Stuffed Portobello Caps

2 large Portobello caps
1/4 lb buld Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
6 to 8 pieces roasted red peppers
1/4 cup shredded Parmegiana (reggiano if available)
Olive Oil, (Virgin preferred)

Drizzle oil on Portobello caps
Sprinkle with garlic
Break up sausage and scatter in Portobello Caps
Scatter peppers on top
Sprinkle with basil
Cover with cheese and drizzle with oil
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes
Serve

Pesto

4 C Fresh Basil
6 Cloves Garlic
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts , Toasted
(You can toast pine nuts in an ungreased cast iron skillet just till slightly browned)
1/2 C fresh grated parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor, place garlic and basil, turn on processor till well mixed
Add Pine nuts and turn on processor till mixed
Add parmesan and turn on processor till all is mixed evenly
Remove basil mixture from processor and place in bowl
Pour Oil over basil mixture and stir with fork so basil absorbs oil.

Serve over al dente pasta.
Pesto can be saved in refrigerator for days it may change to a darker color but flavor will be true

Pastina Soup

This may be the easiest Soup ever and there is so much that you can do with it.
1/2 Lb Pastina (Ancini di Pepe) pasta. Usually sold in a 1 LB box or bag, use about half Pkg
1 1/2 Qts Water (no need to salt the water the soup base will make up for it.
3 to 4 tsps Chicken Soup Base. (boullon cubes will work) You can use any flavor soup base you like.
Grated Parmesan

In a medium saucepan bring water to boil.
Add Soup base Gradually tasting as it dissolves. It's up to you how you want it to taste. If you like it with 3 tsps. fine, if not add another.
Stir in Pastina,  Let cook for about ten minutes till pastina is tender and you will see it swollen in size.

Now comes the time you can customize this soup to your own taste.
I like to poach a few eggs in the soup at this point and serve it with one poached egg per bowl.
Other suggestions for add ons... Small meatballs, pieces of cooked Italian Sausage, Fresh spinach or escarole, I have even crumbled a TBSP of ricotta in each bowl before I put in the soup.
Have fun with it and don't be afraid to experiment.
Eat as much of this soup up as possible as it will have a tendency to absorb all the broth but you can reserve the left over pastina and add it to other dishes or even to a cup of cooked broth for a new cup of pastina soup

Chicken Parmesan

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally  into 4 thinner Breasts.
1 cup seasoned flour (salt, pepper, garlic powder)
2 Eggs beaten
Oil to cook chicken
2 C Marinara sauce Link
1 C shredded parmesan
Place chicken breast pieces between two sheets of wax paper and pound flat with meat mallet
Drag chicken through flour to coat then dip in egg  and place in skillet with 1/2 inch hot oil for  three minutes per side till cooked through.
Drain on paper towel.
Put one cup of marinara sauce in a flat oven safe casserole dish
Place cooked chicken in sauce
Pour remaining cup of sauce over chicken being sure to spoon some sauce over all of the chicken.
Sprinkle parmesan on chicken and bake for 30 minutes at 350F
Remove from oven garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Most often served with pasta.
Serves 2 to 4

Biscuits with Bacon Gravy

1 batch of biscuits (Home made, Made from a mix, baked from a tube. as long as you like them that's all that matters.)

1/2 Lb Bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
1 C Water
1 tsp Chicken soup base or 1 bouillon cube
1 C Heavy Cream
1 to 2 Tbsp Flour
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Bake Biscuits according to directions and time them to be done before gravy is.
Cook Bacon over low to medium heat till cooked but not too crispy.
Add water and cook over medium heat till boiling
Add Bouillon and stir till dissolved
Stir in cream and bring back a slight boil
Add flour one Tbsp at a time and dissolve with a fork then mix it with entire mixture until desired consistency
Sprinkle with Black Pepper

Serve over open face biscuits

Grilled Tilapia Fillets

Tilapia Fillets (as many as you want to cook) Thawed
Salt and Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
Chopped parsley
Crushed red pepper

Heat a grilling pan over medium heat
(This will work with a George Foreman Grill just make sure to spray top and bottom and reduce cooking time to 3 minutes total)

Sprinkle both sides of Tilapia with salt and pepper and a generous dusting of garlic powder and paprika
Lightly Spray Grilling pan with cooking spray

Place Fish on pan, Grill for 3 minutes then turn and grill for 3 more minutes

Sprinkle with parsley and red pepper flakes and serve.
I like it with a fresh salsa like pico di gallo or mango and avacado salsa

Timballo

Ingredients
1/2 Lb Pizza Crust Dough, (1/4th recipe) dough recipe
1 Lb Ziti pasta cooked very al dente. (pasta will cook more as it bakes in the oven.
4 C Red Gravy or Marinara Sauce
1/2 Lb Italian Sausage cooked in pasta sauce and cut into bite sized pieces. about 1 inch
1 C Ricotta
1 Raw Egg
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Parsley Frakes
1/8 Lb Cooked Bacon strips cut into 1 inch lengths. Browned but not crispy.
20 Slices Pepperoni
3 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled and left whole
2 Tbsp Early sweet peas
1/2 C Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 C Mozzarella
1/4 C Parmesan
6-8 Basil Leaves, Chopped.
Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

Cook Pasta, drain and mix with 1 cup of sauce and set aside

Prepare Ricotta, whip ricotta with egg, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and Parmesan

Prepare Crust
Proof dough for 1/2 hour then roll out to about a 20-22 inch circle.
Place dough loosely in an 8 1/2 inch springform pan. Let dough fill bottom of pan to edges and overlap rim to fold over when filled.

Spoon a shallow layer of pasta into bottom of crusted pan. spread evenly
Add a ladle of sauce and spread to fill.
Place a layer of bacon over pasta.
Spread ricotta mixture over bacon.
Add layer of pasta
Place sausage pieces on and into pasta.
Sprinkle basil over all
Add enough pasta to even out layer of sausage.
Ladle sauce over layer till filled.
Spread Sliced Mushrooms over layer.
Place hard boiled eggs well spaced on mushrooms
Fill layer with pasta, sprinkle in peas and add some sauce
Cover layer with half of the Mozzarella
Add layer of pepperoni
Add remainder of pasta and cover with remaining Mozzarella.

Close carefully by folding edges of dough up over top all around. Overlap where needed and pinch edges to close

Bake at 450F for 20 - 25 minutes till medium brown.

Let stand 5 minutes then remove spring form pan,
Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 6 generous servings