Sausage Balls and Mussels Fra Diavolo

Sausage Meatballs:
1 lbs Mild Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped day old bread (soaked in milk, then squeezed out)
1 small egg, beaten
2 Tbs chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbs basil, fresh, chopped
2 Tbs parsley, fresh, chopped
3 Tbs grated cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Remove casings from Chicken Sausage, put aside.  In large bowl mix all other ingredients together.  Add meat, folding.  Roll into balls and place in baking dish.  Bake 350 until crispy.  Can be fried also.
Remove from oven and cool on plate.  Reserve grease in baking dish for use in sauce.

Fra Diavolo Sauce:
1/2 lb mussels
Olive oil
2 tsp garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
salt and (red crushed pepper, optional)
In large pot, heat oil and saute garlic.  Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels open.  Add can tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes, stir and simmer for 15 -20 mins.  Add meatballs to sauce with reserved grease, toss gently and serve with favorite pasta.  Garnish with fresh Basil and/or Parsley.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberry/Banana Smoothie:

1 blender filled half with ice
9 Frozen Strawberries
1 Ripe Banana
2 Tbs powder milk
8 ozs Tropical juice ( I like Tropical Mango)
or any fruit juice


Coconut Smoothie:

Blender filled half way with ice
9 Frozen Strawberries
1 Ripe Banana
1/2 cup Coconut Soy Milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in blender until completely smooth.  Pour into large glass with straw and enjoy.

Chocolate "Chocolate Chip" Cookies

12 ounces Milk Chocolate Chips

1 2/3 cup  all purpose flour

1/3 cup (35 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup salted sweet butter, room temperature

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup  white granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, cocoa, soda and salt in mixing bowl.  In separate bowl, with electric mixer whip together butters and sugars until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla mixing until blended.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, slowly folding with large spoon.  Add chips and nuts, fold.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet gently pressing center of each cookie.  Bake for 15-17 mins or until center of cookie is completely done.  Cool on wire rack.  Let cookies sit until cool before removing from sheet.

Sunflower Artichoke Lemon Pesto

Left over pasta, previously mixed with tomato sauce.
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for frying pan.
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup grated cheese
5-6 large fresh basil leaves
2 large garlic cloves
2 artichoke hearts
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste


1.  Heat oil in large skillet, on low heat.  Add pasta. Saute and stir until heated, season.
2.  In small food processor or blender add olive oil, sunflower seeds, cheese, basil, garlic, artichokes, lemon juice, salt and pepper..blend.  Set aside.
3. When pasta is heated, plate pesto first on serving dish.  Top with pasta and then roasted tomatoes.  Garnish with extra grated cheese.

In a mini food processor blend together all ingredients.  Add extra olive oil if needed.  Toss with pasta.

NOTE:  This recipe is great with left over pasta from a previous day.  Pasta and be sauteed with sun dried tomatoes or roasted tomatoes.

To make Roasted Tomatoes:  Slice cherry tomatoes and place on greased cookie sheet. ( I use my toaster oven since I make only a small batch for this recipe).  Drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and/or pepper.  Broil or roast for only a few mins until browned.


Roasted Tomatoes are optional
Artichoke Hearts are optional and can be left out of this recipe.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Buttermilk Peanut Butter Frosting

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease and flour two 9 inch layer pans or one bundt pan.  In large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients, stir.  Add mayonnaise, water and vanilla.  Mix with electric mixer until well blended (approx 2 mins).  Pour batter in pan(s).  Bake for approx 50-55 mins depending on oven.  Cool and frost with favorite frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Prep Time: 10 minutes

2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2  teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.  With electric mixer whip until creamy.  Add extra confectioner's sugar or buttermilk to adjust texture.

Roasted Asparagus and Fruit Salad

1/2 lb roasted asparagus
1 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
1 bottle (8 ozs) Wishbone Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 Tbs brown sugar
cantaloupe
pineapple
red grapes
Blue Cheese Crumbles
mixed greens

Clean asparagus, snap off ends.  Place on small baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Take 8 ozs bottle of dressing and squeeze oil out from the bottle and use to toss asparagus with.  The oil will rise to the top so it will be easy to pour out.  Take the balsamic left in the bottle and pour into small sauce pan with brown sugar, stir and keep on med/low heat until thickened and caramelized.  Slice and cube cantaloupe and pineapple (can be done ahead of time and refrigerated).  Arrange greens on plate..add asparagus, fruit, bacon, blue cheese then drizzle with dressing.  Serve 4

Bread and Butter Jalapeno Peppers

1 lbs Jalapeno Peppers, sliced into 1/8 inch rings
1 large Spanish Onion, sliced
3/4 cups Rice Vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, diced
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp mustard seed
salt, to taste

In medium pan combine vinegar, sugar, ginger, celery seed, mustard seed and salt.  Heat on med until boils.  Clean and slice peppers and onions.  Make sure to take out seeds from peppers.  Place into hot vinegar mixture and stir.  Continue to cook and stir for approx 10 mins, or until soften.  Cool and reserve in clean glass jar.  Refrigerate