Shrimp Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced (I love to combine red and yellow for this!)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1-1/2 lb large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Preparation:

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour.
2. Meanwhile, cut the shrimp into bite-size pieces. Add the shrimp to the salsa mixture and season with salt and pepper.
3. Chill the salsa for about an hour and then serve with 

Chicken Breast With White Wine Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil (for chicken)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (for sauce)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Before cooking the chicken, brush each breast with oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large, nonstick pan over medium heat, sauté the chicken for 1-2 minutes until golden on each side. Place the chicken on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. To make the sauce, add the olive oil and mushrooms to the same skillet and cook for 2 minutes until the mushrooms soften. Add the stock and wine and simmer for about 4 minutes. Add the cream, then cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Magic Turtle Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed vanilla cookies
  
  
• 1/2 cup butter melted (1 stick)
• 2 bags semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1-2 bags Kraft Caramel Bits
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cans sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Instructions

1. Lightly spray or grease a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Combine crushed cookies and butter till combined and cookie crumbs are moist. Spread evenly in bottom of pan, pressing down to form a crust.
3. Now start layering the rest of the ingredients. 1 bag chocolate chips, caramel bits, pecans (save out about 1/4 cup for the top), second bag of chocolate chips, remaining pecans.
4. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the entire pan, make sure to cover all the nooks and crannies.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until milk begins to turn golden. Let cool completely before cutting.
6. Store in airtight container. If you choose to refrigerate these bars, bring them back to room temperature before eating.

OH CANNOLI NIGHT……IT’S A CANNOLI CREAM CAKE

It’s that time of year again, the happ happiest time, that jingle bell time, that holiday season, and that can mean only one thing.  Cakes, Cookies, Candies and Pies!!!  Many years ago I was treated to a Cannoli for the very first time, I had no idea what to expect and was even a bit confused.  I mean, you make dessert out of ricotta cheese, isn’t that just for lasagna?  Mama Jeanette just shook her head and said “oh my, sonny boy you have so much to learn”.  Well, she was right, she not only taught me about cannoli’s but introduced me to a new cheese, Marscapone, and what I learned to do with Marscapone….sigh….but that’s a story for another day.

A good cannoli cream is a wonderful thing, not too sweet, creamy and with just a hint of lemon.  Over the years I have made many flavors, and varieties of cannoli’s but I always come back to the classic, time honored filling.
Not only is this filling perfect for cannoli’s but it also makes a great filling for a cake.   Now it’s not going to be a fancy, schmancy cake, but its going to be a wonderful dessert, and something your guests will talk about to their friends and neighbors.  Some times the simplest desserts are the best.  Just give me a double espresso and a slice of this cake, and I’m a happy boy.

you start with a nice yellow cake, a wonderful filling and finish it how ever you like. I happened to have some Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark and that found its way to the top of the cake.  It’s quick, its easy, and most of all, it’s delicious!

Yellow Layer Cake
2/3 cup Butter softened
1 3/4 cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/4 cup Milk

In your mixer cream the softened butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg.
Mix in the Vanilla
In another bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and blend together
Add the 1/3 of the flour to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, continue until all the ingredients have been added.
Divide the mixture into three floured 9″ cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center out clean.
Allow cakes to cool completely before adding cannoli cream.

Cannoli Cream
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
8 oz Marscapone Cheese
1 cup Superfine Sugar
Zest of one Lemon
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 cup mini Chocolate Chips

Blend together ricotta and marscapone
add in superfine sugar (if you can’t find superfine, use your food processor to make regular sugar into superfine.  Do not let it become powder, that will be 10x and that makes the mixture too loose.)  The secret to keeping the cream thicker is superfine sugar.  10x sugar makes the mixture too loose.
Add in lemon zest, vanilla and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for 2 hours if possible, before using as filling for the cake.

This is a cake that won’t make you crazy, you can do a lot to make it your own, add a little liquor to a simple syrup and brush it on the layers for some added flavor.
For variations, try adding a different liquor to the filling instead of vanilla.
Add 1/4 cocoa to the mixture along with Kahlua, for a chocolate filling.
Add candied fruit to the filling

M&M PUMPKIN BREAD

• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Clove
• 1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Puree
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 1 Egg
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate M&M'S (plus more for garnish)
• Whipped Cream

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray then pressing a piece of parchment paper in to the bottom. Spray the parchment.
• 
  
  Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of M&M'S then pour in to your prepared loaf pan.
• 
  
  Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Add an additional 1 minute if center is too soft. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes.
• 
  
  
  Remove from pan and take off parchment. Allow to sit until fully cooled at room temperature. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with Milk Chocolate M&M'S.
  
  Helpful Tip:
  1. The buttermilk helps to cut through the sweetness by adding a little tartness.

Healthy Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

2  bell peppers (red,yellow or both)
8 oz. Ground Chicken
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach (or make enough fresh to have 1/2 cup when cooked and chopped)
1/3 cup panko (aka bread crumbs for GF use gluten free bread crumbs)
1 1/2 teaspoons taco spice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons salsa sauce
1/2 cup grated mozerella cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper
fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Directions

Preheat the oven to  350F (180 C)
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and take out the seeds while leaving the shape intact.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the remaining ingredients  with your hands until fully combined.
*Do not put the grated cheese, save that for later to melt on the top.
Divide the mixture into four balls and stuff each pepper half with a ball.
Press the meat into the corners of the pepper  and set it in the pepper.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meat browns on top.
Divide the grated cheese onto the pepper halves and put back into the oven for another 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve when cooled to a suitable temperature.
Garnish with a bit of freshly chopped parsely greens if desired.

Easy Tasty Focaccia

Ingredients

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with flour; stir to combine. Stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 1 minute.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F 
5. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly. Pat or roll the dough into a sheet and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the dough with oil and sprinkle with salt, dimble the bread by poking all around.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes.