More is Better

 On the TODAY SHOW by Chef Alejandra Ramos for an easy 4th of July recipe.  Tangy blueberries add a tart twist to a classic pico de gallo style salsa. Paired with tomatoes and crispy white onions, they’re the perfect patriotic topper for simple pan-fried fish tacos. This makes enough salsa for the fish tacos, but if you prefer, you can double or triple the salsa recipe and serve with chips as a snack.  OK so we just loved it especially the salsa - Kevin woke up asking me to make another batch just with the chips and when could we make the fish tacos again! We made ours with cod and it flaked beautifully. Yes I forgot to garnish with the cilantro! For the salsa: 8 ounces blueberries, halved (if using small wild blueberries, OK to leave whole)  1 medium white onion, diced  3 plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced  chile flakes  2 large limes, juiced  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  1 teaspoon sugar  1/4 teaspoon black pepper  For the sauce:...

 From Delish we loved this recipe. Just need to wrap tightly - it's definitely  a little bit of a learning curve but so good! FOR SUMMER ROLLS: 3 oz.  rice vermicelli noodles 12  large shrimp. peeled and deveined  1  large carrot, julienned 2  Persian cucumbers, julienned  8 oz.  Napa cabbage, thinly sliced  1 tbsp.  fish sauce 1 tbsp.  dark brown sugar 1/4 c.  rice vinegar 8  large rice paper sheets 2 tbsp.  black sesame seeds 12  fresh mint leaves 12  fresh basil leaves FOR PEANUT SAUCE: 1/2 c.  smooth peanut butter  1 tbsp.  low-sodium soy sauce  2 tbsp.  rice vinegar 1  clove garlic, grated 1 tbsp.  freshly grated ginger 4 tbsp.  boiling water 1/4 c.  crushed, toasted peanuts, for serving Place noodles in medium heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water; let stand about 5 minutes or until just tender, drain. Using kitchen scissors, cut noodles into random ...

 From the Alberti Twins on the TODAY show we had it yesterday with family and friends for a summer happy hour! Because I was making it for a crowd rather than individuals - we served it in a pitcher and I used the 3-2-1 method below which was very easy - did 3 cups -2 cups - 1 cup! From humble beginnings in little bars across Northern Italy, the Aperol spritz ritual has spread across the continents, with people all around the globe connecting through their love of Italy's No. 1 cocktail. Light, refreshing with a unique bittersweet taste, the Aperol spritz is the perfect drink to start the evening. And with this recipe, you can have it anywhere in the world: Simply bring together the people you love and make sure you've got enough ice and orange slices! Making the perfect Aperol Spritz is as easy as 3-2-1: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda. 2 7/10 ounces prosecco  1 7/10 ounces Aperol  9/10 ounces soda  1 orange slice 1. Fill your large wine glass with ...

 From ALLRECIPES this versatile recipe can go over chicken, fish, burgers and steak. We are putting it over tomahawk steaks this weekend! The flavor was so fresh tasting that we saved the leftovers to go over chicken and/ or fish in the next week! 1 c fresh parsley 1/2 c olive oil 2 T fresh oregano 2 T red wine vinegar 1 T water 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 t salt 1/2 t pepper   Combine parsley, olive oil, oregano, red wine vinegar, water, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until desired consistency is reached.

 From Empress Gin website - it was very nice can definitely taste the freshness of the cucumber and rosemary. We really enjoyed this as a fun summer cocktail.  Take a break with this delightful and delicious cocktail. Hints of cucumber and rosemary make the Layover a perfect drink to sit back and relax with. Cocktail created in the Victoria Distillers cocktail lounge. INGREDIENTS 1½OZ EMPRESS 1908 GIN 1OZ FRESH LEMON JUICE 1OZ ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL SODA WATER TO TOP CUCUMBER AND ROSEMARY METHOD Muddle cucumber and then add rosemary. Shake ingredients on ice, strain into a chilled collins glass. Top with fresh ice, soda and garnish with a cucumber ribbon.

  This recipe by Chef and blogger  Grosypelosi  his recipe for celebration cake appears to be very much like a New England coffeecake we frequently had on trips home. I am very excited to try this recipe. I altered the directions because I wanted the shape to be like my childhood memory - so i divided the chips and cinnamon sugar parts to bottom of pan middle and top - as you can see because it gets flipped over- the top mixture became part of the cake.  2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips WHAT YOU'LL DO Preheat oven to 350º. Sift 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon baking powder into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar together. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla on lo...

  This was made by Alex Guarnaschelli on the TODAY SHOW - she made homemade burgers and they were triple stacked -which is just way to much meat for us so we chose to make them single sliders. Below is only the recipe for the sauce and the pickled onion which was a really great addition. We will definitely make this again. If you want the full recipe just google it. To assemble burger sauce on bottom bun, then burger, then sauce, then onion and top roll. Don't worry about the extra sauce on the plate you will be dipping!! FOR THE SAUCE: 3/4  cup heavy cream 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard 3/4  cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated 1/4  cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 2  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1  tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1  teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco 1  large clove garlic, grated In a medium pot, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the mustard, cheddar, Parmesa...

 By Chef Erin French of THE LOST KITCHEN on the TODAY SHOW. This recipe was absolutely fabulous and we will be making it again soon. Always using what you have on hand I used halved peaches not fresh. I did not remove the seeds from cucumber but just quartered and sliced. Unfortunately only had dried tarragon not fresh but it was still so flavorful. We served it with grilled chicken on the side. Everything was so good and fresh and would definitely follow her suggestion below to serve with goat cheese as well. Vinaigrette  1 shallot, finely chopped  3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar  1/3 cup olive oil  For the salad   4 peaches, ripe but firm  1 English cucumber  1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, gently torn  2 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves, stem removed  2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, gently torn  1/2 pint (about 2 cups) fresh blackberries  4 cups cubed bread (nice loaf like French or ciabatta)  2 tablespoons olive oil  Kosher s...

Courtesy of Michael Symon- we finally got a chance to try this recipe but for sake of ease we used another homemade pizza dough we like. This pizza was delicious. Definitely go thin with the cheese mixture layer.   Pizza Dough:  4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting  1 1/2 tablespoon honey  1 tablespoon kosher salt  2 teaspoons dry yeast or 5 teaspoons fresh yeast  3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling  Cheese Mixture:  2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese  1 cup fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces  1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino  2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil  2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives  2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  Toppings:   6 spears asparagus, thinly sliced  1/2 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced  1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving  Extra-virgin olive oil, fo...

 From Delish another fun s'mores brownie variation. It was really easy to make.  Cooking spray, for pan  6 graham crackers  1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on box  1 c. chopped Hershey's bars  1 (10-oz.) bag marshmallows Preheat oven to 350° and line and spray a 9”-x-9” baking pan with cooking spray.  Layer bottom of pan with graham crackers.  Make brownie mix according box and then fold in chopped Hershey’s bars. Pour brownie batter over graham crackers. Bake until almost done, 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with marshmallows and bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies are cooked through and marshmallows are golden.  To check brownies with a toothpick, you can gently push marshmallows to the side with a knife or offset spatula. They will melt back together!  Turn oven to broil and broil 2 minutes, if desired.   Let cool 10 minutes then slice into squares to serve.

  From THE GOOD DISH - we have actually made it twice because I forgot the cheese the first time and we still loved it. Today we found the cheese added a nice balance -very good.  12 Dinner rolls ( Hawaiian  sweet rolls) 12 tbsp Olive oil 1 lb Sweet Italian sausage (we did half hots and half sweet) 1 Small yellow onion, diced 1 Small red bell pepper, diced 1 1/2 cups Shredded mozzarella 2-3 Hot cherry peppers, chopped ( we used double that amount) 4 Provolone slices 2 tbsp Melted butter 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp Granulated garlic Preheat the broiler to low. Slice the attached dinner rolls in half horizontally. Place both halves cut-side-up on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage meat, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and pepper, and season with sal...