Pecorino Romano Pasta

1 lbs spaghetti, cooked
1/4 lb pancetta, sautéed (put aside and chopped)
2 cups chicken broth, warm
3 TBS butter
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese (reserve some to garnish)
1/4 cup basil (reserve some for garnish)
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 coarse black pepper,  or to taste
4 eggs, plus one per serving

Directions:
1.  In large pot on high, heat water for pasta.  Cook al dente.  Drain
2.  In medium size skillet sauté pancetta.  Remove from heat chop.  Reserve grease.
3.  After draining pasta use same pan to heat broth.  Add butter, cheese, basil, salt, pepper and 4 eggs.  Whisk and cook eggs.  Add spaghetti back into pan and toss.  Add most of the pancetta, reserving some for garnish.
4.  Fried one egg per person in skillet with pancetta grease.  (you can strain grease to remove dark bits).  Toss remaining grease into pasta.
5.  Plate spaghetti into plate.  Top with extra pancetta, cheese and basil and one egg.

Zucchini Oat Waffles

Oatmeal Zucchini Waffles

2 cups ground oats
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 stick melted butter
1 1/2 cups vanilla creamer
2 cups shredded zucchini



Directions: 
1.  In food processor add oats.  Pulse until ground well.
2.  In large bowl add oats, baking powder, allspice, salt and sugar.  Mix well. 
3.  In separate bowl add beaten eggs, butter, creamer and zucchini.  Mix well.
4.  In small non stick waffle iron, heat according to directions.  Pour about 1/2 cup batter into center of iron.  Cook until starts to brown.  Flip and cook opposite side.  (approx. 1-1 1/2 mins on each side).   Repeat step 3 for each waffle.  Cover to keep warm
5.  Top with favorite style eggs 

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Dip

12 oz pasta, cooked and drained
1 stick butter
12 oz  left over cooked chicken, chopped fine (breast or dark meat)
14.5 oz  Glory Collard Greens (lower sodium), drained
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
1 bag corn chips

Directions:
1.  Drain collard greens well
2.  Fill medium size sauce pan with water.  Heat on high until it boils.  Add pasta, stir and cook until pasta is done.  Drain
3.  In large skillet heat butter on med heat until melted
4.  Add cooked chicken and drained collard greens, stir.  Heat for 2 mins
5.  Add cream cheese, cheddar and buffalo sauce.  Stir until cheeses are completely melted and ingredients are all incorporated. 
6.  Add cooked pasta to skillet, stir.  Add to serving bowl.  Serve with corn chips.

Serves 4-6

Chocolate Mocha Mousse

I was a finalist in the Door Country Cooking Contest.  I entered my Tiramisu Chicken Recipe.  Now, I am receiving 6 months of free coffee...yippie!!!!  Now, what to do with all this coffee I will be receiving?  Yes, I can drink it...that is a "no brainer".   But I decided "lets have some fun".  That is when I decided to create something yummy.  Since I have tons of chocolate from my chocolate business, lets incorporate the two.  This is what I came up with.

 

 

Chocolate Mocha Mousse

 

 

This is what you will need:

 

12 ounces high quality chocolate



4 eggs, room temp
2 tsp pure vanilla
3 tsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
8 ounces strong brewed coffee, hot

Directions:

1.  In food processor, chop chocolate to fine consistency.
2.  Add eggs, blend well.
3.  Add vanilla, agave and salt.  Blend
4.  While blending, pour in hot coffee. 
5.  Pour into individual serving cups or medium size bowl. 
6.  Chill for 4 hours or until firm.
7.  Serve with whipped cream, fruit and/or chocolate covered espresso beans.  (optional)

Corned Beef and Saurkraut Potato Salad

 

 

 

 

 

Potato Oatmeal Cakes with Sea Salted Cilantro Grilled Shrimp

 

 

Like any normal day for me I wanted to create a new and exciting dish for dinner.  Usually, I create dishes that would be incorporated around ingredients used for a recipe contest.  I had just read about a potato contest that I wanted to enter.  The prize was a free trip to the Orlando Food and Wine Bloggers Convention. 

 

While sitting there munching on a tiny bowl of leftover mash from last Sunday night's dinner, I allowed my mind to work.  I thought.....how comforting not only to eat Idaho potatoes but now I get to create another great comforting Idaho potato recipe. 

I went to my frig and stood there like always, to study what ingredients I had.  I see sitting there a baggy of chopped onions, celery and peppers.  See, last night my Son was in the kitchen chopping veggies.  I asked him what he was doing since he is hardly ever in the kitchen cooking or prepping anything.  He said he was chopping veggies for breakfast in the morning.  Okay, so I figured he was going to make himself an omelet before he took off for work.  I don't know if he ever did use any of the contents, since I wasn't up when he left.  But I certainly did not see any signs of any dirty dishes or skillets hanging around either.  I am not sure about your house but in my house it is very hard to get anyone to pick up after themselves.  Anyway, what a huge advantage for me at this point.  What a huge time saver.  I don't have to chop veggies.

 

Right away I came up with the idea of making potato oatmeal cakes.  I knew I had some leftover ground oats from a previous contest that I wanted to use up.  This recipe was tasting wonder on my taste buds.  I couldn't wait to throw it together.  I remember wining second place in another potato contest using fresh lime and cilantro.  Wow, this would be a nice touch also. 

 

But wait!!!  It needed something else.  We just cant' have potato cakes thrown on a plate....No!  It had to be pretty, creative...but simple~

 

Shrimp......Yes!!!!  Ugh, I thought!!!  Frozen!!!! 

 Hey, no problem!!!!

 

 

With a little thawing in water, a little mixing, a little sautéing, I came up with the most delicious dish.

 

Now, I wonder if my Son will notice some of his chopped veggies missing?



Ingredients:

Olive oil for skillet
1/2 cup (combined) onions, celery, red bell, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 TBS butter
1/4 cup ground oats
1/2 cup water
1 tsp lime zest (reserve some for garnish) (reserve juice)
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I use Idaho red potatoes)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and divided in half
1 cup seasoned panko crumbs ( I use gluten free), plus 1/4 cup
1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
sea salt
coarse black pepper
1 cup sour cream



Directions:

1.  In medium nonstick skillet add approx. 2 TBS oil.  Heat on med/high.  Add onion, celery and peppers.  Sautee until soft.  Add garlic, sautee for additional min.  Season with salt and pepper
2.  Add 1 TBS butter to skillet to melt.  Add oats and stir to slightly brown (approx. 2 mins.)
3.  Add water and stir until water is cooked out.  Add lime zest stir.  Remove from heat.
4.  In large bowl add leftover potatoes.  Stir in 1 egg, 1/2 of the cilantro and panko crumbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well.
5.  Mold mixture into even size patties (approx. 8).
6.  Re-heat skillet to med/high.  Add approx. 4 TBS oil.  Add molded patties (4 at a time).  Brown approx. 4 mins each side.  Repeat process for additional patties.  Remove and cover until ready to eat.
7.  To small skillet heat 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS oil.  Add shrimp.  Sautee until turns pink.  Serve shrimp on top of potato/oat cakes.  Drizzle lime juice on top, extra lime zest and fresh cilantro.  Season with sea salt and dollop of sour cream.

Bacon Wrapped Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Grill

Ingredients:

Cooking oil for frying
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 small slices bread, slightly toasted
1/2 cup pimento spread (store bought)
20 bacon strips (long strips work best)
sea salt and coarse black pepper, to taste
4 Bibb lettuce leaves


Directions:

1.  Heat oil in large skillet (med/high)
2.  Add cornmeal to small bowl.  Add half the flour to bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir
3.  Add remaining 1/2 cup flour to another bowl.
4.  Add egg to separate bowl, beat.
5.  Slice tomatoes.  Dredge into flour, then into buttermilk then into cornmeal mixture.
6.  Place into hot skillet with oil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Fry on both sides (approx. 2 mins each side) until brown.  Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
7.  Spread pimento spread onto one side of each slice of bread.
8.  Place about 4 slices of fried tomatoes onto each sandwich.  Seal with remaining slice of bread.
9.  Wrap approx. 5 slices of bacon around each sandwich, tucking edges to seal.  Be careful not to overlap more than twice in one area because bacon will not cook.
10.  Preheat oven to 375.  Place sandwiches on wire rack inside baking dish.  Bake in oven until brown.  Approx. 20-25 mins., depending on oven.
11.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 mins before slicing.  Serve on slice of bibb lettuce.