S'more Rice Krispie Treats

This is a simple and delicious treat to make for the holidays as a dessert. Everybody loves a sweet rice krispies treat, but this one tops the normal kind because it is dipped in chocolate. The simplest change, can make the whole experience different.
Ingredients:

• 60 g salted butter
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 240 g white marshmallows
• 140 g rice Krispies
• 100 g digestive biscuits
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 1 tsp sea salt

Steps:

1. melt the butter in a sauce pan and heat until it starts to turn brown.
2. add marshmallows and heat very gently, stirring often until the whole mix is warm and liquid
3. stir the almond extract in, and then the cereal and crushed biscuts
4. push the mix into a silicon square baking tin and press to compact
5. allow to cool to room temperature, although a fridge will speed things along
6. turn the whole treat onto a chopping board and cut into rectangles
7. use a kitchen torch to scorch the sides as you like, then let it cool
8. melt the chocolate in a small bowl
9. dip the treat in the chocolate halfway and carefully coat
10. sprinkle a little sea salt on the chocolate before it sets
11. lay them down on  a piece of wax paper so they won't stick
12. enjoy!

This is an enjoying and super simple thing to make and ready to go in-case you have to make something up very quickly for a holiday party or event. I got the idea to dip them in chocolate and put some sea salt on top from Sanppers. I like the whole chewy, sweet, and salty tastes of the snappers, so I decided to test it out rice krispie treats, and it turned out simple and very delicious. Enjoy them as much as I did!

Pasta With Shrimp

This a simple recipe that my dad makes for his friends and himself. This dish serves 4 to 6 people. Its a great seafood dish that gives a great taste of Italy. The fresher the ingredients the better for this one because of the explosion of flavor a person will taste over frozen shrimp and precut garlic and parsley. There is a certain extent in which the dish is made properly so it can taste optimal.
Ingredients:

• 3 quarts water (salt optional)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup clam juice or fish stalk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pasta- linguine, spaghetti, spaghettini

Steps:

1. In a stockpot, bring the water to a boil (with or without salt)
2. while pasta is cooking, pour oil into a large saute pan set on medium-high and saute the garlic until it starts to sizzle (approximately 2 min.)
3. add shrimp and red pepper flakes and cook until shrimp turns pink (approximately 2 min.) and stir occasionally so shrimp does not stick
4. add the wine and parsley, increase the heat to high and cook for 1 minute 
5. add clam juice and salt, bring to a boil and turn off the heat
6. cook pasta according to package until just tender
7. when the pasta is cooked, drain well and return it to the pot
8. turn the heat to medium and add the sauce (little at a time), then tossing the pasta so it is well mixed
9. sprinkle with remaining parsley and stir until most of the sauce has been absorbed (approximately 2 min.)

My dad loves to eat shrimp, so he sought out a recipe that appealed to him. He had copied this dish from Nick Stellino, a highly regarded chef. Nick has many great recipe, because my dad tries them out sometimes to try new things and ideas. The different kinds of pasta gives the dish a different appeal, than to a plain spaghetti dish. The different kinds of macaroni make the shrimp and tastes of the dish hold onto the macaroni better then just one pasta slipping all over.

Chocolate Mousse

A delicious treat that is rich and creamy. This is a very simple dessert to make because of the limited ingredients and procedure. I have made this dessert many times and there are many various ways to change up the way it tastes. This dessert can serve up to 4 people. It's a dessert that can just sit in the fridge until you want to pull it out.

Ingredients:

• 250 grams chocolate
• 100 ml milk
• 1 orange (zested)
• 280 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 3 large egg whites

Steps:

1.     crack the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl with the milk then heat gently over a pan of simmering water until melted and silky smooth (or blast in the microwave, stirring occasionally if you have one

2.    zest the orange over the melted chocolate and leave to cool slightly

3.    whip the cream to soft, but floppy, peaks

4.    whisk the egg whites in another bowl to soft peaks

5.    fold the chocolate into the cream mixture as carefully as possible, then do the same with the egg whites

6.    once it is all mixed together, divide the mix into individual dishes or ramekins 

7.    let the mousse chill for at least 4 hours before eating or serving

I always love a great mousse when I go out to a fancy restaurant. This recipe is very good because one can change the taste to something exotic easily. If someone does not like the taste of orange, one can simply change it to lemon zest, or add a bit of something else to give the chocolate a hint of something different. Or people can just leave it plain, sometimes I leave it plain because I love that rich chocolaty taste. 

Roasted Fall Vegetables

This is a very simple recipe that does not need much attention or time. It can accommodate up to as many people as you need to serve because to modify this dish for people is very easy to because of the simplicity it has.  There are many ways to make this different, but this is the way that my family makes this kind of dish during the fall season. You can add or take all these different vegetables because it is a mix to what your liking to.
Ingredients: 

• Coarsely chopped:
• Turnip
• Winter yellow squash
• Zucchini
• X-Large carrots
• 1-2 medium onions
• Brussel sprouts cut in half w/ core removed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl put all vegetables in
3. Add enough oil to coat all the vegetables
4. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Mix all the vegetables around to have them all coated in salt, pepper, and oil
6. Spread all the vegetables onto a large cookie sheet to accommodate all the vegetables without any stacking
7. bake approximately for 1 hour or to your own liking

I find this dish amazing as it is healthy and very tasty at the same time. It is a bonus that the prep for this dish is the only hard thing about this because the cutting of all the vegetables will take up some time. Once it is in the oven it is over because there is nothing to do after except for plating it. There are many different variants to this dish, but this is the way that it is done in my house. It can even be replicated during the spring or summer vegetables because the choices are endless with this recipe.  

Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Copycat

Once again this is a simple dish that does not need much skill. Also, this recipe uses only one pan so clean up is extremely easy! This is a great dish to impress somebody or to say that, "I can copy the mac and cheese from Panera Bread". Most people enjoy a smooth mac and cheese, especially young kids. Even though the recipe calls you to be stirring for 20 minutes, the outcome it too good to be true.
Ingredients: 

• 2 cups medium uncooked shell pasta
• 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar (4 ounces) 

Steps: 

1. Rinse uncooked pasta under cold water
2. in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk, pasta, salt, mustard, and butter
3. stir frequently and bring to a simmer
4. reduce heat to low
5. stir frequently (almost continually) for 15-20 minutes while pasta cooks and milk is absorbed
6. remove from heat
7. stir in cheese and cover for 5 min
8. Enjoy immediately because cheese gets grainy and hard if cold

I have made this dish so many times; I have lost count. In the beginning, a lot of it was trial and error, but now it is easy as the alphabet. Seeing the look on other peoples' faces when they ate this, they thought I went to Panera and bought this because both taste exactly the same. For my friend that loves it so much, she said that my mac and cheese was better than the one she had gotten from Panera! So this gave me the greatest feeling that I have hit the biggest homerun.

Simple Bolognese

This is a moderate to low skill recipe. It does give a satisfying taste and feeling of accomplishment when completed. This can give a lot of sauce for a great family pasta dinner. The first time I made this with my dad, it was pretty simple and fun to make.


Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb. of ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reggiano parmesan cheese

Steps: 

1. in a large skillet heat the olive oil
2. when almost smoking add the chopped onions and garlic and saute over a medium heat until the onions become very soft (about 8 minutes)
3. add celery and carrot and let it saute for 5 minutes
4. raise heat to high and add the ground beef and ground pork
5. saute, stirring frequently and breaking up and large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink (about 10 minutes)
6. add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens
7. season with salt and pepper 
8. this will take about 1/2 hour 
9. finish the sauce off with the cheese

Bolognese sauce is a hearty dish that gives you the chance to combine meat with vegetables, and pasta compliments the sauce. My preference of pasta for this sauce is reginette because the way that this macaroni is made, it has little bends in it that let the beef and vegetables hold onto the macaroni better. If you use other kinds of pasta such as spaghetti, it does not hold onto the sauce that well because spaghetti is round and small. This sauce also has a great taste that is just so good that you have to lick your lips instead of wiping it away with your napkin.

Simple Meatloaf

This dish can feed up to five people. It is a easy family dish to make for a simple dinner to make. Unlike some other meatloaf dishes, this recipe does not need much to make it taste great.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped (red or white)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk, and bread crumb
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch pan or meatloaf pan of choice
4. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meat loaf. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour

I have made this dish once or twice in close situations, in which I was pressed for time. This can go well with a side of vegetables and a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes would make this dish even better. There is not much to say with a simple dish like this, but it is not as healthy as the other dishes I have created. Also, there is no need to watch or tend to the meatloaf as it bakes in the oven. The time required to cook is a good time; the meatloaf does not turn into a rock or a pile of mush that is displeasing. Enjoy!