Easy Sunday Get-together Meals
Table of Contents Appetizer ........................................................................................... 1-5 Greek Salad ............................................................................................ 2 Caeser Salad .......................................................................................... 3 Garlic Bread ........................................................................................... 4 Spinach Dip ............................................................................................ 5 Dinner ............................................................................................... 6-10 Spaghetti Carbonara ............................................................................. 7 Baked Feta Pasta ................................................................................... 8 Mancusi Sunday Sauce ......................................................................... 9 Spicy Penne Alla Vodka ....................................................................... 10 Dessert ............................................................................................. 11-15 Pistachio Biscotti .................................................................................. 12 Chocolate Lava Cake ............................................................................ 13 Rice Pudding ......................................................................................... 14 No-Bake Cheescake ............................................................................. 15
Appetizers
1
Greek Salad
From the kitchen of: Food Network
Ingredients
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 red bell pepper, large-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted
For the Vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Directions
1. Place the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and red onion in a large bowl.
2. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables.
4. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
2
Caesar Salad
From the kitchen of: Annalise
Ingredients
Croutons
3 cups torn bread cubes
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Heavy pinch of salt
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic , minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovey paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
1 head romaine lettuce , washed and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
Dressing
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese , grated, shaved or shredded
Croutons
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Drizzle bread cubes with enough olive oil so they are all very lightly coated. Toss and add salt.
3. Spread out onto a sheet pan and bake until edges turn brown, 7-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn, stir and toss them as needed.
4. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad. Can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
5. Whisk together all ingredients.
6. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Can be made at least 1 week in advance.
7. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves (or to your preference). You may not need all of the dressing.
8. Add half of the croutons and Parmesan cheese and toss again.
9. Top with remaining croutons and cheese and serve immediately.
3
Garlic Bread
From the kitchen of: Heidi
Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or presser
½ cup salted butter, softened
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf Italian or French bread
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the pressed garlic with the softened butter, olive oil, grated Parmesan, parsley, and kosher salt until smooth.
3. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and spread each cut side with the garlic butter. Place the two piece on a baking sheet or directly on an oven rack, cut side up, and bake until toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 2-inch pieces, and serve warm.
4
Spinach Dip
From the kitchen of: Gigi Gerosa
Ingredients
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach
1 small onion, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Loaf of unsliced pumpernickel bread
Directions
1. Defrost and drain spinach in colander.
2. Squeeze out excess water and place in bowl.
3. Add chopped parsley, chopped onion, salt and pepper.
4. Stir, adding mayo, a little at a time.
5. Cover tightly and let sit in refrigerator a few hours or overnight
6. Slice the top off a loaf of pumpernickel bread. Pull out inside and cube removed bread.
7. Fill shell with dip and surround with cubed bread for dipping. (use top as a lid, or cut it up and serve with cubes.)
5
Dinner
6
Spaghetti Carbonara
From the kitchen of: Samantha Barca
Ingredients
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces dried spaghetti
Sea salt
4 ounces of pancetta
1 large garlic clove, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling.
2. Generously season water with salt.
3. Add pasta and stir immediately to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente about 9 to 11 minutes.
4. Reserve about a cup of pasta water and drain pasta through a colander.
6. In small bowl, whisk together cream, cheese, eggs and parsley.
5. In a large skillet over medium heat, add pancetta and cook until fat has been rendered and pancetta in golden brown and crispy, for 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
7. Add cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat with pancetta and garlic.
8. Turn off heat under skillet and evenly poor egg mixture over the pasta.
9. Working quickly, use tongs to toss and evenly coat the pasta with sauce.
10. If the pasta looks dry, add just enough of the reserved pasta water until you have achieved well-coated pasta.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
12. Transfer pasta to a serving platter and top with extra parmesan.
7
Baked Feta Pasta
From the kitchen of: Amanda Neal
Ingredients
2 pints (20 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 8-ounce block feta cheese, drained
10 ounces mezze rigatoni
1 clove garlic, finely grated
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl until combined
3. Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, place the feta in the center of the tomatoes and season with a pinch of black pepper
4. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes.
5. Raise the heat to 450 degrees F and continue to cook until the tomatoes and feta aregolden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes
7. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then thoroughly drain the pasta
8. As soon as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using)
9. Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth and creamy sauce
10. Add the pasta and half the basil and toss until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper
12. Serve topped with the remaining basil and a pinch of sea salt
8
Mancusi Sunday Sauce
From the kitchen of: Catherine Mancusi
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion chopped fine
3 28oz cans of Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
10oz of water
1 tablespoon of oregano
2 large bay leaves
1 1/4 tablespoon of Salt
1 table spoon of pepper
2lbs of cubed chuck steak (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder)
2lbs of pork ribs (seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
Meatballs
2lbs of cooked spaghetti
Directions
1. In a large wide pot, add olive oil and onions season with Salt and Pepper.
2. Sauté until translucent with medium heat.
3. Add pork ribs and chuck steak and brown all meat.
4. Add cans of crushed tomatoes, Salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and water.
5. Stir in all spices and water until it is incorporated.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Place uncooked meatballs in the pot
8. Continue to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
9. Stir and bring down heat to a simmer.
10. Simmer for 3 hours stirring occasional.
11. Server over spaghetti
9
Spicy Penne Alla Vodka
From the kitchen of: Ava Dankenbrink
Ingredients
8 ounces of fresh rigatoni pasta
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic, diced
¼ yellow onion, diced
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon vodka
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Boil a large pot of water and add rigatoni pasta. Cook according to package directions. (Reserve one cup of the pasta water before draining)
2. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and heat the stove at medium heat. When the oil is hot, add garlic and onion to the pan. Cook until soft.
3. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for a few minutes until it darkens in color.
4. Pour the vodka into the pan and cook until the alcohol has a chance to burn off.
5. dd in heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and finally season with salt and pepper to complete the sauce.
6. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, and butter into the sauce. Stir until all the pasta is nicely coated.
7. Add parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
10
Dessert
11
Pistachio Biscotti
From the kitchen of: Catherine Mancusi
Ingredients
1 ½ cups of pistachios
1 stick unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 ½ cups of all-purpose flower
1 teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Lay the pistachios of a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly roasted.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy.
3. With the mixer running gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mixed until creamed.
4. Add the flower, baking powder, and salt.
5. Mix the dough until smooth. Use a wooden spoon, to mix in the pistachios until evenly mixed.
6. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half.
7. Roll each half into a log, each 12” long and 1” high.
8. Place logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and back for 35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown.
9. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board.
10. Slice each log on a diagonal into 12” 1” thick pieces.
11. Put the cookies back on the sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
12. Turn the cookies over and back the other side for another 5 minutes.
13. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes.
14. Melt the chocolate chips and pour it in a large bowl.
15. When finish cooling, dip the bottom of the biscotti in the chocolate.
16. When chocolate sets, store cookies in an airtight container.
12
Chocolate Lava Cake
From the kitchen of: Food Network
Ingredients
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz butter
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Instant coffee or espresso powder optional
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter and dust 5 (4 oz) ramekins with cocoa powder or sugar; set aside.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter in 30-second increments.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the melted chocolate along with the flour, vanilla, and instant coffee if desired.
4. Divide batter into ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away from the ramekins but the center is still jiggly.
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with ice cream.
13
Rice Pudding
From the kitchen of: Barbara
Ingredients
1 cup Carolina rice
1/2 gallon of whole milk
8 ounces of sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp of vanilla extract
1 pint of half & half
Cinnamon (optional)
Directions
Yapchanyk
1. In a pot, bring the rice, milk, and sugar to a boil. Then, lower heat to a simmer.
2. Slowly stir the pot in intervals for 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, beat 3 eggs and add vanilla and half & half into the pot.
4. Slowly bring to another boil, then simmer once more for a few minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and finally let the rice pudding cool.
6. After cooles, sprinkle cinnamon on top of the rice pudding. (optional)
14
No Bake Cheesecake
From the kitchen of: Katie Bandurski
Ingredients
Crust
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
Filling
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Topping
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
1. To prepare the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Gently stir in the melted butter and mix until combined. Press the mixture onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
2. For the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add the cream, then continue beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared crust, then refrigerate the cheesecake, covered, for 8 hours or overnight.
4. About half an hour before you plan to serve the cheesecake, remove it from the fridge. Then, gently toss the berries with sugar and let stand for 15-30 minutes. Give the berry juices a little bit of time to release.
5. To serve, uwse a knife to loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the springform, then release the latch and remove the rim. Slice into pieces and serve cheesecake with topping.
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Written by: Emilia Mancusi
