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I made a do-over 40th birthday dinner for my son this past weekend. He, his wife and son tried to have a birthday weekend in Cape May, however, traveling with a toddler presented some unique challenges.
 
Many, many years ago, I made a pasta casserole recipe from “Gourmet Magazine” (January 1998), Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan; my son loved this dish. Despite my challenges post-surgery, I decided to prepare a dinner in his honor. I did however, prepare this meal over two days so I wouldn’t be on my feet too long.
 
For the recipe you’ll need yellow peppers, an onion, fresh garlic, olive oil, heavy cream, white button mushrooms, red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, ziti, scallions and Parmesan cheese. ​
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I am four weeks into my recovery from right hip replacement surgery. The hip has felt good following surgery, but minor problems surfaced. My right leg and knee were slightly swollen. A week of lying in bed and icing helped alleviate pain. However, my cushioned dining room chair has proven comfortable so I can sit and type.
 
Just two weeks after surgery, I was able to do some cooking as long as I wasn’t on my feet for an extended amount of time. I had an abundance of eggs sitting in my basement refrigerator. I also had a few open bottles of red wine and pre-cooked bacon in the freezer. With these items on hand, it was time to make breakfast for supper. The first new recipe I tried was Eggs Baked in Red Wine, a recipe by Sara Moulton, of Sara’s Weeknight Meals on PBS.
 
Besides eggs, red wine and bacon, you’ll also need homemade-style white or whole wheat bread, garlic cloves, bacon slices, shallots, chicken broth, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs (chives, parsley, tarragon, lemon thyme.) For bread I used some delicious bread, Sesame Durum, from Hey Peach Bakery in Bradley Beach, NJ.
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Back in 1961, there were 17 straight days of temperatures below freezing. This week, weather forecasters are calling for sub-freezing temperatures Sunday through the remainder of the week. Hopefully your pantry is stocked with things that help you prepare easy to make dinners that are hearty and healthy.
 
I recently prepared a delicious recipe from the public broadcasting show, “Cook’s Country”, Stovetop Chicken with Lemon-Cornichon Sauce. Melissa Clark of The New York Times had a recipe for shelf-stable potato gnocchi, Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers. A hearty and heartwarming recipe by chef Clare DeBoer appeared in The New York Times for One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles. I also found a new turkey meatloaf recipe from Lidia Bastianich.
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With only a couple of weeks to my surgery, I’ve started to stock up so either myself, if I’m up to it, or my husband can make dinner. My sister-in-law reminded me the other day that just three days after my last hip replacement I was up cooking supper. Tuesday afternoon I tripped and did something terrible to my left knee. It was already not feeling great and I can’t put weight on it or fully bend it…ugh! I’m waiting for the doctor’s office to call me back.
 
In the meantime, I’m sitting in my kitchen with the sun on me because I’m cold. Despite the chilly wind, I have made several things this week. For supper on Monday, I found a scrumptious sheet pan supper from Lidey Heuck for Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts, Rosemary, Honey and Mustard, a lovely Pear and Cardamom Upside-Down Cake from Vallery Lomas and a delightful brunch, or even a light supper, a dish called Mushroom and Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs from chef Marco Herrera.
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Another year has come and gone; you’ve made it! The new year is off to a fresh start and I’m having hip replacement surgery in a few weeks, woohoo! In the meantime, I’ll be cooking, stocking up and blogging on new recipes that I think you’ll find delicious enough to try yourself.
 
A few weeks ago, I found on Lidia Bastianich’s website a recipe for Balsamic Chicken Stir Fry. This recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare and it has a nice Italian twist to a standard stir fry recipe. What you’ll need is chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, honey, cornstarch, kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, broccoli florets, broccoli stems trimmed and peeled cut into matchsticks, white or cremini mushrooms, red bell pepper, scallions, peperoncino flakes and white rice if desired.
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​Thank you to both my current and new newsletter subscribers. I had suspended my newsletter due to lack of time. If you are not aware of it, I’m a one woman show. I research the recipes, purchase the ingredients, prepare the dish, take the photos and post to social media and the blog. You'll also notice that I do not have any ads. I do my food blog for my own personal enjoyment and as my mission statement says, "Inspiring people to create every day recipes."
 

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I  don’t know where the month went. My husband and I have been shopping for a second-floor bath renovation,  did an overnight getaway and had some neighbors over one afternoon to celebrate the holidays.
 
During the winter, I prepare a lot of soups. Pea soup is a favorite as well as butternut squash apple soup. However, there’s one I recently craved and that’s creamy mushroom soup. Many, many years ago, “Bon Appétit Magazine” published a mushroom soup from Wolfgang Puck’s that was rich and creamy. I held onto that magazine just for the recipe, but after Super Storm Sandy, my collection of old “Bon Appétit” and “Gourmet” magazines were tossed. I was able to locate a copy of the recipe online. What I loved about the soup was its richness and how the addition of thyme imparted such a wonderful flavor. I had a similar soup at the now defunct Manor Restaurant in West Orange, NJ.
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With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, you may want to prepare some festive holiday desserts. One that was a hit with my granddaughters was turning Biscoff cookies into candy Christmas trees. My son-in-law spotted this on Instagram and thought it would be a fun activity for my youngest granddaughter and I to do. You can purchase the cookies at your local food store. You’ll also need a bag of chocolate chips. I purchased a package of Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips.
 
The Biscoff cookies are placed on a parchment or silicone pad lined cookie sheet. Using a piping bag, or plastic food bag with the corner snipped, the chocolate is piped to form a triangle tree shape over part of the cookie.​
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Now that Santa has come and gone, what do you do to entertain young ones until winter recess is over. I know my granddaughters have seen Moana 2 twice, but perhaps, you’ll just have a movie day at home. If so, the kids are likely going to need some snacks during the movie. I recently made two with my granddaughters. The first one was Piggy Bricks and the other Chili Cheese Popcorn. My oldest granddaughter found the recipes in “Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cook Book” in her school’s library.
 
Piggy Bricks is a twist on Rice Krispies treats with the addition of peanut butter for a bit of protein. For the bricks you’ll need a bag of either large or mini marshmallows, creamy peanut butter, butter, cereal (toasted oat, puffed riced, puffed corn or chocolate flavored puffed corn cereal), candy coated chocolate pieces (such as M&M’s) and chopped peanuts.
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In one of our last CSA boxes, I had a small head of cabbage. I came across an interesting recipe on the “Smitten Kitchen” website for Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts and Parmesan.
For the recipe you’ll need a medium-large or two small heads of savoy cabbage, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, walnut halves and pieces, fresh garlic, a large lemon, red pepper flakes (Aleppo, if you have) and grated Parmesan cheese.
 
The cabbage is cut into wedges and laid on a rimmed baking sheet that has been coated with olive oil. Additional oil is brushed on the wedges. The cabbage roasts in a 475° oven until charred, about 8 to 10 minutes); then flipped. In the interim, place nuts on a baking dish and roast alongside the cabbage for 4 to 5 minutes. When done, coarsely chop and add extra virgin olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Let flavors meld together before adding a squeeze of lemon; adjust seasonings to taste. ​


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

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