Spaghetti Sauce

I think just about every person out there has their own way of making spaghetti sauce. This is mine:

1 lb ground beef or italian sausage

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

1-2 tsp fennel seeds

1 med can tomato sauce

1 med can diced tomatoes, don't drain

2-3 TB italian seasoning

1-2 tsp onion powder

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 TB red wine vinegar

1-2 tsp tabasco, or red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

fresh basil and parsely if available

Over med heat saute beef, garlic and onion until beef is brown and onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients to desired taste. Simmer for about fifteen minutes until sauce is desired consistency. Enjoy!

Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Toasts with Herb Garlic Cream

I know you're probably getting sick of all these appetizers, I just can't help myself! I found this one in Cooking Light, and it actually calls for trimmed beef tenderloin, but I used diced prosciutto instead. It was so good that I really could have just had these for dinner!

1 pkge diced prosciutto (or sliced ham, trimmed beef tenderloin, sliced roast beef, whatever sounds good)

30 1/4 inch thick slices diagonally cut french bread baguette, toasted (or not, I actually didn't toast mine)

10 TB herb garlic cream (recipe to follow)

30 baby spinach leaves

5 TB crumbled gorganzola cheese

Spread each baguette slice with 1 tsp herb-garlic cream; top each with 1 spinach leaf. Divide evenly among bread slices; sprinkle each iwth 1/2 tsp cheese. Yield 30 appetizers.

Herb Garlic Cream

2/3 cup fat-free sour cream

2 TB minced fresh chives

2 TB low-fat mayo

1 1/2 TB chopped fresh thyme (I used dried and it was fine)

1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove minced

*I had quite a bit of leftover ingredients after making this, so I made a panini the next day by hallowing out half a loaf of regular french bread, spreading herb-garlic spread and adding prosciutto, gorganzola, spinach, tomatos and salt and pepper. I pressed in on a hot skillet for about five minutes on each side and it was HEAVEN. It made me want to buy a panini press!

Green Beans and Potatoes in a Chunky Tomato Sauce

I love looking for yummy, easy vegetable side dishes, but one of my biggest problems with a lot of them is how much fat they contribute. I found this recipe in the June edition of Cooking Light and it has very little added fat, and tons of flavor. And, it's under the category of Indian food, so it's something a little different.

1 1/2 TB olive oil

1 garlic clove minced (I always add more, but that's just me :-)

1 1/2 cups diced red potatoes

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 pounds green beans trimmed

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 pound plum tomatoes, peeled and coursely chopped

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add garlic to pan; sautee 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add potato, celery, salt, and beans; saute 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water; cover and cook 5 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. Add cilantro and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 4 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in peppers. Makes 8 servings (or about 4 if you are like my husband and I!)

*To peel tomatoes, score the skin by making a small X on the bottom side with a sharp knife. Place tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove tomato using a slotted spoon; immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water. Let stand for one minute. Skin should pull off easily with a sharp knife.

Recipe Ideas

I think it's easy to get "stuck-in-a-rut" when it comes to cooking, which makes it boring. I think it's good at least once a month, to stick your neck out there and try something completely different, it may even help to mix up your cooking style a little.

I have a ton of cookbooks, and I love them, I wouldn't mind if I ended up with a whole bookshelf of them eventually! But, one thing I've noticed about cookbooks is that they're usually very safe and basic. My new favorite addiction lately has been cooking magazines. I LOVE them, they're usually a little cheaper (but be careful, I learned the hard way that some of them can still cost around $10), and they have recipes in them that are a little more "daring," or just a little less conventional. I have really found some winner recipes in magazines I've bought.

My favorites are Cooking Light, Taste of Home, and Weight Watchers. They all have really fun, fairly simple, and of course, lighter calorie recipes in them.

Another thing I love is that since you get them month-to-month, you can find more seasonal recipes. Right now, most of the magazines are dedicated to grilling and BBQ-ing, so I've gotten tons of ideas.

Have fun!

Sweet Chips and Salsa

I found this idea in a magazine and became very intrigued. It turned out to be a BOWL of HEAVEN. The guests loved it, I loved it, and it was gone by the end of the day.

10-8inch tortillas, cut into 8 triangles each

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cinnamon sugar

small carton strawberries, rinsed and diced into 1 cm cubes

3-4 kiwi chopped same

2-3 oranges chopped same

small can pineapple tidbits rinsed

2-3Tb sugar

1-2 tsp lemon juice

Brush tortilla triangles with butter, sprinkles each chip generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until crisp. Combine fruit, add sugar and lemon juice.

*If you are not going to serve this right away, you may want to drain it right before serving it. It gets juicy pretty quick.

Combine

Let the grocery store help you out.

One of my favorite things about cooking is the actual process that it takes to create a dish and make it look appealing. BUT, there are also times when stress and busy schedules have gotten the best of you and you need some help. That is when you cheat and look for some easy shortcuts.

The latest shortcut I found were these little phyllo dough tart cups at the grocery store freezer in the pastry section. They come empty, but you can fill them with anything you want, bake them and you're done. Chocolate, a pastry cream, spinach, blue cheese and cranberries, not all at once though, that would be gross! These bacon quiche cups probably took me a collective 10 minutes to make, minus baking time. Here was my filling:

1/2 cup ricotta (use low-fat, you can't tell a difference)

1 egg

1/2 cup mozz

1/2 cup cheddar

6 oz bacon

1 onion chopped finely

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dash cayenne

dash black pepper

You could probably fill about 60-70 tarts with just this, so you may want to half it with a smaller crowd.

Mix all ingredients together, fill phyllo cups and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. These are good warm and at room temp. This was another dish that disappeared first, but they are also very tiny, so don't be shy about serving a lot, they will be gone by the end of your party.

Caprese Salad

Whenever I'm serving to a group, it's always really interesting to me to see what dish gets the most attention, and what dish gets ignored. A few months ago I made a small plate of this caprese salad, mostly because my garden was producing an abundance of tomatoes and basil. I really didn't think people would be interested in it at all, but it was gone in a matter of minutes. It's probably been the most requested thing I've ever served. It's so good, so pretty, and not to bad on the health factor, just don't go overboard!

Caprese salad is just layering tomatoes, and fresh mozzerella cheese (it's really important to use the fresh, which is much softer and sometimes packed in water. If you use regular mozz, I might cry). After layering it, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. You can tuck your basil leaves individually between each tomato and cheese slice, or cut your basil and sprinkle on top. This is one of those dishes that is good fresh, but even better after a day or two.

Food tip: If you have any sort of inclination toward gardening, consider planting and growing your own herbs. I started doing that last year, and since we are getting ready to move, I don't have fresh herbs this year. I can't even tell you the difference it makes to have fresh herbs on hand, everything is fresher, tastes better, and even looks better. Plus, store bought herbs are so expensive that it's an insult. My favorites are basil, parsely, oregeno and mint, but there are tons out there.

One of the BEST summer dips

This is such a healthy and refreshing dip to serve when the weather gets warm. It's also so easy:

2 cans black beans-drained and rinsed

2 can corn-drained

1 red onion chopped

2 avocadoes chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1 yellow or orange pepper chopped

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 TB lime juice

1-2 tsp chili powder

1-2 tsp salt (kosher salt if you have it)

1-2 TB olive oil

Combine all of the veggies, including cilantro. In a small bowl combine lime juice, chili powder and salt. Then, wisk in olive oil to desired consistency. Add dressing to salad and toss well. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips:
When making any sort of dish like this, it is best when all ingredients are chopped, as close to the same size as possible.

Citrus is so important when making anything with fruit or vegetables in it. It prevents browning and maintains freshness longer.

Some other easy party ideas

Make small toothpick kabobs using different kinds of olives, cheeses and meats. Adding pickles, crackers and other veggies tops this appetizer well, and people will love how easy they can grab one with no need for utensils.

Spinach-Feta Puff Pastries

I entertain a lot, so I'm always looking for good appetiziers/party food. I came across these and ended up making them a few more times after receiving such positive responses. They aren't difficult at all and require few ingredients.

Keep in mind, I don't really measure when I cook, it bores me, so I'm not exact on my measurements, but don't let that stop you. Decide yourself if you like it better one way or another and go with it. The food will taste better and the experience will be much more enjoyable.

Spinach Puff Pastries

1 pkge frozen puff pastries-thawed

1 small box frozen spinach-thawed and squeezed dry

4 oz feta cheese crumbled

2 garlic cloves