Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

• 3 Eggs
• 31/2 C Whole milk
• 3/4 C Sugar
• 1/3 cup Rum
• 3 T Raisins
• 2 t Vinella
• 1/2 t Nutmeg
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1/4 t Cloves
• 1/2 t Salt
• 3 C  Chopped French bread
• 2 T Butter diced

Soak the raisins in run for 15 min. Beat the eggs and the milk together then add the nutmeg, cinnamon. cloves, salt, and the rum with the raisins.

Butter or spray your baking pan and add the bread to your pan. Pour the custard mixture on top of the bread. Use a spoon or fork to stir the bread around in the custard.  You can bake right away but i find it best if you place in the fridge for an hour and stir the at the half an hour mark. Pull out of the fridge and sprinkle the diced butter over the top of the pudding.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or untill the top is golden brown

Garnish with wiped cream and syrup and enjoy 🙂

Gram’s Greek Baklava

 

• 6 T butter
• 6 C Walnuts chopped
• 3 T cinnamon
• 2/3 C sugar
• 3 Eggs Yolks
• 2 Packages of fillo

 

Melt the butter in a bowl. Cut fillo into 2 1/2 in strips. Separate 3 strips of fillo and coat the top of each strip with chopped nuts, cinnamon sugar and egg yolks)  on one end of buttered fillo strips and fold like a flag. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 45 min at 325 degrees.

For The syrup

• 5 C Sugar
• 5 C Water
• 3 cinnamon Sticks
• 3 Slices of lemon
• 1/3 C Honey

 

Mix all ingredients together and cook slowly on medium low untill you get a thin syrup.

Once the baklava is baked drop baklava in syrup and let sit in syrup for 45 sec each side. Once soaking is finished place baklava back on the cookie sheet. 

You may now eat these wonderful greek treats 🙂

Sun-Dried Tomato, Hazelnut Pesto Pasta

Serves: 4-5

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: Fresh pasta (5 min) dried pasta (10-12 min)

For the Pasta:

If you want to make fresh pasta, go to my pasta recipe, but if you don’t have enough time just add 10 to 15 oz of dried pasta to boiling water.

For the Pesto:

• 1/4 C Hazelnuts chopped
• 3/4 C Olive Oil
• 1 t Fresh rosemary
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 t Sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 1/2 T Parmesan
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 t Salt

First put olive oil, hazelnuts, and garlic into blender and blend until the hazelnuts are smooth. Add in all other ingredients and blend until it is smooth. You do not need to heat this up, all you are going to do is add it to the pasta when the pasta is ready.

PS: Shrimp and scallops pair wonderfully with this pesto!!!!

Hazelnut Fig Bread Log

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: About 30 min

Cook Temp: 400 degrees

For the Dough

• 3 C Flour
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 T Yeast
• 1 C and 1 T of warm milk 125 degrees
• 1 T Honey
• 1 t salt

Mix all ingredients together adding the salt last and then the warm milk. You don’t want the salt to interfere with the activation of the yeast. The amount of milk could vary because it’s never exact and you don’t want a sticky dough so add the milk slowly. If  it is too sticky you can always add a little more flour when you are rolling them out. Let the dough rice in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out and sprinkle the mixture over the full surface of the dough. Roll the dough up like you would a cinnamon roll. Cut the log in half and place in two bread pans. Let the dough rice for 20 minutes. Drizzle a T of honey over the bread logs. Preheat the over at 400 degrees.  Pop the dough in the oven and let her cook!

For the Filling

• 2 t Cinnamon
• 1 Pinch cayenne
• 1/3 C Figs chopped
• 1/3 C hazelnuts chopped
• 1 T butter (melted)
• 1 Pinch salt
• 1 T Sugar

Mix the filling all together in a bowl.

Spicy Sasage Lasagana

Serving: 8

Prep time:35 min

Cook time: 40 min

• About 1 lb of Fresh pasta sheets or store bought
• 9×12 Baking dish

Red Sauce:

• 26 oz spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 lb sausage
• 1 t Red pepper flakes
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 3 leafs of basil chopped

Start by getting your pot to medium high heat  and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and onions. Once both are slightly brown and translucent add the sausage and red pepper flakes. once sausage is nearly cooked through add all other ingredients. Lower the temp to medium low heat. Keep on the stove top for another 10-15 minutes.

For the Ricotta Mixture

• 3 C ricotta
• 5 Basel leafs chopped
• 1 t Salt
• 1/4 t Pepper

This is simple all you do is blend these ingredients together. 🙂

For the Creamy Bechamel

• 1 T Butter
• 2 T Flour
• 2  C Whole milk
• 1/4 t Nutmeg
• 1 Garlic clove minced
• 1/3 C Parmesan

Melt the butter in a pan on medium low heat. Once the butter is melted add the four and stir vigorously.  Give the flour a couple of minutes to cook but don’t stop stirring. Add the milk along with the nutmeg and garlic. keep stirring you don’t want the milk to burn on the bottom of the pan. Once the bechamel starts to lightly roll or boil add the parmesan.  The end result should be a very creamy sauce.

The Layering

Put a thin layer of the red sauce on the bottom. you just need to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Next add a layer of noodles (store-bought or fresh). then layer of ricotta mixture followed by another layer of noodles. final layer is both red sauce and ricotta covered by a finally layer of pasta sheets and pour the bechamel on top. your are ready to bake!!! Put in the over on the medium rack at 400 for 40 min. Now you may enjoy!! 🙂

Fresh Pasta

Serving: 4-5

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 4 min

• 2 C Flour
• 3 Medium eggs
• 1 1/2 T Olive oil
• 1 t Salt
• 1 T water

Make a well with your flour and crack the eggs and add your olive oil, salt, and water  into the well. slowly mix the flour into the eggs using your fingers or a fork. It is going to feel dry at first but don’t worry keep working it together. This takes some arm strength you need to keep kneading until the dough feels smooth. Once the dough feels smooth, wrap it in Saran wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 min.

Take the pasta dough out of the fridge and divide it into 4.  Flatten the dough out with your hands and set the pasta maker at 7. Bring the pasta dough through setting 7 3 to 4 times folding it between the first and second time. Work your way down to setting 3 bringing the pasta dough through each setting twice before moving down to the next level. Once you are finished going through setting 3 twice, put on the spaghetti pasta attachment. Run the pasta dough through the spaghetti setting and there you have it you made the most amazing pasta ever!!!!!

Creamy Brussels

Serving: 5-6

Prep time: 15-20 min

Cook time: 20 min or until brussels are fork tender

Cook temp: 450, Broil for the last 3 to 5 min

For the Brussels:

• 8 C Quartered brussels
• 5 Garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1 T seasoning salt
• 2 T Olive oil

Place in a baking dish.

For the Cream Sauce:

• 1 T Butter
• 1 heaping T Flour
• 3 C Whole milk
• 1/2 t Nutmeg
• 1/4 t Pepper
• 1 t Salt
• 1 T Whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 Pinches of Red pepper flakes
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Make a roux with the butter and flour and then add the milk. Add the salt, pepper,  mustard, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. I know it seems weird to add nutmeg but you don’t even know it’s there, and it adds a nice warmth and great depth to the dish. Keep stirring and once it starts to lightly boil add the cheese and keep mixing.

Pour the creamy sauce over the brussels and stick in the oven.

PS: Even if you don’t like brussels I really think you will enjoy this dish!!!!

Rustic Herb Pizza Crisp

Serving: 8 as appetizer

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min or until golden brown

Cook Temp: 350

Dough: 12 oz

I use my flatbread recipe but you can use any store-bought pizza dough or any dough of your choice 🙂

Roll out dough to about an 1/8th of an inch and place on stone or pizza rack.

For the Spread:

• 6 oz cream cheese
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 5 leaves of sage chopped

Blend all ingredients together and lightly spread over dough. I personally like a thin layer of the spread, some people like a thicker layer.

For the Toppings:

• 1 Small tomato halved and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 T Green onions chopped
• 1/2 C  Ham diced
• 1 t Rosemary chopped
• 2 T Sun-dried tomatoes silvered

There is no order to the garnishing of the crisp, just evenly spread all ingredients over crisp.

(optional) Chipotle Olive Oil

• 2 Dried chipotle peppers
• 3 T Olive oil
• 2 t Brown sugar

Blend up the chipotle peppers with the olive oil and the brown sugar and drizzle on top of the crisp when it comes out of the oven. Adds nice spice and flavor!!!

PS: There are so many variations you can do with this recipe such as you can have a pesto in place of the cream cheese spread, or you can even do without a spread and just sprinkle mozzarella on top of the crisp. Endless options with this one!!!

Greek Flatbread



Makes 12 large flatbread

Prep time: 50 min

Cook time: 20 min

3 c Flour

1 1/2 T Olive oil

1 T Yeast

2 t Salt

1 T Sugar

2 t Garlic powder

About 1 1/2 c Warm water

Mix all ingredients together adding the salt last and then the warm water. You don’t want the salt to interfere with the activation of the yeast. I say about 1 1/2 c warm water because it’s never exact and you don’t want a sticky dough so add the water slowly. If  it is too sticky you can always add a little more flour when you are rolling them out. Let the dough rice in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.

Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into tennis ball sizes. Roll the dough out paper-thin as you would if you were making thin crust pizza.

Get your frying pan hot – medium high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot, place your dough in the pan. You will see the dough buff up; flip it once the bottom side is getting slightly brown. It doesn’t take long, maybe a minute or two. Flip, and when the second side is light brown, immediately place in a ziplock plastic bag. I know this sounds funny but it keeps the flatbread very pliable.

They are ready to eat!!!!! Enjoy!

PS. This is my recipe for pizza dough too.

Pumpkin Waffles

Serves: 6

Prep tiem: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

 

For the Waffles:

15oz Pumpkin puree

3 Eggs

1 1/3 C Milk

3 C Flour

1/2 C Sugar

1 t Salt

1 T Molasses

1 T Honey

2 T Cinnamon

2 t Nutmeg

1/2 t Cloves

2 t Vanilla

2 t Baking soda

2 t Baking powder

Mix all wet ingredients together (egg, sugar, honey, molasses, vanilla, and pumpkin puree). Add the dry ingredients together (flour, nutmeg, salt, cloves, Cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda). When both are thoroughly mixed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet. Once the two are combined, add the milk. You should have a thick pancake batter consistency. When the waffle maker is hot and ready add the batter.

PS. if you want pancakes instead of waffles you can add more milk to have a thinner batter.

For the Walnuts:

1/2 C walnuts
1 t Cinnamon
1 t vanilla
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 T Brown Sugar
1/2 T Butter
Pinch salt

Heat your pan at medium heat and add the butter and nuts. When butter is melted add all other ingredients. Make sure to keep stirring, you don’t want your nuts or the sugar to burn. Cook on this heat for about 6 minutes and then remove from heat to cool.