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...

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...

I haven't made these cookies in years. I got this recipe from my Mother and remember her making these cookies when I was a little girl! This year my daughter and I decided to make these cookies that are very flaky and tender. I will tell you that the pastry style dough is a little hard to work with but the result is a wonderful cookie that melts in your mouth. I am going to work on this recipe and make some changes to see if I can keep the essence of this cookie but make it more easier to make.  For now I will to share with you the original recipe. 1 lb shortening 12 oz cream cheese 2 egg yolks 4 cups flour milk to seal Nut Filling or Jam 1/2 stick of butter 1 lb ground walnuts 1 cup sugar Cream shortening, cream cheese, egg yolks in a large bowl. Blend in flour.  Refrigerate dough over night. Divide dough in fourths, keeping dough that you are not working with refrigerated until you are ready to use. Roll out dough in 10x sugar to 1/8 inch thick on pastry sheet ...

My family just loves a traditional Pecan Pie. For years I've wanted them to try different flavors like, chocolate and more but no, no, no, they tell me. So I am going to share how I make my traditional Pecan Pie. It's easy and delicious! Traditional Pecan Pie Pie Crust   1-1/4   cups  all-purpose flour   1/4   teaspoon  salt   1/3   cup  shortening   4   - 5 tablespoons  cold water 1. Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. 2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the dough is moistened. Form dough ...

I love these bars cookies, not only are they a hit with family and friends but they are quick and easy to make. Who doesn't love the combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter? If you are not a baker these beauties are a good first cookie to try and I know that you will make them over and over again. Don't wait until Christmas make them for any occasion. I was so happy to have my daughter Mandi to bake these with me! 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar 1 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup butter 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces 1 beaten egg 1 14 ounce can sweeten condensed milk 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter Preheat oven 350F Combine oats, brown sugar, four, baking powder, soda in a very large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in chopped peanuts Combine 1 3/4 cups of crumb mixture with chocolate pieces and set aside. Stir egg into remain mixture: press int a 15 x 10 x 1-inch bakin...