Bruschetta

A very simple appetizer that gives a fresh taste. By using the freshest of ingredients for any dish, gives the food a better appeal and taste. This is very easy to prep and make becuase of the connivence of ingredients to a normal kitchen. This recipe gives about four servings.
Ingredients:

• 12 slices of Italian bread
• 2 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 small plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 20 fresh basil leaves
• coarse salt

Steps:

1. preheat the broiler to high 
2. place the slices of Italian bread on a tray and into the broiler
3. make sure that there are black char lines on both sides for presentation
4. rub each piece of bread with garlic
5. drizzle the olive oil onto the sliced bread
6. place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl
7. stack all the basil leaves on top of each other, then roll to form a log
8. thinly cut the basil into green bits and spread among the tomatoes in the bowl
9. drizzle a little bit of oil and a little bit of salt
10. gently toss everything in the bowl to get a nice mix
11. scoop some of the mix and neatly place on toast

I love to eat bruschetta becuase of the fresh tomatoes and olive oil. When I am not eating mozzarella with tomatoes, I'm eating bruschetta at family parties. Its a very easy party pleaser and is with great ease to make more if need be. I hope everyone else can enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Steak Salad

Extremely easy recipe to follow with minimal ingredients. Almost all ingredients can be found in any household except for the endive. But with meals such as steak that leave people full, this is a good use of the leftover meat that can be used productively for the next day. A delicious but healthy meal that gives you the daily greens and beef.
Ingredients:

• 4-6 oz leftover steak cut thin
• 1small to medium romaine lettuce halved and leaves separated
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small endive separated
• 1/4 medium red onion thinly cut 
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. In a salad bowl place the romaine lettuce, endive and red onion
2. In a glass small bowl or measuring cup ad the vinegar, mustard and olive oil
3. Whisk all together until mixed thoroughly. Drizzle mixture over greens and mix until all is coated.
4. Add thinly cut steak to salad adding salt and pepper if necessary 

I like to eat this during the summer, the next day after a bbq usually because there is always leftover meat from the day before that can be used. But instead of just reheating the steak, it is incorporated into a healthy salad. I love this becuase it adds variety to life if you need something to spice it up.

Pasta Primavera

A simple and delicious pasta dish. This dish gives the best sides to being healthy, hardy, and delicious. Also the skills needed to prep and create this dish is very minimal becuase there are no complex ingredients or cook style. Many of the ingredients can be found in a normally stocked kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. pancetta or bacon coarsely chopped
• half of red onion sliced thin
• 1/4 cup of frozen peas
• 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms (button mushroom/ any)
• 1 medium zucchini, halved length wise then sliced 1/4 in. thick
•  1 lb. of rigatone pasta
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter or 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste 

Steps:

1. in a large skillet saute pancetta or bacon until halfway cooked
2. add mushrooms
3. continue to saute for 5 min.
4. add zucchini and onion
5. simmer until zucchini and onion are soft 
6. warm 4 quarts of water to boil, then add salt
7. cook 1 lb. of rigatone 
8. lower heat in skillet add in frozen peas and cover
9. when the pasta is cooked add 1/4 to 1/2 cups to saute skillet 
10. add butter or cream
11. increase heat slightly
12. mix butter or cream throughly in the skillet to coat the ingredients
13. add pasta and sprinkle cheese

I always enjoy when my dad makes this dish for my entire family becuase there are so many parts of the dish that everybody likes in the family. It may seem cooking this dish is a hard task, but it just requires effort. There is a abundance of flavors also going on, and the bacon or pancetta flavor that is given off makes a tasty dish, becuase so many people love bacon.

Pressure Cooker Corned Beef

This St. Patrick's day meal can feed up to six servings. Choosing the right recipe to make corned beef is so key, and using the corned beef with less salt will give a bigger room to fix what one might like more of in the recipe.
Ingredients: 

• 3 lb. flat cut corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
• 4 cups of beef broth
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 6 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 small cabbage, cut into wedges

Steps:

1.  rinse the corned beef under cold water to remove excess salt and gel
2. put the seasoning packet, beef broth, onion, and garlic into the pressure cooking pot
3. put a rack in the pressure cooking pot, then place corned beef on rack
4. lock lid in place
5. select high pressure and set timer for 90 minutes
6. when the beep sounds, turn off the pressure cooker
7. use the natural pressure release for 10 min, when the valve drops carefully remove the lid
8. remove the rack and brisket from the pressure cooking pot
9. cover the corned beef with foil until ready to serve
10. add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the broth in the pressure cooker
11. lock the lid in place, select high pressure and set for 3 minutes
12. when the beep sounds, turn off pressure cooker and do a quick pressure release to release pressure
13. when valve drops, carefully remove lid (make sure the vegetables are to your liking softness) 

I really like corned beef, but my dad makes corned beef only one time out of the whole year. Also, I enjoy my corned beef to no be salty, because I do not want to overpower the taste of the beef and salt with something else just to water the salt down. This recipe gives the great world of meat and potatoes a great new taste. Enjoy.

Macarons

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites 
• 75 g caster sugar
• 125 g ground almonds
• 175 g icing sugar
• 3 food colorings
• 3 fillings
• 3 flavorings

Steps:

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks 
2. whisk the egg whites in a bowl until it forms thick and glossy 
3. add the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff peaks
4. sieve the almonds and icing sugar into the bowl and carefully fold in, while keeping as much air in the mix as possible
5. divide the mix into 3 different bowls with different colors and flavors (ex.- yellow, lemon; blue, blueberry; red, strawberry)
6. line a baking tray with baking paper or silicon matt
7. pipe small circles onto the tray about and inch, leaving a small gap in-between each one
8. let the tray sit aside for 15 min to allow a light skin to form
9. preheat oven to 320 degrees fahrenheit
10. drop the tray onto the counter a small distance to give the bottoms of the macarons the "feet"
11. bake for 15 minutes
12. allow the macarons to sit at room temperature until completely cold
13. get 2 macarons and stick the "feet" side together with some kind of jelly or filling in the middle

A easy to follow recipe that many people will love at parties because they are so small and delicious. There can be a lot of customization when talking about macarons because of all of the flavors and fillings to choose from. Also, they are so light and fluffy because of the whisked egg whites. This recipe can make about four dozen macarons. I like macarons the best because one can give each one a different personality when it comes to color, flavor, and presentation. There is a lot of foods that does not give the person the power to express their creative side, but this recipe embraces that factor. Finally, eat them sooner than later because these macarons only last about two days.

All' Alfredo

This is a great simple Italian dish that my family likes a lot. If done right it takes great because of the freshness of the ingredients. There is a big factor if the dry ingredients are fresh or exposed too long over time, the taste of the spice becomes bland. It is not that hard of a recipe to perform.
Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Steps:

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot
2. put the butter and cream in a large skillet over a medium-high heat and boil, stirring frequently, until the cream has reduced almost by half
3. add the nutmeg, some salt, and a generous amount of black pepper
4. remove from the heat and set aside
5. add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water in the saucepan, stirring well
6. when the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and add it to the sauce in the skillet
7. add the fresh cheese to the skillet 
8. toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce, and season with salt and pepper 
9. serve immediately 

The best pasta for this dish is either fettuccine and tagliatelle. This is a quick meal that my dad can make if there is not much other things to cook with. The only killer of this dish is all the heavy cream and butter that is used to make the sauce. It is good to have fattening things sometimes, but not all the time.

Potatoes and String Beans

Real simple and easy to make during Lent, a liturgical time in the Church calendar. I really like this recipe because even though there is no meat in it, this dish is still a hardy meal. This can feed many people especially if you serve with rice, bread, or crackers.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of string beans (trimmed)
• 4 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
• 1 medium onion diced 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tbsp crushed basil
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water

Steps:

1. on a 3 quart sauce pan heat olive oil and saute onion until golden
2. blanch string beans and potatoes for 3-6 minutes 
3. drain and add to saute onion 
4. add all other ingredients to sauce pan and simmer until potatoes become tender
5. serve with crunchy bread for dipping

 I have this dish during Fridays of lent because its  a easy and enjoyable meal for my family. The softness of the vegetables is what makes it truly enjoyable to eat with bread. Eating Italian bread with this only made this better, and by letting the bread soak in the juices it makes the bread so delicious. This dish is also great to eat the next day, and doesn't only have be eaten during Lent. Also, this can be great meal for a cold day.

6qt Electric Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

This is a moderate skill level pressure cooker dish. This is made to feed many people. A real party stopper and tail-gate winner. A dish that appeals to young and old, and easy to please those with a discerning taste.
Ingredients:

• 1 four to five pound pork shoulder with bone in
• 1 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 cup favorite bbq sauce and more for after cooked
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• Lowery seasoned salt for browning 

Steps:

1. remove thick skin from shoulder 
2. sprinkle Lowery salt all over shoulder 
3. brown all sides in pan with small amounts of vegetable oil 
4. place shoulder in cooker and add all other ingredients 
5. close top and pressure up high setting time for 60 min. 
6. when time is up release pressure slowly until safe to open top
7. pork should be tender to shred with forks, if not repeat cooking time for 20-30 min. more
8. after shredding shoulder on separate plate add some cooking liquid from pressure cooker to moisten pork
9. then add additional bbq sauce 
10. enjoy!

*Tips to purchase: rolls of your choice, cole slaw, pickles, and corn bread. My personal bbq sauce is

Sweat Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar. 

I absolutely love this dish, when my dad makes it for the whole family. It comes out so tender and juicy that the bbq sauce drips down from my face. Rice or bread is fine with this dish, because both absorb the bbq sauce greatly. There has been no bad reviews from my dad's friends on this dish because it's a dish that doesn't get closer to an amazing home-cooked meal.    

Pinwheel Cookies

Another simple recipe to add to the list. A cool-looking cookie with very simple instructions, and there are many different ways to change the look of the cookie. One can put aside more dough and add food coloring to make a rainbow pinwheel or endless color combinations.
Ingredients:

• Vanilla cookie
• 225 g salted butter, softened
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 400 g self-raising flour
• Chocolate cookie add 
• 25 g salted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp milk
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder

Steps: 

1. mix the softened butter and sugar for the vanilla cookies together until pale and fluffy
2. crack in the egg yolks and vanilla extract, beat it together
3. fold in the flour until fully combined
4. take just over half of the cookie dough out of the bowl and leave the rest to the side
5. beat the 25 g of butter, milk and cocoa butter into what's left in the mixing bowl
6. combine to make sure its evenly chocolaty (may be easier with a spoon)
7. roll both vanilla and chocolate cookie dough out between separate sheets of baking paper to about 1/2cm in thickness and the size roughly of an A4 sheet
8. lay the chocolate sheet on top of the vanilla one, peel back the paper and then roll the two doughs together like a swiss roll, make sure to keep it tight and no paper is trapped inside
9. let it chill in fridge wrapped in clingfilm for an hour or so to set up
10. preheat oven to 338 degrees fahrenheit 
11. slice the roll into discs 1cm thick, then lay it on a lined backing tray (keep space between each of them)
12. bake for 15 min
13. let it cool, then ready to eat

In the end, the work feels so accomplished, and the best part was that it is so easy to make. It tastes very delicious with the vanilla and chocolate combo. Some people cannot help themselves from eating the cookies before they are served to a group or person. Also, the ingredients used are more friendly to a normal household, then some sophisticated pinwheel recipe that requires different variants of goods that are unknown to some people.

Delicious Crêpes

Crepes are very delicious and can be healthy with the right extras. Something that can add a lot of flavor is fruits such as berries because of the diversity and color each contains. It can be a simple substitute to pancakes or waffles in the morning for breakfast or can be a very delicious desert at the end of a hard day.
Ingredients:

• Crepe:
• 100 g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml milk
• 50 g  salted butter, melted
• Sauce:
• 150 g caster sugar
• 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• 50 ml orange liqueur
• 50 g cold diced butter

Steps:

1. mix the flour and eggs in a bowl, and whisk it
2. put milk in gradually and whisk as the milk makes the mix very smooth
3. add a pinch of salt and melted butter
4. sieve the batter to make sure there are no clumps left
5. heat the sugar and orange juice in a sauce pan until the sugar has dissolved and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes
6. then light the liqueur on fire to give it a nice flambe affect
7. then heat a large non-stick pan over a med-high heat, then pour in enough batter to coat the base of the pan 
8. swirl it around to cover the whole bottom of the pan
9. flip or toss the crepe once the edges start to lift and the crepe has freed itself from the bottom and let it cook for another minute
10. repeat steps 7-9 until you have used up all the mix
11. to finish the sauce drop pieces of cold butter into the sauce pan and swirl it around so it melts and becomes shiny
12. fold the crapes and pour the sauce on top
13. enjoy

This is a simple recipe to follow, but will a little harder if one does not use the proper ingredients to make this easy dish. This is like have pancakes with syrup, but this is a little more complex than  pancakes. The crapes are light and fluffy, which make people want to eat so many of them because they are so good. I believe if one takes out some of the ingredients, it will make the dish incomplete and therefore, makes the dish not held up to its standard.

Italian French Toast

This is a very simple breakfast recipe, that works for three to four people. I help my dad make french toast in the morning on the weekends becuase its a simple recipe that is easy enough for me to do. I believe at one time, I will be able to make this recipe as perfect as the way dad makes it.
Ingredients:

• 2- 3 day old Italian bread loaves
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• dash of salt
• Optional: powdered sugar for topping

Steps:

1. Slice bread in 3/4 inch slices
2. mix all ingredients above together in a large bowl or container to fit two to three slices of bread at a time to soak on both sides
3. heat non-stick skillet to medium heat
4. add as many slices at a time that the skillet will fit
5. allow to brown for three to four minutes on each side and remove to warm dish
6. complete all slices and top with powdered sugar 
7. enjoy with maple syrup

In the morning before Church, my family loves to eat french toast with some eggs or some taylor ham. I love it so much; I nearly eat all the french toast myself. Even though I am not a big syrup or powdered sugar guy, I still like my breakfast foods. I never put syrup or anything sugary on top of things like pancakes or waffles. Maybe if I am in a good mood, I will cut up some fresh fruits and top it with that instead.

Mug Cake

I was always looking to make a small serving brownie that can be presented nicely and tasted great. During the winter, it is a great warm snack after school. It's a very simple recipe, with minimal amount of  ingredients and clean up. There are many different kinds of mug cakes out there, but I like this one the best.

Ingredients:

• 1 large mug *microwave safe*
• 2 tbsp self raising flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp instant coffee power (optional)
• 1 small egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 3 chocolate chips

Steps:

1. get the large mug
2. put all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, and coffee powder) in the mug and mix it all together
3. crack the 1 egg into the mug, and mix well with fork
4. add the milk, oil, and a couple chocolate chips if you want
5. put the mug in the microwave and let it bake for 2 1/2 minutes on full power
6. watch the mug while in the microwave to prevent it from spilling over 
7. after its done in the microwave, let it sit for 1 minute before serving or eating

My sister would always ask me to make brownies for her all the time, and I would never do it because the process and cleaning was never my favorite thing to do. Instead, l looked up for a small brownie cake to make. I tried many recipes, and there was a lot of trial and error  to find the right one. This was the easiest way out to make my sister happy, and to utilize my time wisely.

Toblerone Cheesecake

This a brand new creation that I have come across, looking around for new and great dessert flavors. Even though I am not able to enjoy this treat, the people I made it for really enjoyed it because of the way it was presented in a mould and flavors that combined very well. I was looking for a new challenge that could give me the gratitude of finishing.
Ingredients: 

• Biscuit base
• 150 g dark chocolate digestives
• 75 g salted butter
• 40 g toasted almond flakes 
• cheesecake filling
• 200 g full fat cream cheese
• 175 ml double cream
• 2 tbsp honey
• 200 g Toblerone
• extras
• 150 g milk chocolate, to line
• 50 g almond nougat brittle

Steps:

1. melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirring it after each interval, until it has become a liquid
2. pour and spoon the chocolate liquid into a upside down pyramid silicone mold ( you may skip this stage if you are making a normal cheesecake)
3. melt the Toblerone in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then leave to cool slightly as it needs to be liquid, but should not be hot for the next stage
4. whip the double cream until they for stiff peaks
5. beat the full fat cream cheese with the honey in another bowl, then fold in the whipped cream
6. fold the melted chocolate until it's all equally and evenly combined
7. pour this mix into the pyramid silicon moulds to fill 3/4 of the mould 
8. put a couple pieces of almond nougat brittle
9. put in freezer for approximately 15 min. to let it set up or the fridge for a normal cheesecake
10. grind up all the biscuits with the almonds and then stir through the melted butter 
11. press onto the top of the frozen cheesecake mix and compact as much as possible without damaging the pyramid of the cheesecake
12. return it to the freezer to let it settle once again
13. turn out the pyramids onto a serving plate and let them in the fridge to thaw out for an hour or let it thaw out in room temp for about 10 min 
14. then enjoy

 My family said it was great and that this good for little family get togethers with a couple of family and friends over. It is not one of the easiest creations to make becuase it takes somewhat skill not to ruin the presentation that is created throughout the whole process, but I am not telling people that they should not bake and watch. But to make it until you have mastered it to a certain extent, becuase every recipe accomplished will give one a advantage for the next recipe.