Category: Recipes

I got this recipe from my friend Laura “Corona” DeDona. She has been posting these awesomely laugh out loud Quarantine videos, from the containment zone, that have really kept me going for the past 5 weeks!! You HAVE to check them out on her INSTAGRAM. So, the other day she made this awesome soup for her adorable son Miles. It looked so good that I had to make it myself. Honestly, it was one of the best soups that I have ever made!!!! You have to try it. I did not use the pepper and used low fat milk instead of the cream but other than that, I followed Laura’s exact recipe. This was just too good to keep to myself!!! You are going to flip over it!! Bon Appetit!!!!!

Makes approx. 4 servings:

2-3 large Zucchini

1 bunch scallions

1 red pepper

1 medium onion

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

1/2 pint marinara sauce

1/2 cup seasoned croutons or breadcrumbs

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup light cream (optional)

1/2 cup chicken stock

Parmesan and Romano cheese to taste

1/2 stick of butter

Cut Zucchini in half and toss in olive oil..Top with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottom soup pan. Dice the scallions, pepper, onions and tomato (in larger pieces). Add to soup pan and cook at medium heat for 15-20 min. Turn off heat.

Add Zucchini to vegetables and marinara sauce, light cream (if using), chicken stock .

Once it has cooled, blend with a hand blender until desired constancy. Garnish with as much cheese to your taste.

The question used to be where are you going for Easter Sunday but now it is what are you cooking for Easter Sunday!!!!!????!!! So many of my friends are planing their Easter menus. I am going back and forth about what I should serve my family. Some friends are doing a big brunch, others are attempting a lamb dish. I am doing a combination of some take out and some cooking. I always love to try new side dishes. I found this rice recipe online the other day. It really looks good. How can you go wrong with butter, parmesan and mozzarella cheese? Bon Appetit!!!

1 cup rice, 2/3 stick butter, 2 cups milk, 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large brick mozzarella (cut up into 1/4 inch cubes), 1 egg (beaten)

Cook rice in salted water (I use a rice cooker).

Add butter and milk gradually to the HOT rice. (If it appears to dry, add more milk but make sure it is not soupy).

Add Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and egg.

Grease a pyrex dish, add rice, dot the top with butter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I know, I know..everyone is complaining about being stuck inside and all the non-stop eating but requests are still coming in for baking recipes!! My friend Paula made this for her family this week and served it with ice cream. She said almost the entire thing went in one night. Thankfully she forwarded the recipe to me and I knew I had to share it. Don’t worry..next week I have a Weight Watchers recipe all set up for you!!!! Bon Appetit!!!

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3-1/2 – 4 cups chopped)
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional), for decorating cake

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don’t worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that’s okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with Confectioners’ sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
5. Freezer Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, cover it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

adapted from once upon a chef

This recipe was featured in the New York Times this week. The secret is that 1/2 cup of flour yields delicious gooey brownies. I had a request for a chocolate recipe to bake while social distancing! This one looks perfect. (try it with or without the nuts too) I bet it will be your go-to for many months to come!!!

• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
•  Pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.
4. Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.

I think one of the best things we can do to stay healthy, not just during this outbreak, but all year round is to increase the immune-building foods that we eat.

Vitamin Booster Smoothie

Up your vitamin quota with help from this bright and fresh smoothie. Orange, carrot, celery and mango pack a nutritious punch

adapted from goodfood.com

Ingredients

• 1 orange, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 mango, roughly chopped
• 1 cup water

Put the orange, carrot, celery and mango in the blender, top up with water, then mix until smooth.

White Bean Dip

A dip filled with beans that are filled with beta-glucan and zinc – all immune-boosting properties.

adapted from Food Network.com

1 (14 ounces) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 sprigs fresh mint leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem

Coarse salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons chives, chopped

Pulse all ingredients except chives in a food processor or until a smooth paste forms and transfer to a bowl. Serve on bruschetta or as a dip for fresh veggies and garnish with chopped chives.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

Rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup.

adapted from Eatingwell.com

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 2-pound roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and continue cooking until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and water, increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Add beans and chicken and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Egyptian Tossed Salad

adapted from EatingWell.com

This superfood salad will boost your immune system. You can eat it in a pita or on top of a chicken cutlet or on its own.

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 tablespoons lime juice 
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ⅓ cups diced cucumber
• 1 ¼ cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ⅔ cup diced green bell pepper
• ½ cup diced radishes
• ⅓ cup diced yellow onion

Whisk lime juice, vinegar, cumin and salt in a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, bell pepper, radishes and onion; toss to combine.

I made this recipe for my youngest daughter and a bunch of her friends over the past weekend. Everyone loves Mexican food and I thought this looked so good and was so easy to make. I served it with chips, salsa and guacamole (the whole foods one is really good though I like to add a little more lime juice!!!). They all loved it and went back for more and more..

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken

2 packets Frontera Enchilada sauce.

2 bags Mexican Shredded Cheese

Corn Tortillas

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Directions:

Shred the chicken and place in a bowl

Line baking dish with tortillas

Add chicken and cheese to the inside of the tortilla and roll.

Repeat. Place all the rolled tortillas side by side in the baking dish.

Pour the Enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese (be generous!!)

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt (optional)