Recipe Of The Week...

A new twist on an old classic....Max even loved this one!

Italian Pot Roast
1 3 lb. boneless beef chuck pot roast
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and cut into thin wedges
3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and bias-sliced into 2" lengths
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 26-oz. jar pasta sauce
2 to 3 cups hot cooked penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Trim fat from roast. In a small bowl, combine garlic salt, fennel seed, and pepper. Rub into roast on all sides. In a 5- or 6- quart slow cooker, combine fennel, carrot, and onion. Place roast on top. Pour pasta over roast in cooker.

2. Cover and cook in low heat for 9 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

**The recipe says to reserve 1/3 of the roast and 2 cups of sauce....I did not do this because Karl takes leftovers into work and I always schedule 1 or 2 days a week on my monthly menu for leftovers. **

3. Toss pasta with parsley. Serve roast and sauce over hot pasta mixture. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bon Apetite!

Recipe Of The Week...

Old Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef of ground turkey
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (this is my secret ingredient...added it on a whim)
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 cups of spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil or fresh parsley
1 pound spaghetti or linguine noodles
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350'. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (I always spray with PAM so they the meatballs don't stick).

2. Combine beef/turkey, onion, eggs, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, breadcrumbs in a large bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 24). Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. Blot well with paper towel.

3. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.

4. Pour sauce into a dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover, simmering for about 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with sauce and meatballs and serve with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Bon Appetite!

Recipe Of The Week...

Since I have had a few requests for some of the recipes I have made recently I decided that I will start posting recipes that I have tried and really liked. Bon Appetite'.

Chicken Parmesan w/ Penne Pasta
Ingredients:
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
12 chicken tenders fillets (you can can also use breasts and slice them into tender size)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup bottled Marinara sauce
1 cup shredded four cheese blend
12 fresh basil leaves (the recipe calls for leaving the basil whole, but I lightly chopped mine)
Cooked penne pasta and remaining Marinara sauce (or any pasta of your choice...ziti would be great as well as linguine)

1. Heat oven to 375'
2. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and egg in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, shaking off excess. Coat with bread crumbs; place on a plate.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a 13 x 9 baking dish. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining chicken.
4. Spoon marinara sauce over chicken in dish. Top with basil and then sprinkle cheese over chicken.
5. Bake at 375' for about 10 minutes, until bubbly and cheese melts. Serve with cooked penne and marinara sauce.