Garden Fair Chocolate Cherries
Simple to make Chocolate Cherries are a special treat. Pit each cherry, leaving the stem on. Wipe with a paper towel and dip into melted white or dark chocolate. Be sure to cover the hole. Place on parchment paper. Can be made a day ahead.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Garden Fair Candied Walnuts
A Big Thank You to Lynette Zeiter for sharing this recipe and to Carol, Carol and Maggie for preparing 10 pounds of candied walnuts for the Children’s Home of Stockton, Ladies Auxiliary 2012 Valley Garden Fair.
Candied Walnuts: Beat 2 egg whites until foamy. Stir in 2 pounds of shelled walnut halves, tossing to coat evenly. In a medium bowl mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves and 1 tsp nutmeg. Sprinkle over walnuts and toss to coat evenly. Divide walnuts onto 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Spread them out so they do not touch. Bake in a 200*F. oven for 3 hours, turning once halfway through. 
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Arugula Salad with *Bresaola, Fennel, and Tangerine Wedges
Sunday I had the pleasure of being invited back to do several cooking demonstrations at the very successful Saint Mary’s Olive Oil Festival. I like to mix things up so I invited my good friend and great cook Marianne to be the guest chef of the occasion. The deal was that she could make anything she wanted as long as California Extra Virgin Olive Oil was one of the main ingredients of the dish. As expected her choice was fantastic! This delicious salad can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a light summer meal, or as passed hors d’oeuvres.
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
4 large handfuls Arugula
4 oz Bresaola, sliced paper thin, almost translucent
1-2 bulbs Fennel, sliced thin, (I use a mandolin)
1/4 red onion, sliced thin, (I use a mandolin) – If onions are strong, I soak them in a little ice water with lemon and pinch of salt
3-4 Oranges or Tangerines ( cut into segments removing all white pith)
For the dressing:
Juice of 1 Lemon
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Lay Bresaola around a large serving plate. Place Arugula in center, in a mound. In a small bowl mix dressing ingredients.
In a medium bowl, toss sliced fennel, red onion, and orange/tangerine wedges. Add dressing. Taste for seasoning. Spoon mixture on top of Arugula. Drizzle remaining dressing on top of plate of Bresaola (or if not any dressing left, olive oil is perfect to drizzle too.) Serve immediately.
During winter months, blood oranges are not only a delicious option, but they are beautiful too. In summer, yellow peaches may be used instead of oranges.
*Bresaola is a dry, salt cured beef from Italy. It is similar to Prosciutto, but much leaner. It is also nice served on its own, placed on a single layer on plate drizzled lightly with olive oil and and a little lemon juice.
Buon appetito.
Cook with your heart! (and make sure you use California Extra Virgin Olive Oil!!) Rima
Mexican Pizza Bread
Use our 5 Minute Focaccia Pizza Dough Mix or Original 5 Minute Focaccia Mix. Prepare dough following package directions. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×12″ baking pan. Spread risen dough into pan. Bake in a preheated 450*F. oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cover evenly with salsa and shredded mexican cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake for 8 minutes more. 
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Derby Day Pulled Pork Sliders
Celebrate The Kentucky Derby with a party. If your event is planned for the evening – record the race and show it when your guests arrive. My menu includes Mint Juleps, Grilled Prawns, Sweet Potato Fries and Derby Day Pulled Pork Sliders. Tell everyone to wear a festive hat. You can even play your own horse race game with dice and stick ponies.
I found this slow cooker idea online. Cut 2 small pork tenderloins in half and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in a s
low cooker along with the contents of 1 can of root beer. Cover and cook on low for at least 7 hours. Remove meat to a cutting board and pull apart with 2 forks. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with 2 cups of your favorite barbeque sauce…Or, for my special Derby Day Sauce: Combine 1/4 cup Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey with 2 cups of your favorite barbeque sauce in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes over low-med heat, then mix with the pulled pork. Serve with caramelized onions.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Mini Rolls
Make your own Mini Rolls with our Five Minute Focaccia Pizza Dough Mix. Follow directions to prepare the dough. After it has risen, pinch off some a little more than the size of a golf ball. Roll into a nice ball and place in a greased muffin cup. Continue with remaining dough. Bake at 425*F. for 8 to 10 minutes.
Or, use our Original or Rosemary Five Minute Focaccia Mix and add 2 Tbs of olive oil when mixing. Allow to rise and continue as above.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Penne with Asparagus as seen on TV
Penne and Asparagus go great together!
watch the video…
Start by placing a large pot of water to cook the pasta on the stove over high heat. Next rinse and trim about 1 pound of Asparagus. Cut into 1″ pieces and set aside. Saute 1/4 cup chopped onion in some olive oil in a large saute pan until translucent. When the water comes to a boil add 2 Tbs salt and 1 pound of Penne Pasta. Add asparagus to onion and season with salt and pepper. Let cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add about 1 cup of cream. Add partially cooked penne and continue cooking with the asparagus and cream – adding a little cooking liquid if necessary. Serve warm with Parmesan cheese.
Find this recipe and more delicious asparagus recipes in our book:
Cooking Dinner – Simple Italian Family Recipes Everyone Can Make.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
St Patrick’s Day Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mint M&Ms
Green M&Ms all in one bag are a great addition to Chocolate Chip Cookies for St. Patrick’s Day. I added an 8oz bag of the chocolate and mint variety along with
2 cups of mini chocolate chips for extra goodness. 
Recipe is on pg 207 of our cookbook Cooking Dinner: Simple Italian Family Recipes Everyone Can Make.
Cooking Tip: For soft and fluffy cookies, make sure to beat the room temperature butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Baked Chicken Teriyaki
Baked Chicken Teriyaki as seen on Sacramento & Co
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
salt and pepper
4 half chicken breasts with bone, remove excess skin and fat – a little skin is okay.
Preheat oven to 425*F.
Generously sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Grease a large oven-safe pan. Place chicken breasts – skin side down inside.
Stir together sauce ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it cooks.
Turn each piece and bake for 20 minutes more or until thoroughly cooked.
Alternatively, cook sauce over medium heat until thick, about 3 minutes. Use as a glaze and baste chicken at the beginning and again at the halfway point.
Meal Planning Tip: Prepare some focaccia dough earlier in the day and bake during the last 20 minutes that the chicken bakes. Meanwhile, cook some rice and make a salad or roast some veggies to complete the meal.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia
Meatballs with Red Wine Sauce
Meatballs with Red Wine Sauce as seen on Sacramento & Co
For Meatballs:
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground veal or ground chicken
½ pound ground pork
2 eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, or minced fresh oregano & thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
For Sauce:
½ cup red wine
¼ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1. Combine all meatball ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a medium bow and mix welll. Using food prep gloves or moistened hands create meatballs the size of golf balls. Set on a plate and repeat. Makes about 18 – 20.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add meatballs and cook over medium heat shaking the pan and stirring the meatballs to keep their round shape.
3. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to low and add sauce ingredients. Continue cooking until sauce is thick and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over pasta, rice, polenta or in a panino.
Cook, Eat, Laugh…Claudia