About Anita

London Broil Dinner

Perfect for the Holidays

When turkey no longer gets everyone’s attention try this simple but elegant meal. Portions can be done days ahead. And just think … there’s no crazy clean up! Best of all this is not a budget buster!

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Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Little different from our cheese enchiladas and a quicker prep. Worth a try for those who find enchiladas irresistible. We do! Happy 50th Birthday Stephen!

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Best Turkey Meatloaf I’ve Ever Eaten

For those of you who won’t even try meatloaf, Dan, you’re missing out. Actually, this is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had, beef or turkey! Was it the turkey?! It was the care in preparation … It does count. Absolutely delicious! Thank you Ina Garten and Will!

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Snack-size Maple Cake

Martha’s recipe got me going but I knew looking at her recipe the flavor was tame. It seemed, too, a lot of batter for a nine inch square. So here’s my few changes for an excellent Fall treat!

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Making Thanksgiving simple

If your Thanksgiving dinner has a guest list of 1 or even 4 you’ll appreciate this recipe for it’s ease and delicious results. Maybe you just want a no-fuss Thanksgiving meal more than once a year! The biggest part of your prep here is the stuffing. You can make this simple by using William Sonoma’s stuffing mix. Deliciousness guaranteed! Link here.

Yep, this is a slow cooker meal and my Proctor Silex (3.5 quart) is almost an antique. It’s plenty big for this meal. The secret of this slow cooker is the oval shape. It easily accommodates an uncut 3-4 pound turkey breast. Here it is. You might prefer a newer version. Here’s a new 4 quart version.

I don’t know about you but I find the Thanksgiving meal an easy cook meal. It’s usually the lack of oven space or stovetop burners (plus the clean-up) that make it so arduous. For one person, who wants to go through all that prep and clean-up?! You are worth it! And this is truly simply delicious!!

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Maple Sandwich Cookies

I love this cookie! It’s my new favorite! If you’re into anything maple you’ll love these too. It all started with a sandwich cookie I came across at a speciality store. I loved this store bought sandwich cookie but it seemed to lose flavor in the second or third bite. I began a search for a similar homemade variety and settled on King Arthur’s with a few tweaks. What a perfect cookie for this time of year.

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Pumpkin Chipotle Corn Chowder

Another great Dave Lieberman soup! In case you missed it, it’s Fall. Time to bring out all those soup recipes. Pumpkins are fresh and plentiful … Inspiring the cook to put together this great chowder. My oldest is a Dave Lieberman fan (me too). This is his take on the recipe. Enjoy!

Check out this easy way to prepare the pumpkin needed for the recipe, here.

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Spicy Chickpea Soup

How can this be a Portuguese soup when it’s really a take on Dave Lieberman’s Moroccan recipe? Simple! Many spices and food influences came to Portugal from Northern Africa. To give this recipe more of a Portuguese flare use chicken broth, add an uncooked cubed potato (large) along with other ingredients, and cut back on the chickpeas by 15 ounces. Either way this is an amazingly hearty meatless main dish soup.

Thank you to Will, my oldest, for introducing me to great Dave Lieberman recipes.

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Sunday Dinners are Back

… And this is one of our favorite dishes. Be sure everyone likes cheese … This is not a dish where you can get around it. It’s a favorite of my oldest who put this together. I believe it was requested as a main dish for one of his milestone birthdays. Yes, one of the guests was not a cheese lover but the wine helped save the evening & the apple pie (for her). Crunchy bread, salad and this five cheese mac and cheese is all you need for a delicious dinner.

This recipe is one of Ina Garten’s Family Style, sorta. She gives credit to George Germon & Johanne Killeen, a recipe from their cookbook Cucina Simpatico. We often find we need to do substituting with different comparable cheeses that can be found more easily at our grocer’s. Be sure and take your phone with you when shopping in case you need a quick look up for cheese substitutes.

Enjoy! For my perfect apple pie, here!

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