Category: Delicious Made Easy

Hi Friends!  Hopefully you all are doing well and keeping warm!!  The weather has been all over the map this past week and unfortunately it has decided to stay a cold.

But, it is perfect for a cup of hot coco with extra marshmallows or your favorite tea with a dash of honey or flavored coffees…oh wait that’s’ for another blog!  =)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of small baby red potatoes
  
• 2 c. of shredded Cheddar cheese
• 7-8 slices of Turkey Bacon or Regular Bacon (I use pre-cooked)
  

• 1 bundle of Green Onions
• Olive Oil
  
• Pepper and Salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Rinse off potatoes and cut off ends and discard them. Cut the potato in half so it can lay on the lined baking sheet. Since they are small you will get about 2  bites per potato.
3. Drizzle potatoes with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste
4. Place the potatoes in the oven for about 5-6 minutes. 
5. Take out of the oven and Sprinkle on shredded Cheddar cheese
6. If you did not buy pre-cooked bacon, cook the bacon first, then allow it to cool, chop it up and add  a few pieces on top of the cheddar cheese.
7. Finally, chop or dice the green onions and sprinkle the onion over the bacon.
8. Pop them in the oven for  12-15 minutes and make sure the cheese has melted.
   

Enjoy!!!

This pork loin was easy to prepare, and ultimately make and ‘fugeddaboudit,’  but then again, I did use my trusted crockpot so it made my life that much easier! Friends, I’m telling you, honestly if you don’t have a crockpot or if you have never used one THEY ARE one of the best EVER inventions (next to a heated blanket, of course) ever!

Sauerkraut has some pretty amazing health benefits and in case you didn’t know how it was actually made… here you go. Sauerkraut is raw finely shredded cabbage, that has been fermented, meaning heat was not used during the process, mixed with salt and tightly packed in an airtight container left to ferment. This process will kill the bacteria that makes the fermentation process possible. The cabbage then is left to preserve and ultimately makes ‘ sour cabbage.’ This sour cabbage is full of probiotics, which may help to keep your “good” and “bad” bacteria in your gut balanced and aid in digestion.

Here are just some of the health benefits of eating Sauerkraut:

• Chalked full of Probiotics
• Rich in Vitamin C
• Contains a Cancer-fighting compound-isothiocyanate-What does that mean for you?Well, it means this compound can help stop carcinogens (cancer causing substances) dead in their tracks in 3 distinct and amazing ways:
  • Isothiocynanate- do NOT allow carcinogens to be activated-Awesome
  • Isothiocynanate- offset the poisonous/toxic effects of carcinogens that have been activated-Score another point
  • Isothiocyanate-speed up carcinogen removal out of the body-Even better

• High in B vitamins
• Zinc
• Protein

• Pork Tenderloin
• 1-2 bags of Sauerkraut
• Sea Salt
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of Tenderloin and brown both sides
2. Place into Crockpot
3. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in pan and put chopped onion and garlic into pan with the left over pieces of browned pork in the pan. Cook until onions and garlic are translucent. Add a ½ c. to 1 c. of water and scrape the bottom of the pan slowly add sauerkraut in the pan and slightly warm it up to allow the juices and pieces of pork to mix in with the sauerkraut
4. Remove the lid from the crock pot and pour sauerkraut and juices over the tenderloin and cook on low for about 7-8 hours.
5. Add your vegetable and dinner is served

Holy Cannoli, 2017 is almost here…Happy New Year’s Eve!!!! Time certainly flies by especially during the holidays! With Family and friends visiting for the holidays it’s been a revolving door of happy emotions once again.

Although a bit behind, this dish is one of my families favorites for Christmas Eve where we celebrate the feast of the 7 fishes along with 12 separate dishes honoring, the 12 disciples, molding our Italian and Ukrainian heritage. Christmas Eve is a big deal for us and I wanted to share one of the dishes I am responsible for making.

​Over the years, I must confess, I have altered and adapted this recipe depending on time and kitchen space! So have fun with it and who knows maybe this will become one of your favorite dishes to make and share!

1. Drizzle olive oil in pan and add red pepper flakes to warm oil
2. Add shrimp to pan add salt and additional red pepper flakes sauté for about 2 minutes continue cooking until cooked through. I also add some of the fresh Italian parsley here too.
3. Transfer shrimp to a large plate, set aside
4. In the same pan with the remaining olive oil and red pepper flakes add the sliced onion and chopped garlic adding additional olive oil, cook onions until translucent about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, add the dry white wine, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 9-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
6. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomat mixture, stir and cook for about a minute to mix and blend favors.
7. Add fresh parsley and fresh or dried basil.
8. This is optional but I roll the lemon and cut the lemon in half and squeeze fresh lemon juice over shrimp and tomato mixture. Make sure to catch any lemon seeds in strainer. For more of a lemon flavor grate lemon peel from lemon over shrimp Fra Diavolo.
9. Season with additional salt, to taste, and serve