Easy Calzones

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 container (11oz) refrigerated French bread dough

4 slices (1 oz each) mozzarella cheese

nonstick cooking spray

2 tbsp melted butter

grated Parmesan cheese

garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large skillet brown meat with onion and garlic. Drain well then stir in spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning. Unroll dough onto lightly floured surface and roll or press with your fingers to a 16-inch square. Cut the dough into 4 even squares then transfer to baking sheet. Spoon equal amounts of the meat mixture into the center of each square and top with a slice of cheese. Fold each square over to form a triangle, pressing the edges to seal. Brush melted butter over each triangle and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately with salad and enjoy!

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Shrimp and Scallops

1/2 lb fresh scallops
1/2 lb shrimp
1 lb rigate pasta
12 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions then drain and set aside. Rinse scallops then pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large pan over med heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute then add scallops. Cook until scallops are golden brown on both sides. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer. Stir well then add basil. Let simmer for 5 minutes then add pasta and toss. Serve with Parmesan cheese, a salad and fresh baked bread.

Strawberry Jam

3 pints fresh strawberries
3 cups superfine sugar (yeah, it's a lot but sooo worth it)
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Rinse and hull the strawberries then slice into quarters (leave smaller berries whole). Place the strawberries in a large heavy bottom pot and toss them with the sugar and orange juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat then add the apple and blueberries. Keep boiling and occasionally stirring for 25-30 minutes (until candy thermometer reaches 220 degrees). Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Allow to cool to room temperature then store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Serve with sliced and toasted baguettes or in a PB&J sandwich!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup prepared tapenade (found in deli section of grocery store)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry cauliflower then place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Place in oven and roast until edges of cauliflower begin to brown. Remove from oven, place in serving bowl and toss with tapenade. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 10oz pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chicken and vegetables in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart dish. Stir soup, broth and pepper together and pour over chicken and vegetables. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, milk and butter then pour on top of chicken mixture. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes then serve with a salad and sweet tea!

Macadamia Crusted Chicken

When we first got married I thought heating up frozen pasta meals was "cooking." Occasionally I would whip up the classic spaghetti casserole for a "real" home cooked meal but otherwise I was clueless to the broad and wonderful aspects of the culinary world. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy cooking, my favorite gift of all time was my Easy Bake Oven, I just never took the time to research recipes or experiment with food. Then when I was six months pregnant with my first child, I was put on bed rest and stumbled upon the food network.

I had pretty much seen every episode of "A Baby Story" on TLC and was getting restless when I came across Rachel Ray and her 30 Minute Meals. She was very entertaining and made "real" cooking look easy. I started taking mental notes and once off bed rest the experimenting began. Since then I have made many "Honeymoon Meals" (meals that turn out terrible but my husband still eats them because he loves me) and many "Entertaining Meals" (meals that I would feel comfortable sharing with guests). Here is one of those entertaining meals.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup pecans
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup feta cheese
Berry Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Marzettis)

Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In same skillet melt butter then add onions. Sprinkle onions with sugar and cook until light brown. Remove from heat and place in bowl with remaining ingredients. Toss with dressing then add pecans and serve.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Pineapple-Mango Relish (posted before)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mirin (found on ethnic isle)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup panko
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter

Whisk together first 5 ingredients and 1 tbsp oil in a bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper then place in a zip-top plastic bag and pour marinade over top. Seal bag and turning to coat and chill 1 hour turning occasionally. Combine nuts and panko in shallow dish, place flour in a separate shallow dish and eggs in another shallow dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade dredge in flour then eggs then in breadcrumb mixture. Heat 4 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add chicken and cook until light brown on both sides then remove and place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until done. Serve with relish.

Pineapple-Mango Relish
1 cup pineapple, diced
1 cup mango, diced
1/3 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Makes 1 cup.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
4 med sweet potatoes, peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise then cut each half into 3 long spears. Place on cookies sheet, drizzle with oil the sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Spread in one layer and bake 15 minutes then turn and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Sauteed Asparagus
2 lbs fresh asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Rinse asparagus and cut off bottom stems then place in large skillet. Cover with water and simmer for 5 minutes or until bright green. Drain and set aside. In same skillet add oil and butter then saute garlic. Add asparagus, salt and pepper the toss.

Pineapple Sundaes with Caramel Sauce
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2 cups shredded and sweetened coconut
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast 5-10 minutes or until light brown. Preheat grill over high heat and grill pineapple for 3 minutes on each side. Scoop vanilla ice cream then roll in toasted coconut then plate with grilled pineapple wedges. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not stir. Increase heat to medium and boil uncovered until sugar turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and add cream and vanilla. Stir occasionally until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meatloaf and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well and then shape into a loaf and place on a lightly greased baking dish and bake 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
about a cup of Milk, warmed
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (who am I kidding, more like two sticks...)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes AND garlic cloves until tender. Drain then mash potatoes while adding enough milk and butter to make creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Steamed Green Beans
1 lb of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Steam green beans 5 to 8 minutes or until tender but still bright green. Drain then in a large skillet melt butter and saute green beans 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.