Recipes tagged with: food network

Kale chips are super easy to make or can be super easy to mess up!  We know that is true.  They are just so yummy...

Here is what you need to know to make the perfect crispy kale chips!

First take your kale and remove the ribs. You can easily do this by holding the bottom rib from the leaf with one hand and use the other hand to grip onto the rib and move your hand up the leaf separating the two from each other.  Next, either chop or tear the leaves into small pieces and place in your colander.  Rinse throughly then dry.  I like to lay paper towels down on my counter then create an even layer of the leaves.  Top with another layer of paper towels and press down.  You want the leaves dry before baking them into chips.  If they wet... they will burn!  

I love starting my Italian cooking with pancetta and onions! This is a great way to make a traditional Italian Sauce.

Amatriciana goes great with seafood, chicken cutlets or even pasta! It does have a different taste than your Italian marinara but once you give it a try…

You will love it.. Sometimes I add capers right before serving! Cooking Italian is certainly my favorite! Enjoy…

This is an amazing one-pot recipe.  I served over riced cauliflower but jasmine rice or roasted vegetables would be great too!

Go ahead and make it!

Note:  I love green onions and hate when they wilt in the refrigerator so I used the entire bunch.  

Enjoy Cindy xo

I know - I know - I am Italian.  However, we have Labanese friends and they would bring over pita bread, grape leaves and kibbeh.  So good!  I remember how my Nana's friend could take a large pieces of pita and rip it in 1/2 the long way so each person got one half of a large pita and made us an amazing sandwich.  Sometimes I wish i was that little girl in at my Nana's house!

I love lamb and that is the traditional way to make kibbeh but not everyone enjoys it so I decided to make it with beef and will put out a large platter to serve the kibbeh by adding grape leaves, hummus, tabouleh,  lettuce, cucumbers, feta cheese, olives and extra-virgin olive oil.

Enjoy

I always think banana bread when those bananas are nice a ripe on the counter.  Today I decided to make more of a breakfast cake in a 9 inch pan.  Slicing the bread with a side of fresh fruit was a  perfect weekend breakfast with our coffee as we sit outside enjoying the amazing Florida weather.

I normally double or triple this recipe and freeze them in individual containers. I try to make it basic then depending on the recipe I can add more flavors such as wines or chicken broth. When making a marinara/sauce remember that dried herbs hold their flavor and color when slow cooking. If you are using fresh herbs don’t add them in until you are finished with the cooking process and just before serving. If you have fresh tomatoes then use them starting with 3 pounds.

**Cindy’s Tip!: Use with your favorite recipe or divide and store in your refrigerator or freezer. **

You can also find this recipe in my cookbook:

At the lake during the summer it's easy to make a dish, get in the boat and head over to a friends house.  I get to have my granddaughter Brooke with me all summer so my dishes need to be kid approves.  

I decided to make sloppy joes then it was easy to wrap and just warm at our friends house.  These were a big hit and fed 5 adults and 6 kids.  There was about 2 tablespoons left in the pan!  

I love veal mixed with my meat as it really lightens up the texture and taste amazing.  You can also use pork or just all meat.  Of course, the kids just knew it was sloppy joes - They all loved it...  

My stomach does not do well with green bell peppers but you can certainly use them in this recipe.  I went for the red and yellow.  This is also a great dish to use your Cast Iron Pan!

Enjoy xo

These pork chops were simply amazing.  Using my Cast Iron pan was perfect for our dinner.  Get it really hot to sear the chops then the oven will do the rest.  I did let the pork chops marinade for a few hours in the refrigerator seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and thyme from my garden then olive oil.  

I made these for 3 of us!  I used the Center Cut Pork Chop Loin but you can use any cut for this recipe.

Enjoy xo

Before I begin let me just say for the record. Bone Suckin' Sauce reached out to me and asked if I would test out their products.  We said sure since we love to BBQ on our Big Green Egg.  We have made a few different recipes using their products and we just LOVE their products.  

These ribs are amazing.  Go ahead and get some of their sauce and make some ribs!

Enjoy xo

What you need!

• Plate Setter
• V-Rack
• Disposable pan (aluminum)
• Slop Mop for your BBQ sauce

In Florida we can get some amazing fresh fish.  While at the market I spotted Yellow Tail Snapper wild caught and local.  I had all of the other ingredients to make this amazing dinner for 2.  This is a great dinner if you are following the Paleo diet or a healthy Mediterranean diet

Note:  You don't have to buy blackened seasonings as I am sure all of the spices are at home in your cabinet.  

Julienne is a knife cut where you slice long strips and keep them all in the same length. 

Perfect for company at the lake!

Cindy's important tip! Be sure to zest the lemon first then squeeze for the fresh juice!

This is a great party recipe that will be enjoyed by all.  I love using frozen cooked shrimp for this pasta dish.  This pasta salad is great way to use up fresh vegetables you have cut up in your refrigerator.  Add your favorite fresh herbs!

This is the perfect romantic dinner for two!  You can use this same recipe with chicken but the Cornish game hen makes a great dish and it looks adorable.

As I was walking around the grocery store looking for inspirations  spotted a box of burger wheat.  I decided to grab the box and use it a few different way.  We love tobuli and I make kibbeh in the summer.

At the grocery store they had buy one get one free of grape tomatoes so I decided to roast one package with lots of garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.  The combination went great together.

Doesn't eating well make you feel so good!  I know we all like to sneak something bad then you hate how you feel.   So, why do we punish our bodies.  I love cooking my own food and enjoying the flavors.

This has become a favorite and it is so easy to make!  I hope you enjoy this dish too and try my Paleo Scallion Pancakes with this!  So yummy... xo

This is another way I share my love for Cauliflower and Italian together!  This is delicious!  Go ahead and give it a try.  Enjoy xo Cindy

I love that I can get riced cauliflower at Trader Joes in the freezer section. It takes minutes just to warm it up. If you don't have a store that carries it in your area just take a head of cauliflower and rice by sending it through the shredding disk from your food processor. To cook it add butter or coconut oil to a pan and once hot add in the cauliflower and cook for about 7 minutes. 

As I have been surprisingly on several cauliflower recipes a taco was inspired while walking through the farmers market and watching everyone eating various tacos!  This was experimenting yummy!!!!

Enjoy xo

My family loves when I let them know we are having Chicken Parmesan for dinner! It's funny because many times when we go out to dinner my husband will order Chicken Parmesan then say, "that is not as good as your".  I always ask him why he orders it when we both know he won't like it!  

I love my chicken very thin for cutlets and therefore for parmesan.  I hope you love my chicken parmesan.  It's so easy to make your own tomato sauce - here is my recipe!

Enjoy

A simple dish can be the perfect romantic dinner for 2 or a quick dish for a family dinner.  Many Italian dishes are very simple yet extremely flavorful. 

It's great when you can add a bunch of amazing ingredients into one pot and have a delicious Mexican feast!  Enjoy

These are perfect for any entertaining!  These will go fast so make plenty!  I serve out of the pot with toothpicks next to them for easy serving.

Seriously! This is the easiest blackened pan seared snapper you will ever make.  This is also amazing.  I served it with haricots vert topped with fried shallots.  I will share that now.

Take a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add in 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  Once the oil is very hot (how do you know it's very hot did you ask?  Great questions - when the oil starts to move to the side of the pan)  Toss in thinly sliced shallots and cook until crispy.  Remove from pan.  Keep oil in the pan.  When ready to make the haricots vert add them to the hot pan with some garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook until tender, remove from pan and top with shallots.  

Next tip! Did you know most seafood departments will provide the seasonings.  Yes, that is true.  We got this snapper at Whole Foods and they seasoned for us.  How easy was that... 

Enjoy xo