Eggplant Manicotti

2 Large Eggplants 
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Lightly Seasoned All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Olive Oil  (Frying)

 Stuffing mixture:
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
3/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
1/3 Cup Grated Romano Cheese
Pepper
1 Egg


Sauce:
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2  cups of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of pepper
Romano grated cheese



Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices.
Place the flour in a plastic bag.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat.  Dip the eggplant slices in the flour, then the egg, and fry in batches until golden brown  both sides, for about  2 minutes on each side.   (add oil as needed)  Place the ones done on paper towel lined plate.

 Make the sauce, in a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until lightly smoking.
Add the onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook another 3 minutes add the minced garlic, the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes and sauce is thick.

Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a large casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 375


In a medium  bowl, mix together the filling.  Start filling each slice of eggplant with the tablespoon of  filling, roll and place seam side down, and side by side as you fill.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the eggplant,  and sprinkle the grated cheese, cover the casserole and bake 45 minutes.

Ravioli made over easy

1 package of ravioli
4 1/2  tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 1/2 medium size garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/4 cup of diced onion
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of red sweet wine
1 can of your favorite crushed tomatoes

Grated Parmesan cheese


Cook Ravioli as directed on package

Heat olive oil on medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 4 minutes, add the oregano and tomatoes.  Bring to a slow bowl, and reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. 

Drain Ravioli, gently transfer ravioli to dish and pour sauce over ravioli and sprinkle with cheese

Serves 4.

Shrimp over RIce

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves diced
Chop 1 medium tomato
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
20 large shrimp deveined
Rice

Blend and puree all ingredients except the shrimp.  Pour dressing into a large bowl and  place shrimp  into it, and marinate in refrigerate for 1 hour.

After hour pour entire bowl of shrimp and marinate into a large skillet, cover and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes.  Remove from stove and serve over cooked rice.

Chicken with Sicilian Sauce

1/2 cups Almonds
1 tablespoon of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of basil
1 cup of fresh cubed tomatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts

In a blender chop the almonds, garlic, basil and salt and pepper, add the tomatoes, cheese, and tomato paste and and oil and blend until finely chopped.

Heat a your grill or pan.  Brush with oil, salt and pepper the chicken and place on the grill.  Cook 5 minutes and until cooked through and not pink.  


Add chicken to serving plate and top with Sicilian sauce.  Serves 4

Polenta

8 Cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of Polenta
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese


reheat oven 350


In a 4 quart oven pan, combine salt, and Polenta and mix well.   Add butter and bake for about 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and add and mix together chicken broth.  Bake again for another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir in cheese and serve hot.  Makes 6 servings.

Salsa Italian

2 cups cubed peeled eggplant
1 cup cubed sweet red pepper
1 cup cubed green pepper
1 cub cubed zucchini
2 1/2 medium minced garlic
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 large tomato cubed
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of salt 
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sugar 

In a large skillet in oil,  saute the eggplant, pepper, zucchini and garlic for about 10 minutes. Slowly add your tomato, vinegar, basil, thyme, salt and pepper.  

Cook about 6 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.  Once cooked, cool and refrigerate for about 6 hours.  Serve on toasted Italian bread.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Meltaway Sugar cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 34 cups sugar

Preheat oven 300

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Beat mixture well, scrap sides of bowl.  Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat as much of the flour as able with mixer.  Stir in remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls, placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet or lined parchment paper. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are set, but do not let edges brown.  Cool cookies for 1 minute on cookie sheet, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool.

Christmas no bake cookies

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 tablespoons vanilla
3 cups quick oats
1 cup chopped nuts


Mix together, sugar, butter, and chocolate chips and milk.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat add remaining ingredients.  Drop by teaspoons onto foil and chill until firm.

Easy Penuche Fudge

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 can condensed mike
2 tablespoons cocoa
1-2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup Nuts

Mix together sugar, milk and cocoa.  Cook to a soft ball, add butter, vanilla, and nuts.  Spread into greased pans allow to set.

Brandy-Rum balls

2 7 1/2 ounce packages of Nabisco Vanilla Wafers finely crushed
1/2 cut honey
1/3 cup Brandy
1/2 cup Rum
1-1pound package finely ground walnuts

Blend all together and mix well.  Shape into balls and roll in granulated sugar, wrap and store.

Pizzelle

6 eggs at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1 cup butter (melted and cooled unsalted)
1 teaspoon each vanilla, and almond flavor  or 1 tablespoon Sambuca or favorite liquor
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking power

In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs and sugar, add butter and flavoring and mix well until smooth.  Sift in flour and baking powder, add a little at a time to the sugar mixture, mix well after each addition of flour. Batter will be very thick.

Heat pizzelle maker, when the iron is ready, drop a heaping teaspoon of batter on each pizzelle press in  the center of each press. This aids the in filling the pattern and not spill over the press. You can use two teaspoons or cookie scoop to place the batter on the press. 

Close the lid for about 30 seconds or press indicates Remove the pizzelles immediately with a spatula.

During the Christmas season I color these with food coloring. 

Peanut Butterballs Dipped in chocolate

½ cup creamy peanut butter (can be substitute other nut butters)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar or more if needed
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

 Cream peanut butter and butter together in a medium size mixing bowl, slowly add in powdered sugar until well blended together and shape into a dough ball. If needed add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at  until mixture holds together in a large ball. Cover peanut  butter dough for about 15 minutes or until firm in the refrigerate so that they are good to handle to form into balls. 

Shape into 1-inch balls, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow be firm.  Peanut butter balls should stay in shape for dipping in chocolate. Melt chocolate according to package instructions or us chocolate chips.

Dip peanut butter balls one at a time into melted chocolate and allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet cover  and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Great to add to a Christmas fudge tray.

Italian Honey Balls Struffoli

4 cups of flour
5 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons baking power
3 tablespoons Crisco oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
honey

Put flour on a pastry board

Make a hole in the center of the flour, add rest of ingredients except the honey,  mix flour a little at a time from sides.  Knead until smooth.  Cut small pieces of dough and roll into long strips.  Cut strips into small cubs.  Fry in oil until golden.  Place in large bowls and cover with honey.

Transfer to smaller dishes and shape into rings and sprinkle with confetti candy

Italian Almond Amaretti Biscotti

1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup butter, softened  (unsalted)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
With electric mixer, cream butter with sugar on low-speed, add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the amaretto and almonds, and mix at low-speed  until blended.  Slowly add flour, baking powder, and salt to  mix until blended.
lightly flour your hands for ease of handle, divide the dough into 2 logs about 10-12 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Place logs on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from oven and put on cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes.  With serrated knife slice each log into ½-inch pieces. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 more minutes total until cookies are crisp and toasty on both sides. Allow to cool completely. 

You can fancy these up by melting some chocolate chips and dipping half of slices in chocolate.

Santa's Christmas Cookies

3⅔ cups all purpose-flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted and cooled  (unsalted)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs


Preheat oven to 350 

Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a  small mixing bowl. Whisk and mix well and put to one side. 
In a large mixing bowl combine together the butter and sugars, using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add  in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed together and smooth. Add the  dry ingredients and mix on low, until just combined all together.

Have cookie press ready  with  holiday disc. Add cookie dough to the press fill line. Press cookie dough out onto ungreased/unlined cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. If you like sprinkle with holiday sprinkles and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
Cool before taking off pan.  If you can work with 3-4 cookie sheets it makes the process faster.  Makes about 125 cookies.