Stuffed Tomatoes

I have used this side dish for YEARS. It's the one dish my husband asks for again and again. So it must be good! Super easy and tastes so good!

You will need:

• 6 beefsteak tomatoes

• 1 bag of minute rice, cooked according to package directions

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of fresh, diced basil

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper

• balsamic reduction or store made glaze

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Start by cutting the top off the tomatoes and hollowing out the inside. Reserve the  flesh and juices, discard the core. 

Salt the inside of the tomatoes, turn upside down to drain. 

Add the rice to the insides, salt, pepper, cheese, and basil. 

I'm a small pan, sauté the garlic with a few teaspoons of oil until almost brown. About 1 minute.  Then add to the filling mixture. 

Stuff the tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes on 350. 

Once removed from the oven, the tops will be cheesey and crunchy! Garnish with basil and drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy!!!

Shepherd's Pie

I've always liked the idea of Shepherds pie, but when I have had it at a few restaurants, it alway seems to be bland and tasteless. In this recipe, I added tons of flavor and it came out great! It's an easy meal to put together and great for cold winter nights :)

You will need:

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs chop meat (I used 80/20)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 cup frozen chopped carrots 

• 7-8 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

• 1 packet of dried gravy

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 can tomato paste

• 4-5 cloves of minced garlic

• salt and pepper

• 1 medium onion, diced

For the topping:

• 10-12 medium white potatoes. 

( rinsed and diced)

• 8 cloves of garlic, whole

• 1 stick of salted butter

• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup grated white cheddar

• salt and pepper

Start by cooking the potatoes. You are making mashed potatoes for the topping, so use whatever technique you usually use. I start by putting the diced potatoes in a large pot, add the whole garlic and cover with water. Put on medium heat on the stove and cover. One boiled, turn heat down, and cook about 15 more minutes until fork tender. 

While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling. 

In a large non stick pan on medium heat, start cooking the beef, onion, and garlic. 

Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Next add the gravy packet and 1 cup water. 

Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cook the frozen vegetables in the microwave for 3-4 minutes until just thawed. Then add to beef mixture. 

Taste and determine if you want more salt and pepper. 

Time to get the potatoes ready!

Drain the potatoes, (keep the garlic with them), add the pepper, salt, sour cream and cheeses. Mix with a stand or hand mixer until smooth. To get a more creamy consistency, slowly add milk while mixing. 

 

To a baking dish or pie dish, add the filling and top with the mashed potatoes. 

Bake on 350 for 30-35 minutes on a foiled baking sheet. Trust me, the majority of the time, the filling will bubble over and it's better to catch it on the foil! 

Once done, let stand and cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy! 

Rotisserie chicken soup

Have you ever wondered what to do with those store rotisserie chickens? I decided to experiment with it and make a soup. It came out great! It will definitely make a great Fall and Winter soup! And it was so easy!!!! The chicken was so moist and delicious! 

You will need:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed 

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 2 1/2 containers of 32 oz chicken broth

   (About 10 cups)

• 1 head of escarole, rinsed WELL and chopped

• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

• salt & pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup of orzo

Start by prepping. When cleaning the escarole, make sure you rinse it really well because it usually has dirt and grit inside the leaves. Chop it up and discard the white ends. 

On a medium flame, add olive oil to the pot, and sauté the onion and carrot until softened. Add salt and pepper. 

Then add the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the whole can of diced tomatoes with juices. 

Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth. 

Add the escarole. 

Start to take apart the chicken. Remove skin and dice the meat. 

Add the chicken to the soup. 

Optional : I added a dash of "all purpose seasoning" I had on hand. Which is salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder. But if you don't have something like this, just do salt and pepper to taste. Keep tasting as the soup cooks and check if you need more. 

Add 1/2 cup of orzo. 

Cook on low flame, covered, for 40 minutes and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! 

Lemon, shrimp and broccoli

Quick. Easy. Healthy. 3 things important to me during the week after work for dinner. This dish took about 15 minutes and was delicious! 

You will need:

• 1/2 lb of shrimp PER PERSON 

    (Cleaned and deveined)

• 2 lemons, zest and juiced 

• 1 lb of multi-grain angle hair pasta

• 1 head of fresh broccoli 

• olive oil

• salt, pepper and chili flakes 

• splash of white wine

• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

Heat your pain on medium heat/flame. Drizzle a few tablespoons of oil, and sauté the broccoli for approximately 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, chili flakes, lemon zest, juice to the shrimp and broccoli and stir. Add a splash of white wine and continue to simmer. 

Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water to cook the pasta. Cook according to directions on package. Once drained, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and top pasta with the shrimp and broccoli. Don't forget to pour that lemon garlic sauce over it! 

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

This is one of my favorite dishes and if you are an olive lover, you will love it!

You will need: 

• 3-4 cups of mixed, pitted olives, roughly chopped. (You can usually find them behind the deli counter) 

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 medium onion diced

• 1 can crushed tomatoes

• about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil

• 3 tablespoons of drained capers

• salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes 

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of butter

To a heated sauté pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and begin to cook the onions. 

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue sautéing. 

After a few minutes, add the olives and sauté for about 2 minutes. 

Add the crushed tomatoes. 

Then capers and basil 

Add salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes to taste, and the cheese. Keep on low flame for approx 30-40 minutes. If it looks to thick, add a little water to thin it out. Serve over spaghetti and enjoy! It tastes even better the day after, making it the perfect make ahead sauce! 

Crockpot Roasted Chicken

It's a cold and rainy fall day and I'm craving some easy comfort food. A roasted chicken was the first thing that popped into my mind. It's cheap, easy and comes out perfectly cooked every time! I chose a small chicken just over 3 lbs because it will be for only 2 people. You can certainly get a larger chicken and the leftovers are great for chicken soup or salad! 

You will need:

• 1 crockpot/slow cooker

• 1 roasting chicken 3-5 lbs

• 1/2 stick of butter, melted

• fresh rosemary 

• fresh thyme

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 tablespoon of seasoned salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

• 1 tablespoon onion powder 

• 3 lemons 

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, whole

First, take out the package from the chicken cavity. 

Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken with cool water. Pat down and dry the chicken with paper towels. 

Mix all the dried seasoning together to form a dry rub. 

Season the inside of the chicken then stuff  the inside of the chicken with 1 lemon (quartered), garlic, and a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. 

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and rub all over the chicken. 

Rub the dry seasoning all over the chicken. 

Cut the remaining lemons into thick slices. 

Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the lemons so the chicken can rest on them while cooking. 

Place the chicken in the slower cooker. Set on low 4-6 hours. 

 

I usually place a few extra lemon slices and some herbs on top. Cover and cook for 4-4 1/2 hours. The chicken will be moist, delicious and fall off the bone! 

Enjoy!!!!