French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

¼ cup vegetable oil

6 medium white onions, sliced

8 cups beef broth

1 cup water

2 tsp.salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. black pepper

6 slices of white bread

6 slices provolone or swiss cheese

6 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese

Small bag of croutons

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and pepper to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

When the soup is done, place a slice of bread in bottom of an oven safe bowl and spoon about 1-2 cups into them . Float a few croutons on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone or swiss cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil.

Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Sprinkle an additional ½  teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve.

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients: 

2 pounds large mushrooms

3/4 pound cooked baby shrimp

1 cup crushed bacon flavored crackers

1 cup cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:  
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Remove stems from mushrooms. Finely chop stems, and set aside. Arrange caps cavity side up in the baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix mushroom stems, cooked baby shrimp, crushed bacon flavored crackers and cream cheese.  >Stuff mushroom caps generously with the mushroom stem mixture. Top with sharp Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Apple Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. apple liqueur

Apple slice

Directions:

Stir vodka and apple liqueur in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a wedge of sliced green apple.

If you prefer non-alcoholic Apple Martini, use apple cider can be used in place of apple liqueur.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

3 asparagus stalks per person

½  tsp. Garlic paste

Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I sprayed a nonstick pan lightly. Cut the ends of the asparagus stalks and wash. Place in pan, add in garlic paste, salt and pepper. I took a wooden and just blended the garlic, salt and pepper and pop into oven. Bake for 15 minutes and serve.

Pumpkin Gnocchi in a sage butter walnut sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can obviously use fresh pumpkin puree or you can get it in the can, but make sure it is 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!)
¾ tsp. salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ cups of almond flour

Directions:
Simply start by mixing your pumpkin puree, salt, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Sift in your flour and combine, do not over mix!!
Next, flour your hands and shape the gnocchi in your hands. I recommend the equivalent of a teaspoon size shape, do not handle excessively!! Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put the gnocchi on the parchment paper, but in the refrigerator to set for an hour.
Start boiling water in a pot, salt the water. Take the gnocchi out of the freezer and check that it is firm enough to start cooking. Once the water is boiling, carefully drop the gnocchi in the water, repeat with all of them until fully cooked after around 6-8 minutes. Enjoy!!

Reader Submitted Recipe

Caroline Chirichella

www.lacucinaprimadona.blogspot.com

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 stick of butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350.Mix all ingredients.Place spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.Cool and serve.

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:

½ lbs. ground beef

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ cup bread crumbs

Dash of salt and pepper

2 tsp. of gravy master

2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. of ketchup

1 medium onion sliced

3 tbs. of butter

1 tbs. olive oil

1 cube of 1 tsp. of beef bouillon

1 cup of water

1 tsp. of flour

Directions:

Heat a large or medium fry pan (depending on how many you are making) with 2 tsp. of butter and the olive oil. In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, mustard, bread crumbs, 1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Make oval shaped patties out of the mixture and place in fry pan.  Keep the heat on medium low as you need them to cook all the way through without burning them. Usually 4 minutes each side. Remove the steaks from the pan and cover with foil. Add the remaining 1 tsp. of butter to the pan and then the onions. You want to cook these onions until tender. In a bowl of small drinking glass, add the cup of water with the bouillon and flour. Stir well and add into the fry pan. Blend well. Add in the other 1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp. of gravy master. Keep mixing and reduce flame to low. Add the Salisbury steaks back in to pan and heat through for about 10-20 minutes. The gravy will thicken even more and the flavors and sauce will marinate the meat.

 

 I served these with mashed potatoes. It was so good.  Very inexpensive and delicious.