Pasta Carbonara

This quick recipe is featured on page 108 of my cookbook.

½ # pasta of your choice
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 eggs
¾ c. grated Asiago or fresh Parmesan cheese
½ c. half and half
fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Cook pasta in salted water. Cook bacon and set aside. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cheese and half and half. Set aside. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Sprinkle fresh parsley. Serve immediately.


This Italian dish originates with men who camped outdoors for months at a time when working in coal mines. They were able to bring some of these ingredients with them. Eggs and milk were readily available from local farms. All they needed was a pot and a campfire. The abundant use of pepper resembled coal flakes.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Even though I don't like old-fashioned or quick cooked oatmeal, I do like this!

1/2 c. steel cut oats
2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping T. brown sugar
1/2 c. dried mixed fruit

In small bowl, soak oats in milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, transfer to medium saucepan; add salt and cinnamon and cook on stove top over medium high heat, stirring constantly while bringing to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until oats is softened and it becomes thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla, sugar and dried fruit and simmer 3-5 more minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 2-3

Winter Fruit Salad

This recipe is from page 47 of my cookbook. It's great for this time of year when fruit quality is down. Grapes and kiwi fruit would be good in this salad also.

l can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks
½ c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
l/3 c. orange juice
l T. lemon juice

1 can (11oz.) mandarin oranges, drained OR 3 fresh oranges, peeled and cut in chunks
4 unpeeled apples, chopped
2 bananas, sliced
½ c. dried cranberries

Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 c. juice. In a saucepan, combine sugar and
cornstarch. Add pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Cook and
stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir l minute longer.
Remove from heat; set aside. In a bowl, combine fruit. Pour warm sauce
over fruit, stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

The History of Valentine's Day

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. We celebrate the day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. But who was St. Valentine? Here’s a little history lesson.

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. The Emperor at the time was Claudius II. Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. So he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Valentine decided this decree just wasn’t fair and chose to secretly marry young couples. When the Emperor found out about Valentine’s “illegal” actions, he had him put to death.

Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with the jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death, he sent the first “valentine” when he wrote a letter and signed it “From Your Valentine”.

We may never know the true history of Valentine’s Day, but February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentine’s Day ranks second only to Christmas in the number of greeting cards sent.
Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hot Artichoke Dip

This is a close-up shot of one of the recipes I did at Fox 6. It is in my cookbook, but it's so "festive" for Valentine's Day, that I had to post it.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. grated fresh parmesan cheese
2 T. sour cream
2 T. mayonnaise, not fat-free
1 clove minced garlic
2 T. chopped canned jalapenos
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, (tough outer leaves removed), drained and chopped

Crackers for dipping.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Transfer to a greased 9” or 10” pie plate. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve hot with your choice of crackers or cocktail rye bread.

Valentine's Meal on Real Milwaukee Show Part 1

 

Here are 2 segments that I did today on the Real Milwaukee show. All recipes are from my cookbook--or you can get them on www.realmilwaukeenow.com

Valentine's Meal on the Real Milwaukee Show-Part 2

 

Buttermilk Waffles with Berry Sauce

Buttermilk Waffles

This recipe is not in my recipe book, but it should have been! This is one of my husband's favorites! It's great served with whipped cream.

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs and buttermilk. Beat in remaining ingredients with whisk until smooth. Pour batter from cup onto center of hot waffle iron. Carefully check to see if it's done after about 5 minutes. Makes about 8 waffles. Serve with Berry Sauce if desired.

Berry Sauce

2 c. frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, black berries)
1/2 c. orange juice
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. water
4 tsp. cornstarch
2 T. dark brown sugar

Bring berries, orange juice and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon zest and cinnamon; reduce heat to low. Whisk together the water and cornstarch; stir it into the berries along with the sugar. Cook and stir about 1 minute until thickened. Serve over waffles.

Oven Caramel Corn

I prefer white popcorn over yellow. It pops smaller, but it is not tough like the yellow.
This is for a very large batch, divide ingredients by 3 for a smaller amount. Caramel corn is great for gift-giving on Valentine's Day!

45 c. popped corn—white is best
3 c. brown sugar
3 sticks real butter
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
popcorn salt

Divide popped corn between 4 -l3x9 pans. Salt lightly with popcorn salt. In saucepan heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Cook and stir until bubbly around edges. Continue cooking over medium heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in soda. Pour on corn and stir until coated. Bake 2 hours at 200˚ stirring every 30minutes. Store in tightly covered container.

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25

Lemon Chicken with Caper Sauce

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 c. flour
salt and pepper
4 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. capers, rinsed and drained
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Cut each piece of chicken horizontally almost all the way through, and open like a book. Place each piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the smooth side of meat tenderizer, pound to 1/4-inch thick.

Place flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture; tap to remove excess.

In a large skillet, heat 2 T. butter and oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to serving plate and keep warm.

Add wine, broth, lemon juice and capers to pan. Cook over high heat until simmering and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 T. butter to melt. Pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2-3

Mexican Dip

This would be a great dip to serve at your football party.

4-5 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled into very small pieces
1/2 c. black olives, sliced
1/2 c. real mayo—I like Hellmann’s light
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mild salsa
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Mix above together. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping

Broccoli Cheese Soup (and Variations)

Winter is "soup time"! These are recipes from my cookbook. Enjoy!

about 2 # fresh broccoli crowns, cut into florets
3 carrots, peeled cut into chunks
2 c. water
2 chicken bullion cubes, or “Better than Bouillon” equivalent
Cook in a large covered pot until vegetables are tender.
Mash a little with a potato masher.

While vegetables are cooking, make a white sauce:
1/2 c. real butter
1/2 c. flour
4 c. milk
1 pound Velveeta-type cheese, cut into chunks
additional 1 ½ c. milk

Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thick. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add cheese. Stir to melt. Add to the cooked vegetables along with the additional 1 ½ c. milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8


CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP

Substitute 2 small heads of cauliflower cut into florets for the broccoli. Add 3 T. chopped fresh parsley. Serves 6-8


CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Make the Cauliflower Cheese Soup, but omit the cheese and the additional 1 ½ c. milk. Add 3 T. chopped fresh parsley. Serves 6


CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

8 medium peeled, quartered potatoes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 celery ribs, diced
½ c. chopped onion
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 c. cooked ham or 6 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled, optional

In a large soup kettle, cover veggies with just enough water to cover them and cook till soft. Mash lightly. Make ½ recipe white sauce, omitting cheese and additional milk. Add to cooked veggies. Cooked ham or bacon can be added, if desired. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6

Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.—Julia Child

The Good Wife's Guide

If you haven't seen this video version of the supposed magazine article from 1955, you'll love it!

Chocolate Cups

This is soooo easy, but can be made to look sooo elegant! It is delicious and very rich! For variety, layer each parfait with a sprinkle of toffee bits and/ or crushed Andes candies.

1 egg
2 T. sugar
Pinch salt
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or ½ c. each semi- sweet and dark chips)
1 T. vanilla
2/3 c. half and half

whipped cream in a can
garnish of your choice: mint leaf, berry or sprinkles

In blender or food processor combine egg, sugar, salt, chips and vanilla. Heat half and half in a small pan over med/hi heat until it comes to a boil, stirring so it won’t burn. Run blender on low, while pouring boiling milk in a slow stream. (The hot milk will cook the egg and melt the chocolate). Blend 1 minute until smooth. Pour chocolate into small cups. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Garnish with a spray of whipped cream and garnish of your choice. Makes 5 servings

Overweight is something that just sort of snacks up on you.

Quick Tortilla Casserole

3/4 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1-2 tsp. chili powder, optional
1 1/4 c. salsa
2 c. frozen corn, thawed
3 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
about 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, optional
about 1/4 c. chopped green onions, optional

Brown meat with onions and peppers in large skillet. Drain grease. Stir in chili powder, cook for 1 minute longer. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 minutes. Spread 1 c. meat sauce onto bottom of 8 x 8 inch pan; top with layers of 1 tortilla, about 1/2 c. meat sauce, sour cream and about 1/2 c. cheese. cover with 1 tortilla, about 1 c. remaining meat sauce, about 1/2 c. cheese; top with remaining tortilla and meat sauce. Cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese and cilantro and green onions, if desired.

Bake 25 minutes or until casserole is heated through. top with remaining cheese, bake uncovered 5 minutes or until melted.