8 Oct 2016

Easy Apple Pancakes

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

These apple pancakes are easy and delicious. They are especially good this time of year with fresh picked apples. Garnish them with walnuts, sliced apples and warm syrup and they are amazing. Surprise your family with this great breakfast.

Ingredients

1 Cup Complete Pancake Mix

½ Cup Apple Sauce

2/3 Cup Water

½ tsp Cinnamon

1 Apple

Walnuts – Optional

Instructions

Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 350ºF. Grease griddle with cooking spray or butter.

For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Garnish with sliced apples and walnuts. Serve with warm syrup.

8 Oct 2016

Apples

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

Fall has officially arrived. Yay!! Apple picking, pumpkin picking, cornstalks and all. Time to get out the warm sweaters, colorful scarfs, boots and leggings. What a great season.

Before you know it, the beautiful green leaves will become bright red, spectacular orange and bold yellow. They will be absolutely gorgeous. If you’ve never gone on a Fall Foliage getaway, you should definitely put it on your list. If you’ve already done it, you know it’s worth the trip.

There are such a wide variety of apples this time of year, it’s hard to choose which one to use. In addition to the varieties, if they are grown in New York or Washington also will make a difference in the taste of the apple.

Delicious is still the most popular snacking apple, but other varieties such as Gala, Golden Delicious, Honey Gold, McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, and Granny Smith are great for salads, baked goods and sauces.

Even if you don’t have an opportunity to actually go apple picking, there is a huge selection in the grocery store. In my local stores, there were at least 6-7 varieties of apples.

This year, I made some of my Grandmother’s recipes, and they are fantastic. She was a great cook. She was a typical Italian Grandmother, born in a town near Naples, Italy and raised most of her life in Brooklyn, NY. She had 5 children and 14 grandchildren. We would go to her house most Sunday’s when I was growing up in addition to going there on Christmas and Easter. She always made the traditional Italian food. Italians have a different type of pasta and pasta sauce for every occasion. If you love pasta as much as I do, you’ll probably agree that it sounds amazing!!!! But, let’s get back to the apples.

The apple foods that I made this season were Grandma’s Apple Pie, Apple Pancakes, Apple-Walnut Streusel Muffins, Apple Sauce and Apple Fritters. They were one more delicious than the next. Take a look at these apple recipes, then take a look at Grandma’s Coffee Cake. Even though that doesn’t have any apples in it, you will be shocked at how fabulous that coffee cake is. You can serve it with ice cream for dinner, or a piece for breakfast. A hot cup of coffee and a piece of this cake is all I need, it’s pure comfort.

I hope you try them all and let me know what your thoughts are about each one.

17 Jul 2016

Basil Pesto

by Warern van der Biezen | posted in: Basil Pesto, Pasta | 0

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces. I love it on all kinds of pasta hot and cold. Before I learned how to make it, I would always order it whenever I went out to eat. But, not that I have an herb garden and grow lots of basil, I always have it in my fridge and freezer. I keep jars of it in the fridge and freeze it in ice cube trays and keep it in the freezer to add to soups and stews all year round.

In the large bowl of a food processor, add the basil and the nuts. Chop.

Add the cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor and blend. While the food processor is still running, drizzle the olive oil through the tube until it is completely combined.

Isn’t this glorious. Pesto on fresh pasta is great, but don’t stop there. You will love it on chicken or in soups and tomato sauce.

Here’s the recipe

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
3 Cups Fresh Basil leaves, packed
2/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Grated Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
1 Garlic Clove
2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Instructions

In the large bowl of a food processor, add the basil and the nuts. Chop. Add the cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and put the food processor on the continuous on setting. While the food processor is still running, drizzle the olive oil through the tube until it is completely combined.Store pesto in the refrigerator with a film of olive oil on the top or a piece of plastic wrap touching the top of the pesto.

24 Apr 2016

Roasted Chickpeas

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

These roasted chickpeas are so good. They are a great snack while watching the game and nice to munch on with a glass of wine. You can change the flavor of them to suit your taste. This is one of those recipes that everyone will ask you for. They also make great gifts!!

Ingredients

Chick Peas

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Powder

Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300º.

Drain and rinse the chick peas. Dry them with a paper towel, rubbing gently. Remove any skins that come loose.

Lay them single layer on a baking sheet. Coat all the chick peas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and the garlic powder, continue roasting for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the chick peas are crunchy.

Cool completely before storing.

20 Apr 2016

Pasta with Artichokes and Pancetta

by Eva M | posted in: Pasta, Pasta with Artichokes and Pancetta | 0

The combination of flavors in this pasta dish is amazing. They all go together so well. The shells hold the sauce and pancetta and the artichokes give it a really fresh taste.

Ingredients

4 Cups Medium Shells
1 Can Quartered Artichoke Hearts
1 LB Italian Sausage
12 oz Pancetta
6 Sun-dried Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves – chopped
1 Cup Fresh Parsley
1 Cup Parmigiano-reggiano Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Fill a large stockpot with water and 1 tablespoon salt. When it starts to boil, add the pasta and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.In a large skillet, brown the pancetta. When the pancetta is starting to brown, add the sausage meet. Break it up into small pieces. When the sausage is brown, add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add the sundried tomatoes parsley and the artichoke hearts. Add 2 ladles of the pasta water. Let cook 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the parmigiano-reggiano and gently stir to combine all the ingredients.Serve immediately