Stuffed Zucchini

These vegetarian stuffed zucchini are a delicious and hearty meatless meal option, or the perfect side dish to just about any kind of grilled or roasted meat. It’s a delicious way to get even the pickiest eater to eat their vegetables and this is definitely a recipe you’ll want to make again and again!
Ingredients :

• 2 medium zucchini squash
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
• 100g of mushrooms diced
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 120g of breadcrumbs
• 30g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 20g of grated Romano cheese

Preparation :

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Trim stem ends from squash. Cut about ⅓ off the top of each squash horizontally. Dice the tops to small dice and set aside.
Cut around inside of squash then scoop out inside until the squash resembles a canoe. Try not to cut through to the bottom.

In a large frying pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about two minutes, until soft. Add garlic, red pepper, mushrooms and cut up zucchini tops. Mix to combine and sauté for about one minute.
Remove from heat and mix in oregano, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and both kinds of cheese. Mix to combine.


Divide the filling between each zucchini boat. Press into squash filling and pressing as you fill to hold shape.
Bake uncovered for 35 - 40 minutes. Try not to overcook, otherwise, the zucchini will start to sag and the filling will not stay in.

As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops with additional parmesan cheese and serve.


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Potato Soup

Warm, comforting, and so delicious, this classic potato soup is the ultimate bowl of comfort food.
I have been a fan of potato soup since as far back as I can remember, especially when cheese is involved, and especially if lots of bacon is served on top and stirred in.
This soup is ready to go in about 30 minutes, and also makes fantastic leftovers.


Ingredients :

• 5 slices of bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 30g of all-purpose flour
• 500ml of chicken stock
• 500ml of milk warmed
• 600g of potatoes, peeled and diced
• 100g of shredded cheddar cheese
• 120ml of sour cream
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation :

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot, set aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.


Return to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top , and stir until combined. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the chicken stock until combined. Stir in the milk, potatoes, and cooked bacon bits until combined. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, but is not boiling.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn.
When the potatoes are soft, stir in the cheddar cheese and sour cream, salt and pepper.


Serve warm in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese, and crisp bacon pieces.


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Sheperd`s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie comes to us from England, and is traditionally made with lamb. Shepherd’s pie is basically a casserole with a layer of cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked in the oven until mashed potatoes are well browned.

Ingredients :

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 500g of ground lamb (you can use ground beef)
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 500ml of beef stock
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 40g of butter
• 125ml of milk

Preparation :

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add meat and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until meat changes colour.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined. Add stock, bay leaf, tomato paste, and herbs. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens, then add the peas. Season with salt and pepper set aside.

Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, drain. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon lamb mixture into a baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown.
Serve immediately.

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Tomatoes And Zucchini With Basil Quiche

 



It's the perfect summer breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's a great, easy recipe which looks lovely and tastes delicious every time. They're nice warm but much better cold once the filling has set.

Ingredients 

• 500 gr of package refrigerated pie crusts
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 500 gr of zucchini, halved and sliced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 150 gr of fresh corn,
• 150 gr of fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 200 gr of assorted cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 200º C. Press crust into a 23 cm quiche pan, prick crust, and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool.



Saute zucchini and onions in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat until tender and onions become translucent. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the zucchini and onion, corn, cheese, fresh basil, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the precooked crust. Sprinkle the tomatoes on top of the egg mixture.



Bake for 30 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover the edge with a ring of foil and continue baking. The center will be set, but have the barest jiggle when shaken. When you insert a knife at the edge of the quiche, it will come out clean.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.


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Tomato - Basil Soup

Make the best homemade tomato soup with fresh tomatoes and basil with this quick and easy recipe. Amazing dish with just a handful of ingredients.


Ingredients :

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 large tomatoes
• 600ml of chicken stock
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 50g of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 200ml of heavy cream
• 1 bunch of basil, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preparation :

Rinse the tomatoes really well and keep aside. Remove the stems if there are any. In a saucepan take enough water so that the tomatoes get immersed completely. Add salt to the water and bring the water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and turn off the heat. Close the saucepan with the lid. Let the tomatoes be immersed in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Peel and chop the tomatoes above the blender jar so that the juices drop directly inside the blender jar. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree.


Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Once hot, add onions and season generously with salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.

Stir in the tomato puree and chicken stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer for at least 15 minutes.



Stir in the cream, basil with the remaining ingredients and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese .


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Mushrooms & Spinach Risotto

Risotto is one of the most popular ways of cooking rice in Italy. This version is not only simple to put together, but it also tastes far better than what you would get in a restaurant. So hurry up, get the ingredients and make this incredible dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 150g of button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 150ml of white wine
• 500ml of vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup of rice
• 50g of grated parmesan cheese
• 500g of fresh spinach, chopped

Preparation :

Heat the oil and butter in a large deep frying pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Next, stir in the rice to incorporate. Pour in the white wine and cook over medium-low heat, stirring from time to time until wine is absorbed.


Then add the vegetable broth in 4 additions, waiting each time for the liquid is absorbed. Add the cheese and stir until creamy. Season to taste. Add the spinach, cover the pan and cook until it has wilted.

Serve with freshly grated cheese.



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Vegetable Lasagna

Tender vegetables, a light tomato sauce and lots of cheese make this vegetable lasagna recipe one of our favorites. You can choose to add your favorite vegetables so you can come up with some pretty amazing vegetable combinations.

Ingredients :

For the Sauce:

• 500g of cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 200g of chopped onions
• 60ml of olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 500ml of tomato sauce
• 500g of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Lasagna:

• 200g of frozen chopped spinach
• 20 lasagna noodles
• 400g of ricotta cheese
• Handful of chopped fresh basil
• 100g of Parmesan cheese
• 350g of shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation :


Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil then cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Add a couple teaspoons of olive oil to the water so the noodles do not stick together. Drain then lay flat on a sheet of aluminum foil.

Place mushrooms in a large pan on medium-high heat. Stir them with a wooden spoon from time to time. Sprinkle with salt. The mushrooms will sizzle and then start to release water. Once the mushrooms start to release water into the pan, stir in the chopped onions. Cook, until the mushrooms are no longer releasing moisture and the mushroom water, has boiled away.


Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally . Add garlic, red pepper flakes, zucchini, squash and a pinch of salt then cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 of tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and 200ml of water. Stir in the thyme, and red pepper flakes. Stir then bring to a low simmer. Simmer until liquid has thickened and reduced by half. Add basil then season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Spread the 1/2 of tomato sauce over the bottom of a large casserole dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles down over the tomato sauce, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle half of the ricotta cheese over the noodles. Sprinkle half of the defrosted, drained spinach over the ricotta. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the spinach, and just a quarter of the parmesan cheese. Then spoon 1/3 of your sauce over the mozzarella.


Repeat the layering process. Layer your final layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread the remaining sauce over the lasagna noodles, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Cover the casserole dish with the aluminum foil and crimp the edges. Bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes.

Take the lasagna out of the oven when done and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Enjoy !

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Oreo Cheesecake

Get some of your favorite cookies and make this incredible cake. With just a few ingredients this cake is perfect for the kids to help.

Ingredients :

For Crust :

• 20 Oreos, finely crushed
• 1/2 of butter stick, melted

For Filling :

• 700g of cream cheese
• 120g of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 250ml of sour cream
• 16 Oreos, finely crushed
• 10 Oreos, chopped
• 3 eggs

Preparation :

Heat oven to 180°C.

Combine crushed Oreos with melted butter. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Set in refrigerator to firm. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth and well combined. Gently stir in sour cream. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.Add crushed and chopped Oreos and gently mix until well combined. Pour filling into crust and smooth the top.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped cookies.

Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Enjoy !


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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Bake a classic dessert! This cake is quite simply heaven on a plate. It's quite sweet but wonderfully moist.This classic pineapple cake is perfect for tea and brings back many childhood memories. Everyone loved this cake

Ingredients for topping
 

• 100 gr of brown sugar
• 60 gr of butter, melted
• 10 sliced pineapple
• 15-20 maraschino cherries without stems 

Ingredients for cake 

• 110 gr of butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 210 gr of sifted all-purpose flour
• 5 gr of baking powder
• 3 gr of baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 200 gr of brown sugar
• 60 gr of yogurt
• 120 ml of milk
• 60 ml of pineapple juice
• 20 ml of vanilla extract

Prepare the topping:
Place melted butter into medium round cake pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Top with pineapple slices and arrange cherries between the pineapple slices. Set aside.



Prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 180 °C. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in the sugars vigorously getting out any brown sugar lumps - mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. The batter will be thick.



Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, loosely to avoid the top from sticking to the foil, at the 20-minute mark to avoid browning. Immediately place the heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Try serving with vanilla ice cream - it's a delicious combination.


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Bavarian Cheesecake

If you are a fan of cheesecake, you need to try out this recipe. My family loves cheesecake and this is one of our favorites! This cheesecake is delicious. Everyone loved it.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 300 gr of fine graham cracker crumbs
• 120 gr melted butter
• 100 gr of finely chopped walnuts
• 5 gr of cinnamon

Preparation for the crust:


Mix all crust ingredients well. Reserve 3 tablespoons of mixture. Tip the mix into a 20 cm springform baking pan, spread it evenly over the bottom and up the sides as far as you can. With the back of a spoon, press the mix firmly into the baking pan to form a solid crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour.


Ingredients for the filling:

• 3 eggs – separated
• 400 gr of cream cheese
• 10 ml of vanilla extract
• 200 gr of white sugar
• 200 gr of sour cream
• 100 gr of soft butter
• 5 ml of lemon juice
• 100 gr of cornflour
• pinch of salt

Preparation for the filling:


Separate eggs, saving both yolks and whites. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Add the softened butter and beat well, then add the cream, lemon juice and beat again.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until very stiff, then very fold in the eggs yolks mixture adding the sifted cornflour a little at a time. Beat until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.



Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of crumbs on top. Bake at 180 °C for 40 minutes or until set. If the top browns too quickly then cover with foil to finish.

Cool and chill a few hours before serving.

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Chicken Breast With Honey & Garlic

This recipe is excellent! It's easy to make and tastes great. Simple to cook, quick and easy, but full of yum. Great for those quick weeknight dinners. My husband and I really liked this recipe! The chicken was tender and delicious.



Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breast
• 150 ml of soy sauce
• 150 ml of tomato sauce
• 100 ml of honey
• 5 grams of freshly grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 5 gr of chopped chives 

Preparation:

Combine the sauce ingredients and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, basil, tomato sauce and freshly grated ginger . Season chicken with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat in a pan sear the chicken in some oil. Reduce heat to medium after searing the first side. Sear chicken and let cook until golden, 5 minutes, then flip and let cook for about 5 more minutes.



Drain chicken on paper towels and remove any excess oil from the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in sauce and bring to a gentle boil until reduced. Reduce heat to low and toss the chicken back in the pan and gently cook for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle hot chicken with chopped chives and serve with rice or roasted vegetables.







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