Recipes

Stuffed Italian Bread

Ingredients
1 pound Italian bread loaf
1 stick butter, melted
¹⁄₈ cup olive oil
3 teaspoon onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3 teaspoon parsley, chopped
12 ounces cheese, shredded, such as cheddar, mozzarella, and monterey jack

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. Mix melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, mustard, poppy seeds, and parsley in a medium bowl. 

3. Deeply score bread into cubes, being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom crust. 

4. Pour butter mixture carefully into criss cross scoring, using a spoon and making sure to get mixture into all the slices.  Work cheeses into cracks. 

5. Wrap loaf with foil, sealing sides, and bake 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, unwrap loaf, and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and gooey. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Food Wanderings in Asia.  This is an amazingly decadent and delicious version of garlic bread and I can’t wait to revisit this recipe to get a picture since I don’t think I took one initially!

Mexi Cheese Dip

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Velveeta cheese
¹⁄₂ pound cheddar cheese, shredded (Shred it yourself, don’t buy it shredded.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
16 ounces salsa, medium preferred (I like to use salsa fresco, but stuff from a jar is fine too.)

Instructions
1. Heat large skillet over medium heat and brown ground beef.  Drain well. 

2. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until cheeses are melted, stirring occasionally. 

3. Serve with chips. 

Note: You can also make this in a slow cooker.  If you have a 3-in-1 slow cooker, you can even sear the meat in the slow cooker! 

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Comments
This is a recipe that Art brought into the family and it’s a tradition in his family for gatherings.  I don’t make it that often, but it’s a nice addition to our New Year’s Day spread.

Spanakopita Puffs

Ingredients
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
³⁄₄ pound spinach, chopped (I used Swiss Chard.) 
1 cup water
2 large cloves garlic, minced
³⁄₄ teaspoon dried dill
¹⁄₂ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten together
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F.  Cut each sheet of pastry into 12 squares.  Stretch squares a bit and pat one into each cup of two mini muffin tins.  Cover tins with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making filling. 

2.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until tender and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high and add spinach and water.  Cover skillet and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Decrease heat to medium and stir in garlic, dill, pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook, uncovered, until very tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.  Cook slightly then stir in eggs, feta, and pine nuts. 

4. Spoon spinach mixture evenly into puff pastry cups.  Bake until pastries are puffed and golden, about 24 minutes.  Serve hot, room temperature, or cold – it’s all good. 

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Comments
This recipe is from An Edible Mosaic.  I seem to recall that I served these with Avgolemono on a day when we had company for lunch.  Does that mean I made this recipe at Thanksgiving, 4 months ago?!  Ack.  I’m so far behind.  These were really super delicious.  Super easy to bring together too!

Paprika Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
¹⁄₃ cup carrot, minced
¹⁄₃ cup celery, minced
¹⁄₃ cup onion, minced
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
3 stems parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and cut into half moons
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream or half and half
12 ounces egg noodles, cooked as directed by package and drained
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add minced carrot, celery, and onion and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Push vegetables to the side and add chicken to the middle of pot.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes, flipping breasts halfway through.  Sprinkle paprika over chicken, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. 

2. Add flour to pot and stir vegetables and to form paste. Increase heat to medium and cook 3 to 4 minutes. 

3. Add broth, wine, parsley stems, bay leaf, and thyme to pot.  Bring to boil over high heat then reduce to low.  Cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 

4. While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat. 

5. Remove chicken from pot and slice or shred.  Remove parsley and bay leaves from pot and discard. 

6.  Increase heat under Dutch oven to high and bring cooking liquid to boil.  Reduce mixture by half then stir in cream and continue reducing until sauce has reached desired consistency.  Stir in chicken, egg noodles, and onion-mushroom mixture.  Garnish with parsley before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Feeding Andy.  I’m not sure I remember it very well, but I don’t remember it being bad so I’m sure it was tasty enough.  Clearly I should make it again so I can add better notes!

One Pot Spaghetti with Mushrooms

Ingredients
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12 ounces) can tomato paste
32 ounces chicken or beef broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound short pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded, for serving

Instructions
1. Heat Dutch oven over medium heat and brown sausage.  Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, about 5 to 10 minutes or until onions and mushrooms are tender.  Stir in tomato paste. 

2.  Add broth, water, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to boil.  Add pasta and stir to submerge pasta in liquid.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 17 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce reaches desired consistency, stirring occasionally. 

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Alaska from Scratch.  Sadly, it’s too far in my memory for me to remember.

Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Oil

Ingredients
16 ounces short pasta (I used elbows.)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 ¹⁄₂ cups warm milk
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 tablespoons truffle oil

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta as instructed by packaging.  Drain. 

2. In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken and bubble, 5 to 6 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Decrease heat to low and add cheddar cheese and goat cheese.  Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. 

4. Add pasta to pot and stir well to coat.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. 

5. Heat broiler.  Transfer Dutch oven to broiler and broil until top is crusty and golden brown, about 6 to 10 minutes.  Serve with truffle oil to taste. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Cristina Ferrare Cooks.  And we don’t like truffle oil.  I’ve tried, but I just can’t dig it.  I’m glad I went with my gut instinct and served the oil at the table instead of mixing it into the cheese sauce, since that would have been a disaster.  We did enjoy this recipe but, really, without the oil it’s just a typical, basic Mac and Cheese recipe.  I like to cook up leftovers in a layer in a skillet until they’re super crispy on one side.  So delicious.

Nutella, Banana, and Croissant Pudding

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces mini croissants (I used the cute, little croissant muffins that my store sells.)
¹⁄₂ cup Nutella spread
2 bananas, sliced into ¹⁄₄- to ¹⁄₂-inch disks
¹⁄₂ cup milk
¹⁄₂ cup cream or half and half
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten

Instructions
1. Butter 9 by 9-inch baking dish. 

2. Slice croissants in half and spread with Nutella.  Place in baking dish then scatter banana slices over top.

3. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, and eggs.  Pour half of milk mixture over croissants.  Place remaining croissant halves on top then pour in remaining milk mixture.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight, pressing down occasionally to soak croissants. 

4. Move oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350*F. 

5. Bake until egg is set, about 30 minutes.  Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Serious Eats.  I made is on a whim one day since, by some miracle, I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand.  It was really delicious and we all enjoyed the treat!  I could see making this with some other sort of fruit as well, perhaps Strawberries?  Yum.

Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients    
For the meatballs
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
¹⁄₂ tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons coarse mustard
¹⁄₂ teaspoon white pepper
6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon milk
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 pound ground beef

For the meatballs and sauce
1 tablespoon butter
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon mustard
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ cup flat leaf parsley
1 cup beef broth, plus 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
1.  Mix all ingredients for meatballs except for ground beef in large bowl.  Add ground been and mix well to combine.  Using a disher/ice cream scoop, form meatballs. 

2. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat and brown meatballs on all sides.  Transfer meatballs to plate.  Add onion to skillet and cook 1 minute before adding mushrooms and garlic.  Cook an addition 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. 

3. Add sriracha, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper, and parsley.  Cook for 1 minute then stir in 1 cup beef broth.  Add meatballs and simmer 5 minutes. 

4. In small bowl, mix together cornstarch with 3 tablespoons beef broth.  Pour into pan and stir well.  Simmer 3 to 5 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken. 

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Comments
This recipe is from the awesome Kayotic Kitchen.  The meatballs were nice and spicy, although maybe a teeny bit too spicy!  The sauce was great as well.  I thought this was going to be closer to stroganoff in flavor, but, due to the meatball seasoning, it was actually quite different.  In a good way!

Kheema Pav (Indian Sloppy Joes)

Ingredients
For the kheema
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ inch ginger, minced
¹⁄₂ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
2 pints small tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 pound ground beef or lamb
¹⁄₂ cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup water
2-3 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste

For rolls
4-5 dinner or burger rolls
Butter
 
Instructions
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.  Once seeds start to sputter add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno.  Stir until fragrant.  Add onions and cook until softened, stirring often.  Add turmeric, chili powder, and ground coriander and stir well.  Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Stir in ketchup. 

2. Add meat, peas, garam masala, mint, and cilantro.  Stir until well combined and starting to brown then pour in water.  Cook until meat is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in green onions. 

3. Spread rolls with butter then toast until light golden brown.  Serve Kheema Pav on rolls. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Indonesiaeats and it was very delicious!  I love sloppy joe type meals using completely different flavor profiles than what I’m used to and this certainly fit the bill.  This isn’t as wet as American sloppy joes are, so be prepared for that.  I made it with ground beef, since I’ve got a ton that I’m trying to use up.

Parsley and Garlic Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients
¹⁄₃ cup flour
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into cutlets
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
³⁄₄ cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Instructions
1. Place flour on large plate and dredge chicken in flour, making sure to coat chicken well. 

2. Heat garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, cook chicken cutlets until done, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove to plate. 

3. Add garlic to skillet and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add wine and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 

4. Remove skillet from heat and add butter, parsley, and salt.  Continue stirring until butter is melted.  Pour sauce over cooked chicken then sprinkle with Parmesan before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Eat Good 4 Life.  I, like most Americans, used to believe that parsley was no more than a non-edible garnish, something to be pushed to the side of a plate and ignored.  Now, I can hardly get enough of the stuff.  I enjoyed this dish quite a bit as a result of my love of parsley!