Garlic and parmesan make a beautiful couple. My absolute favorite chicken wing toppings, the combo enhances simple french fries or a succulent lobster tail. When adding garlic and parmesan, we cannot forget the vehicle for ease of use…butter! Or olive oil if you want a slightly less salty, less buttery alternative. For easy coating, I use a pastry brush and always top with extra fresh grated Parmesan.
Garlic Parmesan Knots are a huge hit when served with fish, or a substitute for bread on Italian night!
Here is the recipe…
Garlic Parmesan Knots
Ingredients:
2 cups pizza dough, from your favorite pizza shop or homemade
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup or a block of parmesan for topping.
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together butter, garlic powder, spices and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Preheat oven 375 degrees.
Cut off 2 inches of dough.
Roll into a cigar shape.
Knot dough.
Place onto parchment covered cookie sheet.
Brush with butter mixture.
Bake 8-12 minutes until golden brown and center is cooked through.
Remove and brush with excess butter mixture and top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
I am convinced that sometimes we want things only because we can’t have them! I made this creamy and delicious soup last week for Meatless Monday, and all I could think about was adding bacon. Crispy delicious totally crunchy bacon bits were on my mind. Hearty, creamy, and full of your favorite vegetables, this soup is a meal! Think loaded baked potato and add some fun toppings like chives, shredded cheese, sour cream, even chili. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and Enjoy!
Potato Soup
makes approx. 2 quarts
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp. Butter, sliced into tbsp.
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp. Flour
1 cup heavy cream
Salt/pepper to taste
(Optional- 1/2 lb. bacon/pancetta, finely chopped and cooked until crunchy)
Directions:
In a large stock pot, add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Fill 4 cups water or to top of vegetables and heat.
Cook in water until tender.
Remove vegetables and set aside.
Add onion and butter to pot and cook until the onions are translucent, add stock.
Stir in flour and Parmesan cheese.
Add heavy cream, little by little, while stirring.
Bring to a boil to thicken, and add vegetables.
Add more vegetable stock until desired consistency.
Salt/pepper to taste
Top with bacon, shredded cheese, any of your favorite baked potato topping would be delicious!
Enjoy!
Ciao!
Baby it’s cold outside!! We just cannot get warm here in Western PA with temps dipping into the teens and single digits. Winter comfort food to the rescue!
Why not a classic mac and cheese? Imagine creamy melted fontina covered noodles, a crunchy Parmesan bread crumb topping, all flavorfully finished with a hidden kick of Sriracha, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
This quick and easy recipe is the perfect dinner or side dish! Surprise your family with a homemade classic!
Fontina Mac and Cheese
Makes 10-12 side servings or 6 dinner portions(9X13baking dish)
Ingredients:
1 lb. of your favorite shells or macaroni noodles
1/2 cup – 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
1/2 tbsp. Cayenne pepper
Salt/pepper
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups fontina cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese + 1 cup for topping
2 cups plain Panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. Paprika
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. (Thickening agent when making a sauce)
Add sriracha, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Do not stop whisking. When thick and well mixed, add milk and cream.
Continuously whisk 10-15 more minutes – it will bubble and become thicker.
Remove from heat and add fontina cheese and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Mix well and blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, boil pasta until al dente and drain.
Mix cooked pasta with the cheese sauce.
Pour cheese noodles into a deep baking dish.
Cover the cheese noodles with the breadcrumbs and an extra 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Stuffed cabbage rolls, Halupki or Pigs in the Blanket – for many Western Pennsylvanians- remind us of church festivals, fairs, neighbors from our childhood, and grandparents. I’m not going to lie, the little old Polish ladies make them the best! Halupki can easily be made as a soup, a casserole, or the traditional stuffed cabbage rolls! How much time do you have? With the same ingredients, you can make stuffed cabbage three ways! The only variable is the additon of whole tomatoes. Leave them out for the rolls!
Enjoy!
The cabbage rolls are the most work because of the cabbage leaf boiling step.
Stuffed Cabbage Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
1lb. lean ground beef and/or ground pork mix
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 28oz. can tomato sauce (keep 1 cup for a sauce for the casserole and the rolls)
1 35oz. can whole tomatoes (except for the rolls)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sauerkraut and extra 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (kept aside for casserole)
Salt/pepper
Directions: For Soup:
Shred or chop with a knife. I draw blood every time I use my box grater.
Shred cabbage and throw all ingredients in the crockpot!
Cook 8 hours on high!
The Stuffed Cabbage Soup is amazing and takes no time to prep! Let it cook all day! No babysitting required!
For casserole:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook rice according to the package.
Brown beef and/or pork in a pan with the onions.
Mix sauerkraut, and cabbage together in a bowl.
Mix tomato sauce and tomatoes in a bowl.
In a 9×13 pan-“lasagna style” -layer ingredients, starting with tomato sauce.
Cover sauce with shreded cabbage mixture, a layer of meat and top with tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Repeat layers until pan is 3/4 full. End with 1/2 cup cabbage on top.(2-3 times)
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with a spoon or a fork! The casserole can go either way! Don’t add too much tomato sauce. Remember, you can and should serve the stuffed cabbage casserole with sauce on the side!
For cabbage rolls:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil 12-15 cabbage leaves until wilted and softened.
When cool, cut leafy sides from hard stem .
Cook rice according to the package.
Brown beef and/or pork in a pan with the onions.
Mix sauerkraut, and cabbage together in a bowl.
Line a 9X13 baking dish with tomto sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cabbage and 1/2 cup sauerkraut.
Set up an assembly line and spoon rice meat mixtures on leaf.
Salt and pepper.
Roll away from you, fold over the right side, then the left, creating an envelope roll.
Line them in the pan and top with tomato mixture.
Salt and pepper again.
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes-1 hour or until sauce is bubbling and rolls are cooked through.
I always serve stuffed cabbage dinners with fresh grated Parmesan and a beautiful loaf of ciabatta. I don’t think that’s Polish ; )
Another quick back to school meal is a 20 minute pan sauce! Throw in some veggies and superfoods and you have a healthy, easy dinner!
We enjoy superfood kale in a pan sauce, on our pizza, and even baked into kale chips!
Kale chip recipe:
http://www.parmesanprincess.com/2014/04/10/super-chips-garlic-parmesan-baked-kale-chips/
My kids love to pick out pastas when we are at the store. One of their favorites is orecchiette, Italian meaning ears, or spaceships, or planets, so they say.
The names the kids come up with are so funny! Big springs, little springs, little seashells, tubes, strings!
When kids get involved in the dinner process, they are more likely to eat the meal, even if it is full of healthy vegetables!
Tomato Kale Orecchiette!
Turkey Kale Orecchiette
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. lean white meat ground turkey
1 35oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
1 -1/2 cup kale, washed and chopped
1 tbsp. Chopped basil
1 tbsp. Chopped rosemary
1 tbsp. Chopped thyme
Salt/pepper
1 lb. orecchiette pasta
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat oil on medium heat in a your deepest frying pan.
Press garlic and cook until softened, 5 minutes.
Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain any fat.
Add onion, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until
Separate the curly kale leaves from the middle stem and chop.
heated trough.
Add the kale last and mix well.
Chop up the tomatoes while stirring.
Meanwhile, boil a pot of water to cook the pasta according to the package instructions and drain.
Add the orecchiette to the pan and mix.
Always top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese! Enjoy!
