1 package frozen spinach
4 sea bass filets, in serving-sized pieces
¾ cup dry white wine, divided
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
A few turns of fresh ground pepper
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup Romano cheese
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Prepare spinach in the microwave according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and spread into the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Mix together the olive oil and ¼ cup of the wine and pour over the spinach. Lay the fish on top of the spinach. Top with fresh ground pepper, the rest of the wine, kosher salt and the Romano cheese. Bake, uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until fish flakes when touched with a fork.
Good sides or starters: garlic mashed potatoes and a cup of good quality ready-made tomato soup.
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One loaf fresh ciabatta or italian bread
½ lb. fresh mozzarella
1 bunch fresh basil
¼ cup roasted red pepper pesto
3 roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Heat a sauté pan or your Panini grill to medium heat.
Slice the bread into sandwich-sized slices. For each sandwich, spread one slice of bread with a thin layer of the pesto. Slice the mozzarella about ¼ inch thick and lay on top of the pesto. Place a few leaves of the fresh basil on top of the mozzarella, leaving space between the slices so that the cheese can melt both halves of the bread together. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and place the top piece of bread on the sandwich.
If you have a Panini grill, brush the grill with olive oil and place as many sandwiches as you can on the lower grill. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with more olive oil and close the grill. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted.
If you are using a sauté pan, spread ½ tbsp. around in the warm pan. Place as many sandwiches as you can fit onto the pan the brush the tops with more olive oil. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side or until the cheese starts to melt and hold the sandwich together. Flip it over and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
Good sides or starters: spinach salad with hard boiled egg, garbanzo beans and sunflower seeds tossed with your favorite dressing.
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1 small bag peeled carrots, chopped (2 cups)
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
2 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable if you want a vegetarian soup
½ tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup half and half
Combine vegetables, butter, salt, and honey in a soup pot. Cover and stew over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Let cool to room temperature.
Pour the soup into the blender. Puree until smooth. Add half and half and ginger and puree again. Heat thoroughly on the stove over low but do not boil. For lower fat soup, use milk instead of half and half.
Good sides or starters: Multi-grain bread with hummus spread and a green salad.
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1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup honey (liquid)
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp. kosher salt
Heat oven broiler to high heat. Wash chicken in warm water and pat dry. Cut into similar- sized pieces, pounding gently with a meat mallet to get them the same thickness.
Whisk honey, Dijon, olive oil and salt in a medium glass bowl. Drop breasts into sauce, turning to coat. Let chicken marinade for at least one-half hour.
Spray broiler pan with olive oil spray, Place chicken on the pan and place the pan on the first or second shelf of the oven, whichever is about 2 inches from the heat source. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, making sure that the inside of the chicken is no longer pink.
Good sides or starters: Rice pilaf and sliced tomatoes served with fresh mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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One package frozen wheat or white bread dough, thawed in the fridge overnight
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
Fresh ground pepper
½ tsp. garlic salt
2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
½ cup ketchup
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While it’s heating, cook the onion over medium heat until soft, add the ground meat and sauté until thoroughly cooked. If you used ground beef, drain the oil. Stir in ground pepper, garlic salt and 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, roll out the bread dough on a large, floured surface. Slice it into four equal ovals with a sharp, oiled knife. Work each portion into a thin, flat oval.
Scoop a mound of the meat mixture into the middle of each oval. Distribute the cheese evenly between the four calzones. Fold the oval in half and pinch the edges to seal the calzone. If you want them a golden brown, lightly brush egg yolk on the tops and edges then spray or brush with olive oil. Spread them out on a cookie sheet greased with olive oil.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the calzone is golden brown. Ten minutes into the baking, poke a hole in the top of each with the tines of a fork.
Warm the other half of the sauce and garnish the calzone with sauce.
Good sides or starters: Mixed greens tossed with Italian dressing.
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3 cans of Fire Roasted Tomatoes (make sure they don’t have chilis in them)
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup dark brown sugar (the molasses adds nutrients to the recipe)
1 cup milk
Heat tomatoes just to boiling then turn down the heat to simmer and add the thyme, salt and brown sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes.
For creamy tomato soup, let the tomatoes cool for a few minutes and pour them into the blender. Place the lid on the blender. Cover with a dishtowel because sometimes the hot soup can cause the lid to pop off. Pulse the blender until the tomatoes are the consistency you like.
Pour them back into the saucepan and add the milk. Heat up to serving temperature but don’t let it boil.
Good sides or starters: grilled cheese sandwiches or fresh bread and cheese (French style).
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1 can black or kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 8 oz. Can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. salt
4 large red bell pepper, halved and seeded
water to steam peppers
1 cup rice
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice as directed. Place first seven ingredients in a large saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring ½ inch of water to boil in a large skillet. Place peppers in water, cover, and simmer five minutes. Remove peppers from water with tongs. Place on a cookie sheet, cut side up.
To assemble, fill peppers with rice first, followed by bean mixture and top with shredded cheese. Heat for 20-25 minutes and serve hot.
Good sides or starters: Spanish rice and mandarin oranges.
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1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 small onion, quartered
2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic
½ tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
Fresh ground pepper to taste
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Place onion in a food processor. Pulse until minced. Add remaining ingredients to the processor and pulse until thoroughly mixed. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the onion as small as you can and hand mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Preheat a Dutch oven or deep skillet with 2 tbsp. olive oil. With an ice cream scoop, scoop out the meat mixture. Place each ball in the heated oil and brown until golden, turning with tongs when needed.
Reduce heat to low, pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over the meat (your own homemade if you’re ambitious) and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, checking to make sure that the meatballs aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Good sides or starters: Any kind of cooked past and a Romaine salad with Caesar dressing.
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