Buffalo Chicken Dip

I love anything buffalo sauce....I even toss it on popcorn! Here is a dip that has been created to incorporate buffalo style chicken....and I love dips. (favorite food on earth). I'll turn anything into a dip.

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 (8 oz) pgks. cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing

3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo wing sauce

1 cup. shredded cheddar cheese

Pour wing sauce over shredded chicken. (I do this a couple of ways, the easiest, buy rotisserie chicken and peel skin off and shred it. Or boil/steam 3 chicken breasts and shred them)

Set aside for 30 minutes. Beat together cream cheese and ranch dressing. Fold in chicken and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Spread into small baking dish or pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the cheddar cheese on top and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

My two favorite desserts are carrot cake and cheesecake, they have this at the Cheesecake Factory and I have to get it every time. But since I don't go there very often, I decided that I'd try to make my own. It's just as good. It was requested that I post this recipe from a good family friend Heather......Here it is!

Cheesecake:

2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Carrot Cake:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt
1 can (8 1/2 oz) crushed pineapple packed in juice, well-drained and juice reserved
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Dash salt

To make cheesecake, in large bowl of electric mixer, beat together 2 pkgs cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth.
Beat in 1 tablespoon flour, 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake: In large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly.
Stir in 1 cup flour, baking soda, cinnamon and dash salt, mixing well.
Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9-or 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter.
Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.
In a bowl of electric mixer, combine 2 oz cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice and dash of salt. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving. Makes 1 (9-or 9 1/2-inch) cheesecake.

Giambotta

This "vegetable stew" reminds me of summer. I love when my mother makes this dish, it reminds me of being home and my childhood. I post this today because I just planted my vegetable garden and it made me think that I'll be able to make this soon.

2 T. Olive oil

1 green zucchini, cut lengthwise and then in slices

1 sm onion, sliced

2 medium potatoes

1 clove garlic, chopped

salt/pepper

2 T. fresh parsely

3 T. fresh basil

1 can diced tomatoes

string beans, about 1-2 handfuls, parboiled

parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and saute on medium heat onions, zucchini and potatoes for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, parsely, basil and tomatoes and continue frying. If the liquid absorbs too much, add a little water. Cook until zucchini and potatoes are tender. Add parboiled stringbeans when the zucchini and potatoes are almost finished. Serve with grated cheese.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

I love making Jam. It's a great way to use up all your fruit. In our yard we grow quite a bit of rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and cherries. The strawberries and rhubarb are ripe right now, so this is a perfect time to make this jam. If bottled correctly it will last for years in the pantry...and is so yummy. It's also great to give gifts of homeade goodies.

1 cup cooked red-stalked rhubarb (about 1lb rhubarb and 1/4 cup water)
2 and 1/2 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 and 1/2 quart boxes )
6 and 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. butter
1/2 bottle liquid pectin or 1 envelope of certo pectin

Jam jars and lids

Wash rhubarb and slice thin or chop; do not peel. Add water, cover, and simmer til tender. (about 1 minute)
Sort and wash fully ripe strawberries; remove stems and caps. Crush berries.
Measure prepared rhubarb and strawberries into a kettle. Add sugar and stir well. Place on high heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full boil with bubbles over the entire surface. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and pectin. Skim foam off top.
Fill and seal containers. Process 5 minutes in boiling water bath.
Yield - 7 or 8 half-pint jars.

Cranberry Orange Scones

These scones are wonderful to have on hand. They hit the spot when nothing else will do for breakfast. For an afternoon snack cut in half and toast under the broiler with butter and a cup of tea/coffee. You can really adapt this scone recipe to include any of your favorite flavors. Get creative, you can use lemon and walnuts, blueberries, etc..

2 Cups Flour
4 T. of Butter (1/2 STICK)
1 T. Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 Egg
1 C. Craisins
2 tsp. Orange Zest
1 to 2 T. Sugar for the tops

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease cookie sheet.
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until size of peas. You can use a fork or a pastry blender to get desired size. Add remaining ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moist. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Pat down into a circle until about ¾ inch thick. Cut into wedges and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheets for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 scones. If you want the icing on top...just mix some confectioner's sugar and a drizzle of water and orange zest until you have a thick glaze consistency and drizzle ontop of scones.

Pasta alla Puttanesca

This is my absolute favorite quick pasta sauce. It combines some of my favorite flavors, such as olives, artichokes, garlic and anchovies.....mmmm. Don't be afraid of the anchovies, they dissolve in the sauce, but give it such intense flavor, you can't leave it out. This sauce comes together very quick.

1 lb pasta, use your favorite, spaghetti, linguini, cavatapi

3 T. olive oil

1 tin anchovies, with oil

3-4 gloves garlic, chopped

1 T. red pepper flakes

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, you can use marinaded ones also (about 1 -1/2 cups)

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1 can straw mushrooms

1 can diced tomatoes (sometimes I use 2 cans, depending on how much sauce i want)

1 T. capers

parsely

fresh basil

salt/pepper

Boil and drain pasta according to directions.

Heat olive oil in deep frying pan and add anchovies, cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to dissolve, add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes more. The house will start to smell amazing. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the artichoke hearts, olives and mushrooms, saute for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, season with salt, pepper and parsely and cook for about 15 minutes. Toss in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil. Add sauce to cooked pasta and toss with grated cheese!

Chicken Cacciatore

This is another classic italian chicken dish, it's very easy to make, so it's great for nights when you need a simple dinner, but it stands up with BIG flavor. This is how I do it.

8-10 pieces of chicken ( i use thighs, drumsticks, breast with bone in)

3-4 T. olive oil

1 can crushed tomatoes

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 green pepper, sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 T. fresh parsely, chopped

1 T. hot red pepper flakes

1 glass wine, white or red (whichever I have open)

salt/pepper

flour for dredging

Dredge chicken pieces in flour until lightly coated. Heat olive oil in a deep sided frying pan and fry chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides. Add the onions, pepper, mushroom and garlic and saute until slightly softened. Add parsely, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, simmer for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour until sauce is thickened and chicken is fall off the bone tender. If sauce becomes to thick while simmering, add a little water to thin out. Also, I am a huge fan of using fresh mushrooms as opposed to canned, however, canned straw mushrooms will work great in this dish, if you are unable to get fresh ones.

Steak Pizziaola

This recipe reminds me of my childhood. I can remember walking into grandma's house and smell this cooking. I used to love to sneak a piece of bread and dip it into the pot to try and get some of the topping (my favorite part). I know this isn't a typical steak recipe, but it's a traditional italian way to cook steak, that doesn't involve lighting the grill. The key to making a juicy wonderful steak is the cut of meat.....believe me, I've tried this so many ways and with different meats and sirloin is by far the best to use. You can also try this with pork, if you don't eat red meat.

2 sirloin steaks

1 cup whole canned tomatoes

4-5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 T. red pepper flakes

salt/pepper

parsely

oregano

2-3 T. olive oil

handful grated parmesan cheese

Put enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a deep frying pan. Place half of the tomatoes on the bottom of the pan, break the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pan, so they stay in big chuncks, but the juice gets into the pan. Place the steaks on top of tomatoes, and top with remaining tomatoes, (again, breaking up with hands), garlic, and pepper flakes. Season generously with parsely, oregano, salt and pepper. (I'm sorry I don't have exact measurements for the herbs, but i just eyeball it) Top with heaping handful of grated parmesan. Cover and turn of high for 1-2 minutes, then drop heat down to low and simmer until steak is tender, about 1 hour. It is very important to cook this low and slow or you will end up with tough chewy meat. Not good.