Bruschetta Salad

I am not a salad eater at all but this is my favorite salad. When we were younger, my mom always made a salad with dinner. I would love to soak up the oil and vinegar with Italian bread and eat it. To me, nothing tasted better. This salad is the same concept. The bread soaks up the oil and vinegar and the flavors of the onion and tomato. It is delicious!

Bruschetta Salad

3 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 loaf French baguette or Italian bread, cut into cubes
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
¼ red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Mix tomatoes, onion and bread cubes in a large bowl.
Pour olive oil and vinegar over salad and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.

Footnotes - Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving. You may also add cucumber slices and or fresh mozzarella. You can substitute shaved Parmesan cheese for the shredded.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

These are so easy and SO good! I made them for my FD Ladies Auxiliary bake sale in May and they were gone in no time. Everyone asks for the recipe when I bring these to a party or get-together. I use prepared cream cheese frosting when I am in a hurry.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

For Cookies -
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla

For Filling -
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the oven until the tops start to crack, about 8 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well with each addition. If consistency is too stiff, add more milk.
Dollop a generous amount of icing on the bottom of a cookie, sandwich it with another cookie, pressing firmly so that the icing comes all the way out to the edge. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Last week I entered 2 recipes into recipes contests. One was Linguine with Fresh Mozzarella and Onion Quartet and the other was Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms. If you have tried either one of these...let me know how you liked it.

Wish me luck!!!

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

This is from the Old Bay website. I make it for summer parties because it is so easy and everyone loves it. The recipe as written makes 8 large servings.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

4 quarts water, 16 cups
1 can (12 ounces) beer, I use Sam Adams
1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons salt
8 medium red potatoes, quartered
2 large onions, cut into wedges
2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 ears fresh corn, shucked and halved crosswise
4 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp, 21 to 25 count
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced

Bring water, beer, Old Bay seasoning and salt to boil in 12-quart stockpot on high heat. Add potatoes and onions. Cook 8 minutes. Add smoked sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn. Cook 7 minutes.
Stir in shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
Drain cooking liquid. Place butter slices into a large serving bowl. Pour contents of pot into bowl. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay, if desired.

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!