Homemade Baked Manicotti

This dish is decadent and really makes your guests (or just you) feel special. The great part is that this dish is one of the easiest to make! Just make some of your favorite sauce and follow this recipe and you're all set!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped
- Sauce (your favorite recipe or My Ultimate Sauce Recipe)
- salt
- olive oil
- Fresh Basil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- pasta machine
- rolling pin

To Make:

Pre-heat oven to 365


clean a large surface and dust with flour. Take 2 cups of flour and arrange in the center. Dig out the middle to form a well with high walls. Crack 3 eggs into the center of the well. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Using a fork, gently begin beating the eggs in the middle and slowly begin incorporating the flour into the eggs. Do not break the well. When the dough begins forming, use your hands to knead the rest of the flour into the mix. Knead for 5-6 minutes, then form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large pan, saute the diced onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all three cheeses, add in the sauteed garlic, onion and tomato mixture then add the spices: dried oregano, dried basil, garlic power, pepper, season with salt and the crushed red pepper flakes.

Mix well.

Next, set up the pasta machine. Unroll the dough and cut into 4 sections. Roll out with the rolling pin and try to form long rectangles. Cut the dough to make these shapes before passing through the pasta machine. Run the dough through the pasta machine all the way to the last setting. Then cut the long strip in half or in threes depending on how long it comes out.

Continue this process with all the dough until you have several pieces of rectangular shaped pieces roughly 8-10 inches long. 

Place the cheese mixture longways down one side of the pasta. Roll the pasta up and set fold side down. Continue until all is done.

In a large baking dish, arrange a thick layer of sauce on the bottom. Gently place the manicotti in the dish. Spoon sauce over top covering the manicotti. The sauce will cook the pasta in the oven.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 34-40 minutes.

Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Then serve with fresh basil over top.

Scallop & Bok Choy Noodle Bowl

Bok Choy is found in a lot of Asian meals. The flavor is superb and really melds well with lots of different flavor combinations. My favorite way to eat bok choy is with noodles. Enjoy this dish.

Ingredients:
- 2 medium bok choy
- 2 carrots
- 1 large jalapeno
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 red chili peppers, (dried and chopped)
- 1/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti, linguini, vermicelli, (your choice)
- 1/2 pound Jumbo Scallops
- vegetable broth
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil

To Make:

Begin by boiling a large pot of water for the pasta. Make sure to salt the water and cook pasta according to package directions, about 9 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime, peel the carrots then cut them in half and thinly slice them.  Then drizzle olive oil into a large pan and saute the carrots for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add  in the minced garlic. Slice the jalapeno down the middle and remove the seeds. Then thinly slice and add into the mixture. Add in the red chilies. Cook about 5-6 minutes until tender. Next, cut the bottoms off of the bok choy and slice into thin strips. Add into the pan. Drizzle extra olive and season with salt and pepper. Mix together. Cook another 5 minutes or until the bok choy is tender.

Once the pasta is ready, do not drain. Add directly into the pan with veggies. Toss together. Keep on low heat and set aside.

In another medium pan, drizzle with olive oil and set to high heat. Make sure the scallops are completely dry before placing them into the pan. Season them with salt and pepper. Once the pan is ready, cook then about 2 minutes on each side.

To Plate:

Arrange the veggie and pasta mixture in the bottom of a large soup bowl. Place scallops on top. Add 1/2 cup hot vegetable broth over top and serve while hot.

Lemon Shrimp with Yucca Mash

If you're a shrimp lover, then this dish will hit the spot! Mix it up a bit with Yucca Mash instead of regular potatoes.

Ingredients:

- 1 pound shrimp (cleaned)
- 3 Yucca, peeled
- 3 tbsp. minced garlic
- 3 red beets
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
- 2 large lemons
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes

To Make:

Begin by boiling the beets (unpeeled) for 12-20 minutes) until you can easily insert a fork into them. Once done, remove from water and let cool. Once they are cooled, peel the skin off.

While the beets are boiling, peel the Yucca and slice into cubes. Place into salted water and boil until they are fork tender. About 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine bell pepper, jalapeno, basil, parsley, pinch of salt, black pepper, pinch of garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes (to taste), the juice of one lemon and some lemon zest. Pulse together. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Blend well. Place into pan and cook for 5 minutes.

In a medium pan, saute the remaining 2 tbsp. garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the shrimp. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over top the shrimp and zest in 1 tsp of lemon. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until Shrimp are cooked.

Slice the beets in long strips and toss with olive oil.

Drain the yucca and mash with a fork, adding salt, pepper and olive oil.

Serve all together with the green sauce over the yucca. ENJOY!

Grilled Tuna with Sweet Potato Mash & Tangy Fennel Salad

This dish is the perfect start to summer. The flavors meld together so well that while I'm eating, I can see myself sitting at a restaurant along the beach, watching the waves burst against the beach. The dish may sound complicated but rest assured, it's not. It's fun and easy to make and it will WOW your guests or your family.

                                                                                  Ingredients:

- 2 Tuna Fillets
- 1/2 bulb fennell
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1/2 small white onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- 1/2 cup Bulgarian Feta Cheese
- 1/4 cup milk (your choice)
- Fresh Italian flat leaf parsely
- Fresh basil

To Make:

Start by boiling a medium pot with salted water. Peel the sweet potato and chop into large chunks. Once the water is boiling, add the sweet potato and boil for 10-12 minutes until the sweet potato is fork tender. Shut off and leave sit in water until ready to use.

In the meantime, saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil for 5 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large grill pan for the tuna. Allow this to heat up while you prepare the fennel salad.

To make the salad: Thinly slice the fennel bulb and yellow bell pepper into long thin strips. Place into a large bowl. Add in a few of the flowery pieces of the fennel into the salad for an extra blast of color.


To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, squeeze the juice of an entire lemon, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, a pinch of salt, a pinch of freshly grated black pepper, 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley and freshly chopped basil. Whisk together and toss over top salad. Set aside.

Season the tuna fillets with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place them gently on the hot grill pan. Cook 2-5 minutes on each side depending on how well-done you prefer. This dish was 2 minutes on each side.

While the tuna steaks are cooking, drain the sweet potatoes and add into a large bowl. Add in the feta cheese, milk and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Using a mixer, mix on high for 2 minutes. Then mix in the sauteed jalapeno, onion and garlic mixture.

To Plate:

Arrange the sweet potatoes in the center of the dish. Place a tuna fillet over top. Top with fennel salad and serve.

Pasta Balls

I can't really take credit for this dish because it was my dad who created it. He's been talking about these things since he first tasted them 25 years ago. He described the ingredients and the concept to my mom and I and we decided to test them out. They turned out great and he was so thrilled. Try these pasta balls today, you will love them!

In order to get them perfectly fried and not greasy, you will need a deep-fryer. It's worth it.

 Ingredients:
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 2 pounds ricotta cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- marinara sauce
- vegetable oil
- bread crumbs - Italian style
- freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- freshly chopped basil

To Make:

Start by boiling a large pot of salted water. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according the the package directions, making sure to keep the pasta al-dente.

In the meantime, mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and 3 eggs. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add in 2 handfulls of freshly chopped parsely and garlic powder.

In a small saute pan, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until tender. Mix them into the cheese mixture.

Once the pasta is done, drain and transfer to a large serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking, then with a large knife and fork, cut the pasta into 2-3 inch pieces. Mix the pasta into the cheese mixture.

Now the mixture is ready to form into balls. Wash your hands and remove any rings. Begin forming the mixture into balls, about the size of a medium meatball. Roll the balls into the Italian style bread crumbs and set aside.

Deep fry them when you're ready to serve because then they'll stay fresh. Once they are deep fried serve on a bed of marinara sauce and top with fresh basil. You can also sprinkle with cheese if preferred. They'll make any occasion special :-D

Fried Egg with Vegetable Medley

If you're in the mood for brunch, then this dish is the perfect fix.

Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- butter
- fresh parsley
- 1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
- 1/4 diced zucchini
- 1/4 diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced fennel (long strips)
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp crumbed feta cheese
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil

To Make:

Begin by sauteing the fennel with olive oil in a medium pan. Season lightly with salt. Next, add the onions and bell pepper. Mix together and cook about 6 minutes on medium-low heat. Next add in the zucchini and cook another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the tomatoes, mix and cover for 1 minute. Add in both cheeses and taste, then add salt and pepper if needed. Cover and cook on medium low heat.

In a medium saute pan, add 1 tsp butter. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, crack the egg and gently place into the pan. Fry on each side about 30 seconds (or until desired done-ness).

To Plate, Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the plate and place the fried gently over top. Garnish with fresh parsley.  Serve immediately.