Ingredients:
- Fresh Tomato Sauce and pasta
- 3 lbs nicely ripe tomatoes (preferably fresh garden tomatoes or vine ripened if store bought)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaf
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- salt, pepper to taste
- 1 lb linguine
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Lemony Turkey Patties
- 1 cup fine fresh breadcrumb, from firm white bread (Portuguese, French or Italian bread)
- 2/3 cup half-and-half
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon white pepper or 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel (from 1 1/2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
- 1 -1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
- Fresh Tomato Sauce:.
- Coarsely chop the tomatoes, making sure to reserve the juice. Place tomatoes and juice in large bowl. Add the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, and the basil.
- Add the tablespoon of olive oil to a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic for 3 minutes, stirring. (Do not allow it to brown) (You may also add garlic to sauce raw. If you decide to add it raw, you can cut the garlic in half because it will be much stronger in flavor). Add to tomato mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Let mixture sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours. (It can also be made a day ahead of time and kept in refrigerator).
- When ready to serve, Prepare turkey patties as indicated below.
- Cook linguine in a large pot of boiling, salted water. When pasta is al dente, drain in a large colander, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss linguine with the tomato sauce and turkey patties. Incorporate parmesan cheese throughout or top each serving with the cheese.
- Lemony Turkey Patties:.
- Mix crumbs with half and half in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well blended (mixture will be very soft).
- Moisten hands (to make meat mixture easier to handle) and shape into sixteen 1 - 1 ½” circumference patties. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it bubbles and starts to brown. Add patties and cook until browned and crisp on both sides and no longer pink in centers, about 5 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. Add to Linguine recipe.
- This recipe is also great served with only the fresh tomato sauce, but the turkey patties certainly add the “oomph”. Definitely use summer tomatoes as mentioned in "Recipe Description" section. Supermarket vine ripened tomatoes are also decent enough to use.
- I also use this tomato sauce for making bruschetta. If using it for bruschetta, make sure to drain the juices from the tomatoes as it can make your bread soggy. I also add a bit of fennel seed (cause I like it) and grated parmesan or romano cheese over the top (or combo). Quickly pop the bruschetta's into the oven for a couple of minutes or so until cheese just melts.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2-4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (I use thigh and leg quarters)
- 2 1/2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
- Thoroughly mix flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow dish, set aside. Place wire rack over a sheet pan, set aside.
- Rinse chicken and gently pat dry.
- Coat each chicken piece thoroughly in the flour mixture and place on the wire rack/sheet pan, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 425*F. Put butter into 9x13x2 baking dish (or a larger 18x12x2 roaster pan, depending on the size of your chicken portions) and place dish in the oven just until the butter melts.
- Once the butter has melted, tilt the baking dish around to evenly distribute the butter. Place coated chicken pieces SKIN SIDE DOWN directly into the hot, buttered baking dish (do not over-crowd).
- Bake, un-covered, for 35 minutes UNDISTURBED (it is not burning). Then flip chicken over and bake an additional 15 minutes. Check to be sure no pink remains and juices run clear.
- Remove chicken pieces to a platter and tent with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
- 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 1/8 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups icing sugar
- Garnish
- chopped walnuts
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 275°.
- Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
- In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
- Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Stir in banana mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
- For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
- Spread on cooled cake.
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (a mixture of 1 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork will work well also)
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (or use enough to hold the meat together (no dry breadcrumbs? just soak 3 slices of bread in the 1/3 )
- 1 -2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (or use 1 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste)
- 1 -2 teaspoon salt (or to taste, I use 2 teaspoons seasoned salt)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup milk (can use up to 1/2 cup milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional, or to taste)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tablespoons dried parsley)
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Shape into small meatballs (at this point you can place on a jelly-roll/baking sheet and freeze to use later, or cover with plastic wrap refrigerate up to 24 hours before using).
- Drop the meatballs into simmering pasta sauce, do not stir for at least 20 minutes or you will risk breaking the meatballs.
- Continue cooking in the simmering sauce for another 20 minutes (depending on how fast your sauce is simmering 40 minutes total should fully cook the meatballs).
- After the 40 minutes cooking time continue cooking your sauce with the meatballs in for as long as desired.
- **note** you may also bake the meatballs at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Ingredients:
- 4 -5 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn
- 1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Directions:
- Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot.
- Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.
- Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
- Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
- All done and enjoy!
Ingredients:
Whisk together and set aside
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cream wet ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Then stir in
- 3 cups oats (not instant)
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
- To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
- (Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
- Fill a #40 cookie scoop and press against side of bowl, pulling up to level dough (to measure 2 tablespoons of dough).
- Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
- Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Ingredients:
- 6 -8 cups strong coffee
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Directions:
- Combine brewed coffee and sweetened condensed milk in a large pitcher.
- Refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve over ice.
- TIP- Use leftover coffee to make coffee ice cubes with.
- Then you have the chill without getting watered down.
