New Recipes!                
Green Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

6 green tomatoes

2 red tomatoes

7 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

1/4 cup Franks hot sauce (optional)

Salt, pepper and parmesan cheese

Peel, seed and quarter the tomatoes. In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Stir in cumin and tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add stock and simmer 30 minutes.  Add hot sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top and serve!  How easy is that!

Green Tomato Relish

Makes 12 pints (great Christmas gifts!)Ingredients24 large green tomatoes3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded3 green bell peppers, halved and seeded12 large onions3 tablespoons celery seed3 tablespoons mustard seed1 tablespoon salt5 cups white sugar2 cups cider vinegarIn a food processor, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions. (You may need to do this in batches.) Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl, and pour in tomato mixture to drain for 1 hour. In a large stockpot, combine tomato mixture, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish (12 one-pint jars, or 6 one-quart jars). Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Screw on lids. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes. Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Relish can be stored for up to a year.

Taco Pizza
You can buy a prepared pizza crust or make your own.  I perfer to make my own but, if you're in a hurry, a prepared crust is fine.  What you need:
1 pizza crust
4oz sour cream
1/2 head of lettuce, shreaded
2 tomatos, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
4-6 oz shreaded cheddar cheese
1/2 LB of ground beef
3 Tblsps of taco seasoning
Bake the pizza crust.  Brown the ground beef with the taco seasoning.
Top the cooled pizza crust with a layer of sour cream.  Add the ground beef, lettuce. tomatos, onions and cheese.  Slice and serve!  It's so easy and soooo good.  Your friends and family will love it!
Simple Taco Pizza Dough:
4 cups of all purpose flour
1 pkg Dry Yeast
1 cup water
1/4 cup of Taco seasoning
Sift the flour and taco seasoning into a bowl.  Add the yeast and water. Kneed until dough is firm.  Set in warm area and let rise until dough doubles in size (about 90 minutes).
Press out the dough on a pizza tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Let cool.

Party Food:            
Hors D'oeuvres:
Crab Dip w/ Seasoned Crackers:

Dip Ingredients

1lb imitation crabmeat

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup green onions, minced

2 cloves minced garlic

3 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsps lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot with seasoned crackers.

Seasoned Crackers:
One box of generic, unsalted crackers.
Lay them out on a cookies sheet, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Bake in a 425 degree over for 5-6 minutes (until lightly browned).  That's it!
FYI-This same "recipe" turns stale crackers back into delicious crackers!  Never throw out stale crackers again.  Also, you can use any seasoning you like.  If you're serving a fruit tray, sprinkle the crackers with sugar or cinnamon for a sweet treat!
 
Hors D'oeuvres:  Sweet and Sour Cocktail Franks:
These are always a big hit and it's so easy to make.
2lbs of cocktail franks (Aldi's has them for $1.29 per 1lb package)
1 can of pineapple chunks (Drain but reserve juice)

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons pineapple juice

Preparation:

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the pineapple juice and cornstarch, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
In a frying pan-lightly brown the cocktail franks.  In a crock pot-put cocktail franks, pineapple chunks and sweet and sour sauce, mix together, set the crock pot on "warm".
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NEW FOOD CREATIONS!

TREATZA BABY! 
Treatza (as I've decided to call it) is a dessert pizza born from my overwhelming cravings for chocolate!

Treatza Ingredients
1 ready to bake pizza crust
1 pkg (16oz) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 brick (8oz) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped, salted nuts (optional/your favorite)
3 tbsps prepared coffee
2 tbsps butter (approx) softened
1 tsp vanilla
10-12 strawberries
How to prepare the crust:
Take the ready to bake crust and butter the entire surface.  Sprinkle with the granulated sugar making sure to cover the entire surface, including the edges.  Bake according to the instructions until lightly browned. (usually 6-8 minutes on 450 degrees).  Let cool completely.
The Toppings:
>Melt the chocolate chips in a bouble boiler or in the microwave.  Spread a layer of chocolate over the cooled crust (reserving about 1/8 of a cup for later).  Place the crust in the fridge for about an hour (until the chocolate hardens).
>In a mixer, blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until fluffy.
>Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the hardened chocolate layer.
>Spread the chopped nuts on top of the cream cheese layer.
>Slice the strawberries and arrange on top.
>mix the remaining chocolate with the prepared coffee and drizzle (I use a fork) the chocolate glaze over the top.
That's it!  You can serve it right away or leave it in the fride until you're ready.  Slice it like a pizza.  My friends LOVED it!

CHICKEN WING PASTA!
Chicken Wing Pasta was originally going to be chicken wing pizza but.....
Chicken Wing Pasta Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 sm can of tomato juice (5.5-6oz) or V8 (I prefer V8)
1/4 cup of Franks Hot Sauce (more or less depending on your "heat preference)
2 tbsps of white vinegar
Salt/pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 cup bleu cheese dressing
3 tbsps butter
3 tbsps flour
1 pound of your favorite pasta.  (I used penne)
How to prepare chicken:
>Cube the chicken into bite size pieces and toss in a gallon size zip lock bag.
>Add the tomato juice, hot sauce, vinegar and salt/pepper (to taste). 
>Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (longer if you have the time).
>Remove chicken from marinade. Fry up in a little olive oil, discarding the marinade.
The Sauce:
In a sauce pan: melt the butter, add the flour (to make a roux) a cook for a minute or two.
>Add the milk slowly over medium heat, whisking constantly (can't have lumps!) until smooth and thick.
>Stir in Bleu Cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Turn burner to low and let simmer.
The Pasta:
Cook your favorite pasta in salted water.  Drain and return to pot.  Add sauce and mix.  Top with chicken and serve!  This was a BIG hit.  Enjoy!

Recipes:

Fra Diavalo:
One Pound of Pasta (Spagetti or mini penne works best)
1/2 pound of cleaned and peeled shrimp
One can (12oz) of diced tomatos
One Medium Onion
One Clove of Garlic
One Tbsp of Crushed red pepper
Once cup of dry White Wine
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsps Chopped Fresh Parsley

In a hot skillet, sear shrimp in 2 tablespoons of olive oil (about one minute on each side).  Remove shrimp and set aside.
In same skillet, lower heat to medium.  Add rest of olive oil and onions.  Saute onions until softened.  Add garlic and crushed red peppers.  (if you don't like spicy food, use less crushed red peppers or leave them out).  Add tomatos with juice (don't drain), white wine, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer about 20 minutes.  Liquid should reduce by half.
Cook pasta.
After liquid reduces by half, re-add shrimp, cook 5 more minutes and pour over pasta.  Add fresh parsley and serve.  Recipe serves four.
Note:  Cooking with wine.  The number one rule is 'if it's good enough to drink, it's good enough to cook with'.  If you don't like the taste of a wine in a glass, you're not going to like the taste in your food.

Italian Greens
One pound escarole
1/4 pound of proscutto
2 shallots
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup chopped banana peppers
1/2 seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grated cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Chop up the escarole and cook in a pot with half beef or chicken stock and half water.  About 6 cups total.  Bring to a boil and the lower heat.  Add 4 whole cloves of garlic and salt.  Let simmer for about an hour, until greens are soft (like cooked spinach).  Drain well and remove whole garlic.
In a skillet add two Tbsps of olive oil and saute shallots, two cloves minced garlic, proscutto and banana peppers until lightly browned.
Add mixture to escarole.  Add bread crumbs and grated cheese (I like pecorino but parmesan in fine).  Mix well with spoon.  Add the rest of the olive oil and place in a casarole dish.  Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  Serves 4-6.