Fresh Mozzarella Salad

This full-flavored salad is gratifying to the palate in that it offers unique textures and flavors, such as ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh slivers of basil, hearty sun dried tomatoes, and chunks of fresh, soft mozzarella. It serves wonderfully alongside a savory pasta dish, such as our Baked Penne Parmesan!
Ingredients:

• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 2 oz. fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 2 basil leaves, sliced into strips
• 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp. chopped sun dried tomatoes (from jar)

Dressing:

We drizzled a tablespoon of olive oil and about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of our favorite balsamic vinegar over the salad. It would also taste great with green Pesto dressing.

Optional Ideas:

• spinach, in place of the mixed salad greens
• bacon bits
• pine nuts

Baked Penne Parmesan

This robust pasta dish gives the taste buds a multitude of flavors, from sweet roasted garlic, fresh basil, tangy Parmesan, Italian herbs, and cherry tomatoes that absolutely melt in the mouth! It takes time, but is well worth it, and the aroma emanating from the kitchen? Forgeddaboudit! We baked this in a 5.5 quart Dutch oven, and it serves about 8 people, so you may cut the recipe if needed.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 large cans of crushed tomato (28oz.)

1/2 a jar of sun dried tomato-julienned

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 large onion

Basil and oregano (to taste)

Red wine

1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 small sprig of rosemary

Pasta:

2 boxes of penne pasta noodles, (al dente), drained.

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves

5 large leaves of fresh basil, sliced

1 bulb of garlic, roasted

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Roasted garlic:

Place entire bulb of garlic in foil and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour while preparing the sauce. After baking, let cool until able to be handled. Cut the top off and squeeze the soft garlic out of the skin and give it a rough chop. Set aside.

Sauce:

In a large skillet, heat enough olive  oil to lightly coat the bottom.  Sauté onion and  garlic cloves until  lightly browned and add balsamic vinegar. Add  tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes, then deglaze with a little red wine. Stir until thickened and add a little more red wine and cook down again. Add 1/2 a can of the crushed tomato and stir until cooked down and thickened. Then add the other half and repeat the process. Add the second can of crushed tomato, sun dried tomato, bay leaves, and rosemary and stir thoroughly.  Add basil and oregano to taste and simmer for about an hour.

Pasta:

In a large pot, boil 2 boxes of penne pasta until al dente. Drain and put back in the pot. Before using the sauce, fish out the bay leaves and rosemary. Now add half the sauce to the pasta and gently toss. Add the cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and roasted garlic, and fold in gently.  Lightly grease a 5 quart Dutch oven or large baking pan and add a little sauce to coat the bottom. Layer 1/2 the pasta mixture into the pan and add a layer of sauce, then sprinkle a layer of Parmesan until lightly coated. Add the second half of the pasta, more sauce, and another layer of Parmesan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 8-10 minutes more.

Apple Pistachio Salad

This zesty salad, loaded with flavor, is satisfying by itself or as a side to any meal.  The juicy sweetness of the apples combined with the salty, savory crunch of the pistachios create a unique and healthy combination.  Green onion and dried cranberries give an added kick!  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/2 of a medium apple, chopped
• 1 small green onion stalk, sliced
• 1 handful of dried cranberries
• 1 handful of shelled, salted pistachios

Dressing options:

This salad would be delicious with Oil and Vinegar dressing, or Raspberry Vinaigrette; however, we had a bottled Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing on hand, which proved to compliment all the ingredients very well!

It's Almost Ready!

It's cold and rainy outside, and the kitchen is warmed by the aromas of roasted garlic, fresh basil, and homemade Sicilian sauce. Stay tuned for our newest dish: Baked Penne Parmesan!

Cheesy English Egg Muffins

This savory recipe serves as a delicious breakfast or brunch. These flavorful, cheesy muffins are versatile in that they can be served up as the main meal along with a side of hash browns, fruit, or cottage cheese; however, they compliment many main breakfast entrées such as pancakes, French toast, or waffles. Be sure to pair these muffins with a sparkling Mimosa!

What you'll need:

Ingredients:

4 eggs (for low cholesterol recipe, use 6 egg whites)

3 English muffins, torn into small pieces

1 Green and 1 red bell pepper (1/2 of each--your choice of color), diced.

1 green onion stalk, sliced

3 button mushrooms, diced

4 cheese slices, cut into 1 inch pieces

2/3 cup of milk

Olive oil: 1 tbsp.

Dill: 1 tsp.

Salt and pepper: 1/2 tsp. of each

Utensils:

1 12 cup muffin tin (greased)

1 Egg whisk

1 Large spoon

1 Large mixing bowl

1 Medium mixing bowl

1 Small skillet

1 Preheated oven at 350 degrees

1. In the large mixing bowl, combine English muffin pieces and milk. Be sure that all of the bread pieces are saturated thoroughly.
2. In the skillet, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Heat on medium. Sauté onions until translucent.  Add bell pepper. Sauté until mixture is lightly browned. Add mushroom; sauté until mushrooms turn light brown. Remove from heat.
3. In the medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, dill, salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly. 
4. Add cooked sauté mixture to the milk/bread mixture. This allows for the sauté mixture to cool before adding the eggs. Stir thoroughly.

5. Add egg mixture to bread/milk/sauté mixture. Add cheese and green onion. Mix thoroughly.

6. Spoon the mixture into muffin tin until each cup is full. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2 an hour, or until tops are golden brown.

Optional ideas:

• Jalapenos
• Chopped olives
• Chopped sun dried tomato
• Zucchini, diced

• Pimentos
• Cooked, chopped bacon or sausage

• Garlic salt
• Your choice of cheese, such as shredded cheddar or crumbled feta
• In our photo, we used sliced American cheese cut into one inch pieces.

*You'll notice that we don't measure our ingredients in most recipes. We prefer to add our seasonings to taste. Start with a little, and then work your way up from there. However, this recipe calls for raw eggs; therefore, it's safest not to taste-test this recipe.