More is Better

OK so the wind gusts are picking up and after only 12 hours we already have 3.5" rain in the gauge and I  whipped this up quick this am. I cooked my bacon in the oven and I used turkey bacon. Nice flavor the bacon and cheese on top give it a great texture to the sweet tomato  flavor . Recipe was on Rachael Ray.   1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling 1/2 pound smoky bacon, chopped 2 red  or  white onions, finely chopped 3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 fresno chile pepper, thinly sliced 2 large bay leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme Salt and pepper 1 28- to 32-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes 2 cups tomato purée  or  passata 2 cups chicken stock 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained Grated Pecorino Romano, for sprinkling A loaf of bread (such as ciabatta), charred, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, for mopping   In a medium Dutch oven, he...

This was a recipe I saw made on Rachael Ray show and tried it out on my sister-in-law when she was visiting for brunch. I made it with whole wheat bread. It was easy to put together the night before and it also was meatless. The flavors were very  Italian  tasting. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 large red sweet pepper, chopped 2 cubanelle peppers, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 1 chili pepper, such as Fresno, jalapeño  or  Italian cherry, thinly sliced  or  finely chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes Salt and pepper 8 eggs 1 pint cream  or  half-and-half 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped A small handful of basil leaves, torn  or  sliced Butter, for baking dish and to dot top 6 cups stale bread, white , chopped    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO, four turns of the pan. Add the peppers, ...

This was a simple meatless recipe I saw Mario make on THE CHEW. It was quick and delicious. 1 1/2 pounds cheese raviolis (fresh or dried) 4 tablespoons butter (divided) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups cremini mushrooms 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced) 1 large shallot (minced) 2 rosemary sprigs 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Salt Heat a large pot of water to boiling and season generously with salt. In a separate skillet over medium high heat melt 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil.  Once its hot add rosemary sprigs and your mushrooms and saute. Season with salt and pepper. At this point start your ravioli cooking. Cook one minute less than the time on the package instructions  Add your shallots to the pan  And your sliced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes  I chopped up some of the cooked rosemary sprigs  Drain ravioli and reserve 1/3 c pasta water. Add the drained raviolis and pasta water in with mushroom mixture and remaining 2 T butter. ...

I had 2 bananas going bad and a whole box of strawberries so bought greek nonfat yogurt--see warning and pic below 1 Cup Fresh Strawberries   1 Banana 1 cup Non-fat yogurt 1 T agave syrup 1 cup of ice Blend until creamy and delicious, which won’t take long.  HOWEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER INSERT SPATULA INTO A BLENDER WHEN ON EVEN IF THE ICE IS JAMMED 

Another fabulous recipe by Michael Symon from The Chew - and it's a double pork entree! He demo'd this on a 5 minute segment and if you have it all chopped and ready it really will come together that quickly. You will need 2 frying pans as you are cooking with both simultaneously. I made this for my sister in law Andrea as she loves pork and apples --she kept raving about it practically on every bite! Enjoy!!  1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, sliced into 1" rounds and pounded thin**         **Since we were party of 2 I used a boneless thick cut pork chop which I sliced into 3 horizontally** 3 Granny Smiths Apples, chopped skin on into small cubes 1/4 lb thick cut slice of ham from deli, cut into small cubes like the apple 5 sage leaves, sliced thin 1 c apple cider 2 T apple cider vinegar 6 T EVOO 3 T Butter S/P flour for dredging 2 large fry pans Add the ham to one pan with 3 T olive oil and cook for 1 minute to slightly brown ham then ad...

Every year for Thanksgiving my sister in law Andrea and I usually plan a seasonal cocktail--and we have had some epic fails!!! BUT this one was absolutely a winner. Marcus demo'd this on the Rachael Ray show. He is a spokesman for SKYY vodka. So Andrea and I sampled this and it's a definite keeper!   For the Apple-Spiced Simple Syrup: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1 teaspoon ginger, ground 1 teaspoon allspice, ground 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground (freshly ground if possible) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 slice of a red apple, 1/4 inch thick 1/2 cup water For the Apple-Spiced Simple Syrup:  Place all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to boil.    (Leftover simple syrup can be strained into airtight container, cooled and refrigerated. It will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.)   To make the COCKTAIL 1/2 ounce Apple-Spiced Simple syrup 2 ounces SKYY Vodka 1/2 ounce lime juice 2 dashes angostura bitters Ice Slice of apple (for garnish) Add 1/2 ounce of...

When we were recently in Italy one of the fish that was very popular was Branzini or Bronzini it goes by both names. We were shopping at Wegmans in Fairfax last weekend and they had several whole fish available celebrating Italy. The fish man Steven was totally awesome and walked us through the entire cooking process and how to get to the filet and make a quick pan sauce. It was very good and a fun adventurous new cooking style for us.  Here is a little info from the web about this fish. Harvested from the waters around the Mediterranean, this species of fish has a shiny silver skin that is consistent in color throughout its body. Similar in appearance, size and preparation to a medium size trout, the Bronzini is served as a whole fish with the head on. It is commonly available weighing from 2 to 3 pounds in size. Often referred to as a Mediterranean Sea Bass, this fish can be easily prepared using olive oil and seasonings such as garlic, various herbs, sea salt and pepper to be ...

I was shopping at Trader Joe's and they had these awesome Triangular Butternut Squash Fresh Ravioli's that I just knew I had to try. I thought the perfect sauce would be a Sage Brown Butter. I found this one at foodnetwork.com by Mario Batali - it was really easy to do. I think the only thing I would do different next time is fry up a few extra crispy sage leaves for garnish. I also happen to have about 1/2 cup of leftover roasted butternut squash which I cut up to small cubes the size of crouton and reheated and added at end. Yummy would make a great light fall meal or appetizer! 1 package Trader Joes  Triangular Butternut Squash Fresh Ravioli's 4 tablespoons butter 8 sage leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano ( plus more for topping) Directions While your pasta cooks, melt butter in a 12 to 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until golden brown color (" noisette" -that was a new word for me!!) appears in the thinnest liq...