Try a Mother's Day Fajita Bar!

Great outdoor fun!
This meal is a real crowd pleaser...you can add any condiment you like and you can use meat, chicken, & or shrimp! For this meal I used 2 leftover rib-eye steaks sliced very thin & tossed in a skillet with Fajita seasoning.

Dad can man the grill and the kids can get the condiments together, while Mom gets a massage!
Please allow flexibility with the ingredient amounts for serving, to the amount of guests you have...The 2 steaks I used served 4 people well. So I will leave the amounts up to you...

Let's go Amigos:

Canola oil for skillet

Any protein you like, Ground Beef, Steak, Shredded Chicken, and or Shrimp

***You don't have to use leftover protein...you can cook it from scratch using the Fajita Seasoning as the main seasoning for the dish)

***For Leftovers, toss with the seasoning before reheating

Fajita seasoning 1 1/2 Tbls per Pound

Your Favorite Tortilla

Condiments: I used:

Avocado Cubed Sprinkled with Lemon Juice (this keeps it from Becoming brown)

Chopped Tomatoes

Chopped Scallions

Shredded Cheddar or Shredded Mexican Blend

Limes in wedges for sprinkling on finished Fajita

Sour Cream

Chopped Onions Raw or Caramelized (Sauteed in a skillet)

Chopped Jalapenos

Black Olives

Shredded Lettuce

Chopped Cilantro

Tabasco Sauce

Use as many or as little of these as you like...or maybe you have some Favs I have not mentioned...

Set up a nice bar or assembly line for all of your condiments...Don't forget to put a utensil in each for serving.

Put a stack of Tortillas in some foil and warm on the grill.

Have Dad put the skillet on the grill to heat up the proteins...

Coat the bottom of the skillet with the oil and heat up the protein of your choice. Don't Overcook!

Have Dad put a Tortilla on a plate and put a serving of protein on the Tortilla

Then the guest moves down the line and chooses their favorite condiments

Don't forget to have a big bowl of Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Queso on your table.

Use brightly colored paper goods and maybe even a Pinata for fun! Make tissue paper flowers and Mom will be so impressed!

A big pitcher of Limonade would be faboo! Squeeze Limes, stir with Sugar and Water...that's all there is to it!

Clay Baked Chicken...an easy Classic!

Clay cooked chicken done...yum!

Clay chicken during prep....

I am back in action Dear Readers...Thank you so much for your e-mails about Mom...you can't imagine how wonderful it is to know how much people care.

I am really getting into clean cooking...let me explain...using unprocessed food as much as possible, fresh ingredients, & less fat...Example, check out the Tomato sauce recipe...of course you can adapt these recipes to what you have on hand. Don't worry about the slow cooker dishes...it turns out there are great ways to cook healthy with my favorite appliance as well!

As most of you know I am battling a BIG TUSHIE, Diabetes and I am trying to get healthy again...we are not getting any younger! Let's hear a big OYE VEY!

I have a great, quick, and healthy recipe...It involves clay pot cooking..fear not...any ceramic or Pyrex baking dish will do. This form of cooking is thousands of years old. It is efficient, healthy, very easy and I will make it even easier...This is also a great dish to entertain with...
Let's get cooking...

For this dish I used a clay casserole that is equivalent to a 13x9 Pyrex. Mine is a 20 year old William Sonoma and got a set of two sizes for my wedding...Great investment!

What you need...

Cooking Spray

Skinless, On the Bone Chicken pcs, I used A package Skinless Thighs and 2 Skinless Breasts(use your favorites, if you use breasts cut them in half crosswise through the bone). Cooking on the bone adds wonderful flavor!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Paprika

Dried Oregano

Granulated Garlic Powder

8 Peeled Whole Cloves of Garlic ( you can give it a little smash to get the perfume)

1 Can of Quartered Artichokes rinsed and drained

1 Large or 2 Small Sweet Onions cut into chunks about the same size as the Artichokes

1/4 Cup of Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Spray Casserole dish

Lay the Chicken on a plate and rub with Oil

Season both sides with the Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Oregano, & Gran. Garlic from high up so you get a nice even coating

Pour the broth in the dish and put Chicken in as well

Arrange the Garlic Cloves, Onion chunks and Artichokes all around the Chicken...(Refer to Picture)

Put in the oven...you will NOT be covering it.

Bake for about 45-60 Minutes...cooking time varies with each oven

Look at my "Done Picture"

Squeeze Lemon juice when dish is finished cooking.

Easy and Yummy.

Mom, The Life of the Party!

My Dear Readers,

A lot of you knew my wonderful Mom...Joan.

For those of you that did not know her, she was the kindest, sweetest, most loving woman in the world!

She passed away last week after a valiant battle with Ovarian Cancer.

There is a huge hole in my heart, that of my family's, and everyone she came in contact with...

Mom was my source of inspiration in so many things and she inspired me to start my blog.

Mom was the secret keeper, the advise giver, & the peacemaker.

She had a smile, and kindness for everyone she met, whether she knew you or not.

No one could give a party, party at a party, be the last one to leave a party, like Mom.

When going to any kind of affair she would always hook up with the DJ or band leader, have them play "G-d Bless America" and "New York-New York"....she would get everyone in a big circle and have everyone sing along...

Mom loved to be in her bathing suit, on a lounge chair holding court!

She loved to have cocktail hour...her parties were legendary.

Don't let this party talk fool you...she was an amazing Wife, Mother, Grandmama, & Aunt.

She was very serious about loving the people in her life!

I know she is with my Dad and they are dancing somewhere...watching over us!

Mom, I can only hope to live up to your example...I dedicate this blog to you, my sweet Mother!

Gabby

Happy Passover & Happy Easter!

To all my readers...
My family would like to wish you all a peaceful, happy, and healthy holiday!
Have a bountiful table...let me know what you made or ordered that was really special so we can share it!
Enjoy!

So Fast...So Worth It !!! Homemade Simple Tomato Sauce.

Best Canned Tomatoes...San Marzano!

A 10 minute simmer...

Fresh Basil...

Toss with some Gnocchi...That will stick to your ribs!

Hi everyone...we've been kind of busy around here and I'm sorry for the lack of posts....I hope this quick sauce recipe will make up for it!

You don't have to use San Marzano Tomatoes if you can't find them, but they are available at my regular supermarket (Publix). They are the very best and have a wonderful taste. I use Flora's brand and Flora's has their own section in the store. I also use their Gnocchi. As with any sauce use it with whatever pasta you like. Adding fresh Basil really brightens up the sauce.

Ok let's do it!

2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Large Sweet Onion

2 Large Cloves of Garlic minced or 1 Tbls prepared minced Garlic

2 28 oz cans of Tomatoes any brand

2 Bay Leaves

1 heaping Tsp dried Oregano

1 Tsp Sugar (This cuts the acid in the tomatoes)

3 large Basil Leaves - San Marzano Tomatoes come with Basil in it...still add the fresh.

Saute the Onion in the oil till tender and translucent

Add Garlic and saute till garlic is softened as well.

Pour in the Tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon.

Add the Bay Leaves,Sugar, Oregano, and Basil.

Cover & bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 10 minutes

With a slotted spoon fish out the Basil Leaves and the Bay Leaves

It is now ready to serve...there will be plenty, put some in a container for later in the week or freeze for next time.

For the Gnocchi just follow the directions on the package.

Enjoy

Girls with "Mussels"

Spring break was really nice 'cause we got to spend quality time with Lexi...I always love to cook for her friends. This has always been the place the kids know there will always be a meal when they drop by...The Princess in the towel is my baby girl, and visiting is her very cute friend Jackie. I wanted to make something family style and Lexi loves when I make my Mussels in Broth. On the weekends, Costco carries the nicest Mussels around, & I don't mind buying the big bag because there will be about 15 to 20% waste, (damaged shells and dead guys!).

Since Mussels are now mostly farmed, they are usually free of the beard, (which is hard to pull off), and they are not sandy. While I am going through them I keep them on Ice and I keep the cleaned ones on ice. Discard any cracked shells and any dead ones...how do you know it's a dead one? If the shell is open, when you tap it with another Mussel and/or try to pinch it closed and it doesn't close right away...goodbye, good luck!

This is how we do it:

A big Crusty bread

1 LB Spaghetti

Cook pasta according to package

You can prepare the pasta about 20 minutes ahead of time and leave it at room temp.

1Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large or 2 small Leeks finely sliced, (Cleaned of sand ), or you can use 1/2 cup minced Onion, or 2 or 3 chopped Shallots

3 Cloves Garlic sliced thin

2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock or Broth

1/2 Bottle Dry White Wine...I use Pinot Grigio

2 Tbl Unsalted Butter

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Bag Mussels

1/4 Chopped Parsley

Squeeze 1/2 lemon

Heat up the oil in a nice big pot.

Put in your Leeks (or Onions, or Shallots) and cook them till they are tender and just caramelizing.

Add the Garlic and cook till softened, DON'T LET IT BURN or you have to start over.

Add the Broth and the Wine and cook it down so it is reduced by Half.

Add your butter.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Let it reduce a little more about 5 minutes.

Add the Mussels and Cover.

Cook from 3 to 6 Minutes. Look to see that they are open and you are done....Take it off the heat.

***If you see any closed shells discard them, they are no good.

Pour the Pasta into a big platter with a lip or sides and immediately pour everything in the Mussel pot over the pasta.

This dis is best served hot.

Garnish with the Parsley and the squeeze of Lemon.

Serve with the big Crusty Bread for dipping. Just tear off pieces for everyone.

This is a great dish to entertain with...

It is not as hard as it seems, I promise....go for it!

In A Galaxy Far Far Away...Oh and there is food too!

Space Shuttle lift off!

Yummy Skewers!

In the first picture above, look at the car in front of the garage and have your eye follow up... you will see a short white line on a diagonal between the Palm trees...that is the lift off of the shuttle tonight. In person, it was much larger, you could see the engine flames and watch the SRBs, (Solid Rocket Boosters), (are you impressed yet?), separate! This is the 3rd shuttle we have seen from our house and trust me...it's AWESOME every time.

But I digress...let's talk about something here on earth! Do you like my marinated skewers? They are so pretty and taste delicious...an excellent hors d'oeuvre.

***a note about the cheese...I used Boconcini, these are little Mozzarella Balls...if you can't find them, cut up a large Mozzarella Ball into pieces the size of the grape tomatoes.

As far as amounts, I wing it... I make as many as I can get out of a package of the Tortellini.

****A trip to your local Italian market would be worth the trip on this one, and you might find alot of other great quality products while you are there! Be adventurous!

You will need:

2 Days Ahead

6" Skewers

64 oz = 8 cup container with a lid

1 Pint container of Grape Tomatoes

1 16oz container of Boconcini or 1 to 2 balls of Mozzarella cut up as noted

1 Package of best quality large Tri Color Tortellini

1 Nice big bunch of fresh Italian Basil or 2 Pre-packed fresh Basil

1 Bottle of Paul Newman's (May he rest in peace!) Olive Oil Vinaigrette

In the container put the Cheese, Tomatoes, and the entire bottle of dressing.

Put the lid on and give it a shake.

Put it in the fridge and over the next 2 days, every time you open the fridge give the whole thing a good shake and turn.

On the morning you are going to serve, cook the Tortellinis according to the directions on the package.

Drain the Tortellini and rinse with cool water.

Drain again and put the Tortellini in the container with the Tomatoes and the Cheese. Shake and turn at least twice during the day.

Pick pieces of leaves off the Basil to put on the ends of the skewers as shown in the picture.

Follow my suggestion for skewering as shown in picture.

They are very filling...Enjoy!

Lamb-y-Kins!

I know it has been more than a week faithful readers...Mom had some health issues, but as usual she came through with flying colors and lookin' for a party! Mikee, Alexis, & I also had colds and we kept Mom on the other side of the house...luckily all the hand washing, Lysol and quarantining worked...we are back on track!
Before I start with the recipe for the most wonderful lamb chops...I want to tell you about meeting the Boar's Head Man at the market. His name is John Colucci (Nice Guy) and I asked him a few questions...We talked about storing cold cuts such as Boar's Head and he suggested taking the meat or cheese out of the store wrap and putting it in plastic wrap...tightly...it will last longer. I do this and it really works! Remember, Boar's Head products have little or no preservatives. He also told me about the new line of what they call "Old World" products... I tried the Goat Cheese and the Manchego Cheese from this line and they were wonderful.
I will always tell you about great products that I have used and/or tasted.
Okay...on to the Lamb chops
We are grillin'!
We get the Australian rack of Lamb at Costco. They usually have 8 ribs (chops) to a pack and are already Frenched, ( that is when the bones are cleaned all around and in between, this becomes your handle!).
Before cooking it is important to wrap the bones of the rack in foil so they don't burn. We will also be putting a coating or crust on the top of the fat back of the ribs. There are 2 phases to this recipe. It involves a little time, but it is so worth it!
Phase 1
***I am going to give you the coating ingredient amounts per rack, just double, triple , etc. according to how many racks you are doing.
The racks come vacuumed packed.
The next step do in the sink, there is alot of liquid in the package.
You need a very sharp knife, you are going to slice through the wrapping in the middle of the rack. So now you have about 4 rib racks. Get them out of the plastic and pat them very dry.
Salt and Pepper the racks all over.
For the Crust:
1/2 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 Tbl Grainy Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tsp Fresh Rosemary finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic grated
In a small bowl mix all above with a fork until it is all moistened like a paste (it will be on the dry side).
Spread this mixture on the fat back of the racks and press so it sticks.
Let the lamb rest like this on a tray to get the chill off.
****Remember cold meat toughens up on a grill, always bring meat to room temp first
Heat the grill 400 degrees and we will use indirect heat.
Place the racks standing up with the bones leaning on each other, you can use more foil to help with this.
Cook 40 minutes cover down...Don't touch.
Remove from grill.
Do not shut down the grill.
Phase 2
Put the racks on a tray remove foil.
Rest 10 minutes.
Now cut the racks into individual chops. Alot of the crust will come off when you cut, but it will have done it's job adding all that flavor, yum!
Just 1 minute per side.
Remove from the grill cause we are all starving and our mouths are watering!
Enjoy!

Salt 'n Peppa Salmon....Very Basic. Very Good.Very Healthy!

We are always marinating and coating cooked salmon with all kinds of things....well, I decided to go very basic with a really great piece of fish. The better your product the less you have to do to it...let it shine. In this case I used a half a side of Salmon, I picked it because it was the nicest piece of fish that day, even better than the Wild Salmon. What I look for in a fillet is color, glossiness, firmness, and that it does not smell strong. Let's put it this way if you smell a strong fishy odor and it doesn't smell fresh like the ocean, forget it...this goes for all fish. This piece did not have skin, if your piece does, don't worry...right after grilling it will peel right off.

***A note for Salmon skin lovers, the skin will get crispy on one side, when you peel it off, put it back on the grill soft side down, (the side that was against the fish), 'till the skin is crispy. Then you can crumble it and use it as a garnish. I did not oil this fish, Michael likes to use the High Heat Cooking Spray for Grilling. It makes all the difference and the fish doesn't stick. Mikee uses this product exclusively on the grill now.

***A note for you singles...this can also be made in a small portion just adjust your ingredients

Let's get cookin'...

1 Full or Half side of Salmon

***Salt and Pepper amounts are flexible as to you liking and size of fish

1 1/2 Tbls Kosher Salt (you need to use a nice size crystal for this)

1 Tbls Fresh Ground Pepper

Lemons for Garnish and juicing on you cooked fish

Heat up the grill to 400

Sprinkle the fish on both sides with the Salt, then the Pepper

Spray the fish on both sides

Cook on direct heat for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish and on how well your gang likes it....if you are not sure just stick a knife in the fish and gently check it.

Plate with Lemon wedge.

That's the whole deal...swear!

***I like to serve this with a mixture of Low Fat Sour Cream, Salt, Pepper, and Fresh Chopped Dill and you can throw some Capers on top! Yummy!

Two Very Easy Sides

Warm Caprese Salad on Garlic Toast....

Blue Cheese Wedge

My gang loves the well rounded meal (and a well rounded Mommy! LOL!). We try to have a protein, a starch, and something green.

I like to serve the Warm Caprese Salad on Garlic Toast with chicken or fish. And the Blue Cheese Wedge with a steakhouse dinner or Lamb Chops.

Let's talk about the Caprese first...Many of us have had the Mozzarella Tomato and Basil Salad when dining out...this is a variation. I like to get a really crusty bread, a round Italian country bread or Chibata. I roast the Tomatoes, but you can also use Sun Dried Tomatoes packed in oil.

Fresh Mozzarella is key for it's soft texture...it will be juicy, but it will be well worth it for the milky texture. Mozzarella comes in many different textures from very dry (such as pre-shredded) and very moist, freshly made...these all have different applications. You have and will see me use this cheese in different ways. The fresh Garlic cloves will be rubbed on the toasted bread and you can't duplicate the aroma!

Let's get Caprese!

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Round Crusty Italian Bread sliced to your liking

Pealed Garlic Cloves, the amount depends on how many slices of bread you have

A nice Bunch of Basil sliced in to thin ribbons

2 to 3 Ripe Tomatoes Sliced Thin

Fresh Mozzarella, if you don't have access to fresh, a close second is the Sargento Fresh Mozzarella Ball or similar product thinly sliced and pulled apart into pieces

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pre-heat oven to 425

You can roast the Tomatoes ahead of time...Spray a foil lined baking sheet and lay out your tomato slices

Roast until they are caramelized about 15-20 minutes, remove, drain off any liquid, and cool on a plate or tray.

Line the baking sheet with a new piece of foil and spray

Pre-heat the oven to 425

Place the bread dry on the sheet and toast...KEEP an eye on it so it doesn't burn

Remove from oven leaving the bread on the baking sheet...Leave oven ON.

Cool a little so that you can touch it

Rub the fresh Garlic Clove on the Bread

Lay your slices of Tomato, Basil, pieces of Cheese, in that order

Sprinkle a little Salt and Pepper over top

Put back in oven just 'till Cheese starts to melt but keeps it's shape about 3-4 minutes

remove from oven and give a small drizzle of Olive Oil

Delicioso!

Traditional American Wedge of Lettuce

The wedge is really making a comeback! The chilled Iceberg Lettuce and creamy dressing just says Yum! Mikee like the whole Blue Cheese thing with his meat!

This is so easy it will make you cheer!

This will serve 4

1 Firm Heavy Iceberg Lettuce Cut into 4 Wedges and rinsed well...dry on a paper towel

1 Bottle Ken's Blue Cheese Dressing

1 Container of Blue Cheese Crumbles

Pour dressing on Wedge and as much or as little as you like.

Sprinkle Crumbles to taste.

What was that? 3 whole minutes?! It looks and tastes sumptuous.

The Wedge is great with any kind of dressings and toppings (Even low fat dressings).

Say hello to an old classic!