Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

This recipe for Stracciatella is an old family recipe that my grandmother passed down to my mother and my mother to me. Every Italian family has their own way of making Stracciatella, some families use eggs, cheese and pasta, some families use only eggs and cheese, our family uses spinach, eggs, cheese and chicken. I love this wonderful soup that is a meal  with a salad and a beautiful loaf of bread. I have included my mothers recipe for Chicken stock or you can substitute low fat chicken broth.(chicken stock isn't that hard to make!) If you use chicken broth use 4 quarts. And I love chicken in the soup so just add 3 cups of cooked chicken. Stracciatella Chicken Stock 1  4 1/2 lb 5 lb whole chicken 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths 2 carrots, quartered 2 medium onions, halved 6 fresh parsley stems(without leaves) 1 Turkish bay leaf 8 black peppercorns 3-4 qt cold water, enough to cover the chicken 1 1/2 tsp salt Wash chicken well. My mother always put a ta

I wanted to make a "meat" sauce that tasted wonderful but didn't use red meat to cut down on fat and calories. I used ground turkey and turkey sausage to make this flavorful sauce. And the sauce is EASY to make! 1/2 lb. Italian chicken sausage, remove casings 1/2 lb. ground turkey 1 cup chopped onion(1 large) 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (1 medium) 1/2 cup chopped green pepper(1 small) 1/4 cup chopped celery 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1/2 cup dry red wine or chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup park skim ricotta 1/4 cup fresh basil 2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground turkey, carrot, sweet pepper, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is good and onion is tender, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain off fat.(using lean turkey you don't have much fat) Stir in tomatoes, tomato p

What to do when you have very ripe bananas and can't eat them all, make banana-nut bread. Quick loaf breads,(they call them quick because they are fast to make) are wonderful. Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, pour into a loaf pan and bake. 2 2/3 cup sifted flour 3 tsp baking power 1 tsp salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 2 medium size ripe bananas, peeled and mashed ( about 1 cup) 3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 2 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, line the bottom with wax paper; grease paper. 2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into medium bowl. 3. In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fluffy again. 4. Stir in flour mixture, alternately with mashed bananas; fold in pecans, orange rind and cranberries. Pour into loaf pan. 5. Bake 325 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes*, or until golden, and a wooden pick inserted i

I made this dish, Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, for Christmas and everyone loved this wonderful combination of vegetables with a tasty vinaigrette. The dish is easy to prepare and a delicious addition to a holiday meal or dinner.  Sorry I forgot to take a picture! Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts with White Balsamic Vinaigrette 2 medium heads cauliflower  cut into florets 1 1/2 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar ( I like Trader Joe's) 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme Preheat over to 450. Rinse Brussels sprouts and removed any discolored leaves. Trim ends; cut in half lengthwise. Combine sprouts, cauliflower, olive oil and sugar in large roasting pan: toss to coat. Spread into 1 layer. roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are