Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

 This is different—chocolate syrup swirled through a peanut butter brownie. We think that you will like it.

This recipe calls for chocolate syrup. It really doesn’t matter what kind. Commercial syrup works fine but so does homemade. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 cup all-purpose or bread flour

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Dust with flour or line with parchment paper.

1. With your stand-type mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter together until soft and combined. Add the brown sugar and salt. Add the extract.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the milk. Add the baking powder and flour and beat until well combined.
3. Scrape the peanut butter batter into the prepared pan. Spread smooth. Pour the chocolate syrup onto the batter in pools.
4. Hold a table knife or spatula vertically and cut through the batters just until the two batters are swirled together. Do not over mix.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the brownies test done by sticking a toothpick or knife into the center of the pan. The brownies will be done when moist crumbs cling to the toothpick or knife. Let the brownies cool completely before removing them from the pan.

Loaded Chicken and Potatoes Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed 1”
8 medium red potatoes, diced ½”
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1-½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbs. paprika
2 tbs. garlic powder
3 tbs. hot sauce (chalula)OPTIONAL
Topping
2 Cup Cheddar cheese blend, shredded
½ lb bacon, diced
½ Cup green onion, chopped
Optional Garnish
sour cream
tomatoes, diced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Add the potatoes and chicken and stir to coat evenly. Place the potatoes and chicken in a 9×13” baking dish and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until cooked through and browned and crispy on the outside.

While the potatoes are baking, in a small saute pan fry up the diced bacon until crispy and brown. Remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate, reserving for later.

Once potatoes are done remove from the oven and top with the cheese, bacon and green onion. Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve with diced tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Wearing o' Green Cake

Wearing o' Green Cake Recipe

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One bite of this moist, colorful cake and you'll think you've found the pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow. It's the perfect dessert to round out your St. Patrick's Day feast. —

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min. + coolingYIELD:12-15 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package white cake mix (regular size)
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) lime gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• Green sprinkles

Directions

• 1. Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water and set aside.
• 2. With a meat fork or wooden skewer, poke holes about 2 in. apart into cooled cake. Slowly pour gelatin over cake. Cover and refrigerate.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake. Decorate with sprinkles. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

CHEESECAKE-STUFFED STRAWBERRIES

Makes 16 to 20 strawberries
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

You’ll Need
– 1 pound fresh, ripe strawberries, rinsed and patted dry
– 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
– ¾ cup powdered sugar
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
– Optional toppings: graham cracker crumbs, shaved chocolate, finely-chopped nuts

How To

1. Working with a paring knife, remove the stems from the strawberries. Use the point of the knife to cut around the inside of the strawberry to create room for the filling.
2. Cut a small part off the tips of the strawberries to create a flat surface for them to stand upright. Place the strawberries on a sheet pan.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy.
4. Place the cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into each strawberry, adding a little extra to the top.
5. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, shaved chocolate or finely chopped nuts, if desired.
6. Refrigerate until chilled.

So sweet and clever! Have you ever seen anything like these stuffed strawberries before? Will you give them a try?

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Ingredients
100% Organic Extra virgin olive oil
8 slices of bread
4 eggs
breadcrumbs
flour
2 Mozzarella
1 cup milk 

Preparation
Moisten the bread with a small amount of milk.
Cut Mozzarella into slices the same thickness as the bread. Insert a slice of Mozzarella between two slices of bread. Coat with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs and fry in hot extra virgin olive oil.
Serve.

CHICKEN MARSALA CASSEROLE

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup marsala wine (or white wine)
1/2 cup fat free half & half
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
2 packed cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of broth/stock.
Spray a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole with non-stick spray and spread the rice in an even layer. Top with the chicken, pour the mushroom gravy on top and sprinkle the parsley over everything.Cover tightly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. If your rice still is not cooked at this point, turn the oven up to 400 and bake until rice is fully cooked. Remember, brown rice takes longer to cook (if you use white rice, cook the whole dish at 350 degrees for 35 minutes). Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more
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Zucchini Parmigiano

Ingredients
1 lb- zucchini
6 eggs
6 tbsp Parmigiano
1 clove of garlic
parsley
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Wash the parsley and zucchini. Finely chop the garlic and parsley. Slice the zucchini into slices and fry in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. Add pepper and salt.
When they are golden, remove the pan from the heat and let cool. In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add a pinch of salt, parmigiano and zucchini and mix. Pour into a baking non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees  for about 30 min.
Serve.

Nutella Balls

Ingredients
For The Donuts
1 cup Nutella
1 lb Ricotta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
2 quarts extravirgin olive oil
granulated sugar

Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup Nutella, ricotta, salt, vanilla, baking powder, flour and eggs. Mix until smooth to form dough.
Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough into hot extravirgin olive oil at 180°C/375°F and cook for 4 min.
Remove donuts from hot extravirgin olive oil, drain on paper towels for a moment, roll in granulated sugar, and fill with Nutella. Serve immediately

Cupcake-tinis

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• eggs and oil for cake mix
• 24 paper cupcake liners
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• red and green fondant
• 24 toothpicks
• 2 (16 ounce) cans vanilla frosting
• 24 martini glasses

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line your muffin-pan with cupcake liners. If using one pan you will need to bake these in two batches. 
3. Fill each liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set cupcakes aside to cool. 
4. To make the olives sprinkle a flat work surface with powdered sugar. Roll out the green fondant into 12" x 1" inch strip about 1/4 inch thick. Roll the red fondant into a 12 inch snake, about 1/8 inch thick. Put a few drops of water on the green fondant and spread it all over the surface with your finger. Lay the red fondant "snake" into the center of the green fondant. Roll up the green fondant from the long side, creating a 12 inch tube, green on the outside, red on the inside. Cut into 24 pieces to form olives. 
5. Put one olive onto each toothpick and set aside. 
6. Frost each cupcake and place in a martini glass. Insert one toothpick at an angle into each cupcake to resemble a martini. 

Days Gone By Pea Salad

1 (15 ounce) green peas, frozen thawed or can drained
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped purple onion
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup mayo
4 slices bacon fried crisp crumbled

Combine all ingredients together mix well. Chill 2 hours before serving.

Ricotta Casadelle

Ricotta Casadelle -

My friends and some family members who come from a Sicilian household, tell me they were a favorite.  If you visit Sicily,  you will see that they are made with ricotta from sheep's milk and they are amazing. They are still very popular in Sicily and most of the bakeries carry them.

Dough: 4 cups flour, 4 Tablespoons shortening, 1/2 water. Mix together to make a soft dough.
Filling: 2 lbs. ricotta, 4-6 Tablespoons sugar, cinnamon to taste. Mix well. Mini chocolate chips can be added.

Roll out the dough, cut into turnover shapes. Fill with ricotta filling. Seal edges and fry in hot oil. Can be dusted with powdered or granulated sugar.

Reuben Bake

 

Reuben Bake -- A Delicious Sandwich in a casserole dish! Easy and cheesy!! YUM! We are BIG Reuben fans and this just looks delicious!!

Reuben Crescent Bake

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound sliced Swiss cheese
1-1/4 pounds sliced deli corned beef
1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2/3 cup Thousand Island salad dressing
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons caraway seeds

Unroll one tube of crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Layer with half of the cheese and all of the corned beef. Combine sauerkraut and salad dressing; spread over beef. Top with remaining cheese. On a lightly floured surface, press or
roll second tube of crescent dough into a 13-in. x 9-in. rectangle, sealing seams and perforations. Place over cheese. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until heated through and crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

ZEPPOLE

My favorite food from the Italian Feasts - easier to make than you think. 

ZEPPOLE
INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 (2 1/4 teaspoon) package instant yeast
1 cup warm water
3 eggs
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. In another large bowl, empty the yeast package, then slowly add the warm water, mixing with a fork to fully dissolve the yeast. When the yeast mixture forms some bubbles, add the mixture to the flour/salt, then add the three eggs. Mix the batter, then set the bowl on top of your refrigerator (or other warm place), cover with damp dish towel. After 20 minutes, check the dough for rising, mix again and let rise for another 20 minutes. In a saucepan, heat the oil to medium heat. Add the dough by the spoonful (about the size of 2 golf balls) Test the first batch to make sure the oil is not too hot. Remove when golden brown and place on paper bags to absorb the oil. Place warm Zeppoles in a paper bag with powdered sugar and SHAKE.You want them well covered with the powdered sugar.These are messy. If yours are not messy, you need more sugar on them.

Apple Pie Dumplings! (2 Ingredients!)

This delicious dessert takes only about 4 minutes to prepare and two ingredients! It doesn't get easier than that!

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (21 oz) can of Apple Pie Filling
• 1 roll crescent rolls
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Open crescent rolls and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
3. Mix in a bowl with Apple pie filling , cinnamon and crescent ball pieces.
4. Place in a sprayed baking dish making sure that crescent all pieces are on top. 
5.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes…. until crescent roll balls are cooked (flipping crescent roll balls after 15 mins.)   Time various with this recipe…..
   

Herb Stuffing Muffins

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Cooking On the Side

On-the-Package Recipes R

This turned out to be an excellent way to prepare stuffing, for a few reasons. Foremost, it maximizes the crispy parts, which are my favorites. Also, the individual portions are easy to freeze – 

Did the muffins stay intact? Some yes, some no. I think I attempted to remove them while they were still a little too warm.   But they were still wonderful!!!

   

Herb Stuffing Muffins

Makes 14-16 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for greasing muffin tin

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups dry unseasoned bread cubes

2 cups chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.

Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into generously greased muffin tins, pressing down so each cup is well-filled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned
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Simple little Blueberry Pies

If you love pie, then here’s a great recipe that you’ll want to try before pie month is over. These little pies are the perfect size for a quick sweet treat. And the best part about them is that you can customize them with any filling you’d like. Here’s how to make simple little blueberry pies…..

Here’s what you need:


-1/2 tbsp cornstarch

-2 cups blueberries, fresh or thawed from frozen

-2 tbsp granulated white sugar

-1/2 tbsp lemon juice

-1/8 tsp vanilla extract

-1/8 tsp salt

-1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet

Here’s what you do:


1. Mix together 1/3 cup of cold water and cornstarch in a small, nonstick pot. Stir to dissolve.
2. Add in the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt.
3. Set the heat to medium and stir mixture frequently. Cook until the mixture about 16-18 (until it’s thick and gooey). The mixture will boil and that’s ok!
4. Transfer to a medium bowl and allow to cool completely for about an hour.
5. While mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
6. Lightly flour a cutting board. Then, roll out dough into a large rectangle of even thickness (about 12″ by 9″). Cut dough evenly into 12 squares and place each square into a muffin cup, pressing into the bottoms and up along the sides.
7. Bake dough in muffin tins until golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).
8. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Then divide the blueberry mixture among the dough cups.
9. Enjoy the fact that you don’t have to share your pie with anyone!