Rich Chicken Stock

I don't know about anyone else but I love keeping chicken carcasses and the juices left over from baking chickens. Luckily, we have a huge freezer so I just stock pile it all until I have enough to make a big batch of stock. I use the broth for soup, making stuffing, or anything that calls for chicken broth. No additives and preservatives in this stuff and it's totally freezable! I like to put it into quart baggies and it usually lasts 6 months or so.

• 4 pounds chicken bones, chopped
• 3 large onions, quartered (skin left on)
• 1/2 head celery coarsely chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems only
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, add 12 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the scum that rises to the top with a ladle every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pot. Place back on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Berry Berry Fizz

I fell in LOVE with this when I saw it. I love Prosecco. A friend's mother works at a winery. She gave Jason and I a case for our wedding. I have yet to find a Prosecco as awesome as hers but this drink doesn't need amazing Prosecco to make it delicious! Super easy and stuff we had in the house already. A must try! :)

• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen sliced strawberries, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 (8-ounce) bag frozen blueberries
• 1 bottle Prosecco (Italian Champagne)
  

In a food processor, puree the sliced strawberries, with their juice, and honey until smooth.

Pour a generous spoonful of the fruit puree into a champagne flute. Add a few frozen blueberries and top with Prosecco. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Penne Romana

I will always try a new pasta dish.. they are my weakness :) This one was really simple yet amazingly good! I didn't even need to make a special trip to the store for ingredients! Simple and amazing! :)

Romana Sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped in 1/4”pieces
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 cups white wine
2 tsp rosemary, chopped (1/2 tsp dry)
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped (1/4 tsp dry)
Salt to taste
2 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
2 cups chicken broth

Pasta
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups green beans, blanched
1 cup tomato, diced
4 cups Romana sauce (see above)
4 cups penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
3 Tbsp Romano cheese
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan at medium-high heat. Add onions and crushed red pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute. Whisk in wine, rosemary, parsley and salt.
   
2. Whisk cornstarch and chicken broth in a separate bowl. Add mixture to sauce and stir well. Bring to a boil and set aside.
   
3. Heat sauté pan over medium high heat. Add green beans and tomato and cook for 1 minute. Add Romana sauce and cooked, drained penne pasta. Add Romano and Parmesan cheeses. Stir well to ensure pasta is completely coated.
   
4. Serve hot.

Eggs Florentine

This was a really good recipe if you like Florentine. We do! It's light and turns out really nice; not really heavy!

Vegetable oil cooking spray
4 thin slices prosciutto
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup grated Romano
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 1-inch thick slices

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before crumbling into small pieces.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and nutmeg and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Fill a small saucepan with 3 inches of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the lemon juice. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Crack an egg in a small bowl, taking care not to break the yolk. Slowly slide the egg into the water. Using a wooden spoon, carefully stir the water around the egg. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until the white has set and the yolk is still soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

To serve, place a tomato slice on each salad plate and season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/4 of the spinach sauce over the tomato slice. Top with a poached egg and sprinkle with the crumbled prosciutto. Serve warm.

Cook's Note: The poached eggs can be made ahead of time if stored in water and refrigerated. Reheat by placing in simmering water for 30 seconds.

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I made this for the 4th. I have tasted it and it's so good! The blue cheese makes it super smooth and the bacon gives it a smoky flavor. The onion add a little color.. it's the perfect combination!

• 4 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked until almost tender, drained, and halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• Salt and freshly ground black
• 3/4 pound hickory smoked bacon
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese
  

Preheat grill. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill cut side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl.

Place medium skillet on the side burner or the grill and heat until almost smoking. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool and crumble.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and parsley and toss to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese.

Lemon-Ginger Iced Tea with Berry Cubes

I made this this morning for Jason when he gets home! He'll love it!

• 1 cup (4 ounces) raspberries, rinsed
• Water for ice cube trays, plus 8 cups water, divided
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped fresh ginger
• 6 white tea bags
• 3 lemons, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
• Lemon slices
• Mint sprigs, for garnish

Place about 4 raspberries in each compartment of an ice cube tray, 6 hours before serving iced tea. Fill with water and freeze.

Place honey, 2 cups water and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let mixture steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, then strain out solids.

In a pitcher combine strained liquid with 6 cups water and lemon juice. Chill in refrigerator.

To serve, place 3 ice cubes in a tall glass and pour iced tea over cubes. Garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs.

Champagne Granita

Anyone want something cool, refreshing, and super easy to make?! :) You found it! So simple yet a super fun, adult treat! :)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 lemons
  
• 1 (750-ml) bottle Champagne or other sparkling white wine, cold

Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.

Using the finest grater you have, lightly scrape the skin of 1 lemon, removing only the top surface of the peel. Squeeze out the juice and remove the seeds from both lemons.

Open the Champagne or sparkling wine, and pour it into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch pan. Mix in the simple syrup, lemon juice, and grated zest. Place mixture into the freezer. Check after 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up any ice formed on the sides and stir into the rest of the liquid. Continue to freeze and repeat this procedure every hour for at least 3 hours. Before serving, fluff the granita by "chopping" up any clumps with the spoon or gently whisking the frozen mixture. Spoon into small glasses or cups and serve.

Fish Tacos

For anyone who has never enjoyed fish tacos or have been afraid to try them, these are a must. You can actually use any kind of fish, we use whatever we have in fridge/freezer. I have made these a few times and my husband used to be a skeptic. He likes them, a lot. I hope you will too :)

• 1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets, about 5
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Salt, pinch
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cups canola oil
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
  
• 2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas, or you can use flour
  
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded

Cut the fish into 1 1/2-inch chunks.

To make the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in enough water, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat to 360 degrees F.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, dip the fish pieces into the batter and carefully add them to the hot oil. Cook the fish until golden brown on both sides and the fish is cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Remove from the pan and drain on to a sheet tray lined with a paper bag or paper towels.

To make the sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice, garlic, and 2 tablespoons cilantro in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and microwave on medium for 1 minute to warm. Put about 1/4 cup of the shredded cabbage on each tortilla. Put 3 pieces of the fried fish on top of the cabbage, then top with some sauce. Arrange the tacos on a serving platter and garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro. Serve immediately.

Pesto Lasagna

I have a huge basil section in my herb garden, both purple and green basil, sweet and Italian basil. I love basil so much! No surprise to my husband that I came up with a pesto lasagna. It's super yummy. It's definitely not a meal, unless you fiend for pesto, but it'd be a nice side dish :)

For the pesto:

• 4 cups basil leaves, loosely packed, washed and tough stems trimmed and roughly torn
• 2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 2 ounces)
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the lasagna:

• 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1-ounce)

For the pesto: Combine half pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor, and process until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and process until evenly blended, about 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.

For the lasagna: Heat oven to 375 degrees F and arrange rack in upper third.

Meanwhile, alternatively layer a scant 1/4 cup pesto and 1 sheet of fresh lasagna noodles in an 8 by 8-inch baking dish, trimming noodles, as needed, to fit. There should be about 10 to 12 layers. Top lasagna with cheese and bake until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving.

Strawberries Romanoff

2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
Juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp Triple Sec
2 qt strawberries, washed and quartered
Fresh mint sprig

Combine sour cream, brown sugar, orange juice and triple sec together in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add strawberries. Fold in until evenly coated.

Place coated berries in a dessert dish or champagne glass. Garnish each with a sprig of mint.

Chill until ready to serve, serves 4.

Alfredo

For those of you who know me, Alfredo is my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E food! If I could, I would eat it every day... but that's not realistic. :) This is a rich, creamy, succulent recipe that I got from the Olive Garden website. It's EASY to make but you need to be patient when you temper the egg yolks or you'll have lumpy sauce (from the cooked yolks). This is from personal experience :) It's totally doable though. I have been making this for about 10 years. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.

Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).

Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.
This sauce is for a serving of 4.

Corn Bread Stuffing with Sage and Sausage

I used to go to the pool at 5:45am to "swim" with the old ladies in the therapy pool after I injured my back. We would talk about anything and everything. It was around Thanksgiving time that I told one lady in particular that I was in charge of making the stuffing. It turned out, I talked to the correct woman! I have to admit, I asked her because she was from the South (you could tell by her awesome accent). She asked me a few questions and in no time she was spouting off an ingredients list. I don't cook with measurements anyhow so this method of telling me the recipe worked well :) For all intents and purposes of letting people know the recipe I have had to come up with some measurements but it's really easy and is a for sure crowd pleaser!

2 pkgs. of Marie Callendar's Corn Bread mix, made per directions and crumbled
1 c. fresh chopped sage
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, loose, not links (or more if you prefer a meatier stuffing)
4-6 c. chicken broth (I use my own home made broth, it adds an awesome flavor!)
1 onion, chopped

Make corn bread as per directions on box. Crumble and set aside. (You can actually use ANY corn bread mix, but the Marie Callendar's is the BEST tasting with this recipe!)

While cooking Italian sausage, add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until meat is browned and onion is transparent. Drain excess fat.

Mix corn bread, meat mixture, and fresh sage. Stir thoroughly. Add chicken broth to desired consistency. Remember, it'll dry out a little when it's baked, so a little "too much" is ok! Pour mixture into a 11"x13" baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour! :)

Shrimp and Beef Chow Fun

This is one of my favorite Chinese food dishes. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I came across the recipe while searching the web. I added a few of my own ingredients (veggie wise) and it turned out so great. I ate the rest of what was left for breakfast the next day :) I found the rice noodles in a co-op store in Corvallis but you could find them in any Asian market or specialty store. In all honesty, you could probably use fettucini noodles, though the texture wouldn't be the same, it'll still taste just fine. Enjoy.

1/2 to 3/4 pound flank steak
1/2 to 3/4 pound deveined shrimp
3 tbsp. dark soy sauce
3 tsp. Chinese rice wine or Dry Sherry
3 tsp. cornstarch
Sesame Oil
1/2 pound of fresh or dried rice noodles
Assorted Veggies - baby corn, snow peas, onions, green onion, baby bok choy, I like cut up portobello mushrooms, bean sprouts, zuchinni
2tbsp. Chinese Black Bean Sauce
2 cloves of garlic
3-4 tbsp. oyster sauce
5 tbsp. oil or so for frying (I used sesame oil)

Cut flank steaks across grain into strips about a 1/4 inch thick. Add dark soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add shrimp to meat mixture. Marinate 15 minutes.

While steak is marinating, prepare vegetables into bite size pieces. Prepare noodles as directed on package. Heat wok, add 2 tbsp. oil. When oil is hot, add meat. Lay flat and cook 1 minute. Add black bean sauce and cook meat until browned and shrimp is pink. Remove meat from wok.

Clean out wok and add 2 more tbsp. oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and stir fry until aromatic. Add rice noodles and stir fry until browned. Remove noodles from wok. Add 2 more tbsp. oil, add veggies, and saute briefly. Add noodles to veggies and add oyster sauce. Mix well. Add meat and stir together. Serve :)
Serves 3-4