Pasta with sausage

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 pound Smoked Turkey Sausage sliced
• 1 cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 2-3 fresh cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes (with or without chiles) (like rotel)
• 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
• 8 ounces dry pasta like rotini, penne or farfalle
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

• Add olive oil to a 5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add chicken broth, tomatoes (undrained), milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve. (You could also broil for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese).

German chocolate cake

 Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 pkg. (4 oz) Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate

½ cup of water

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup buttermilk

For the coconut-pecan frosting:

4 egg yolks

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups sugar

¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter

1 pkg. (7 ounces) coconut

1-1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pan with parchment; spray sides with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Beat egg whites in a small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Add egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 min. or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans. Cool cakes in pans 15 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

Prepare Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting; spread between cake layers and onto the top of the cake.

Fried Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage
• 1 pound thick cut bacon
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 orange bell pepper diced 

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into bite size pieces and Fry in a medium heat until brown and crispy.
2. Remove bacon and leave grease from bacon in pan
3. Place Onion and garlic in the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes and then add diced orange bell pepper.
4. Chop up your cabbage into bite size pieces.
5. Place cabbage in the pan along with spices.
6. Stir and cook on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
7. Stir bacon back in the pan and mix with the cabbage. 
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Thighs

 

Ingredients

BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Spice blend for both types of chicken thighs

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp season salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 

Instructions for both bone in or out

I used bone in

BONE-IN, SKIN-ON THIGHS

• Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Pat chicken thighs dry then cover with spice blend. 
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs, skin facing down. Bake for 25 minutes, then flip over and broil on high for 1-2 minutes if you're looking for extra crispy skin (optional...watch closely to make sure they don't burn!) Serve and enjoy!

BONELESS, SKINLESS THIGHS

• Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with spice blend. 
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add chicken thighs with bottom area facing down. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake 8 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
  

Air fryer wings

 

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs chicken wings
• 1 teaspoon seasoning  salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon flour 

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
• Place wings on baking sheets and season to taste with salt, pepper and flour, baking Powder and garlic powder.
• Place seasoned wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
• Cook the wings for 10-15 minutes, then turn them and continue cooking 10-15 minutes or until wings are golden brown.
• Remove from air fryer and serve with sauce of your choice. And sprinkle with lemon pepper 

Zuppa w/ Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb bacon diced, uncured turkey
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 lb ground turkey Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon Italian season
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
• 2 lbs Russet potatoes about 5 potatoes
• 5 cups vegetable stock warmed
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 bunch of kale about 2 cups sliced, not packed
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste

Instructions

• Prepare ingredients first: dice bacon and set it aside. Dice onion, peel and chop potatoes, and mince garlic. 
• Preheat a Dutch oven or another soup pot over medium heat and add oil.
• Add the diced bacon and saute until browned and fat is mostly rendered.
• Add the diced onion and saute until softened. Mix in minced garlic and saute just until fragrant.
• Add ground turkey Italian sausage and use a spatula or a wooden spoon to break it up into chunks. Saute until sausage is mostly cooked.
• Mix in diced potatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
• Slowly, pour in stock, while scraping bottom of the pot and the sides. Bring everything to simmer and lower the heat to medium-low.
• Season with salt and crushed red pepper flakes and mix well. Let the soup cook uncovered over medium-low to low heat until potatoes are very tender (about 40 minutes). 
• Use a wooden spoon to crush and break up a few potatoes for a thicker consistency.
• Chop the kale leaves and discard the thick stem. Stir kale into the soup.
• Stir in the heavy whipping cream and cook for just about 5 more minutes but don't let it boil. Take off heat right away.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I like it spicy) like me 😂😂
• 1/2 pound of ground beef 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 1.5 pounds  potatoes, washed and diced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon basil 
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chopped spinach or kale. I used spinach. It cooks faster 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
•  salt and  black pepper to taste 
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped to garnish on top is optional 

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook sausage and beef in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the stockpot for later*, and discarding the excess grease.  Then Set aside.
2. Add onions to the stockpot (with the grease), and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, basil and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add the potatoes, chicken stock, water, and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the spinach  and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.

Air fryer Lemon Salmon

 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 6 oz salmon filets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp season salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 tsp lemon juice (I put a cutting board down when slicing my lemon, as I'll usually just use the juice that comes from cutting it.)
• 2 tsp dill
• 2 tsp parsley 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over salmon and rub to make sure the salmon filets are evenly coated.
2. Season generously with salt, pepper, and herbs.
3. Arrange salmon filets in air fryer basket, making sure they dont touch too much (don"t over crowd the basket, so air can move around salmon easily).
4. Arrange lemon slices on and around salmon in air fryer basket.
5. Set air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 10 minutes for salmon with a little bit of red in the middle. Flip them over and cook for 5 minutes on 400.
6. Cook for 15 minutes total for salmon with no red in the middle, 14 for well done salmon or thicker salmon filets.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
• 2 spicy Italian sausage 
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp season  salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 4 cups beef broth
• 8 Lasagna noodles broken into small pieces 
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. This is optional 
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• Fresh parsley for garnish 

Instructions

• Saute ground beef and sausage n a large pot over med-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic, sautéing another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Add remaining ingredients except for cheeses and fresh herbs, stirring to combine then bringing to a boil. Place lid on pot and simmer for 20 minutes until pasta is cooked through.
• Serve soup in large bowls, sprinkling mozzarella cheese overtop and topping with a dollop of ricotta. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired, then serve and enjoy!