Mama Mia!

Last week we prepared an Italian dinner with spaghetti as the main course, bruschetta salad, and cannolis!  Are you drooling yet?

 

 

Main Course:  Spaghetti and Meatballs

Prepared by:  Stephanie

 

2 cans (23 oz) crushed tomatoes

3 cloves garlic chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb hot italian sausage

 

Directions:  Heat olive oil and stir in minced garlic.  Add all ingredients except garlic cloves and stir for about 20 minutes. (medium to low - medium heat)  Add garlic cloves and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Simultaneously roll sausage into balls, season with salt and pepper to taste.  pan fry till browned on the sides.  Boil noodles as stated on box (we don't make our own noodles.  :)  )

 

 

Side Dish:  Bruschetta Salad

Prepared by:  Sabrina

 

2-3 Cups Romain Lettuce

2 chopped tomatoes

1 cup parmesan croutons

½ cup chopped pepperoni slices (hot and spicy in this recipe)

½ cup fresh mozzarella

1/8 cup chopped fresh basil

Parmesan cheese

Lite Balsamic Parmesan Asiago Vinegarette

 

Directions:  Mix the 1st 6 ingredients together.  Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with parmesan.  Makes about 4 salads.

 

 

Dessert:  Cannolis w/ Reeces

Prepared by:  Kala

 

1 Cup Ricotta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons amaretto

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 premade cannoli shells

Reeces Pieces

 

Directions:  With mixer, mix together first 6 ingredients until thick "whipped cream" consistency.  Pipe into shells.  Add Reeces Pieces to garnish!

 

 

And so concludes another successful dinner night.  Next week:  Quiche!

 



OPA!

Last week’s dinner theme was “Greek”! Gyros have to be one of my favorite things, but one thing I
have learned…Greek food is not cheap to make! But is it worth it? Tastebuds say “Yessss!”

Main Course: Gyros w/ Tzatziki Sauce

Prepared by: Sabrina

2 lbs Gyro Meat (makes 6-8 gyros)
Pitas (or flatbread)
Red Onion
Tomato
2 cups plain Greek Yogurt
1 ½ medium Cucumber
¾ Garlic Clove
1 Tablespoon Dill
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Salt to Taste

Directions (Sauce): It’s best to make the tzatziki sauce (ahem…”cucumber sauce”) hours before the
meal so all the flavors blend well together. If you do not have Greek yogurt, you may strain regular
plain yogurt (if you don’t have a yogurt strainer…and honestly – who does??)– by using coffee filters to
remove excess liquid.
Peel and seed cucumbers and place in a strainer above a bowl.
Heavily salt the cucumbers (about a tablespoon…this is to pull some of the moisture out of the
cucumbers)
Let cucumbers strain for about 30 minutes. Not much liquid to be removed, but enough!
In large bowl, add greek yogurt
With paper towel, dry off/soack up the cucumbers, and dice them.
Chop/blend the cucumbers, garlic,and dill (add to yogurt)
Stir it up, add lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to taste!
Let refrigerate for at least 2 hours for flavors to blend.

Directions (Gyros): Pan fry gyro meat until browned (but not crispy) on both side. ( I like to place them
on a paper towel to absorb any grease first….maybe I just do this because they are cut in strips like
bacon)
Grab your pita, place gyro meat, tomato slices, and red onion, add tzatziki sauce and enjoy!

Side Dish: Greek Salad

Prepared by: Kala

4 Cups Raw Spinach
1/2 Cup Artichoke Hearts
8 Cherry Tomatoes (in halves)
½ Cup Feta Cheese

8 Peppadews
¼ Cup Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1.5 teaspoons Oregano
1.5 teaspoons Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions (Per salad): For the dressing, mix Olive Oil, Vinegar, Oregano, Basil, salt and pepper. Split
Salad ingredients among 4 bowls and add the dressing to each!

And another side:  Stuffed Peppadews

Prepared by: Kala

Easy Peasy - stuff Peppadews with either feta or goat cheese (tonight we used feta)!  YUM!

Dessert: Baklava

Prepared by: Stephanie

1 (16oz) pkg Phyllo Dough
1 lb Chopped Nuts
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 9x13 pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon, set aside.
Unroll phyllo dough and cut whole stack in half to fit in pan.
(Cover phyllo w/ dampened cloth so it doesn’t dry out while you are preparing in the pan section)
Place 2 sheets of dough in pan and butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.
Sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons of cinnamon nut mixture on top.
Top with 2 sheets of dough, butter and nuts (layered). The top layer should be 6-8 sheets deep.
Using sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes.
Bake for 50 minutes (until golden crisp)
While baking, boil sugar and water until sugar is melted, then add vanilla and honey and simmer for 20
minutes.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool.

Time consuming? Yes. Messy? Yes. Worth it? YES!

Next up: Italian Night! Until next time, “OPA!”

Pizza Party!

The great thing about homemade pizzas, is you can make them often, and rarely repeat.  There are so many options with homemade pizza.  Tonight we prepared 2 pizzas, and because I wasn't thinking clearly, I provided a garlic bread...just to ensure we had enough carbs.

 

For these pizzas you may use storebought crust, or prepare your own!

Crust: You may used storebought, or prepare your own!

1 Cup warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast

3 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 Cups flour

Directions: Mix water, sugar and yeast until dissolved. Next add in the olive oil and salt. Then stir in the flour until mixed together. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Pat dough onto pan or stone.



 

Pizza #1:  Margherita Pizza

Prepared by:  Kala

 

Ingredients: 1/2 Cup chopped Basil

1 Sliced Tomato

1 Ball of fresh Mozarella

Olive Oil

Salt

 

Directions:  Brush the crust with Olive Oil

Add the Mozarella, Basil, and Tomato

Top with Salt

 

Bake at 400 degrees and check ever 5 minutes after 10 minutes (varies based on crust)

 

 

 

Pizza #2: Fiesta 'Za  (okay that was made up)

Prepared By:  Stephanie

 

Ingredients:  Chili Lime Marindade( 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 2 Tablespoons garlic mixed togther)

1/2 lb chicken breast in bite sized pieces

1/2 - 1 Jalapeno

1/4 Red Bell Pepper

1/4 Green Bell Pepper

1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Cup (give or take) cheese of choice

Olive Oil

 

Directions:  Cook Chicken and marinade in the chili lime sauce.  

Brush the crust with Olive Oil.  

Add a light coating of cheese. 

Add chicken.

 Add chopped peppers and chopped jalapeno (judge amount by how spicy you like it!) 

Top with more cheese!

 

Bake at 400 and check every 5 minutes after 10 minutes.

 

 

 



"Simple" Garlic Toast

Prepared By: Sabrina

 

Ingredients: I loaf French Bread

1/4 Cup Softened butter

1 Tablespoon Tastefully Simple Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning

(yes, it's true...sometimes I like to plug my own products)

 

Directions:  In small bowl mix butter and seasoning.

Cut french loaf in two (top and bottom)

Spread seasoned butter on each 1/2 of the loaf

 

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (add cheese if desired)

 

 

 

And so we ate until we were stuffed with delicous carb goodness as we laughed watching "The Best of Chris Farley".  What could be better?  Up next week: enchiladas!