November 2011 – Memorable Food Dishes with Chef Debee

Whole Wheat and Flax Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Watch Chef Debee making Whole Wheat and Flax Sweet Potato Gnocchi on YouTube

For the family that is on the go and wants to live and eat healthy; here is a rich in nutrition, chewy in texture, and mouth watering flavor for your whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients

2 medium size sweet potatoes mashed (2 cups)
2 cup organic whole wheat flour
2 cup organic unbleached flour
2 tablespoons organic flax meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg
1/3 cup basil pesto (home made with NO grated Pecorino-Romano cheese))

Directions

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in covered pan of water for 45 minutes or until knife comes out easily
2. Cool and remove skins and then mash with a potato masher tool
3. Be sure it is cooled completely before using
4. Combine the flours, salt and the flax in separate small bowl
5. In large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, egg, and basil pesto
6. Begin to add the flour mixture while stirring altogether and then turn over to bread board and
continue to incorporate all the flour mixture using your hands, adding extra flour if needed
7. Let it rest 5 minutes after formed into a small roll
8. Cut off small sections and roll into long logs about the diameter of a finger and with a floured knife
cut them into 1″ pieces, lightly flouring them and shake off as you lay them on a cookie sheet
9. You may now freeze them for 90 minutes and remove them to an airtight bag for later use OR
10. You may drop them gently into oiled, salted boiling water and when they come to the top,
they are ready to be gently scooped out using a large fenestrated utensil
11. You can serve them with pasta sauce or just olive oil and garlic butter; and even add
some cooked cut green beans to give it another dimension and don’t forget to sprinkle top with some Pec-Rom cheese

Quick Chicken-Spinach & Whole Wheat or Rice Pasta

ChickenSpinachPasta — Quick Chicken-Spinach & Whole Wheat Pasta - Watch YouTube Video

Watch Chef Debee making Quick Chicken-Spinach & Whole Wheat Pasta

A simple, yet tasty meal in just 30 minutes by cutting up your chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and adding a few more ingredients to make it look and taste spectacular.

CAN BE MADE TOTALLY GLUTEN FREE

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
2 tablespoons Greek Marinade (or your favorite one)
1 cup chicken stock (or 1/2 cup white wine)
8 -10 slices sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) cut into pieces (optional)
12-16 oz. bag fresh spinach
2 handfuls of whole wheat pasta OR Rice pasta for Gluten-free dish
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbled

Directions

1. Heat large skillet with a few tablespoons olive oil and add the cut up chicken and brown lightly
2. Add the Greek Marinade and stir together and then add the chicken stock and cover and
simmer for 10 minutes
3. Take cover off and add the sun-dried tomato pieces and stir gently and simmer for
5 minutes longer
4. Add the spinach, cooking with lid off for another 5-7 minutes longer
5. Then add the cooked pasta and stir together, adding the goat cheese at end,
stirring it altogether just so the goat cheese starts to melt a little

Over-Night French Toast

Watch Chef Debee making Over-Night French Toast on YouTube

Gourmet French Toast transformed overnight! Use the best Italian Bread you can find and be sure to buy it the day before or freeze it. A delicious and quick addition to your breakfast brunch for the Holidays.

Bake: 350 degrees Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 loaf of Italian Bread (enough for 13, thick slices)
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
3 tablespoons butter melted
maple syrup

Directions

1. Lightly spray a large cookie sheet
2. Slice the bread into 1″ thick pieces, about 13 slices
3. In a large bowl, mix with mixer, the eggs, heavy cream, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg
4. Place the bread slices onto the sheet pan and pour the egg mixture on top of bread, being
sure to cover them well (there will be some egg liquid in pan as well)
5. Cover pan with foil and place in refrigerator overnight
6. Remove foil and bake in pre-heated 350 for 15 minutes
7. Brush each piece with melted butter and continue to bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
8. Serve immediately with maple syrup
9. Left overs freeze very well and can re-heat in toaster

Egg In A Frame

Watch Chef Debee making Egg In A Frame on YouTube

You decide what shape to cut out of a wholesome piece of bread next time your Saturday morning rolls along. All that is left to do is drop your egg into a buttered fried crust and bring a smile to any child.

Ingredients

1 slice Whole Wheat Bread
1 egg
butter for spreading

Directions

1. Pre-heat skillet on medium heat
2. Cut out a large hole in center of bread, using a cookie cutter or the mouth of a large glass
3. Butter both sides of the cut-out and butter both sides of the frame
4. First brown the cut-out in the buttered skillet on both sides till nicely browned and crisp
5. Place frame in pan and brown on the one side, adding more butter if needed
6. Turn frame over and drop a small amount of butter into hole and then drop the egg into the
hole, cooking till almost done and then flip over gently for a few more seconds

Magic Cookie Bars

Watch Chef Debee making Magic Cookie Bars on YouTube

5-simple layers of fun all rolled into one 9×13 dish. Have fun re-creating your own magic by taking snacky treats you like to eat and put them into your own ‘magic’ bars. Whether chocolate chips or any other candy coated chocolate, dried fruits or marshmallows, enjoy being versatile!

Bake: 350 degrees Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter melted
1, 14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter & press into bottom of 9×13 sprayed
baking dish
2. Spoon sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture
3. Next, layer the chips
4. Layer the coconut
5. Layer with the sliced almonds and press firmly with hand
6. Bake in pre-heated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned
7. cool on wire rack and cut into 12 squares and then cut each piece on a diagonal giving 24
triangular pieces

** recipe from Eagle Brand

Corn Casserole

Watch Chef Debee making Corn Casserole on YouTube

Simple and fast with just 5 ingredients to put a memorable feeling into anyone. Canned corn, chopped chiles, cream cheese, butter & cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4, 15 1/4 oz. canned corn drained
2, 4.5 oz. canned chiles chopped undrained
2, 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 1/2 sticks butter softened
8 oz. cheddar cheese shredded

Directions

1. In a large skillet on medium heat, start melting the cream cheese and butter
2. Drain the corn and add to the skillet along with the cans of chopped chiles
3. Stir altogether and cover pan while shredding your cheese and then add that to pan and
cover, simmering for about 15 min. or until heated through.
4. Pour into a 2 quart casserole and serve

Italian Wedding Soup

Watch Chef Debee making Italian Wedding Soup on YouTube

You can have a most comforting and nutritious soup in 3 hours or in 1 hour, depending on whether you have chicken stock in your freezer or pantry. Get a large bunch of escarole (grown in a mucky soil, rich in minerals) and make ‘escarole’ the star of this meal.

A TOTALLY GLUTEN-FREE SOUP

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 quarts water
1 quart favorite chicken stock
1 very large bunch escarole chopped thinly
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup Pecorino-Romano cheese grated
1 teaspoon crushed oregano
2 teaspoons crushed basil
l egg
pepper to taste
salt if desired

Directions

1. Cook chicken breasts in 2 quarts water, simmering for 1 & 1/2 hours covered
2. Take out chicken and set aside to cool a little and strain the broth into a bowl
3. Return hot stock to a clean pan and add the 1 quart of favorite chicken stock and heat
on medium until comes to a boil
4. In small bowl combine the ground beef, pec-rom cheese, oregano, basil, egg and pepper/salt
5. Make very tiny balls with hands and drop into the lightly boiling soup mixture and cover,
simmering while you wash and cut up the large bunch of escarole
6. With your hands, shred the chicken that has been cooling and drop into soup mixture
7. Now, take handfuls of the thinly diced escarole and drop into boiling soup until it all goes into the pot
8. Simmer with cover on for about 10 minutes until the escarole is tender
9. Serve in a pasta bowl with a sprinkle of Pecorino-romano grated cheese

Crock-Pot Lasagna (oval shape pot works best)

Watch Chef Debee make Crock-Pot Lasagna — Crock-Pot Lasagna - See Youtube video

Watch Chef Debee making Crock-Pot Lasagna on YouTube

Need a quick and easy meal after a Saturday morning soccer practice? Give yourself 4-5 hours by putting this deliciously warm and comforting dish together in your crock-pot in 20 minutes before heading out the door.

CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE USING RICE LASAGNA NOODLES

Cook on: Low Time: 4-5 hours

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 quart spaghetti sauce
2 cups (16 ounces) whipped cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (if desired add another cup)
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
3/4 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
2 shakes nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pound of mozzarella cheese shredded
1 box lasagna noodles un-cooked and I have used RICE Lasagna noodles
extra Pecorino-Romano cheese for sprinkling on top of each meat-sauce layer

1/4 cup Sherry or Marsala (optional–added to meat/sauce mixture)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef in skillet to take the pink out and then add chopped onion and basil and simmer about 5 min. or until onion’s transparent.
2. Pour the quart of sauce into meat mixture and stir well and remove from heat and set aside. (this meat-sauce mixture will be divided into 4 parts)
3. In large bowl combine the whipped cottage cheese, egg, parsley, Pecorino-Romano cheese, nutmeg, cinnamon & mozzarella cheese. (this cheese mixture will be divided into 3 parts)
4. Divide the box of lasagna noodles (un-cooked) into 3 parts. Some of these will have to be broken up to fit into your crock-pot.
5. In your heated crock-pot, start layering the 3 mixtures as follows:

1/4 meat-sauce mixture (sprinkle pec/rom cheese on top)
1/3 noodles
1/3 cheese mixture
1/4 meat-sauce mixture (sprinkle pec/rom cheese on top)
1/3 noodles
1/3 cheese mixture
1/4 meat-sauce mixture (sprinkle pec/rom cheese on top)
1/3 noodles (last noodle layer)
1/3 cheese mixture (last cheese layer)
1/4 meat-sauce mixture (last meat-sauce layer–sprinkle pec/rom cheese on top)

6. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours or till noodles are tender
7. Serves: 6-8 people

* Comes excellent using Rice Lasagna Noodles

* For information on Cottage Cheese go to my Food Facts page

Garlic Bread

Turn any bread into ‘garlic bread’ for a meal by transforming your butter into a delicious garlic and herb spread in just minutes.

Bake: 400 degrees Time: 12-15 minutes

Watch Chef Debee making Garlic Bread on YouTube

Ingredients

1 loaf french-style Italian Bread

2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened

3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated

2 teaspoons dried oregano crushed

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

2 teaspoons dried parsley crushed

3-4 cloves garlic chopped or crushed

Directions

1. Slice the bread in half; then slice each half into half-inch pieces. You should

get about 13 slices from each half loaf. (you may slice straight down or on a diagonal)

2. Stir together above 6 ingredients into a bowl and divide into 2.

3. Spread each slice, on opposite sides, as you put each half loaf back together.

4. Cut foil long enough to put each individual half on it and be able to pull up

each side and roll down and roll each end tightly to freeze half loaves.

5. Take out and leave at room temperature for the day you need it and

bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes OR until golden brown on top.

Whole Wheat Pesto Gnocchi

Watch Chef Debee making Whole Wheat Pesto Gnoochi — Whole Wheat Pesto Gnoochi - Watch YouTube Video

Watch Chef Debee making Whole Wheat Pesto Gnocchi on YouTube

Whole Wheat Pesto Gnocchi

Enjoy these tasty ‘gnocchi’s’ made with fresh basil and a combo of pine nuts and slivered almonds. You can have a high protein, high fiber dinner in under 30 minutes (even less time if you make them ahead and freeze). Truly a quick meal for moms who are always on the go!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 cup organic unbleached white flour
2 cups ricotta cheese (16 oz.)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg
1/3 cup basil pesto

Directions

1. In a large bowl add the ricotta cheese, egg and basil pesto; then start adding the flours.
2. Stir altogether to form dough and remove to your board.
3. Continue to form dough with hands add more flour as needed and then let it rest about 5 minutes.
4. Cut off little pieces and start rolling into long logs onto your lightly floured board.
5. When they are about the diameter of a finger, then take a sharp knife and cut
into 1″ inch pieces.
6. Pick them up loosely, shaking the flour off, and put them onto a cookie sheet.
7. At this time you may drop them into boiling, salted and oiled water, and take
them out gently, with a fenestrated utensil, when they have reached the
top.
8. OR when they are on the cookie sheet, you may flash freeze them for a couple
hours, being sure they are not touching each other, and then put them into an
air tight packing system that works well for you. MAKES 2 pounds

* You can use Cottage Cheese in place of Ricotta Cheese
* For a change, use a Parsley/Garlic and oil Pesto in place of the typical Basil Pesto