I have finally left Italy and am heading toward Mexico! I really enjoyed my stay in old Italy, and plan to revisit very soon, but time to back away from the pasta and red sauce and embrace a new land! So today we have Chiles Rellenos Casserole. An ‘easy on the cook’ version of a very…
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Spinach, Feta, Bacon and Mandarin Orange Salad
I am twirling, I am skipping, I am dancing and singing and why? Because I love, love, love, my new camera! I bought a Canon Rebel T21 Kit with two lenses (the large lense is still in the box…someday, sighhhhh). I can hardly figure out how to take a picture with my new camera, but the pictures…
Artichoke, Gorgonzola and Chive Tarts
My mom is an amazing cook…I know, everyone says that about their mom, but my mom can beat up your mom! She has a remarkable ability to pick out recipes that might go unnoticed by others. She throws lavish parties with tables full of Paella or some other exotic dish. She spends hours in the kitchen perfecting a…
English Muffin Bread
This Easy to make English Muffin Bread is everything you love about English Muffins in one perfect loaf! This may be the easiest homemade bread recipe you have ever tried! No proofing of the yeast, no lengthy double rise, no kneading! You simply combine everything in one bowl and spread it in a loaf…
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Maybe I should change the name of my blog to risataspotola.com? That’s laughingspatula.com in Italian! (that google translator feature really works! 🙂 This sauce was so rich and flavorful. With only a few ingredients and your trusty slow cooker you can make a big old batch of some of the most tasty Bolognese I…
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake – Lightened Up!
Still trying to use the plethora of lemons I have! Thought thowing one in a cake would be good idea. This lightened up version of a dense pound cake is based on a recipe I have been making for years from Cooking Light Magazine in 2005. The low fat cream cheese and yogurt are a great substitute…
Outrageous Chocolate Cookies!
These are the hubby’s favorite cookies ever! Fist pumping chocolaty goodness and of course, easy to prepare. These can be a bit sticky to get off the pan, if you have parchment paper or a silicone baking liner hanging around, use them! If not, make sure you give a good solid spray of non stick. Do…
Pita Bread – Syrian Style
My Mom and Dad were awesome cooks when I was growing up…we even had a small restaurant for a few years. My Dad liked to cook things that took a lot of time… recipes that almost had an element of science to it. Bread fit the bill perfectly. My Dad, being the kinda guy that…
Sweet Sexy Dinner Rolls – One Rise!
I posted this recipe several months ago and I knew I liked the recipe, but something about it was so average. I wasn’t jumping on the bed yelling “I love me some buns!” and really, that’s what you should be doing when you find good bread. You guys do that don’t you? I mean jump on the…
Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Here I go…gettin’ all Italian again! But what is the best thing you can do with homemade Ricotta but make Lasagna? What was a girl to do? I’ve wanted to try these rolls for some time in lieu of a standard pan Lasagna and they didn’t dissapoint. They would be really great to serve at a…
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
I made this again…I just had to see if it was as good the second time…and girlfriend…mmmmmm,mmmmm,mmmmm. I truly don’t think this recipe got the attention it deserved the first time, so I am reposting, hoping you will give this a try. If you can heat up milk, you can make homemade ricotta cheese and if…
Cinnamon Apple Cake
As my friend said to me yesterday…’ For me, food and weight are associated with quantity…you should eat the things you love in moderation’. That was all I needed to hear to break out the cake pans! Jeeze, I’m so easy. The good news is that this is a lightened up version. It was adapted from Cooking Light…
Slow Cooker Pork Posole
Must be winter in Seattle! Everything I post latley is hot and in a bowl! Posole is a hearty stew from Mexico. Traditional accompaniments include chopped lettuce, cilantro and lime, but a dolop of sour cream would’nt hurt either. An unusual ingredient in this dish is hominy. Hominy is corn that has been processed to remove the…
Stewfato (Chicken Stew)
A simple to prepare Italian chicken stew with a middle eastern flare…huh? Italian and mid-eastern? Crazy Kathi has lost her foodie mind! I’m not sure how they both work, but they just do! Stewfato is an Italian name but the couscous, a slap of cinnamon and some crumbled feta are definitely mid eastern! Just take…
Roasted Carrot ‘Fries’
These are so simple, I debated whether I should post them or not…but when I shared this recipe with my fellow Weight Watcher buddies they thought it was a great snack. Dip in Dijon and you still have zero points. Zero points my friends….zero points. Ahhhhh! Preheat oven to 400 degrees Peel carrots. Slice into julienne…
