Sausage Pepper Pizza

What You Will Need: Pizza crust, sausage, bell pepper, garlic, onion, roasted red pepper, pepper jack cheese & corn meal.

**Eggs are an optional ingredient.

Preheat your oven to 425.

Start by searing the sausage. Use a potato masher to break up the pieces of meat.

Add in your sliced peppers and onions.

Once your oven is heated, sprinkle your pan with corn meal. I have this perforated pan lined with foil underneath. 

Lay out your dough & par cook till almost done.

When the peppers & onions are tender, add in the garlic & roasted red peppers. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

If there ends up being a lot of grease from the sausage, drain the mixture on a couple layers of paper towels. 

Generously add your shredded cheese, then top with the sausage & peppers.

Bake till the cheese has melted and the crust is cooked to your desired doneness. 

Serve the pizza as is.........OR......fry up a couple eggs to throw on top.

Oh yes, lets use an over medium egg as the garnish for this pie!

**Sigh**

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Bacon & Sun Dried Tomato Carbonara

A few years ago I was lucky enough to travel to Italy. The first meal I had when I got to the hotel in Florence was Carbonara!

I can't even begin to explain the perfection, the simplicity, the silky-richness of this dish! By far one of the best meals I had while I was there!

Now to my dismay, I have yet to replicate this masterpiece exactly as I remember but that doesn't mean I haven't created my own delicious variations. 

Here's One with a little extra flare!

What You Will Need: Bacon, onion, garlic, parsley, sun dried tomatoes, eggs, noodles, butter & parmesan cheese.

Preheat your oven to 350 & get a pot of water boiling. 

**Add salt to the water only after it starts boiling..

First thing is to cook your bacon. Now, you can either cook the bacon in a pan or in the oven on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I prefer the oven to cut down of grease splatter & it provides a more evenly cooked bacon. Once it has crisped, drain off the fat and set it aside.

Separate your yolks from your whites.

**Save the whites for breakfast the next day

I have 5 yolks & sprinkled a couple tablespoons of the parmesan cheese. Mix & set aside.

In a large, high sided skillet, melt your butter & sauté the diced onions/garlic. Add plenty of the chopped bacon.

Allowing the onions, garlic & bacon to sauté for 3-5 minute, you can then add in your diced sun dried tomatoes. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley. Reduce the heat to low.

Once your noodles are cooked al dente, transfer them into the skillet. Mix with all the goodies.

Grab your morning coffee mug & get a full cup of the starchy cooking water. Slowly pour in the hot liquid to your yolk & cheese mixture. Whisk vigorously so you don't end up with scrambled eggs.

Pour the mixture over the noodles and toss to coat. It will look like there is to much liquid in the bottom of the pan but allow the pasta to 'rest' for a few minutes. 

Soon you will have a rich, luscious sauce...

& sweet sun dried tomatoes

& perfectly cooked noodles

& savory bacon!!!!

Garnish with chopped parsley and an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese!!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Portobella Risotto

If you have ever watched an episode of Hells Kitchen, you may think it is darn near impossible to make Risotto. 

Fear Not!!! With this recipe, you will be mastering this 'oh so challenging' dish with delicious ease!

What You Will Need: Portobella mushrooms, onions, garlic, butter, arborio rice, parmesan cheese & chicken broth.

**Keep in mind that the key to this dish is patients. This isn't a dish you want to try and serve in 10 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some music & be ready to hang out in your kitchen.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cut your mushrooms (keep the pieces large seeing that they are the main flavor) & place on a baking sheet. Olive oil, salt/pepper

Roasted for about 8-10 minutes. You still want them to have texture, not turn into mush. Set aside.

Place a couple tablespoons of butter into a large sauté pan. Once its melted, add in your rice & allow it to 'toast'. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn.

Add in the diced onions & garlic. Stir, cook 3-5 minutes.

Now comes the part that takes the extra time. We are going to add liquid, stir, allow the starches to absorb the liquid & then add some more. 

Pour in the stock, stir & simmer.

When the liquid has been absorbed, add in some more. You should do this process about 5+ times, making sure you stir so the rice can release its starches and give you the creamy texture your looking for. 

After about 30-40 minutes, your rice should be tender & full. Add in your roasted mushrooms.

Sprinkle in your parmesan cheese. Check for salt/pepper

At this point you can sever your Risotto, but I like to add a spoon full of either sour cream or cream cheese to give it a silky, extra creamy finish!

Serve as a side dish or the main course & be ready to show Mr. Gordon Ramsey who's the boss of your kitchen!!!! 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Roasted Vegetable Shepherds Pie

What You Will Need: Roasted Vegetables (a blend of carrots, celery, onions, turnips & sweet potatoes. Diced, drizzled with olive oil, salt/pepper 350 degrees till soft). Red skin potatoes, spaghetti squash, half & half, sour cream, flour, butter & scallions. 

**Optional items; shredded cheese & panko bread crumbs.

Heat your oven to 375.

Cut and place your potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil & cook till you can pierce them with a fork. Drain, return potatoes back to the pot. Add in butter, half & half, sliced scallions and a dollop of sour cream. Salt/pepper and set aside.

Place your roasted vegetables into a large sauté pan. Add in the squash.

Sprinkle in a couple spoon fulls of flour. Stir, allowing the flour to cook, then add a liquid. I chose water to keep it vegetarian but use any stock you would like.

Place the mixture into your oven safe dish. Generously spoon on your mashed potatoes.

These last two additions are optional. Top with shredded cheese & sprinkle on the bread crumbs.

Bake in the oven till the cheese is melted and the panko browns. 

Hearty & full of flavor, the perfect dish on a cold winters day!

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Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!