Ratlatouille

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cup small diced yellow onion

1 tsp mined garlic

2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin still on

1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 cup green bell peppers

1 cup red bell peppers

1 cup zucchini squash

1 cup diced yellow squash

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Set a large 12 inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot , add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and slightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes.
Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash an continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

We occasionaly like to serve this over pasta noodles.

Margarita Pizza

Margarita Pizza

This is a favorite of ours especially on a hot day

flat bread

extra virgin olive oil

garlic

Toppings:

Spinach

Basil

Tomatoes

Mushrooms

Feta Cheese

Salt

Pepper

smash garlic and mix with about 1/4 cup olive oil

brush flat bread with olive oil mixture

top with:
Spinach, Basil, Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Salt and Pepper

Broil in Toaster Oven for 15 to 20 min or bake at 375 in toaster oven for about 20 min.

My husband likes to put a little meat on his.

We were listening to Simon and Garfunkel while making these but a much better song would be, Margarita ville

Fried Rice

Heat 3-4 tbsp olive oil in a skillet

3 eggs

4 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice

bunch green onion finely chopped

1 tsp white pepper

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

salt to taste 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)

4 slices ham cut into cubes

cook eggs in skillet on high heat, add rice, chopped green onion, white pepper, frozen peas, soy sauce and ham mix together well.

by leaving out the ham, this is a great vegetarian dish

I enjoy this when I have cooked the rice the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

This is my original recipe so the song I chose for this is Frank Sinatra's "My Way"

Dinner for Dad

My dad struggles from Prostate Cancer and most foods don't taste good to him. I decided while I was visiting to try some cooking and see what we could find that would taste good.



So far... The Marinated Flank Steak has tasted great

We Broiled Asparagus for him and he enjoyed that as well.

I also tried a potato recipe that I will have to give you to try out



You take about 7 red potatoes, cut them up into small squares and put them into a plastic bag, with a little water and put them into the microwave for about 7 minutes. You then place in a mixing bowl and add 3 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. Add salt, garlic, Lawry's, fresh basil, chili flakes, Rocky Mountain Seasoning, approx. 4 tbsp. and Parmesan cheese. Then mix together. Bake or Broil if you wish on an baking sheet covered with tin foil for 30 minutes. Stirring every 15 minutes.


We served Marinated Flank Steak and Roasted Asparagus. Dad Loved it..

We all decided that the perfect song for this was...Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Split Pea Soup

Ham Bone
1 Bag Split Peas

I put the Ham bone and split peas together and let simmer on Med. heat for 4 to 5 hours.

5-6 carrots
stalk of celery
2 small onions

My dad loves split pea soup, but has a great dislike for carrots. I wanted him to have the nutrients so I take my vegetable and run them through the food processor until they are chopped very fine. (almost invisible to the eye)

1-2 cloves of garlic
1-2 bay leaves
salt
fresh ground pepper

I add the vegetables and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes, while the vegetables are simmering I take the meat off the ham bone and add it to the soup.

While cooking this, I think the perfect thing to listen to would be the Black Eyed Peas!

Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2 ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup white wine, I used Martinelli's sparkling cider
1 28ounce can while San marzano tomatoes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
toothpicks

place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle each of the pieces with 1/2 (about 2 tbsp) fontina cheese. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

Warm the Olive oil and halved garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the oil and garlic. Add the wine (martinelli's) and let simmer for 2 minute's while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the reduced wine mixture in pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavor marry.

Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through 5 - 7 minutes


This is so absolutely amazing that every time I have made this I have put on Michael Buble and listened to "Feeling Good"

Mango Salsa

1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp minced jalapeno chile
1 tsp light brown sugar
Salt

Mix all the ingredients together.
This is great served over grilled Pork.

I was listenting to Lady GaGa Poker Face while I was putting this together.