Fish Chowder

I think this was my Auntie Glo's recipe.. It is really good if you like fish chowder. You could also use any white flaky fish. You could also omit the chili powder and use cayenne pepper for a littl spice or a combination of both...

Fish Chowder

1 stick of butter

1 large onion chopped

4 potatoes peeled and diced

2 cups of water

3 cups of milk

1 cup of light cream

1 1/2 lbs of haddock

Salt and pepper

1 T celery salt

1 T onion salt

1 T chili powder

Melt butter and saute' onion until translucent. Do not get any color on the onions. Add potatoes and cover with the 2 cups of water and simmer until the potatoes are almost done 10 minutes or so. Add the fish and cook another 10 minutes, then add all the spices. Add the milk and cream heat it but do not boil it. Taste for additional seasoning...Then......Eat....Yum!!!

Cabbage and Bows

Cabbage and Bows

1 lb of Bow tie pasta

5 onions sliced

1 medium cabbage shredded

2 garlic cloves diced

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2-3 T butter

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package.

Melt butter and oil in large saute pan. Add onion and cabbage to pan and saute about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to stir for another 5-10 minutes. Add to pasta. Season as needed

Ricotta Red Pepper Pasta

Ricotta Red Pepper Pasta

1 lb Penne or other tubular pasta

1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers drained

1 15 ounce container of Ricotta cheese

Chopped fresh parsley 2-3 T

Salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove minced

1 T grated lemon peel (yellow part only)

Cook pasta al dente'-do not make mushy pasta-blech

Combine red peppers and 1/2 cup of cheese in blender or food processor puree until smooth. Put in large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add the pasta and mix again. Take for extra seasoning. Add as needed

Pastiera

This is a recipe my Auntie Lorraine brings to every gathering. It is great for an appetizer!! I even like it for breakfast or dinner with a garden salad..

1 lb of orzo

6 eggs beaten

1 cup of grated Romano cheese

1 lb Muenster cheese cut into small pieces

1 lb Ricotta chese

1/2 stick of Pepperoni cut into small pieces (this can be omitted)

salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt as pepperoni can be very salty.

Cook the Orzo according to the directions on the box. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Spray 9 x 12 pan with oil spray. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until set. Let cool and cut into pieces. I always serve it at room temperature.

Bolognese Sauce

1lb ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 small onion chopped fine

2 celery stalks chopped fine

2 carrots chopped fine

1 can 280z crushed tomatoes

1 c beef broth or chicken if you use chicken or turkey

1 t basil and 1 t thyme (always use fresh if you can)

1 pound of spaghetti

Cook meat in a pan with some olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add celery, carrot and onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat.

Stir in tomatoes, broth, basil, and thyme and 3/4 cup of water. Bring to to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until all the flavors marry together.

Cook pasta and toss together!!!!

Giambotta

Another Doreen Special

Giambotta

1/4 olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

4 Italian peppers~also called cubanelle's the long light green ones

1 small can of tomato paste

2 zucchini cubed

2 celery stalks sliced

4 potatoes cubed

1/2 lb string beans diced

salt and pepper

fresh basil

Add olive oil to large soup pot add onion, garlic and peppers. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and saute for another 3 minutes. Then add all the veggies and cover with water or chicken broth and cook slowly until the veggies are done. Add some basil and serve with grated romano cheese and serve with some crusty bread!!!!

Bean Soup

My dad loves this soup. My mom made it for him often!!! If he ate it now all the sodium would throw him into congestive heart failure..hmmmm...jk...poor grandpa

2 pepperoni's sliced thin

1 package of pea beans (rinsed and sorted from debris)

3 stalks of celery chopped

1 large onion chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped finely or put through a garlic press

1 t oregano

salt and pepper (easy on the salt, the pepperoni can be salty)

1 can of tomato paste (small can)

1/4 cup of olive oil

chopped basil

Put beans and pepperoni in a large soup pot. Add 16 cups of water cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an additional 2-3 hours until the beans are cooked. Add water along the way if needed. Serve with some good bread and grated cheese.

*you can make make this a white soup and leave out the tomato paste. You could also add some cooked escarole at the end.

Fussili (Jerry) and Basil

If anyone is a Seinfeld fan, you will get the name of this recipe.

This is a recipe that was either my Grandmother's or my Aunt's on my Dad's side. Simple and delicious.

1lb of Fussili (you can use any kind of pasta) but then the joke....

1/2 cup fresh basil sliced (roll leaves in a cigar shape then slice thinly across cigar)

1/2 cup chopped pimento's

1/2 sliced black olives

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped finely

Salt and pepper-make sure it is well seasoned

3/4 cup of olive oil (you could use a little less and add some pasta water if you are watching your figure ;)

Cook the pasta as directed.

Just before the pasta is done heat the olive oil in a big saute' pan over med heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly brown. Add the rest of the ingredients heat til warm. Drain pasta and toss all the ingredients together. Grate some cheese over it...

Beef soup...

Okay so you have lots of beef and leftover juice/sauce from your pot roast...

This is what I do with my leftovers.

I take some olive oil in a stock pot-maybe 2-3 T

Chop one large onion

Chop 6 carrots

Chop 3 celery stocks

2-3 Garlic cloves chopped finely

Saute this all in the stock pot. Do this for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat.

Add the chopped left over beef. Make sure you scrape off the fat on the top of the juice before you add it to the soup. At this point I usually add 1 carton of beef broth.

You can add a variation of things to this soup.

A can of diced tomatoes.

Sliced cabbage

Zucchini or summer squash

Barley

Brown Rice (already cooked)

Noodles....The options are endless. Enjoy!!!

Pot Roast

So this has taken a long, long time...But on my friends urging here you go...

Ever have one of those days? Going and going and you think how am I going to get dinner cooked? Well I have this yummy recipe that will then turn into dish number 2 for the next night.

I buy a pot roast...maybe 3-6 lbs?

Take off the string and cut off as much fat as possible. Plop it in the crockpot

Then add a jar of picante' sauce (I get the big jar). I use Pace but you can use anything you like.

Add 1 cup of beef broth.

Add 1 T of chili powder and 2 cloves of chopped garlic...

Put the lid on and cook on high for 5 hours...

Keep all juice and leftover beef for meal number 2...Stay tuned....