Polenta with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

I first made this when my husband and I moved in together. It was a Sunday and I was making it for lunch. He had gone to a drill they were having at the firehouse. I had heard this beeping noise coming from the laundry room in our complex and called it in to the fire department. They came to check it out and I had gone downstairs to meet them. I told my husband that I had made the polenta for lunch. I went back upstairs to check on it and I heard one of the guys say over the radio that Billy’s girlfriend made lunch. It was really cute.

Polenta with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

1-16 oz. tube refrigerated polenta, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1- 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
¼ cup dried basil
4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray
Arrange polenta slices in baking dish allowing them to over-lap; set aside.
Spray a medium non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes.
Stir in Alfredo sauce and basil; heat for about 8 minutes.
Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the polenta. Top with grated cheese. Bake for 7 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Footnote - Serve this with a simple spinach salad and focaccia.

How cold do we look? LOL!!

Little Ferry Fire Department

This photo was taken on Sunday, January 17. They had just finished battling a huge fire at Heaven is a Spa on Route 46. The building was ready to collapse. This is them sitting on the flatbed that the wrecking crane came on.

Good job Leo!

Superbowl Party Menu

Like most people..we are huge football fans and with the Superbowl right around the corner, here is a great collection of recipes perfect for your party. Most of these recipes can be found in our cookbook - In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary. I also add Janice's Famous Artichoke Dip and Stromboli Bread to my own party menu. Both recipes can be found on here.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 package chicken tenderloins, cooked and chopped
2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 - 8 oz. box chicken-flavored crackers

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on LOW setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Brown Sugar Smokies

1 - 16 oz. package little smokie sausages
1 pound bacon
1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Footnote - You can make these little smokies on skewers or toothpick them to secure.

Best Ever Buffalo Chicken Wings

Oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 chicken wings

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve with bleu cheese dipping sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Wings

6 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded
1 1/2 cups Louisiana-style hot sauce
3/4 cup butter
1 cup honey
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the chicken 8 to 12 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. (You can deep fry or bake the chicken instead if you want to, but it is best when grilled.) Remove chicken to a large roasting pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the hot sauce, butter, honey, garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes, until blended and heated through. Pour the sauce over the grilled chicken wings and stir to coat.

Footnote - You can make two batches of the sauce, use one as a marinade before grilling the chicken, and pour the second batch over the chicken after it is grilled.

Jalapeno Snacks

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 - 1 oz. package dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
20 large jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
Stir together the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. Spoon some of the cheese mixture into each jalapeno half, wrap with half a bacon strip, and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the wrapped jalapeno halves onto a broiler pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 stick of melted butter
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
½ cup grated Romano cheese
½ cup white wine
1 cup frozen chopped onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove mushroom stems from mushrooms and chop. Place caps on a buttered baking sheet and set aside. In a saucepan melt butter and white wine over low heat. In a skillet sauté chopped stems, chopped onions and crushed garlic in olive oil. In a bowl mix together bread crumbs, parsley and cheese then add them to the melted butter and white wine, then add the sauté of mushroom stems, minced onions and crushed garlic, stir everything together. Mold a small amount on the cap of each mushroom. Bake for 30 minutes.

Ranch Mac & Cheese

I'm hungry and I just found this recipe in a magazine.....looks good!










Ranch Mac & Cheese

1 package elbow macaroni
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
1/2 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crushed saltines
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings; heat through. Stir in Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream.
Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce and top with the saltines. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Footnotes - You can substitute Panko Breadcrumbs for the saltines. Great side dish for ham.

Zucchini and Onion Bisque

I met my friend Carol on a cooking website. Over the last few months we have become quite close. We both send each other recipes and things that we find. This is one of the recipes she gave me. This soup is perfect for the fall and winter. Very rich and creamy! Be sure to leave the zucchini unpeeled. The light green coloring adds to the soup.

Zucchini and Onion Bisque

4 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, pared and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups heavy cream
White or cayenne pepper and salt to taste

In a large covered saucepan, combine stock, potatoes, onions, zucchini and garlic. Cover, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Strain soup through a sieve. Puree solids in a food processor or blender. Stir puree back into the stock and return soup to saucepan. Slowly whisk in cream. Season to taste with the pepper depending on the spiciness you prefer.

Footnotes - Carol said that she uses half and half instead of heavy cream and it is still plenty rich. Also, you can use a hand held stick blender to puree the vegetable directly in the pot. After everything is pureed, add the cream.

Who knew?

We had gone to Gracie's house the day after Thanksgiving for a visit. Her twin boys who are both 3 1/2 were playing with her camera. Joey took this picture of us. He must take after his cousin Arge!! Hehehehe....

Danny, Gracie, my mom and me - 11.27.09 - Taken by Joey, age 3 1/2

Gracie's Best Ever Creamed Spinach

I got this recipe from my cousin Gracie who had made it for the first time this past Thanksgiving. Now, I LOVE creamed spinach and this is by far the best I have ever had.


Gracie's Best Ever Creamed Spinach

5 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup half and half
4 oz. cream cheese
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in half and half until blended. Stir in cream cheese.
Increase heat to medium; whisk mixture constantly until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until transparent. Add spinach and water into pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. Stir spinach mixture into cream cheese mixture. Return to medium heat stirring often, until warmed throughout.
Remove from heat and fold in Parmesan.

Chicken with Scallions in Paprika Cream Sauce

Chicken and Scallions in Paprika Cream Sauce

1 lb. thin-sliced chicken cutlets
2 bunches scallions, sliced, light green and white parts only
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and margarine in a large frying pan.
Flour chicken cutlets and fry in batches until golden brown. Remove each batch from pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add sliced scallions to the pan and sauté until tender scraping up any brown bits from the pan.
Add heavy cream to the pan and stir. Add paprika and mix well. Cook the sauce until it just starts to boil and thickens slightly. Add a bit more salt and pepper.
Pour over chicken cutlets. Allow to sit for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken a bit more.

Footnotes - I serve this with orzo pasta. My mom serves it over rice pilaf. Either way, it is delicious.

Rest in Peace Fred...

After living 4 long years...Fred "the fish who wouldn't die" finally died last night. =(

Caramelized Onion Dip

Think of this as a grown-up version of French Onion Dip using lots of deeply caramelized onions along with a Greek yogurt and sour cream base. You can also add a few tablespoon of mayonaisse to deeped the flavor. Serve with Sweet Potato Chips or toasted pita chips

Caramelized Onion Dip

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, about 1 1/2 pounds, finely chopped
3/4 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine)
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (low-fat is fine)
3 teaspoons dehydrated onion powder or crushed dehydrated onion flakes added to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat saute the chopped onions in the olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt. Stir occasionally with a wood spatula and cook until the onions are deeply golden, brown, and caramelized, roughly 40 or 50 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, onion powder and salt. The important thing is to add whatever onion powder you are using to taste. Add a bit at a time until it tastes really good. Set aside until the caramelized onions have cooled to room temperature. Stir in 2/3 of the caramelized onions, scoop into a serving bowl and top with the remaining onions.
Serve at room temperature.

Update on Brix

Well it has been 5 months since Brix, the man eating Pitbull, has come into our lives and it has not been boring! She stays at the office with an occasional stay at my brother's house.
She has this amazing personality and all these little quirks. We call her the Hyena, because she is always grabbing plates, napkins, forks..you name it, out of the garbage. You walk into the back office and they are just scattered all over the place. At about 1 in the afternoon everyday she decides to run in circles holding her green rubber stick around the office...then she climbs up on the back of my office chair and fall asleep all snuggled behind me.
She has made a lot of new friends...the mailman being her favorite. On holidays or long weekends, she goes to the PetSmart PetHotel. They love her there! When we walk in, they all scream "Brix!". Even my dad's partner and his wife who were not fond of dogs at all have grown to love her. We sometimes catch them talking to her and cuddling with her..sneaking her some table food.
She has had her fair share of set-backs..an occasional pee-pee on the rug..a trip to the dog trainer...but all in all....she is a great dog.
It is truly amazing how this little creature that nobody wanted has become part of our family.

Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken

This is about the easiest weeknight dinner you could possibly throw together. I was a little bit nervous about the sauce because I am not too crazy about mustard. Then as I was adding the molasses some was dripping down the side or the jar. My husband took it from me and tasted it and said "Well that is gross". So I told him that we would see how it turned out once I was done adding everything together and if it was really bad, we would just order out. So after I was done mixing everything together...I made Billy try it......I think his exact words were "Now THAT is good!" The sauce has a great barbecue taste. The chili powder and cumin add a nice smokiness while the ketchup and molasses provide sweetness. The cole slaw and dill pickles are a must...the sandwiches just don't taste the same without them!



Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken

3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2" pieces
4 sandwich rolls, cut in half horizontally
Dill pickle chips
Cole Slaw

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl. Spray a deep skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for about 8 minutes and add the molasses mixture and toss to cover all the chicken pieces. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until chicken is done and tender.

Remove from heat; shred with 2 forks. Place 1/2 cup chicken on bottom half of each roll. Top with cole slaw and pickles and the top half of roll.



Footnote - You can easily double and even triple the amount of sauce. I usually double it. If the sauce is a little too thin, you can add some Wondra and it thickens right up. Instead of rolls, I use ShopRite Italian bread...so good!!

Lemon Orzotto with Mushrooms and Almonds

I call this orzotto because it is creamy like risotto but made with orzo pasta. This can be served as a side or main dish and is great for busy weeknights.




Lemon Orzotto with Mushrooms and Almonds

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons dried parsley
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 - 6 oz. packages sliced white mushrooms
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/8 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toasted almonds

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orzo until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat until rippling. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, white wine and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and let simmer on low until the sauce has thickened, about 6 minutes. Add the orzo to the mushroom mixture and toss to combine. Let orzotto sit in the skillet for about 5 minutes to absorb all the flavors. Divide the orzotto among 4 plates. Top with the toasted almonds and enjoy!

Footnotes - If you prefer a thicker cream sauce, you can add a bit of Wondra to the sauce. I like Wondra better than flour because it doesn't clump. Also, instead of almonds, try this dish with toasted pine nuts.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I have had a slow cooker for about 5 years now...I have used it twice. The first time I made a whole chicken. While it was super tender and fell off the bone, I wasn't crazy about all the liquid that was in the pot. It was more like a soup. Since my husband does not eat beef or pork, my dinners are pretty limited. I have seen recipes for ribs, pot roast and chili in the slow cooker and while they all looked and sounded delicious...it seemed a little silly to make a rack of ribs for myself. Plus, what was my husband going to eat? So I came across this recipe for chicken and dumplings and decided to make it yesterday. I had some friends over for our Winter Swap. All of them, including my mom, commented on how great it smelled and my friend Tara even stopped by this morning to pick some up for lunch!

The recipe I am posting is modified from the original.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

2 packages (about 10 pieces)chicken breast tenderloins, frozen
3 tablespoons butter
2 - 10.75 oz cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 - 10.75 oz can condensed cream of celery soup
1 jar chicken gravy
1 can chicken broth
1 cup frozen chopped onion
2 - 7.5 oz cans refrigerated biscuit dough, pressed flat and cut into strips
Ground black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
Paprika, optional

Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken, butter, soup, gravy, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough broth to cover.
Cover slow cooker, and cook for 8 hours on low. About 60 to 90 minutes before its done, place the biscuit strips in the slow cooker and mix well. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center, mixing at least 2 more times to ensure all the dumplings are cooked. Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle or paprika.

Ladies Auxiliary.......in action!!

My friend Tara, who is also on the Hose Company Ladies Auxiliary, came with me to the scene of a fire call we had a couple of weeks back. When we got there, the fire was already out but we went to see if the guys wanted breakfast back at the firehouse. This is a picture one of the guys took of us goofing around. At the Hose Company's meeting the next night, they showed a slide show of all the pictures that were taken at the call.....this one was in it. The guys cracked up, especially mine and Tara's husbands. I think the look on Tara's face is hysterical!

When one recipe inspires another...

The fusilli plus our trip to Cape May inspired me to make another pasta dish - Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Ricotta. Billy and I found this cute little cheese shop around the block from the bed & breakfast that we stayed at in Cape May. In addition to all of the delicious cheeses, they had a gourmet food section where I found the sun-dried tomato pesto. This dish itself is so simple but it has a lot of flavor and is wonderfully creamy.

Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Ricotta

1 box penne pasta
1 small jar sun-dried tomato pesto
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 handfuls of grated Romano cheese
Salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package; drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add ricotta cheese, Romano cheese and heavy cream and mix well. Add the pesto 1 tablespoon at a time until you get desired flavor. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!!

Footnote - Try not to let the pasta cool before adding the ricotta. The heat from the pasta will help the ricotta melt and make the dish more creamy.

Fusilli with Spinach and Ricotta...

Billy and I went to this little Italian restaurant and shared the most delicious pasta dish - Fusilli with Spinach and Ricotta.












Fusilli with Spinach and Ricotta

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very well
1 package fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat until shimmery. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and white wine and saute until heated through. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta a place it in a large serving bowl. Toss the pasta with the spinach mixture and add the ricotta. Mix until the pasta is coated. If creamier texture is desired, stir in reserved pasta water.

Footnotes - When adding the ricotta, it is best to work quickly while the pasta is still hot. The heat from the pasta will help melt the ricotta so it is more creamy.

The first signs of fall...

This past weekend we went apple picking in Warwick, NY with our friends Lita and Walter and their son Joey. It was Joey's first time apple picking. The day was beautiful, about 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We ended the day at the Warwick Valley Winery eating deep dish apple pie and sipping some awesome white wine!

Funny thing about friendship....

A little over a month ago a picture that I took of my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes won the Favorite Photo contest on Allrecipes.com. So being a supporting member, I wrote on the message board thanking everyone who voted for my photo. I had never won before but has submitted photo's in the past. Another member had responded asking me about the cookbook I had put together. I am guessing that she read it on my profile. So I wrote back and her gave my email so that I could give her more information about the cookbook. A couple of days later I get an email from someone saying that she lived nowhere near me but would love a cookbook. Like me, she reads cookbooks like others read novels. And that is how my friendship with Carol started.

Carol and I have been emailing each other, sharing stories, recipes, experiences. I love reading her emails. It is funny how someone who lives on the opposite side of the country, someone who I have never met could have touched my life this way. I told my mom this and she said that we probably knew each other in a past life. I can't help but think she may be right. I feel such a strong bond with her like we were friends before. I feel like I can tell her anything and sometimes find myself typing away, telling her how my day was and what I have planned.

I am not sure if we will ever get a change to meet face to face, but I do thank God that she came into my life and that she is a part of me now. I guess friends can come in all forms.....