I still haven’t been grocery shopping, so, dinner tonight is going to be breakfast. Perhaps you have seen ChefClub on Facebook? The site offers clever recipes which are demonstrated in sort of quick-time and make creative use of food of every kind. The recipe I’ve tried to replicate is their “Palate Omelette -Potato Omelet” which they describe this way:

“La patate omelette ! L’œuf s’est trouvé un nid douillet 🙂 The potato omelet! The egg found a cozy nest 🙂 “

Here is my version:

Bake as many potatoes as you want to serve. Scoop out the potato, leaving a ¼” shell. I used 1 egg for two potatoes to which I added the cooked potato that was scooped out, some sautéed chopped mushroom, sautéed chopped garlic, grated cheddar cheese, and a pinch of Herbes de Provence. Fill the cavities of the cooked potatoes with the egg mixture and top with some grated mozzarella. Bake @375° for about 20 minutes or until the egg sets.

I served these Potato Omelets with pancakes, a side sausage (for the carnivore), and applesauce.

Give a look-see to the ChefClub site. It’s very entertaining and imaginative. I think you’ll be impressed. Chefclub

Submitted by L: 🥔🥚👩🏻‍🍳

Since I personally have not been grocery shopping for quite a while, we have been having shortcut meals that rely on whatever is in the freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards.

Reviewing our previous posts, you will see quite a few of the meals that have recently resurfaced from the freezer, such as our Homemade Marinara Sauce and Osso (and Nosso) Bucco, as well as Omlette and Frittata recipes made with whatever we have had in the refrigerator. Gladly, a few desserts of which the leftovers went to the freezer are awaiting defrosting. (Who says you have to suffer “sheltering at home” without sweets?)

Tonight, we will revisit our homemade Fettuccine with a quick sauce made from a can of crushed tomatoes and a few carrots. It’s almost like working in my personal “Chopped” kitchen with only those provisions available in-house. It could be worse.

Kudos to the medical teams in our country and abroad who are bravely treating the sick despite considerable risk to their own well-being. Ditto to the food service, grocery employees, pharmacy staffs, first responders, and all others who are helping to keep essential services viable for all of us. Thank you!

We Sistas want to send our best to all of you, and hope that you are staying well and safe in the midst of this public health crisis. Read some books, binge-watch your favorite shows, clean out that closet, do some yoga. Please proceed with caution and try to check in on those in your neighborhoods and lives who are the most vulnerable.

Be well.

Submitted by L 👩🏻‍🍳😷💕

I like Cranberry “anything”! But I always seem to have extra, leftover whole cranberry relish. So I thought I’d try something new! I love a coffee cake (and coffee) so this is an easy recipe for a quick coffee cake with ingredients you probably have on hand. My favorite is quick, easy and “I don’t have to go to the store for more stuff” !! 😄

• 1 cup whole cranberry relish
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare cake pan: spray a 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray, line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom and spray the parchment

Spread the cranberry relish evenly over the parchment paper in the pan

Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy ( don’t rush this step, it will take about 5 minutes to get fluffy)

Beat in eggs until thoroughly combined

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together

Add the vanilla extract to the milk

Mix the flour and milk alternately into the butter mixture beginning and ending with flour

Spoon the batter evenly over the cranberry relish in the pan

Bake for 30-35 minutes

Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minites

Loosen the cake from the pan by running a knife along the inside edge of the pan, place a plate over the top and flip it over to release the cake from the pan

Submitted by G ♥️

Everyone loves Pizza! If you have never tried to make it from scratch, you are missing out on your new favorite! This is a recipe that is easy to do and just takes a little time. So give it a try…..you won’t be sorry!

Quick Pizza Dough

This recipe will make enough dough for 2 pizzas

• 4 cups flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 envelope instant dry yeast
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp oil

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook

While the mixer is running on low speed, add the water and oil. Beat until the dough forms a ball. If dough is sticky, add more flour – 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together. If it is too dry, add a little water.

Remove dough to a floured surface and knead into a smooth, firm ball

Place dough ball into a large bowl that has been oiled and cover with a clean kitchen towel

Let it rest in a warm area until it is double in size (about an hour)

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half. Cover pieces with a cloth and let rest for 10 minutes

Dough is done!! Proceed to assembling pizza. If you are making 1 pizza, you can freeze the second piece of dough for another day.

Assemble Your Pizza

This time I made my pizza with artichokes and pepperoni. You can, of course, use whatever ingredients you prefer. Anything goes…..have fun!

• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (use your favorite – homemade or storebought) But be sure to add a little garlic powder and oregano for the best pizza flavor
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• Sliced Provolone Cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
• 1/2 jar or can of quartered artichoke hearts

Spray a 10 inch deep dish pizza pan (or round cake pan) with cooking spray

Place fresh pizza dough into the pan and press it evenly on the bottom and a little up the sides of the prepared pan

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce over the dough. Scatter the onion over the sauce

Bake in a preheated 475 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven

Place the sliced provolone cheese evenly to cover the dough. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese, all of the pepperoni and artichoke hearts

Top with the rest of the tomato sauce and then the rest of the mozzarella cheese. (Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over the top if you like)

Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Submitted by G ♥️

I love a loaf cake for breakfast or with a cup of coffee or tea any time of day! This is an interesting one that is easy, delicious and looks special on the plate!

• 1 very large apple, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices (the slices are what makes the finished cake look special, so don’t chop or cube 😉)
• 1 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (optional)

In a large bowl combine apples with 3 tbsp sugar & cinnamon. Let stand for 1 hour

Toss almonds with Amaretto and set aside

In another bowl with a mixer cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes to reach “fluffy”.

Add eggs, one at a time to thoroughly combine and add almond extract

Whisk flour with salt in a small bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture til smooth

Pour batter into a 9×5 inch loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray

Press apples vertically into the batter – lining them up throughout the length of the pan (this will look great when the loaf is sliced for plating)

Top with the almonds and spoon the Amaretto over the top

Bake in the oven preheated to 300 degrees for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling

Submitted by G ♥️

2 medium eggplants
1½ cup ricotta cheese
Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste
2-3 cups marinara sauce
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Peel the eggplants and slice them the long way; place on a baking sheet, parchment-lined and sprayed with olive oil pan spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until very tender.

Stir the salt, pepper, and oregano into the ricotta until the cheese is smooth. Place about 1 tablespoon of ricotta on the end of an eggplant slice and gently roll; place it seam down in a baking pan that has a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom. Top the rolls with additional marinara, and the parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses. Loosely cover the casserole pan with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes @350°. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before serving.

Submitted by L 🧑🏻‍🍳

The family wanted barbecue tonight, so I marinated some chicken in Italian dressing for about 3 hours before my sweet grill master placed them over a low flame to proper doneness. What about the side dishes, you ask? I steamed some broccoli and carrots, sprinkled them with salt and pepper and a dash of lemon-pepper seasoning.

I also had a lovely focaccia bread that was purchased at an Italian market in town. That went in the oven @350° for about 15 minutes. At that same market, I purchased a package of white mushrooms (about 16) which I decided would be perfect stuffed and served as a side dish with the chicken and vegetables.

Here’s how to prepare them. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth and remove the stems and set aside. Place the caps in an oven-proof dish. Finely chop ½ of a medium onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and the mushroom stems. Sauté them in a small amount of olive oil until the onions are translucent; pour a splash of white wine into the pan and add a handful of chopped fresh spinach; add salt and pepper to taste and stir until the spinach is limp. Add about ½ cup of seasoned breadcrumbs and about 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and stir the ingredients to mix. Spoon into the mushroom caps and top with a small amount of grated mozzarella cheese. Pour about ¼ cup of white wine into the baking pan, cover with foil; bake @350° for about 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.

🍄 Submitted by L 👩🏻‍🍳

Whip 4 large eggs; add grated cheese, choice of cooked vegetables and salt and pepper, to taste. This recipe was made with about ½ cup of cooked asparagus and ¼ cup of shredded sharp cheddar. Spray a 6-count muffin tin with pan spray and fill. Bake @350° for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Submitted by L🥚

This recipe is a revised version of something one of my dear friends shared on Facebook which I tweaked ever so slightly. The result turned out to be a moist brownie-like, lemony treat that has a refreshing taste and tender consistency. We think you’ll like it.

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, large
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Lemon Glaze:

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or enough to moisten to desired consistency
• 3/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside. Using a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, until slightly golden around the edges. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry. Allow to cool before glazing. Whisk the powdered sugar with lemon zest and juice to desired consistency. Spread the glaze with a rubber spatula and let it set. Cut into bars and serve.

Submitted by G and L ☕️

This recipe turned out to be a minor version of G’s famous “Clean Out the Fridge” series. There was a partially used container of Ricotta cheese, and some leftover sautéed spinach with mushrooms and onions. G comes to visit me once or twice a year and never fails to bring along her fancy KitchenAid mixer, including the Pasta Roller attachment. Of course we agreed that it added up to Spinach Ravioli for dinner.

G prepared a large pot of simple marinara sauce made with sautéed onions, garlic, a dash of red pepper flakes, two cans of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of baking soda, and a few spoonfuls of jarred pesto. This simmered slowly on the stove for the better part of the afternoon. I used about ½ cup of the spinach-mushroom mixture from which I squeezed most of the moisture. Then, the ravioli-making process began!

An important afterthought – this is a very economical meal. With a little flour and eggs, and some ricotta cheese, and some pantry items, we created an exceptional gourmet dinner that quite easily would have served six.

Submitted by L & G! 🍽