Ingredients

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. Line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate and peanut butter. Microwave, until almost melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, place semisweet chocolate in another microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring once or twice, until almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Dividing evenly, use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut-butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate; sprinkle with peanuts.
5. Place muffin pans in freezer until peanut butter cups are firm, about 15 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 24.

print recipe

Ingredients

6 medium baking potatoes (2 pounds)
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
2/3 cup finely chopped red or green sweet pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1 cup shredded processed Gruyere cheese or shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

Directions

1. For potato skins, prick baking potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425ºF oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. Cut into quarters.
2. Scoop out the insides (reserve for another use), leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Brush both sides of potato skins with melted margarine or butter. Place cut side up on a large baking sheet. Bake in a 425ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp.
3. Meanwhile, for topping, in a medium saucepan cook the red or green sweet pepper, onion, pecans, and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender but not brown. Remove saucepan from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives. Spoon onto potato skins.
4. Return to oven and bake about 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Makes 24.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 171, Total Fat (g) 11, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 12, Sodium (mg) 115, Carbohydrate (g) 15, Protein (g) 5

print recipe

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Adjust oven racks to highest and middle positions. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pierce each potato 8 times with a fork. Place directly on middle oven rack, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
2. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and use a small spoon to scoop out insides, leaving about 1/4-inch shell all around. Reserve insides for another use. Slice each potato shell in half again lengthwise to make 16 wedges, and place them on a baking sheet.
3. Combine oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and brush on all sides of potato wedges. Bake on highest rack until crisp and edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Serves 4.

print recipe

Ingredients

20 strips bacon (about 12 ounces)
20 medium-large shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Soak 5 to 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 20 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill or under the broiler.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until halfway done, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool on paper towels.
3. Wrap a piece of bacon around the middle of each shrimp; skewer with bamboo through the point where the bacon ends meet to keep it from unraveling. Thread 3 to 5 shrimp on each bamboo skewer.
4. Puree the barbecue sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, chipotles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a blender. Set aside half of the sauce for dipping.
5. Preheat a grill, grill pan or broiler. Grill or broil shrimp (on a foil-lined baking sheet, if broiling) for 5 minutes, basting with the sauce once they begin to turn pink. Flip, baste again and grill or broil until just cooked through, about 4 more minutes. Serve with extra sauce.

Serves 6.

print recipe

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound diced pancetta
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
4 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum San Marzano tomatoes
Meatballs:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, 1/4-inch dice
Salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
spaghetti, for serving

Directions

1. Make the sauce: Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. Alternately, puree the tomatoes, in batches, in a food processor until smooth.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt.
5. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
6. Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
7. In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water squish to combine. The mixture should be quite wet.
8. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Shape the meat into desired size. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
11. Add them to the big pot of marinara sauce. To serve, toss spaghetti with pasta and scoop meatballs (along with more sauce) over the top.

Makes 18-20 meatballs and 2 quarts of sauce.

print recipe