Oats for Dinner? Adding steel-cut oats to a smoky chili with chipotle peppers makes a quick, hearty and wholesome meal.  This chili is great for lunch time leftovers and is so quick to make!   Ingredients: 4 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup steel-cut oats 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed 1 Tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce…

What else can you do with all those juicy tomatoes?  Your neighbor gives you some to add to the bowl on your counter and you dread the thought of peeling and cooking down the tomatoes for hours to make a fresh sauce.  The alternative is to make yourself some delicious, fresh tomato juice.  There is…

If you have never tried making pierogi before, or just have a craving and don’t want to go through all the fuss, this is a perfect recipe.  It makes just about 2 dozen pierogi – enough for a snack for my boys!  It’s even easier if you make the delicious potato filling the day before.…

Sometimes you feel like a nut – sometimes you don’t!  I guess I fall into the “nut” category for putting my oven on in this heat, but it’s much better today.   This is a sneak preview of one of the new Fall/Winter recipes from The Pampered Chef Season’s Best collection.  These bars have the flavor…

Chrusciki – known as angels’ wings or bow-ties, these sugar dusted sweets are associated with Poland.  Since the dough has to be rolled out extremely thin, I decided to use my pasta machine.  They came out perfectly! Divide dough into four equal portions. Using your pasta machine, start at setting #2 and end with #5. …

One of my simple pleasures in the summer is having a tomato sandwich  from the first picked tomato in my garden.  This presentation would be beautiful with some heirloom tomatoes.  I’m planting some in my garden this Memorial Day Weekend.  So until then, find some nice beefsteak tomatoes, some fresh basil and top them with this…

Edamame (green soybeans) is a delightful little bite, easy to prepare and fun to eat.  Edamame is high in protein and has a nutty flavor. I was recently introduced to this healthy snack by a friend with two small boys (Hunter and Grant).  She served this to her 3-year old as part of his lunch. …

Most countries and cultures put dry, leftover bread to good use.  All forms of bread can be brought back to life with a little liquid and is a great way to stretch a dish.  The first recipe that comes to mind is Thanksgiving stuffing.  You have to have stale bread for stuffing!  Panzanella salad, French…

Ok…I really had to fix this one.  This was a copykat recipe from the Cheesecake Factory which I had recently. Of course it didn’t come anywhere near what I had.  That’s what I get for being a copykat…nah nah nah nah nah!  I think Chef Pablo is not giving away anything! This is a sauteed…

Kuchen is an open face fresh fruit pie usually served warm from the oven.  In this recipe fresh, ripe peaches are used with a rich biscuit crust, similar to shortcake.  Peach Kuchen is especially delicious with whipped cream or a la mode – Peaches ‘n’ Cream! Ingredients: Boiling water 2 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled and…

New Jersey has more diners than any state in the nation and is considered “The Diner Capital” of the world! Go Jersey! On every diner dessert menu you will find rice pudding.  A true old-fashioned homey dessert.   Imagine a bowl of warm rice pudding topped with a crispy, caramel brulee topping!  Let’s turn this into…

There are so many recipes for pulled pork and it’s no wonder, it’s delicious! I wanted to try and find a recipe that was a little leaner with the same great flavor. Usually when you make it you have to buy a big pork butt, full of fat and it takes hours and hours to…

Have you ever baked with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil? Most of us think of using olive oil in dressings, salads or as a condiment for dipping bread of crudite. You can substitute olive oil for any recipe that calls for butter or margarine – even cakes! These Basil Pesto Muffins are going to change the way…

This recipe for Pepperoni Bread is great on it’s own, but it’s even better with some warm marinara. 1 pkg. (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 garlic clove, minced 2 pkgs. refrigerated French bread dough 1 egg 1 tsp. oregano 1 Tbsp.…