Grilled Tuna with Roasted Vegetables

This dish is such a crowd pleaser! The combination of the sweet and succulent vegetables with the grilled tuna, it's such a winner and great for the winter months.

Ingredients:
- 8 pieces of Tuna (4 oz each)
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced longways
- 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
- 8 garlic cloves, whole
- 1/2 broccoli head, stems removed
- olive oil
- soy sauce
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Heat oven to 355 degrees.

On a large roasting rack, drizzle about 1/2 cup of olive oil on the bottom and arrange the veggies overtop. Season with salt and pepper and mix together on the pan making sure that every vegetable is coated with olive oil.

Roast the veggies for 45 min to 1 hour, depending on how quickly your oven cooks. Test a carrot before removing... if they are too crunchy, leave in for another 15 minutes. If they are soft yet still firm, they are perfect. Be sure to watch these as some pieces will burn if they are cut too small.

10 minutes before the veggies are ready to come out, begin marinating the tuna steaks in soy sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Let them marinate for 5 minutes. While mariniating, heat a large skillet with olive oil on the stove. Gently place each tuna steak into the pan, using caution as the olive oil may splatter.

Cook each tuna steak 2 minutes on each side (or however you prefer your tuna cooked)

Remove the veggies and the tuna. On a large serving dish, arrange the tuna in the middle and the veggies all around.

Serve buffet style.

Homemade Pasta with Bulgarian Meat Balls, for BRAVO

Check out my latest video, watch as I made homemade pasta and meat balls with awesome flair!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45yv6kNA09s

Healing Soup

When I'm feeling under the weather, or anyone else in my family, this is the best soup to make! It instantly makes you feel so much better! Especially with all of the healing ingredients I've packed inside!

Ingredients:
- 1 cube vegetable stock
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 10 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 package, cubed firm tofu
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 1/2 potato, diced
- 1/2 can tomato paste
- 1.5 cups minute rice
- 12 cups water
- paprika
- oregano
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large soup pot, add 12 cups of water and boil. Once the water is boiling, add the vegetable stock cube. Let this boil for about 10 minutes until the cube is dissolved.

Next, add in the diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery, spinach, potato and tofu. Mix in the tomato paste. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and black pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of paprika, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.

Cover and let this boil to dissolve the tomato paste for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, boil a 4 cups of water and add 1.5 cups of minute rice. Boil for about 10 minutes until the rice is cooked.

Once all of the vegetables are cooked, about 20-30 minutes, turn onto low heat and mix together. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Scoop some rice into a deep bowl and add 3 heaping ladles of soup over top.

Serve while hot and you will feel healed from anything that ales you!

Pico De Gallo Pasta

I've been pretty obsessed with Pico de Gallo lately, so why not put it into pasta? The result? Amazingness.... see for yourself!

Ingredients:
- 5 fresh tomatoes - diced
- 1 small white onion, minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- whole what fusilli
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon feta cheese
- 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese grated
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes

To Make:
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al-dente, about 8-9 minutes.

In the meantime, place diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix ingredients together.

When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta and immediately add into the bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). Lastly, add in the feta cheese and top with the grated pepper jack cheese.

Serve immediately.

Catfish-Fish Tacos

I LOVE fish tacos. I've had enough fish tacos at restaurants that I decided I would make my own and tear it up. I did just that. With my authentic pico de gallo, and my crispy catfish, these fish tacos are the best EVER.

Ingredients:
- 1 package cut catfish pieces
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 small white onion
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- handful fresh cilantro
- 1/4 sliced green cabbage
- 1 can black beans
- fresh soft tacos
- olive oil
- paprika
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
To make the pico de gallo, begin by dicing the onion very small and adding into a mixing bowl. Next, slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Dice and add into in with the onions. Slice the jalapenos down the middle and remove the seeds. Dice very small and add into the mixture. Remove all large stems from the cilantro, dice and add into the bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt. Mix together and set aside.

Empty the can of black beans into a medium pot. Season with 1 teaspoon of the following, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika. Cover and cook on medium heat until the fish is done.

In a medium pan, coat the bottom with olive oil and heat on medium high heat.

Cut the cat fish into small 1 inch pieces and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Add into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on each side.

Remove beans and fish from the stove.

To Make the Taco:
Take a soft taco and add fish, pico de gallo, black beans and cabbage.

Add fresh avocado and sour cream if desired.

United Flavors Salad

My husband Nick, the salad guru, created this dish for a competition we did this summer. Using limited ingredients, he developed this amazing salad that shocked everyone. Experience it for yourself!

Ingredients:
- 1 whole iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 green apple, diced
- 1 red delicious apple, diced
- 1 lime, skins removed and diced
- 1 grapefruit, skins removed and diced
- canola oil
- white vinegar
- salt

To Make:
Place the chopped iceberg lettuce in a large mixing bowl. Add in diced apples.

Add in the limes and grapefruit. It's important to remove the white membranes from the fruit and only use the true insides.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup white vinegar.

Mix ingredients together and serve immediately.

Sexy Mac & Cheese - (unlike any other)

I've eaten a lot of boring macaroni and cheese dishes in my life. I've also eaten some disgusting ones. With this dish, I've taken all of the good aspects of the Mac 'n' cheese's I've had in the past and put them all into one... my one amazing Mac & Cheese. Check it out, I think you'll agree... this is amazing.

Ingredients:
- 1 pound macaroni noodles
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (very important that you get the petite)
- 1 12 ounce package Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 of a 2 pound package of Pepper Jack cheese
- 1/2 of a 15 ounce package of ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons of sexy chef sauce
- 2 eggs
- non-stick cooking spray
- olive oil
- oregano
- crushed red pepper
- sugar
- paprika
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the macaroni 8 minutes, until al-dente, or according to their package.

Shred the cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Drain the macaroni and add into a large bowl. Add the pepper jack and Cheddar cheese in batches and mix the pasta together.

Empty the ricotta into a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add into the pasta and mix together.

Empty the diced tomatoes into a separate bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon of the following: oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

Add the diced tomatoes into the pasta and mix together.

Add 2 tablespoons of SEXY SAUCE into the mix and stir together.

Add 1 teaspoon of the following: crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.

Mix together.

Add 2 eggs and mix together.

Spray non-stick spray into a long baking dish. Add the pasta into the dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and broil for 5 minutes.

Remove from stove, let cool for 5 minutes and serve!

Pork Chops with White Beans, Tomato and Rice

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups minute rice
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can plain tomato sauce
- 1 can white canellini beans
- 2 thinly sliced pork chops
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 7 garlic cloves, chopped
- olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt

To Make:
In a sauce pan, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil untill tender, about 6 minutes on medium heat. Add in the can of plain tomato sauce and the can of petite diced tomatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon of the following: oregano, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Mix together. Add in the canellini beans. Reduce to medium low heat and cover.

In another sauce pan, boil 2 cups of salted water and add in the minute rice. Reduce heat to medium-high and let sit, uncovered until rice is done.

In a medium saute pan, drizzle olive oil and heat the pan for 2 minutes. In the meantime, season the pork chops with oregano, salt, pepper and paprika.

Add them into the saute pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side on medium high heat.

Let the sauce cook for about 10-20 minutes before serving.

To Plate:
Arrange a scoop of rice on a plate and top with sauce and beans. Place pork chop on the side. Serve immediatly.

Egg and Hot Dog breakfast sandwich

So what could be better in the morning that a straight-up hot dog and egg sandwich? Add some greens and tomatoes and this sandwich will keep you satisfied until dinner!

Ingredients:
- 2 hot dogs
- 1 egg
- sesame seed bun (or your choice of bread)
- 1/2 tomato
- 8 fresh spinach leaves
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Slice the hot dogs longways down the middle and then again sideways to create 8 pieces of hot dog.

Drizzle some olive oil into a small saute pan and saute the hot dogs on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Crack the egg directly over top of the hot dogs and cook for 2 minutes. Using a spatula, gently flip the egg over to the other side and cook for another 1 minute (or longer depending on how done you like your egg). Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Toast the bun.

Arrange the hot dog and egg mixture on the bottom of the bun. Top with fresh spinach leaves and freshly diced tomatoes.

St. Nicholas - Broiled Rainbow Trout

Yesterday we celebrated my husband Nick's "Name Day." He is European and in Europe they celebrate "Name Days," they are just as significant as a birthday! Since it's typical to celebrate with fish, I made this fabulous rainbow trout that turned out so perfectly, it will definitely be a new staple in my cooking repertoire.


Ingredients:
- 2 rainbow trout, skin on, de-boned
- olive oil
- oregano
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 onion, diced
- frozen peas and carrots, 1/2 cup
- 1 can, black beans, drained
- crushed red pepper flakes

To Make:
Set your oven to broil (High.
Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil and place the fish fillets, skin down in the pan. Flip them once over to get olive oil on both sides and return to their original position.

Season lightly with oregano, paprika and salt and pepper.

Next, top the middle of each with my Ultimate Sauce recipe, found HERE. Or you can use this "leftover sauce" recipe which is a lot simpler and faster to make.

Broil in the oven on high for 5 minutes.

Next, drizzle olive oil into a medium sauce pan and saute the diced onion for 5 minutes on medium heat. Next, add in the peas and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.

Lastly, add in the can of black beans and 1/2 cup water. Mix together. Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and season with more salt and pepper. Add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika for added flavor. Cook this on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

To Plate:
Take a scoop of the black bean mixture and place in the center of the place, drizzle some red sauce down the middle and place the trout on top.

SERVE WHILE HOT!

Mango, Grapefruit Cocktail

My husband is Bulgarian and today was his "Name Day." In many European countries they have assigned, "Name Days" and it's just as important as a birthday. Since today we were celebrating Nick, he wanted to make some special cocktails. He is always creative, so these were a pleasant surprise and they were so delicious!

Ingredients:
- 3 ounces of Mango Vodka
- the juice from 1 grapefruit
- 1/2 teaspoon or one packet of spenda
- 6 basil leaves, riped apart

To Make:(yield 2 cocktails)

Combine in a shaker, 6 ice cubes, vodka and grapefruit juice.

Add in sugar or spenda and add in the riped basil leaves.

Shake vigorously together for 30 seconds and pour into martini glass.

Garnish with grapefruit.

Ultimate Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

My husband loves breakfast sandwiches and I love them because they are awesome in the morning and quick and easy to make. This one is especially delicious, unique and easy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 poppy-seed bagel
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 slices ham (any type)
- 3-4 tomato slices
- handful fresh spinach leaves
- vegetable oil
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a deep pan, pour about 1/3 of oil into the pan. Turn on the stove and heat the oil on medium-high heat.

Slice the bagel and toast on preferred setting.

Beat the eggs and add salt and pepper. Pour the eggs directly into the hot oil. Next, add the 2 slices of ham, directly on top of each other.

Gently fold the eggs into the ham to make the eggs fry around the ham.

After about 2 - 2.5 minutes, Gently remove the ham and eggs and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Once the bagel is done toasting, place the ham and eggs directly on the bottom slice of the bagel.

Top with freshly sliced tomato and fresh spinach leaves.

Season with salt and pepper.

GOOD MORNING!

Potato Croquettes

This dish is great if you have leftover mashed potatoes from a holiday party or family meal. This will completely transform your leftovers into something totally different!

Ingredients:
- Leftover mashed potatoes
- fresh parsley
- vegetable oil
- cooking spray
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a deep pan, fill about 1/3 with vegetable oil. Set the stove to medium high heat and let the oil heat up.

Dice up the fresh parsley and mix into the mashed potatoes. Add more liquid to the potatoes if they are too dry to work with.

Spray a large spoon with cooking spray and using the spoon, scoop out the potatoes and drop them gently into the hot oil.

Repeat this until all potatoes are cooked. You will have to do this in batches since the croquettes are fairly large.

Season each croquette with salt immediately after removing from the hot oil. Let each new batch rest on several paper towels to remove excess oil.

Sexy Pumpkin Bread

When it's cold outside, nothing says winter better like good ole' PUMPKIN. Pumpkin can not only be made into delicious pies and cheesecakes, but BREAD and let me tell you, this bread is DELICIOUS. Breakfast, lunch, dessert, snack or anywhere in between, this bread is IT! It's really easy too!

Ingredients (Makes 2 loafs):

- 3 cups sugar
- 3.5 cups flour
- 1/2 cup plain applesauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 egg whites
- 1 can (16 ounces) unsweetened pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or spray to loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, applesauce and olive oil. Add in the eggs and pumpkin.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Next, add both together and slowly add the water. Divide the batter between both loaf pans.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool for about 10-20 minutes before removing from pan.

You can serve immediately or let it come to room temperate.

This will be the most delicious pumpkin bread you've EVER tasted.

Mini Sal-Tun Burgers

I created this dish in the summer time, but I had a craving for it the other night so I decided to make them and they were DELICIOUS. This is such a unique burger, it's unlike anything you've EVER tasted!


Burger Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound fresh Ahi-Tuna
- 1/2 pound fresh Atlantic Salmon
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 green onion, diced
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper
- 4 mini rolls

Topping Ingredients:

- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 lemon
- salt
- pepper


To Make:

In a large food processor, add in the Ahi tuna, salmon, soy sauce, green onions and basil leaves. Add in the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon and the olive oil. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of the following: crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pulse 4 times for 3 seconds each time.

Remove the mixture and form into 4 patties. Grill for 2.5 minutes on each side.

In a medium saute pan, saute the red bell pepper and the garlic in olive oil until tender, about 8 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently.

In a seperate pan, saute the spinach in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes until slightly wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste and sqeeze the juice from half of a lemon overtop.

Toast the rolls. Place the pepper and garlic mixture on the bottom of each roll. Top with Sal-Tun patty then place spinach overtop.

Slice diagoally and serve while hot.

"Crab" with Seasonal Veggies and Angel hair

I love working with imitation crab meat. The flavors in this dish are light and simple yet really delicious. I encourage anyone who is sceptical about imitation crab meat to give this dish a try. Last but not least, this dish is very beautiful on the plate. Dig in and enjoy.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups imitation crab meat
- 2 cups mixed veggies
- 1/3 pound angel hair pasta
- olive oil
- 1 lemon
- crushed red pepper
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large pan, saute the crab in olive oil on medium high heat for about 6 minutes until it starts to get a nice sear. Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and garlic powder.

Add in the mixed veggies and some extra olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Note: I recommend seasoning in layers, that way the flavors really come together and you avoid over seasoning or under seasoning at the end.

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the angel hair pasta for 6-7 minutes or until al-dente.

Mix together and cook on medium heat for about 6-8 minutes, just until the veggies are tender. Add the angel hair pasta and mix one last time.

Serve immediately. Sprinkle lemon over each dish before serving.

"Leftover" Sauce

I guess it's an Italian thing because I'm a big believer in not throwing away ANY food (especially food that I've made) so when there are several leftovers around, I just combine them together into delicious creations like this, "leftover" sauce.

Ingredients:
You can either use a sauce that you've already prepared and add to it, or you can start from scratch with:

- 1 can diced tomatos
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 small onion, diced
- 12 garlic cloves, chopped


Use leftovers from the following:
- 1/2 green pepper, diced use leftovers from Stuffed Peppers
- kidney beans use leftovers from Mexican Bean Soup
- pinch of feta cheese use leftovers from Feta, Basil and Lemon Pasta
- Peas/Carrots mix use leftovers from Pan Seared Tuna with Peas & Carrots

Season with:
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- sugar
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

If you are starting from scratch, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium high heat or until tender.

In a food processor, pulse the diced tomatoes 3 times, 2 seconds each. Add into a saucepan with tomato paste and add 1.5 cups of water.

Add in the onions and garlic and all other ingredients. Add a teaspoon of the following: crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Mix together.

Add 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and mix together. Cook on the stove for 20-30 minutes on low heat stirring frequently.

Serve with pasta and serve while hot.

ENJOY!

Florence Style - Ribollita Soup

When I lived in Florence, this soup quickly became my favorite thing to eat. It's a very traditional soup in Florence and it's available at almost every restaurant. This soup is tasty and yet still very healthy for you. I was really craving some soup last night and this turned out perfect!

Ingredients:
- 1 bag fresh spinach
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, cubed
- 15 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 can canellini beans, washed and drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups of water
- 1/4 vegetable bullon cube
- 2 cups rice (minute rice)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- olive oil
- dried oregano
- smoked paprika
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large pot, add 1/4 cup of olive oil and being sauteing the onions, garlic and carrots on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the water and bullon cube. Bring to a boil and stir in the tomato paste until dissolved. Next add in the beans and rice. Let this cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Add in the spinach and stir in the parmesan cheese. Season with 1 tablespoon of oregano, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes. Also season with salt and pepper.

Lastly, add in the bag of spinach and mix together. Let cook for another 10 minutes stirring frequently before serving.

Note: I used minute rice in this dish... if I would have used regular rice, it would need to cook for at least 0-30 minutes longer.

Sexy Chef- Breakfast Potatoes

I LOVE making fried potatoes in the morning. Potatoes are great because you can add in anything and it's going to taste good. My favorite way to make them though, is by just adding a few key ingredients and some heat... they are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser...

Ingredients:
- 4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled, washed and diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- crushed red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- paprika
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large skillet, drizzle the bottom liberally with olive oil and heat the pan. Add the potoatoes and onions and let them simmer on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Do not stir. The potatoes and onions should begin getting caramalized and browned on the bottom.

Season with salt and pepper. Add in 1 teaspoon of the following, garlic powder, paprika and crushed red pepper. Add in the green peppers.

Add in 1/2 cup of water, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir together and taste... add more salt and pepper if needed. If the potatoes are soft, they are ready. Cook until they are completely soft.

Serve immediatly.

Mexican Bean Soup

Once it starts getting colder outside, I really enjoy making warm, healthy (yet hearty) soups. I don't get crazy with needing "specific" ingredients... I usually just evaluate my fridge and pantry and use what I've got. This soup turned out to be a complete success!

Ingredients:- 1 can dark red kidney beans
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 10 garlic cloves, chopped
- Your choice of either 2 boca burgers, 1/2 pound ground turkey, beef or chicken)
(I used Boca burger for this dish)
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- olive oil
- water
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

In a medium pot, saute the onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil until they are just about tender. Add your choice of meat. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of water and the tomato paste. Stir together well. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

Next, drain the top of the kidney beans and add them into the soup. Add another cup of water. Season with oregano and crushed red pepper to taste. Mix together and cover. Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce and continue cooking on medium low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Taste the broth for seasoning... season more if needed.

In the meantime, boil 1 cup of rice according to the package. You can use minute rice or the regular kind. I prefer minute rice in this situation since this soup does not take long to cook.

Once the rice is complete, scoop some rice into a large soup bowl and top with soup.

Delicious, hearty, healthy and QUICK!

Sexy Stuffed Mushrooms

Even if your not a huge "mushroom fan" I would say that most people LOVE stuffed mushrooms... who wouldn't, especially when their stuffed with cheese, butter and meat?

I had a few leftover mushrooms so I decided to indulge my husband with these tasty treats. I'm sure you'll also enjoy. Best part is, these are very simple and quick to make.

Ingredients:
- 1 container of mushrooms (washed and patted dry)
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 4 pieces of bacon (you can use turkey bacon or deli ham)
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove stems of mushrooms and dice the stems into small pieces, place in mixing bowl.

Dice the bacon (or substitute) and add into bowl. Add the feta cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Add one 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the chopped parsley and mix together, seasoning with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Next, brush the bottoms of the mushroom tops with butter and begin filling them with the mixture. Align the filled mushrooms on a baking tray.

Lastly, drizzle butter on the tops of each mushroom and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the mushrooms cool for a few minutes so they set.

Serve shortly after.

Pan Seared Tuna

Tuna is probably my favorite fish... I just really enjoy the flavor, texture and variety that comes with tuna. However, when I'm making tuna for myself, I enjoy keeping it simple and quick. Since it's a little cold to be grilling outside, I took my tuna grilling indoors and prepared it in my "grilling pan." I must say, I really outdid myself this time... this tuna is PERFECT!

Ingredients:
- Tuna steaks, 4 ounces each
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

In a grilling pan, pour some olive oil in the center and heat the pan on the stove on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes.

In the meantime, dress each tuna steak with a 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, a generous squeeze of half of a lemon and salt and pepper.

Gently place each tuna steak directly into the olive oil and saute on each side on medium high heat for 2.5 minutes each side. On the second flip, turn the stove off after 1.5 minutes and cover the tuna for the remaining minute.

Note: this will cook the tuna to medium rare. If you prefer a more "done" piece, then cook longer on each side.
Top with another squeeze of lemon and serve immediatly.

I served this with peas and carrots sauted in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Stuffed Peppers - Sexy Chef Style

Stuffed peppers may look and sound difficult, but they are really not. You need at least 45 minutes to prepare them, but it's worth it since they taste great and are really not hard to make. You can use any type of bell pepper you wish, but for this dish, I used green peppers. Try them out, you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
- 4 bell peppers (any variety)
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 can tomato paste
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup minute rice
- 15 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- dried oregano
- crushed red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- paprika
- salt
- pepper


To Make:
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.

Drizzle olive oil in a small saute pan and saute the onions and garlic on medium heat until they are tender about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a large pan, begin sauteing the pork and turkey. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes. Move the meat around the break into small crumbles and cook on medium heat for about 12 minutes. Drain any access fat off.

In a small pot, add 2 cups of water to the 1/2 can of tomato paste. Cook together on medium heat and mix together. Add salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the following, oregano, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.

In another small pot, salt and boil 1.5 cups of water and add the minute rice. Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.

While everything is cooking on the stove, wash the peppers and remove the tops and the all of the insides, taking care to remove all seeds. Slice a small layer off of the bottom to make the peppers flat for baking in the stove.

Using a microwaveable plastic dish, add 1 tablespoon of water and place the peppers inside and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave the peppers for 5 minutes on high heat. It's okay if the peppers are "wilted" they need to be tender.

Use caution when removing the peppers and the plastic wrap as these will be very hot. Let the peppers rest while preparing the filling.

In a large mixing bowl, add the meat, sauce, rice, onions and garlic and mix together. Add in the feta cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season with extra salt, pepper, paprika garlic powder, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Note: The meat will probably not be fully cooked and this is OKAY because they will be baked.

Mix everything thoroughly together and using a large spoon, gently spoon the mixture into each pepper allowing the tops to "overflow." Arrange neatly together in a baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. I suggest to arrange tightly in the center so the peppers support each other.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve shortly after and enjoy :-)

Lemon, Basil and Feta Pasta

I am very pleased with this new creation. This pasta is simple, yet super delicious. These three flavors are all very distinct and they work extremely well together. You can literally taste the flavors bursting in your mouth. This is a winner every time.





Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs pasta (any variety)
- 12 oz. container of feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 lemon
- fresh basil, 15 leaves, chopped
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta about 8-9 minutes until al-dente.

Drain the pasta and place into a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and toss together. Add the container of feta cheese and the chopped basil. Zest one teaspoon of lemon zest and add into the mix. Then sqeeze out 1/2 of the lemon, avoiding the seeds.

Toss pasta together and coat everything evenly. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

Serve immediatly.

Sexy Salmon with Onion, Garlic and Pepper Relish

I typically buy salmon in bulk, then divide it up and freeze it for later use. Then, when I'm ready to use it, I just take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before I'm ready to use it and it's ready to cook! This recipe is simple and quick and can be served with anything.

Ingredients:

- 2 salmon fillets
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, diced
- olive oil
- oregano
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Drizzle olive oil in a medium saute pan and saute the onions, garlic and bell peppers for about 8-10 minutes on medium high heat until they are semi-tender. (I think they work well semi-crunchy but you can cook them longer if you want them softer)

In another medium saute pan, drizzle olive oil in the bottom and turn on stove to medium high heat.

Season the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper (to taste) then add then into the pan.

Cook the salmon about 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Turn off stove and let the salmon sit for another minute.

To Plate:
Place salmon into serving dish and top with onion and pepper mixture. Top with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Delicious Crab Stir-fry

Stir-fry has become my "go to" meal for something quick and delicious. As long as you have soy sauce and veggies you can make an amazing stir-fry! In this recipe, I'm using imitation crab meat... I REALLY love it and it makes this dish come alive. You can try the same with chicken, steak, tofu or shrimp.






Ingredients:
- 3 cups of stir-fry veggies (frozen is easy)
- 1 cup pasta, any variety
- 2 cups imitation crab meat, (or any other meat)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon spicy stir-fry sauce
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes or until al-dente.

In a large saute pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom and saute the onions and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add in the crab meat, breaking up into smaller pieces. Add a teaspoon of soy sauce. Let this cook about 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Add in the veggies. Mix together. Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and pepper. Add in the stir-fry sauce, spicy sauce and the rest of the soy sauce. Mix together and allow to cook until the veggies are tender, not overdone. About 6 minutes. The best way to tell if they are done is to test a piece of broccoli (that takes the longest to cook.) Add more salt if needed.

Add in the pasta and mix together. Add in more stir-fry sauce if needed.

Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Liz's ULTIMATE Sauce :

If you haven't noticed by now, sauce is my FAVORITE thing to eat and make. I just think that with the perfect sauce, your eating options are ENDLESS, not only does sauce go over top of pasta, but it can be turned into soup, dip, salsa, pizza... or put it on top of chicken or fish! Really the possibilities you have when you make a pot of sauce are ENDLESS.
I'm going to share my DELICIOUS sauce recipe that you will always be craving, trust me... try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
- 2 cans PLAIN tomato sauce
- 2 cans DICED tomatoes
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- 2 medium red bell peppers, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 20 garlic cloves, diced
- Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- sugar
- oregano
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil
- *secret ingredient*
- *secret ingredient*

* I can't share the 2 secret ingredients because once this sauce becomes famous, EVERYONE will want to know why it tastes SO GOOD! However, the sauce will be delicious without these, but with them it's just OUTRAGEOUS!

To Make:

In a large pot, drizzle about 1/2 cup of olive oil and saute the onions, garlic and red bell peppers for about 10 -12 minutes on medium low heat until they are very tender, lightly salt and stir every few minutes.

In the meantime, in a food processor, combine the diced tomatoes and basil leaves and pulse 6 times for 2 seconds each until the basil is chopped up.

Empty the diced tomatoes and basil into the sauce pot and stir together. Add the other two cans of PLAIN tomato sauce into the pot and stir together. Add 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add 1 tsp. of sugar and 1 tablespoon of the following, salt, pepper, oregano and as much crushed red pepper as preferred.

Mix all ingredients together and let this sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving. The longer the sauce can cook, the better it will be... cook on medium LOW heat and check frequently and stir every 5 minutes.

DELICIOUS... this sauce CAN'T be beat...

Delicious Fall Stew: Made in the Crock Pot

I love the fall, the colors are beautiful and I love making hearty meals that keep you warm and cozy. I made this stew in the crock pot, which I love because since when your cooking in the crock pot, your meal needs to sit for hours until it's ready. What I do when I'm making a crock pot meal, I make it on an evening where I'm going to be eating dinner out somewhere... so before I leave, I take 20 minutes to prep and prepare and then when I get home, I have a meal for the next day. It's the perfect idea and it saves LOTS of time. Check it out...

Ingredients:
- 1 can dark kidney beans
- 1 can plain tomato sauce
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 large white onion, diced
- 3 large potatoes, diced (medium pieces)
- Either 2 chicken breast OR boca burger
- 3/4 cup White Rice
- Water
- Salt
- Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil

To Make:
Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the crock pot, about 2-3 tablespoons. Place all diced veggies into the crock pot. Add in chicken breasts or boca burger, add in tomato sauce, drained kidney beans and rice. Add 1 tablespoon of all spices except the crushed red pepper, that is "to taste" so you be the judge.

Next fill the crock pot up almost to the top with water, leaving some "expansion room" and gently mix together just to break up the spices. Set on high heat. This can cook on high heat for about 3-5 hours, depending on your crock pot. Make sure you do not leave this on over night. If you are planning to leave over night, set on LOW HEAT and wake up EARLY so you can shut it off.

This is easy, delicious and HEALTHY!!!!! No more weight gain for the cold months... with this recipe, there is no need so you can stay FULL and SEXY!

Easy Garlic Bread

To go along with any fabulous dish, especially lasagna, garlic bread is amazing. Not only that, it's SO easy you almost have to make it. Again, I have to give props to Kelli's Catering in Largo, FL. Kelli was also the one to show me this quick and easy method to making the best tasting garlic bread EVER!

Ingredients:
- 1 Loaf of Italian, French or any other bread you like... as long as it's soft and in a loaf style
- Melted butter
- fresh parsley
- Dried Garlic Flakes
- Salt
- Pepper

To Make:
Slice the bread down the middle so that it is in two loafs. Smear the melted butter onto the loafs. Next top with a generous helping of the garlic flakes. Then lightly season with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Lastly, top with fresh parsley. Slice accordingly and ENJOY!

The Easiest-Lasagna-Ever Recipe:

My wonderful cousin Kelli, owner of Kelli's Catering in Largo, FL. shared with me her simple and delicious lasagna techniques that I am going to "borrow" from her now and forever. I'm delighted to share them and I'm sure she won't mind that I am giving her catering business some "props."

Ingredients:
- Delicious Sauce (See here the Sauce Ingredients and Directions)
- Ricotta Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- Flat, no boil lasagna noodles
- Fresh Basil
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper

To Make:
Follow the instructions above for the sauce.

In a large mixing bowl, add the entire 1 quart container of ricotta cheese and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add in 5 handfuls of mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of fresh basil.

To assemble:
In a lasagna pan, spoon several ladles of sauce. Taking the UNCOOKED noodles, begin spreading the ricotta cheese onto the noodles and laying the noodles on top of the sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese and then another layer of sauce and repeat until your lasagna pan is filled up.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 45min. Remove from oven, remove foil, top with fresh mozzarella and broil for another 3-5 min to get the top brown.

Garnish with fresh basil on top.

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THE AMAZING GARLIC BREAD!

This is SO MUCH easier than boiling noodles and then burning yourself and trying to spread ricotta cheese onto soft noodles... it's almost impossible. Check this out, you won't regret it!

Feta and Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken

I created this recipe because I love feta and peppers and I thought, wouldn't that be a delicious filling for a stuffed chicken? Well, I was correct... making stuffed chicken does not have to be difficult... in fact, I've made this very easy! Let me know what you think!

Ingredients for stuffing and chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- handful of fresh basil
- 1 cup feta cheese
- salt
- pepper
- oregano
- olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 10 garlic cloves, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- salt
- pepper
- sugar
- crushed red pepper
- oregano

To make the filling:
In a medium pan, saute on medium high heat, the onions, garlic and red peppers about 10 minutes or until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper and stir every 2 minutes.

To make the sauce:
In a blender or food processor, pulse the crushed tomatoes for 5 pulses. In a medium sauce pan, saute on medium high heat the onions and garlic for about 6 minutes so that is' almost tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes to the mixture and reduce to medium heat. Stir together. Add oregano and crushed red pepper to taste. Add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Cover and let this simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir every 3-4 minutes.

To prepare the chicken:
Slice the chicken breasts down the middle, butterfly style. With a meat pounder, or something heavy, pound the chicken until it's flat. Season the inside with salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper.

Remove the pepper and onion mixture from the stove and mix with 1 cup of feta cheese. Chop up or rip apart a handful of fresh basil and mix in with the feta and pepper mixture.

Now that the chicken is flat, spoon about 2 spoonfuls of the feta mixture into a long strip of the chicken so that it's easy to roll up. Roll tightly.

Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Once the pan is heated, gently place the chicken, folded side down into the pan and season the top with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 min on each side and continue rolling until all sides are cooked. About 12-15 minutes for the whole thing.

Remove and serve immediately, topping with the sauce and any additional fresh basil.

This will become your new favorite dinner!

Annie's Asian Sesame Pasta Salad

So I decided to do another competition for Annie's Naturals and this is the recipe I came up with. It's pretty delicious and very easy to make. Try it out and let me know what you think!







Check out the VIDEO on YOUTUBE!

Ingredients:
- 1 Bottom Annie's Asian Sesame Dressing
- 1 pound Tri- Colored Rotini
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 16 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, shredded
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper
- fresh basil, diced

To Make:
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package, about 8 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a large pan and cook the onions, red peppers, garlic and celery for about 10 minutes on medium high heat, stirring frequently until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix in the cooked vegetables and carrots.

Slowly add in the bottom of Annie's Asian Sesame Dressing and mix together, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Also, add in the crushed red pepper to taste.

Lastly, shred the fresh basil and add that on top.

Serve at room temperate or cold. Delicious either way!

Feta, Red Pepper and Basil Crostini

So I created this today and by far, it's the best thing I've made all week! Not only that but it's super simple and you can make it in just about 12 minutes! If you love feta, you will LOVE this appetizer!







Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat baguette
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- Feta Cheese
- fresh garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- FRESH BASIL
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Saute the onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes on medium high heat or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Stir every 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and place into mixing bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese. Chop a handful of fresh basil and add into mixture. Mix ingredients together.

Toast several baguettes.

Top baguettes with feta mixture and serve immediately.

SOOO DELICIOUS!!! The best part, they don't fall apart when you eat them!

Salmon with Peas and Garlic-Tomato Sauce

I really enjoy cooking with salmon because I think it's a very versatile fish. I have been able to create TONS of completely different meals with salmon, it's great! This meal, is not only delicious but the colors are really great. This is awesome for the holidays :-) Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

- 2 6oz. pieces of salmon
- 2 large cans of plain diced tomatoes
- 12 large garlic gloves, diced and chunky
- 1 onion
- 1 small bag frozen or fresh peas
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper
- oregano
- handful of fresh basil
- sugar

To Make:

Start by drizzling olive oil into a sauce pan and sauteing the onions and garlic on medium high heat for about 6-7 minutes or until almost tender.

In the meantime, using a food processor, empty the cans of diced tomatoes into the food processor along with the fresh basil and pulse about 5 times, 2 seconds per pulse.

Once the onions and garlic are ready, add the sauce into the pot and mix together. Season with 1 teaspoon of the following, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano. Add a pinch of sugar. Mix ingredients together and cover. Cook on medium high heat for about 12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Reduce to medium low heat and continue to stir every 4 minutes.

In a frying pan or griddle, brush olive oil onto the pan and turn on stove to get the pan hot.

Place salmon fillets in a dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and oregano.

When the pan is hot, gently place the salmon in the pan and saute each side about 4-5 minutes. You can use a thermometer to get the exact temperature of "done-ness"

In a smaller pot, drizzle olive oil and empty the peas into the pot. Drizzle the top with more olive oil and season with a light coating of salt and pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir together and cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes.

To plate: Ladle a nice helping of sauce on the bottom of the plate. Arrange the salmon over top of the sauce and top with peas and extra sauce if desired.

Beautiful and delicious!

Peas and Carrots - they're not just Theater chatter...

Who loves peas and carrots? I certainly do. If you've ever been in a theater production, you'll know that when the cast is supposed to be "pretending to talk" on stage, they are really just mouthing, "Peas and Carrots." It's the best thing to say because it REALLY looks like your saying something so interesting! But enough about the Theater, I love using peas and carrots in my cooking and here is a delicious and quick meal you can throw together in no time that is nutritious and tasty!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 small bag frozen peas and carrots
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- olive oil
- fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according the the package, about 6 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a large saute pan and saute the diced onion and garlic for about 5 minutes on medium heat until almost cooked. Add in the frozen peas and carrots and drizzle more olive oil over top. Add salt and pepper to taste and crushed red pepper. Stir together and cook also on medium heat about 8 minutes or until the peas and carrots are cooked through. Mix every 2 minutes.

When the pasta is finished, drain immediately and add into the peas and carrots. Drizzle a liberal serving of olive oil over the pasta and mix into the veggies. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese.

Transfer into a large serving bowl.Rip up a handful of fresh basil and drizzle over top. Top with extra Parmesan if desired. Add more salt and pepper to taste and crushed red pepper.

Serve immediately.

Orzo with Spinach

There is something about orzo that is very comforting to me. Orzo is great in many different recipes but this is one of my favorites because of how quick and easy it is. You can literally have this on your table in 15 min or less (it all depends on how fast you can boil water)



Ingredients:

- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Parmesan Cheese
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- fresh basil, chopped

To Make:

Boil a small pot of salted water and cook the orzo for 8 minutes until al-dente, follow the package instructions.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a large pan and saute the onion and garlic on med. high heat for about 5-6 minutes or until they are tender.

Add in fresh spinach or frozen spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: If using frozen spinach, once adding into the pan, add more olive oil and cover immediately. If using fresh spinach, wash thoroughly and add into dish uncovered.

The frozen spinach will need to cook for about 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat. Fresh spinach should only cook for about 3-4 minutes on the same heat settings.

When the orzo is ready, drain and add immediately into the spinach mixture. Drizzle more olive oil over top and add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix together. To give this dish a kick, add 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Season everything with more salt and pepper and add more Parmesan cheese to top when serving. For extra flavor, top with FRESH BASIL... nothing beats fresh basil. It's the greatest!

Delicious! Best of all it's QUICK and nutritious!

Filled Cabbage - Hungarian Style

I'm 25 percent Hungarian, so I thought I would pay some homage to my Hungarian side with this dish. I really like filled cabbage so I wanted to create my own version and as usual, it turned out delicious.









Ingredients:

- 1 head green cabbage
- 2 large cans of plain tomato sauce
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- paprika
- olive oil

To Make:

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a medium saute pan and saute (on med. high heat) 1/2 diced onion, 3 cloves of garlic, diced carrots and diced celery for 8 min or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

In a smaller pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and cook the rice as according to the package.

In another large pot (for the sauce) drizzle some olive oil and saute the remaining onion and garlic until tender, about 5 min on med. high heat. Add the sauce into the onions and garlic and mix together. Add 1 teaspoon of the following, salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Mix ingredients together, cover and reduce to med. low heat.

Begin carefully removing the layers of cabbage and set aside. Once the water is boiling, add the cabbage and cook in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove, run cold water over top of the cabbage and drain. Repeat this until all of the cabbage is cooked.

In a large mixing bowl, add the meat, rice and the cooked vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and crushed red pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon of each ingredient. Mix in one egg.

Using a baking dish, spoon sauce into the bottom of the dish and begin assembling the cabbage rolls in the following steps:

1. Gently slice out the hard middle stem of each cabbage leaf.
2. With a large spoon, spoon meat mixture into the top part of the cabbage.
3. Begin rolling cabbage by folding down the sides and rolling into a package
4. Place neatly in baking dish.
5. Repeat until baking dish is filled
6. Top cabbage dish with sauce and place in oven and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.

Once these are done, let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with additional sauce if desired.

ENJOY!

Strawberry Topped Cupcakes

Strawberries are a fabulous fruit. They taste great and can work with virtually any desert your preparing but they look beautiful! That's why I like to top my famous low-fat cupcakes with deliciously beautiful strawberries!




Ingredients:

- cupcake mix (any flavor)
- corresponding icing
- 1 cup plain apple sauce
- 3 egg whites
- (Typically) 1- 1/3 cup water
- Fresh strawberries

To Make:

Prepare the cupcake batter as shown on the box, however substitute the oil for one cup of plain apple sauce and the 3 eggs for just the whites.

Bake according the package and let cool for at least 20 minutes before attempting to ice them. Also make sure icing is at room temperature before attempting to ice.

Ice cupcakes with desired icing amount and arrange neatly into a serving dish or cake pan as seen in the picture.

Thoroughly wash strawberries and remove their "greens." Cut out the white part in the center. Slice each strawberry down the middle and arrange in whatever creative fashion you'd like on top of each cupcake. Use remaining strawberries to adorn the serving dish.