Spaghetti with Baby Spinach, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Figs

You will need:

1 pint fresh figs (cut in half)
2 bunches fresh baby spinach
½ cup sun dried tomatoes (sliced)
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 vine ripe tomatoes (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pat sweet butter
1 box of your favorite spaghetti

In a large frying pan place the olive oil and butter and heat.

Place the figs in frying pan and sauté for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the figs from the pan and set them aside.

Using the same large frying pan place 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the spinach, vine ripe tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Sauté until the spinach has cooked down. When the spinach has cooked down add the figs and turn off the heat.

Prepare the spaghetti as directed on the box and add to the spinach and figs.

Serve with Romano cheese for garnish.

This dish has a slightly sweet and yet unique flavor that is sure to help make for great dinner conversation.

Enjoy!

Fresh Figs with Honey & Chopped Nuts

for BSI

You will need:


1 pint of fresh figs
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup chopped almonds
½ cup honey

Wash and dry the figs.

In a small bowl place chopped nuts and in another small bowl place the honey.

Dip the figs first in the honey and then roll the figs gently in the chopped nuts.

This is my entry for this weeks BSI contest, hosted by Elizabeth of Guilty Kitchen.
Send Elizabeth your best fig recipes at this link here!

Such a simple recipe and yet so delicious!


Enjoy!

Grilled Sweet & Spicy Peppers

You will need:

10 long hot peppers
7 sweet Italian peppers
2 green bell peppers
5 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon capers ~ plus 2 tablespoons caper juice
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes (chopped) plus 1 tablespoon of oil from the tomatoes

Marinade:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ~ plus 1 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil

On a hot griddle place the whole peppers until charred on all sides.

Set aside the peppers to cool in a large bowl or pan.

Do not remove the skin from the peppers, since it adds flavor to the dish.

Remove the seeds when slicing the peppers.
The long pepper seeds will just lift with the vain that is down the middle.

Place the peppers in a bowl and add the garlic, capers -plus caper juice, sun dried tomatoes (plus 1 tablespoon oil from the tomatoes) and the cilantro.

Prepare the marinade and pour over the peppers and toss.

Serve with a beautiful crusty loaf of Italian bread and provolone cheese.

You will enhance any meal with this sweet and spicy dish.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

You will need:

1 – 1 lb. 13oz. can 100% pure pumpkin
8oz. package of cream cheese
4 eggs (beaten)
4 tablespoons sweet butter (softened)
1 box Golden cake mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg

Filling:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sweet butter
3 tablespoons Half & Half cream
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup pecans (chopped)
¼ cup walnuts (chopped)

Preheat oven 350 degrees:

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients – cake mix, flour, sugar, baking powder, and spices and combine these ingredients well.

In a smaller bowl combine all wet ingredients – pumpkin, butter, sour cream, cream cheese and eggs and mix well with electric mixer.

Combine both bowls and mix well with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Grease two 8 inch baking dishes and place batter evenly in each baking dish.

Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes. Do not over cook.

Let cakes cool before removing from pan.

Filling:

In a small saucepan combine ingredients for filling and heat until everything combines nicely.

Spoon filling on flat side of cake and top with the other cake.

You will have a wonderful ending to your meal ~

Enjoy!

“Island” ~ Turkey Strips

You will need:

2 lbs. turkey breast (cut into thin strips)

Marinade:

1 14oz. can coconut milk
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon marmalade
½ cup cilantro (chopped)
1 vine ripe tomato (chopped)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tablespoon curry
½ tsp. black pepper

Marinade turkey strips from 1 hour to overnight in refrigerator.

In large frying pan place 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat.

Let turkey strips drip off excess marinade and place in heated frying pan. Do not place too many in pan at once.

Let turkey strips become golden on one side and turn to the other side to finish cooking.
About 3 -4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the turkey strip.

This is a great way to transport to the islands ~ without leaving home!

Enjoy!

Sicilian Style ~Spaghetti with Chickpeas & Tomatoes

You will need:

1 box of your favorite spaghetti
1-28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1-1lb. 13oz. can of chick peas- drain and rinse (pat dry)
4 cloves garlic (crushed & chopped)
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. capers (plus tsp. caper juice)
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 quart white button mushrooms (sliced and pat dry with Scott towel)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pats sweet butter
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar- plus 1 tsp. sugar
Romano cheese for grating


In large frying pan place olive oil plus butter and heat, place in mushrooms.

Let mushrooms get golden on one side and then turn over to other side.

Place in garlic and parsley and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add chick peas and dried oregano, continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, capers and caper juice.

Add crushed red pepper and black pepper.

Add red wine vinegar plus sugar and continue to simmer on low.

Prepare Spaghetti as directed.

Lift spaghetti from water with tongs or steel net and add to sauce and toss.

Plate and drizzle with a little olive oil and a little extra oregano and red pepper flakes and garnish with fresh grated cheese.

This dish gathers family around the table ~ just add a crispy loaf of Italian bread!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Espresso Cake

You will need:

1 box Chocolate Cake mix (your favorite)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup sliced almonds (plus some extra for garnish)
1 ¼ cup espresso coffee
¼ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sweet butter (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tablespoons sugar in the raw
chocolate syrup for garnish

Preheat oven 350 degrees:

In large bowl combine all dry ingredients – cake mix, flour, almonds and mix

In a smaller bowl combine all wet ingredients – eggs, coffee, milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk, sour cream and butter. Mix batter well with an electric mixer.

Combine both bowls and mix well.

Place batter in two 8 inch greased baking dishes and garnish top of batter with almonds and sugar in the raw.

Bake for about 30 -35 minutes.

Drizzle cake with chocolate syrup and extra almonds.

This simple recipe makes dessert feel rich and luxurious.

Enjoy!

Chicken Strips with Sweet & Spicy Peaches

You will need:

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (cut into thin strips)
2 cups all purpose flour (plus 1 tsp. paprika & 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper)
4 eggs (beaten)
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
olive oil (for sautéing)

Prepare 3 bowls one with flour plus seasonings, another with egg wash and finally one with the bread crumbs.

Dip chicken strips first in flour, then egg wash and finally dip the chicken strips in the bread crumbs.

In large frying pan heat olive oil and place chicken strips in heated olive oil. Let the chicken become golden on one side and then turn and finish sautéing on the other side. About 3-4 minutes on each side.

Sweet & Spicy Peaches:

You will need:

5 fresh peaches (sliced with skin)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
½ Jalapeño (with seeds)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
Juice of ¼ lemon
Juice of ½ orange
1 tsp. cumin

In a deep frying pan place butter, dark brown sugar, orange juice and lemon juice.
Let butter melt with the dark brown sugar and juices.

Add jalapeño, cumin and honey and stir on low until peaches soften and juice thickens, about 5 minutes.

Place peaches over chicken strips and drizzle juice over peaches.

These flavors will wake the senses and transport you to the islands without ever leaving home!

Enjoy!

Steak Tidbits

You will need:

2 ½ lbs. skirt steak (sliced in 1 inch pieces)
2 cups all purpose flour (plus 1 tsp. paprika)
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal (crushed)
3 eggs (beaten)
olive oil for sautéing

Add Honey Bunches of Oats to bread crumbs and mix well.

Dip steak pieces in flour then eggs and finally into breadcrumb mixture and set aside.

Heat large frying pan with about 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and place steak pieces in frying pan.

When steak is golden flip to other side and let other side become golden.

Complete cooking time is about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Spicy Banana Cake

You will need:

5 very ripe bananas
6 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sliced almonds
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
½ stick melted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 ¼ cups milk

Spices:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon curry
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven 375 degrees:

In large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, almonds, zest of lemon and orange, sugar and all the spices and mix.

In smaller bowl combine all wet ingredients: bananas, vanilla, eggs, sour cream, milk and melted butter and mix with hand mixer.

Combine both bowls and mix well.

Grease baking dish with butter and add batter.

Bake about 30 -35 minutes for an 8 inch pie plate.
This recipe used three 8 inch pie plates.

Enjoy!