping my eye peeled for a recipe that looks complicated, but is actually very easy.  This is one of those recipes.  Suzanne Z’s Semi Homemade, if you will.  Next time I have a party, I’m making this.  I’ll unmold it out of the springform pan right in front of my company’s face and lap up the compliments.  Sigh.  I miss entertaining.

Frozen Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mud Pie

  • 1 (7 1/4 ounce) package pepperidge farm nantucket dark chocolate chunk cookies, any crispy variety
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1 (11 3/4 ounce) jar hot fudge topping
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted* or 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping
  1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F Lightly grease 9″ springform pan. Place cookies in zipper plastic bag. Close and crush with rolling pin until crumbs form. Combine cookie crumbs with butter. Press into bottom of pan.
  2. BAKE 10 minute Let cool in pan.
  3. SPOON ice cream onto cookie shell. Freeze 1 hours.
  4. SPREAD fudge topping on top of ice cream. Top with pecans. Cover and freeze 3 hours or overnight. To serve, cut into wedges. Top with whipped cream.
  5. TIP: To toast, spread pecans or walnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 minute or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.

 

Recipe

Spanakopetes

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Here’s another gem from my Essential New York Times Cookbook.  I’m telling you, my sis gave me that for Christmas one year and it has been a magnificent source for info and terrific recipes.  Those New Yorkers can throw down in the kitchen.

Now, how did I decide to make something so ambitious, you may be asking yourself?  Easy, I had leftover phyllo dough that needed using up.  But this recipe is worth going out and buying it for this alone.

Spanakopetes

  • 1 lb fresh spinach
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup chopped scallion
  • 1 cup crumbled feta(about 4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 12 sheets phyllo pastry
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Discard any tough stems from spinach, wash, and drain well. Coarsely chop.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Drain well in a colander (set the pan aside) and press with the back of a large spoon to push out excess moisture.
  • Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, and scallions until wilted, stirring often. When the mixture starts to brown, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Let cool.
  • Add the spinach, feta, Parmesan chees, dill, and parsley to the onion mixture. Beat the egg and yolk together lightly and add to the spinach mixture. Add very little salt and season with pepper. Stir in the pine nuts—be careful not to overmix, you want the ingredients to remain distinct.
  • Use 1 sheet of phyllo pastry for each 2 spinach triangles. Brush a smooth work surface (or sheet of plastic wrap) with melted butter.
  •  Spread out 1 sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. (keep the rest of the phyllo covered with a slightly dampened cloth, or it will dry out.)
  •  Using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise in half.
  • Fold each rectangle lengthwise in half to make a smaller rectangle.
  • Place 1½ tablespoons of the spinach mixture in the bottom of one of the rectangles.
  • Fold one corner of the rectangle over the spinach filling to make a triangle. Fold this triangle over itself toward the top—as you would fold a flag—and continue folding up until triangle is produced. Brush this all over with butter and put on the baking sheet. Continue making triangles until all the spinach filling is used.
  • Bake the triangles for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.
Recipe

Tomato Soup

Suzanne Strength1 Comment

My family loves tomato soup, but having it out has kind of ruined the simple canned Campbell’s version for me.  My favorite is at a local chain called Fatz, which is a horrid name for a restaurant.  I digress.  The Tuscan Tomato soup is so amazing there.  Imagine my surprise when one of the waitresses let slip that they don’t really make it in the kitchen, but that it comes in a huge bag they warm up.  I figured if they could make that taste good, whatever I did in the kitchen would taste good, too.  And for once I was right.

This recipe started with the Essential New York Times Cookbook, but I made a couple of adjustments to keep myself from having to go to the store.  Here is what you’ll need:

TOMATO SOUP

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 4 basil leaves, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 35 ounces tomatoes
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream

 

Directions:

  1. Melt 8 TBSP butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add onion, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste and cook stirring occasionally, until onion is wilted. Whiz up the canned tomatoes in a food processor. Add tomatoes and tomato soup and stir to blend. Bring to simmer and simmer 10 minutes.
  2. Place the flour in a small bowl and add about 5 tablespoons of broth, stirring to blend. Stir this into the tomato mixture, add remaining broth and bring to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
  3. Add sugar and cream, simmering 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter, stir to melt. Serve.
Recipe

Pork Kabobs

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Pork is not one of my favorite foods, but my family loves it.  I can’t explain why that is, it is such a lean meat, which is usually right up my alley.  My dad overdid us on pork roasts while I was growing up, we even make a pork roast for him at Thanksgiving because he will not eat turkey.

This recipe came together pretty quickly and was a pleaser.  My husband and I ate the pork kabobs in pita bread topped with the creamy sauce (his with lettuce, tomatoes and onions) but my son put the plain pork cubes on his plate and ate them with a toothpick.  Either way, delicious!

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 lbs boneless pork , cut into 1-inch cubes

CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
  • pita bread

Directions:

  1. In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the first eight ingredients; add pork and toss to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients; cover and refrigerate for several hours. Drain pork and discard marinade; thread pork on skewers, leaving a small space between pieces.
  3.  Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink, turning frequently. Serve in pita bread with sauce.