Favorite Italian Meat Calzone Recipe

You can add whatever your family loves. We like this one with pepperoni, capicola (Italian spice meat) and genoa salami

1 pound of pizza dough homemade or store bought (per calzone)
assorted meats pepperoni slices, prosciutto, capicola sliced thin and genoa salami

sliced fresh roma plum tomatoes
sliced roasted peppers
shredded mozzarella and provolone blend whole milk cheeses
grating cheese

Optional:
sliced roasted peppers
sliced mushrooms
thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini
sliced olives
sausage
meatball
ricotta cheese
ham
pineapple
chicken sliced

(obviously you can add whatever combinations you and your family like this is a traditional Italian style calzone tailored to our tastes.)

flour
Preheat oven to 425 degree hot oven.

Spread a little flour on some parchment paper.
Roll each piece of the whole pound of dough out on parchment paper   (for easy rolling and the dough to stick together better do not add flour to the top of the dough) spread the dough out 1/4 inch thick with a rolling pin or your hand to stretch it out. Now add the meats in layers, then tomato and all vegetables that your using all in the center,  sprinkle with cheeses. Bring both sides of the dough to the middle like a sack closing all  the dough sides to hide all the filling and sticking together so the filling is hidden. Using a large spatula or floured hands carefully pick up and place seam side down back on the parchment paper and transfer this all on a cookie sheet. Bake until crisp outside and deep brown color around 45 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.
+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Holiday Red White and Blue Jello Trifle Recipe Ideas and More

Here's an easy Patriotic festive dessert! Your imagination will let your dessert be the talk of any party! Add layers of star cut jello if you have time for the perfect festive look!

All you need is some blue and red pre made jello made and chilled in sheets, chilled and cut into stars from a small cookie cutter or make different bowls of jello chilled with

blue then a bowl of red jello.

Layer jello with whipped cream and fruit in between in a large big bowl to make a trifle! Top with cut out watermelon stars for decorations!



It doesn't matter if you feel you don't have a creative imagination my tips will get you started.




Here are the are the ingredients you will need:

1 package of blue jello

1 package of red jello

whipped cream or topping of any kind

Fruit suggestions: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries sliced, watermelon or other melon of choice

Optional: small star cookie cutter for an even more wow dessert presentation

Make the jello to package instructions and pour into small rectangular fudge size pans to make at least 1 inch thick. Refrigerate until firm. Then you can scoop into a parfait glass by each color alternate, or martini glass layered with blue, whipped cream then red jello. Top with fruit suggestions and whipped cream.

Chill. Unmold the jello and scoop or cut into cookie cutter shapes. You can cut out any shapes you like a star shape or anything else pertaining to that holiday, using a cookie cutter. Layer with blue, whipped cream, red jello.

Option 2

Layer one color at a time. Refrigerate blue until firm. Add whipped cream, pour the red layer. Refrigerate.

Option 3

Make a pan of blue then red in separate pans of jello. Cut out with star cookie cutter making several stars of each color. Add stars in a trifle dish to the outside of the glass dish. Fill the trifle dish with whipped cream alternating with more stars of jello through out the bowl. Top with cut outs watermelon stars using a small cookie cutter star shape and add blueberries, strawberries or/and raspberries.

Option 4

Fill a pre made cooked pie crust adding some fresh star cut out fruits using watermelon, cantaloupe, or any kind of melons you can make out of star cookie cutters. Or just use all whole Strawberries adding a premade glaze,topping then add whipped cream garnish and then some cut out stars of fruits on top. Add some blueberries and raspberries for extra color.

+claudia lamascolo author

0

Raspberry and Blueberry Frosted Cupcakes for Memorial Day Recipe



Looking for a Patriotic festive tribute for the good ole USA?  Here is a wonderful cupcake easy to make and festive looking for any red white and blue kind of occasion.

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter softened (8 tablespoons)
4 extra large eggs
 2 teaspoons vanilla
 1 cup whole milk ( I have use 2% works fine)
 Filling:

Raspberry seedless jam or other favorite red seedless jam

Blueberries for garnish

Powdered sugar and water for glaze drizzle

 Cooking oil spray

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare and line your cupcake tins pans ( I also spray the inside with a little cooking oil spray.

In a large electric mixer mixing bowl,  cream the softened butter and sugar together until evenly blended together, smooth and light in color.  Beat in 1 egg at a time to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the milk and vanilla, next into the same wet ingredients beating until smooth, in a mixer around 3 minutes.  Using a gravy ladle or use a large spoon for adding the filling 3/4 full into paper lined cupcake prepared tins. Make sure you tap the bottom of the pans on the table to release the air bubbles.  This will make 24 medium sized cupcakes. Bake them for around 25 minutes or until the middles spring back to the touch or use a tooth pick in the center to see if it comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and decorating.

After the cup cakes cool. Take a sharp knife to cut out the centers.  Fill with jam.  Drizzle with a powdered sugar and water thick frosting, then decorate with blueberries as a garnish. Place the cored out top back off set to the side of the hole made.

 Note: If you don't like a heavy scratch cake you can use your yellow favorite cake mix to the package instructions.


1

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Chambord Frosting Recipe

        My very favorite flavor combinations are chocolate and raspberry. The Chambord liqueur compliments this ganache frosting perfectly to top these cupcakes and turns them into a gourmet flair. The fresh raspberries are elegant to serve to any guest for any functions. This recipe will give you many compliments along with  many asking for the recipe by all your friends and family. Splurge a little and make this for yourself your going to love them! If you have kids just make some without using the liqueur they are still wonderful and delicious filled with pudding and the frosting!

Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

8 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup special dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Optional:  chocolate cooked pudding by package directions and then cooled

Ganache Frosting (recipe below)

Raspberries for garnish
Chambord for drizzling

In a heavy duty bowl and electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter till light and fluffy. Melt the chips in the microwave until smooth around 2 minutes. Add the the sugar mixture. Add the eggs, sour cream and beat for 1 minute until combined. Add all the dry ingredients left. Beat until smooth around 2 more minutes.
Prepare cupcake tins with liners. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated oven of  350 degrees hot oven until centers are clean inserting a toothpick or around 25 minutes.
Cool Completely.

Optional Chocolate Filling: If using the pudding option, cut a hole around 1 inch  in each of the centers and then removing the cake,  of each cupcake. Fill centers with pudding. Frost with ganache recipe below.

Ganache Frosting:

1 bag 12 ounces of milk chocolate chips put through a food processor until fine
 8 oz heavy cream
8 tablespoons very soft room temperature butter
1/4 cup Chambord Liqueur and more for drizzling

Heat cream to just a simmer. Remove from heat.  Add cream to the food processor with chopped milk chocolate. Add butter and chambord then pulse until well combined. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Frost them with a spreader or you can add to a pastry bag to decorate with a large star tube for piping the frosting on top.
Add red raspberries for garnishing. Drizzle more Chambord over the top before serving.

+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Memorial Day Recipe Picks For 2013

                                                     

                                                            Bloody Mary

0

Chicken Parmesan Loaded Baked Potato Recipe

Who would have thought a meal can be made out of a simple baked potato then topped with a favorite entrée like Chicken Parmesan could be so easy! I was just thinking how much I love it with pasta the usual way we prepare the meal. Tonight we thought we would try a loaded baked potato with our favorite topping. This was one heck of a hit in our house this evening!





My favorite Chicken Parmesan strips recipe:



Three boneless chicken breasts cut up into long strips

Baked Potatoes (I use Yukon gold or large white potatoes) made ahead of time. Bake in the oven or in microwave which ever you prefer. Make as many for family size needed.

Italian flavored panko bread crumbs

Grating cheese

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 cup of half and half or milk

1 baggie gallon sized

marinara sauce click here for the recipe or bottled sauce

shredded mozzarella



olive oil



Place cut up chicken in a bowl of half and half.

Put cheese, bread crumbs, minced garlic, in a large baggie gallon size. Shake the bag to mix ingredients. Add cut up moistened chicken in the bag and shake. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil then drizzle with olive oil or parchment and oil sprayed. Bake at 400 till brown. You can also fry if you prefer. Remove from oven, pour sauce on top, shredded mozzarella, and more grating cheese, place in oven till cheese melts. Top chicken parmesan with a cooked baked potato and serve.



Suggestions for more toppings: Chopped black olives, chopped peppers, sautéed mushrooms, red pepper flakes for heat, cooked chopped broccoli, cooked spinach.



A faster version of this recipe would be to buy premade chicken tenders

Frozen style chicken tenders

Store bought sauce

Mozzarella

Grating cheese

Yukon Gold Potatoes microwaved



Place the tenders on a baking sheet, add the sauce of choice, top with mozzarella and load it up with grating cheese, bake until cheese is browned or melted and chicken is cooked.



Top a cooked baked potato with your cooked cheesy topped chicken and serve.

0

Sunday Morning Italian Traditional Style Meatballs and Video Recipe

And so the story goes, Sunday morning, in our Italian household, meatballs must be frying. If not something would be wrong. Mom would be frying the meatballs, dad and my brothers waiting by the stove not patiently to put one on their fork and of course the aroma engulfed the entire neighborhood swooning everyone to our house while they were frying. A traditional Sunday for us, breakfast was being served with meatballs or it wasn't the Sunday we looked forward to period, didn't really care about anything else until the sauce was done and then it was time to dip the bread into the homemade sauce. Oh the story doesn't end there. Then came the yelling from mom, "who ate all the meatballs?" there are none left in the bowl for the Traditional Sunday Sauce! We would all scram!

0

Crockpot Mushroom Wine Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe

Crock pot cooking is perfect for anyone on the go go go! Well here is a great dinner that everyone will think your a gourmet cook! The chicken is fall apart tender with amazing flavors! Of course you can adapt to whatever your family likes with spices if you love hot hot hot add more cayenne! The side dishes are your choice, I will suggest the rice or mashed potatoes as an alternative. No matter what the chicken will be a big hit!

You will need:

Boneless chicken breasts enough for your family size
1- 12 or 16 ounce can beef gravy
1/2 can Marsala wine or white wine from your gravy can used
1lb fresh sliced mushrooms washed or canned drained
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, salt, black pepper
pinch of cayenne and sprinkle of dried rosemary (Optional)

1 box wild long rice cooked to package instructions or
Make some homemade roasted garlic mashed potatoes CLICK HERE

In a 5 quart or larger crock pot, place the chicken breasts on the bottom. Add the gravy and wine, herbs and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Cook rice to package instructions.
Serve chicken and mushrooms with wild rice.
+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Italian Roasted Peppers On The Grill Recipe

Grilled Roasted Peppers are so easy to make!

These peppers are on sliced Italian bread, don't use anything else.

 For the Grill: First use cooking oil and spray the grates on your grill.
Heat on medium heat. 
Now all you have to do is place 3 or 4 whole peppers on the grill. Close the lid.

Keep checking them and turn them often with tongs. They will be scorched on the outside with good darkened marks.
Cook them until the peppers look soft ,wilted and charred.

Cool them. Cut them open, scoop out the seeds and place just the pepper slices in a jar.

Drizzle a good grade Extra Virgin Olive Oil over them, whole peeled and cleaned garlic cloves and that's it!
Store in the refrigerator.

I let them sit overnight in the refrigerator the first time to eat them to soak in the flavors. Then I take them out an hour before I will eat them to room temperature.

(Note these can be done inside your home on the stove. If you have to do these on top of a gas stove that's fine too, not electric then they go into the oven. Just use a long grilling fork for on top of the gas stove leaving the peppers whole and keep turning till dark brown on both sides) Other wise inside the oven electric or gas you will have to add whole peppers to a cookie sheet oiled sprayed using the whole peppers and keep turning on 400 degrees till soft. Follow same instructions with oil and garlic when cooked)


Serve on crusty Italian Bread. Love the Ciabatta and Rustic breads the best!

0

Banana Cake Squares with Mascarpone Frosting Recipe

I think this is a quick easy comforting dessert that no matter when I make this it's a favorite. The mascarpone cheese is a great addition to make ordinary banana cake taste wonderfully decadent. Add some chopped garnishing favorites on top and you

will have something for everyone!

Banana Cake:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 teaspoons of banana rum, or regular rum or banana extract if not available
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt

Optional garnish for topping the frosting : 1/2 cup chopped pecans, diced raisins, flaked coconut, craisins, or miniature chocolate chips

 Cream sugar and butter together, beating around 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs and banana's along with flavoring. Mix well. Pour in to a 15x10 inch x 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees till brown and set around 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost and garnish with whatever your favorites are, suggestions above.

Frosting:

4 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Blend in a medium sized bowl the cheese and vanilla with a fork adding the powdered sugar a little at a time. Add some water if too thick to spread, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Spread over cooled cut into squares banana cake.

0

Mom's Baked Italian Style Hamburgers Recipe

 Not only a great Italian style burger but just a way our Mom would make hamburgers with an Italian flair is the perfect tribute to recreate on Mother's Day for her this year. I miss her way of making the simplest meals and turning them into a banquet. This was dressed to the nines as Mom would say. Melted provolone cheese, tomato, Romaine lettuce a thick burger with peppers. Oh course Dad loved his onions too! You can add whatever you like on it but it's all in the way she spiced it up.... take a look. So today I am making hamburgers ala Margaret Ann Fanelli Colenzo in style, Happy Mother's Day wherever you are my dear mother in heaven, I will always cherish and love our memories we shared in the kitchen.

                                                   Carmen my dad and Margaret my mom 

4 hamburger patties hand molded ground chuck 1/2 thick
 Italianelles sliced are the first choice.  If you can't find them us bell pepper sliced in rings (around 2 peppers) or pepperoncini sliced.
Italian seasoning not much just around 1/4 teaspoon on each burger we made our own blend. Dried basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Equal amounts around 1 teaspoon each.
Worcestershire sauce (drizzles)
grating cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil or
1 tablespoon melted butter

Topping suggestions:
 provolone cheese, tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, pickles, Italian olives, bacon, prosciutto, mushrooms sauteed, onions, fresh roasted garlic, tomato sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, hot peppers, olive oil and vinegar on a garlic bun toasted.

Cast iron fry pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray pan with cooking oil. Place the patties in the pan. Drizzle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce on each pattie, sprinkle with seasoning over each pattie, Italian seasoning and grating cheese. Place pepper of choice on top of hamburgers.  Drizzle a little olive oil over each ring. Sprinkle with more grating cheese. Bake for 45 minutes until burger are browned and potatoes are crisp on top.  Serve with Italian home fries my dad's recipe!

Serve on Italian bread rolls with your favorite topping. Suggestions would be provolone cheese, tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, pickles, Italian olives, bacon, prosciutto, mushrooms sauteed, onions, fresh roasted garlic, (of course peppers) and anything else your heart desires. Marinara is you want a pizza burger. Traditional sauces for a hamburger Italian/American style.
+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Crockpot London Broil Burgundy Recipe

Crockpots are really the best way to may any roast tender and fall apart sensational. Even if the meat is over cooked it will be a tender experience. The real secret is the juice to keep it moist. When your carving the meat, make sure you place it back into the juice. The juice will keep the meat from drying out and also enhance the flavors. Always serve it in the juice.


Tender, juicy, falls apart and has a wonderful flavor! I always love the leftovers for a future pot pie this will make the best beef pot pie ever!





If there is anything I hate more with beef it's a piece of tough been and you can't chew through it!

This is foolproof tender everytime you make it!

1 (3 pound) London Broil

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slivers

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup Burgundy wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

oregano and garlic powder

Sprig fresh rosemary (optional)

1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter



Place the roast in a shallow baking dish and rub with the salt and pepper garlic powder and a little oregano. Using a thin sharp knife, poke slits all over the top and sides of the roast and stuff each slit with a garlic halves. Add 1/2 cup wine. Refrigerate overnight.

Place the beef in the crockpot adding 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup broth, Worcestershire sauce and marinade wine from the pan, into the bottom of the pot. Put the crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove the roast and let sit while making the gravy.

Add a large sprig of fresh rosemary to the sauce if using. Stir the cornstarch or flour into the remaining 1/4 cup broth and then whisk into the sauce. Put into the crockpot cook until thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more flour and water if you like a thicker sauce. The beef will fall apart. Great with mashed potatoes or over cooked egg noodles.

0

Sticky Cinnamon Monkey Raisin Bread Cupcake Recipe

A sticky cinnamon raisin bread worth the time to make individual cupcake tins for us on the go folks! A great way to grab something yummy home baked for that dreaded day of work (smile) This is really a bread recipe not a cupcake, it just makes it easier to take with
 you,  no slicing involved!

Dough:
 4 eggs at room temperature (do not miss that step) important for proper rising
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups evaporated milk or buttermilk heated to luke warm
1/4 cup melted butter
8 cups flour
2 tablespoon rapid rise yeast

Filling:
1/2 cup assorted raisins in gold, brown or red or use craisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional) or use all raisins instead
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
4 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Drizzle:
powdered sugar
water
pinch cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl using a flat beater bar, beat the eggs with sugar around 2 minutes. Add the salt, milk, 1/4 cup melted butter blend with eggs mixture. Sprinkle in the yeast stirring. Add the flour beating slowly and stop the mixer when it almost all the flour is added and add the remaining to a board to add the rest as it gets too thick to beat. After you add all the remaining flour let rise until double in the mixer bowl away from drafts in a warm area until it doubles in size. Covered with plastic wrap and a towel.
Preheat oven to 350 degree hot oven.
In the meantime prepare your cupcake tins with paper liners or use cooking spray to generously coat. Make the filling by combining the sugar, butter and cinnamon, raisins and nut mixture in a bowl.
When the dough is proofed, roll into tiny balls the size of a quarter. Add the filling, more dough balls and ending with more raisin mixture. (I actually like to use the sprayed tins instead of the paper liners so nothing sticks to the paper. )

Bake until golden brown on top no need to rise again. Cool completely and make a glaze using 2 cups powdered around 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and warm water to make a thick frosting.  Drizzle over the tops with a fork. Let dry.

+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Wonton or Tortilla Mini Bowls, Cinco De Mayo Bowls and Easy Savory Instruction Recipes

These are a simple little bowls you can fill with anything you desire from savory appetizers to mouth watering desserts! I love them sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and then filled with vanilla or coffee flavored ice cream drizzled with some hot fudge sauce, perfect for Cinco de mayo but just use flour tortillas instead of wontons! You can go from salads to desserts all in the same appetizer party frenzy. See some of the suggestions below just to name a few! Get your imagination going you can make a whole lot of different appetizers for your party gatherings and tailor these to all your guests favorites!





Here's how to make them:

1 package of wonton or use flour tortilla (you find these in the produce department at your local grocery store)

1 cupcake pan of 12 openings of medium sized

1 can cooking oil spray



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray you cupcake tins with cooking oil.

Place a wonton in each cup.

Bake until browned and crispy around 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

Suggestions and Notes: Brush the bottoms with a little rum and melted butter before filling for desserts. For the savory styles, brush with melted butter and a little white wine.



For dessert cups, fill with lemon, chocolate, banana or vanilla puddings add fruits such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries, berries, chopped nuts or chunks of chocolate then topped with whipped cream



Add ice cream of your choice (we love coffee flavored) with a sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar and then drizzled with a little chocolate hot fudge syrup



Fresh fruits on top of a dollop of lemon curd



Nutella and whipped cream on top



For savory filled cup fill with a Mexican refried bean dip, add also lettuce, tomato and top with sour cream, chopped olives and jalapenos.

You can fill with chopped tomato and mozzarella and fresh basil for a great started appetizer as shown in photo.

Black beans, avocado, garbanzo beans, corn, mixed with a salsa for a Tex Mex style.

Use a tuna salad, egg salad or ham salad and chicken salad all great fillings.

Cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon.

Cream cheese mixed with crab meat.

Cream cheese mixed with chopped peppers, olives, tomato, onion and tuna.

Roasted chicken, buffalo sauce, drizzled with blue cheese and sprinkled with shredded cheddar

Sliced corned beef, sauerkraut and then drizzled with thousand island dressing

Chopped steak, sauteed mushrooms, onions and drizzled with steak sauce

Pulled pork with barbecue sauce

I am sure you can come up with hundreds of more ideas!

You can make these bowls ahead of time for company to have on hand freeze them on a cookie sheet then store in a freezer bag laying flat until ready to use!

The skies the limit of imagination! These hold up great with any filling.

0

Italian Stuffed Cabbage Roll Recipe

Italian Stuffed Cabbage Roll Recipe

1 head of cabbage placed in the freezer overnight and then thawed (it's easier to roll wilted leaves and eliminates the boiling step)

1 teaspoon salt, oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder (all dry)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
grating cheese pecorino Romano
1 - 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes put through food processor (or 2 pounds fresh plum put through food processor)
1 cup finely diced fresh tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 cup white wine (we use Chablis)
water
1 cup ground sausage raw
1 cup raw sirloin beef ground
1 cup rice raw long grain

Place the diced fresh tomatoes, rice, raw meats in a bowl and mix all together adding the herbs, spices except for bay leaf.

In a large 5 quart Dutch oven place the tomato paste in the bottom of the pot adding the wine to the can to remove anything leftover.
On a cutting board place one leaf at a time adding the filling to each one, roll up two sides to the middle then folding over the others making sure all four sides are covered and no filling is showing.You can fasten with a toothpick or carefully stack them fold side down in the Dutch oven  (as I do) without using the toothpicks. The filling will stay in place.
After you have filled and folded each one and stacked with the fold down pour the crushed tomatoes over the top.  Add water to fill to just cover the cabbage rolls.
Sprinkle more garlic powder over the top of the sauce.  Add the bay leaf. Bake or cook on top of the stove on low or in the Dutch oven covered with the top or piece of foil on 350 degree hot oven for around 2 1/2 hours or until the cabbage is soft and tender when piercing with a fork,  add more water if necessary and starts to dry out. Serve with grating cheese on top.

+claudia lamascolo  Author

0

Southwest Mexican Chili Recipe

A rerun updated with a Southwest kick. I just love the addition of all the different style beans in this one. Sometimes you just have to try it and be surprised when it taste better than it sounds. Has that even happened to you before?  I never liked the sound of adding corn  and mixing so many different items in a chili, then went we went to Arizona for a trip one year I was hooked on the different flair they put on some of the local foods there. This one was a keeper.

For a nice change with an American/Mexican flair for Cinco De Mayo.

 

 

Southwest Mexican Chili

 

2 lbs of fresh plum tomatoes ends cut off (leave three out and cut up into cubes set aside), put rest of the  whole tomatoes through the food processor until smooth.

 

2  fresh whole cloves, cleaned garlic
1 bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn

1 cup cut green beans

1 medium size can  of kidney beans drained

1 medium size can of black beans drained
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder

1 package of chili seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

 1 to 1-1/2  pounds ground beef or ground turkey meat

Garnish:

shredded cheddar

cubed avocado pieces

tortilla chips 

black olives

jalapenos

avocado slices

sour cream

Saute meat in 2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil.  After pink is all gone, drain out all the oil from pan.
Add all beans and stir in tomatoes that are blended with spices, cook on low and simmer for around 2 hours or until thickened. You can also use a crock pot on hour 4 hours.

Ladle into bowls and top with garnish suggestions listed above.

If you like Southwest recipes try some of these below:

Southwest Soup

Tequila Lime Grilled Shrimp
Grilled Lemon Lime Pepper Chicken and Vegetables
Pumpkin Bread Pudding From Arizona
Southwest Corn Pudding
Southwest Cheddar Scones
Southwest Potato Salad
Southwest Shrimp Pasta

0

Italian Style Sloppy Joe Recipe

Ok this isn't a traditional Sloppy Joe, not at all. This is meatball lovers recipe using leftover meatballs smashed up with lots of wonderful cheeses, chopped roasted peppers, ground fried crumbled sausage, your favorite sauce and added to a toasted hard roll!

One of the best leftover sandwiches you will ever make!

1