Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for November, 2007

If you've recently received an Italian gift basket with pasta and you're not sure what to make of it - here is a simple recipe that makes for a delicious homemade macaroni and cheese!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound noodles, cooked and drained
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pot cheese

Melt the butter in a skillet. Stir in the noodles and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until noodles brown. Remove from heat and add the salt and pot cheese. Mix well. Serves 3-4.

For more pasta ideas, try:

• Noodles and Cabbage
• Stuffed Noodles In Stew
• Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 12 small fresh fish
• 1/4 cup olive oil for frying
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 lemons sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• Flour for dusting

Fry lightly floured fish in ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat. When lightly browned, put in a recipient, preferably one with a flat surface large enough to accommodate the fish. Crush the garlic, saffron, cumin seed, and ginger in a mortar. Stir in the vinegar and water, salt to taste, and cover the fishes with the mixture. Put in half a sliced lemon and two bay leaves. Let it marinate 24 hours before serving. This dish will keep for several days in a cool place.

For the avid fisherman, there are lots of fishing gift baskets available in case you want to hint towards having more fish for dinner.

For more fish recipes, try:

• Fish Kugel -
• Fish Chowder - Sinigang Na Isda
• Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Pungent Fish - Tiem Shun Yu

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. fresh peas
• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 2 sliced onion
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup hot water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shell peas. Heat half of oil in saucepan and cook onion about 5 minutes over slow flame or until soft. Add peas, ½ cup water, salt, and pepper. Simmer; stir. As water is absorbed, gradually add more until peas are tender. This takes about 20 minutes.Cut hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Fry in balance of oil about 2 minutes or until slightly brown. Place peas on hot serving dish and top with eggs. Serve hot.  Serves 4.

Piselli Con Uova #2 - Peas with Eggs #2

• 6 eggs
• 4 tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 canned tomatoes
• 1 canned peas
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large shallow saucepan; add onion; cook about 2 minutes or until soft. Add tomatoes; simmer about 15 minutes. Add peas, salt, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Drop eggs in sauce one at a time. Be careful not to break yolks. Cook slowly about 3 minutes or until eggs are done. This complete meal gift serves 6.

For more egg recipes, try some of the following:

• Egg Salad Sandwiches
• Bacon & Cheese Quiche Brunch Recipe
• Easy Crab Scramble Brunch Recipe

• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup seedless raisins
• 1/3 cup melted butter or fat

Boil the water, salt and rice in a covered saucepan for 10 minutes. Drain. Beat the eggs and brown sugar together until thick. Stir in the rice, raisins and butter or fat. Turn into a greased baking dish or casserole. Bake in a 350 degree oven 40 minutes or until brown. Serves 6.

Rice is always a great ingredient in complete meal gifts. It stays fresh and goes great with a lot of different things.

Try these recipes for more rice ideas:

• Rice Fritters
• Fried Rice - Nasi Goreng
• Arancini Di Ricotta - Stuffed Rice Croquettes
• Fried Rice - Tori Hohan

• 2 cups corn meal
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 2 tbs. chopped parsley
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1 canned plum tomatoes
• 2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place water in top part of large double broiler and boil. As water bubbles rapidly, add salt. Gradually pour corn meal into water, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Place boiling water in lower part of double boiler which contains corn meal mixture. Cook slowly for 1 hour; stir frequently to insure creamy consistency. Cut sausage into small serving pieces; fry in hot oil for 15 minutes. Add all ingredients except cheese; cover; cook over low flame about 1 hour. To serve, spread half of sauce. Place balance of corn meal on top; pour balance of sauce over this. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve very hot. Serves 6 to 8.

Don't forget to prepare some gourmet desserts for after dinner!

For more sausage recipes, try:

• Overnight Sausage Egg Bake
• Sausage And Apple Stuffing Recipe