Smoothie Gaga Goody Style
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 a teaspoon of sugar
1/3 a cup of ice
1/2 cup blueberry yogurt
1/2 frozen banana, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
In a blender, blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Makes 1 serving
White Bean Soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups fresh spinach
salt and white pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion then saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, rosemary, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and season with salt and white pepper.
Serves 6
Mom's Quickie Personal Pizza
1 Tube of Jimmy Dean Sausage (can make it more interesting with Hot)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions sliced
1 clove garlic sliced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of Pita Bread
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1) Remove sausage from tube breaking in to small pieces and saute sausage in 2 tablespoons olive oil until browned. Drain to remove excess oil. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2) In skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, add onions, garlic and saute stirring until onions wilt down. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 5 minutes on low. Stir together the sausage and onion.
3) Top pita bread with sausage mixture and sprinkle grated mozzarella over all. Broil about 3 minutes under broiler until cheese melts. Watch carefully, remove from broiler, slice and serve.
(Feel free to incorporate other toppings of your choice, there is no wrong answer)
Makes About 8 Personal Pizzas
Rockstar Easy Chili
2 pounds ground beef chuck
4 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Strips of cooked bacon
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cubes beef bouillon
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons Tabasco
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1) Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2) Pour in the chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon (cook bacon and cut into small pieces), bouillon, and chicken broth. Season with chili powder
3) Add worcestershire sauce, tabasco, basil, kosher salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika garlic, oregano, cumin. Cover and stir occasionally while chili is cooking.
4) Let chili simmer 2 ½ hours. Remove from heat and serve.
5) Top with shredded Cheddar cheese.
Makes 15 servings
Honey Roasted Almonds
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
5 cups whole almonds, skin on
1 teaspoon of sugar
1) Heat oven to 300 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Be sure to warm the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thins out. Stir in the 5 spice powder and almonds.
2) Spread mixture on baking sheet. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Let nut mixture darken and cook 45 to 50 minutes. Spread almonds in single layer on parchment paper and sprinkle evenly with teaspoon of sugar. Store almonds in airtight container for no longer than a week. But I doubt they last that long.
Champagne Soup
1 cup blackberries
1 1/2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries (make sure they are thawed)
1/2 bottle your favorite champagne
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries (cleaned & hulled)
2 pints raspberry sherbert
1 cup sugar
1) In a blender, puree the frozen strawberries. Put through a sieve in a large mixing to get rid of seeds. Add the sugar and lemon juice and mix well.
2) Cut the fresh blackberries and strawberries into quarters, add to bowl and mix. Place bowl in refrigerator for 90 minutes prior to serving.
3) Divide the berry mixture evenly among 10 large margarita glasses. Add a scoop of raspberry sherbert to each glass and top with your favorite chilled champagne.
Makes about 10 servings
French Toast
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 slice texas toast
4 tablespoon butter
1) Whisk milk, eggs, flour, sugar, extract, salt & cinnamon in a bowl
2) Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat and add tablespoon of butter
3) Coat each slice in batter
4) Cook on each side for 1 1/2 minutes per side
5) Add more butter to pan if needed
6) Take 3 slices and cut in half
7) Dust with powdered sugar thru strainer
Makes 2 to 3 servings
Gaga Goody Onion Soup
5 Large Onions, Sliced
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
8 Cups Swansons's Beef Broth
1 Cup Water
2 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
5 Plain Hamburger Buns
12 Slices Provolone Cheese
11 Teaspoons Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
1) Add oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onions and saute for 20 minutes until onions soften, but not brown. Then add broth, water, garlic owder and pepper to pan bringing mixture to broil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
2) Cut top half of hamburger bun so bread is the same as bottom pieces. Take the 5 top pieces and the 5 bottom pieces and place in oven on rack. Bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Cut into pieces and set to the side.
3) Once soup is done, put one cup of soup in an oven safe bowl. Float croutons on top of soup, add slice of provolone and sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over top.
Broil soup for 6 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serves about 8 people!