Frosty Harvest Vegetable Soup with Parmigiano-Reggiano

 Ingredients:

1 pound hot Italian sausage, crumbled

¼ ground beef

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 ½ cups chopped onion

6 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry red wine

4 cups beef stock

1 cup beef broth

2 cans Rotel tomato with chilies

15 oz tomato sauce

2 small zucchini, sliced

1 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoons dried oregano

¼ tsp thyme

½ tsp kosher salt

2 bays leafs

8 to 10 oz frozen cheese tortellini

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: 

In a large stock pot, crumble and cook sausage and beef over medium high heat until almost brown. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the carrots, pepper, onion, and garlic cook for 15 minute covered.

Drain reserving about 2 tbsp of fat.

Add red wine and fat, cook for two minutes.

Add beef stock and broth, tomatoes and sauce, chopped zucchini and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, covered.

Cook for least 2 hour or until vegetables are soft, add salt and pepper to taste.

About ten minutes before serving, raise heat and add tortellini.

Cook, until pasta is tender.

Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Serve with French bread or grilled cheese.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chive Chicken

Creamy Chive Chicken

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts cut into halves

¼ pound of butter

½ cup brandy

¼ cup chopped dried chives

2 tbsp dried parsley

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp savory

½ salts

¼ fresh ground peppers

¾ cup Sweet Sherry wine

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Cut and dry chicken; melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat brown the chicken on both sides.

Pour the brandy over the chicken and light it. Shake the skillet back and forth until the flame goes out.

Add the chives, parsley, thyme, savory, salt, pepper, and sweet sherry.

 Continue cooking for a hour over low heat with the pan tightly covered. Remove the chicken and place in a baked dish; cover with foil and place in the oven at 240°.

Pour the cream into the skillet with the remaining juices. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until well blended. Pour into a gravy boat and serve with the chicken.
Serve with a vegetable and baked potato. Enjoy!

Potato Skins with Style

Reuben Skins

Topping:

Cheesy skins

Deli-sliced pastrami or corn beef

Thousand Island dressing 

Dill pickle slices

Buffalo Wing Skins

Topping:

Cheesy skins

Blue cheese dressing

Shredded chicken

Celery chopped

Buffalo hot sauce

Loaded skins

Topping:

Cheesy skins

Shredded cheese

Crumbled bacon

Sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded lettuce (optional)

Buffalo sauce ((optional)

Skyline chili skins

Toppings:

Cheesy skin

Skyline chili (previous entire, cook down 20 minutes for thicker chili)

Chopped onion

Mustard (optional)

Shredded cheddar

Hot sauce (I used skyline hot sauce)

Directions:

Using the Baked potato skins recipe below (previous entire); add your favorite toppings above and ensemble each skin according to ingredient.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Skins

Baked Potato Skins

Ingredient:

4 Russet potatoes

1 stick of butter, melted

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash the 4 russet potatoes. With a fork pierce the potatoes.

Bake directly on the oven rack at 400° for about 1 hour.

Let then cool; cut lengthwise and scoop out the ¾ of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell.

Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.

Bake, skin-side up, at 450 ° until crisp, about 15 minutes. For cheesy skins, flip the skins over before topping, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and bake for extra 5 minutes.)

Enjoy!

Vegetable Chicken Lo Mein

Vegetable Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
¼ cup chicken broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
½   tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
4 green onion, cut in half inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, seeded cut in 1 inch cubes
1 cup snow peas
7 oz. baby corn
4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
¼  tsp. sesame oil

½ tsp hot/fire oil

6 oz. lo mein noodles or vermicelli noodles

Directions:

Cut up all the vegetables and set aside.

Cook noodles according to the package. Drain and set aside.  

While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce by combining the first four ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 ½ minutes.  Add the chicken and cook until browned.  Add in the vegetables, few minutes apart, starting with the carrot, then green onion, then green bell pepper, and ending with the baby corn.  Cook just until tender-crisp.

Add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.

Add the sauce to the pan, and then the cooked noodles; toss the mixture well.  Add sesame and fire oil and toss.  Serve with chicken egg rolls. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Goulash

Spicy Goulash

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 large onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 10.5 oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
2 15 oz can tomato sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
4 Fresh  garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp garlic powder

Bay leaf
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Jar Jalapeno slices

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large pot brown the meat for about 10 minutes, break the meat up as it cooks. Then add the onion and cook for 5 more minutes.

Drain half a cup of oil out of the meat mixture, leaving the remaining oil in. Spoon off the oil in the cup; pour the remaining liquid back into the pot. (There will be a broth underneath the oil in the measuring cup)

Add the remaining ingredients except the macaroni. Reduce heat simmer and covered for 20 minutes. Stir frequently

Stir in the macaroni simmer for 20 more minutes, stir a few times. Turn off heat and allow the goulash to stand for 20 minutes covered before serving. Top with Jalapeno, sour cream, and cheese. Serve with French bread.

Enjoy!

Grilled cheese with Onions

Ingredients:

White bread

American cheese single

Colby cheese sliced

Thin sliced red onion

1 ½ tbsp Butter, thinly sliced into 6 pieces

Directions:

Place American cheese, red onion, and Colby cheese on bread then top with bread.

Place 3 pieces of butter on the top side forming a triangle, place butter side down on the skillet.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown (about 2 minutes) place the last butter pieces on top and flip, continue to cook until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Bacon Deluxe Cheeseburgers

Bacon Deluxe Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

2 pound ground beef

1 tsp steak seasoning

¾ tsp A1 steak sauce

American cheese slices

Hamburger buns
Bacon

Lettuce

Tomato

Red onion

Mayo

Directions:

Preheat the grill.

Combine the first 3 ingredients well; then make even patties.

Put the hamburger patties in the Freezer for 20 minutes.
Cook bacon and set aside.

Grill patties until your liking and top with cheese.

Spread about 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise on the top buns

Place a tomato slice and two strips bacon onto the mayonnaise, then stack a lettuce and onions on top of the tomato. On each of the bottom buns, stack one patty. Flip the top half of each sandwich onto the bottom half and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Garlic Snap Peas

Ingredients:

2 bags Snap peas

4 garlic clove, chopped

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Cut tips off the snap peas, toss them in salt & pepper in a large bowl.

Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Throw snap peas in the pan and add soy sauce.

Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high, add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Cranberry Salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag mixed green lettuce

½  cup Dried cranberry

¼ sliced red onion

Goat cheese crumbled

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette( I use Sturkeys)

Directions:

Start by get a hand full of salad on a plate. Then top with dried cranberry, red onions, goat cheese and creamy balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!

BarleyBurger Stew

BarleyBurger Stew

Ingredient:

2 pound ground beef

2 cups onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

½ cup green bell pepper

72 ounce tomato juice

2 cups water

4 tsp salt

4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 cup uncooked instant barley

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook and stir ground beef and onion until the meat and onion are tender. Drain off fat.

 Stir remaining ingredient; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour .Stir frequently.

Then add barley and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with grilled cheese and ice tea.

Enjoy!

Italian Salad

Italian Salad

Ingredient:

1 bag Romaine lettuce

4 pepperoncini, Sliced

½ red onion, Sliced

LaRosa's Italian dressing

½ cup Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Direction:

Combine all the ingredients and toss. Serve as a side dish.

Enjoy!

Tortellini and Meatballs

Tortellini and Meatballs

Ingredient:

Cheese tortellini, prepared per instructions

 Frozen meatballs (I use Rosina Italian Meatballs about 1/3 of the package)

1 or 2 Jars LaRosa's Original Pasta Sauce

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Prepare the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat on the stove top for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir frequently.  

Meanwhile warm the larosa’s sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently.

Prepare the tortellini according to the packet instructions.

Top the tortellini with sauce, meatballs and fresh grated parmesan.

Serve with a nice Italian salad and New York bread sticks.

 Enjoy!