April, 2016
Anita’s Cheese Tortellini with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Ingredients
3 pounds package cheese tortellini(cooked according to package)
3 cups of zucchini, diced
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
1 onion, small diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (4 ounces) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Preparation
- Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Set aside.
- Preheat oven at 375 grades Fahrenheit. Place diced zucchini, onions, garlic and tomatoes on a baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano. Mix well.
3. Roast vegetables for about 20 minutes until tender.
4. Remove vegetables from baking pan and place it in a large skillet. Add tomato sauce and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Stir sauce into cooked tortellini. Enjoy!
Anita’s Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the Glaze
2 cups powder sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon rum
Preparation
- Heat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit. Grease and flour baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix sugar, and butter at medium speed, beating until creamy.
- While beating add eggs, 1 at a time.
- At low speed add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt alternating with buttermilk. Beat until all mix well by removing all scrapes from bowl sides.
- Add lemon zest, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Add cake batter into the pan. Bake for about 60 to 65 minutes until golden brown or toothpick comes out clean by inserting it in middle of cake. Let it cool for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan and add glaze when is completely cool.
- Stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice by beating slowly until creamy. Add lemon zest and rum and mix.
- Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!
Anita’s Simple Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients
1 16 ounces package capellini (angel hair)pasta
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
Fresh basil leaves
Preparation
- Cook pasta according to package.
- While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet and add garlic stirring frequently.
- Add cherry tomatoes cut in half and leaving some whole to popped in your mouse. Sate for 5 to 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Add cooked pasta to your sauce and mix all together. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil will be fantastic.. and grab basil leaves and tear off on top. Enjoy!
Anita’s Best Kaac il Eid (Lebanese Cookies)
My Mom’s Secret Cookies Recipe to be revealed soon!
Anita’s Lebanese Kafta (Meatloaf with Potatoes)
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon pepper, ground
4 tomatoes, sliced in rounds
4 large potatoes, sliced in rounds
1 ( 4 ounces) can tomato paste mixed in 1 1/2 cup of water
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit and butter a glass dish. Set aside.
- In a big bowl mix ground beef, parsley, onions. Add ketchup, pomegranate molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix all until well combined. Transfer meatloaf into the glass baking dish and make it all even.
- Layered Potatoes on top of meatloaf.
- Placed one sliced tomato on top of each potato sliced. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. (As shown in picture).
5. Pour over, mixed tomato paste into 1 1/2 cup of water over the entire dish. Bake for about one hour or until juices of beef and tomato sauce have almost reduced, beef is cooked, and potatoes are tender. Serve next to rice. Enjoy!
Anita’s Venezuelan Empanadas
El aroma y sabor venezolano como estremece nuestros corazones .
Ingredients
Beef Filling
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, small diced
2 tomatoes, small diced
1 red pepper or green, small diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano, ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 bay leave
1 Tablespoon ketchup
Empanada Dough
3 cups of Arepa Flour (white corn flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 1 cup of warm water
Canola or Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Preparation for Filling:
- Heat olive oil at medium heat in a large skillet, and add ground beef. Brown beef until completely cooked.
- Add onions, and peppers. Cook until soft. Lower heat and add tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Stir all together, add bay leave and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add ketchup. If filling is too dense add 1/3 cup of water.
- Simmer for about 10 more minutes. Set aside.
Making Empanadas Dough:
- In a large bowl place arepas flour, salt, sugar and mix all together.
- Add warm water slowly by mixing with your hands until all is well combined and dough is soft.
- Let dough rest by covering it with a clean cloth for about half an hour.
To Prepare and cook Empanadas
- Place plastic wrap over a cutting board, secure board with a wet cloth underneath and place it over your kitchen counter.
- Make a dough ball with your hands and flatten your dough on top of plastic wrap.
- Place meat filling on the center of dough.
- Grab one side of plastic wrap, and fold over the other side.
- With the tip of a butter knife shape your half moon (empanada) over the plastic wrap.
- Remove plastic wrap and discard excess of dough. Set aside.
- Continue shaping your empanadas. Place over a dish and cover with wet napkins until ready to fry.
- Fry empanadas in a large pot with half way up filled with vegetable oil for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Place empanadas over paper towel to take away excess oil. Enjoy next to your favorite hot sauce. One of our best favorites family recipe.Yum!
Anita’s best Mini Macaroni and Cheese cups
Classic, easy recipe to make at all times that your children and adults will always enjoy.
Ingredients
1 (16 ounces) elbow macaroni, cooked according to package and boiled in chicken broth for better flavor.
1 1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup of it for topping)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit. Butter a baking dish. Set aside .
- Melt butter in a skillet and add milk. When milk started to simmer whisk in cheese.
- Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Keep whisking continuously until cheese is all melted.
4. Add heavy cream and whisk for about 2 to 3 minutes. Incorporate cooked pasta, stir until pasta has almost absorbed the creamy cheese sauce for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Place macaroni and cheese into the buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the half cup of remaining cheese. Bake again for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Note: You can also place macaroni and cheese into a mini muffin pan sprayed with butter. Sprinkle top with grated cheddar cheese.
Place into a 375 grades Fahrenheit oven. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until macaroni and cheese is set in the middle and all around. Let it cool. Remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Anita’s Salmon with Dill and Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound Salmon Fillets
1/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit.
- Grease a baking dish with butter. Set aside.
- Mix in a large bowl, lemon juice, zest of lemons, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Incorporate Salmon fillet.
- Place salmon on the baking dish and sprinkle with dill.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes or until fish is flaky. Enjoy!
Anita’s Lemon Pepper Sea Bas Fillet
Ingredients
5 Sea Bas Fillets (4-5 ounces each)
1 /4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing pan
2 Fresh Lemon, juice
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black Pepper
2 lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 grades Fahrenheit and greased baking dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
- Into a mixing bowl place sea bas filets. Drizzle with olive oil. Add lemon juice, zest of lemons, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cloves of fresh garlic sliced.
- Place Sea Bass into the baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until is easily flaked and completely cooked. Next to roasted mini sweet peppers. Enjoy!
Anita’s Delicious Apple Strudel
Ingredients
1/2 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
5 Fuji and 1 green apple, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 cup apple juice
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon water
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 385 grades Fahrenheit.
- Place sliced apples in a pan over medium heat. Let them cooked for about 10 minutes, releasing their own juices.
- Add brown sugar, lemon juice, apple juice and cinnamon. Stir all together and cook until apples are tender and juices are reduced for about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside. Let them cool.
- On a clean surface over a parchment paper, roll puff pastry dough into a rectangle. Start placing filling 2 to 3 inches from edges making two complete rows of apples. Brush all around edges by mixing egg beaten with water to better sealed dough.
- Fold dough over filling and sealed all edges with egg-wash.
- Brush top and sides of strudel with egg-wash and make some cuts on top with a sharp knife allowing the steam to release and dough will cook through perfectly. Do not remove parchment paper and transfer to the baking pan.
- Bake strudel in the middle of oven rack for about 30 to 35 minutes or until is golden brown. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Great next to vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
