WONTON PIZZA BITES

My husband is tall and thin and can eat anything he wants. Myself, I have to watch everything I put in my mouth. Last night I had made the LEMONY PASTA SALAD that I posted in my blog yesterday, and I needed something to go with that, so I looked through my recipe books and found these crispy little pizzas that sounded super easy and carried a bonus of containing only 4 ingredients.

12 wonton wrappers
cooking spray
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
12 slices of pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place wontons on baking sheet, do not allow them to touch, and spray each one with more cooking spray. Combine the cheese and seasoning and top each wonton with equal amounts of the cheese. Put a slice of pepperoni on top of each one. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is golden and the wontons are crispy. If you really want to wake up your taste buds shake some Frank's Red Hot Sauce over your wonton....that should flip your trigger!

" I love these and I could eat them every single night."~My husband...Larry Forbes

FRESH LEMONY PASTA SALAD

Food blogging is a passion to me, one that is near and dear to my heart because I love food. Every thing about it....this salad combines the juiciness of the tomato, the creaminess of the avocado, the twang of the fresh mozzarella, the sultry taste of the corn and the spiciness of the fresh basil. Top that all off with an olive oil, fresh lemon juice and white vinegar vinaigrette. You will be so happy that you did.....just trust me.....

16 oz. farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped
8 oz. pkg. fresh mozzarella, chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 to 3 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
1 (12 oz.) can white kernel corn, drained, sauteed in 1 Tbsp. butter to a golden brown color
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring everything together with a slow hand. Whisk together remaining ingredients in small bowl, pour over pasta. Mix well for all the flavors to combine.

Stick it in the refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. Enjoy all the flavors that will mingle and marry across your tongue! 
Serves 8

"I never met a lemony pasta salad that I did not like!~Adele Forbes

COOKS NOTE: I have taken to whole wheat pasta like a dog with a bone, but this was what I had so you know I had to use it. 

Max & Jeb

OVEN-BAKED FRENCH ONION SOUP

"The best kind of onion soup is the simplest kind."~Ambrose Bierce

French onion soup is gastronomic heaven to me. Next to my homemade potato soup, I think it is one of the best and most nourishing soups on the entire planet. I made this last night for our dinner and it was all that we needed and more. 

I could write a song about it....it would be entitled, "My tongue is slapping my brains out." If I only had a brain. 

1/2 stick real butter
6 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons brandy
6 slices French bread-toasted
6 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup or more of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large stockpot. Add onions and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, scraping up the browned bits as you go. Add flour, blend well. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy.

Turn your oven on to broil. Place 6 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Top each with the French bread slices. Place Swiss or Gruyere cheese slice over bread then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Slide under the broiler with the oven door slightly opened. Watch carefully so that the cheese does not burn, you just want it to turn a nice golden color. And do please enjoy every single bite of it!

"I never met a French Onion Soup that I did not fall in love with from the very first bite."~Adele Forbes

GOLDEN CAKE-LIKE CRUST CHICKEN PIE

Do you love chicken pot pie? If so, then this recipe is a must try. Just trust me! It's simple...yet divine. 

In a Pam sprayed 9X12-inch baking dish (or similar size) place 2 1/2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken. 

Whisk together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese until nice and smooth. 

 Over top of the chicken place 1 1/2 cups of frozen thawed peas and carrots. Top this with the soup mixture.

Now whisk together 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour with 1 stick melted butter and 1 cup buttermilk; place batter evenly over the top of the pie.

Take note now of how ultra creamy the batter is. Uh-la-la..

Now place the pie in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is a nice golden brown.

"I never met a Chicken Pot Pie that I didn't like....but this one....I love."~Adele Forbes

MEET MAX..A MOST VERY SPECIAL BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG and HIS SIDEKICK...JEB

Meet Max....our newest canine addition to the Forbes family....he just turned 4 months old and he is highly entertaining to say the least. He is a most handsome Bernese Mountain Dog and that white spot over his right eye is a 'pump knot' from running into something that didn't give back when he was playing with our 6 year old Lab...Jeb. Yes, there were vet bills involved, seems never ending in Carey's Flat.

This is our first Bernie and we drove all the way to Western Kentucky to get him....it was love at first sight....more like a panting actually....he grew on us hard and fast. He loves Jeb, and Max is Jeb's baby....make no mistake about it! Pull up in our front yard...you are going to be greeted.

Max is growing in leaps and bounds right before our very eyes...everyone who sees him loves him...what's not to love? He possesses all the Bernese Mountain Dog qualities...faithful to just one (yes of course it is his own sex) is what I would say....but he loves his Mama too...just he and I went for a lovely walk by ourselves this evening around the little pond and he never ran back to the house to look for his own sex...not even once...he stayed with me every step of the way and Yes he made my soul stir...

My Mama Joe would say..."You are on a journey. Never look back. Embrace every step. Give and you shall receive."

4 moths old..fresh as a daisy..in love with us as much as we are with him..intelligence is his greatest asset. May our small little pea sized brains in some way compare to his own.

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."~Gene Hill

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AN AVOCADO WELL-STUFFED

If you know me, you know that I cook. Boy oh boy, do I ever! I consider cooking to be not only my passion but my gift. Not everyone is lucky enough to know what their gift is. I have cooked for many different families through the years and each one has brought something 'to the table', so to say, that has helped to broaden my horizons. 

"Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements."~Marcel Boulestin, from "Petits et grands plats"

Last night I did a dinner party for the family that I work full time for (actually that would be 5 months out of the year), and it was the lady of the house's birthday. Rack of Lamb starred as the main course along with sides of fresh stewed corn cut from the cob and a lovely Spinach Herb Rice Bake. But the stand out star of the evening was the salad. I had made it many times before using the recipe from one of the 'house cookbooks', but on this evening I could not find the book, so I just made it up as I went. 

5 large avocados-peeled-sliced in halves and pitted
1 8-ounce pkg. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup diced black olives
1 lemon half-juiced (use a fresh lemon PLEASE!)

Combine cream cheese, pecans, black olives and lemon juice. Spoon mixture into the cavities of the avocados, being sure to end up with a smooth surface. Place the stuffed avocado halves together. Now slice the ends off and keep slicing until you have solid 'stuffed' slices. Place two slices on each plate of salad greens and top with a clear French vinaigrette. My personal favorite is by La Martinique True French Vinaigrette. www.LaMartiniqueDressing.com You'll be so glad you did! Enjoy....it's a simple, beautiful, and some where beyond delicious thing. I received a standing ovation for this amazing first course. In this humble cooks eyes, that means everything to me.

"I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation."~Madame Benoit