Sardine Pasta - Good for you, easy and really cheap.

Boil 1/2 pound pasta (any shape though I like the littlest) in salt, drain. Saute a couple onions, 3 or 4 tomatoes or canned tomatoes, some thyme, in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and, if you are brave, put in some anchovies and capers. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake 400F for 20-25 min. Sprinkle with a couple cans of drained, packed in oil, sardines and bake 5 min more. Serve with a very crispy green salad without dressing but with some cheese like feta and serve a sweet chocolate mousse for dessert.

Nancy

This was amazing. Used Portuguese Chourico sausage instead of Chorizo.

Portuguese Chicken with Chorizo and Clams

courtesy Chuck Hughes (Cooking Channel)

Ingredients:
2 red peppers, halved and seeded
4 chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon paprika
1 pound/450g chorizo, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 medium-size onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
15 to 20 clams
2 kale leaves, chopped with stems julienned
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Olive oil, for drizzling and garnish

Serving suggestion: Crusty Portuguese bread.

Directions
Heat the oven to broil and place the red peppers, skin-side up on a baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes or until all the skin is blackened.

Remove the red peppers from the oven and place them in an airtight container or bowl covered in plastic wrap to sweat and cool for 5 minutes. Cook's Note: The skin will then be easy to peel off.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees

Meanwhile, place the chicken in a bowl and add the smoked paprika, paprika, chorizo, salt, pepper and mix well.In a pan, heat the canola oil on high heat. Add the chicken and fry until crispy on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chorizo and do the same for another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and onions and stir.

Slice the skinless, roasted red peppers into long strips and add to the pan, along with all the juices. Place the smashed garlic on top of the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fork tender. Remove from oven. Add the clams and kale. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove and plate, garnishing with fresh parsley, chives, a drizzle of olive oil and some crusty (Portuguese) bread on the side

Cook's Note: Chorizo can be replaced by bacon cut in pieces. Kale can be replaced by baby spinach.

Number Of Servings:4

Here is a link that might be useful: Portuguese Chicken with Chorizo and Clams

These cookies are excellent and very easy to make. They taste like Spritz cookies and are low carb and gluten free. This was my first time using Truvia which worked out well. My cookies didn't spread out like the picture at the website, but that wasn't necessarily bad. I packed the almond flour into the measuring cup, used a cookie scoop, and baked at 325F convection (no oven temp given). Little brown-flecked moist mounds of delight, even without the frosting which I didn't make. I will definitely be making these again. Hmmm, I wonder if they freeze well?

Frosted Ricotta Almond Cookies (sugarfreelowcarbrecipes)
Makes 48 cookies (Net carbs per cookie: 1 g)
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar substitute (I used 1/4 cup bulk Truvia in the little green jar)
1 egg
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Icing
2 tablespoons almond milk
1/2 cup powdered erythritol
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sweetener, eggs, ricotta cheese, and extracts. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry flour mix into the creamed mixture until dough forms. Drop onto Silpat lined baking sheet using a cookie dough scoop. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned. Place cookies on racks to cool.
Stir almond milk, powdered erythritol, and almond extract until smooth. Brush or drizzle over cookies to frost. Store cookies in the refrigerator.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frosted Ricotta Almond Cookies

Made pork ragu today. It is wonderful! Here are the changes I made
- used boneless pork shoulder ribs because a pork butt is too big for me and DH;
- forgot to add the sugar;
- did not add the pepper flakes (we don't like things too spicy);
- There is no fresh oregano available, so I used dried;
- Instead of semolina gnocchi, I made grits with a combination of chicken broth and milk for the liquid, then added swiss cheese and parm when the grits were done. I have no idea how much cheese I added...just eyeballed it and tasted as I went.

This is a keeper. If you like braised meats, I think you will like this.

Pork Ragu with Semolina Gnocchi
Serves 8

For the pork ragu
Canola oil
4 pound bone-in pork shoulder (approximately), trimmed of excess fat
2 - 3 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice
1 cup chicken stock
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
Parmesan cheese, to serve

For the semolina gnocchi
4 cups whole milk
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
3 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat a few glugs of canola oil over high heat. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until golden brown. Remove it from the Dutch oven and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon and let some of the fat render, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and translucent, another 5 - 7 minutes. Toss in garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cider vinegar and reduce by half, turning up the heat if necessary (you want some good bubbling action here).

Meanwhile, use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the tomatoes into large chunks while still in the can. Add the tomatoes with juices and chicken stock to the Dutch oven. Nestle the pork into the sauce and season generously with salt, pepper, a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook for approximately 3 hours, turning the pork once, until the meat easily falls apart with a fork. Remove the pork to a large cutting board while still fairly hot. Stir the minced oregano into the sauce.

Remove excess fat, discard the bone, and carefully shred the meat; it is harder to "pull" once it has cooled. (I either wear heavy-duty rubber gloves on my hands or use my new "bear paws," but two large forks would work, too.) Place the shredded pork back into the Dutch oven and toss with its sauce. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate overnight. The sauce will naturally thicken (and the fat will congeal) as it cools, allowing all of the flavors to marry.

To serve the ragu, reheat on medium-low until warm, adding additional chicken stock or water if you want a less thick ragu. Adjust seasoning, if desired. (I usually add some more chili flakes and another splash of cider vinegar.) Serve with warm semolina gnocchi, although this would also be delicious over Parmesan grits or pappardelle.

For the semolina gnocchi, heat the milk in a heavy pan until a ring of bubbles form around the edges. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir the semolina flour into the pot. Continue stirring constantly and firmly (there will be a bit of resistance) for 15 - 20 minutes, making sure to clear the bottom and edges of the pan. The mixture will be very dense and should pull cleanly away from the sides of the pot.

Remove the gnocchi from the heat and let cool for a minute. Stir in the 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, then the yolks (with vigor so the eggs don't scramble) and salt. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 ° and place rack in the uppermost position. Use a small spring-form ice cream scoop to shape even-sized balls of gnocchi and place on a greased baking sheet or dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes, until the Parmesan begins to turn light golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Arrange gnocchi in the bottom of pasta/serving bowls, ladle ragu over top, and serve warm. Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and grated Parmesan, if desired.

Nealey Dozier

Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchn Pork Ragu with Semolina Gnocchi

I made a recipe that has been in my "to try" file since I clipped it out of BH&G in 2007. Onion Pudding. It was just okay. Flavor was allright, texture, not so much. It would need a fair amount of tweaking to get it into the "keeper" category. I don't think I am going to expend the effort.

Too bad, because it is made in ramekins....Linda C would have been happy! LOL

Linda

This appetizer disappeared when last I made it. I sort of cribbed it from Sortun's 'Spice'. I adjust the spices to taste. This isn't 'hot', more flavor/tangy.

Syrian wraps (got a better name?)

Lavash
1 lb cream cheese or feta
1 jar roasted red peppers, 12 oz, drained
1 tbsp Aleppo pepper
1 tbsp Urfa chili pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup good olive oil

Toss into a food processor, process until all ingredients are mixed well, spread on lavash or serve with crackers.

I refrigerated mine for a bit so it would 'set' and after I rolled it, used an electric knife to slice into pin wheels.

This turned out great. I doubled the recipe and was short two cans of black beans so I subbed Cannellini beans. It's very filling, so a little goes a long way.

Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado
Serves 4

3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipotle plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice

Put one-third of the beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 min. Add the beef, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften, about 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the beef to the pot and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and remaining cilantro.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Cooking - Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado