This Cheese and veggie antipasto salad dish is made with easy things you can have in your pantry-refrigerator and quick to make for a before dinner appetizer or a meal in itself.
Cheese and veggie antipasto salad
Ingredients:
8 oz fresh mozzarella, if you don’t have fresh available the Bel Gioioso brand is available in most markets and even some Wal-Marts
6 oz-8 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
6 oz-8 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup country mix pitted olives(assorted)
3-4 fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Assorted salad greens
Directions:
Cut the mozzarella into slices and place on a plate. Arrange all the other ingredients around the cheese. Sprinkle with the oil and salt-pepper. Serve with crusty Italian bread or bread sticks.
This basic muffin can be changed by adding fresh chopped fruit or preserves stirred into the batter or on the top or in the center.
basic muffins
Ingredients;
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 TBLS baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
3 TBLS sugar (if you want a sweeter muffin and you are not adding fruit, increase sugar to 4 TBLS)
Mix together and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine the below;
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 TBLS butter, melted
Add to the dry mixture. Only mix until combined.
DO NOT over mix, the batter should be lumpy.
Makes 12 muffins, use cupcake liners and fill 2/3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until center is done.
This buttermilk cornbread recipe is easy and so moist and tasty.
Love it warm with lots of butter and preserves.
Make it as muffins, pictured, or in an 8 or 9 inch pan.
buttermilk cornbread
Ingredients;
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk, I use whole milk (see my “making buttermilk” recipe to make your own)
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 TSP salt
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP baking soda
Directions;
Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin cup pan with paper liners or brush pan with some of the melted butter. Mix the balance of butter with the milk and eggs. Set aside. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the milk-egg mixture. Only mix until blended, some lumps are ok. Do not over mix. Pour into buttered pan or fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-30 minutes, once tooth pick comes out clean.
While visiting New Orleans we had Jambalaya, a classic dish and enjoyed it so much.
I played with the flavors and here is my version.
Jambalaya
Ingredients:
1 cup white long grain rice
2 cups chicken or seafood stock or more if you like it more soup like
1/2 cup minced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 cup frozen cut okra
2 TBLS olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 TBLS Chef Paul Prudhomme’s salt free Magic Seasoning or any similar brand such as Tony’s (found in the spice aisle)
1/2 TSP cayenne pepper or more if you like heat
2 TBLS tomato paste
1 LB raw shrimp, 12oz cleaned and frozen crawfish tails, Cajun sausage link sliced or cooked white meat chicken or combine all 4 to equal a pound or pound in a half.
Directions:
In a large frying pan heat the oil and sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft. Add the garlic and okra for another minute. Add the seasoning, rice and cayenne pepper and stir. Transfer to a sauce pot and add the stock and tomato paste and stir. Increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Add the pound of seafood/meats and stir. Lower to a low simmer covered for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
