Cinnamon-Sugar Knots

I love cinnamon. So much so, that sometimes I think I inhale way too much. Can it be? I don't think so. But the scent is so alluring & the taste... utterly yummy. We went to the mall this past weekend (something that rarely happens) but every time, the smell of Auntie Ann's Pretzels... Mmmmmm... it hits me &.I.need.to.have a cinnamon-sugar one. OK, need is a strong word but I do always get one!


Besides the instant gratification of that sweet, spice, the scent also brings me back. The very first thing I baked in 7th Grade Home Ec were these Cinnamon-Sugar Knots. And it was momentous. As we are all at the beginning of the school year, I hope teachers realize the impact they can have on their students! Mrs. Steadman apparently left a great, lasting impression! The first day of class, we all sat down at the tables-that-were-also-desks with our index cards we were asked to buy as school supplies (for recipes, naturally). We all thought, "hmmm, wonder when we'll get to cook? No way it'll be the first day." AND, lo & behold, Mrs. S. had us break into 4 groups, one per kitchennette... And we made these Cinnamon-Sugar Knots:


Cinnamon-Sugar Knots

• 1/2 stick unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 canister Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (same as on roll canister)

Melt the butter. Back in Home Ec, we did it old school- on the stove, in a pan. But now, I'd nuke it!

Mix the sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl.

Pop open the canister of crescent rolls (Fun in & of itself!) Take off the "Box Top For Education" to donate!!! (If you need a place- send them to ME, please!)

1) Divide them into the demarcated 8 rolls. Take one in between your palms & roll it into a snake-form. Then "tie" it into a knot shape!

2) Dip the knot into the melted, cooled butter... 

3) Then immerse it into the cinnamon-sugar mix. 

4) Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the 7 other delineated dough triangles.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

This one, little, easy peasy recipe did wonders! It was FUN, delicious, EASY, interactive, had a bit of a cooking lesson & that scent... ahhh~ Mrs. Steadman was brilliant! Plus this was just the beginning...

<3 Lishie

P.S.~ These are great for a small, home bridal shower... "tying the knot".

Squash Chips & more...

So, my friend Nicole gifted me with a 4 & 1/2 foot uber squash she & her hubby grew in their garden! This veg was enormous!!! (See picture at left). I say "was" because I have put this freshness to great use this past week. 

I've made Squash cakes (See my potato pancakes- just SUB squash for potato :) ) I've also made Squash quiche (see zucchini quiche & sub squash for zucchini). And the no fail, quick bread... (see zucchini bread & sub squash for zucchini). But lo & behold, I still have... yes, you guessed it, SQUASH.  

You have seen them in the grocery store- veggie chips. They are so different & delicious & expensive at times! Make your own!!! It's easy.... So I went to town slicing thin strips with my mandoline & made these Squash Chips. They are delicious! But eat them fresh! The crunch will leave them quickly.  

Squash Chips

• 2 Medium Summer Squash
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Clean, peel & slice the squash very thin. I used a mandoline to make the perfect thinness but you can use a paring knife, carefully. 

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray & place single slices of the squash all along the baking surface. Spray the squash slices with the cooking spray then sprinkle the sea salt over them. Bake for 1 hour or until the slices are dry & crispy.

<3 Lishie 

P.S.- Don't be surprised if one more Squash-errific post comes to be! :)

Exciting!!! ~ PARENT GUIDE NEWS Magazine Listing ~

Look closely at this list of desserts on the PARENT GUIDE NEWS website & you'll see on their RECIPES page not 1, but 4 DeLish original recipes!!!

• Lishie's "Take 5" Pretzel Bars
• Lishie's Peanut Butter-Fluff Bars
• Lishie's Rocky Road Bars
• Lishie's S'Mores Bars

I'm honored & ecstatic!!! Two things I LOVE ~ Being a parent to Gabriel & cooking/baking. This is very exciting for me!

PARENT GUIDE NEWS Magazine has great articles & Giveaways.  I love visiting their FB page.
Check out PARENT GUIDE NEWS' Facebook page  & tell them <3 Lishie from DeLish sent you! 

I may have a GIVEAWAY of my own VERY soon!!! <3 <3 <3

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

Sunday went as planned, Church, then some shopping chores including the supermarket & home to food prep for the whole week & cook Sunday night dinner. I'm exhausted just typing all that. Sure weekends are suppose to be for resting, ha! What is that?!? Being a full-time working mom, I have to get chores done on the weekend & in order to get food on the table by 5/5:30, prep, prep, prep. So the prep begins with a meal plan as I writing my grocery list. I try to reuse ingredients at least twice... sauce & cheese on Sunday, then use some another day... etc. Then shop... get home & organize the food... clean the fruits & veg... And while making Sunday dinner, put together another for at least one other day. This would be that meal. 

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

• 1 TBSp Olive Oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 3 cups Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• 1 & 1/2 cups sauce
• 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 package of OVEN-ready Lasagna Noodles 
• 3 & 1/2 cups shredded Italian Cheese mix  (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)



Before

• Grated Parmesan
• 1 TBSp fresh Basil

Prep: Spray a 13"x9"x2" baking pan & set it aside. In a large sauce pan, saute the onion in the olive oil & add the meat. Cook until browned, then drain the mixture of all liquid. Stir in both sauces & the dry basil. 

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg & fresh basil. 

After

Putting it all together:

1.

Take the prepped baking pan & spread 1 cup of the meat sauce along the bottom. 

2.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all (they will expand!). Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

3.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

4.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

5.

Place the LAST 3 slices of uncooked lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of meat sauce over the top of these noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese & some parmesan. Top with fresh basil.

6.

*If prepping for another day, tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap & refrigerate.

Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. <<< This direction is for my hubby ;) ~ Remove Plastic Wrap>>> 

Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil & bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is hot & bubbly.

For a Sunday night dinner, I won't use the "Oven Ready" Lasagna pizza because it does not taste fresh enough for me. But, for a prepared meal that will sit in the refrigerator for a weekday I will. I've found that is the best method for this oven ready pasta noodle variety. Why? Well, the pasta absorbs the moisture over night from the sauce. YUM! 

<3 Lishie

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Sundays are always hectic & this past one was pret-ty busy! Between church & some chores including the market, time slipped though my hands. I had promised pasta, sauce & meatballs, only to get home around 4pm-ish. Uh oh. Well, well there's a will, there's a way... I ended up making sauce with mini-meatballs (as opposed to my gigantic, "normal" ones) & prepared a dinner for Monday (work begins to be extremely hectic this week), as well as some normal week prep within an hour! How? I twitched my nose, of course! Well really, this is how:

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Prep the sauce first...

Sauce:

• 1 TBsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped & diced very small
• 1 clove garlic, kept whole, smashed
• 1 TBsp tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 large cans tomato sauce
• S & P
• 1 bay leaf (take out at end)
• Fresh Basil

Heat olive oil on medium & add the onions. Saute until they are translucent but not browned. Add in the garlic for a moment, stir. Incorporate the tomato paste into the onion garlic mixture & cook for another minute. Add in the basil & oregano, stir. Change the burner heat to low. Add in the bay leaf & tomato sauce... Stir in the sugar. Allow sauce to simmer on low while you prep the meatballs...

Mini-Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)
• 1 clove minced garlic 
• 2 TBSp fresh Basil, chiffonade
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup AP Flour
• 2-3 TBSp olive oil

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. add the next 6 ingredients onto the top of the beef, ending with the egg. Using your hands, gently fold all of the ingredients into the beef, combining them but not overly mixing them. Shape into 24 tiny  round mounds.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high.

On a separate plate, place the flour for dipping. Using tongs, dip each meatball into the flour, gently tapping off the excess (flour). Place as many into the heated pan as you can. Now watch the meatballs carefully- do not let them brown too much or burn... roll each around to make sure they equally brown on all sides. This technique "seals" the meatballs together, keeps them intact once they hit the sauce & allows for a delicious, juicy interior!

After the first meatballs are "sealed", add them into the simmering sauce, covering them in it.  Once all the meatballs are in the sauce simmering away, stir. Then allow your sauce to simmer for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Make your favorite pasta & enjoy!!!! 

<3 Lishie

Linda McCartney’s Veggie Burgers

I was a vegetarian for years. It was not very hard for me since I love so many veggies & veggie products. I had to stop because my body wasn't absorbing iron well from veggies or supplements. My sister is still a Vegetarian & I am constantly cooking up things for her to have when she's visiting that taste delicious & are fulfilling. One thing I continue to make for myself are veggie burgers. YUM. 

I've always loved Paul McCartney & I'd gush about his relationship to his first wife, Linda. They were married for 30+ years before she passed away. They spent almost every night together that entire time, cooked meals as a family, etc. And they, as well as their children, were/are vegetarians. I got the most amazing chance to meet Linda McCartney when she published  her first cookbook, 

Linda McCartney's Home Cooking (9781559701600) & my friend worked for ABC (Linda promoted her book on Regis & Kathy Lee). Linda was as sweet & humble as pie. I adored her. I was so fortunate because she passed away only a couple of years later, way too young, from cancer. What an inspiration to me. Thank you, Linda...

This is 

adapted from Linda McCartney's Home Cooking:

Linda McCartney’s Veggie Burgers 

Makes 8-10

• 4 TBSp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 cup cooked cannellini beans
• ½ cup cooked lentils
• ½ cup cooked small red beans
• ½ cup grated carrot
• ½ cup grated zucchini
• 4 TBSp chopped parsley
• 2-2 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp chili powder
• S & P

Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft & opaque. Add cumin.
Remove from heat. Stir in beans and grated veggies & mash together to combine.
Add the remaining ingredients & mix well.
Shape into patties. Chill if mixture is too sticky... 

GRILL or Pan-fry in olive oil.

*Lishie tip- to get beautifully rounded patties? Use a large biscuit cutter or a burger pattie shaper!

<3 Lishie

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• 2 cups canned chick peas, drained  

~Or~

• 2 cups fresh, soaked chick peas

• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, pureed (see here)
• Juice & Zest of 2 Lemons
• 3 cloves garlic
• Kosher Salt
• Pinch of Sweet Paprika

Place everything into the Food Processor & combine until the texture you like. 

Pita Chips

• Bag of Pita Bread (I get plain, white)
• Olive Oil, to coat
• *Seasoning (You could use anything!) I use Sea Salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita in half & then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour olive oil over the pita triangle piecess. Toss and spread out the wedges, not overlapping. Sprinkle Sea Salt (or whatever seasoning). Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

I've said it before I LOVE hummus... And I LOVE bell peppers. Well put them together... sigh. This makes or such a delicious tv snack. Or for a tiny lunch... or spread it on a sandwich instead of mayo. YUM.


<3 Lishie

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

If you have a lot of peppers from your garden, this is a great, refreshing sauce to make with pasta. It's delicious & fragrant & puts the veg to good use while maintaining the vibrant taste. 


Do not let the heavy cream worry you- go ahead & switch it out for a light alternative, it simply gives the sauce a smoother texture.


Top your favorite pasta with it, a little grated asiago... You are good to go!


Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 5 red peppers
• 3 medium tomatoes or 14 oz tomato sauce
• 1 small Onion, diced
• Olive Oil
• 3 TBSp Heavy Cream
• S & P

Place the red peppers & the tomatoes on a baking sheet & sprinkle with olive oil. Roast them under the broiler until they are blackened, roasted. Allow to cool.


Transfer the veg to the food processor & puree with a little more olive oil.


Meanwhile, saute the onion is a sauce pan on medium-high. Add the pureed mixture & stir. When the sauce is nearly heated through, add the cream. Add S & P to taste.

<3 Lishie

Strawberry Bread

Lishie's Strawberry Bread 

• 3 cups AP Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 TBSp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Large Eggs (room temp.)
• 1&1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil (I use Canola)
• 2 cups Fresh Strawberries, hulled & sliced
• 1&1/4 cups Peacan, toasted & Chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour 2 9X5" Loaf Pans. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, sugar & oil in a medium bow. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the egg mixture to the well & stir until well-blended. Stir in the strawberries & the pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans & bake (on the center rack) until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool in pans 10 mins, then on racks for 60 minutes.  

Nothing says summer like fresh, juicy, sweet smelling strawberries. I could get sick on eating tons of them. You know- the "good" sick? So much better than potato chip or cookie sick. This is a scrumptious recipe when you have an abundance of berries. The house will be overwhelmed with the gorgeous smell of... summer. Sigh.

<3 Lishie

Live. Love. Cupcakes. Megan. "Q & A"

Recently, my friend Megan has begun a "Q & A" series on her cupcake blog: Live. Love. Cupcakes. 

She very, very sweetly featured DeLish first! I was so curious to find out more about Megan's passion for cupcakes that I decided to feature her in a "Q & A" of my own. Take a visit to Megan's site & see her BEAUTIFUL cupcakes! She truly does live & love cupcakes!

Recent Live. Love. Cupcakes. creation!

1. What inspired you to start your cupcake blog? 

Last summer at a friend's bbq, a friend of hers was raving about my cupcakes and gave me that push to start my own "business". Not knowing which direction it would go, I started to blog about it :)

2. What is your favorite cupcake that you make? 

Hands down, chocolate cupcake with peanut butter buttercream

3. Do you prefer to cook or bake? 

BAKE, I am not very good at cooking.

4. What is your favorite summer cupcakes to make? 

Light and refreshing cupcakes...like my Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes

5. Who or what inspired your love for baking? 

My mom is a really awesome baker, and always watching her inspired me to do the same for my children.

6. Where do you get your inspiration from? (other blogs, cookbooks, etc.) 

I first got the itch to make cupcakes from scratch from both the cookbook, "Cupcakes!" and  Our Best Bites, love that site!

7. Do you follow recipes exactly, or adapt them to your own cooking style? Why? 

Since I started my own "business" (I use that term loosely haha), I wanted every single recipe to be my own. So I guess it is as giant adaptation of multiple recipes. I did a lot of trial and error, and in the end made a different combination or what worked and what aspects I liked about cupcake recipes and came up with my own. For now my selection is still limited as I work on expanding my recipes!

8. What are your favorite food blogs to follow? 

I am food blog obsessed haha

Jenny's Cooking
Running Mama Cooks
Taste of Home Cooking
I Was Born to Cook
Our Best Bites

And of course,

DeLish


<3 Lishie

BLT Pasta

OK so it's really Bacon~Broccoli~Tomato~Pasta but it is so good!!!!! The cherry tomatoes are fresh from our garden (my Father in Law's green thumb print!) This is another super easy, super quick pasta with a lot of natural flavor. I made it before we ran out of the house for our local Bayonne, NJ National Night Out. What a beautiful, fun night!!! Gabriel got to sit on a police motorcycle & tons of neighbors & friends & family were there! 

Bacon, Broccoli & Tomato Pasta

• 6 slices of Bacon
• 1/2 cup cherry or grape Tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup Broccoli florets
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Zest & juice of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 lb-1 lb. Pasta 
• fresh, grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Prep 1 baking sheet with a level roasting rack or parchment paper & place bacon evenly on it.

On a 2nd baking sheet, place the broccoli florets & halved tomatoes. Sprinkle liberally with the olive oil.

Place BOTH baking sheets in the oven & roast for 20 - 25 minutes, until the bacon is crisped & the veggies are browned on the edges.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to box directions. 

Chop up the bacon into pieces & mix with the broccoli, tomatoes & pasta. Zest the lemon & add the juice, along with more extra virgin olive oil, toss, top with parmesan cheese & serve. 

Gabriel @ National Night Out

YUM. The roasting brings out the flavors of the fresh veg. & adds to the pasta. ENJOY!

 <3 Lishie

Crafting with the Toddler

Sometimes a recipe isn't about food (as a recent Sesame Street explains really well). It's about a craft. Thank you to Crafts by Amanda for reminding me that Salt Dough can be handled like Play Doh, then shaped & baked, not just used for Christmas ornaments. My toddler & I had fun making this paper weight for mommy's desk (look closely- Gabriel smushed it, creating his hand print! <3) 


Get your little one's senses & creative juices flowing with this recipe:


Salt Dough
*this makes more than one paperweight.

• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1 cup Flour + more, as needed!
• 1/2 cup Water

Combine the flour & salt first. then add water. If it is not clay-consistency, add a little more flour until it is. But don't make it too dry! It will crack then.


Bake it on a parchment lined cookie sheet on 200-250 degrees for 2+ hours until it is completely cooked through. Allow it to cool completely!


*When finished you can preserve it with sealant or decoupage glue.

& like I said, I use this recipe for ornaments too! As well as molding clay :)

Stromboli, take 2!

For two delicious takes on Boli, see my first Stromboli post. Last night, we were sun-kissed, tired & happy & I had an eggplant stromboli (see first post) & my hubby had this:

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

• AP Flour (enough to sprinkle to roll out the dough)

• 1 bag of Pizzeria Dough 
• 1 cup Chiken, sliced & cooked
• 1/4 cup Frank's Hot Buffalo Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce) 
• S & P
• olive oil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Optional, for on the side:

• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Celery

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Spray a baking pan with olive oil spray. 

Prep the dough. Sprinkle out some flour on the counter or pastry board & spread out the dough with a rolling pin. Work it out into a large rectangle. Then slice this dough in half with a pizza cutter or pastry cutter.

Delineate a half of one of the halves :) In other words, take one of the rolled out squares & find it's center.  One I used for the eggplant boli. The other, for the Buffalo chicken one.

Ina bowl, mix the chicken with the hot sauce. Place this mixture in the center of the rolled out dough.

Then comes the wrapping up or turning over of the stromboli. Pull the dough over the fixings to blanket them length-wise. Roll it a little to seal. Tuck/fold the two outer, smaller edges. Repeat with the second stromboli.

Place on a sprayed or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Poke some holes in the top to release steam while cooking. Then brush some olive oil on top of each & finish by grating some parmesan cheese onto the oiled stromboli.

<3 Lishie