Is it too soon to be thinking about Thanksgiving leftovers?
Ingredients
2 large baking potatoes
8 ounces turkey cooked and shredded
½ cup BBQ sauce (any flavor you prefer)
½ cup pickled red onion (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onion and sour cream for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or Air Fryer)
Use knife to poke several holes in potatoes. Place potatoes in preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft. If using an Air Fryer, cook for 55 to 60 minutes this will give the skin a crispy texture.
When potatoes are finished baking, place turkey and BBQ sauce in a small skillet. Stir to combine and cook until warm. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cut a slit in the top of the potatoes and use a fork to smash the inside of the potato. Add butter and salt.
Top potato with shredded cheese.
Top cheese with BBQ turkey.
Garnish with green onion, sour cream and drizzle some extra BBQ sauce over the top.
1 (16 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package baby spinach
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
For the sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oil
13.5 oz tomato sauce 398ml, canned
½ cup fresh parmesan cheese grated
1 cup cooking cream or heavy cream
Salt/Pepper
Instructions
For the sauce:
Cut the garlic into small pieces. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic. Cook it for 1 minute. Do not roast, as this will change the taste of the sauce. Stir a little.
Add the tomato sauce and stir well.
Add the parmesan cheese while stirring with a whisk. Mix well.
Add the cream and stir while bringing to a boil.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well for about 5 minutes and remove from heat and set aside.
For the remaining items:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the rib-eye on both sides until rosy pink in the center, 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness. Remove steak from skillet and cut into bite-size pieces.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Add roasted red peppers, spinach, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted, about 4 minutes.
Combine the vegetable mixture and steak tips with the penne pasta.
Add sauce mixture to the pasta (amount based on your liking)
1 tsp each: dried thyme, sage, smoked paprika, chili flakes
Salt and black pepper
Burrata, for serving
Toasted pine nuts, for serving
Fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
Cook papperdelle in generously salted water until al dente. Then drain.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Fry for 6-8 minutes. The mushrooms will start to release moisture, after this, add olive oil and spices. The mushrooms will start to brown, now add the balsamic vinegar and butter. Cook until the butter is melted, stirring frequently.
Add garlic and shallot, sauté until fragrant, for 2 minutes.
Toss with pasta and serve with burrata, pine nuts and fresh thyme.
Literally “pasta and beans,” a warming Italian soup that’s perfect cold weather comfort food.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 14.5 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water, then more as desired
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry ditalini pasta
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
Finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for serving
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat, crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
Drain fat from beef then transfer beef to a plate, set aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in same pot.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté over medium-high heat until tender about 6 minutes, add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and cooked beef then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare ditalani pasta according to directions on package, cooking to al dente.
Add cooked and drained pasta to soup* along with kidney beans and great northern beans. Thin with a little more broth or water if desired.
Allow to cook 1 minute longer. Stir in parsley, serve warm with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.
¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 oz.)
Quick San Mazarzano Tomato and Basil Sauce
1 28-ounce can Whole San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy
6 large basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons EVOO
Sea salt to taste
Directions
For the sauce
Crush the San Marzano tomatoes with your hands or run them through a food mill. (You want a smooth sauce without large chunks of tomato.)
Put the oil and garlic in a sauté pan and cook the garlic until it just starts to brown. Discard the garlic.
Add the tomatoes and stir well to mix in the hot garlic-infused oil.
Add the basil leaves and simmer the sauce to evaporate some of the water, about 15 minutes. Cover and either simmer on very low, or remove from heat.
For the Peppers
Coat the basket of an air fryer with cooking spray. Cut tops off peppers and reserve. Seed the peppers and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice and Panko; cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in marinara, parsley, pepper and Parmesan. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared peppers.
Place the peppers in the prepared air-fryer basket. Nestle the pepper tops in the bottom of the basket. Cook at 350 degrees until the peppers are tender, about 8 minutes. Top with mozzarella; cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more.
Spoon the tomato sauce mixture in a serving bowl and place a slice bell pepper on top. Garnish with more sauce, if you like, cheese or chopped basil.
A classic casserole of Britain and Ireland done “American-style.”
Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 large (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) potatoes , peeled and quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 to 2 cups mixed vegetables, such as diced carrots, corn, or peas
1 1/2 pounds ground round beef
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pepper and/or other seasonings of choice
Instructions
Boil the potatoes: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Sauté the vegetables: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes.
If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions because they take as long to cook as the onions do.
If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time.
Add the ground beef, then the Worcestershire sauce and broth: Add ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Drain the pan of excess fat, if necessary (anything more than 1 tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out.
Taste the cooked filling and, if needed, add more salt, pepper, Worcestershire, or other seasonings of your choice.
In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, tomato sauce, eggs, ricotta, parmesan, bread crumbs, and parsley. The mixture should hold together easily and be thick and creamy.
Heat oil on medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
Scoop pasta with an ice cream scoop and form into 2” balls.
Drop pasta balls into oil and cook until golden, approximately two minutes. Repeat until all batter is used. Set aside on paper towel.
(You can make the sauce first if you prefer) In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in carrots along with celery and onions and sauté until they’re just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and ground pork, and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as you stir.
Pour in the jar of store-bought marinara sauce along with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
When the Bolognese sauce has reached your desired consistency, stir in the heavy cream.
Serve up a healthy portion of the sauce in a bowl and place spaghetti arancini balls on top.
2 tablespoons Organic Extra Virgin Mediterranean Olive Oil (+ extra for drizzle)
6-8 fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup each; crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and pecans for topping
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, reduce to medium heat and add sage leaves. Fry just until oil stops bubbling around leaves, 10 to 15 seconds (try not to let them brown), then remove carefully with tongs and set aside to drain paper towels.
Add butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. Then add garlic and sauté it start to turn yellowish. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, for 3–5 minutes, or until bubbly and fragrant.
Next, add half and half and 1 cup of chicken broth. Whisk until combined and add pumpkin, Parmesan, minced parsley, minced sage, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Use the remaining cup of chicken broth to thin sauce as needed
While sauce is simmering cook ravioli according to package directions.
Drain ravioli and gently stir into sauce.
Plate and top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil, crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberries, and nuts.
Add the oil, butter, and onion to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 5-7 minutes or until it’s lightly browned.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, followed by the tomatoes and chicken broth.
Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, covered, with the lid slightly ajar.
Blend the soup until it’s smooth (you may want to let it cool a little bit first). Stir in the cream and basil and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Grilled Cheese
Melt butter and brush on to both sides of each sourdough slice.
In a large skillet toast the bread, two slices at a time. Place two slices of cheese on top of one of the bread slices. Next add two slices of bacon, a handful of spinach, another cheese slice and top with a toasted sourdough.
Press firmly down with a spatula and cook until cheese is melted, and sourdough is golden brown.
If using whole lobsters, cook them in boiling water for 6-8 minutes until bright red. Remove from boiling water. Once the lobsters are cooked, plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Shuck the lobster meat from the shells.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta.
As the pasta cooks, make the bechamel sauce. Pour lobster stock into a large sauté pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the reserved roux to pan and stir slowly until sauce begins to thicken. Whisk lemon mascarpone and heavy cream sauce until incorporated. Add lobster meat, herbs and juices to the pan and cook on low heat. Add peas and half of the grated Parmesan cheese. Gently fold the ingredients together as they warm.
Once the pasta is tender, remove from boiling water and toss with the sauce in the same pan. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, until sauce coats the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use tongs to transfer the mixture to two warm bowls. Arrange the pasta on the bottom and lobster on the top in each bowl. Spoon half of the sauce over the top of each dish. Garnish with cracker crumbs (optional), remaining Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Serve hot.
