I have moved...

Hello, Redta's Cooking Corner has been retired as I am working on getting my Organic farm and farmers market up and running. Please visit my new site at www.bernardinosgarden.com
Comments are always welcome!

Redta

Tastes like Lasagna "Penne"

Do you love some great Italian Lasagna, but you think that it takes too long and is a lot of work? Well, here is your recipe for the alternative that will be quick, easy, and taste great!

You will need:

1 lb of Penne or more depending on how many you are feeding.
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
1/2 lb ground turkey
4 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz cottage cheese
6 roma tomatoes
oregano
basil
fresh garlic
chopped onion
mozzarella cheese

So you will 1st need to cook your ground turkey, seasoning to taste. You will want to add chopped onion, fresh garlic, sea salt, and pepper. You may also add oregano and basil to the meat as well.

Then you will use your tomatoes to blend your sauce. Clean and cut your tomatoes and put them in your food processor or blender add a little sea salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano. Pour this into a sauce pan and simmer until it begins to bubble slightly. Add your ground turkey after draining off any excess fat. Allow to simmer.

Cook the Penne according to the box directions. I always add olive oil to the pasta when cooking.

Once pasta is cooked you will assemble. Drain your cooked pasta and place back in your pot. Add your sauce. Now use a backing pan and place pasta mixture in a layer on the bottom, add some ricotta and cottage cheese then some mozzarella, you should have enough for 2 layers. End with mozzarella. Place in a 375 degree oven until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. About 20 mins.

This entire process will take you about 35 - 40 mins including your baking time. If you are real ambitious then cut up an Italian loaf and add garlic butter and bake with your pasta. While this is in the oven toss a green salad and you will have a Fabulous Dinner!

Enjoy!
Redta

Grilled Chicken Salad

This is the easiest salad you will throw together. Great for those peeps who are looking for healthy choices to take to the office for lunch and don't want to get bored.

1 bag of half/half baby spinach/field greens
9 carrot sticks
9 celery sticks
27 grape tomatoes
fresh sliced mushrooms
small (about 6 branches) fresh parsley chopped
1 green onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 cucumber peeled and sliced
fat free feta cheese crumbles (optional)
1 1/2 cups diced grilled chicken
1 lemon - wedged

Using 3 plastic salad containers or bags: divide salad evenly into 3 containers, divide cucumber across all three containers, place tomatoes 9 in each, sprinkle green onions, red pepper, parsley, mushroom. Place carrot sticks on one side and celery on the other. Place chicken in the middle and sprinkle with feta. Add lemon wedge to one side of each.

Note: all ingredients are optional but this combo is a great blood cleanser. Cucumber is a natural diuretic as well as adds a little natural sodium. The parsley is a natural cleanser and good for your liver. The lemon will serve as your dressing or just add flavor. If you don't want it on your salad then add to your sparkling ice water! Try many combos. I like to have a lot of different veggies cut up and bagged in the little snack bags so everyday my salad is different. Never gets boring!

Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday! :)

Before the stroke of midnight I will share my reason to be thankful on this Thursday...

These last 2 weeks have been so very, very...did I say very, :) difficult for me. First I was sick last week and then this week was broke and hungry, literally counting dimes. I did it though, I made it.

How? Well I had a great father and he always taught me that when you feel like you have nothing...give something to enrich the life of another! His reasoning: If you have enough to give then surely you can't be poor, you have an abundance. Guess what!?! It works.

So this morning, I realized that the thing I had to share was a lb. of my favorite coffee in the whole world. I had forgotten at Christmas time I bought a couple of friends coffee and also myself a 1 lb. bag and put it in my fridge at my office. So in the shadow of my big hearted papa, I got to the office early and proceeded to brew as many pots as I could and kept only enough for 1 more pot in the package. Everyone who came in to the break room was offered fresh brewed Christmas Blend Starbucks, a few very special folks also got some of my peppermint creamer. Then I took the package and left it for a friend who arrives later in the day who I know shares my love for coffee. My part was done!

To my amazement today, on Thankful Thursday, January 21, 2010, I lived a miracle. Yes you heard me, a true miracle. I touched peoples lives today with a hot cup of java.

Mid morning: My friend came by and said, "would you like a soda? I am going to get one and I would love to get you one." I said, "I would love a Diet Coke, another fav!"

Late morning, I realized a vitamin I take had run out. One of my friends takes the same one and when I asked him if I could steal some, he immediately said sure take as many as you need and no worries!

Early afternoon: Another co-worker came by. He likes to cook and it has been cold and rainy here so I asked him if he had cooked anything good lately. He said he had and we started talking about how good some chilli would be. So about 30 mins later he came by my office with his coat on and said, "Hey, I am going to Wendy's to pick up some chili would you like some?" At first, I hesitated but I remembered my father so I said, "Thank you, I would love a small chili but can I repay you tomorrow?" His response was absolutely, I will be back in a sec!

Later in the afternoon: Another friend came by my office. He had a bag of the most delicious apples and asked if I would like one. I was astounded and I immediately said, yes!

Still later in the afternoon: My friend who got me the Diet Coke came by to give me a hug and wish me good night. I told her thank you so much, you just don't know how you touched my life today just by thinking of me and sharing with me. She asked what I meant and I told her that over the last 2 weeks I have been making mac n cheese because I was not able to afford any groceries. Since tomorrow was payday, I could now sigh a big sigh of relief and be thankful that I made it! She reached in her pocket and pulled out some money and gave it to me and asked me to take it and buy my daughter something tonight so she would eat something other than mac n cheese. I cried, I always cry. :) She added that if I needed anything ever, that I should let her know because she would always share with me. That touched my heart!

And guess what? None of these 4 people I mentioned had a cup of coffee...they were only offered one! You see so when you feel like you have nothing left to give ...that is when you need to find what you have in abundance. Maybe it's a good attitude, a listening ear, 1/2 of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich...whatever it is don't be afraid to share it, because fear keeps us stuck in a feeling of lack! Abundance is Freedom! Free at Last!

Oh and by the way...my friend who I had left the coffee for, she sent me a note and said, "you must have been reading my mind. I had an appointment this morning and did not have time to grab my morning coffee. This is perfect!" So the cycle of lack breeds more deprivation but living in a state of Abundance reaps Miracles! :)

Wishing you Peace, Calm and above all Abundance!
Redta xoxo

Today is a Wow kinda Day!

So peeps are you feeling like today is a WOW kinda day? Well guess what, it is! W.O.W. aka in the world of Redta: Wish Only Wealth!

I'm tired but peppy tonight. Things are changing in my world and I am kinda lik'n it. Do you like change? I hope so because if you're not changing your not living!

So today I have a great little tuna salad recipe that will get your blood pumping. Ok well maybe not your blood pumping but it is mighty tasty and is not your typical No flavor hav'n, too soggy, way to boring for our exciting lives Tuna Salad!

So here goes:

Redta's Tuna Salad

1 can of packed in water Albacore tuna (yes use albacore, it's like the white meat of tuna), 2 hard boiled eggs, hearts of 2 celery stalks (ok if you want just use the stalk :) 1/2 cup sweet Vadalia onion diced very fine (if you can't find Vadalia at your grocery then you can use any sweet onion), 1/4 cup of sliced almonds, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries (with as little sugar or no added sugar if possible), Sea salt to taste, Fresh ground black pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon of Hellman's no fat mayonaise (if you must use more then by all means go ahead).

Drain tuna and place in mixing bowl. Chop eggs and add to tuna. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

You can serve on a bed of spinich with grape tomatoes; Serve in sliced pita bread with fresh veggies added; Serve on your favorite bread with sliced cheese and grill; Top 2 White cheddar rice cakes; hollow out a red bell pepper and stuff, mmmmmm There are so many options with this one. After all isn't that what we all want limitless options? Yes, well tonight...the skies the limit!

This will make about 3 average size sandwiches. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Enjoy and please let me know what your taste buds thought!

Until we meet again...
Redta

Homestead Inn Banana Pudding with Walnut Crust

Wow, this is a little blast from my past. I spent almost a year in my late teens working in the kitchen at the Historical Homestead Inn. If you have never been to Milan, OH then you may want to plan a trip. You will find this little gem of an eatery on Rt 250 as you head toward Sandusky, OH to Cedar Point the Amazement Park! Other attractions in the area include: Put in Bay Island, Catawba Island, Mon Ami Restaurant and Winery, Cheese Haven with over 80 some kinds of cheese, and the Train Museum in Bellevue, OH. Also, don't forget to head south for Kings Island Amusement Park and Amish Country. Anyway lots to do.

So if you can't make it to the Homestead Inn Restaurant, you'll want to make this famous dessert that Joyce and Helen perfected. Those were some fun ladies. Here goes:

Crust:
1/2 cup margarine, 1 cup flour, 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Blend margarine, flour, and walnuts. Press in bottom of 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350* until light brown. Cool.
First Layer:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 10 oz whipped topping, sliced bananas (4-6)
Beat 1st 3 ingredients together and spread on prepared crust. Top with sliced bananas, then pudding layer.
Pudding Layer:
3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 cups milk, banana flavoring
In saucepan, blend ingredients and cook over medium heat until thick. Cool before spreading over cream cheese and banana layer, then top with whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream. Refrigerate, and cut into 12 squares to serve.

Here is a link to their site. Check it out, the Inn is beautiful and they also have a very unique Rathskeller, which means wine cellar in German. Very cool. If you do get there be sure to ask if Helen and Joyce are still in the kitchen cooking and tell them I said hello! :)
http://www.historichomesteadohio.com/menu.html

Here are the links to all of the locations mentioned above. When you make it there, stop back and let me know how your trip went. When you visit the Railroad Museum be sure to tell them I said hello. That's my home town, ahhh I miss the soothing sounds of the night trains! :)
http://www.cedarpoint.com/
http://visitputinbay.com/visitus/
http://www.monamiwinery.com/
http://www.catawbaislandtownship.com/
http://www.cheesehaven.com/
http://www.madrivermuseum.org/
http://www.visitkingsisland.com/
http://www.thetravelersfriend.com/ac/

Wishing you Wealth, Health, and Abundance of all things good!
Redta

Best Football Game Sub Sandwiches!

It was a sad day when the Saints prevailed over the Cardinals however, even when your team is less than victorious you will need this sandwich to have a successful Ball Game Party!

Start with a crusty hoagie bun fresh from your Supermarket deli. Then choose Boar's Head deli cuts of: Capocollo, Genoa Salami, and Virgina Brand Ham. Then you will need: Sharp Provolone and Mozzarella cheese. Now: Tomato (preferably vine ripened) and some Italian Vinegrette dressing.

You can see all deli products at the Boar's Head link below so you know what you are looking for before you go shopping.
http://www.boarshead.com/index.php

You will need to assess your crowd. Big football fans eat more sandwiches! So you will need 1 hoagie bun, 1/4 lb of meat, and 2-4 slices of cheese for each sandwich. Tomatoes and dressing to taste.

For assembly: Cut the hoagie buns in half without cutting all the way through. Place them on a large un-greased sheet pan. Layer cheese in 1/2 slices over bun, then layer meat, then top with cheese. Place in oven at 375 degrees until cheese has brown spots on it. Usually takes 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. Remove from oven. Add sliced tomato and serve with Italian vinegrette on the side.

Optional toppings: Sweet onion, pepperocini peppers.

These sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time and placed in the oven just before game time. If not better have a TV in the kitchen so you don't miss the kick off. Serve these with your favorite icy cold beverage...non-alcoholic for those under 21. :) Even though my AZ Cardinals aren't going, I am still looking forward to watching the Super Bowl and rooting for the West!!