Easy recipes | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Easy recipes
- Hummus Dip with Tobbouleh, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Tzatziki
  
  Posted at 12:00 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 6th
  Easy summertime entertaining is my philosophy for summer parties. I love put together easy make a head dishes so I can relax and enjoy my guests. During the summertime with abundant produce at Framer’s markets I just love creating delicious healthy food. Keep all the ingriendants my hummus dip ready for an impromptu get together or to bring to a friends home for a barbecue.
  
  Hummus Dip with Tobbouleh, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Tzatziki
  
  1 container prepared Hummus*, I like garlic
  
  1/2 cup prepared Tabbouleh Salad*
  
  1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  
  1/4 cup chopped english cucumber
  
  1/4 cup chopped feta
  
  1/4 cup prepared Tzatziki*
  
  sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for garnish
  
  Mound hummus on serving plate. Top with tabbouleh, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, then drizzle with tzatziki. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Refrigerate. Serve with pita bread or crackers.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  * I use Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods brand for the hummus, Tabbouleh and Tzatziki.
  
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  Posted in Appetizer, Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Easy recipes, entertaining, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Vegetarian | Tagged Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, cucumbers, feta, hummus, Tobbouleh, tomatoes, Tzatziki
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Goat Cheese and Olives
  
  Posted at 6:47 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 1st
  Warm weather and refreshingly different salads two of my favorite things. I find salads not only fun to make trying different combinations of ingredients but easy to make. Almost any salad you can think of is do ahead and easy to transport to family and friends homes or on a picnic. Being of Italian heritage I love the flavors of the Mediterranean areas with the wonderfully flavorful seasonings. What I like most about this salad is the interesting combination of orzo, a rice shaped pasta, with chick peas, goat cheese and olives. Just add some lemon, garlic, oil and fresh oregano to bring out the other ingredients. I almost forgot, I have been adding Sesame Tahini to many of my salads for a more intense taste. I think you’ll really enjoy this salad!
  
  Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Goat Cheese and Olives
  
  1 1/2 cups orzo, cooked according to package instructions
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  juice of one lemon
  
  1 clove of garlic, minced
  
  1 teaspoon Sesame Tahini
  
  15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
  2 tablespoon chopped oregano
  
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  
  5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  
  1/2 cup kalamati olives chopped
  
  In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and sesame tahini. Add the chickpeas, orzo, oregano and pepper. Gently stir in goat cheese then olives. Serve over a bed of lettuce. Chill until ready to serve.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged barbacue, Chickpeas, Easy recipe, goat cheese, July 4th, Orzo salad
- Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce
  
  Posted at 1:19 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 29th
  Cooking and good food is in my blood. Both my grandmother and mother were accomplished cooks who could combine a few ingredients into a memorable feast that you would never forget. I learned from both these exceptional women that their love of cooking for family and friends was their secret ingredient that flavored their dishes better than any expensive seasoning or ingredient. Being of Italian heritage, tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and pasta were the basis for many of the meals they cooked when I was growing up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. The Delaware Valley before all the housing developments was rich land with farms that went for miles. My grandmother and mother’s summer season gardens overflowed with the most beautiful fresh produce perfect for making Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce. I’ve attempted to create the flavors from one of their signature dishes. Both women never used a recipe they just added a pinch of this, a dash of that magically creating breathtaking food!
  
  Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce
  
  1 pint cherry tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1/4 cup pesto sauce*
  
  12 oz of fresh linguine
  
  1 tablespoon butter
  
  Preheat oven 425F. Place the first six ingredients in a baking dish ad roast for 20 minutes until tomatoes are hot and bubbly. Cool. Add pesto sauce to tomatoes; stirring until combined. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup water from pasta. Place pasta in large bowel toss with 1 tablespoon butter and reserved water. Add tomato/pesto sauce and toss again. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
  
  Pesto Sauce
  
  4 cups packed fresh basil
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/2 cup pine nuts
  
  2 cloves garlic
  
  1/2 parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  Combine basil, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add both cheeses and salt; blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Freeze unused pesto.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Easy recipes, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, pasta, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Easy recipe, farm fresh, pasta, Pesto Sauce, sunday dinner, tomatoes
- Airfryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
  
  Posted at 9:37 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 19th
  Airfyers are so easy to use and cook healthy food quickly without much fat or oil. Since purchasing my Airfyer I’ve tried so many different recipes; chicken, veggies, all with excellent results. We were out to dinner one night with our family and we ordered roasted cauliflower for an appetizer; it was delicious. I thought cauliflower would be great in an Airfyer -Buffalo style. And I was right! I also adapted this recipe for a conventional oven*
  
  Ingredients
  - 1 head of cauliflower, broken into bite size pieces
  - ¾ cup almond flour
  - ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
  - 1 teaspoon chili powder
  - ½ teaspoon paprika
  - ½ teaspoon cayenne
  - Salt, to taste
  - 2 eggs
  - Oil, to lightly coat
  - For serving: carrot sticks, celery sticks, Blue cheese dip
  Buffalo Sauce:
  - ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  - 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter)
  - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  - 1 clove garlic, minced
  - ½ teaspoon paprika
  - ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  - Salt, to taste
  Directions
  
  1. In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, tapioca flour, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt. In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Set up an assembly line with cauliflower, eggs, and flour mixture.
  
  2. Bread the cauliflower by dipping it in the egg mixture, fully coating. Roll in the flour mixture, fully coating. Place on a plate and repeat with remaining cauliflower.
  
  3. Place cauliflower in the Airfryer basket, evenly spreading out and leaving room in between each piece so the air can flow through them. Spray cauliflower with a light coat of olive or avocado oil. Close drawer, set Airfryer on manual at 375°F for 15 minutes, pausing halfway through to stir them up. Make sure they are still spread out after you stir them around. You will probably have to cook cauliflower in two or more batches to ensure they are not overcrowded depending on the size of your Airfryer.
  
  4. When the cauliflower is almost done, make the sauce. Add hot sauce, ghee, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until warmed through and combined, about 3 minutes.
  
  5. Once cauliflower is done, add to a large bowl and pour buffalo sauce over cauliflower. Carefully mix to coat the cauliflower.
  
  6. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks, blue cheese dip, or eat as is. Enjoy!
  
  *If using a conventional oven heat to 450F and cook for 20 minutes until cauliflower is golden and tender. Transfer to bowl and pour buffalo sauce over cauliflower.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Appetizer, Easy recipes, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Airfryer, Buffalo bites, Cauliflower, Healthy
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
  
  Posted at 10:37 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 7th
  Last year I purchased a Philips Air Fryer and since then I’ve enjoyed creating recipes specifically for the air fryer. I love sweet potato fries and adapted a recipe for the air fryer. These sweet potato fries are healthy, spicy and tasty. Easy to make without messy clean up. I can make these quickly on a weeknight for a delicious vegetable to complement any meal.
  
  INGREDIENTS:
  
  3 medium peeled sweet potatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  1 tsp sea salt
  2 cloves crushed garlic
  1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  1 teaspoon thyme
  
  1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
  
  DIRECTIONS:
  
  Preheat air fryer to 400°F 8 minutes.
  Lightly spray the fryer basket with oil.
  Slice each potato into even 1/4 inch thick fries.
  Toss with oil, salt, garlic, paprika and red pepper.
  Cook in 3 or 4 batches, without overcrowding the pan 8 minutes, turning half way. Place on serving plate and top with pink Himalayan sea salt.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in cooking, Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipe, Philips Air Fryer, spicy, sweet potato fries
- TUSCAN CHICKEN WINGS
  
  Posted at 5:41 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 25th
  TUSCAN CHICKEN WINGS
  
  I love my Phillips Air Fryer. Chicken wings made in the air fryer are crispy on outside while remaining moist inside. And the wings are healthily since they are not fried. My recipe calls for crushed red pepper which gives the wing a little kick. If you don’t want the heat you can eliminate the crushed red pepper from the recipe without impacting the flavor.
  
  2 pounds chicken drumettes or party wings
  
  juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1/4 cup
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  
  2 springs fresh rosemary, stripped and roughly chopped
  
  1 teaspoon crushed red pepper*
  
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  
  In a large bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, pepper and salt. Add chicken wings and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or over night.
  
  Drain and put chicken in basket of Phillips air fryer. Cook on 375 F for 20 minutes or until browned.
  
  *If you want less spice use 1/2 teaspoon crushed red red pepper.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Chicken, Easy recipes, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy | Tagged chicken wings, Easy recipe, Philips Air Fryer, quick
- Fried Mac and Cheese
  
  Posted at 2:14 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 23rd
  When I was a young girl I loved my mother’s baked macaroni and cheese. My mother would fry the leftover mac and cheese in butter for my lunch the next, better in my opinion than the original dish. I sometimes abandon my normal lunch salad and indulge in fried mac and cheese with each bite taking me back to the having lunch on the snack bar in our kitchen so long ago especially cooked for me by my mother. Pure comfort food!
  
  Fried Mac and Cheese
  
  Heat 4 tablespoons butter in frying pan. Add chopped up leftover macaroni and cheese. Fry until cheese starts to melt and macaroni is hot. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Three Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, pasta | Tagged comfort food, Easy recipe, fried, lunch, mac and cheese
- SPRINGTIME FETTUCCINI IN LEMON CREAM SAUCE WITH ASPARAGUS
  
  Posted at 3:46 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 21st
  I use Bruitoni pasta when I want the taste of fresh pasta but don’t have time to go to a speciality store or make the pasta at home. And I love this easy cream cheese pasta sauce for a quick weekend, taste delicious dinner. Don’t you just love the bright green asparagus? Lemon and asparagus the perfect springtime combination to add to pasta, so flavorful!
  
  Ingredients
  
  9 oz. Bruitoni Fettuccini
  
  1/2 cup cream cheese
  
  2 Tbs. olive oil
  
  1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs. zest grated
  
  1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 – 3/4 cup steamed asparagus, lightly steamed, slice into 2 inch pieces
  
  Preparation
  
  1. Cook linguine according to package directions in pot of boiling salted water.
  
  2. Warm cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice in saucepan over low heat.
  
  3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooking water into cream cheese mixture. Add pasta, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Add asparagus and lightly toss again. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Bruitoni Fettuccini, cram cheese, dinner, Easy recipes, pasta
- Baked Penne with Pomodoro Sauce
  
  Posted at 9:51 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 10th
  Some days when the wind is cold and bitting with no sun in sight I know making a hearty pasta dish is just perfect comfort food for dinner. All the ingredients for my Baked Penne I purchased at Trader Joe’s except I made my own Pomodoro sauce. Trader Joe’s has a tasty prepared Pomodoro sauce which will cut down the time to make an easy home cooked meal. Put the casserole together the night before and bake for dinner the next day. Delicious, easy and a quick home cooked meal!
  
  1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
  
  8 ounces part skim Ricotta cheese
  
  8 ounces Burrata mozzarella, two balls chopped
  
  1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  
  2 teaspoon dry oregano
  
  Pomodoro Sauce* or Trader Joe’s Rustico
  
  8 ounce cooked chicken sausage, slice 1/4 inch thick
  
  Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine ricotta, 1/2 burrata, parmesan cheese, oregano in medium size bowl. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside. Place 1/4 cup of Pomodoro sauce in bottom of baking dish( 13 inch x 9 inch). Add half penne to baking dish over sauce. Top with cheese mixture, layer with 1/2 remaining sauce, penne and top with rest of sauce. Finish with remaining Burrata. Bake 35- 40 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.
  
  *Pomodoro Sauce
  
  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
  1 medium onion, minced
  
  4 garlic cloves, minced
  
  1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  
  1 28 ounce can pureed Pomodoro tomatoes
  
  1/2 cup red wine
  
  Kosher salt
  
  3 large fresh basil sprigs
  
  In a sauce pan over medium heat saute onion and garlic in oil for two minutes. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes and wine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, basil and slice sausage. Simmer for ten minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Weeknight dinner | Tagged easy meal, family meal, pasta, quick meal, Sausage, Trader Joe's
- Guacamole
  
  Posted at 4:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Making Guacamole is so easy resulting in a fresh delicious homemade rather than a packaged version. I keep the ingredients on hand so when friends drop by I can serve Guacamole.
  
  3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  
  1 lime, juiced
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  
  1/2 medium onion, diced
  
  1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  
  2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  
  1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  
  2 clove garlic, minced
  
  In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Appetizer, Easy recipes | Tagged easy, guacomole, super bowel food
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