Italian Lemon Pound Cake

1  1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons softened sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil
 


Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Use a mixer to blend together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add oil and mix well.

Pour batter into a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the cake comes out clean.


Icing

1 cup powdered  plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon whole milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Lemon icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer on low speed.

When the loaf is cool, remove it from pan and frost the top with the icing.
Let the icing dry before slicing.
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Italian Pecan Cream Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs, separated
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:
1(8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Grease and flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans.

Beat the sugar, shortening, and butter until light and fluffy, add  egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one is added.

In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture in 2 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until combined. Beat in vanilla, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.

 Beat egg whites in another bowl until they form stiff peaks and fold into batter gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops, and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes and invert cakes onto racks to cool completely.

                                                            Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, until creamy. Stack cake layers on a cake plate, spreading about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake.

Italian Anisette Cookies

  1 cup butter, softened
  3/4 cups sugar
  1 teaspoon anise extract
  1 teaspoon lemon extract
  3 cups flour
  3 teaspoons baking powder
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  1 egg

  White Glaze

  1 cup powdered sugar
  milk
  colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Beat together butter and sugar until creamy, stir in anise and lemon, add dry   ingredients, and blend     together, add egg and blend together well.  Form the dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet that is ungreased.  Bake for  12-15 minutes, cool the cookies well before glazing and adding colored sprinkles.

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Italian Walnut Rum Cake

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 package 4 serving size of vanilla instant pudding
 4 eggs
 1/2 Crisco oil
 1 cup of walnuts
 1/2 cup dark rum

 Glaze topping

 1 stick of butter salt free
 1 cup of granulated  sugar
 1/4 cup water
 1/2 cup of dark rum

 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, using a bundt cake pan grease well, and about (1 Tablespoon)  of flour to coat pan, tap against  sink to  remove extra flour
 Pour the 1 cup of chopped nuts over the bottom of the pan, Mix all the cake ingredients together and  blend well and pour over nuts and bake for 1 hour.  While cake is cooling, prepare your glaze.


Melt butter into a saucepan , pour in and stir water and sugar, stir while you bring to boil the glaze mixture for about 5 minutes,  remove from the stovetop and add the rum slowly and mix together well.  After cake cools for about 20 minutes invert to remove from bundt pan and place on cake pan, prick the top of cake, and then drizzle and glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cooled cake. making sure that the cake absorbs the glaze. Let the cake stand and absorb the rum for about 10-12 hours, covered with aluminum foil

Lasagna with Meat sauce

2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 pounds lasagna noodles
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
Pinch salt and pepper
2½ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese
1 pound mozzarella cheese, fresh sliced thin

2 35-ounce cans Tomatoes sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 pound ground beef  (you can do 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 Italian sausage
salt (Optional)
¾ cup red wine
⅓ cup tomato paste
1½ teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
4 cups hot water
1 tablespoon of sugar


Heat the olive oil in a  4 to 5-quart pot over medium heat, add the onions, cook, stirring occasionally, until golden in color, add  in the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly golden as well, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, and season lightly with salt. As you cool stir it to break up the meat, until the meat changes color for about 12 minutes, Continue cooking until the meat is browned about 8 minutes. Now add oregano then pour in the wine.

Bring to a boil and cook, scraping the sides of the pot, pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the tomato paste until is dissolved into the sauce. Season with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, the lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce takes on a deep, brick type color.  Cook for 2 to 3 hours. Add the hot water, about ½ cup at a time, as need to maintain the level of liquid for the time the sauce cooks.
I always skim off any fat floating on top and adjust and season as needed. The sauce can be prepared  in advance and refrigerated for up to 6 days, if your freeze up to three months.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water and the olive oil to a boil in an 8-quart pot over medium heat. Stir about one third of the lasagna noodles into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10-12 minutes.

While the noodles are cooking, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper, in a mixing bowl until foamy. Add the ricotta and stir until thoroughly blended. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna, ladle about 3/4 cup of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 15 x 10-inch baking dish.

Arrange noodles lengthwise and side by side so as to cover the bottom of the baking dish and overhang the short ends of the dish by about 2 inches.

 Also, the noodles will most likely overlap in the center of the dish. That is fine.) Spoon enough meat sauce, about 2 cups, to cover the noodles in an even layer. Sprinkle the sauce with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Arrange a single layer of noodles crosswise over the cheese so they overhang the long sides of the baking dish by about 2 inches, again trimming the noodles and overlapping them as needed.

 Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Arrange a single layer of noodles lengthwise over the ricotta, trimming the noodles if needed. Arrange the sliced mozzarella in an even layer over the noodles.

 Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the cheese and sprinkle with 1 cup of grated cheese, over the sauce. Cover with a layer of noodles, arranged lengthwise. Spoon sauce, about 2 cups, to cover the noodles in an even layer and sprinkle the sauce with 1 cup grated cheese. Turn the noodles overhanging the sides and ends of the dish over the lasagna, leaving a rectangular uncovered space in the middle. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the top layer of noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Cover very loosely with aluminum foil and bake 45-50 minutes.  

Uncover the lasagna and continue baking until the top is crusty around the edges, about 25 minutes. Let rest at least 25 minutes before serving.   Serve with crusty Italian Bread and a Glass of red wine.
 

Chocolate Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

1 package regular Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies
6 Tablespoon butter, melted
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
... 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
3 1/4 cups cold milk
1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
2. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
3. Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the crust.
4. In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
5. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

Baked Italian French Toast

1 Loaf of Italian bread Soft crust

1/2 stick of soften unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1  2/3 cup of whole milk

 
Cinnamon

6 tablespoons of sugar

Your favorite Maple Syrup

Cut 12 thick on inch slices of Italian bread, butter one side of each slice well and arrange slices up in a buttered 13x9x2 inch baking dish, just one layer, and the can fit tight in the baking dish. 

Mix well eggs, milk and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon until well mixed, then pour slowly  and evenly over Italian bread.  Let sit for about 5 minutes until the bread is has absorbed the egg mixture.

Preheat oven at 425 degrees.  Now sprinkle the bread with the sugar and more cinnamon if you would like.  Bake the French toast uncovered on the middle rack of your oven until you notice the bread is puffed and golden on top.

Cook for about 25-30 minutes. Many like the ends of the bread so you them if you like as well.

Serve hot with your favorite Maple Syrup.  This can be prepared the day before and refrigerated.  Just let the baking dish stand for about 1/2 in order for it to get to room temp. before putting in oven.  You can also top the with strawberry's or blueberry's.

 

Pulled Pork

3 pounds of Pulled Pork
1 package of slow cooker BBQ Pulled Pork seasoning
1/3 cup of Ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar


Place 3 pounds of pork in slow cooker

Mix seasoning packet, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar until well blended. Pour over pork and cover. 

Cook for 9 hours on low for 5 hours. once cooked remove from slow cooker and shred pork with fork/  Once shredded place back in cooker.  Mix well and heat with sauce from cooker before you serve it.  Serve on your favorite rolls



 

Summer Broccoli Salad

 

 

1 head of broccoli

8 slices cooked crumbled bacon

1/2 red onion chopped

8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese (cut in small chunks)

1 cup of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes sliced in half

Salt and pepper

 

 

 

 

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem and remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly, cut the head into flowerets and the stems of the broccoli into bite-size pieces.

 Place the broccoli into a large bowl. Add the bacon, red onion,  and cheese.

 In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

Cucumber Salad

1/2 cups of cucumbers sliced thinly

2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons of ranch dressing

1 small green onion chopped

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley, divided

1 teaspoon of snipped fresh dill divided

1 hard cooked egg sliced

 

 

Arrange cucumber on a serving dish

 

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, ranch dressing, and onion, 1/2 teaspoon of parsley and 1/2 teaspoon of dill.  Sprinkle over cucumbers.  Add the egg slices arranged over the top and garnish with rest of parsley and dill.

 

This salad is for 2 servings

 

 

Italian potato Cakes

Thanks to my Mom who never wasted anything! Mom would use leftover mashed potatoes and season them to her liking and made Italian potato cakes.

2 cups of Mashed leftover potatoes (or potatoes you made the night before for this purpose)
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1/2 cup of flour
1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2  teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Italian melody seasoning

Divide your mashed potatoes into 1/2 inch patties.  Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.

Mix the flour, pepper, and Mrs. Dash in a pie dish.  Coat the potato patties in the flour mixture,  Add the potato cakes to the pan and lower the heat to medium-low.  Cook until the potato cakes are golden about 15 minutes on each side.   Once golden add to serving dish. 

Season once cooked with more pepper, salt optional.

 

 

Sloppy Joe

 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 1/4 pounds of lean ground beef

1/4 cup of dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon of Montreal seasoning

1 medium chopped onion

1 small bell pepper (Red)

1 tablespoon of red wine

2 cups of tomato sauce (puree)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste (none seasoned)

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

 

 

In a deep pan, cook over medium heat, add the olive oil and ground beef to the pan.  Use a large fork to mix and break the meat up. Add in the brown sugar and Montreal seasoning and combine well. Once your meat is browned, add the onions, and red pepper to the pan.  Lower your heat and cook the onions, peppers, add the red wine and Worcestershire sauce to the meat and cook for 10 minutes.

 

Add the tomato sauce and paste to the pan, and stir well to combine and season the entire mixture, and reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

 

This mixture can be spooned onto hamburger buns or a crusty roll, or over cooked rice of even a pasta of you choice.

 

 

 

Grilled Fish

Fish steaks, cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick

You can use your favorite cuts, such as swordfish, halibut which grill really nice.
When purchasing fish, buy 1/4 pound fish per person


1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup of orange juice of white wine
1/2 teaspoon of balsamic  vinegar
1 teaspoon of rosemary, dill, parsley, and basil and a pinch of oregano chopped
!/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Lemon wedges
Based on 2 pounds of fish

Combine all the ingredients except fish and lemon wedges and mix well. Using a pastry brush, paint the fish steaks liberally on both sides and set them aside, lightly covered with a piece of aluminum foil, to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Build up a fire, using good hardwoods if you're cooking in a fireplace or the best hardwood charcoal (not fake-wood briquettes) if you're using a grill. Let the fire burn brightly and die down until you have a nice bed of hot coals or embers. Large pieces of fish can be set directly on the grill, but to prevent smaller ones from falling through and burning up, you may want to use a special grid made for fish.

When you're ready to cook, brush a little plain olive oil on the cooking surface and set it 4 to 6 inches from the source of heat. Arrange the fish steaks so that they have equal access to the heat source. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Test for doneness—fish should be opaque all the way through—by inserting the tip of a sharp knife near the bone or in the center of a boneless piece of fish. Remove immediately to a hot platter.

The remaining marinade should be heated just to the boiling point and either poured over the cooked fish or passed at the table along with lemon wedges.