A leap of faith!

Ever wonder why you are on this Earth?? Well for some reason that happens to me more often than normal and I cannot seem to figure out the answer. So instead of wasting time pondering I have decided to just find those things that fufill me as a person and just do them. No questions asked. I encourage you all to do the same, because if we live in the "what if?" instead of "doing now" then when we least expect it, life will be done and over with. No regrets allowed! Only...lessons learned.

For todays recipe I picked something that I fell in love with many years ago. I have made several versions of this, and I have tried the real thing during my trip to the UK but I can honestly say that this one is by far the most finger lickin'-seconds pls- version yet. I hope you try to make it, and share it with others at a pot luck or your next family dinner. Let me know how it goes!

Shepherd’s pie with a twist

What you will need:

2 Lbs ground beef, cooked and chopped in a food processor

1 Can sweet corn

1 Can red kidney beans

3 sliced and fried green plantains

Mashed potatoes: make enough for 6, add ½ cup parmesan cheese

1 Cup parmesan cheese (divided in half)

1 Cup of mozzarella cheese

½ Cup of Ketchup

½ Cup of Honey BBQ sauce

Salt & pepper

Sazon tropical (Badia brand)

½ Tsp Cumin

EVOO & butter

Guizo (tomato and onions, almost liquefied in a food processor)

How to make:

In a large pot on med high heat add 1 tblsp of evoo, and 1 tblsp of butter. When it begins to sizzle, add 3 good tblsp of guizo and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the ground beef and in no particular order add the following: corn, beans, ketchup, bbq sauce, ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp of salt and pepper, 1 tbsp of sazon tropical. Mix everything well and cook about 5 minutes. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning. If you want it stronger in flavor you can add more cumin or sazon tropical but be careful because it can end up salty.

In an oven safe pan (like one you would use for lasagna) build your pie in the following order: first layer will be of the sliced fried green plantains. Scatter them evenly to coat the bottom. Then put the ground beef mixture evenly covering all the plantains. Third layer is the mashed potato, and lastly top with plenty of mozzarella cheese and a touch of parmesan for added flavor.

Place in oven to broil long enough to make the cheese turn golden brown.

Pasta for any night.

Some people dig rice...some people are all about pasta...some are anti carbs. Well in this house we like everything! From liver to salmon, to pork, and tripe; just like Andrew Zimmerman says: If it looks good, eat it! I think that is pretty reasonable, however I know a lot of people who think otherwise and that is perfectly fine. Not all stomachs were made to tolerate the many wonderful things the world has got to offer. But like I always tell those hesitant people I love...just try it. You just might be missing out on something totally delightful.

Lately in my house, we have been having more pasta than usual due a visitor who is staying with us for a little while. Today I made a simple and quick pasta recipe that I will guarantee to not only be a hit, but you all probably have all the ingredients already. You would be surprised how easy you can put a recipe together that does not need to have out weird ingredients.

What you will need:

16 Oz of cooked penne pasta
3/4 C of plain ragu red spaghetti sauce
1 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 C ketchup
1/2 C of chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C of chopped green bell pepper
1/3 C peas
1 cube of chicken bouillon
1/2 Lb of ground beef (cook in water first to get rid of grease, and grind in a food processor)
1 Tsp of oregano
3 Tbsp of guizo (in a food processor grind 1 small tomato and 1 small onion, this is the basis of a lot of my recipes)
EVOO
Salt and Pepper

How to make:

In a large pot drizzle about 1 Tbsp of evoo, the tomato and onion mix, the chicken bouillon and the peppers. Allow them to sweat on high heat for a few minutes. *When you hear them sizzle you are good to go! Add the meat, ragu sauce, ketchup, Parmesan cheese and the oregano. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pasta and the peas. Combine everything well and take off heat so that it does not dry up before serving. Taste...add salt and pepper if needed. Should it not be cheesy of saucy enough, add more Parmesan or even some mozzarella and a touch of milk.

~Enjoy!

Leap Year!

Ah yes! What better day to blog than today. There is one tradition of this extra day that a lot of people got to know when the movie Lear Year came out. On this very special day in some countries like Ireland, Britain, Finland and Denmark women propose marriage to their significant others in hopes to have a "happily ever after" story to tell. Not in Greece though...apparently it is bad luck to marry on this day and many engaged couples are very careful to not pick this particular day for their wedding. Whether you believe or not, all I know is that a day like today deserves something sweet and yummy. 

As some of you who follow my blog know, I bake for American soldiers once a month. Last round, I had a wonderful co-worker and friend help me out and thanks to a small mistake in ingredients we ended up with a great recipe for rum raisin spiced cookies. Even though it may seem like a lot of ingredients, these are super easy to make and will for sure tingle your taste buds. So baking my friends!

What you will need:

2 C quick cook oats
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 C (2 sticks) sweet butter
1 C sugar
1 C light brown sugar
1 C raisins
2 eggs
1/2 C rum

How to make:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the raisins in a cup with the rum and set aside.
Combine the oats, raisins, flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugars until smooth. Add to this mixture the eggs. Beat until blended. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter about 1 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure they bake evenly. Allow to cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream or hot chocolate.

~Enjoy!

Orzo MIO!

Nothing beats being able to do something quick and healthy when you are on the go. That is the focus this month of February...not the cheesy-not-for-girls-like-ME yucky "Valentine’s Day"...Yes, I said it...I am one of those anti-vday gals out there who rather spend some time with family and friends rather than on an overpriced meal that I could probably make at home. And you know what? that just may be more fulfilling than anything else. May studies show that by truly enjoying the little things in life is what brings the most gratification to us and in turn our moods get a boost that is oh so good to the point where we feel better and ready to take on the world.

With that said, how about taking a little advice and putting things into practice. Yes, I know it may sound silly but you lose nothing by trying. Keep a mental note of all the things you are grateful for during your day and when you get home at night write them down and keep a journal of it. At the end of the week take a minute to look back and be amazed at all the cool little things that we take for granted and have the potential of giving you that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

I'm thankful for my followers! =)

Now..on to the yummy food!

Orzo Pasta Salad

What you need:

1 Box of Orzo Pasta

4 C Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ Can of Kalamata Olives, drained, sliced

1 C of Grape Tomatoes, halved

¾ C Feta Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Flat Leaf Parsley

Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Boil orzo with chicken broth (more flavor than water) for about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, cheese, garbanzo beans, olives and mix well. Add vinaigrette and top with flat leaf parsley.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

What you need:

1/3 C red wine vinegar

¼ C fresh lemon juice

1/3 C honey

½ C EVOO

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired. Combine with orzo and serve room temp.

~Enjoy!~

Casserole in a Jiffy!

Hello 2012!

Nothing like starting a new year full of hope and plans to do great things. I had my list of resolutions ready since Christmas and I am very excited to be able to complete each one. This year I have 12, one for each month. Now I know it may sound a little OCD but fear of failure is NOT an option.... Life is too short and this year it's all about making a difference somehow and really just being happy. With that said- I am happy to report that I received a little note from one of the recipients of my home made cookies to an oversears military hospital. It feels fantastic to know that so many soldiers enjoyed themselves with goodies from back home. Thanks to my friends at Operation Baking Gals for making this happen. Totally worth all the baking hours! Please look them up and join us in this humbling experience.

Now the good stuff....

Here is a recipe that is so simple it will leave you wondering…how the heck?? Well, sometimes we need a little help from the store to put something together. This one is great for both a quick dinner or for a dinner party. You can also make it your own by adding more veggies or using cooked chicken breast, or turkey. You can even do it with whole wheat pasta to put a healthier twist on it. Try it! You won’t be disappointed…

Ham and Pasta Casserole

What you need:

One box of spaghetti – cooked

¾ c sour cream

1 (10oz) can of condensed cream of chicken soup

About 8 thick slices of ham (brown sugar glazed preferred)- cut in cubes

1 bag of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

½ can of Corn Kernels (add more if you want)

Parmesan Cheese

¼ c Italian Bread Crumbs

Lemon Pepper

Garlic Powder

How to Make:

Once the pasta is cooked, add the ham, the cheddar cheese, the corn, sour cream and the soup and combine well. If it looks too dry, refill the soup can with water and add to pasta. Season with lemon pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour into a casserole-oven safe container, top with bread crumbs and as parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and broil on high for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Time to end the year!

Ahh and the time has arrived to make resolutions, party, spend time with family and get ready to welcome a brand new year. Nothing like being able to enjoy the holidays, eat good, and most of all be thankful for all the wonderful things and the lessons learned throughout the year. I am not going to lie to you though, nostalgia often takes over and makes me really sit down and re-evaluate what I have accomplished and what will come next...which is a great thing.

So, what are some of those lessons learned? well let's just say that 2011 brought me many happy moments like obtaining the Magnet Nurse of the Year award at my place of employment, I got to travel to Minnesota, California, Colombia and Washington, we had the largest family reunion in 19 yrs, my mother survived triple bypass surgery and last nut certainly not least...I became a citizen. --Talk about an emotional roller-coaster!

What are you waiting for? Make that bucket list...revise those resolutions and get going..Life is too precious and short to be sitting around waiting for the world to come to you. How about doing a couple of these to make yourself a happier person...A little effort can take you very, very far.

*Volunteer- locally, online, abroad...there are tons of things to do-trust me!
*Olive oil- yes, that's what I said- mentally olive oil yourself before facing a bad co-worker/boss/"friend". In other words, do NOT let them get the best of you
*Enjoy the little things- Stop, look around you...enjoy your surroundings, they are the best gifts the world has to offer
*Travel somewhere- get in your car and drive, hop on a plane to some little town, just go and explore!
*Learn and read- yes, be a nerd! WHO CARES??? read about a place you never heard of, learn how to cook, or a new hobby.

And now...on to the gooey, sticky, wonderful, decadent...ahh well you'll have to make it so you can see what I mean. I know it's another cake recipe but it's new years baby!!!

Caramel Pecan Ring of Sin!

What you need:

1/3 c  Chopped Pecans (Dry pan saute to bring out essential oils)

¾ c   Sugar

4 tsp Cinnamon

2- 11oz packages (12each) refrigerated bread sticks

1/3 c Butter- melted

½ c Caramel  Topping

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

How to make:

Grease 10 inch fluted tube pan. Sprinkle with half of the pecans and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Separate each package of bread stick dough along the perforated lines into 6 spiral pieces, making 12 pieces. DO not unroll. Cut the pieced in half crosswise. Dip each into the melted butter, roll in the sugar mixture to coat. Arrange in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. In a cup mix the caramel and syrup and drizzle over bread. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, covering with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent burning. Let it stand for 1 min, and invert onto dish. Serve warm.

*Make it better: Change the nuts to your liking, add a little pinch of nutmeg for heartier flavor.

Enjoy!!! And Happy Holidays 2011~2012.