Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Close friends know why. I've had to turn my cooking talents in a different direction for a while. Now, I'm having to learn to cook entirely differently.

Tonight's menu is a good, cold night feast. It gives you all of the goodness of a lasagna with the great taste of garlic biscuits.  I ran across the recipes on two different websites and immediately thought they would make a great meal.




Lasagna Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Italian sausage or ground beef
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 small can tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 c. chicken stock (more or less, depending upon how soupy you like it.)
8 oz.rotini pasta 
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

and now for the cheezy addition:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook about three minutes, stirring constantly. Don't let it burn. Next add sausage or ground beef, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and cook until browned.  Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

While soup is simmering cook pasta per package instructions. Cook until still firm. Do not over cook because you will add them to the soup and they will continue to cook. You don't want them too soggy or limp. Drain, then add to soup. Simmer on low an additional 10 minutes.

Cheezy Goodness

To prepare the cheese portion you need to combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella in a bowl. 

To serve, place a dollop of the cheese in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Add a small portion of the Parmesan on top for decoration.

As you eat the soup stir in the cheese at the bottom and it will take on the flavor and color of the sauce in lasagna.Mmmmm. Pair this with the Parmesan garlic biscuits below and you have a scrumptious meal. 

Parmesan Garlic Biscuits
This recipe is similar to Monkey Bread. Just made differently.

rolls in pan before cooking

3 tbs. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced or 2 tsp dried garlic
12 oz. tube refrigerated biscuits (not flaky)
2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Garlic Bread Rolls

Preheat oven to 425. Place butter and garlic in the bottom of a 9″ pie plate. Put in oven until butter melts. While butter is melting, cut each biscuit into quarters. Remove the pan from oven and arrange biscuits on top of butter mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Invert pie plate onto a plate and then invert that plate onto another to serve upright.

Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup

Ok, so this will be the last soup for a little while.... I hope. I made this tonight hoping that it would be something easy that my wife (Sybil) could keep on her stomach after her surgery. She didn't need anything real heavy. But, after not eating for a while I felt like she needed something in her. And, after eating chicken broth for so many days I felt like she needed something a little different. I wanted to try to get some vegetables in her diet. So, staying with the soup idea I thought of chicken vegetable and noodle soup. Here's how I did it.....

Ingredients
1- rotisserie chicken from your local store. You will use 1/2 for this recipe. Remove all the meat from bones discarding bones and skin. Freeze the remaining meat for future use.
1- 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables (corn, beans carrots and limas)
2- 32 oz boxes of chicken  broth

1 envelope Sazon Goya seasoning
1 1/2 cup tri-colored Rotini noodles precooked
1 tbs basil
2 bay leaves
1 celery stalk cut into 3rds
1 green onion, whole

Directions:
Boxed or canned  sock is quick and simple, and you can leave out the next step if you like. But, I feel like the extra ingredients put a little extra kick into the stock and make it a little more "homemade" like. To begin, pour your stock into a large pot. Add the celery, onion, basil, bay leaf and Goya Sazon seasoning. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

 In a separate pan cook your rotini noodles according to package directions. Once they are cooked pour out the water, pouring the noodles into a strainer. Run them under cold water until they are cool. This stops the cooking process. Reserve to the side for now.

While the stock is simmering and noodles are cooking remove the skin and bones from the chicken. You will only use half so freeze the other half for future use. Once you have separated the chicken cut it into bite size chunks and add to the stock. Next add the frozen vegetables and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Finally, remove the celery, onion and bay leaf. Add noodles and cook for about 5 more minutes until the noodles are warm. Enjoy!

Chef's Secret:
Goya Sazon seasoning is a must in every spice drawer. I use it in rice, soups, and many other recipes. It is found in the Spanish/Mexican food section of your grocery store. Besides the great flavor it also adds a saffron yellow color without the expense of saffron. The boxes come with  envelopes inside. You should always keep some on hand to spice up a dish.

I don't think there is a better meal on a cold wintery night than beef stew. It's a hearty meal that everyone enjoys. The magic of this one is that all the pieces came out in just the right size bites.

Ingredients:
1- 1 1/2 lb pot roast cut into bite size chunks
2- 32oz boxes of beef broth

1- small pkg of baby carrots, cut in half
1- pkg  honey gold potatoes. (I found these at Publix. They are very tiny potatoes. I cut them in half and they were the perfect size for the stew. I did not use the entire bag. I only used about 1 1/2 cups. If you can't find them you can use 2 med size baking potatoes and cut it into bite size chunks.)
2- celery stalks
1- onion, cut into bite size pieces
2- cloves of garlic
2- bay leaves
1- tbsp dried basil crushed
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp  browning sauce

2 tbsp olive oil- more if needed

Directions:
Place the oil into a large pot on med heat. Add the onion and cook about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.  Finally add the roast and cook until browned.  Once browned drain the fat from the pot and return to the stove.

Once the roast is brown on all sides add the beef broth. Once the broth is added scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any of the "bits" that have stuck to the pan. Next add the bay leaves, basil, Worcestershire sauce, and browning sauce. Stir and cook for about 45 minute.

After the stock and beef have cooked for 45 minutes you can now add the celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.Finally, mix 1/2 cup water with 3 tbsp flour. Mix well. Turn heat up on stew to a boil, whisk in the flour mixture, reduce to a simmer.

Chef's Secret:
Browning sauce is a great ingredient to help flavor and darken the color of your stew. You can add as little or as much as you would like. Add a little at a time and stir to see the color. Continue adding until you get to the color you like. And, remember, a little goes a long way.

With fall around the corner it's time to pull out the big soup pot and get ready for some great soups and stews. I got an early start this year because my wife got sick and couldn't eat anything heavy. So, she's been basically on a soup diet. Then, thinking about it, I thought it would be a great time to spend putting up some soup and stew recipes.

A pre-cooked rotisserie chicken cuts cooking time tremendously.

There's nothing better, or more homier meal than soups or stews. Especially during the cold months. And, best of all, soups and stews don't have to be time consuming, difficult, or homemade. I needed to make a quick meal for my wife and didn't have the time to put together a full blown homemade chicken and dumplings. And, that is what she wanted. So, after thinking a bit I came up with the following idea.

Thanks to the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken this recipe only takes about an hour. At the end you will have a great, homemade tasting chicken and dumplings. It is a great time saver, especially on a busy, cold, weeknight after work.

Ingredients:
1 -rotisserie chicken already cooked at your local store.
1- pkg frozen dumplings (the pkg I got was 12 ounces.)
2- 32 oz boxes of chicken broth
1 cup water
1 -celery stalk cut into thirds
1- carrot cut into thirds
2- bay leaves
corn starch

Directions:
To begin you want to take all off the meat off of the chicken. Remove all bones and skin. Cut the meat into bite size chunks. You don't have to be precise. Add the broth, water, celery, bay leaves, carrot and chicken to the pot. Bring ingredients to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 30 minutes. This will jazz up the broth a bit to make it a little more like homemade.

After  30 minutes remove the bay leaves, carrot and celery.Bring to a boil once again, adding the frozen dumplings, one at a time so that they don't stick. Reduce heat to a simmer once again and cook according to package directions on the dumplings. Usually around 30 minutes or so.

At the end of the 30 minutes you will need to thicken your stock. To do this take a half cup of warm water, add 3 tablespoons of flour and mix together. Return broth to a rapid boil, pour in the flour/ water mix.  Wish or stir constantly until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Notes: 
The thickening of the flower and water is always a tricky thing. You must get it boiling before pouring the mixture into the broth. You may want to pour a little at a time to see how it will thicken. It if needs more just continue adding. If you add to much and it becomes too thick, just add more broth or water. 

Ready to eat.

These are some easy appetizers to make and enjoy during a cookout.
Ingredients:
12 large jalapenos
1 pkg sausage as spicy or as mild as you like
1 pkg bacon
toothpicks

Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and veins. You may want to use rubber gloves while doing this. If not, be very careful because you can get the juice on your face or in your eyes. And, believe me, you don't want that to happen. Wash your hands as soon as you finish scraping out the jalapenos. You can leave the stems on. It will give it a little handle to hold it by.

Next, stuff the jalapeno with the sausage. I suggest mild because the jalapeno is going to give it a big kick.

Ready for the grill.

Finally, take a strip of bacon, cut it in half, and wrap it around the jalapeno. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Preheat the grill. If using charcoal put the coals on one side. If using gas use only one side. You need to put the jalapenos on an open section without flame. You want non-direct heat. Otherwise, as the bacon and sausage cook the grease will release and catch on fire. Cover and cook until done (about 15- 20 minutes) .

These are delicious but very spicy. You can use ranch dressing to cool them down a bit just like you would with hot wings. I hope you enjoy. Try it this weekend and leave a comment to let everyone know what you think. 

I've always loved rosemary. It has to be my all-time favorite herbs to grow. However, I usually have little luck. I have always lost the plant during the winter. Well, I think I finally found the perfect spot and soil to grow it. I've had this plant for two years now and it's the healthiest I've ever seen.

This recipe contains the three things I like to cook with the most. Rosemary, garlic and basil. It's a match made in heaven. Here's the ingredients:

2 chicken breast and 2 legs (that's what I had available)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 sprigs of  rosemary (whole)
4 leaves basil cut into strips
2 cloves garlic cut into slices
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine ( I use chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, instructions below


Mix the olive oil, basil and garlic in a plastic bag. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Add chicken and rosemary. Mix well to coat chicken. Seal and put in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Overnight preferred.

Preheat  oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet on stove top heat  2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add chicken and cook until browned. (It's ok to leave any garlic or pieces of the herbs on chicken.However, remove and reserve the rosemary sprigs. ) Once browned remove chicken pieces and set to the side. Stir in wine and simmer until reduced by half. Next add chicken stock, lemon juice, zest from lemon and stir. Then, add chicken, slice the lemon into then slices and add them on top of the chicken. Finally, add the rosemary sprigs from marinade. Cover and put into oven. Cook about 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

That's all there is to it. Serve with a side salad, rice, roasted veggies, or roasted potatoes.

You may have noticed the change from Max's Menus to Sassy in the Kitchen. Why the change you ask? Well, I never could come up with a name for this blog that I liked. I was looking for something creative. But, I just couldn't come up with it when I started the blog.

The other night my wife and I were walking through the kitchen with our dog "Sassy." My wife made a comment about "Sassy in the kitchen." I thought it sounded like a good name for the blog. So, that's what I decided to call it. I guess you can say it's a tribute to my girl "Sassy. "

Honey Teriyaki Skirt Steak with Tri- Color Potatoes

On my recent trip to Las Vegas I went to the Aureole in Mandalay Bay. Aureole is known for it's world class cuisine and four story high wine rack. "Wine Angels" don a harness and "fly up" to retrieve your wine. The rack holds an impressive 9865 bottles.

Upon passing by and looking at their menu I decided this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to eat here. And, being the food lover I am, I just had to try it out. Besides, with all the great food in Vegas everyone else wanted to go to a buffet. (booorrrriinnnggggg)

The menu was a three course meal which included corn bisque as an appetizer, American Wagyu Beef Skirt Steak (soy-glazed romano beans and fingerling potatoes, ponzu vinaigrette) and Dark Chocolate Caramel Bar for dessert. It was delicious. So, I had no other choice when I got home than to try to make a similar meal myself.

When I got home I had to try to copy the recipe. My version is slightly different. I made some additions and changes. But, it turned out terrific. It was a sweet dish with a little wasabi kick.

Description: 
Teriyaki skirt steak with garlic, mushrooms, edamame, and tri-color potatoes with a wasabi finishing sauce. This meal will feed two

Ingredients:
1 lb skirt steak (skirt steaks usually come packed 2 to a pkg)
6 med size tri-color potatoes cut in half or quartered if large. ( The original recipe had tri-color fingerling potatoes.) 
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Edamame 
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
honey
Teriyaki sauce
1  scallion
wasabi finishing sauce (optional)

 
Directions:
In a plastic storage bag mix 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix well. Add meat, coating meat well, and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Begin by preheating the oven to 400. Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and cook for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft to the touch. After about 20 minutes go ahead and begin cooking the skirt steak. When potatoes are done remove and sit to the side.

You can cook the skirt steak in an iron skillet, outdoor grill or stove top grill. I have a stove top grill that I use when grilling indoors. No matter how you are cooking the steak make sure that you do not overcook. Overcooking a skirt steak will make it very tough. The desired method is to cook it no more than medium. You should still see a little pink inside.  If in a pan or on a stove top grill make sure to add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking. The skirt steak will cook pretty fast because it is such a think piece of meat. It will also brown very nicely because of the sugar in the merinade.When steak is done sit to the side to let cool. Once cool, cut the steak against the grain into pieces about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. By cutting against the grain it will make the meat even more tender.

Heat another pan to medium heat, add shallots and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the Edamame and mushrooms, cooking about three minutes. Toss in the meat and potatoes and mix with other ingredients. Reduce heat to low.

In a glass bowl mix 1/4 cup of Teriyaki  sauce and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix well and pour over the ingredients in the pan. Mix well and turn heat to high. Let the sauce come to a bubble and reduce to about 1/2. Once the sauce has reduced it is time to plate up.

Put a nice serving on each plate. Cut the scallion in small pieces, spreading over the dish as a garnish. Then top with a drizzling of the wasabi finishing sauce. Enjoy!

(Note: the wasabi finishing sauce I used was already pre-made and bought at a store. If you are unable to find the finishing sauce you can also make it yourself by mixing wasabi powder or paste with water to a thick consistency. Then, just spoon over the plate. )

Wow! This is a great dish for a special occasion. Tonight I made it for my wife's birthday. This is one of her favorites. I must say this is not an original dish. I found it when I first started cooking. Everyone gave it great ratings and it has become one of our favorites, too.

Description:
Filet Mignon stuffed with lump crab meat, wrapped in bacon, and topped with a shallots, mushrooms and a peppercorn whiskey sauce. This is a gourmet meal that's easy to make, tastes great, and is very impressive. It takes about 30 minutes to prep then about an hour to cook.

Ingredients:The ingredients suggested will serve two. It may sound complicated. But, it actually isn't.

Making the Crab Stuffing

Crab Stuffing:

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 cup minced onion

1 stalk celery, minced

1/4 cup minced green pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 scallion (green onion)

2 tbsp chicken broth

1/2 cup lump crabmeat 

or 1 can 6 oz lump crab meat, drained

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 tbsp cajun seasoning

Directions:
Heat pan on med heat. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet. Saute onion, celery, green bell pepper, and scallion until tender. Reduce heat and stir in 2 tbsp chicken broth, crab meat, bread crumbs and cajun seasoning. Stir gently to mix ingredients. But, you don't break up the lump crab meat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Peppercorn Sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter

1 minced shallot
2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup mushrooms, diced (white, or small portabellas )

1 tsp Dion mustard

1- 10 1/2 oz can beef consomme

2 tbsp cracked peppercorn

1 oz whiskey (miniature)

1 cup heavy cream

2 or 3 dashes of hot sauce

Directions:
On med heat add olive oil and butter to a small sauce pan or small skillet (I prefer a skillet because it tends to cook faster.) Add shallots and let cook until tender. Then stir in chopped garlic. Let cook for about 1 minute. Next you will add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Add beef consomme, and peppercorn. Bring to a boil and cook until consomme is condensed to half. Now stir in the miniature bottle of whiskey and whisk in 1/2 the carton of heavy whip cream and two to three dashes of the hot sauce. Bring to a boil again, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid have condensed to about 1 cup. Whisk periodically.

Steaks:

2 filet mignons

2-4 slices bacon (depending upon size of filets. They must wrap around the filets.)

Salt and crushed peppercorns
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions: 
Cut a pocket into the side of each steak, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff the pocket with the crab meat mixture. Wrap each filet with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Add salt and pepper to taste on both sides.

Heat a large cast iron skillet to med high heat. Add the steaks to sear on both sides. You can continue to cook on the stove top from this point, or put in the oven at 350. However, I choose to sit the steaks to the side, once seared, and finish the cooking process on the grill and smoke them using "Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrel Wood Chips" If continuing on stove top reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, depending upon desired doneness. Or, you can put in a 350 degree preheated oven, covered, and cook to desired doneness.

If you choose to cook on grill you should have your grill preheated, with coals or gas heating one side. You will put the steaks on the heated side for about 2 minutes per side. Then you will put them on the indirect heat side to smoke. Add smoke chips to the fire, close lid, and allow chips to smoke for about 15-20 minutes.

Now, plate up and enjoy. Serve with a nice red wine, side salad, and grilled asparagus and celebrate the evening. Other sides may be rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, green beans, or mixed veggies. The choice is limitless. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Rosemary Medley Potatoes

 This recipe will take a little time to prepare. But, the time taken is well worth the effort. On this night we served the stuffed chicken with Rosemary Medley Potatoes and steamed green beans.

Description:
Chicken breast coated with bread crumbs, stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and Italian cheese.

Ingredients:
4 small chicken breast, pounded thin
6 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes (use the type packed in oil, not dried.)
Italian cheese blend
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beat
1 cup milk
olive oil - enough to coat pan
2 tablespoons butter
toothpicks


Directions:

Put the breast in a plastic bag and pound the chicken breast very thin. Not too thin, though. You don't want to tear the breast apart. You want them to be about 1/4 inch thick. Once the breast are pounded thin season both sides with salt and pepper (I'll post my own seasoning soon) and turn them  ugly side up. The ugly side is the side where you can see the texture of the chicken. You will notice that one side is very smooth. Next, put  1 1/2 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes in the middle of each breast. Then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese. Add more if you desire. The only thing you have to remember is that you have to close up the breast. (In case you haven't noticed the two breast I used were HUGE! They were enough for 4 servings.)

When the stuffing is in the middle of the breast roll up the ends of the chicken slightly then roll the long sides together. Think of how a burrito is wrapped as you do this. Use the toothpicks to secure the pieces together. You want to get it as tight as possible so that the stuffing won't come out.

Begin to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Also, begin to heat a pan on the stove top to medium high heat. While pan is heating you will roll the breast in the beaten egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs. You want the breast fully coated with the bread crumbs. Once coated sit to the side.

Add olive oil and two tablespoon of butter to the pan and place the chicken breast in the pan gently. You don't want it to fall apart before it sears. You want to brown the breast on all sides. Once browned on all sides remove and put in a baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear. After baking you should remove the toothpicks.

Now, it's time to plate up. As I said before, we served this dinner with Rosemary Medley Potatoes and steamed green beans.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. Feel free to leave comments.

Pan seared scallops are so delicious. You don't need to go to a fancy restaurant to get them. You can make them very easily in the comfort of your own home. First off get the largest scallops you can get. If frozen let them thaw before cooking. They will thaw in about 5 minutes in a bowl of warm water. Once frozen season with salt and pepper on both sides.

I use a cast iron skillet when cooking scallops. I preheat the skillet by heating it up to a medium high heat. You want the pan to be very hot in order to sear the scallops. Once the pan has heated add olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Place the scallops in the pan very gently. Keep and eye on the scallops. It will take very little time for them to sear ( about 2-3 minutes). Flip over once the scallops are brown on one side to brown the opposite side. When the scallops are seared add about a tablespoon of lemon juice to the pan and reduce the pan to low to simmer.

That's all there is to it. Don't overcook or they will shrink. This makes a great accompaniment to any seafood meal. Or, could be a meal in itself with a side salad and steamed vegetables of your choice.

How do you cook your scallops? I invite you to share your secrets with everyone.

Shrimp Fettucine and Pan Seared Scallops

Description: I don't think I could have described it any better. I'm going to give you the description a long time friend (Dora) gave of the meal:
Shrimp and spinach fettucine with shrimp, parmigiano reggiano cheese, scallops and Italian cheese bread. This is a very delicious meal. It's easy and very quick to make. I often make it at night when time is running short for the evening. This recipe will feed 2-3.

 Ingredients:

1 pkg fettucine pasta ( or angel hair pasta)
36 med shrimp (seasoned)
(I have my own seasoning which I will share in another post. Until then, you can season with salt and pepper to taste.)

1/4 cup onion chopped very small

1/8 cup green pepper chopped very small

2 green onions (scallions)

olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

3 dashes hot sauce
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1  cup chicken broth

After the initial prep the dish takes very little time to prepare.To begin put your pot on to boil for the pasta. While the water is heating up put on a large fry pan and begin to heat up. Add olive oil to pan and 1 tablespoon of butter. After butter melts stir into oil and add onions and peppers. Cook onions and peppers until very tender. Once the peppers and onions have cooked down add the shrimp and cook until pink. 

As the shrimp cook you can add the fettucine noodles to the boiling water. Cook per package directions. Don't overcook.

Once the shrimp has turned pink add the dashes of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and stir. Next, add a half cup of chicken broth. Stir, bring to a boil, then turn to low and let simmer.

When the pasta is done add it to the pan with the shrimp. Mix well. Add the other 2 tablespoons of butter. If it seems as though it needs a little more liquid add broth a little at a time. You just want the pasta moist, not juicy. Once you've mixed the pasta and the shrimp you are ready to serve.

To garnish, cut the green onions in small diagonal pieces. Plate up the pasta, sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano cheese, then top with the green onions.

Notes: When available I will use 1/2 white wine and 1/2 chicken stock. If using wine use a good Chardonnay, add to pot, and let reduce to 1/2. Then, add the chicken broth and continue with the recipe.


My recipe for Pan Seared Scallops is in another post. (Click here for the recipe) As for the bread, its just Italian bread with an Italian six cheese blend on top, baked in the oven.

If you like this recipe please leave a comment. Do you have a special way of cooking Shrimp Scampi? Share your secrets. I would love to hear your comments.

No recipes today. I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday. A special thanks goes to all the military out there that put their lives on the line to keep our country the way it is and safe. Since we celebrated over at family's house yesterday by eating bbq we wanted to eat steaks tonight. So, our menu? Steaks topped with onion, garlic and mushrooms and a salad on the side. Enjoy your day.

Are you looking for a great dish to take to a family get together? How about a church pot luck supper? Well, whatever the occasion I've got just the dish for you. How about an 8 Cheese Pasta Salad? If it has 8 cheeses it has to be good. Right?

I've made this dish for several years. It's really quite easy and versatile. It takes about an hour to make and must chill at least 24 hours. Here are tonight's cast of characters:

Ingredients for 8 Cheese Pasta Salad

1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped very fine
2 tomatoes
1 jar capers
1 small jar pamintos
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 bottle Italian salad dressing
1 cup 4 cheese Mexican cheese
1 cup 4 cheese Italian cheese
1 box colored garden Rotini pasta

To begin, cook the pasta according to package direction. Once cooked drain water and run pasta under cold water to cool and to stop cooking process.

While pasta is cooling chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite size pieces, discarding the stems. After chopping you want to get all the 'bits' off of the chopping board and add to the salad. Next, chop the 1/2 onion into very small pieces. You do not want big chunks. By cutting into very small pieces the onion will basically melt away, leaving the juices to flavor the dish.  Finally, chop the tomato into bite size pieces and add to the salad.

After all the chopping add the canned black olives, capers, and pimentos.  Use a large serving spoon to blend well. Next, wish together the 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and bottle of Italian dressing. Pour on top of the salad. Add both cheeses and pasta and blend once again. Put in the fridge to let the flavors meld and to chill the salad at least 24 hours. That's it. It's all done. 

Did I say versatility? You can substitute or add the veggies of your choice. On this occasion I didn't have carrots. But, carrots make a great addition. Also, if you don't like something just leave it out. Want a main dish? Add ham chunks. Don't like mayo? Just add Italian dressing.

This dish is sure to please the crowd no matter what. I've got nothing but compliments from the first time I made it. All that's left now is to serve it up and enjoy!

I am often inspired by looking at frozen dinner packages. Whenever I pass by the frozen food section I always take a look at the newest creations that they have added. The photos are often mouth watering. But, the actual product is usually more than disappointing. So, I usually look to see what is in the dinner then come home and make it myself. The recipes are usually easy to make and a lot less expensive when you make them yourself.

One dinner that I looked at often, because we stock it in my store, was "Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Roasted Chicken Chardonnay." Any meal that includes rosemary, basil, and garlic has to be good. Now, let's get on with the ingredients:

1 chicken breast- flattened to 1/2" 
1 med zucchini
1 large yellow squash
1/2 med onion, diced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, julienned (cut into small strips)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 can of tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Chardonnay wine
1 cup chicken broth
angel hair pasta or other pasta of your liking. One of my fav's in penne pasta.
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Begin by salting and peppering your chicken breast. Grill breast on both sides until pink is gone. Do not over cook. Set the chicken to the side and let cool. Once the chicken is cooled cut it into bite size cubes or strips. You may cook the breast in a large skillet on the stove if you prefer. In this case you would add olive oil to the pan, cook chicken, remove the chicken, then continue with the rest of the recipe.  (Note: Often, when I grill out, I will cook a few extra breasts to have on hand for times like this. This saves time, especially when cooking during the week. I will throw them in the freezer and thaw as needed.)

Next, add olive oil to a skillet on the stove and add your onions. Cook until tender, then add garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash. Cook for about 1 minute. Add Chardonnay and bring to a boil, reducing liquid to half. Reduce heat. Add chicken broth, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper to taste and stir. Let cook for about a minute then add 1 can of tomatoes with liquid. Add chicken then cover and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes. You do not want the vegetables cooked until they turn to mush. You want them still a little firm.

While waiting for the dish to simmer put on a pot of boiling water for the pasta. The pasta will not take long if it is angel hair pasta. Others will take a little longer. Go ahead and cook per package directions. Do not overcook. Once cooked you can pour off all of the water, pouring the pasta into a colander, then rinse the pasta in cold water. This stops the cooking process. Set pasta to the side. The amount of pasta you add is up to you. I usually only add a little, just enough to know there is pasta in the dish. The pasta is not the main part of the dish, so you don't want too much.

Once the dish has simmered you can add the pasta to the dish.  Cook long enough to heat the pasta back up. If the dish looks too watery you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken. Now, it's time to eat. Plate up and top with Parmesan cheese and serve with a side salad. Mmmmm!! Enjoy!

Options: This is a very versatile recipe. I change up ingredients depending on what I have on hand. Here are some suggestions-
Pasta- use Penne, angel hair pasta, regular spaghetti noodles, even shells would work nice.
Mushrooms make a very nice addition to the dish. Add about 1/2 cup after adding the broth.
Broccoli and cauliflower make excellent additions. I often cook it with about 1/2 cup of each.

The original recipe will feed about 2-3 people. If you add ingredients such as broccoli or cauliflower it will make more. You may also have to add more liquid. You just need enough liquid to keep it all moist. you don't want it soggy or too watery.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please feel free to leave your comments below.

I've found out through the years that I don't cook like most. I've turned my cooking into a passion, always looking for "restaurant" type menus and recipes. And, I've learned from the best chefs around including Graham Kerr, Julia Child, Emeril Lagassi, and Justin Wilson. No, I've never met one in person. But, through the magic of tv each and every one taught me an important lesson about cooking. Graham Kerr taught me that cooking was easy. He gave me the confidence to begin cooking. Julia Child taught me that cooking could be an art. Justin Wilson taught me that it has to taste good, "I Guarontee!" And, Emeril taught me that you don't have to be perfect. It's not about making sure you put exactly a cup of this and a spoon full of that. It's about making a dish that looks good, tastes good, and leaves you saying, "Wow!"

 I tend to cook food that you would get in a restaurant. I hate going to a restaurant and paying the high prices when I can create an exact copy at home at a far cheaper price. So, with this blog I will begin to share my secrets so that you and your family can enjoy great gourmet cooking at home.