Lorri's Mediterranean Couscous

2 tsp butter

3 medium green onions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups water (or chicken broth)

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon (not super necessary if you use broth)

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped basil (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium chopped yellow summer squash (about 1 cup)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

Melt butter in 2 quart saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender. Stir in water and bouillon. Heat to boiling. Add squash and remove from heat after it comes back up to boiling.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes - everything cooks trust me! Fluff lightly with a fork. 

4 servings.

Christina's Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

from Our Best Bites

3oz semi-sweet, dark or bittersweet chocolate (3 squares of baking chocolate, or about 1/2 C chocolate chips)
1/4 C butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put all ingredients in a pan on medium heat and melt it all together till it's smooth and creamy.

Christina's Creamed Spinach with Bacon

from Simply Recipes by Elise

1 pound fresh spinach, about 2 large bunches

3 to 4 strips of bacon, uncooked, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup whole milk

Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining.

Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water until the spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the spinach from cooking further. Squeeze the spinach to remove all the moisture possible. Chop the spinach and set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Add the chopped bacon and sauté until the bacon begins to render some of its fat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until moisture is gone.

Make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, cooking until thick.

Combine spinach, bacon and onion mixture, and béchamel sauce into one pan. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and serve.

Christina's Clam Chowder

from Aubrey Bowman Bardsley

1 c onion, chopped
1 ½ c celery, diced
2 ½ c potatoes, diced
6 oz clams, minced
¾ c flour
¾ c butter, melted
1 quart milk
1 ½ t salt
2 T red wine vinegar

Put vegetables in saucepan. Drain juice from clams into vegetables, saving clams for later. Add enough water to barely cover vegetables. Cover & cook until tender. In separate saucepan, make a roux of butter & flour. Add milk, stirring constantly until thick. Add salt, vinegar, and clams to sauce. Pour sauce over vegetables & simmer (do not boil).

Makes 8 servings.

Christina's Garlic Roasted Vegetables

from Picky Palate

1 lb bag of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced and separated
1 lb bag celery washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 bell peppers of choice, I used a red and yellow, seeded and julienned or cut into strips
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place all vegetables onto a large baking sheet with edges. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt, salt and pepper or vegetables and gently rub ingredients together so vegetables are well coated. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.

Lorri's Spareribs

source unknown

Boil spareribs (I cut them up into individual pieces first) in ¼ cup vinegar and water to cover for 15 minutes, then drain.

Sauce:

¾ c. red wine vinegar

1 cup catsup

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup brown sugar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp dry mustard.

Line cookie tray with two layers of foil.

Pour sauce over warm spareribs, mixing so each piece is coated with sauce. Bake in oven 350 for 1 hour. Turn once at 30 minute point. I usually serve this with rice.

Lorri's Stale Bread Soup (Ribollita con Verdure)

from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
4 thick slices pancetta (not smoked) or bacon (smoked), chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium, skinny zucchini, cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
1 (15-ounce) can petite diced or chunky style crushed tomatoes
6 cups beef stock, available in boxes on soup aisle (recommended: Kitchen Basics brand)
4 cups, about 1/2 pound, chopped or torn stale bread
2 (15-ounce), small white beans (recommended: Goya brand, smaller than cannellini beans)
4 cups chopped kale or chard
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at table

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and the the pancetta or bacon and render 4 minutes. Add rosemary, the garlic, 3/4 of the onions, carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Saute the veggies 7 to 8 minutes, then add wine and deglaze the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring up the heat. When soup boils, reduce to a simmer and stir in bread and beans. Pile the greens into the pot and wilt them into the soup. Simmer the ribollita 5 to 10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until it thickens to a dense stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot. Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a spoonful of reserved finely chopped raw onions.

Christina's Pizza Rolls

source unkown

pizza dough
5 oz cream cheese
1 lb shredded mozarella cheese
pizza toppings

Spread cream cheese on rolled out dough. Add your choice of pizza toppings, then cover with cheese. Roll up like a cinnamon roll and cut each about 1 inch (if you do it thicker they are doughy). Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 425 for 15 minutes. Dip in Pizza Sauce, parmesan cheese, or ranch.

Christina's Easy Bistro Chicken

source unknown

2 tsp. oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) stewed tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
2 slices bacon, crumbled

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 5 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, dressing and tomato paste.

Add chicken; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle with cheese and bacon; simmer, uncovered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Christina's Pollo Paplanta

from What I Made for Dinner

6 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons cider vinegar, Japanese rice vinegar, or other mild-flavored vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice

1 vanilla bean, split

A few sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

Cooked rice or tortillas for serving (optional).

1. Season chicken with the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down, and brown until golden on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

2. When chicken is browned, pour off any excess fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Sprinkle cayenne and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper over chicken, turning pieces to coat evenly. Taste a pinch of the skin, and add more cayenne if additional heat is desired. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add vinegar, butter and orange juice. Scrape in pulp of vanilla bean and add bean. Stir liquid to blend.

3. Cook chicken skin side up, uncovered, basting occasionally with sauce, until sauce is reduced to a syrupy glaze, 20 to 25 minutes. If interior of chicken needs further cooking (it should be 170 degrees when tested in center with an instant-read thermometer), cover and cook over medium-low heat for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or as needed. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot, with rice or tortillas, if desired.