Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food! I also truly hope that my blog continues to help you and inspire you to cook for friends and family! I thought I’d share my Thanksgiving Holiday Feast line up with you.

My sweet potato casserole, as seen in the bottom right of this photo was so yummy! It was a big crowd pleaser, and had a savory vibe versus the traditional sweet potatoes with marshmallows and brown sugar.  It’s creamy, tasty, spicy, and delicious goodness in one bite! I highly recommend using organic yams or sweet potatoes, as the taste is better. This is a great recipe for Fall cooking, and especially a great Holiday side dish, that can also be the star of the show! I truly believe chives are an under rated herb, not in this recipe. This is loaded with chives! A winning side dish for the family!

My Potato and Thyme Stuffing, a recipe I borrowed from my mom, is a must-have every thanksgiving! The table is not complete without it. This is pictured at the top left of the photo. It is packed with butter and thyme, and very savory with hint of sweetness from the caramelized onions. Delicious!

The center photo is a homemade bread stuffing that is very savory. This was created with my daughter in mind, as she loves all things savory! Check out my Homemade Bread Stuffing recipe. You can pair it with a roasted chicken for a family dinner or serve it for the Holidays.

Next, bottom left is our all-time fave appetizer Cauliflower Spinach Dip – this is very savory, creamy, spicy and healthy! Serve it with a foccacia bread for dipping. Everyone loves this dip and wants the recipe.

Lastly, three out of the four of these dishes were cooked in a skillet, then placed into the oven to further cook, and then placed directly onto the table with an oven mitt close by to remind my guests the pan is hot. The best part is that the heat was maintained in the skillet so I didn’t have to be concerned with cold side dishes. Skillets are my new way of serving a large crowd!

I hope my tips help you!!!!. Have a wonderful holiday season. Be sure to check my blog for new recipes that I have been updating periodically!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! xo

New Pumpkin Recipes for Fall!

 This is my new recipe for Pumpkin Molasses Cake. It is so moist, flavorful and delicious. The icing is seriously “icing on the cake!”  It is spicy and sweet at the same time! Tastes like a traditional gingerbread cake (I have a recipe for that on my blog too!) with some added health benefits with the addition of applesauce AND pumpkin! You must make this cake today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my new recipe for Pumpkin Brownies which are so decadent! These brownies are a fudge-like-brownie, super moist, and very rich with some extra health benefits too! You cannot taste the pumpkin whatsoever, nor can you see any of it! So the kids will not know they are eating their veggies, always a bonus!

 

Please be sure to check out my other recipes especially appetizers and dinners, as I have added so many for you to make and enjoy! Happy Fall!

An Albanian Tradition

 

My father-in-law is part Albanian, and one of his family recipes is to make a homemade bread called “Valya”.  He makes it about twice a year for everyone to enjoy.  It is a spicy bread made with lots of seasonings (paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper) and oils then rolled into a log (adding even more spices to coat the outside of the bread) and then cut into pinwheels. The dough is homemade, so you have to let it rise and that takes a little bit of time, but well worth the effort. Part of the fun of eating the Valya is unraveling it. The abundance of spices definitely gives this bread a kick. It’s a great tradition that reminds my husband that he is part Albanian descent (small percentage), and that is a delicious reminder! Here is his recipe:

1. You’ll need 1.5 – 2 lbs. of dough per roll, allow it to get to room temperature.
2. Roll it out very thin, use flour as needed.
3. Lightly salt the dough before adding other ingredients.
4. Heavily cover the entire surface area of the dough. (I think adding the olive oil first makes sense as the seasonings will stick to the dough better)
5. Add oregano
6. Add crushed red pepper
7. Add black pepper
8. Mix all ingredients well, adding more ingredients as needed.
9. Roll tightly
10. Twist the roll of dough and if necessary add excess oil, paprika, etc. to outside.
11. Lay in a spiral on a cookie tin and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
12. Let it cool and enjoy!

My Pepperoni Pinwheels (as seen pictured here) are a spin off of Valya, but a bit less labor intensive albeit very tasty! These are a great appetizer for the little ones. I make them extra spicy with lots of black pepper and paprika, but you can tone down the spice as well.  With that said, you can also spice it up with a little crushed red pepper flakes.  If you don’t eat meat, just skip the pepperoni.  Either way you choose to make these they are delicious!!!!!!! A must try appetizer for your next family gathering.  Add this app to your recipe roster!

A twist on the Albanian Tradition of Valya

Football Season Appetizers

Football Season is upon us which brings along with it cooler weather. Football also brings families and friends together to watch the College Football Games and NFL games which means hosting parties! Some of us come together to actually watch the game while others, let’s face it. come to eat all the goodies served!!! And if they score really big, bring home some leftovers!

As we geared up this Sunday for Football and watched Carrie Underwood Sing her new song, “Game on!”,  officially kicking off the season, my family and I decided we needed to have some more apps to serve our guests at our football parties. The recipes in this post are the culmination of my hard work developing recipes to excite and inspire you this Football/Fall Season. These are all served warm except of course the sandwich which is made with a combination of cheddar and turkey and provolone and salami on homemade Italian bread  – recipe in my cookbook, Mariooch’s Kitchen Food That Will Gather Your Family (available on Barnesandnoble.com as well as Amazon!) This sandwich is a super cute idea to completely wow your guests!

A little fun fact is that my nephew was in the Sound of Music live with Carrie Underwood on ABC, so she will always have a special place in our hearts. She is an amazing and talented singer/songwriter and entrepreneur with her fabulous line of sportswear, which I quite often wear in the cooler weather. Let’s get started with the apps line up!

1) Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip – this dip is ooey, gooey, cheesy, spicy goodness in one bite! It’s made mostly of corn and a hint of sour cream with of course a heavy dose of cheese, add bacon to the top for a bit of a crunch and flavorful taste or go a little on the lighter side and skip the bacon and add crunchy scallions. Either way, it’s unbelievable! Be sure to serve this hot and with Red Hot Spicy Blue Chips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Taco Boats – this is a winner with the kids! They are filled with ground beef and finely shredded Mexican or spicy cheese and baked inside a Taco boat which is the consistency of a tortilla (soft). The good news is that you can prep the meat mixture one day ahead to save time. These can be made vegetarian as well by preparing cooked broccoli florets and adding the cheese to the top, just skip the meat! Serve with a dollop of sour cream and these will be a big hit among your guests!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Cauliflower Spinach Dip – this dip is coming in strong with it’s amazing flavor, creamy consistency and is lighter on the calories than its counterpart Spinach dip which is typically made with mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese. This scores big points on taste and calories! Serve hot with an herbed focacia bread or crostini. Any leftovers you can put on a baked potato!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Cheesy Beef Caserole – this appetizer is for the meat lovers in the crowd! It’s easy on prep, and low on clean up! Serve with a corn tortilla chip, and watch this dip get scooped up fast! Serve hot right out of the oven!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 )Layered Refried Bean Dip – this dip is super creamy and will keep your guests on their toes.  You may want to double this recipe! It’s also a great dip to serve along side a taco on Taco night.

 

All these appetizers will pair well together and will give your pre-game/game eats a cohesive feel. “Game on” and may the best team win! #shotoniphone

Enjoy!