Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp sugar
2 T melted butter

Filling
20 oz (2-1/2 pkgs – 8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 ts vanilla
3 eggs – beaten

Topping
1 cup strawberries, mashed
1 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/3 cup water

Mix cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Whip the cream cheese until smooth using electrical mixer or food processor. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour over the pre-baked graham craker crust in the springform pan.

Bake at 300° for one hour or until the center is set. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Glace

Blend the sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in water and strawberries, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Let boil one minute, stirring constantly. Let the glace cool completely and then spread it over the cooled cheesecake.

Refrigerate for 3 hours or more before serving.

How To Make Great Cheesecake

Here’s some additional tips you can use to make your cheesecake a success:

To soften the cream cheese is to leave it in room temperature until it’s softer than refrigerated. It’s okay to let it reach room temperature as long as you don’t leave it out too long.

You can prevent a cheesecake from cracking by running a thin knife around the edge, between the crust and the pan, just after removing the cake from the oven.

When using a springform pan let the cheesecake cool completely before removing the sides of the pan. Refrigerate before serving.

To cut a whole cheesecake into perfect slices, use dental floss instead of a knife. Prepare yourself with a lot of unwaxed, unflavored dental floss.

Saw your way down through the cheesecake, using lots of sawing motion and pressure when cutting through the crust, then let go of one end and pull the floss out from the other end. Don’t bring it back up to the top, it just makes a mess of it.

Change floss, and wash or wipe hands often to avoid it being slippery.

When slicing cheesecake with a knife it should have a long thin blade. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe of cake from the blade between every slice. That way the slices gets a nice and clean cut without crushing the cake.

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Ingredients:

Cannelloni Pasta Dough Recipe

1 T – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 each – Extra Large Eggs

1/8 t – Sea Salt (fine)

1 c – All Purpose Flour

½ c – Semolina Flour

In the bowl of your stand mixer place the eggs, olive oil and sea salt. Use your paddle attachment and mix on low until well blended. Combine the flour and semolina and mix until blended well. Set the mixer on low speed and add the flour to the wet ingredients.

Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape into a ball. Begin to knead pasta dough on a lightly floured surface until a smooth texture is acheieved. Flatten the dough to 2 inch thickness, wrap with plastic wrap and let dough rest for minumum 30 minutes. Once the pasta has rested, it’s time to make the sheets for the cannelloni.

A rolling pin can be used; however one of the BEST kitchen tools to have is a traditional hand crank pasta machine. Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Begin at the widest setting and roll out the pasta dough until you achieve your desired thickness. Approximate size needed for the pasta sheet is 3 1/2 x 22 inches. NOTE: Roll out all pasta before adding cannelloni filling. To be sure the dough stays moist, keep it covered with a towel or plastic wrap.

Cannelloni Ingredients:

1 lb – Spinach, leaves only – fresh (blanched, finely chopped)

1 ½ lb – Ricotta cheese

Chef Note* – Visit Volpi web site ‘Recipes’ for “Home-made Ricotta”

1 ea – Egg, large and 1 additional egg for egg-wash

2 T – Heavy Cream

¼ t – Nutmeg, fresh ground

¼ t – Lemon zest, fresh zest

1/3 c – Parmesan cheese, fresh grated, additional for garnish

Sea Salt, Black Pepper (fresh ground)

1 bunch – Basil, fresh sliced in ribbons

12 oz – Volpi Pancetta, cut in ½ x ½ strips

1 T – Olive Oil

5 c – Marinara / Tomato Sauce

Method:

Bring large pot of water to boil. Season well with sea salt and blanch spinach leaves, 30 seconds. Take spinach out and shock in ice cold water, draink well and squeeze to remove excess water. Chop very fine. (NOTE* Frozen spinach is quick, acceptable substitute)

In large mixing bowl place Ricotta cheese and add egg, heavy cream, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Mix well. Add Parmesan cheese and chopped spinach. Add sea salt and black pepper to preferred taste. Set this to the side until it is needed for cannelloni assembly.

Chef Tip: Fill a pastry bag with Spinach & Ricotta filling; this makes the cannelloni making process quick, easy and with little mess.

Volpi Pancetta ½ by ½ inch strips:

Place 1 T olive oil in sauté pan over medium low heat. Add in Volpi Pancetta and be sure to render the meat until it becomes crispy and golden brown on both sides. Remove meat from pan with slotted spoon and put on paper lined plate to allow draining.

Assembly:

Place one of the rolled pasta sheets on flat surface on top of a piece of plastic wrap in front of you. Use the pastry bag method and squeeze 3/4 inch bead of the cannelloni filling at the bottom of pasta sheet. Place a thin coating of egg wash on the top edge to help seal the cannelloni. Next, grab the plastic wrap, lift up and roll pasta sheet over to create the cylinder shape. Once the cannelloni shape is formed, cut individual cannelloni approximately 5 ½ inches in length. Once complete, move the cannelloni to a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate until cooking.

Cooking:

Place a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, approximately ¼ inch thick. Place the finished cannelloni on top of the sauce in an even row. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place cannelloni in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Place remaining marinara sauce in pot and heat to simmer and hold until plating.

Remove from oven, place cannelloni on plate or serving platter. Spoon marinara sauce on top, sprinkle on fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and Volpi Pancetta strips.

Serves 4-6 people.

Chef Michael’s spinach pasta recipe is truly a wonderful rendition of traditional cannelloni. Adding Pancetta as a garnish was inventive and complemented the meal nicely. You will have to try it and taste for yourself! I think a sangiovese or merlot would complement the meal nicely.

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This special Italian cookbook is an almanac of family recipes and traditions from America’s premier maker of dry-cured Italian meats. Volpi Foods is a family-owned, global food corporation and America’s oldest and most prestigious manufacturer of hand-crafted, authentic Italian meat products. In addition to the rare Volpi family recipes and cooking tips, this Italian cookbook tells the unique story of a business that began when Italian immigrant John Volpi emigrated from Milan to the American heartland in 1900. Written and edited by Sarah Kellogg with recipe creation and updating by Chef Michael Laukert, the book is a collaboration of Volpi family, friends and staff.

One of the Volpi family recipes featured in this Italian cookbook is an omelet recipe called a Volpi Rotola Frittata. Volpi Rotola is formed by rolling thin slices of hand-salted prosciutto in layers of fresh mozzarella cheese. This frittata will be quick and delicious for any meal in any season. Here’s how to make the frittata.

Ingredients:
10 brown eggs, fresh
1 package of Volpi Rotola, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 cup of diced boiled potatoes
1 diced tomato
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
¼ cup Italian parsley – fresh, chopped
2 large scallions, diced diagonally
½ cup mushrooms, cooked

Scramble the eggs in a large bowl. Add all of the ingredients to the eggs except for the Volpi Rotola. Save a little parsley for garnishing the plate before serving.

Using 2 large skillets, add a little butter and olive oil to grease all sides. Heat thoroughly. Add the egg mixture. Split it between the 2 skillets. Top the egg mixture in each skillet with layers of Volpi Rotola slices. Turn egg mixture once by placing an inverted dish over the skillet. Cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat. Turn the frittata onto a plate, and then cut it into wedges.

The frittata pairs nicely with mixed greens and hearty Italian bread toasted to perfection. To drink, try a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a dry sparkling wine. If you’re serving it for breakfast, have a mimosa!

This omelet recipe is one of the many family favorites that the Volpi family shares in their Italian cookbook.Experience the Volpi legacy with your family by making one of their delicious recipes tonight.

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How about this Thanksgiving dinner recipe for a delicious appetizer? Move the pumpkin from dessert to the start of the meal as a savory Pumpkin soup. Heat a tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium heat. Add three sliced leeks (only the white) and saute until the leeks are soft. Add 15 ounces of pumpkin puree, a pinch of cloves, one tablespoon of ground cinnamon, one teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Stir that until well mixed, then pour in 32 ounces of vegetable broth. Stir in one quarter cup of brown sugar. Bring it to a low boil then let it simmer for 10 minutes. If desired pour a tsp or so of cream or half and half into the bowl before adding soup and a dash of cinnamon. That sounds good.

A turkey can be fried instead of broiled.  It won’t get greasy.  The oil is so hot it doesn’t flow into the meat.  Buy a turkey fryer.  You’ll need two thermometers, one for the meat and one for the oil.  Fry outside in a large open area.  Get that oil hot, up to 350F.  The turkey takes about three minutes per pound to fry to about 170 degrees F in the breast.  Dressing isn’t fried inside the turkey, but spices can be injected into it.

For some other Thanksgiving dinner recipes for soup, try curried pumpkin apple soup, butternut squash soup, or pumpkin and sausage soup. But there are other good appetizers for the meal. Try something different like cheese wrapped asparagus. Use two cheeses, one spread and one sliced. One idea is swiss cheese slices with a softer blue cheese spread. Spread the soft cheese on the slices, wrap it around a few asparagus spears, then cook in a 230 degree C oven for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft. Sure wrapping cheese around asparagus turns a pretty healthy food into something a little more fattening. But Thanksgiving isn’t a time for a diet. Live a little!

Many more delicious Thanksgiving dinner recipes are available on the Internet.

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Losing weight isn’t about hunger, misery and crash dieting! By learning to make, delicious, simple-to-prepare, nutritious food your body needs and will enjoy – losing weight becomes exciting and energizing.

Instead of high calorie, fatty sources – practice spices to provide flavorsome, exciting meals your complete family will enjoy. “Tuna Patties With Lemon Dill Sauce” is another recipe inside a range of hunger-fighting, low fat recipes to make easier you keep your weight below control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help out you reach your weight-loss goals – while making mealtime a real medication.

Diversity is an main element of several useful health program. If you get bored using foods, you’re much more possible to abandon your program altogether. Experiment with spices to find exciting alternatives, try fresh recipes and build your repertoire of quick home cooked meals to replace take outs, frozen dinners and snacks. Your body will love you and your family will be delighted.

These tuna fish patties are delicious hot or cold. They are excellent for the lunchbox – simply hold back the sauce.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) (350g) be able to white tuna packed inside water, drained and finely flaked
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced green onion
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Lemon Dill Sauce
1/4 cup nonfat chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions
1. Inside large bowl, combine tuna, breadcrumbs, green onion, egg, milk, and lemon peel.
2. With softly floured hands, form mixture into patties.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet using cooking spray and heat on top of medium heat.
4. Cook patties, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Sauce
Combine each ingredients inside a little saucepan and heat above medium heat until warm.

Add a tiny amount of flour and mix with a whisk to thicken sauce.

Spoon sauce higher than tuna patties and serve.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Approximate Nutrients per serving
Calories: 190
Total fat: 1
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 72 mg
Sodium: 34 mg
Carbohydrate: 18 grams
Protein: 29 grams
Dietary fiber: less than 1 gram

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Even if you consider the kitchen foreign territory, you can make an Italian homemade pizza with just a few easy steps. The first step is making the dough. If you’re short on time, you can purchase pre-made pizza dough at your local grocery store. However, handmade pizza dough is not difficult to make, not to mention it’s delicious!

For this Italian pizza recipe, try using Father Dominic Garramone’s recipe for making pizza crust. Father Dominic is a Benedictine priest who hosted the television show, “Breaking Bread with Father Dominic”, on PBS. He has also written numerous books on spiritual growth through baking bread. This recipe will make one thick-crust pizza about 15 inches in diameter, or a few smaller thin-crust pizzas.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup of cold milk
1¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. of olive oil
3 – 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Using a medium sized bowl, stir the yeast and brown sugar together in warm water until dissolved. Let it rest for about five minutes. Stir in the olive oil, salt and cold milk. One half cup at a time, add 2½ cups of flour and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Then, knead the dough for about five minutes, adding small amounts of flour in order to keep it manageable. Lightly oil the surface of the dough. Place it in a medium size clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.

Punch down the dough about two hours before you intend to make the pizza. Then, knead it lightly, forming it into a ball. Place the dough on the counter and cover with a clean, dry towel. Let it rest there until it comes to room temperature. To create the crust, flatten the dough with your hands. Then, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to your desired size. Father Dominic suggests preheating the oven to 500 degrees fahrenheit and preparing the crust on a pizza stone.

Once the dough has been prepared, it’s time to choose your pizza toppings. What Italian traditional pizza is complete without Italian meat? The best place for Italian meat toppings is Volpi Foods, America’s oldest and most prestigious producer of authentic, hand-crafted Italian meats. Whether you use your favorite tomato sauce or plain olive oil as your base, Volpi’s wide variety of dry cured meats will add flavor and excitement to any pizza.

For a twist on the traditional pepperoni pizza, try using Volpi’s hot Sopressata for a spicy pizza pie. If you’re in the mood for a salty and sweet combination, use slices of Volpi’s famous melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto. Add fresh spinach leaves, sprinkle with goat cheese crumbles, then layer with thin slices of prosciutto. Bake in the oven until the crust is light golden brown, then slice and serve immediately.

This simple and delicious Italian pizza recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser for parties or a family cooking night at home. Try it tonight at your house. You’ll be transported to Tuscany at first bite.  If you’re looking to pair a red wine with your pizza it shouldn’t be too hard.  I’d choose a well priced Cabernet wine or blend with a hearty meat pizza but you have many choices.  How about a Zinfandel with a sausage pizza or a Chianti with a cheese pie? Buon appetito!

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One of the easiest paths to satisfy both objectives is to spend a Saturday making 2 quarts each of two or three simple soup recipes.  Portion the soups in individual or family size servings to freeze for future inexpensive, quick-to-fix and tasty meals.

Here are 2 such easy soup recipes to get you going.  These recipes can be followed precisely as given, but also they are common recipes.  Substitutions give a similar texture and body, but with different flavours.  Idea for alternate ingredients follows each of these simple soup recipes.

One uses a cream base while the other uses a broth.  You’ll be surprised to find how some minor changes to each recipe can supply many clearly different easy soup recipes.

Simple CLAM CHOWDER SOUP

three Tb.  Butter
3 Tb.  Flour
six cups milk
two large potatoes, cooked till virtually done, diced in 2-inch cubes
2 3.5-ounce cans clams, with juice
1 15-ounce can corn
3 huge mushrooms, sliced
one big onion, diced
3 green onions, sliced
one tsp.  Thyme

Melt the butter in a huge frying pan.  Use a whisk to mix in the flour.  Cook over low heat until the roux thickens.  Steadily add the milk, stirring constantly.  Add the leftover ingredients and cook over middle heat, stirring often, for 30-45 minutes, or till soup acquires the thickness you prefer.  Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.

instead of, or in addition to clams, try shrimp, crab, Krab (, crawfish or catfish nuggets.  Substitute celery, water chestnuts or spinach for any of the veggies.  Chives are good in place of green onions.  Use a teaspoon of tarragon or [*FR3] cup fresh cilantro in the place of the thyme.

easy CHICKEN veggie broth

eight cups chicken broth
two chicken fillets, cooked and cubed in 1-inch cubes
1 15-ounce can green beans
1 15-ounce can corn
one large red bell pepper, chopped
1 massive onion, sliced
2-3 stalks celery, cut thinly
one tsp.  Sage
2 tsp.  Minced garlic
A pinch of cayenne

Drain the canned vegetables.  Combine all ingredients in a big saucepan over middle heat.  Stir sometimes.  Cook for forty five mins.

Turkey, sausage or chopped ham works just as well as chicken.  In place of the green beans, try fresh, chopped zucchini added to the soup just five mins before serving.  Substitute one orange and one yellow bell pepper for the beans and corn for a colourful and juicy soup.  Rosemary, thyme or marjoram can replace the sage.

once you try these straightforward soup recipes, you’ll see how adaptable they are.  Use your brains.  Do not forget to use any leftovers from the frig.  In just some hours, you can have many lunch or dinner servings good to go in minutes!

If you find this article useful, you should also check out cooking101.org to learn more about some easy techniques of cooking all sorts of quality meals, including how to make cream of mushroom soup.

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Here is a very good crockpot recipe for a pasta dish main course that has ingredients from many food groups. This pasta dish is chicken lasagna. It sounds like a simple dish but it is very delicious. It serves 4 people and takes approximately 5 hours to prepare. It is not difficult to make but not that easy either. However, the resulting dish is so tasty that it is well worth the effort.

Chicken Lasagna Ingredients

You will need approximately 1 pound of cooked, shredded chicken breasts or more if you like more protein than a normal person. Then, you need 1 large onion, finely chopped, 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, 2 jars (17 oz.) of spaghetti sauce, 1 package (18 ounce) “no-cook” lasagna noodles, 1 package (9 oz.) of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 container (9 oz.) of ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 egg. Now, if you have your favorite vegetables, such as eggplants, you can add some too but make sure they are finely chopped.

Making this Chicken Lasagna in a Crockpot

First you want to brown the onions, any other vegetables, and garlic in a non-stick pan. Then you will add the spaghetti sauce and mix everything together very well. In a separate bowl, you will mix the cheeses, milk and egg. It is best to grease the crockpot a little. Place 1/4 of the meat sauce mixture in the bottom of the crockpot then, 1/3 of a layer of noodles. You can break the noodles so that they fit into your crockpot. After that, you can place approximately 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top. Then, repeat the process of: sauce, noodles, cheese for two more layers. Put the remaining meat sauce on top. Cook in the crockpot on low setting for roughly 6 hours until the noodles are soft.

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Below are 3 recipes for soups that can be made in your food processor or blender.  If you have the ingredients available, none take more than 10 minutes to make.  They’re all tasty, tasty, and actually refreshing on a sunny day.  While the recipes all suggest you employ a food processor, you can get excellent results by employing a blender or hand blender too.

These are all very simple recipes, so don’t be shy to change them and get a taste that your full family can enjoy.

Here are the recipes.

Summer Vegetarian soup
This is great tasting soup with a touch of Italy included.  It is super simple to make and very healthy.  It is very good on a hot summer day

An avocado – skin and pit removed naturally
4 Roma tomatoes – they might not be quite luscious enough ( see later )
Basil to taste ( Thai basil is really good in this )
Four big spoons of extra virgin olive oil

Process
How easy is this soup?  Simply throw everything into your food processor and mix until it is smooth.  If you find that it is more of a smoothie than soup, simply add more liquid ( or swap one of the Roma tomatoes for another more juicy variety ).  Decant into bowls, garnish as you wish ( minced chives are nice ) and enjoy.

Wonderful Salsa & Black Bean

This soup is a particularly straightforward soup that takes some minutes to prepare.  It can be served cold, but always benefits from being heated.
approximately four servings

INGREDIENTS :
two normal sized cans of black beans ( any brand is OK, but try for low salt )
1 0.5 cups soup stock ( Just use chicken, meat, or vegetable bullion )
1 cup of your favorite salsa ( chunky makes a heartier soup )
1 little spoon cumin ( best to use fresh ground in the soup and you can spatter seeds on top too )
0.25 cup of sour cream
1-2 green onions cut fine

Process :
Put the beans, salsa, cumin, and soup stock into a mixer ( a blender is OK too).  Puree the mixture till it is creamy in texture.  Decant the mixture into a medium-sized pot and heat on low-medium until it is totally hot.  This allows the flavors to combine.  If you are going to serve it cold, move it to the fridge to cool down off till it is time to eat.  To eat it hot, simply serve into bowls and garnish with the onions and some of the sour cream.

MANGO SOUP

Mangos are simply divine.  They’re great as a fruit, whisked into drinks, added to salads.  They also make a really good cool summer soup which is explained below.

Ingredients :

1 massive RIPE mango ( it is going to be soft, no soft, to touch )
two cups chicken soup stock ( make your own or use bullion if you must )
1 TBSP lemon grass ( available in most Asian markets, it looks like long greenish reeds when you buy it )
1 TBSP ginger – Freshly sliced is best
Ground chili peppers to taste
1 cup yogurt ( two percent plain is best )
2 TBSP cilantro ( Chinese parsley ) cut fine

Process :
Chop mango and put in food processor.  Mix temporarily and then put in the ginger, lemon grass, chili and [*FR1] cup of soup stock.  Mix again until everything becomes very smooth.  Move the soup into another bowl ( be certain it is large enough ) and mix in first the remainder of the stock, and then the yogurt.  This is best served cold, so put in fridge till you are ready for eating.  Then put into bowls and serve with the cilantro as the garnish.

As the temperature starts to go up give these soups a try.  They’re all extremely simple and will add a new tasty and healthy dimension to your summer diet.

For more easy to make recipes, visit cooking101.org and also read about crab bisque soup.

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But, once you realize this, it can be very liberating. In fact, it can lead to your enjoying food in an entirely new way. So stop trying to make foods that taste like cardboard that are supposed to be healthy and focus on making dishes you will actually like.

The following are tips on how to make your own healthy recipes that will leave you completely satisfied:

• Its best to stay in season
Seasonal foods are a treat. Making sure you always treat them like that. These fruits can be made into dessert parfaits and amazing main courses. You should try using peaches in the summer and delicious mandarin oranges in the winter. All types of berries are excellent in the spring and sweet, crisp apples are perfect for fall. There is no need to not eat these the rest of the year, but if you eat them at the right time will really make them a treat.

• Draw attention to the positive
Heavily processed foods are very bad for you and you should avoid them while eating healthy. This means no processed or pre-packaged foods. Instead of being upset that you can’t eat those “little debbies” or packaged cookies, instead you should focus on how amazing your homemade treats are. Make sure to be happy with yourself for eating right and creating a healthy living recipe that you can really enjoy.

• Concentrate on your family
When you first read this, it may not sound like much of a recipe. However, when meals become about time spent together rather than food, you will find that everything tastes better. However, if your busy schedule doesn’t allow for regular family dining, then your meal can become a time of self-reflection. You can have a cup of green tea and a nice quite dinner. Just eat slowly, while taking time to think about your day. You will soon see that this makes meals so much easier even if you aren’t eating high fat foods you really want.

There is more to healthy living that just food. It is about mindset. Truly effective healthy living recipes factor in every aspect of the meal, not just the sugar and preservative content.

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