FRIED RAVIOLI

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 c. Italian flavored bread crumbs

3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 (13 oz.) pkg. frozen large cheese ravioli, thawed or freshly homemade  ravioli .
Tomato Sauce for dipping of your choice
Olive oil and canola oil for frying

Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip each ravioli in egg, then in crumb mixture to coat well on both sides. In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil mix both together to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2 inch; add ravioli; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden.... dip in sauce and sprinkle with more cheese.

**Optional, dip in oil then in bread crumbs bake on a cookie sheet generously coated with oil and at 400 degrees until browned.

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Grandma Italian Orange Juice Wedding Tray Cookies

We always had these in the house when growing up, grandma loved to make cookies with orange juice and dunk them in her coffee...a great recipe! Whenever someone got married she would make a huge batch of these....always a hit!

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Rocky Road Fudge

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 can (14 oz.)Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Bailey Irish Creme

3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peanuts,walnuts, macadamia or pistachio's(or you may have a favorite nut!)

LINE 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil; grease lightly.MICROWAVE morsels and sweetened condensed milk in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Fold in marshmallows and nuts.PRESS mixture into prepared baking pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces.Makes 48 pieces

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Crockpot RUM Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake

1 cup flour regular flour, not self rising

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon rum or vanilla

Garnish:
whipped cream or ice cream for topping
Step 1  Coat the inside of a 2 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Step 2  Blend in a small bowl the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water and mix well. Mixing in the flour mixture with this until smooth .

Step 3  In another bowl add  2/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa, vanilla extract, salt, milk, and the egg yolk mix well. Add that mixture to the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Step 4  Pour the batter into the crockpot and spread it evenly along the bottom.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients,  white and brown sugars, cocoa, rum or vanilla and the hot water until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 5  Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake batter which will be thin . Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot.

Step 6  Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you'll know it's ready when nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot.

Step 7  When it's done, turn off the power and remove the lid, then serve it in bowls topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: this is similar to that dessert you find on cruises........

enjoy!

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Pasta e Fagioli - Pasta Fazool

One of the first recipes I ever learned to make. Every Region in Italy makes it a little different. I have had many versions, by far this is our favorite in flavor. Thanks for stopping by, my mom would be thrilled to know others are making this in her memory. R.I.P. mom till we meet again...  your loving daughter , Claudia

Pasta e Fagioli - Pasta Fazool ( Picture made at Easter 2009)

Grandma use to make this so many ways, thick, with greens, thin as soup, you can use this basic recipe and make it the consistency you like..

A great soup, or beans and pasta dish. With crusty bread its a winner every time.

2 cans 16 oz  cannellini beans or white great northern beans or fresh cooked beans  
1 can 16 oz can whole tomatoes cut up or use 1 pound plum tomato put through the food processor

12 ounces of chicken broth
salt, pepper to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup celery hearts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup white or red dry wine
1 fresh basil leaf, 2 cloves chopped or 2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced or more to taste and 1 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder ...(optional pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a little heat.)

1/2 lb. ditalini boiled separately and drained or baby shells, and even orzo will work.

grating cheese

Canola or Extra Virgin Olive oil

Optional:

4 or more baby carrots ( adds sweetness)

1/4 to half cup chopped escarole or spinach

One of the first recipes I ever made.


 Every Region in Italy makes it a little different. I have had many versions, by far this is our favorite in flavor. Chop the celery fine. Saute fresh garlic with tomato paste in enough olive oil to cover bottom of medium pot till golden and fragrant. Remove garlic when starting to brown (do not burn). Drain beans and add to pot. Add herbs, wine and spices add chopped escarole. Add celery, finely chopped carrots if using, broth and tomatoes. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for approximately ½ hour. In a 2 quart pot, boil water for ditalini to package instructions and drain. Add ½ cup grated cheese to the beans to thicken it add more broth if too thick ( I also love red pepper flakes which is optional for a little heat). Stir in cooked pasta. Serve with garlic bread and red pepper flakes on top.

Optional: Grate more Romano cheese on top pasta fagioli when serving. A nice addition to this dish, is cheesy parmesan garlic bread , or just plain crusty Italian bread. I double this recipe. You can adapt any way you like.

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Italian Wedding Style Tortellini Soup

This is a hearty chicken soup, with ditalini,acini de pepe, tortellini, broken up vermicelli and orzo. Meatballs, escarole, carrots,celery garlic, parsley and basil...
So it takes a good long simmer to make a delicious broth using chicken legs, thighs, or whatever parts you have...a rich broth is made with these parts.

The authentic or traditional soup has been a controversy

for years and years on what the REAL thing is, in my eyes

there are no "authentic" ones except whomever the first

person made it and since we go back to the first soup made in 6000 BC there are no rules here. If you google this soup you will find thousands of versions as there versions of Italians that call and make it their Region of Italys way. So this is my family version and my mom, Aunt and Grandma had even a different version. This has pastine, meatballs, bits of escarole and lots vegetables IE, carrots, chopped tomato and celery, escarole, you can add more of any of them to include fennel. This could be considered an imposter sporting a little different version of wedding soup by adding tortellini and several other kinds of pastine by some readers. Some people put spinach in their soup I always use escarole. Soup is whatever you like it to be, that's why they call it soup. We didn't always stick to the same type of chicken soup it was whatever we had in the house to go in that pot. So when times were tough, whatever they had went in the pot it could be veal bone,beef, chicken....so that is how soup was developed in our home, use what you have available, it may not be authentic but my traditional soup will not dissappoint you and is easy to make ..

....Fresh tortellini, grating cheese and chicken make this a delightful combination of flavors. So here it goes!

Meatballs:

1/2 cup of ground round, turkey or a mixture of pork and ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons Italian flavored bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grating cheese
mix together set aside.

 Use 8 chicken legs, or thighs,  put into 4 quarts of water boil for an hour. Put on low to simmer. After the chicken is done around 1 hour. Pull the chicken off the bone and put back into the pot.

In the meantime make the meatballs below and set aside.

(For those not making their own broth )you will need:

4- 16 oz cans of chicken broth ) You will need to have cooked chicken to add to the pot as well.

1 head of escarole cleaned and boiled for 30 minutes separately or you can use 1 /2 package of frozen spinach (about 5 oz chopped uncooked add this to the pot.

1 cup finger carrots or crinkle cut carrots)

1/4 cup celery chopped

1 large 16 oz can of whole tomatoes chopped

1/2 teaspoon each oregano, parsley, garlic powder,thyme, rosemary, black pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper.
salt and pepper to taste
While boiling roll tiny small meatballs and add to boiling pot.... .

Boil 1 package fresh tortellini cooked separately until tender.

Also cook 1/2 cup of pastine of choice separately (above picture mentioned and used several, or even rice if you like.
Drain tortellini and pastine, put all in pot..... if broth is low add more canned chicken broth or water ...... just before serving add 1/2 cup of Romano grated cheese and serve

17

Batter Fried Wings and Seafood with Hot Sauce

Batter Fried Wings and Seafood with Hot Sauce are amazing appetizers. The batter is soaked with this delicious homemade wing sauce.

Hot Buffalo Style Wings, Shrimp or Scallops

Buffalo Sauce
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne if you want extra hot
 black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of  garlic powder
3 tablespoons of chunky blue cheese dressing( optional)
Mix all together except blue cheese in a small saucepan and set aside

This will coat 12 wings, a dozen of shrimps(cleaned deveined and tails off) or scallops
Batter

1 egg beaten,

1/2 cup milk

and 1 cup all-purpose flour

Buffalo Sauce: Combine in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is mixed through. Cover, and keep warm over low heat, add blue cheese(optional) when ready to serve to the mixture and stir.

 Combine egg and milk in a small bowl. Place flour in a large zip-type bag. Coat  wings or fish  with egg mixture, then toss them in the bag of flour and shake well to coat. Leave these shrimp in the bag, and repeat the process with the remaining shrimp. Make sure they are all well coated with flour. Refrigerate about 5 minutes while the deep fryer heats up to 375 F. Deep fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until shrimp are brown these cook alot quicker than the wings. Cook wings till they are crispy, and golden brown. Remove, drain, and toss gently with Buffalo Sauce.

**Note this will coat around a dozen chicken wings

*** 1 pound of Scallops may be substituted for Shrimp.....

10

Apple Cinnamon Stuffed Baked French Toast

Apple Cinnamon Stuffed Baked French Toast

4 cups half-and-half or whole milk

4 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

4 apples paired and sliced

10 slices of bread

Filling:

Optional fruits can be used , apples, blueberries, banana, peaches use fresh sliced . In a bowl put sliced fruit of choice, add 1 tablespoon flour 4 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and a teaspoon of cinnamon, mix set aside.

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, spices, vanilla, together in a separate bowl set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 .Coat a 4 quart pan with nonstick cooking spray, add two tablespoons of butter and melt in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Layer bread like a lasagna, put a layer of bread on the bottom, filling in the middle, end with bread and pour batter over top, allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.

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