Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Brussel Sprouts
• Bacon
• Vegetable Broth
• Red Wine Vinegar (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Start:

1. Cook Bacon in a pan
2. Chop up Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, and Carrots
3. Salt & Pepper veggies liberally
4. Almost cover with vegetable broth and bacon grease
5. Place cooked bacon over veggies
6. Add a sprinkle of red wine vinegar is you like it :) 
7. Roast on 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Add time if you prefer well done veggies

Also pictured: Roasted Hen http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2016/12/roasted-cornish-hen.html

Roasted Cornish Hen

Roasted Cornish Hen

Ingredients:

• Cornish Hen (one per person)
• White Wine
• Lemon
• Rosemary
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• White Vinegar for soaking/cleaning Hen before cooking

Start:

1. Soak Hen in vinegar and water to clean thoroughly 
2. Crush Garlic and place under the skin all over Hen. Place some cloves in body cavity
3. Make sure Rosemary is placed all over Hen, put stem of fresh rosemary inside body cavity
4. Salt & Pepper all of skin liberally
5. Start with breasts up and pour white wine, lemon, olive oil and a bit of water to cover hen 3/4 of the way 
6. Cook on 375 degrees for 25 minutes. 
7. Flip Hen over, breast side down and cook for 45 more minutes
8. Bast Hen every 15 minutes or so 
9. Temp Hen after 1 hour 10 min. If all parts are 165 degrees or higher, it is finished. I kept cooking it to brown skin a little more 20 more minutes. 1:30 (1 1/2 Hours) total

Short Rib Ragu!

SHORT RIB RAGU!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs. Short Ribs with bone
• Pancetta
• Olive Oil
• Chicken Broth (20 oz)
• Flour
• Garlic
• Onion
• Carrots
• Red Wine (6 oz)
• Canned Tomatoes (14 oz)
• Tomato Paste 
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Bay Leaf
• Rosemary
• Salt & Pepper

Start:

1. Saute Pancetta in Olive Oil until golden and crispy, pour in bowl and set aside
2. Salt, pepper, and flour the bone in Short Ribs. Then brown in same pot for a minute of two on each side
3. Chop up veggies or use a food processor, add to pot with Short Ribs and already cooked Pancetta
4. Salt, Pepper and season the mixings in the pot
5. Blend canned tomatoes then add to the pot with Chicken Broth
6. I had large pieces of meat and had to simmer on low for over 2 hours. When the meat falls off the bone, the Ragu will be ready!
7. I poured over homemade pasta noodles. If interested, here is the recipe: http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-homemade-pasta.html

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 large (28 oz) cans of whole peeled tomatoes ( Cento brand is the best! )
• Garlic
• Sweet Onion
• Parsley
• Basil
• Oregano
• Sugar
• Salt & Pepper
• Celery (optional)
• Olive Oil

Start

1. Chop up onion, garlic, and celery. Cook in olive oil until onions are transparent. 
2. Blend up tomatoes until no chunks remain. 
3. Pour blended tomatoes over the ingredients in the pot and stir in seasonings (season to your liking)
4. Let cook on low for at least 30 minutes, no more than 2 hours

I believe marinara sauce tastes the best with some kind of meat cooking in it. Meatballs, Lamb Ragu, Ground Turkey, Pork Sausage... you decide! :)  http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2013/06/spaghetti-and-meatballs.html

Braciole

Braciole

Ingredients

• Thin and wide Flank Steak
• Bread Crumbs
• Fresh Italian Parsley
• Garlic
• Onion
• Italian Cheeses (optional) romano, parmesan 
• Cooking String for tying 

Marinara Sauce

http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2016/11/marinara-sauce.html

Start

1. Chop up garlic, onion and parsley very small, place in bowl with bread crumbs
2. Lay the meat flat on a clean surface and sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top of flattened meat
3. Option - sprinkle grated cheese into bread crumbs on meat
4. Tightly roll up the meat starting with the smaller end
5. Tie with rope to ensure stability
6. Brown in pan for 30 seconds each side
7. Place in marinara sauce to finish cooking, I cooked our thin wrapped beef for 40 minutes, it if is thicker, please add appropriate time.

Vegan Cheesecake #Dessert #GlutenFree! #NoBake!

Cheesecake the Vegan #Dessert way!
(#GlutenFree!) (#NoBake!)

Ingredients:

• Dates - a handful
• Lemon - one
• Agave Nectar or Honey if you are not vegan - a couple spoon fulls
• Coconut Oil - 1/4 cup
• Cashews - 2 handfulls, quick soaked
• Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup

Optional Ingredients for toppings: 

• Peanut Butter
• Grand Marnier
• Blueberries

Makes 5-6 large muffin size Vegan Cheesecakes
Freeze Time: a couple hours

Start: 

1. Put 1 cup of Cashews and pitted Dates in a blender or food processor. The correct ratio will create a crust and will hold together on its own.
2. Spray muffin tin.
3. Pack in the crust.
4. Put in 1 cup of quick soaked cashews in the blender along with one squeezed lemon, coconut oil, coconut milk, and agave nectar or honey (I used both).
5. Pour filling over crust in muffin tin until full. 
6. Top with chosen toppings, I tried all of them in their own separate Vegan Cheesecakes compartment. 
7. Freeze for a couple hours. May need a thin knife or spatula to remove the Vegan Cheesecakes from muffin tin.
8. Serve cold!

Peking Duck

Peking Duck

Ingredients:

• Duck, I used dark meat - each pound serves one (2 pounds in recipe)
• Cucumber - 1
• Scallions - 1 bunch
• Hoisin Sauce - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/3 cup
• Honey - 4 spoon fulls
• Soy Sauce - 2 spoon fulls
• Sesame Oil - 2 spoon fulls
• Chinese Pancake - for serving

Cook Time: 1 Hour    Prep time: 1 Hour (or less if you just want to eat! :) )

Start: 

1. Pour boiling water over Duck legs and thighs, discard water
2. Create glaze, boil 3 cups of water, honey, and soy sauce together and let cool. 
3. Coat Duck with watery glaze, paint over duck a couple times. I used a cooking brush and brushed the glaze over the duck 4-5 times within one hour until all glaze was used.
4. Cook Duck in oven on 375 degrees for 30 minutes with skin facing up, turn over and cook for another 15 minutes, then turn over again so skin is facing up and cook for another 15 minutes, or until skin is crispy. Let sit for a couple minutes before you serve.
5. Chop up Cucumber in thin strips
6. Chop Scallions
7. Make Sauce, boil then cool, Hoisin sauce, sugar and 1/4 water
8. Serve with Chinese pancakes or rice to keep it simple

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers !!

Ingredients:

Zucchini Flowers
Cheese - I used mozzarella. Feel free to get creative - goat cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese...
Pancetta - or bacon
Chives
Flour
Panko bread crumbs
Egg
Vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper
Pasley
Paprika

Start!

1. Fry the pancetta or bacon
2. In three bowls fill with some flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), beat an egg, and pour in some panko bread crumbs - season panko with parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika
3. Make the stuffing in a bowl with cheese, cooked pancetta or small pieces on bacon, and chopped chives
4. Stuff the Zucchini flowers with the cheese stuffing
5. Roll the stuffed zucchini flowers in the flour
6. Dip them in the egg, making sure they are covered by egg
7. Roll in seasoned panko bread crumbs
8. Place carefully in hot vegetable oil in a pan/pot on the stove
9. Turn frequently, once the balls of joy are golden brown, take them out and place on a paper towel.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!!!