Fresh Berry Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Servings: 12

Fresh strawberries (or other crushed berries) and mini-marshmallows create a delicious topping for light, yellow cake.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped or crushed fresh strawberries, or variety of mixed crushed berries
1 pkg strawberry or raspberry flavored Jello gelatin (6 ounce)
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 box yellow cake mix (18 ounce), batter prepared as directed on box

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Spread crushed strawberries, or a variety of mixed berries to your taste, on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle dry gelatin mix evenly over berries, and top with mini marshmallows.

Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, and pour batter on top of the marshmallow layer. Bake in preheated oven about 40 – 50 minutes until batter is set (toothpick inserted into center comes out clean). Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. To serve, run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, and flip cake a serving tray. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

*Variation: use crushed pineapple instead of berries and add a layer of crushed pecans on top of marshmallows.

* Variation:  Use chocolate cake mix with crushed raspberries and chocolate sauce for a rich elegant twist.

Fresh Berry Upside-Down Cake is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

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One Touch Perfect Espresso: illy is the best is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

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Grow Fresh Herbs and Vegetables at Home is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

30 Minute Wasabi Baked Halibut

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 lb halibut, cod or hake fillet, cut in 4 equal pieces
1/3 cup wasabi mayonnaise
1/3 cup cornflake crumbs
1 tsp black pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
2. Arrange fish pieces on foil leaving about an inch of space in between. Spread tops of fish with mayonnaise and sprinkle with cornflake crumbs.
3. Bake 15 minutes or until fish is opaque at center and the crumbs begin to just brown.
Let fish rest for about 5 minutes and serve with lemon or lime wedges.
A side of black bean and corn salsa or a creamy risotto go perfectly with this dish.

Alternate Ideas:

Stir in 1/3 cup chopped cilantro with the mayonnaise and garnish with little chopped onion and lime.

Approximate Nutrition Information:
Yields 4 servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories – 290
Total Fat – 10g
Saturated Fat – 2g
Cholesterol – 68mg
Sodium – 360mg
Total Carbohydrates – 11g
Dietary Fiber -NA
Protein – 36g

30 Minute Wasabi Baked Halibut

30 Minute Wasabi Baked Halibut is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

Food Coupons and Restaurant Coupons is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

Basic Knife Skills: How to Chop Vegetables is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

Spaghetti and Meatballs

My recipe for meatballs calls for ground chuck, which is less expensive ($2.99/lb at Whole Foods for natural meat) than leaner ground meat such as ground sirloin ($5.99/lb). A chef’s trick is to use fattier meat like chuck and round to really pack in the flavor while being easy on the budget. There is only a slight difference in calories and fat after cooking. Opt for meat that is marked “natural” (or organic if you can afford it) to get the best flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:
1 pound ground chuck or ground round
cup dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:
1 jar 365 brand hearty vegetable marinara sauce
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (optional for a spicy sauce)

DIRECTIONS:
To make meatballs: Combine in a bowl ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, egg, garlic, onions, salt, parsley and pepper; mix well. Without packing the meat very tight, roll into 1 inch balls and set aside. 1 pound of meat mixture should make about 8 medium meatballs.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; add meatballs and cook gently so they stay whole and are lightly browned.

To make the sauce:
In a large pot, sauté onions, celery and garlic until vegetables are soft and onions are clear. Add to this, pepper flakes, cayenne, parsley and basil – cook for about one minute. Add jar of marinara and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally. Gently add meatballs to the sauce and simmer on low another 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve over your choice of hot fresh pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or ¼ c. olive oil
2 medium onions (yellow or white), chopped
5 green onions, chopped (reserve one for garnish)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 jalapeño chili, finely chopped with seeds
1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoon dried parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound andouille sausage or hot Italian sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces
3/4 pound chicken, cut or broken into 1 inch pieces
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
1 16-ounce can plum tomatoes, diced, with liquid
3 cups long-grain rice

Melt butter (or heat oil) in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, 4 green onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, jalapeño, Creole Seasoning, cayenne pepper, parsley and oregano. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender and onions are clear, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Gently stir in tomato paste. Add sausage, chicken, tomatoes, broth, rice and bay leaves. Bring mixture to simmer and stir once from the bottom to blend. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Garnish with remaining green onion and a sliced lime to serve. This recipe serves 10 and can easily be cut in half.

Madeline’s tips and notes: It’s very easy to play around with the seasoning in this recipe. Add less cayenne pepper for a milder taste or add Tabasco sauce for an even bigger kick.  Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list — jambalaya is a  simple “one pot” meal — once the chopping is done all you do is throw everything in the pot. You can also skip the tomatoes altogether for the “traditional brown version” of the dish. Try a variety of garnishes like cilantro, lime, chopped red onion – you name it, it will taste good on jambalaya. A salad and French bread really complete the meal Louisiana style.

Madeline’s New Orleans Jambalaya Recipe is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..

Recipe of the day is a post from: Madelines Restaurant :::..