Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
¾ pounds Ground Beef
¾ pounds Ground Pork
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Fine Bread Crumbs
2 whole Eggs
¾ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
¼ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Splash Of Milk
½ cups Olive Oil
Sauce:
1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
½ cups White Or Red Wine (optional)
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional)
2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Directions:
To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.
To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.
In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and wine, if using. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.
Just before serving, stir in basil if using.
Serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:
3 whole Red Bell Peppers
2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (optional)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ cups Heavy Cream
Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Minced
Fresh Parmesan, Shaved Or Grated
½ pounds (to 1 Pound) Pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Etc.

Directions:
Roast red peppers, and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.
Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.
Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.
Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together.
Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Biscuits & Gravy

Ingredients:
1 pound Breakfast Sausage
1 can (16 Oz.) Canned Biscuits (or make your own)
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Slice the breakfast sausage and place in a warm pan. Cook the sausage according to the instruction (thoroughly cooked inside). Remove them to a paper towel to drain.
Place your biscuits into the oven to cook according to the instructions on the can.
Pour grease out of the skillet/pan you used for the sausage, adding back in only what you want to use to make the gravy. For one to two people, use about 2 to 3 tbsp. of grease. Over low to medium-low heat, add about 2 tbsp of flour to the grease and whisk immediately. If you add in a little more grease so it’s smooth and stirrable. You want to find a good balance between the flour and the grease.
Once you find it, just keep stirring with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for a few minutes. As you whisk, scrape in the anything from the bottom of the pan as you go.
After 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, pour in about a cup of milk. IF the mixture is dry, lumpy or pasty, add in more milk – again, drawing a balanced mixture. Add salt to taste. Let the gravy warm up over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cut prepared biscuits in half pour gravy atop them.

Yogurt-Marmalade Cake

Ingredients:
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 cup (heaping) Plain, Lowfat Yogurt
1 cup Sugar
3 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 whole Zest Of Lemon
½ cups Canola Oil
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ORANGE GLAZE:
½ cups Prepared Orange Marmelade
¼ cups Yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray (or grease and flour it if it makes your skirt fly up). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup of yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not over beat.
Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan. While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into a sauce pan. Heat it on low until melted, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of yogurt to the pan and turn off heat. Stir to combine, then pour slowly over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.

Monkey Muffins

Ingredients:
Leftover Bread Dough (or Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, Cut Into Thirds)
Butter
Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Sweetened, Condensed Milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut refrigerated biscuit dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin.
Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon.
Allow dough to rise, if applicable, or just go ahead and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately drizzle plenty of sweetened condensed milk over the top of each one. Be generous! Allow rolls to sit for a little while to absorb sweet, sticky milk.

PW's Steak Bites

Ingredients:
1 pound Sirloin Steak (without much gristle) OR Pre-cut Beef Tips
Kosher Salt To Taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:
Trim off the large obvious piece of fat that runs along the side of the meat. Next, cut strips less than 1-inch wide. Rotate the meat and cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see any more large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membrane cut them off.
Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.
Next, turn on your ventilation fan overhead. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.
Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30-45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds—just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT cook the inside.
Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly, when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate, pour all that browned/blackened butter all over the meat.

Quesadillas de Camarones

Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas
12 whole Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
8 ounces, fluid Mexican Red Sauce
1 whole Large Onion
1 whole Red Bell Pepper
1 whole Green Bell Pepper
2 cups Cheese, Grated (Monterey Jack Is Best)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt To Taste

Directions:
Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

Ingredients:
1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.
In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.
Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.
Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.
Note: mushrooms are best when they’ve been allowed to cool slightly. Delicious

Cheddar Puffs

Ingredients:
1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes*
½ sticks Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces, Cream Cheese, Sliced
1-½ cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Directions:

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.
Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

*When I made these I had more bread than sauce. Next time, I'll use the cubes that have crust on them. They hold up much better with the sauce and are crunchier. Also, I cubed the bread and let it sit for a few hours so it got a tiny bit crusty.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Ingredients:
Frozen, Unbaked Dinner Rolls
Melted Butter, Regular, Salted
Fresh Rosemary, Coarsely Chopped
Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:
Spray a small iron skillet with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours.
After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.
Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. Brush with additional butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake according to roll package directions (usually 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes), until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.
Serve skillet on the table.

Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions and Fontina

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2/3 cup shredded fontina cheese, preferably aged
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool*; stir in fontina.
Meanwhile, cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Stuff each breast with 1/4 cup of the onion-cheese mixture.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add wine and the remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Whisk broth and flour in a bowl until smooth; add to the pan, reduce heat to low and whisk until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce. Cook, covered, until the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce.
*Make sure you don't combine the onion and the cheese until the onions have chilled, otherwise the cheese may melt too soon, making stuffing impossible.

Crab Fondue

Ingredients:
18 ounces (3 6-oz packages) cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard (yellow or Dijon)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or 1 Tbsp corn starch if you want to skip the sugar)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (or paprika with a little ground ginger and cayenne)
1/4 - 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry sherry (optional)
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 lb to 1 lb of lump crab meat, fresh or canned
1/4 cup chopped green onion greens, chives, or parsley
Day old French or Italian loaf bread (best not fresh or will fall apart when dipped), cubed into 1-inch cubes

Directions:
1 Slowly heat the cream cheese, mayo, powdered sugar, garlic powder, Old Bay, lemon zest, and mustard in a double boiler until the cheese is completely melted. (If you don't have a double boiler, fill a saucepan a third of the way with water and bring to a boil, place a metal bowl over the saucepan. This will work as a double boiler.)
2 Slowly stir in the wine and lemon juice (adjust quantities to taste and desired consistency). Slowly stir in the crab meat and onion greens.
To serve, transfer to a heated chafing dish or fondue pot to keep warm. Present with bread cubes and forks for dipping.
Serves 8.

Lemon Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 Potatoes, cut in 1 and 1/2 inch slices
1/3 cup Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary, chopped
Sea or Kosher salt and fresh Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the potatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary together in an oven-proof skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill with water halfway up the sides of the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Roast for 30-35 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle Parmesan over top.

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

Ingredients:
FOR ROLLS:
2 cups Whole Milk
1-¼ cup Sugar
½ cups Canola Oil
1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
4-½ cups Flour, Divided
2 teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons (scant) Baking Soda
½ teaspoons (heaping) Baking Powder
¾ cups Melted Butter
4 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
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FOR THE CARAMEL TOPPING:
1 stick Salted Butter
1-½ cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Corn Syrup
2 Tablespoons Cream
2 Tablespoons Apply Brandy Or Apple Juice (optional)
1 whole Granny Smith Apple, Peeled And Finely Diced

Directions:
To make the dough:Heat milk, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar until warm (do not boil.) Allow to cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle in yeast and 4 cups flour. Stir gently and cover with a tea towel, allowing it to rise for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
To make the caramel topping:Add 1 stick butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and optional apple brandy or apple juice. Allow to melt over low heat until totally combined. Allow to boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Set aside.
To make the rolls:Roll out half the dough into a large rectangle. Pour on half the melted butter, half the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and half the cinnamon. Roll into a long roll, then slice into rolls.
To assemble:Spray 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in half the caramel topping. Sprinkle diced apple over the top, then arrange sliced rolls all over the pan. Allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, covered in foil for the first 25 minutes.
(Repeat with the other half of dough if desired, or save the dough in the fridge for another use.)
Invert on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Rolls will be very hot at first; allow to cool slightly before serving.