Mamma can cook

Ok so maybe this title is a bit extreme because it was not said by a real food connoisseur but both my husband and my brother said it, and they have had their fill of blueberry muffins, so I took it and ran with it. ANYway.... we tend to go blueberry picking several times in the summer and this past weekend they were beautiful and ripe and the kids were poopin' blue for days (sorry I know but I had to go there). We collected about 12 pounds of blueberries and well we have been eating them A LOT but there comes a point when you need to start baking. My mother made 2 blueberry pies which were fantastic, I decided to make these. Derek has been chucking them into cereal. Not only are these fantastic berries delicious but the health benefits Fugghettaboutit. They are chock full of antioxidants “When it comes to brain protection, there's nothing quite like blueberries, according to Tufts neuroscientist James Joseph,”. “I call the blueberry the brain berry, says Joseph, who attributes...

I am not a HUGE ice cream fan, but Derek is and so are the kids so when I came across this recipe I figured I have to try it. I love the fact that I know all the ingredients in here and there are no strange fillers always a plus for our health ya know. Soooo, I made this for July 4th and I was surrounded by Ice cream lovers. They LOVED it. I must say it is delicious. You can add whatever you would like to it. I have chocolate chip fans, but you can really add any extract and make whatever you would like. I think next time I will try this with Pistachio extract and real pistachios, mmmm. The hardest part of all of this was the wait. I would say it is about a 6 hour wait until it is fully frozen and ready to scoop. Yummy!!!! Oh Yeah I just threw the green in for garnish of course, we are not weirdos like that and eat garnishes with our ice cream, but it does look fancy shmancy doesn't it? *Salmonella Note.....Yeah I know there are raw eggs here, SOOO if you are freaking out about th...

These are the cutest things I have made and seen in a long time. Ethan is having his 3rd birthday party celebration at school today and I had to bring something. He told me he wanted cookies that are letter E's and the number 3's. Ok that was easy, but I needed something else just because. Sooo, I thought cupcakes but HOW messy to transport and for them to eat. Ethan licks off the icing and calls it a day. THESE little darlin's were perfect!!! They LOOK like a cupcake but they are a hard candy/chocolate shell on the outside with cake in the middle and they are oh so "popable" in Derek's words. I had so many left over I just took them and packed them in bags along with the cookies and will give them all to the kids to take home. Yes, after working all night I realized these are THREE year olds they don't care if I run to stop & shop and get some nasty cupcakes filled with Partially Hydrogenated oils hahaha, but the fact is Ethan has been telling me all ...

Not only are these really simple to make but they are actually really healthy. You can leave out the bacon of course but only 3 strips adds plenty of flavor and is the only fat in the muffins. My Dad and Derek eat a whole dozen in one day. 2/3 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat) 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + 1 T for topping muffins if desired 1/4 cup flour. (I use whole wheat flour) 2/3 cup almond meal (I use 2/3 cup almonds ground in food processor for this, which makes it slightly chunkier) 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3 T water 4 eggs, beaten 3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, fat blotted with paper towel, then crumbled 3 T thinly sliced green onion (scallions) Preheat oven to 400 F. In mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, white whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, water, and beaten egg. Mix well. Gently mix in crumbled bacon and green onion, until well distributed in batter. Spray muffin cups with nonstick spray, or use foil muff...

Ok... I am not sure if this looks really good in the picture because the flavor of deliciousness is so overpowering it has skewed my judgment of the photo. In any case.... This is fantastic. It is actually pretty uncomplicated. The crust is amazing and as you can see a almost 3 year old can do it!! Before you slice this, it is just BEAUTIFUL as well. This is a common dish served for an Italian Easter but not necessarily. Tracie came over the other day for a brunch and really enjoyed it and if I don't post this recipe our friendship may be over. You can change any of the layers if you would like and again if you can't find basket cheese you just mix Ricotta with 2 eggs. Dough: Makes approximately 2 pounds. 1 packet of active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon salt 2 cups of warm water 5-6 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil Filling: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 pound fresh, hot Italian sausage (in casing) 1/2 pound capocollo, thinly sliced 1/3 pound Genoa salami,...

I just got an email from Colleen who has been such a great supporter of my blog. She has tried quite a few of my recipes and she has been happy, and I am thrilled!!! So when she requested a chicken recipe this was the first one that came to mind, because of how easy it is and the fact that it is grilled I knew she would prefer that. I think the request for chicken is probably the most popular one. The problem with chicken in MY opinion is that it is SO popular that we have trouble coming up with healthy, different recipes to keep this fellow from being so boring! Although, I do have a good amount of chicken recipes I get 95% of them from my parents who make chicken A LOT and yet it always remains a tasty and not so boring meal. THIS recipe here we have been eating for a LOOOONG time, and recently I tried a new spin on it. Usually my mother breads the chicken and pan fry with Olive Oil, then simply tops it with the Mozz, Basil & Tomato. It is simple and delicious and always a crowd...

So truth be told... My mother and I hate Stew type foods. Neither of us enjoy a cooked carrot, or the meat in a gooey lump, ack, but my Daddy on the other hand LOVES Stew. The other day Derek took out a package of Beef Cubes and as I looked at the package I thought OH NO Stew?? Well, the good thing was my parents were coming over that night so Derek and I can go to dinner, so I got out of eating it, but I felt bad that my mother was going to be left with the meal. I decided to really find a new recipe that I thought she would enjoy. I went to the Italian GODDESS Marcella Hazan to see which direction she will lead me.... and this was it, and she changed my opinion on Stew. Let me just add.... I am not a fan of pickles in my food, nor am I a fan of capers AT ALL, but the medley was simply perfect. My mother who had brought her own dinner to my house once she found out we were eating stew, tasted the stew was pleasantly surprised and saved her dinner for the next days lunch!!! 2 Tablespo...

I am only a fan of Banana Bread when it is not all wet and soggy and sometimes this is hard to achieve since well Banana's don't really COOK, but if you use THIS recipe you will have perfect Banana Bread or Cake and what IS the difference between Banana bread and cake? I don't know what this would be classified as but who cares call it what you want it is an easy and great recipe!! You can of course add walnuts or whatever you please but I love chocolate with my banana bread. The BEST part of this cake....... ONLY 2 TBLSP of BUTTER!!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH no guilt. Go ahead now. Take those nasty bananas that you would not dream of eating because of the black spots that are covering them and make them into something divine!!! 1½ cups flour ( I used 1 cup White Flour and 1/2 cup Wheat Flour) 1 teaspoon baking powder (I always use Rumford ) ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter (salted or unsalted) 1 large egg wh...

Ever since I can remember my brother Richard has been obsessed with finding THE Orange Julius recipe. We would buy the powdered Orange smoothie mix in hopes it would satisfy his fix, but it never did. The other day he came over so excited that FINALLY after about 14 years he has found THE perfect Orange Julius copy recipe. He was right it was fantastic!!! Especially with some alcohol in the evening, mmmm. The kids LOVED it, minus the vodka of course. Anyway, just a warning... The recipe calls for 6oz of OJ concentrate but we bought the 12oz and used that, it came out pretty gross then we realized we used twice as much so we doubled the whole recipe it then was PERFECT. Here you go.... Richards 14 year quest of finding the perfect Orange Julius has come to an end and all the work was done now you can just enjoy: 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup milk 1 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 10 or so ice cubes 1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. 2...

Yes that is right NO BUTTER. I have been making a batch of these a week now for the kids because they LOVE them. I hate them due to the tiny sprinkles that they shed all over my counters and floors and the obsession I have with bending down to a birds eye view to see how many of them I missed after the million times I tried to clean them up. ANYway.... These use olive oil insted of Butter. I use Extra Virgin just because it does have health benefits and you can't tell at all what oil is used. Now this is a very flexible recipe.... Sometimes I use Almond extract in the dough and icing or lemon extract just depends on what I feel like. Try whatever you like. 4 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 6 beaten eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1 1/2 teaspoon extract (almond, vanilla, anise) *** Icing: *** 2 Cups confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 teaspoons extract Blend beaten eggs into dry ingredients, following with all other ingredients. Knead until smooth. Roll...

I have been making these for a long time, and recently made them for a Passover dinner at my mom's house. I think this is definitely one of my most requested recipes. They are SOOOO easy. I really believe the key to these is to FOLLOW the recipe. The eggs at room temperature should be as directed at room temperature!! I usually just put them in a warm water bath if I have forgotten to take them out. 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or ...

Soooo, I made this as one of the Appies at Owen's 1st birthday and I got a few requests for it then, but I also brought it to Karen's house for Terentieff Tuesday and Stacey hasn't forgotten about this lusciously delicious fellow. So this is for Stacy and anyone else who needs an easy and tasty little appetizer. The Cast of Characters : French bread 6 oz green olives 6 oz black olives 2green onions 1 stick butter softened 1/2 cup real or low fat ( not fat-free) mayonnaise 3/4 pound Monterey Jack Cheese. 1. Place one regular-sized can of black olives on a cutting board. (Mine said "6 oz. Dry Wt."), Do the same with a 6-oz jar of pimiento-stuffed green olives Give them a rough chop. 2. Slice 2 green onions into thin pieces then give them a nice rough chop all over 3. Place 1 stick softenend butter into a mixing bowl. 4. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Please do NOT hurl if you don’t like mayonnaise; I promise, you won’t even know it’s there. 5. Take 3/4 pound grated Montere...

Well yes I love crumb cake who doesn't? I have had a recipe that is just Fantastic!! I thought the perfect time to share it was today. I made a little Birthday dinner for Heather's 30th and she is a lover of Crumb Cake too, so here it is!!! 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (plus ingredients on back of box) 2 Sticks cold salted butter 2 1/4 Cups flour 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon 1 ¾ Cups sugar 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla Powdered sugar (for dusting) PREHEAT oven to 350. PREPARE cake mixe in large bowl according to directions on box. Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is just barely set. WHILE cakes are baking, prepare crumb topping. In large bowl of electric mixer combine, butter, flour, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla until all crumbly. IMMEDIATELY after cake is removed from oven, break crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers, sprinkling over top. Put back in oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (topping wi...

I LOVE me some Mushorooms!! Love Love Love!! and so when I saw gorgeous Shiitake mushrooms at Trader Joes... I said Oh Yeah Funghi Pasta for us. I know people either love em or hate em. I am in a crowd split in the middle with both lovers and haters, BUT the family loved this especially Owen who made me so proud because he too will be a Funghi lover. There is nothing like Olive Oil for bringing out the woody accents from mushrooms, and that is how this recipe begins. Mind you this is SO very easy. 3/4 pound fresh white mushrooms 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley Salt 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons butter Black Pepper ground Fresh 3/4 cup Freshly grated Parm-Reg cheese 1 pound of Pasta ( I use Whole Wheat Penne) 1. Rinse all mushrooms quickly, Cut white mushrooms if they are not sliced from cap to stem into thin lengthwise slices. Discard and de...

Hummus & Shawarma ? Richard just got back from Israel and one would assume that the first thing he would talk about were the historical sites he saw or the amazing experience of a friday evening at the Kotel ? NOOO , he came back talking about the amazing Hummus, Shawarma's and the hot girls. He also came back with pictures of the hummus? That is my family though we are all too consumed with food I guess. SO tonight is the Final Four and he was psyched to watch it, what can be better than homemade hummus and a twist on the Shawarma, (I do not have that cone that rotates and chars meat lets be serious here) I made my own version. This is so not typical game with a beer food, but it did go down well with a nice cold one. Rich was happy. He said both of these were fantastic, woohoo!! HUMMUS 1 15oz can chickpea 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste that you can find in organic section of supermarket or ethnic grocery stores) juice from 1 squeezed lemon 1-2 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon cumin...

The kids love plain ol' sugar cookies and so I was on a mission to find an easy recipe with an icing that dries hard so they aren't covered in a goopy mess, because I clean enough other goopy messes I didn't need to add to it. They were a HIT with the kids and adults on Easter. These were fun to do especially because Vladdy was over my shoulder directing my every artistic move. He had the color for the tulips, hahaha. I love my Pa!!! COOKIES: 1 1/2 cups butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cook...

Pie Crust: MAKES 2 PIES CRUSTS 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (chilled) 3 large eggs Filling: This will make enough filling for one 9-inch pie. Simply double the recipe if you'd like to make two pies. 1 pound ricotta cheese (drained) 1 cup heavy cream ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1/2 of a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple (drained) Ground cinnamon (dusted on top of pie) For the dough, combine the dry ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and pulse about 10 times to mix the butter in finely Add the eggs and pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball. Invert the dough to a floured work surface and carefully remove the blade. Wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it while preparing the filling. You may keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before continuing. If you don’t ha...

As I dug around the freezer looking for what meat to take out for dinner. I notice What the hell?? there are only Chicken Drumsticks?? Ugh. It is not that I don't like them, but it is one of the last resort meats I tend to make. I needed a new way to make the Mighty Ol' Drumstick, and I found one!! EASY EASY EASY...CRUNCHY....TASTY Drumstick. Oh yeah I see you eyeing up those mashed potatoes...NO I don't usually pipe beautiful mashed potatoes on our plate, what am I crazy?? The thing is Ethan is not a fan of mashed potatoes but he IS a fan of cupcakes, SOOO I thought maybe if I make the mashed potatoes LOOK like vanilla frosting that I make on cupcakes he would eat them???? Well.....at least he tried them. Ingredients: 3 TBLSP butter, melted 2TBLSP oil 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix 8 chicken legs, skin off Directions: Heat oven to 350º. Stir together crackers and onion soup mix. Dip Chicken legs into melted butter/oil mix then coat w...

There is no pretty way to take a picture of this meal, but it is such a comfort food and so delicious, mmmmm. Easily frozen and to reheat next day!! I think it may even taste better the next day. Try it and then come back and thank me!! I did try to make this meal less fattening by changing some of the ingredients, you can find the improvisations under recipe 9 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced 1 large onion, finely chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups whole milk, room temperature 1 cup heavy cream room temperature 1 cup chicken broth 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 12 ounces linguine 3/4 cup frozen peas 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 1 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. MY IMPROVISATION...

Mamma Choppin away 1 lb carrots, peeled 1 lb parsnips , peeled 1 large sweet potatoes , peeled 1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded(about 2 pounds) 3 tablespoo ns olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.