Italian Orzo Salad

Serves 6 to 8

Italian Orzo Salad

1 cup Orzo
½ cup cucumber diced small
½ cup celery diced small
½ cup artichoke hearts in water diced small
¼ cup green onion diced small
¼ cup pimento diced small
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives diced small
¼ cup Italian parsley chopped fine
1 teaspoon of a lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Italian dressing
Cook Orzo according to package drain and rinse well with cold water. Toss orzo with remaining ingredients until well incorporated may serve immediately or refrigerate until serving

Rustic Southwestern Sheppard Pie

Rustic Southwestern Sheppard Pie1
1 ½ pounds potatoes Yukon gold skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
1/2 cup onions chopped
1 pound ground beef 93/7
8 oz. can Spanish style tomato sauce
½ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
½ cup can corn drained
4 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles
½ cup cilantro chopped
4 oz. Colby jack cheese shredded
1 cup French fried onions
½ cup sour cream
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Coat a baking casserole with non-stick cooking spray set aside.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender drain well add 2 tablespoons of the green chiles and ½ cup sour cream. With a potatoes smasher roughly mash the potatoes they will be a little bit chunky. Set aside.
In a non-stick sauté pan add oil and onions sauté until the onions are tender. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink while breaking the meat apart with a spatula. Add to the beef, tomato sauce, black beans; corn the remaining chilies and ¼ cup cilantro. Mix well.
Pour meat mixture at the bottom of the casserole dish top with potatoes and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 15 minutes.
Remove Sheppard pie from oven top with French fried onions return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes until onions are crispy and a golden brown.
Top Sheppard pie with the remaining cilantro.

Josee’s Fish & Chips with Remoulade

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Fish & Chips with Remoulade
2 russet potatoes
Salt for seasoning of the fries
1 tablespoon fresh chives
3 (6. oz) pieces cod
2 eggs
½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt
Zest of a lime
½ cup original Ritz crackers
½ cup- instant potato flakes
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lime yogurt
2 tablespoons dill relish
2 teaspoons creamy horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Italian flat parsley chopped fine
Pinch salt & pepper
Preheat some oil in a deep pan on stove top about 1 ½ inch high to 375 degrees.
Drop the temperature of the deep fryer to 325 degrees.
Peel potatoes and cut into fries.

In a shallow dish whisk eggs, old bay, sea salt and lime zest add pieces of fish let soak in egg mixture turn once to coat both sides. Crush the crackers into a separate shallow dish add potato flakes and bread crumbs mix the breading together. Set aside
Add potatoes to deep fryer and fry about 4 minutes remove fries place on paper towel to drain excess fat turn up the deep fryer to 375 degrees and return fries to deep fryer and fry until golden brown.
While the potatoes are on their second fry take fish out of the egg wash mixture add fish to the breeding and coat fish on both side add to the frying oil let fry until a golden edge appear on the outside of the fish pieces turn pieces of fish and fry until golden brown on the second side.
While the fish and potatoes are finishing frying to a mixing bowl add the last 8 ingredients mix well.
Remove fries and fish out of the oil and let drain on paper towel take fries add to a mixing bowl season with salt toss well.
Plate same amount of fries in Individual small upright dishes top fries with chopped chives add to serving plates. Place a piece of fish on each dish and scoop equal amount of remoulade in individual small dishes add to each plate.

Brie en Croute

It’s that time a year we serve a lot of appetizer and well the Brie en Croute is one of the most popular in the Holiday season we all have a different version here is one of mine that is super easy yet elegant! I hope you enjoy my version. Happy Holidays ya’ll…

1(7.70z) Rich & Creamy Camembert
1 8 oz tube croissant dough
2 tbs brown sugar
¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans will do)
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 tsp Grand Marnier or Bourbon both are good
1 egg beaten

Preheat oven at 400.
Mix in a bowl all ingredients except Camembert and croissant dough and set aside.
On a board roll out dough and pinch together dough and make two rectangles to form a plus sign in the middle place nuts and cranberries mixture place Camembert on top and wrap around dough to cover completely the Camembert press seams together really good. Flip the Brie en Croute so the nuts and cranberries mixture is on top and place in a grease pie plate and brush with egg and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting. Serve with green apples and favorite crackers!
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Sabastini Vineyards Pizza my Way entry

the-king-of-the-sea

Loaded with seafood over a perfectly well balance sauce with wine, lemon and tarragon sauce two cheeses that pairs beautiful with 2014 Sebastiani Viognier, Russian River Valley
My inspiration came from my love for seafood while sipping on a slightly chilled glass of Sebastiani Viognier, Russian River Valley wine
The King of the Sea
Crust-
1 (.25oz) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2/1/2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon corn flour

Sauce-
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon chopped fine
Pinch salt & Pepper

Toppings-
1/2 cup Swiss cheese grated
½ cup mozzarella grated
½ pound seafood medley ready to cook thawed and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red bell pepper chopped fine
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped fine

Add the yeast and warm water to a bowl mix and let sit until it turns into a milky color. Next add to a mixer all of the crust ingredient except for the corn flour mix until it forms into a stiff dough cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size about 30 minutes. Flour clean surface and with a rolling pin roll into a 14 inch circle. Sprinkle pizza pan with corn flour to prevent the dough from sticking place the dough on pizza pan.
On stove top in a small sauce pan add butter and flour cook on medium heat while whisking for 1 minutes add half & half keep whisking until it thickens into a sauce add remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until well combine remove from heat and let sauce cool completely.
In a non-stick pan on medium heat sauté red bell pepper in olive oil until tender.
Spread sauce over crust, sprinkle the Swiss, seafood, mozzarella and bell pepper.
In a preheated oven at 450 degrees bake the pizza until cheese if bubbly and the bottom crust is crispy about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle. Lemon zest and fresh tarragon.

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Fish Croquettes is perfect for Sunday dinner

These are fabulous even kids love them the original sauce in this recipe using a specific product is no longer available but simple replace it with this sauce
2 tablespoon butter
1 juiced & zested lemon
2 table spoons fresh parley chopped fine
1/2 cup regular cream
pinch salt and pepper
Place all in sauce pan whisk while bringing the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Drizzle over croquettes. Enjoy
fish-croquettes

Video as well demonstrating how to make them.


Fish Croquettes with Savory Lemon & Herb Sauce

2 ½ cup cooked fish crumbled
¼ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
2 green onions chopped
10 oz Philadelphia cooking crème savory lemon & herb
¼ cup dry white wine
3 eggs beaten
1 ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup canola oil

In a mixing bowl mix fish, peppers, onions and 5 oz of the Philadelphia cooking crème. Mix well cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
In two separate bowls add eggs and bread crumbs.
Take your cold fish mixture and form 8 croquettes approximately 4 in x 1 in each.
In a frying pan heat oil on medium heat. When oil is hot adding croquettes and cook 4 minutes turn and cook an additional 4 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a line plate with paper towel to drain any excess fat.
While croquettes are cooking add to a small sauce pan on medium heat add remaining cooking cream and wine, whisk until heated through.
Plate two croquettes per person and drizzle with cooking crème. Bon Appétit!

Pear Tatin

Looking for an elegant dessert look no further this is sure to impress your guests at your next dinner party!!
pear-tatin
Pear Tatin

3 medium firm-ripe pears
½ cup dry cranberries soaked in warm water and drained
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Preheat oven at 350. Grease a 9 x 2 baking pan and set aside.
Soak in warm water the dry cranberries while you peel, core and quarter the pears. In a microwave safe bowl melt 4 tablespoon butter stir in the lemon juice and brown sugar and pour in the bottom of greased pan. Arrange the pear at the bottom of the pan. Next drain the cranberries and sprinkle evenly in the pan.
Make the batter by mixing together the butter, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredient until it forms a smooth batter pour on top of pears and bake for 35 to 45 minutes insert toothpick in center of cake to test if cake is done if toothpick is clean it’s done. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders; carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and garnish with sliced almonds.

Another great brunch recipe anytime or for a Sunday breakfast!

My Cinnamon Rum Peach Stuffed Crepes !

Cinnamon Rum Peach Stuffed Crepes with Orange Cinnamon Rum Whipped Cream & Basil
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup milk
1 egg
½ teaspoon rum extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
21 oz. can Peach pie filling or topping
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup rum
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup whipped topping
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 orange zest & sliced
¼ cup pecans chopped
1 tablespoon basil chopped fine
In a mixing bowl add first 7 ingredients with a hand help mixer mix until smooth batter.
In a frying pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, ladle 1/3 cup of batter over medium high heat cook crepe until crepe loosen from pan flip and cook second side 1 minute or so. Repeat
Take a sharp knife and run knife up and down in pie filling can to cut up the peaches pour filling in a pan add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon mix well. Spread 1/3 cup of warm pie filling on each crepes fold crepes over filling.
To remaining filling add rum and butter and bring to a simmer. Pour on top of crepes.
Mix whipped topping, rum extract, and cinnamon and orange zest, Top crepes sprinkle with pecans and basil.