Spinach Manicotti

Cheeses: ricotta, provolone, mozz, and parm/romano

Brie Souffle with Blueberry Compote

My very first attempt at making a dessert that was completely original (to me, at least). I found a recipe of a chocolate souffle but I substitute the chocolate for Brie cheese.

Recent Dinner

Grilled (thin cut) ribeye steak topped with butter

roasted brussel sprouts

orzo pasta with green beans and red pepper

Onions! Onions! Onions!

-My grilled ribeye steak topped with onions-

-Mary McCartney's Summer Asparagus Tart-

-Alton Brown's French Onion Soup-

The Heather Webber Special

Heather Webber is a character from soap opera 'General Hospital'; she always mention Ice tea and BLTs (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) so often that time to time I fix it myself! However, unlike my own ice teas and BLTs, Heather would more than likely poison you!

Garlicky Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients:
1 lb of broccoli
a few slices of bread, shredded to chunky breadcrumbs
about a palmful of pine nuts
lemon zest
1 lb spaghetti
S&P
a couple of cloves of garlic (I'm a garlic lover so I used quite a lot!), minced
EVOO
parm cheese

Method:
-Pre-heat oven at 425 degrees
-grease up a cookie sheet or roasting pan
-in a medium size bowl, combine broccoli, minced garlic, S&P, and EVOO until broccoli and garlic are evenly coated. Then spread the mixture onto the roasting pan into a single layer. Let it roast for 15 minutes.

-While the broccoli and garlic are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil, salt and dump the spaghetti. Drain when al-dente

-In a cuisinart, shred the bread slices into a chunk-like bread crumbs. When the 15 minutes is up for the broccoli and garlic, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the mixture before putting it back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

-During the final 5 minutes of the broccoli/garlic roasting in the oven, heat up a small frying pan to toast a handful of pine nuts until golden brown. Set aside (so they won't burn!)

-After taking out the roasted broccoli/garlic mixture out of the oven, zest a lemon over the mixture. In the serving bowl or your spaghetti pot, combine the drained spaghetti with the lemon zest roasted broccoli/garlic and pine nuts together before serving with parm cheese.

Stuffed Pork Chops

Cheesy spinach-red pepper stuffed pork chops with green beans/pine nuts & cottage cheese.

Ingredients:
Stuffing:
1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 red pepper, diced and minced
1 small container of mascapone cheese
S&P

4 to 6 boneless pork chops
S&P
Shake n Bake breadcrumbs for pork
a handful of dried parsley
toothpicks (about 2 per pork)
3 eggs, beaten
2-3 tablespoons of flour

Method:
-Mix the stuffing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside
-Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the middle of the pork chop to make a pocket
-Using a spoon, scoop the spinach-red pepper mixture into the pork chop. Seal it with toothpicks.
-Set up a breading station: beaten eggs and flour in one medium bowl (mix them up to make a batter), Shake n Bake breadcrumbs mixed with dried parsley in another medium bowl, and a greased cookie-sheet pan. Follow the Shake n Bake's oven temptature time in their directions.
-Place gently (you don't want to have the stuffing ooze out!) the stuffed pork chop in with the egg batter, coating both sides before placing them in the breadcrumbs, coating before finally placing them on the cookie sheet.
-Bake the stuffed pork chops to 20-30 minutes (depending the quality; despite the Shake 'n' Bake's 15 minutes, you want the stuffing to be heated through as well, hince the additional time)
-Let rest for a few minutes before serving

Side Ideas: Cottage cheese, green beans, wild rice

Leftover Stuffing Idea: It could be used for stuffing chicken or as a pasta sauce