Pseudo Italian Pizzaria

Pseudo Italian Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 Flat bread
• 1 c. Tomato Sauce
• 5 slices Mozzarella Cheese, Fresh
• Olive Oil, drizzle
• 6 med. Basil leaves, Fresh
• Oregano, dried
• Parsley, dried
• Thyme, dried
• Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Warm flat bread for 3 minutes. then brush with olive oil. In a sauce pot add tomato paste, oregano, parsley, thyme, and salt, bring to boil. Remove pot from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. After cooled, spread sauce onto bread, top with basil, mozzarella, and a sprinkle of oregano. Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes and eat up. This is great for a movie night at home. Have fun with this, add your favorite toppings to make it your own.

Enjoy!!

JVH

Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 Eggplant, Large
• 1/2 lb. Turkey, ground
• 16 oz. Tomato Sauce
• 3 c. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 c. Oregano, dried
• 1/4 c. Basil, dried
• 1/4 c. Thyme, dried
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet add canola oil, turkey, oregano, basil, thyme, and salt. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Add tomato sauce to meat and let simmer for 10 minutes, sat aside. Cut the tip off of the eggplant on both ends. Slice the eggplant lengthwise in even pieces, grill in a pan to brown both sides. When done layer the lasagna in a baking dish starting with the meat sauce then eggplant ending with mozzarella cheese. Continue until all eggplant is used up, top with remaining mozzarella cheese, then add the Parmesan cheese to top it off, bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven until cheese melts. When done, remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then eat up!

Enjoy!!

JVH

Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine

Cajun Shrimp Fettucine

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Jumbo Shrimp
• 1 bx Fettuccine Noodles
• Baby Portobello Mushrooms ( optional)
• Butter, 2 sticks
• 2 cups Parmesan Cheese, fresh
• 4 cups Half & Half
• Olive Oil, drizzle
• 1/2 c. Bay Seasoning
• 1/4 c. Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 c. Paprika
• Parsley, sprinkle
• 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
• Salt, to taste

Directions:
In a skillet, add 1/2 stick of butter, olive oil, and shrimp on medium heat, cook until the shrimp is pink and curled, add bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, and paprika to shrimp, stir and remove from pan. In a sauce pan, add the remaining butter to completely melt, then add the flour to the melted butter, stir until the flour and butter is completely mixed. Add the half & half, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, whisk until thick and creamy. In a pot, add water and salt, bring to a boil, add pasta noodles, cook until done. Mix all ingredients together, drizzle with olive oil and eat up.

Enjoy!!

JVH

Bruscetta with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

Bruscetta with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

•  6 slices Italian Bread
• 16 Cherry Tomatoes, sliced halves
•  Mozzarella, Fresh sliced
•  6 slices Prosciutto
•  Olive Oil, Drizzle
•  3 Basil leaves, Fresh
• 1 Garlic clove
•  Salt, sprinkle to taste

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, add sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, chopped basil, olive oil, and salt. Mix until all combined, then refrigerate. Place a non-stick skillet with olive oil on medium high heat, place bread slices in the skillet and lightly toast each side. After the bread has toasted, remove from skillet and rub with the garlic glove ( you can also use garlic infused olive oil to replace this step). Remove the mixture from the fridge, top the bread slices with the tomato mixture, tear one slice of prosciutto onto the mixture, drizzle with olive oil and eat up. A great appetizer for parties, yummy!

Enjoy!!

JVH

Pasta with Tomato-Meat Sauce

Pasta with Tomato-Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• Pasta, Penne
• 1 lb Ground Turkey
• 1 c. Cherry Tomatoes
• 1.5 c. Tomato Sauce ( I use my homemade sauce, but store bought sauce works just as good)
• 1/2 c. of Red Wine ( if you use red wine vinegar, omit the salt due to the salt content in the vinegar)
• 1/2 c. Basil
• 1/4 c. Parsley
• 1/4 c. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 c. Oregano
• 1/4 c. Dried Onion
• 1/2 tbsp. Rosemary 
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Olive Oil
• Feta Cheese (optional)

Directions
Heat a skillet on medium-high, add olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, add dried onion, rosemary, and  ground turkey to the pan and cook meat thoroughly. Remove meat from pan when done and sat aside. In the same pan add some more olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the cherry tomatoes, let them cook until they begin to pop open, at this point add the tomato sauce, basil, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and red wine (remember if using red wine vinegar, omit the salt), turn the heat down to a simmer for about 15 mins. While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta for about 7 mins or until tender, be sure not to overcook. Remove from the heat, but not the water. Add the ground turkey to the sauce and let simmer for an additional 5 mins and your done. Plate the pasta, add some sauce and top with your favorite cheese, mine happens to be feta so that is what I used.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Bake

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:
- 1 med. Butternut Squash
- 1 med. Sweet Potato
- 1/2 c. Honey
- 1/4 c. Ground Cinnamon
-1 tbsp. Nutmeg
- Olive Oil (substitute butter)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, while oven is heating, be sure to clean the skin of the squash well, do not peel the squash, chop squash into bite-sized chunks. Peel and chop sweet potato into bite-sized chunks. Mix the two together, cover with honey, olive oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool for 5 minutes and then eat up.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Salmon Sandwich with Artichoke Dip

Salmon Sandwich with Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
-Salmon (fresh cooked or canned)
-Artichoke Dip (optional, see recipe below)
-Shallots, sliced
-Capers
-Italian Dressing (optional)
-Ciabatta Poppy Seed bun
-Spinach
-Pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, mix salmon chunks, shallots, capers, dressing, and pepper together. After mixture mixed together, take a bun and spread the artichoke dip on the bottom of the bun, scoop salmon mixture on the bun, top with spinach leaves and eat up. This is a easy sandwich to make in under 10 minutes and a welcomed change from a basic tuna fish sandwich.

Artichoke Dip
-2 Artichoke Hearts(store bought)
- 1 Lemon, juice
- 1/4 c. Olive Oil
- 1/4 c. Basil
- Pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)

note: Artichoke Dip can be bought from the store in the salad isle

Enjoy!!
JVH

Creole Mustard Lamb Chop

Creole Mustard Lamb Chop

Ingredients

• 3 oz Lamb Chop or Steak
• Creole Mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions
 Marinade a 3 oz lamb chop in creole mustard for 30 minutes in the fridge (overnight is even better) to allow the mustard to infuse the meat. Heat a grill pan on the stove (I use a cast iron grill pan) on high heat, at the same time seat your broiler on the oven. Brown your chop on both sides in the grill pan on top of the stove. After you lightly brown the chop, remove from heat and sprinkle the pepper and salt on each side of the chop. Place under the broiler for about 10-15 mins. Remove from broiler, let rest a few mins, then eat up. Dried herbs would be a good addition to this, like thyme or oregano.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Broiled Tilapia with Butter-Lime Sauce and Capers

Broiled Tilapia with Butter-Lime Sauce and Capers

Ingredients:

• White Fish (I used Tilapia)
•  Dill
• Olive Oil
• Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)
• Butter
• White Pepper
• Salt
• Paprika
• Capers

Directions:
This is an easy dish for those busy days, 10 minutes tops. Place fish fillets on baking pan, spray with olive oil and sprinkle dill, salt, pepper, and paprika on top. Place fish under broiler for about 10-15 minutes. While fish is cooking place butter in pot with lime juice just until the butter melts. When fish is done top with butter-lime sauce and capers, then eat up. This goes great with sauteed french (green) beans.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Manzanilla Olive Salad

Salad 

Ingredients
-Romaine Lettuce
-Scallions
-Capers
-Manzanilla Olives, Pimento Stuffed (substitute black olives)
-Capers
-Almonds, chopped
-Feta Cheese
-Italian Dressing (or your favorite)

Directions
Mix all ingredients into salad bowl and toss, yum yum. This salad goes excellent with a balsamic vinaigrette or mustard vinaigrette. It will also pair excellently with the scrumptious Mackerel Cakes.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Mackerel Cakes

Mackerel cakes

Ingredients

• 1 Mackerel (canned)
• 1/2 cup Wasa Cracker Crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional)
• 1/4 cup Capers
• 1/4 cup Scallions
• 2 tbsp Creole Mustard
• 1/2 cup Egg White (estimate)
• Cooking Spray or oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)

Directions
In a large bowl mix the canned mackeral, wasa crumbs, parmesan, capers, scallions, mustard, and egg whites together. Coat the bottom of your cast iron skillet (you can use non-stick pan, I just prefer the cast iron) with cooking spray or oil and set to medium heat. Place cakes in the heated pan until browned. Remove and drain if cooked in oil. These cakes can be combined with a beautiful salad, drizzled with mustard sauce or placed between to slices of bread to enjoy a scrumptious sandwich.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Wasa Fried Chicken

Wasa Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 Wasa Crackers
• 1 lb Chicken Wings
• Ground Turmeric
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Parsley
• White Pepper
• Salt
• Cooking Oil

Directions:
Place crackers in your food processor and chop until fine crumbs, add pepper, parsley, salt, onion powder, garlic powder to crumbs and mix. Season chicken with turmeric and seal in bag, place in the fridge for 20 mins. before cooking. Fill cast iron pan with cooking oil allow to heat. Coat chicken wings with wasa crumbs and place in oil. Cook until done. Be sure to drain oil before eating.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Stuffed Sweet Potato

Stuffed Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

• -4 Med.-Lrg. Sweet Potato
• -1/2 lb Ground Turkey (can use ground chicken)
• -1 tbsp Minced Garlic
• -1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, sliced
• -1 med. sz. Onion, chopped
• -1/4 cup Pimentos
• -Olive Oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
• -White Wine (substitute w/chicken broth)
• -Parsley
• -White Pepper
• -Salt

Directions:

Bake the sweet potato until flesh is tender, remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil on medium heat, add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add meat to pan, cook until done. Turn the burner to high and add the sun-dried tomatoes and pimentos to the meat, stir until well mixed, sprinkle your parsley, pepper, and salt in at this time, after well mixed, on high heat pour in the white wine or chicken broth, be sure not to cover the meat, equal amount of wine to meat. Bring to a simmer until all liquid has dissolved. While waiting for the meat mixture, slice your sweet potato in half to create a boat, when the liquid has dissolved from the meat, spoon mixture into the sliced sweet potato and eat up.

Enjoy!!
JVH

Spinach and Feta Quiche

Spinach and Feta Quiche

Ingredients:

• Pie Crust (Homemade or Store bought)
• 8 Lrg. Eggs (substitute with egg whites to make a lighter version)
• 3 oz. Fresh Baby Spinach (can use frozen)
• 2 sm.Red Peppers (1 large)
• Parsley (to taste)
• Hummus (enough to cover bottom of pie)
• Olive Oil
• 14g Butter
• 28g Feta Cheese
• 57g Mozzarella
• Meat (optional)

Makes 2 deep dish pies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375, place pie crust with butter in the oven for 5 minutes (depending on your oven) until butter melts. In a pan add olive oil, spinach, red peppers, and parsley (this is when you would add any meat of your choice), mix well until the spinach wilts. after removing the crust from the oven, let it sit for another 5 minutes to cool. To layer the pie crust you first spread the hummus along the bottom of the pie crust, then a layer of the spinach mixture, a layer of feta cheese and repeat. In a small bowl beat your eggs, salt and pepper to taste, add 2 tbsp of milk or half and half to the eggs (optional). Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and remove pie from oven, spread mozzarella over the top and return to the oven for additional 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. Let pie cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Enjoy!!!
JVH