Pizza Mozzarella Sticks    

 Tidbit:

 If you like to spice things up, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes instead of oregano before baking.

With Pizza Mozzarella Sticks, you and your family may find your favorite new TV-watching treat. - 

Ingredients

• 8 mozzarella string cheese sticks
• 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• bottled marinara sauce

Directions

1. Place string cheese sticks in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll one crescent roll, and place a frozen cheese stick in the center of the roll. Fold the dough over the cheese stick until completely covered. Using your hands, gently roll the covered cheese stick back and forth to seal in the cheese and smooth the dough. Repeat process with each crescent roll and string cheese stick. Transfer all to a  pizza stone or pan and sprinkle with dried oregano.
3. Place pizza stone or pan on the bottom rack of the oven, and bake for 12 minutes, until just golden - making sure cheese has not leaked out. Let sit for 3 minutes. Transfer to a  plate or platter and serve with marinara sauce.

Green Beans with Cherries and Candied Pecan

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Dried cherries aren't always available year-round, but this is easily made with dried cranberries, like Craisins, in their place. You can also skip candying the pecans and simple stir in plain pecans, if you're short on time or watching your sugar intake.

This is my favorite way to prepare green beans, with tangy dried cherries and crunchy, candied pecans. The whole dish is made in only minutes, as you candy the pecans on the stove while the green beans are heating in the microwave. I'm warning you now...you may want to make a double or triple batch of the pecans for dessert! 

Ingredients

Green Beans:

• 1 large (24-oz.) bag frozen whole green beans
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 rounded teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup dried cherries

Candied Pecans:

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Place 1/4 cup of water into a 2-quart  baking dish.
2. Add green beans, butter, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to the water in the baking dish. Stir all, cover with plastic wrap, and use a fork to pierce a hole in the center of wrap. Microwave on high 7 minutes.
3. Make the candied pecans by combining butter, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir constantly just until brown sugar has melted and pecans are evenly coated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Carefully remove green bean dish from microwave, peel back plastic wrap, and then stir in dried cherries. Re-cover and microwave an additional 2 minutes, or until green beans are heated throughout.
5. Stir in candied pecans just before serving.

Steak Nacho Casserole 

If making casserole ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight, or freeze for up to one month. When ready to serve, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or take directly from the freezer. Place covered baker in cold oven; turn oven on and allow baker and oven to preheat together. Bake refrigerated casserole at 400 degrees for 45 minutes; uncover and cook for additional 10 minutes. Bake frozen casserole at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes; uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Steak Nacho Casserole brings together great Mexican flavors for a hearty, one-dish meal that’s simple to prepare and fun to eat. Perfect for making ahead of time and freezing, too! - 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped, cooked steak
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 4 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños or sliced fresh jalapeños

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1 tablespoon salsa over the bottom of a 1.5-quart round casserole dish.
2. In a large  bowl, combine steak, corn, beans, lime juice and remaining salsa.
3. Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the casserole dish, top with 1/2 cup of the cheese and then 1 cup of the steak mixture. Repeat the process two more times. Finish with a tortilla and the remaining cheese and top with jalapeños.
4. Cover  with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cheese is completely melted. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Bowtie Pasta

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Ingredients

• 1½ lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped (optional…my family doesn't like onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  12 oz. Can tomato paste w/ 4 cans of water...
• 1 lg.  can stewed tomatoes (I use crushed Tomatoes) 
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp.  dry basil and 1/2 tsp. fennel seed, and small pinch red pepper flakes) 
• 1 Tbs. Sugar
• salt/pepper
• 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach) (optional)
• 16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2  cups  mozzarella, shredded

Directions

*Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crock-pot to high. I added the fresh spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and I mixed it all up really well. Then I added the last 1 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.

Quick and Easy Fat Free Cheesecake

Ingredients
-1 Box of Graham Crumbs
-one 8 once package of fat free cream cheese (softened)
-1/3 cup of sugar
-2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 cup of fat free sour cream
-1 1/2 cups of fat free cool whip

Instructions
1- Prepare graham crust according to box instructions
2- Beat cream cheese until smooth
3- Add in sugar and mix well
4- Add vanilla and sour cream, mix well
5- Fold in cool whip
6- spoon onto graham crust and chill 4 hours

Place you choice of pie filling topping on top and serve…..

Bruschetta Pizzaiola

Bruschetta Pizzaiola

Ingredients
4 Tbsp 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil
8 slices of homemade bread
10 oz-250 gr mozzarella
Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
oregano
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Cut bread into slices and grill in the oven.
Garnish with sliced mozzarella, sauce, oregano, grated cheese, extravirgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Then put in the oven until mozzarella is melted.
Serve.

Rose Cicchetti

Spigola alla Ligure

Spigola alla Ligure

Ingredients
3 Tbsp 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 lb-1 kg sea bass fillet
4 oz-100 g Green pitted olives
basil
2 oz-50 g pine nuts
1 glass white wine firm
16 oz 400 g Potatoes
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Peel the potatoes, wash and cut into slices.
Place the sea bass in a baking dish greased with extravirgin olive oil, sprinkle with white wine, add the green olives, pine nuts, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil and bake at 180 ° C / 360 ° F for 20 min.. Sprinkle with extravirgin olive oil and basil chopped. Serve

Rose Cicchetti