The Welcome Home Online Blog Cooking Magazine

I just finished the newest issue of the Welcome Home Magazine and I am proud to say it will be published, as scheduled, on February 1st! So what's on the menu this coming month?

Let's start with my delicious Beef Stroganoff.....Oh my!

Toasted Candied Almond Cake ......say what?

Lasagna Roll-Ups.......now that's Italian!

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich .......back to my country roots!

Mushroom Barley Soup......stick to your ribs good!

Homemade Chocolate Cherry Bread.......No Way!

Marie's Chocolate and Almond Jam Cookies.....Hello!

Crab Topped Baked Salmon......You're kidding me!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops......Get out a town!

Jamie's Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars.......Wowza!

Blueberry Walnut Bread .......Just like Mom used to make.

French Dip ........Perfecto!

Waldorf Salad ....... Oh stop!

Creamy Shrimp Corn Chowder .....How can this be?

Shrimp Salad on Buttery Croissant ......Unbelievable!

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes .....Have you lost your mind?

Teriyaki Salmon Loaf ......Can this be real?

Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup ........YES!

Sausage Stuffed Cherry Peppers ......Outrageous!

Blueberry Crumb Cake ......Now we're talkin'

Sugar Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake ...And they lived happily ever after!

And there's more!

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Cheddar Cheese Olive Puffs

I like to plan ahead when I have a fun gathering of friends over for a Super Bowl party and this year Star Fine Foods made it super easy for me with their new Flavor Destinations: Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives. They are delicious! 

Let's face it, half the fun of a Super Bowl party is eating all those snacks and appetizers, right?  But I want to have fun too and so instead of staying in the kitchen all day, I like to make my appetizers ahead of time and freeze them. Then on the big day, I can take them straight from the freezer and pop them into the oven for a quick bake and serve.  

I have made this delicious Super Bowl party appetizer for years and now with these new olives from Star Fine Foods, they are even better!   There's something about a warm puffy, cheesy pastry wrapped around a juicy olive with just a hint of basil and garlic. YUM!  

Cheddar Cheese Olive Puffs

1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt

25 Star Fine Foods Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives

1 egg beaten mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make egg wash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine shredded cheese, butter, flour, and salt. Process until you have a loosely formed, soft ball of dough.

Pinch off enough dough to wrap each olive. Using your hands, form a hollow space in the dough, place olive in the middle, and wrap dough to cover half of olive. Place on an lined baking sheet. 

Brush with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Star Fine Food's new Flavor Destinations: Italian (Garlic and Basil) Marinated Olives are available at Save Mart, Nob Hill, Raley’s and Lucky stores and online at  http://www.starfinefoods.com/our-products/olives/flavor-destinations-italian-garlic-basil-marinated-olives/

So far I've tried Star's new  Hot Pepper Stuffed Olives, the new Lemon Stuffed Olives. the new Flavor Destinations Spanish (Tomato & Peppers) Marinated Olives, and of course the new Flavor Destinations Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives.

And I love them all! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich

Oh my goodness. You're looking at my favorite breakfast.  I could eat these for lunch and dinner too.  I could eat them for brunch. As a snack.  For dessert. For a special occasion or no occasion at all. I could just eat them!  Love this sandwich! 

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich

2 bone-in ribeye pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, whole
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel to absorb all moisture. Generously salt and pepper each side. In a large cast iron skillet or a heavy sauté pan, heat the skillet until it’s extremely hot. Add oil and butter and wait for it to sizzle.

Add the pork chops and then lay the garlic and rosemary around the chops. Make sure they are not crowding each other too much. There should be space between the chops in the pan or the meat will steam and not sear properly. Arrange the chops in the pan with the thickest, boniest parts towards the center of the pan where they get the most heat.

Sear the chops on high for about 2 minutes, watching carefully to get a nice golden color. Then flip on the other side and do the same thing. Turn off the heat. Cast iron holds heat and there will be more than enough heat to finish cooking them.

Next transfer the cast iron pan to the oven and turn down the heat to 300 degrees. I like to slow cook mine on low oven heat for about 30 minutes with the skillet completely covered with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil. Once the temp has reached 145 degrees, remove skillet from oven and transfer chops to a clean plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Then lay pork chop on your favorite bread.

Sunny Side Up Eggs

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter until it just starts to sizzle. Crack your eggs on a flat surface and drop egg gently in hot butter. Add salt and pepper and cover skillet immediately. After about a minute, remove skillet from heat. Leave covered until egg white is cooked, about 3-5 minutes.   Serve one egg on top of each pork chop.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Tri Color Pasta Salad with Lemon Stuffed Olives

Oh my Goodness...I have discovered this new line up of olives from Star Fine Foods recently and they've opened a whole new world of recipe ideas. Like the ones I used for my Tri-Color Pasta salad. I took a classic recipe and brought it to life with Star's new Lemon Stuffed Olives. Oh what a difference. These olives have such a bright essence of citrus and give this salad a fresh and lemony taste that makes it just awesome!  

Tri Color Pasta Salad with 

Lemon Stuffed Olives

3 cups multi-color rotini or fusilli pasta, cooked and drained 
1/2 cup Star Fine Foods Lemon StuffedGreen Olives

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ cup sweet red pepper, chopped or diced

½ cup mozzarella cheese, cubed

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cup Star Fine Food Extra VirginOlive Oil

3 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, and vinegar. Add in the  vinegar, fresh basil, oregano and salt and pepper and sugar and mix until blended. Set aside for about 10 minutes.  

Once the pasta has cooled, add the cheese, red pepper, and olives and gently toss. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently. If you need to add more olive oil to moisten the pasta, add about a teaspoon or two at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Lemon Stuffed Olives are available at Save Mart, Nob Hill, Raley’s and Lucky stores and online at http://bit.ly/LemonStuffedOlives.

So far I've tried Star's new  Hot Pepper Stuff Olives, the new Flavor Destinations Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives, the new Flavor Destinations Spanish (Tomato & Peppers) Marinated Olives, and of course the new Lemon Stuffed Olives.

And I love them all! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

My Italian Wedding Soup

I love this soup and make it often. I love everything about it from the tiny little orzo pasta to the little meatballs and all the other wonderful ingredients. It is hearty and delicious and just gets better each day until it's all gone! 

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Italian Wedding Soup

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Meatballs:

1 small onion, grated

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 large egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

8 ounces ground beef

8 ounces ground pork

Freshly ground black pepper

​

For the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups diced onion

1 cups finely diced carrots

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 quarts chicken broth

3/4 teaspoons of dried oregano

3/4 teaspoons dried basil

10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

2 2/3 cups uncooked orzo, or other small, round pearl shaped pasta

Melt butter and olive oil in large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onions and carrots and saute until onions are tender. Add garlic and continue stirring for two or three more minutes. Then add your chicken broth and the oregano and basil and bring to low boil for about 5 minutes.

Add the frozen spinach to the broth mixture and break it up as it thaws. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 more minutes as it cooks. Gently drop the meatballs into the soup. 

Simmer the soup for 30 minutes or so, then stir in the pasta, cooking till it's al dente. For orzo, this will take about 8 minutes or so. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Photograph is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

The new January issue of Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine is now available

The new January issue of Welcome Home Online Blog Magazine is now available for your viewing pleasure!  These are only some of the newest recipes in this month's issue....

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