Welcome!

My little sous chef with an excellent nose for great food! If he looks at me excitedly while I'm in the kitchen with his nose in the air, it'll be a great meal... If he hides, well, I messed something up.

Hello! Welcome to my recipe blog! This has long been a goal of mine to finally start posting some of my favorite recipes to share with all. At the moment, this is a work in progress as I try to post my recipes I've been making over the years.

As a young, amateur chef (in my kitchen), I'm always looking for new and exciting recipes to recreate. Every ingredient I encounter while walking up and down the aisles at the grocery store has always resulted in daydreaming as the endless possibilities and twists one ingredient can have in a dish. Spending time in the kitchen watching as my daydreams come to fruition while listening to Rosemary Clooney or Frank Sinatra in the background is my little taste of heaven on earth.

So whether you're a seasoned chef in your kitchen or are still learning your way around, enjoy your culinary experience! I hope you enjoy my recipes!

Gazpacho

Gazpacho, a delightful summer dish sure to keep you cool during the long hot summer days! Not only is this delicious, but it's highly nutritious and full of antioxidants! 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Set Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 red bell peppers
1 red onion
4 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
3 cups tomato juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil

Directions:

1. Chop the vegetables into 1 inch cubes.

2. Place the vegetables separately into a food processor and process each until they are coarsely chopped. The best way to do this, is by pulsing the processor.

3. Place the chopped vegetables into a container, and mix in the white wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, tomato juice and seasonings.

4. Mix well, and refrigerate. As it chills and set the flavor will develop and tastes even better!

5. Serve chilled.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Cube Steaks

This recipe is by no means healthy, but, it is a delicious and filling meal! Perfect for the grill and outdoor cookouts or staying in on a rainy day. This combines the creamy deliciousness of cream cheese, to the classic melt in your mouth goodness the bacon adds.  


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
 
Ingredients:
2 cube steaks
8 thin slices of bacon
1/2 stick of cream cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup banana peppers chopped (or jalapeno's if you love the heat!)

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, garlic and banana peppers in a bowl until thoroughly mixed.

2. Spread the cream cheese mix evenly over the cube steaks and roll them up.

3. Wrap each roll with the bacon slices to keep the rolls from unraveling as they cook.

4. Place them in a baking dish and cook at 350 for about an hour. The bacon should become like a shell and a light golden brown.

Birthday Cake Batter Fudge

Prep Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Set time: 3 hours

Ingredients:
2 cups Pillsbury Funfetti Vanilla Cake mix (with sprinkles)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add the two cups of the cake mix and powdered sugar.

2. In a separate bowl, microwave the stick of butter until melted.

3. Once the butter is melted, add that to the cake and sugar mix, along with the milk.

4. Mix well.

5. Once the mixture is thoroughly mixed, pour it into a greased baking or cake dish and refrigerate for 3 hours to set.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 10 min

For the bruschetta:

4 Plum tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese blend finely shredded

Enjoy with:
1 baguette
Garlic & herb goat cheese

Directions:

1. Finely chop the tomatoes and basil, and mix together.

2. Add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, minced garlic and Mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.

3. Mix well, and add salt if you would like a little for extra taste.

4. Slice the baguette to 1/2 inch size rounds and spread a light layer of the goat cheese onto the slices.

5. Add the bruschetta topping.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Note:

Although most recipes for bruschetta call for Roma tomatoes, Fresh Market was all out, so I decided to use Plum tomatoes instead, which are my favorite as far as tomatoes go. I love eating tomatoes whole and found that the skin on the plums does not interfere with the taste at all. But, if you prefer your bruschetta without tomato skins, parboil the tomatoes and once they cool off enough that they don't burn your fingertips, remove the skins and chop them up. :-)

Turkey Meatballs

Makes about 12-14
Cook time about 25 minutes
Prep time 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb of ground turkey
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 - 2 tbsp of salt (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.

2. Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the beaten egg to the mixture and mix again thoroughly.

3. In a large frying pan, add the olive oil or enough to coat the bottom of the pan and turn to low to medium heat.

4. Scoop out the balls with a spoon or make them by hand to the desired size, (I usually make about 12-14 1 inch balls) and place them into the frying pan.

5. Turn the meatballs every 3-5 minutes or so, to ensure that they are evenly browned and cooked. 

Once they are ready, Enjoy! It's a healthy and tasty alternative to the traditional red meat meatball!
I usually pair this with pasta or yellow rice and it is delicious!