10 Minute Falafel - Italian Style!

I absolutely LOVE Falafel... and today, I think I just created my new FAVORITE recipe! If you've never tried Falafel, I strongly encourage it... it's so delicious and healthy too! Whether very hungry or just pressed for time and don't want another old sandwich, this recipe will NOT disappoint!

Ingredients

- 1 package Falafel mix (this is the quickest and easiest way to prepare)
- 1 can PLAIN tomato sauce (Hunts or another PLAIN variety)
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/4 onion, finely diced
- Olive Oil
- Canola or Vegtable oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Paprika
- Crushed Red pepper flakes
- Dried Oregano
- Fresh Basil

Directions

Follow the directions on the package of Falafel.

In a small pot, place your diced onion, red and green peppers and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. About 1/4 teaspoon serving of each. Cook on medium low heat for 5 min and stir every few mintues.

Add tomato sauce to your veggie mixture once the veggies are tender. Mix together, turn to low heat. Add another pinch of salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. If you like your food extra spicy, add another pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Close the lid on the pan and let simmer on LOW HEAT until your Falafel are ready.

Once your Falafel are ready to be fried, cover a large saute pan with your choice of oil. (Do not add too much, just cover the entire bottom of the pan, about 3 tablespoons depending on how large your pan is)

You should be able to fit about 6-7 Falafel in your pan. You want to make them about the size of your fit. I prefer to leave them flat rather than make them into balls for this particular recipe.

Cook the Falafel until they are golden brown on each side on MED LOW heat. You do NOT want to burn these.

To Plate:

Place 2 large scoops of sauce in the bottom of a plate or shallow dish. Arrange 3 Falafel in the center and sprinkle chopped basil on top.

YUM! ENJOY!

Jumbo Macaroni w/ Green Peppers, Peas & Fresh Basil

This meal was a true SEXY CHEF creation basically because it LITERALLY only took about 10 minutes to put together... QUICK AND EASY! I had made the sauce the previous night (easy) and had leftover sauce which I mixed with the pasta and added some delicious additions. Directions below:






Ingredients
- 2 cans PLAIN tomato sauce (any variety)(JUST tomatoes, nothing else)
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Crushed red pepper
- Fresh Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 pound jumbo macaroni
- Olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese (grated)

To Make:

In a medium pot, drizzle some olive oil and saute your onions and green pepper together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until they are tender.

While those veggies are sauteing, heat another pot of water on high heat until it boils. Salt the water once it's boiling and add in your pasta, cooking about 7-8 minutes until they are aldente.

Open your cans of PLAIN sauce and dump into the pot stirring everything together. Add some salt and pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper and a hand full of chopped basil.

Add some Parmesan cheese into your sauce and keep stirring. Keep on medium-low heat.

Once you pasta is done, drain, and add 2 tsp of olive oil back into the pot, then add your pasta back in, mixing with the olive oil. Mix your sauce into your pasta and stir, adding more Parmesan cheese in. Lastly, garnish with some chopped fresh basil and serve.

HAPPY EATING!

Summer Spinach & Pepper Pasta

Nothing says SUMMER like a delicious fresh pasta dish complete with farmers market veggies! We found some interestingly colored peppers at the farmers market, (purple, white, light orange) and I decided to incorporate them into my pasta dish which turned out great. (The pictures don't capture the peppers very well, but it's because they are not as vibrant as we are used to with red peppers.) I also threw in some classic green peppers as well.


Summer Spinach & Pepper Pasta

Ingredients

- 1/4 pound ziti
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 3 peppers, any variety (I used purple, white, light orange)
- 6 cloves peeled and minced garlic
- 2 handfuls of FRESH spinach
- 1 cup fresh (or frozen peas)
- 1/2 bag fiesta style veggies (with kidney beans and carrots)
- 5-6 Fresh Basil leaves
- 2 tsps feta cheese
- Light dusting of Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteed

TO MAKE:
Pour your olive oil in your large skillet and add your onion, peppers and garlic. Start your large pot of water (for the pasta) and set on the stove on high COVERED. Keep your veggies on med. low heat. Lightly salt and pepper the top of the veggies.

Stir every few minutes. Once your water is boiling, pour in 1/4 cup salt into the boiling water then add your pasta. Ziti tends to stick so stir frequently. Ziti probably only needs about 7-8 minutes to cook. Drain your pasta (DO NOT RINSE WITH WATER)
Next add in your 1/2 bag of frozen veggies and peas and a tiny bit of extra oil to finish sauteing. Lightly salt and pepper the top. You can also add in some crushed red pepper also.

After your veggies are tender, NOT mushy (about 4-5 minutes) add in your fresh spinach and pasta and pour a little more olive oil on top to make stirring easier. Then add your feta and Parmesan cheese and stir a few times. Let this cook for about 2-3 minutes to heat the spinach... our intention is not to wilt the spinach, but just to heat it.

Turn off your stove, plate it up and DIG IN! YUM!!!

This serves 2-3 people.

The NEW Baked Beans - Kidney Beans & Green Peppers

If you like Baked Beans, you will LOVE this new and improved take on the traditional "baked beans." Instead of opening up a can of baked beans, dumping them on my plate and calling it "sexy," I decided to take a can of Kidney beans and Green Peppers and make the best summer creation yet!






Kidney Beans & Green Peppers

Ingredients

- 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans (drain the top but not the entire can)
- Olive Oil
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- Crushed Red Pepper flakes
- Salt, Pepper

Dice your Onions and Green Peppers and saute in 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a deep pan until they are tender. About 5-7 Minutes on med. heat, stirring frequently.

Then add in your Kidney beans (again, drain the top of them) and stir together. Add in your salt and Pepper, just a dash on the top and add in 3-4 shakes of crushed red pepper. Close the lid and let this simmer together for about 10-12 minutes. Stir this mixture every 3 minutes and leave it on medium low heat.

The final product is MUCH better and tastier than regular old baked beans and it goes well with just about ANYTHING!

Marinated & Grilled SALMON!

Never have I tasted a better piece of grilled salmon... seriously! I have grilled salmon MANY times before and never ever, EVER has it been so moist, tender and delicious! Here is how to make it:








Marinated & Grilled SALMON!

Ingredients

- 1 piece Salmon (Atlantic, NOT Alaskan)
- Soy Sauce
- Stir Fry Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Oregano
- Salt, Pepper

Take your piece of Salmon and place in a zip lock bag. Then pour the following ingredients in:

(The piece of Salmon I used was long and thin, not a large piece... if you are using a larger piece of salmon, increase the following by 2)

- 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/4 Tsp. of Oregano
- 1/4 Tsp of Salt
- 1/4 Tsp. of Pepper

Close the bag and move the Salmon gently around so that all of the ingredients mix together. Place in the refrigerator while your waiting for the grill to heat up. Note: The longer you let this sit and marinate, the better, preferably several hours.

Once your grill is ready, you can use tongs and gently place your Salmon on the grill.

IMPORTANT: Depending on what type of grill you have, will be how to check the grill times. Normally Salmon (and fish in general) do not take long at all to cook on the grill. Because my grill is not powerful, I let my fish stay 5 minutes on each side. This may vary with a gas or electric grill.

I served this with sauteed sugar snap peas and a delicious Kidney Bean & Green Pepper Dish, (click here to get this delicious NEW BEAN RECIPE!)

Marinated & Grilled T-Bone Steak

The key to grilling a perfect piece of meat really comes down to the marinating that you do before hand. Hands down, the better and longer you marinate the meat for, the more delicious and juicy your meat will be.









Marinated & Grilled T-Bone Steak

Ingredients

- 1 T-bone steak
- Soy Sauce
- Asian Stir Fry Sauce
- Spicy Buffalo Sauce
- Salt, Pepper
- Olive Oil

Place your meat in a zip-lock bag and pour in the following:

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Spicy Buffalo Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Asian Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. of Salt
1/4 tsp. of Pepper

Close the bag and move the meat around to mix all of the ingredients. Leave sit in the refrigerator prior to grilling, preferably several hours, but at least while you prep the grill.

Depending on how well you like your meat done and depending on what type of grill you have, will completely depend on the grill times. Since my grill is not gas or electric, (it's old fashioned) I left the steak on at least 10 minutes on each side, give or take...

Very yummy... very delicious...

I served this with grilled zucchini (which you'll see in the background) and I marinated those in olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper just before throwing them on the grill :-)

Grilled, Smoked Tuna

So I wished for a grill, and magically one appeared, (with the help of my spouse)

Anyway, last night was the first night that either of us had EVER attempted to grill anything by ourselves and on a grill that is NOT gas or stainless steel. None the less, my grilling attempt was a complete SUCCESS! Not only was everything cooked to perfection, but I was able to create a delicious smoking affect.

Grilled, Smoked Tuna

Ingredients

- 1 Piece Ahi Tuna
- Salt, Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Soy Sauce

Place the Tuna in a bowl and pour 3 tablespoons of soy sauce on top. Then pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the tuna and lightly season with salt (NOT TOO MUCH SALT BECAUSE THE SOY SAUCE IS SALTY) then generously season with pepper.

Let this sit in your fridge until your grill is ready.

Next, carry the tuna in the bowl out to your grill, using TONGS, gently lift and place your tuna over your grill. (Depending on which type of grill your using, will determine cooking length)

Because I used an old fashioned grill, I let my tuna cook for 5 minutes on each side and I closed the lid on the top to let the smoking take affect. DELICIOUS! Also, depending on how well done you like your tuna, will also determine your cooking length. Personally, I enjoy my tuna medium and that's how mine came out.

When you remove your tuna from the grill, place on your dish and cover with aluminum foil for about 5 minutes to let the juices settle.

I served this with broccoli and a baked potato. What a superb dinner!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PICS OF THIS GREAT NIGHT!