JMartinelli13's Favorite Recipes

Rec, rev & pic~ Janra's Strawberry Pineapple Jam~absolutely wonderful  :)

Jake and I strawberry picked last week and I finally unearthed all my canning supplies and found time yesterday to make this jam.    It is super simple and I made no changes except to process the filled jars for 10 mins.    I got 8 nice full 8oz jars   :)      Thanks so much Janra for sharing this recipe with me, it will definitely be made again and again!

                         Strawberry-Pineapple Jam



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4               cups  prepared fruit (about 1 quart fully ripe strawberries
  1                can  crushed pineapple in juice) -- (8 ounces)
  5 1/2           cups  sugar
  1                box  Sure-Jell fruit pectin
     1/2      teaspoon  butter or margarine-  used butter

Boil jars on rack in large pot filled with water 10 minutes. Place flat lids in saucepan with water. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to fill. Drain well before filling.

Stem and thoroughly crush strawberries, 1 layer at a time. Measure 3 cups into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Stir pineapple with juice into strawberries in saucepot.

Measure sugar into separate bowl. (Scrape excess sugar from cup with spatula to level for exact measure.) Stir fruit pectin into fruit in saucepot. Add butter. Bring to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in all sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. *Invert jars 5 minutes, then turn upright. After jars are cool, check seals.

Source:
  "from Janra, TOHBB"

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Berry Cherry Jam ~ no pectin recipe  :)

After I finished making Janra's awesome Strawberry Pineapple Jam, I still had lots of berries leftover plus a nice container of cherries.   I had seen this recipe via FoodGawker, but was nervous about it because it didn't use pectin.     I figured worst case scenario, it would make delicious syrup over ice cream or waffles.   :)   

While it is a looser jam, it still is plenty thick enough to enjoy on toast or english muffins.   I had other berry varieties frozen, but decided to just go with strawberries and cherries.   Next time I'll add some blueberries too  :)     

You can find the recipe here

http://www.inerikaskitchen.com/2011/06/berry-cherry-jam-for-fathers-day.html 

and here is how we enjoyed it this morning  :)

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Bacon wrapped Asparagus from TOH, thanks Alliea!

Had some gorgeous asparagus from the farm and couldn't wait to give this recipe a try!   I highly recommend soaking the toothpicks, I remembered it halfway through and the ones I didn't soak burnt.   This was fast and so good.    I was hoping to entice Jake into trying asparagus because he's a huge fan of bacon but he wasn't going for it.   More for me  :)     Will definitely make this one again, thank you so much to Alliea and to Patricia Kitts/TOH for the recipe!

Awful pic, they tasted much better than they looked  :) 

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                         bacon wrapped asparagus

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  10                    fresh asparagus spears -- trimmed
     1/8      teaspoon  pepper
  5                     bacon strips -- halved lengthwise

    Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each spear; secure ends with toothpicks.
    Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp. Discard toothpicks. Yield: 2-3 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (5 each) equals 222 calories, 22 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 281 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus published in Quick Cooking March/April 2005, p24

Source:
  "http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Bacon-Wrapped-Asparagus"

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Cinnamon Roll Pancakes from Recipegirl.com  :)

Our fantastic moderator, Sue (sstetzel) gave these the thumbs up and when I showed Jake the picture he wanted them on the menu tonight!    I was very excited to hear that Sue had used the Shake N Pour pancakes, because Jake has issues with eggs and from scratch recipes are hit or miss.     I also took her suggestion to cut back on the cinnamon in the filling, using around 2tsp.     I mixed it all up in squeeze bottle and it made it super easy to swirl on the pancakes. 

Mine aren't as pretty as the ones on Recipegirl's blog, the filling sort of sank in, but they tasted excellent!

Check out the recipe on her site, lots of awesome stuff on there  :)
http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/03/01/cinnamon-roll-pancakes/

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Garlic Butter

I've become addicted to Foodgawker.   At one point I had over 600 items in my favorites, and I've found so many wonderful blogs and recipes.      Found this simple recipe on one of my morning blogwalks, and threw it together to have with grilled hot dogs yesterday.      I totally cheated and added the chopped jalapeno and garlic to the butter and melted it in the microwave.     I used my trusty corn stripper to make short work of removing the kernels   :)     This was simple and delicious.    You could also add the ingredients to softened butter, form it into logs and freeze so that you have it ready to go, I plan on doing that for our upcoming vacation!

I found this on the Life's Ambrosia blog, this is my 2nd or 3rd winner from there, and I've barely made a dent in checking out all the recipes on the site.    :)    Definitely go check it out!

Grilled Corn with Jalapeno-Garlic Butter


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4               ears  corn -- silk and husks removed
  3        tablespoons  butter
  1                     jalapeno -- finely chopped
  1                     garlic clove minced (used jarred)
                        kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

    Preheat your grill on the high setting.
    Wrap the corn cobs in aluminum foil. Cook on hot grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for several minutes.
    Meanwhile, melt butter in a small sauce pan. Once melted add jalapeno and garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until jalapeno is softened.
    Once corn has cooled enough to handle it, remove the aluminum foil. Holding the corn upright, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cob. (Note: I would do this into a bowl so you don’t have kernals flying everywhere. I learned the hard way). Once all of the kernels are cut from the cob, toss them with the butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.


Source:
  http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2009/05/grilled-corn-with-jalapeno-garlic-butter.html

Another FG find-Dashing Dish.    She features healthy versions of recipes and works with another website to provide WW points info   :)      Was craving pizza yesterday so Jake and I put these together last night.    It made for a fun project as well as a great meal!      I used my smallest cookie scoop for the filling.    I omitted the pepperoni because I forgot to buy it and the black pepper and sweetener because the Penzey's mix was strong enough on it's own.    

Next time I make these I'm going to freeze some on baking sheets after assembling and then pop them into ziploc bags.    Will try baking them from frozen and see how they turn out!    You can also make them "unskinny" by frying them, but I was very happy with the texture of the baked one.

                     
Skinny Pizza Rolls


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2           cup  Shredded Mozzarella Cheese -- used part skim
     1/2           cup  Pizza Sauce (or Tomato Sauce)
  20                    Turkey Pepperoni’s -- omitted
  24                    Wonton Wrappers
     1/8           cup  Parmesan Cheese
  1                tsp  Basil/Oregano mix OR Italian Seasoning -- used Penzey's Italian Herb Mix
     1/2           tsp  Garlic Powder
  1              pinch  sweetener -- (sugar/stevia/splenda) omitted
  1              pinch  black pepper -- omitted
                        *Optional: 1/3 cup Chicken Breast -- Diced OR 1/3 cup Light Italian Sausage

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil coated with non-stick cooking spray. Gather ingredients.

Pour pizza sauce, (or tomato paste), in a medium bowl…  Followed by the mozzarella cheese.  Slice the pepperoni into quarters, and add them to the sauce/cheese mixture.  Stir until combined.  Next, add the seasonings.  Stir again until everything is well combined.

To begin filling wonton wrappers, I find it easiest to create an ‘assembly line’. I did this by stacking my wonton wrappers, and having my filling, and a small bowl of water near by to ’seal’ the wrappers shut.

Then, begin filling by placing about a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. You could use a little more or less, just try not to over-fill them, or the filling will ooze out the sides when you are baking them.

To seal them shut, place your finger in the water… Trace two of the corners with the water… And fold the wrapper in half to meet the two dry corners with the two wet corners.  Press to seal the two sides together. (Note: the water acts like glue to seal the corners shut!)

I decided to do half of my pizza rolls with chicken, and half without… So I added my chicken to my sauce mixture after making half of my pizza rolls with just pepperoni.

And I continued making my pizza rolls until all of my wonton wrappers were filled. (Note: You may be able to fill even more than 24 wrappers depending on how much filling you use in each one!)

When wonton wrappers are filled, give them a light spray with non-stick cooking spray… And sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top of each one.  Lay pizza rolls out on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven (450 degrees) for 10-15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.

Servings: 24 Pizza Rolls
Calories: 30 Calories Per Pizza Roll (35 calories with added chicken/italian sausage)

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 1
(WW points courtesy of Jennifer at www.itsuxtobefat.com)

Source:
  http://www.dashingdish.com/2011/04/pizza-rolls/

I just noticed the Skinny Pizza rolls Jolene. Very cool!

Neat idea! Thanks for sharing.~A

Thanks Alliea, I had a couple reviews on page 1 already and didn't want to overload you guys  :)   We made both the corn and the pizza rolls yesterday  :)

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Lemon Orzo Salad with asparagus & tomatoes

I guess one good thing came out of my MasterCook program crashing last week- I've spent a ton of time combing the web trying to replace everything and I've found a TON of winners this week.    Today's dinner is another one!  I found the recipe on Abigmouthful.com via Foodgawker.   

I had part of a bunch of asparagus leftover from Alliea's bacon wrapped asparagus and had some nice cherry tomatoes and thought this would be a nice simple dinner.    I don't like my asparagus boiled, so I cooked it to crisp-tender in my grill pan with a teaspoon of olive oil.   No other changes to the recipe except to sub dried parsley for the fresh, I never got my herb garden started this year.    

This was light but filling, really hit the spot on a hot day.  It would also be nice with some grilled chicken added to it for a heartier meal.   

               Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  12               oz.  orzo
  1              bunch  fresh asparagus -- cut into 1-inch pieces (cooked mine in grill pan w/1t olive oil)
  1               pint  grape or cherry tomatoes -- halved
  1                     lemon -- zested and juiced
  4               Tbs.  extra virgin olive oil
  1              clove  garlic -- minced
  2               Tbs.  fresh parsley -- minced- used Penzey's dried
                        Kosher salt
                        Fresh ground pepper
                        Grated Parmigiano Reggiano*

Bring 2 large pots of water to boil.  Add a big pinch of salt in each.

To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

To the second pot, add the orzo.  Cook per package instructions.  When tender, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir into orzo and vegetables.  Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

This can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

*Note:  If you want to keep this salad vegan, leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano.

Source:
  http://www.abigmouthful.com/lemon-orzo-salad-with-asparagus-and-tomatoes/

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Strawberry Chocolate Yogurt Pops  :)

Last year I ordered some awesome Tavolo Popsicle molds through amazon.   Now I'm wishing I bought 2 sets!   So many great recipes out there, and I love being able to use in season fruit or make something to suit our mood.       This time around, I decided to use some of our local picked strawberries and make these Strawberry Chocolate Yogurt Pops.    I found them on the Lemon Drop blog via Foodgawker   :)

I had gotten yogurt on sale and had about 20 in the fridge, so I used Yoplait Light Strawberry Shortcake flavor.   Mine stayed a beautiful dark red.    I also used Nestle Mini chips since I had them on hand.     I think Jake would have drank the base straight out of the bowl if I'd let him!    Depending on how sweet your berries are you could definitely cut back the sugar.  

These really hit the spot last night!   Thank you to Linda at Lemon Drop, be sure to go check out her blog   :)

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

                     Strawberry Chocolate Yogurt Pops


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  3               cups  fresh chopped strawberries
     1/2           cup  fine granulated sugar
3/4  cup  plain greek yogurt -- regular or strawberry flavored yogurt-- used Yoplait Light Strawberry Shortcake
     1/2           cup  chopped dark chocolate -- -used Nestle mini chocolate chips

IN SAUCEPAN, combine sugar and strawberries.
BRING to a simmer over MED heat
REDUCE heat to LOW and let simmer and thicken for 25-30 minutes
WITH HAND HELD BLENDER, puree strawberry mixture until smooth. If you prefer seedless pops, then run mix through a sieve to remove seeds
POUR mixture into a bowl and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour or until completely cooled
WITH SPATULA fold in yogurt and chocolate bits
POUR mixture into pop molds
PLACE in freezer fro 1/2 hr until somewhat set.
REMOVE and push pop handles into semi-frozen strawberry pops.
FREEZE 6 hours


Source:

http://lemondropsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-chocolate-yogurt-pops.html

Link to my molds- http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-8003Y-Yellow-Groovy-Molds/dp/B000G32H3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309435658&sr=8-1

Going through my pics and looks like I missed posting these here-

Fun and Easy treat for Jake

"Buns" are Nilla Wafers

"Cheese" is a slice of mango

"Onion" is apple cut into rings with two circle cookie cutters

"Lettuce" is green fruit roll up

"Burger" is chilled chocolate frosting.  

"Tomato" is a sliced strawberry.

Use a dab of frosting to hold each layer together.

Rec, Rev & Pics~ DIY Edible Arrangement

Too hot to bake for Jake's last day of school treat and he's always wanted one of these arrangements.   I knew I could make it cheaper, plus could give him the chocolate covered fruit/treats that I knew would be nut safe.       :)

DIY Edible Arrangement

small cabbage
Grapes
Honeydew and cantelope
watermelon
Bananas
Pineapple
strawberries
semisweet chocolate chips
Marshmallows
Oreo and graham cracker crumbs
Sprinkles
Sand pail
Skewers

I started with a sand pail and dropped a small head of cabbage into the bottom.     I placed the skewers where I wanted them and then prepped the pineapple.   I tossed the cut up banana in with the pinapple chunks, the juice kept them from browning for quite a while.  I took advantage of the salad bar to get precut chunks of honeydew and cantelope.     I used a cookie cutter to make the watermelon star, but the rest I just chunked up.      I chocolate dipped strawberries and also marshmallows, which I rolled into oreo crumbs, graham cracker crumbs and sprinkles and let them set up in the freezer.       Slid everything onto the skewers and stored the bucket in the fridge until he got home   :)

Rec, Rev & Pic~ Homemade Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

I finally broke my McD's iced Caramel coffee addiction when I got a Keurig and some awesome Copco cups and learned to make it at home.    Then they introduced the Frozen Strawberry Lemonade!    After going 3x last week I decided I have got to learn to make it myself.     There are a bunch of clones floating around,  most using Smuckers Strawberry Syrup, but since I have lots of frozen berries I wanted to make it from scratch.

I started by making 32oz of Country Time lemonade in a lidded container that I could shake.   Popped it in the freezer and gave it a shake every once in a while til it got slushy.    Next time I'd use my KA ice cream maker attachment.    For the strawberry puree, I took about 2c of frozen berries, 2T water, half a lemon's worth of juice and 2T sugar.    Ran it through the Blendtec until it was smooth.    

Dolloped a few tablespoons of the strawberry puree, then the slushy lemonade, and repeated.     This was good, refreshing, but next time I'll make a lemonade from scratch, the Country Time is very sweet.     

To make a grown up version, I would freeze Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade until slushy and then add the puree to it.

Rec, Rev & Pic~  Bistro Burgers~ thank you NancyNJ  :)

I took a risk with this one, Tim can be sort of whiny if I mess with burgers too much.  He likes American Cheese and bacon and ketchup.     These just sounded so good!    I did make a few switches- I used dried onion instead of dicing one up, and I used dried tarragon instead of fresh.     I loved the flavor of these!   I topped Jake and Tim's with some provolone.     Thank you so much Nancy, for breaking us out of our boring burger rut!    :)

I served them with a quick salad of yellow bean, sugar snaps and radishes.  I was inspired by this blog, http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/09/yellow-beans-english-peas-radish-and.html    Instead of the lemon dill dressing, I drizzled it with a bit of honey and then sprinkled it with dried tarragon, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.     delicious, and definitely will be repeated.

                              Bistro Burgers


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1              pound  ground beef
     1/3           cup  garlic flavored croutons -- crushed
     1/4           cup  onion -- chopped, used dried
  2        tablespoons  Dijon mustard
  2        tablespoons  fresh tarragon -- chopped, used dried
  3             cloves  garlic -- minced, used jarred
                        salt and pepper to taste
  4                     English muffins -- split
  4             slices  tomato
  4                     leaves lettuce

Combine croutons, onion, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. Add in ground beef and mix just enough to spread the mixture through the meat. Don't overwork the meat. Divide into 4 equal parts and shape into burger patties. Preheat grill. When the grill is as hot as it will go place the patties on the grate and close the lid. Wait one minute and turn. Close lid. Continue grilling for one more minute or until done. Place patties on English muffins and add tomato slices and lettuce. Finish off as desired.


Source: NancyNJ, tohbb 
  "http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/836859.aspx"

Rec, Rev & Pic~Chicken Jalapeno Mango Quesadillas- Thank you Rosie!

Right now, Rosie's probably thinking- What?  I didn't post that recipe!  LOL   But she did share the Pepper jack Chicken and Peach Quesadilla and that was my jumping off point for today's lunch.    Since we are going on vacation I'm trying to use up all my odds & ends and not buy anything new.     I had wonderful leftover bbq3000 chicken, which I shredded.    No peaches, but I do have a bag of frozen mango chunks.   I had mexican blend cheese, and to give it the heat I added slices of jalapeno.      The dipping sauce is what puts this over the top, helping to cool out the heat of the peppers but with a little zing from the lime juice.   I also sprinkled a little dried cilantro on there.   SOOO good!    Thank you Rosie!

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *

               Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadillas


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1           teaspoon  honey
     1/2      teaspoon  fresh lime juice
     1/2           cup  reduced-fat sour cream
  4                     flour tortillas -- (8-inch)
     3/4           cup  shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers -- (3 ounces)- used mexican blend
  1                cup  chopped skinless -- boneless rotisserie chicken breast-  bbq 3000 chicken- Penzeys
  1                cup  thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches -- used mango
  4          teaspoons  chopped fresh cilantro -- used dried
                        Cooking spray
     1/2         large  jalapeno pepper -- sliced *my addition

1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

CALORIES 364 ; FAT 15.8g (sat 7.4g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 235mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.5g; SODIUM 485mg; PROTEIN 21.3g; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 2.1mg

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2010

http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/794976.aspx