Tag Archives: oregano

Mediterranean Omelette

Last Sunday I started out making a Greek omelette then I added a few Italian ingredients and changed the name to Mediterranean Omelette. I used real eggs in this but you can, as always, use an egg substitute. Usually on the weekends I make egg salad for John but he likes it warm (yuck) and I like it cold. So this past weekend I decided to make a large omelette we could share. It was so good I wanted more. And I am not a breakfast person! Though the gyro omelettes we had in St. Augustine at Athena’s Greek Restaurant were incredible! Nothing like it anywhere! Ok I digress…This omelette was nice and easy and since we both liked all the ingredients I could make it in one pan and just split it.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large eggs

½ cup fat-free half and half

½ cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/3 cup red onion, chopped small

1/3 cup tomato, chopped small

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh basil chopped/torn

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup Light Feta Cheese (crumbled)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter/butter substitute

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat the eggs and half and half till light and fluffy. Set aside.

2. Heat a medium skillet  and add butter and olive oil. Melt on medium heat till a little bubbly.

3. Add the onion and sauté till soft. (A few minutes) Add garlic and sauté a few more minutes.

4. Add the spinach and stir well into the onion and garlic, till warm. (a few minutes)

5. Add the egg mixture. Add the tomato and stir well.

6. Cook the eggs, letting the liquid run to the edges, constantly pulling edges away till almost all liquid is dry. Add the basil and oregano and feta cheese.

7. Gently fold over half the omelette and press gently to seal. If you wish to flip it go ahead, but this is a large omelette and it may be hard to do.

8. Cut in half and serve!

Serves 2

DON’T FORGET MY WEBSITE!!! www.cucinadiandrea.com

Stroganoff Genua Style

I know I have already posted a beef stroganoff recipe but this is a different version of that recipe. Most stroganoff uses stew meat and heavy cream and noodles. Not this recipe. In my version I substitute lean ground beef for the stew meat, fat-free half and half instead of cream and my favorite low-calorie noodle, Tofu Shirataki Noodles! It sort of looks like hamburger helper but tastes so much better. It is easy and doesn’t take a very long time to cook. I’m always looking for ground beef recipes other than meatloaf and chili and I found one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 -15 ounce can cream of mushroom soup (or fat-free)

1 package Tofu Shirataki Noodles (Fettucine style) (prepare as package directs)

2 French Onion Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges, cut up

¼ cup light or fat-free sour cream

¼-½ cup fat-free half and half, use as needed to thin the sauce a little.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan sauté the onions in olive oil till they start to soften. Add the garlic and continue to sauté till light brown. Remove onions and garlic from pan and set aside.

2. Add ground beef to same pan and cook until brown. Drain off excess fat. Return the onion and garlic to pan as well as the basil, oregano, and parsley. Stir thoroughly.

3. Stir in cream of mushroom soup and the Laughing Cow cheese. Stir till the cheese is melted.

4. Add the sour cream and stir till mixed in. Add ¼ cup of the half and half. If needed add more of the half and half until sauce is thinned a little. It shouldn’t be too thick.

5. Add the prepared noodles and stir in thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-4

Scallop Primavera

I am always looking for recipes for scallops. I really like the bay scallops better than the larger sea scallops. Mainly because you never really know if you’re actually getting real sea scallops. But the bay scallops are easy to keep frozen and have on hand when you’re in the mood. I came up with this recipe one day when I was cleaning out the fridge. I used carrots and broccoli in this but you can also use any other vegetable you want. If you don’t have any fresh veggies on hand a bag of mixed frozen vegetables will work just fine. I also like the broccoli/cauliflower mix for this recipe. If you are watching your carbs use a lower carb pasta or my favorite Shirataki Tofu Noodles. Or leave out the pasta all together and add more veggies. Another variation is to throw in some grated cheese of your choice and sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and butter and bake it! I’m getting hungry just writing about this! Have fun with whatever you choose!

Scallop Primavera

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bay scallops

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

10 oz. can of cream of chicken soup, reduced fat or fat-free

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ pound  pasta (elbows, small shells, cavatelli, spaghetti, your choice) cooked and drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon parsley

Parmesan cheese, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Add the scallops and sauté for about 5 minutes. (Don’t overcook). Remove scallops from pan and set aside.

2. Add carrots and broccoli to pan and sauté for about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender, not mushy.

3. Add the cream of chicken soup and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the scallops back into mix. Toss to coat.

4. Add the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly. Cook a couple more minutes till heated through.

Serve with parmesan cheese for topping if you want.

Steak Pizzaiola

No this isn’t a pizza with steak on it. Though it does sound like it! This is a typical Italian steak dinner. Not hard to make and can be made quickly after a long day at work. I would eat steak every night of the week if I could but this is a nice change from the plain grilled version. It’s Italian so how bad could it be! This is a southern Italian dish and oregano is the traditional herb used in it. If you can’t find oregano you can use 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley instead. Serve with a side of your favorite pasta if you want!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 thin sirloin or rump steaks (5-6 oz. each)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1¼ pound tomatoes, chopped (or 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes)

2 sprigs fresh oregano or 4 teaspoons dried

3 tablespoons chopped basil or 1 tablespoon dried

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add steaks and fry over high heat about 2 minutes each side.

2. Add garlic to skillet, fry until fragrant, then add tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, until tomatoes have softened and juices have reduces slightly.

Makes 4 servings

Italian Sausage & Peppers

This is a dish that I actually don’t really eat. I love the sausage part but if you remember I don’t like peppers. I know, what kind of Italian am I if I don’t like peppers. I’m trying to like them but it’s not working. Anyway, this is a very popular dish at our family gatherings. My brother-in-law Carl makes an incredible version of this. Nice and spicy, just how my Dad likes as well as my husband. Carl and my husband say it can never be too hot! They both have asbestos mouths so we can’t let them judge how hot things are! The hotness in this recipe will be decided on the type of sausage used. Hot sausage or sweet sausage, that is the question. I prefer sweet but those of you who love to sweat when you eat go for the hot!

Italian Sausage & Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

1½ pounds Italian sausage (sweet or hot, or both!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 large onions, slivered

3 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into strips

3 sweet green peppers, seeded and cut into strips

½ teaspoon oregano

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pierce each sausage in several places with a fork and place in a heavy frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium-low heat. Turn sausage occasionally and cook until well browned on all sides.

2. While the sausages are cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion. Mix in the peppers and oregano. Don’t cover the pan or the peppers and onions will get steamed.

3. Cook until the onions are lightly brown and the peppers are tender. Cut the cooked sausage into bite size pieces and add to the onion and pepper mixture. Mix well. Place on a warm platter to serve.

Serves 4-6

This dish is great with a nice loaf  of crusty Italian bread and a glass of Chianti!

Basic Meat Filling

This is the basic meat filling to use with the stuffed plantains. It can also be used with stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage etc. The recipe calls for ground beef but you can also add ground sausage to the mix if you wish.

Ripe Plantain

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground pork)

3 chili peppers, finely chopped and seeded (any type of pepper you want is fine)

1 green pepper, finely chopped and seeded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon wine vinegar

6 green olives stuffed with pimentos

1 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

hot sauce to taste

Stuffed Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute chili peppers, onion, green pepper and garlic for 10 minutes.

2. Add oregano, salt, vinegar and ground beef. Stir over high heat until meat loses its red color.

3. Turn heat to low. Add olives, capers and hot sauce. Mix and cook 30 minutes for beef or 1 hour for pork.

4. Let cool slightly so it won’t be too hot to handle when stuffing the plantains or other item.

Stuffed Cabbage

Tuscan Style Pumpkin-White Bean Soup

This is a favorite soup in our house. It is hearty and rich and full of fiber. It is enough for a meal in itself. It is also a great soup if you are watching your weight. The fiber will help big time. Pumpkin is so versatile and most people just think of pumpkin pie when cooking with it. I use garbanzo beans in my recipe but you can also use white cannellini beans or any other white bean. I also use one of those hand-held immersers (or boat motors as we call them) to mix/blend the ingredients rather than a blender. It’s easier for me. But feel free to use a blender. The richness and creaminess of this soup comes from the beans. There is no milk or cream added which makes it so much healthier for you! So make a pot and enjoy!

Tuscan Style Pumpkin-White Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil cooking spray or just enough olive oil to coat bottom of large pot

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

15 oz. canned pumpkin

3 ½ cups fat-free chicken broth

15½ oz. can garbanzo beans (or whatever size can is closest), rinsed and drained

¼ teaspoon ground oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium-low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.

2. Stir in pumpkin, broth, beans and oregano; simmer for 8 minutes.

3. With an immerser* blend soup until smooth.  Be careful as it may splatter. You can leave a few of the beans whole if you like also. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve with ladle and top with 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 (1 cup servings)

*If you wish to use a blender transfer soup in batches being careful not to overfill the blender. Return to pot and reheat.

**Coming next Monday: Layered Salad!

Basic Chili Seasoning

Just as promised, here is a basic chili seasoning mix you can make at home! It’s easy and as with the taco seasoning you probably have these ingredients at home. About ¼ cup of the mix is usually good for chili, but add more if you want. I never buy the pre-packaged mix from the store anymore! Again if you don’t like it too hot put in less of the chili powder. Have fun with it!

Andrea's Black & Red Chili

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup paprika

3 tablespoons seasoning salt

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper (red pepper)

2 tablespoons seasoned pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons  dried oregano


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: About 1 cup of seasoning.

Basic Taco Seasoning

I don’t know about you but I really don’t like to use the packaged seasoning mixes much anymore. They are too full of preservatives and secret ingredients that make me uneasy. So I’ve started to make my own. You will probably have these spices on hand anyway so might as well put them to good use! I’ve researched many recipes for this and came up with a good combination that I like the best. This recipe also makes about 2/3 cup of seasoning. This way you don’t have to keep making it every time you need it! It’ll be on hand and you will know exactly what is in it. Store it in an airtight container. You can even save the old spice bottles and use them. If you like hotter spice you can always add more of the chili powder or if you find it too hot, cut the amount of chili powder. It’s your choice! Have fun!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 ½ tablespoons crushed sea salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: About 2/3 cup


**Coming Next Sunday: Basic Chili Seasoning

1 2
Blog at WordPress.com.
Dining with Donald

Cruise Ship Recipes at Home

How do I Make That?

Rachael Ray

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Joanne Eats Well With Others

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Garlic Girl

It's Not Just Popcorn!

BuzzFeed - Tasty

It's Not Just Popcorn!

An Edible Mosaic™

It's Not Just Popcorn!

StephenKing.com - Latest News

It's Not Just Popcorn!

The Penny Hoarder

Food52

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Big Bear's Wife

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Ocean of Games- Free Download PC Games

It's Not Just Popcorn!

John Heald's Blog

The Weekend Gourmet

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Skinnytaste

It's Not Just Popcorn!

What's Cooking at the Genua's?

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Marla Meridith - MarlaMeridith.com

Chef in Training

A great place to find easy, delicious and family friendly recipes.

The Pioneer Woman

Simply Recipes

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Budget Bytes

rasamalaysia.com

It's Not Just Popcorn!

Homemade In The Kitchen

Small Batch Recipes and Recipes For Two

overdeepblueseas

OVER DEEP BLUE SEAS BLOG @ WordPress.com

Sluggo's Escapades

What's Sluggo up to today?

Not Rachael Ray Blog

My Bizzy Kitchen

RavieNomNoms

A Girl, Her Blog, and Lots of Food Pictures!