Monday, June 25, 2012

Cole Slaw Made Easy No Mayo

  • 4 cups of washed finely shredded cabbage
  • 1 carrot washed and grated
  • 1/4 cup of sour cream 
  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt (optional) 
  • 1/8 teaspoon of dry mustard

Mix together the sugar, salt, mustard and vinegar, then slowly add your sour cream and mix together really well. Mix together the cabbage and carrot once mixed well add the sour cream mixture over the cabbage and carrot.


This is a great July 4th cookout dish without the mayo

Clams Casino with a Twist

  • 24 claims
  • 1/4 cup of salt free butter (room temperature)
  • 1 small greem pepper minced
  • 1 teaspoon of minced parsley
  • 1 tablespoon of minced celery
  • 1/4 cups Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste (optional)  Dad loved anchovy!
  • 8 slices of bacon
Heat your oven at 425 degrees.  Clean you clams and open with a clam knife.  Cut your clam away from its shell but leave it in the half of a shell.  Mix together butter, green pepper, parsley, celery, bread crumbs and anchovy paste.  Mix this all well so it almost looks like a paste.  Spread the mixture onto you half shell.  Cut the bacon into half pieces and cover over the clam and the paste, if it needs more than the half of bacon, add more so it covers the top of the shell.  Bake these on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until you bacon is cooked.


If your clams are really big in size you may need to make more of the mixture.

Ice Cream Affogato

          Affogato is a typically Italian way to enjoy ice cream 

  •  1 pint chocolate ice cream  or vanilla ice cream
  •  10 tablespoons finely chopped semisweet chocolate
  •  8 tablespoons hot freshly brewed espresso coffee
  •  8 tablespoons dark rum

Divide your  ice cream into 4 dessert bowls. Spoon 2 tablespoons each of chocolate or vanilla ice cream, espresso, and rum over ice cream and serve immediately. 

Mom's Cod Fish Cakes

  • 1/2 pound of cod fish, soak over night in refrigerator
  • 1 cup of seasoned mash potatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (Italian)  I like adding this is optional

  • Cut the cod into small size pieces, and add to a medium size pan, and cover with water and bring to a boil at medium heat. Mix the fish, potatoes and eggs together, then add the pepper and Mrs. Dash mixing together well.  Form the fish mixture into cakes and saute in hot butter until golden brown and well cooked. 

Pork Chops with Rice

  • 4 medium size pork Chops
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup uncooked white or brown rice
  • 1 16 ounce can tomatoes 
  • 1 medium onion slice
  • 1 can beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon of Mrs Dash Italian melody
  • Salt and pepper optional
  •  
  •  
  • Brown the pork in a small butter, then place the uncooked rice in a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole then lay your pork chops over rice, now add the rest of the ingredients and cool at 350 degrees for 45minutes to an hour.  This serves 4


Monday, June 11, 2012

Blueberry-Blue Cheese Salad

  • 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons of blueberry preserves
  • 1 teaspoon of  Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of chives
  • 10 cups of baby spinach
  • 2 cups of blueberries
  • 3/4 cups of walnuts chopped and roasted (optional)
  • 1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese
In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, blueberry preserve, mustard and pepper, then slowly add in the extra-virgin olive oil mix together well, now add in your chives and set this bowl to one side.

In a medium bowl toss together spinach, blueberries, walnuts and blue cheese, sprinkle  dressing over salad or serve salad with dressing on the side.



You could also serve this salad with the Strawberry salsa as a dressing alone, or add the strawberry salsa to the above dressing, and serve over the salad.

Italian Cucumber Salad

  • 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or (sour cream)
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dry dill
  • 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 large cucumber peeled (you can also serve it unpeeled) slice thinly lengthwise about 3 cups
  • 1/3 cup of thinly sliced red onion 
Combine in a medium size bowl yogurt or sour cream, vinegar, dill and pepper, slowly add cucumber slices and red onion, and toss well to coat.  Chill the cucumber salad for 3-4 hours and before eating mix well again.  Great for a cool summer side dish or a great cool lunch meal.

You can also add tomato to this great salad as a cucumber and tomato salad just add another 1/4 cup of yogurt or sour cream to the mix, and extra season to taste as you like.

Moms Fried Zucchini Blossoms

  • Washed Zucchini Blossoms
  • 2/3 cup of flour
  • 3/4 cup of club soda or beer (yes beer)
  • Canola oil
Mix your flour and beer together to make a nice batter,  less lumps the better, then dip your blossoms until they are well coated.  Fry your zucchini blossoms 3 to 4 at a time, in about 1 to 1 1/2 inch hot oil, making sure not to burn the oil.  Cook your zucchini blossoms until they are golden in color.  Drain them on a paper towel, then move to a plate and season with salt & pepper if desired.  Enjoy!!!  

The male zucchini blossoms are the best to use, and are the one's that do not produce fruit, but my mom used either. 


Strawberry Salsa

  • 1 pound of strawberries , hulled and diced
  • 1/2 cup of scallions, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cilantro chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  •  1/8 teaspoon salt
Mix together in a bowel and serve with tortilla chips of over fish or chicken or even over a salad .  I Found this recipe and wanted to share it with you all, thought it was a great summer treat it makes enough for six servings.


Monday, June 4, 2012

Salmon in Sauce

  • 12 sprays of parsley, washed and chopped finely 
  • 1teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1/2 medium size red onion, finely diced
  • 1 pound of salmon fillet
  • Extra Virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium size cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/3 of a cup of lemon juice
  • Pepper
  • Salt (optional)   
Sprinkle your salmon fillets with salt and freshly black pepper on both sides, then sprinkle olive on top of the Salmon.  In a large baking dish, sprinkle more olive oil and spread it over entire baking dish. Place you salmon in a preheated oven at 375 degree. baking for about 20 minutes, do not overcook your fish.  While fish is cooking, in a medium size bowl mix 1/2 of extra virgin oil, and pepper , red onion, parsley and lemon juice and oregano.  Once salmon is cooked, and your ready to serve, spoon this sauce over the salmon. Or about 5 minutes before taking the fish out of the oven, pour the sauce over the salmon and cook for 5 minutes more.
 
 

Maria's Italian Tuna Salad

  • 1 can of Italian tuna in olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper 
  • Salt (optional) 
  • 1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
  • Oregano (dried)
  • Fresh parsley, minced (optional)
  • Onion finely chopped 1 small red (optional)
  • Pitted Black olives (10) chopped
  • 1 medium vine ripe tomato  
  • Mix the above in a medium size bowl.  This can be eaten as is, or on an Italian roll.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Anna's Calamari Salad

  • 2 pounds  squid cleaned
  • 1/3 cup  olives, finely chopped (Used your favorite type)
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery (finely chopped)
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Wash and the rinse squad under cold water. Divide the tentacle lengthwise and cut
bodies crosswise into wide rings, about 1/8 inch wide.
Cook in a pot of salted boiling water, do not cover. cooking at a boil for about 50 seconds, now drain hot water.  Once drained rinse in very cold water.  Once the squid is cold and well drained,  pour squid into a large bowl and add olives,celery, lemon zest, and oil, mixing well.       Serve Chill.



Anna's Sliced Tomatoes & Cucumbers Salad

  • 5 small  vine-ripened tomatoes sliced
  • 2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced 
  • Black pepper & Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoon of Extra Virgin oil
 Arrange the tomatoes & cucumber on a plate, then season with salt, pepper and olive oil.  The veggies  can also be sliced and tossed into a large bowel and served like a tossed salad. 
 This is a healthy and cool salad for the summer months.  Great for lunches for work and anytime.

Baked Scallops

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine
  • 12 ounces bay scallops or sea scallops
  • 2/3 cup of Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Mrs Dash Italian melody 
  • Salt and paper to season (optional)                   
  • Preheat  your oven to 450°F. 


    Melt butter in size pan or skillet, then brush some of the butter into a medium size baking dish, add 2 tablespoons of white wine to remaining butter.

    Mix together your breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and Mrs Dash seasoning and parsley then add scallops and mix together well to coat.. Now place your scallops single layer in the buttered baking dish, then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the scallops, as well as sprinkling the remaining butter and white wine, season with salt and pepper if desired. 
    Bake the scallops at 450 degrees until they turn golden in color.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.
    Serve with lemon or orange wedges and a nice salad.