Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:
6 large artichokes
2 cups of bread crumbs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Extra Virgin olive oil
2 lemons

Directions:
Cut the top of the Artichoke about 1/2 inch to one inch.
With a scissor, cut the points off the remaining leaves.
Cut off the stem at the bottom and any small leaves by the stem.
Rub all cut leaves with lemon to keep from browning.
Place in large pot with about 1 1/2 inch of water and cover.
Let steam for about 15 minutes.
Place in cold water to cool.
When cool, take out the center leaves and with a spoon scoop out the choke at the bottom center, being careful not to remove the heart at the very bottom.
This step can be omitted and the choke can be removed whole eating. It's just nicer to remove it first for your guests.

In a bowl, place all dry ingredients and blend well
Pour oil over the mixture and blend with a spoon.
With a teaspoon, put a little bit of the mixture in each leaf and on the top.

Cut round slices of lemon and place on the bottom of a baking dish.
Place an artichoke on each slice.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the leaves are tender and pull away easily.

When I was a child, my mom used to put a stuffed artichoke in front of me and it could occupy me for the entire dinner! I asked her for this recipe since she often makes these for family dinners, such as Christmas eve or Easter.

Submitted by Aurelia and Danielle

Gravlox

Ingredients:
1 whole side of fresh filet of salmon
1 bunch of fresh dill
1/4 Kosher salt
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tsp. pepper
1 red onion
1 jar of capers

Directions:
Put salmon in a shallow baking pan (skin side down). Lay the fresh bunch of dill over salmon. In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Sprinkle mixture over dill. Cover with saran wrap and then aluminum foil. Put in refrigerator and weight down with a bricks or something heavy. After 12 hours, turn the salmon over and baste with liquid in the pan. Cover and weight it down again. Repeat this process every 12 hours for 3 days. After 3 days, rinse salmon well under cool water and slice very thin and layer on serving dish. Garnish with onions and capers.

This can be put on top of bagels and cream cheese or cocktail bread. I make this every year for Christmas Eve and use it as an appetizer for parties on top of cocktail bread. The first time I made this for a family party, it was a bit hit. Now it is expected that I will make it each time!

Submitted by Aurelia

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 dash of Salt
1 dash of Pepper
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy!

This quick and easy recipe is great for a healthy snack! Lately, I have been making this dish as an appetizer to pot luck dinners and have received so many compliments on it!

Toasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:
19-24 oz. chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 dash of sea salt
1 dash black pepper or chili flakes
any desired seasoning
bunch of parsley (fresh or dried)

Directions:
Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
Add the olive oil to a medium-sized skillet.
Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Add the chickpeas to the skillet.
Add the garlic.
Heat on medium for about 15 minutes or until the chickpeas are toasted.
Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Add any other desired seasonings.
Toss the ingredients together.
Garnish with parsley.
Serve and enjoy!

This is a simple dish that my family and I enjoy cooking and eating
together. It's so quick and easy to make! We discovered it as an
alternative to unhealthy snacks. It can be served as a snack or a
side dish. I've even tried it over brown rice and drizzled with
balsamic vinegar and a bit of olive oil! Depending on the seasoning
that is added, the chickpeas take on a different flavor each time. It
keeps the dish interesting, adds variety, and has so much flavor!

Submitted by Annie

Sweet and Savory Smokies

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
• 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Sometimes a meal amongst your favorite girlfriends can be a form of a family meal. This is one of the most liked recipes for Ladies Nights.

Submitted by Alayna

Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:
Zucchini
Garlic (crushed)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Italian style breadcrumbs
Grape tomatoes (halved)
Mozzarella cheese (diced)
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and slice a small bit from the bottom so that it lays flat in a baking dish. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. In the spooned out middle, include crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste). Place tomatoes in center and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and place mozzarella in between where the tomatoes are. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake until cheese is golden.

My mother would make these a long time ago in the summer, using her tomatoes and zucchini from the garden outside. I now make it for my daughter. It is a great side and perfect for the summer!

Submitted by Aurelia

Italian Rice Balls

Ingredients:

• Contents of recipe for "Parmesan Risotto," cooled (the colder it is, the easier it will be to form)
• 1 1/2 cups of Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of mozzarella, cut into 3/4" cubes
• Vegetable oil

Directions:

Place 1 cup of breadcrumbs in a bowl and put aside. Take the remaining breadcrumbs (1/2 cup) and mix together with eggs, Parmesan cheese, risotto, and basil. Dampen hands and form about 1- 3/4 inch diameter balls. Insert a cube of cheese into the middle of each ball and enclose it with risotto. Roll each ball into the separate bowl of breadcrumbs.

Fill the bottom of a pan with vegetable oil. Wait for it to heat and then drop balls into the pan. Turn them occasionally until they are golden brown all around. When they are finished cooking, place them on paper towels to drain oil. Enjoy!

During my first year of graduate school, I made these rice balls for my class to signify a food from my culture. Everyone loved them and encouraged me to add them to this blog! Rice balls are a fun food to make with children, as rolling the rice balls is everyone's favorite part! When you eat them, make sure to look for the melted mozzarella cheese surprise in the middle!

Side of Sauteed Escarole and Olives

Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh escarole (each leaf separated from the bunch and washed thoroughly)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil
pitted kalamata olives (chopped- use as many as desired. If there is leftover juice from the olives at the bottom of the container, add some to the pan for extra flavor!)
white wine (optional)

Directions:
In a pan, saute oil, garlic, and olives over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add leaves of escarole. With tongs, keep rotating and stirring ingredients in the pan. At first, the pan might appear to be overflowing with this vegetable, but it will quickly cook down, fitting into the pan. Add salt, pepper (both to taste), and a splash or two of white wine (optional) and continue cooking until the whitish part of the vegetable is soft. This will only take a few minutes.

Escarole is a great side dish, as it is high in folic acid, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin K!
Make it into a dinner by adding the escarole over penne!
Fun fact: Escarole is also known as broad leaf endive