At Home Italian Cooking By JoElaine

Marinated Mozzarella Balls by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh mozzarella balls

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp of fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of crushed red pepper

1 Tbsps of pimento, chopped

Process,

1. Add mozzarella balls and herbs and spices to a large container. Cover with olive oil and shake well to mix.

2. Let marinate overnight, shaking and mixing occasionally. Serve with antipasto salad.

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn

Ingredients:

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of honey

4 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 packages fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Note: You can use store bought Balsamic Glaze.

Process,

1. Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Set the balsamic reduction aside to cool.

2. Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, spread fresh basil over the salad, and drizzle with olive oil and the balsamic reduction.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn recipe by my Nanny

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef

1 egg

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1 onion, diced

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsps of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Process ,

1. Combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs and onion. Mix thoroughly and shape into golf ball-sized balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, gently brown the meatballs and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, flour, water, white vinegar and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Enjoy!

Fried Ravioli with Marinara Sauce by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn Ingredients: Oil for frying 2 cups of buttermilk

4 cups of Italian bread crumbs

2 boxes of cheese ravioli or gluten free cheese ravioli

Freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

Homemade marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Process,

1. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat.While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate bowls.

2. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue steps until all remaining ravioli are completed.

3. When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

4. Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce .

Enjoy!

Apple Bacon Bites with Cinnamon Sugar made by JoElaine (Balsamo) Quinn recipe by Sprinkle Some Fun.

Ingredients:

1 pound of bacon with each slice cut in half then cut in half again.

2 large peeled apples cut into 1 inch slices , honeycrisp apples

cinnamon sugar for sprinkling ( 1/2 cup of Sugar and 1 Tbsp of cinnamon mixed )

toothpicks for bacon and apples

Process,

1. Preheat oven to a low broil or 400 degrees. Wrap 1/4 piece of bacon around each apple slice until you run out of bacon.

2. Place each bacon bite on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle each bacon bite with the cinnamon sugar. Note: I dipped mine in the cinnamon sugar. It coats it better.

3. Bake around 10 minutes each side or until the bacon is a deep brown and crisp on the edges. Take from heat and sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar on top.

Enjoy!