Chicken soup for the soul

When anyone in the family gets a cold the first thing that comes to mind is a nice chicken soup to make them all feel better .

Chicken on the bone ( 4 pieces is good )
2 bouillon

1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped carrots
juice from 1 lemon
1 tomato peeled seeded and chopped or use 2 from a can

salt & pepper to taste

a package of orzo pasta or cut up spaghetti ( choose your favorite ! ) cook according to package( a little undercooked is better) cool and set aside

take some of the skin and fat off the chicken ..place it in a pot with the bouillon and 4 quarts of water bring to a boil while you get all the rest of the ingredients . add the 7 remaining ingredients in the pot , simmer for an hour

The soup will have evaporated some ...add 2 cups of water while continuing to simmer Take the chicken out of the pot onto a flat plate to cool it ..once cool ..remove the meat off the bones and put it back into the pot ...turn off .... soup is ready to serve.

add just the right amount of noodles you like in your bowl and pour the chicken soup over, sprinkle more fresh parsly if you like .


You can freeze some of the soup and cook fresh pasta for a quick meal ... the pasta will never be to soft this way.

Bon Appétit !

Zepoles/donuts without the hole

Zepoles/donuts without the hole

The cooling of the weather always motivates me into cooking these fried zepoles

(makes about 24 to 30 zepoles )

1- 1 lb container ricotta cheese
1 pkg dry yeast disolved in a cup warm water(can be substituted with 2 tsp baking powder )
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
water (if more is needed to make a nice thick batter consistency )

vegetable oil for deep frying

2 cups confectionery sugar, Place it in a brown paper bag

Mix the first 6 ingredients,
let the mix sit for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.
heat oil till hot and start spooning( use a large tablespoon) the zepoles in the hot oil ( cook on medium to high heat )turn them over , cook them until they are a nice golden color .
place them straight into the confectionery sugar and seal bag and shake .. place on a serving platter and serve after 5 minutes.

Grilled summer fruits

This is a quick and easy dessert for summer get togethers .

Corn oil for coating fruits

peaches, cut in half, pits removed
plums, cut in half, pits removed
large strawberries, hulled (or other berries of your choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat grill to medium high. Lightly brush fruit with oil. Grill peaches and plums for about 8 minutes, turning frequently until juicy and grill marked. Add strawberries to the grill during last minute of cooking.
When cool enough to handle, cut peaches and plums into chunks. Toss with brown sugar and gently stir in strawberries. Let stand 5 minutes.

These are great served with a dash of whipped cream or go all out and serve it over a piece of yellow cake /fruit/whipped cream.
(21 and older...try a little rum mixed into the fruit )

Eggplant Rollatini

Eggplant Rollatini

You will need about 4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce


filling
______
mix all ingedients
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 tablespoon your favorite grated cheese
1 egg
few tablespoons of chopped mozzarella is optional
tsp fresh chopped parsley
salt/pepper to taste

_____________________________________________
1 Eggplant (slice rounds 1/4`` thick )

1 cup flour
1 egg beat w/ 5 tbsp milk
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

oil for frying

Take slices of eggplant and coat with flour then in the egg mixture and then coat in the bread crumbs ... fry in hot oil (1/2`` deep or you can deep fry ..make sure oil is hot when you place the eggplant in the oil) Fry till golden brown and crispy .


cool down eggplant, when its cool take each slice and scoop a tablespoon of the the cheese mixture in the center and roll the eggplant ,(add a scoop of sauce at the bottom of a baking pan ) Place over the sauce with the the side that remains open facing down fill the rest ...cover with sauce and place foil over the top

cook in 375 degree oven till it bubbles (approximately 20 minutes) ovens may vary .. you can put more mozzarella over the top if you like and cook an additional 5 minutes till the cheese gets all bubbly on top) serve with a side of pasta .




If you have any recipes that you would like to share ..leave them in the comment box and I will be happy to add them in my blog .

GIVEAWAY ..$20.00 STOP & SHOP GIFT CARD ..ENDS Saturday April 24th 12 noon

I was given the oportunity to try out some really great products from General Mills with a Stop & Shop Gift Card worth $20.00 to spend on these products and upon using my card and bringing a re-useable shopping bag and I automatically was entered to win A 2010 Hybrid car !!

Open to residents of MA, RI, CT, NH, NJ, NY, MD, DE, VA or DC and individuals at least 18 years old. For details about the sweepstakes, see in-store for complete rules.
Stop & Shop* so you can pick up your favorite General Mills products for a chance to win a 2010 Hybrid Car!


General mills Items....

Cascadian Farms Cereal

Cascadian Farms Cereal

Cascadian Farms Frozen Vegetables
Green Giant Vegetables

Progresso Light, Reduced Sodium and High Fiber Soups

Nature Valley Crunchy or Sweet & Salty Granola Bars

Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables or Prepared Vegetables, Simple Steam Seasoned Vegetables or Rices

Betty Crocker Boxed Muffins
Green Giant Wanchai Ferry Entrees

Betty Crocker Cookie Pouch
Yoplait Frozen Smoothies


Nature Valley Crunchy, Sweet & Salty,Trail Mix and Yogurt Bars
Totino's Pizza Rolls


Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters
Pillsbury Savorings

General Mills Fiber One Chewy Bars
Fiber One Muffins

Betty Crocker Gushers, Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot or Fruit Rollups
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls

Yo-Pus, Yoplait Fiber One or Yoplait Delights Multi Pack
Yoplait Greek Style Yogurt

Yoplait Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, Light Thick & Creamy or Whips
Yoplait Kid Multi Pack

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
Cheerios 14 Oz

Totino's Pizza Rolls 90 Ct.
Cocoa Puffs 16.5 Oz

Cheerios 18 Oz
Honey Nut Cheerios 17 Oz

Cinnamon Toast Crunch 24.9 Oz
Lucky Charms 16 oz

Honey Nut Cheerios 25.25 Oz
Multigrain Cheerios 12.8 Oz

Kix 18 Oz
Reeses Peanut Butter Puffs 18 Oz

Lucky Charms 24 Oz


Multigrain Cheerios 16.2 O


Honey Nut Cheerios being one of my favorites :)

Disclaimer ... All this information and gift card was given to me by General Mills and Stop & Shop and additional gift card through MyBlogSpark™.

They are giving me the apportunity to also give one of my lucky readers a STOP & SHOP GIFT CARD worth $20.00 !!to try general mills brands above plus get entered to win the car !

To enter FOLLOW MY BLOG and Please tell me Which General Mills products will you stock up on for your 2010 eco-friendly Hybrid car entry? And be sure to leave me your e`mail so I can contact the winner ,

Seasoned Baked Potatoes(Short cuts)

Par-boiled, Sliced, Seasoned & Ready to bake !


Quick and Perfect every time ...


use Idaho potatoes ...wash well and par boil ...do not over cook ....

oil a cookie sheet ,slice potatoes 1/2 inch thick and season with salt,pepper,garlic powder,onion powder,oregano and paprika or (Cayenne pepper if you like a little spice)... (rosemarie is delish in this dish as well ..just remember when using fresh herbs they will burn so just sprinkle over the potatoes 1 minute prior to taking them out of the oven ) Dried herbs will not burn so you can season before baking .

sprinkle a little olive oil over the top

bake in a preheated 450 - 475 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes...till crispy and a golden brown.

You can boil them days in advance and store in the fridge for quick side dishes or for the holidays ... Slice and bake them as you need them .

GIVEAWAY - FREE YOPLAIT GREEK YOGURT plus $20.00 Stop & Shop Gift Card 3/13/10 ends on 3/31/2010 noon EST

Friday I received a package of Greek Yogurt to try and a $20.00 Stop & shop gift card to use towards more yogurt to share with my friends and family .

I tried the yogurt this morning and loved it , My eyes noticed the package reading more protein ! which made it even more appealing for me , The texture is smooth and thick and It left me satisfied , They have a wide variety . I tried the honey vanilla ! delish :) and I want to tell all my friends about it !!

All this and all the information was given to me by Yoplait and Stop & Shop through MyBlogSpark. They have also given me an additional gift pack to give away to one lucky reader !!(free gift pack includes 4 free coupons for Yoplait Greek Yogurt plus a $20.00 Stop & Shop Gift Card ) I will choose a reader randomly on wednesday March 31st @ 12 noon .

MUST BE A USA RESIDENT & A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG TO ENTER ( NO P.O. BOXES )( follow the 2 rules ) PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND TELL ME ...
Rule #1 Which flavor of Yoplait Greek yogurt you would most like to try ???

OR

tell me How you get in touch with your own inner goddess ??

Rule #2 Please leave your first name and Email ( Must have an e`mail to notify you if your the winner ! )

Good Luck everyone :) May the best reader win !

You can enter once a day for more chances to win ! The more entries the greater the chances of winning .

Split Pea soup

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
3 chopped Carrots
2 chopped Celery stalks ,
1 chopped Onion

5 cups water
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (less salt)
1 pkg. green split peas (washed and drained)

2 potatoes peeled and cubed

Salt & pepper and garlic powder to taste

2 tbsp. dry sherry



add butter in a big pot , add in the ham,carrots,cellery,onion cook on medium heat for 10 minutes .

add water,stock,split peas bring to a boil and then lower to simmer ..let simmer for 1 1/2 hours

Remove the ham bone and shred the meat from the bone, removing any excess fat. Return the meat to the soup.
add in the potatoes and continue simmering till potatoes cook through (15 minutes)
remove from heat .

add the Salt(taste before adding any salt ! ), pepper , garlic powder to taste and add in the dry sherry . stir and serve .


This soup freezes real well and is great on those cold wintry days . Enjoy with croutons or unsalted crackers .

Flounder Savoy

I am not much of a fish eater but absolutely love flounder done with this recipe . So light and does not taste fishy at all.

very quick and easy .


1/2 cup flour ..add a dash of salt & pepper and mix
1 egg .. whisk
2 tablespoon milk (mix w/the egg)
1 minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter
fresh parsley
lemon juice from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons water
salt & pepper to taste

oil for frying

coat your flounder with the flour , then dip in the egg , fry on med heat , flip and cook other side ..Take fish out onto plate and remove excess oil from fry pan , add the garlic in the fry pan and fry for 1 minute add the butter lemon juice and parsley, salt & pepper to taste and 3 tablespoon of water and place flounder back into fry pan to coat. server over rice pilaf with a side of your favorite vegetable.

BACALA

 Here is the Bacala recipe that someone requested from me today .

Bacala can be bought with or without bones ( I PREFER NO BONES )


3 days before you want to cook the Bacala you will need to cut it into big chunks  and SOAK it in a huge container covered in cold water for 3 days ( place in the fridge and change water at least 3 times a day ) 

drain the Bacala well .


THERE are many ways to prepare it , Here are a few of my favorites .


1.  You can just boil it for about 5 minutes( when cooked , Bacala can easily flake with a fork )  , drain it and toss it with  some chopped  garlic, parsley, black pepper and olive oil . 
     ______________________________________________________________

2. Chop an onion and a clove of garlic and fry w/some olive oil , add a few chopped calamate olives , let cook for 1 minute , add a large can of chopped tomato w/puree and black pepper let cook another 5 minutes , add in the Bacala and cook another 10 minutes ( till Bacala flakes easily with a fork ) .  This can be served over a bed of linguine or spaghetti .

     _______________________________________________________________

MY favorite way

3.   Flour the Bacala, shake excess flour and fry on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes (making sure it cooks through )  Once the Bacala is fried ....slice some hot vinegar peppers(or sweet if you don`t like hot) and fry them in the same fry pan (fry for 5 minutes )  when peppers are cooked , add some vinegar juice from jar that peppers came in ( about 1/4 cup ) and add the Bacala back in the fry pan and toss together and serve . 

Old El Paso “Tackle the Taste” gift pack for the big game GIVEAWAY !

Courtesy of Old El Paso & My Blogspark, I'm set to receive a FREE gift pack

The gift pack includes:

Two free cans of Green Chiles, as well as a football-shaped ceramic serving platter, two sets of football-themed plates, cocktail napkins, and a themed table runner!!

here are some recipes you can use for your big Game Party ! My old time favorite is the Seven-Layer Bean Dip !

NachosGreen Chile Dip
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/green-chile-dip/81488a96-dd3d-4c67-a535-812830ba8dcd

Green Chile Cornbread
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/green-chile-cornbread/efe677fe-8948-4cfd-9fda-bc3d20bdfb3d

Taco Nachos
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/grilled-picnic-taco-nachos/144a1812-6320-4d92-876b-2f2d78bb9350

Black Bean Dip
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/black-bean-dip/39b1b165-3957-48a8-ac86-103ecd80013e

Slow Cooker Salsa Chili
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/slow-cooker-salsa-chili/8009dcbf-bda0-488b-ae7a-cf3af95594e4

Seven-Layer Bean Dip
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/seven-layer-bean-dip/8689a30d-32d7-4e42-82f9-7d924f77166b

Skillet Nacho Chili
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/skillet-nacho-chili/28be2c98-98cc-46d4-94e2-a6dedba783e5

Southwestern Dip
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/southwestern-dip/c4ab402b-a259-4ae5-923a-ee661f59ce97

You can get a 55 cent off coupon for a can of Old El Paso Green Chile @ http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=60559&ci=1&c=GM&p=TFWYe75d

How to win:
One winner will be chosen at random on January 15th. Items will be shipped to winner (US only) via My Blogspark.

MANDATORY, FIRST ENTRY:
leave a comment and Share how you would use Old El Paso Green Chiles to spice up your favorite recipe(s) and please leave your e`mail in this format ....example XXX@ yahoo dot com . 

For an extra entry :
Follow my blog


disclosure : The Green Chiles, prize pack, information , nutritional value and additional prize pack for my  give away were all given to me from Old El Paso through MyBlogSpark.