Here's another great Hors d'oeuvre for Super Bowl Sunday or a delicious side dish for most entrees.
Double Stuffed Potatoes
ingredients:
yukon gold potatoes
sour cream
milk
italian parsley, chopped
kosher salt and pepper
cooking spray ~ Pam
paprika
directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry your potatoes. Bake potatoes for 30-40 minutes, remove from oven and let cool. Cut in half and scoop out the inside.
In a large bowl add potatoes, sour cream (as much or as little as you like) and a little milk and mix with an electric mixer. Season to taste.
Place your potato skins in a baking dish and start filling with your mixture. Sprinkle with a little paprika and chopped parsley (optional) spray with Pam (or any cooking spray) and you're ready for the oven.
Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on how well done you like your potatoes. You can add the parsley before you bake the potatoes or when they come out. And if you don't like parsley, don't add it. If you're a fan of garlic, cheese and/or butter, add it. Make this dish yours! Be creative and have fun with it.
Enjoy and Bon
Appetit! and Go Team!
** the secret ingredient is lots of love
ღ
It's Super Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday and I'm using the day to my advantage ~ doing laundry, shampooing carpets, giving Prince a bath and of course spending time in the kitchen cooking. An all around productive day!
But first what to have for lunch ... I had some left over heirloom cherry tomatoes from the other day ... what a great idea for a lite lunch.
Quick Tomato Salad
Cut the tomatoes in half, chop some italian parsley, chop a few kalamata olives, season with a pinch of kosher salt, pepper, add a little red wine vinegar and some good olive oil and you have yourself one great salad.
As you can see, I'm never alone in the kitchen. Max and Prince are always close by watching everything I do ... just in case something should accidentally fall on the floor. FYI ... they LOVE tomatoes!
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
**
the secret ingredient is lots of love ღ
It's not even 12 o'clock but feels like it should be mid to late afternoon. So much going on ... but that's life, right! Wishing you all a wonderful wacky Friday.
I want to thank you for your terrific feedback to my blog. This is all so new for me, but knowing how much you are enjoying the blog and recipes makes it all worth while. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts. If there are recipes you are looking for, please let me know. Let's have fun together.
Here's
another delicious Hors d'oeuvre for
Super Bowl Sunday that is guaranteed to SCORE a TOUCHDOWN with your guests.
Greek Salad on a Skewer
This is the simplest appetizer you will ever make. It's a deconstructed greek salad. All you need is skewers, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese ~ cubed, seeded kalamata olives and cubes of your favorite color pepper. As you can see from the picture ... just add a tomato, kalamata olive, cube of feta cheese, kalamata olive, tomato and pepper. If you enjoy red onion, add it. Make a vinaigrette and drizzle or serve on the side. This recipe can be made way in advance and is guaranteed to be a hit with your guests.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit! and Go
team!
**
the secret ingredient is lots of love ღ
Here's another delicious Hors d'oeuvre for Super Bowl Sunday that is sure to SCORE BIG with your guests.
Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls
ingredients:
napa cabbage thinly sliced
2 carrots grated
1 red pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
bean sprouts
2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced on an angle
italian parsley (optional)
soy sauce
ginger, grated with microplane zester
canola oil
large egg roll wrappers
directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of canola oil and saute the shallots until tender, not browned. Add the cabbage, celery, red pepper and carrots and cook until tender, constantly stirring.
Add bean sprouts, ginger (as much or little as you like) and italian parsley, soy sauce (once or twice around the pot) and cook for few minutes until everything has married together and is tender.
Take off the heat and let cool. Lay one wrapper and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable mixture down the center of the square.
Dab a little water around the outside of the square and fold one side over the filling.
Now, fold the other side over the filling and do the same with the remaining two sides. Wet the seams of the egg roll and press firmly so that it adheres well.
Spray your baking sheet with Pam (or any cooking spray) and lay the egg rolls on it, seam side down. Spray the top of the egg rolls with Pam and place in oven. Cook until the bottoms are browned, approx. 8 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 8 minutes or until browned and crispy.
Remove from oven and drain on paper towel. Serve whole or slice on the bias.
Remember ... the fun of cooking is creating a dish with ingredients you enjoy!
If there are vegetables you don't like in this recipe, switch them out for ones you do. Cooking is about being creative and having fun. Make it happen ... You can do it!!!
Enjoy and
Bon Appetit! and Go team!
**
the secret ingredient is lots of love ღ
Today is Groundhog Day with many anxiously waiting to see if Punxsutawney Phil and/or Staten Island Chuck would predict an early spring. Good news ... he saw his shadow, in the process predicting six more weeks of winter.
But for me today meant something completely different. You see today would have been my Aunt Helen's birthday. She was not only my aunt but my best friend. Only an aunt can give hugs like a mother, keep secrets like a sister and share love like a friend. Her memory lives deep in my heart always.
After going for a manicure and pedicure I stopped in a few stores looking for some Valentines Day gifts for some very special people in my life. Hard to believe Valentines Day is around the corner. Where has the time gone? All I will say is I had a successful shopping day ... but I'm not finished yet.
Now to the kitchen ... here's an easy and cute Hors d'oeuvre for Super Bowl Sunday.
Edible Footballs
Cut grape tomatoes in half. Cut rounds out of fresh mozzarella. You can add a basil pesto if you wish in between the layers. Build a bite sized mini football appetizer that can be displayed with extra long toothpicks stuck in a football shaped bread, an individual spoon, fork or shot glass. It's all about the fun! Be creative!
Enjoy and Bon
Appetit!
Live ~ Love ~ Laugh and always
think Positive!
** the secret ingredient is lots of love ღ
On this first day of February it felt like Mother Nature thought it was April. The temperature reached all kinds of crazy records. I noticed while out and about in town what a pleasant mood everyone was in. People smiling and being cordial to one another instead of honking and fighting over parking spots. Kindness doesn't cost a thing, but it's value is priceless.
Since I started writing this blog, my twitter friends are always asking "what's for dinner tonight?" I laugh, because at 8 in the morning while sipping my first cup of coffee "what's for dinner" is usually the last thing on my mind. Today though my mind was consumed with a friend in trouble. She's a lovely lady I met on twitter and am so thankful to social networking for bringing us together. She's a beautiful, smart, strong, funny and knowledgeable lady with a huge heart that I admire so. I love and care about you my sweet friend and will always be here for you. Stay positive! I look forward to the day we get to meet in person.
This morning the repairman was here checking on my ice machine that is not working. The bad news is the ice machine needs to be replaced. Replacing any part on a new appliance makes no sense whatsoever. The good news is the company is replacing the refrigerator. Problem solved.
Now ... what to have for dinner?
Poached Salmon, Asparagus & Tomatoes
ingredients:
1 piece of fresh salmon
asparagus
heirloom tomatoes
shallot, thinly sliced
1 piece of dill
lemon
kosher salt and pepper
chardonnay
directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a roasting pan place your salmon in the middle with the asparagus and tomatoes around. Salt and pepper. Place a piece of dill on top of the salmon. If you're not a fan of dill, leave it out. You can always substitute with Italian parsley or nothing at all. Add as much or as little shallots as you like to the top of the fish. Add Chardonnay to cover about a third of the salmon. Juice half of a lemon and you're ready for the oven.
Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of fish.
A fish spatula is a must! Once you own one, it will be on your list of favorite kitchen tools.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
Live ~ Love ~ Laugh and always think
Positive!
** the secret ingredient is lots of love
ღ
Friendship can be measured by memories, laughter and love. My best friends are not just my friends but my chosen family. Last night I had the pleasure of their company for dinner. I don't know about you, but food always tastes better to me when it's shared with people I love. Great company, delicious food, lots of laughter and great conversation made for one terrific evening.
Max and Prince waiting patiently at the door for everyone to arrive.
Dinner parties of any size should be simple, well planned out and timed right so when your guests arrive, you can enjoy their company and not be in the kitchen missing out on all the fun.
We started the evening with drinks while noshing on some guacamole and chips.
The menu was simple yet well balanced. Grilled London Broil cooked to perfection, Roasted baby Purple Onions, Steamed Snap Beans, Eggplant Frenzy Friday, Roasted Red Fingerling Potatoes with Shallots and Garlic, a variety of Olives, Bread Sticks and a freshly baked Baguette.
Life isn't measured by the breathes we take but the moments that take our breath away. Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment.
Live ~ Love ~ Laugh and always think Positive!
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
** the secret ingredient is lots of love
ღ
