Grandma's Zucchini Pie

The smell of this pie baking always brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen. The scent of it was so alluring to me that even as a little girl I was tempted to taste it even though I didn't eat green things yet. I eventually succumbed to it and hopefully you will too. In my family this recipe has always been the perfect side dish to any brunch, lunch or dinner.


Serve it warm and enjoy it :)

Ingredients:

3.5 cups of diced or sliced unpeeled zucchini
2 med onions diced
6 eggs beaten1/2 cup of oil
1 cup of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1.5 cups of Bisquick flour
1 tsp of dried parsley
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375Chop zucchini and onions













Beat eggs
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl













Place mixture into a 9 inch pie pan
Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes until center is no longer soft and the pie is browned

My Favorite Green Beans

Forget that old soupy green bean casserole recipe everyone has. Make room on the table for my favorite green beans. We had a lot of family visiting lately and needed to serve a lot of people at once. Here is a delicious and inexpensive side dish that always impresses! Enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of fresh french green beans ( ends snipped )
2 shallots diced1 cup of baby portabellos diced
3-4 tbs of crumbled bacon
3-4 tbs of olive oil to coat the pan

Directions:
Trim green bean ends and dice mushrooms and shallots.
Boil green beans in 1.5 cups of water till soft but still firm (twenty minutes or so).
Heat oil in a saute pan.
Cook mushrooms and shallots on high for five minutes stirring often until soft.
Add bacon and stir for an additional five minutes.

Drain finished mushrooms and cover green beans with mushroom mixture.

Add extra olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

Nothing says birthday quite like funfetti cake, or cupcakes...

Funfetti Cupcakes

1/2 cup milk

3 large egg whites

1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp butter, soft

3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg whites and vanilla. Set aside

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if you prefer to work by hand), combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine.

Cut in butter with the paddle attachment at low speed (or cut in by hand), until mixture is coarse and sandy.

Add milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.

Scrape sides of bowl and continue beating for 20-30 seconds.

Stir in sprinkles.

Divide batter evenly into prepared tin. Bake for for15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Makes 12

Vanilla Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened

6 tbsp cream cheese softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla and 1 tbsp milk. Beat at high speed until fluffy, adding an additional 1 tbsp milk if necessary.

Simple & Fast Pomodora Sauce

Ingredients:

28oz can of crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano tomatoes)

28oz can of diced tomatoes

1 medium onion diced
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1tsp of dried basil
3 tbs of olive oil
1/8 cup sugar


Directions:
Coat pan with olive oil and place on medium heat
Saute onions and garlic until soft and browned
Reduce heat to low and add both cans of Tomatoes
Stir and add basil
Simmer for 10-15 minutes on low stirring occasionally
Add sugar and stir
Simmer for 15 minutes stirring often (Don't let the sauce stick or burn)
Serve with your favorite pasta

Mamma Mia's Meatballs

This is how we make Italian meatballs in my family. I have been making these since I was a little girl so I know anyone can do this. Top your favorite pasta and marinara with these or serve on bread with melted mozzarella to create a delicious sandwich.

Ingredients:

1lb of ground beef (I used 93% fat free for this tutorial).
1 cup of moist Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
2 eggs
1 tbs of minced jarred garlic
2-3 tbs of olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Drizzle olive oil on baking pan
Mix meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, and garlic in large mixing bowl until well blended
Roll into 1.5 inch balls and place on oiled pan ( makes about 20-24 meatballs)
Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes turning meatballs over once halfway through baking
Meatballs should be lightly browned and crisp when finished.

Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

(Fancy pants name/Chicken Savory Pie)

serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of pulled chicken (roast one or buy a rotisserie chicken)

1 1/2 cups of frozen peas

1 1/2 cups of frozen carrots or freshly cooked carrots

1 cup of jarred Alfredo sauce
(if you have the time and knowledge make your own)

1 12 oz jar of chicken gravy

2 9in refrigerated pie crusts

one beaten egg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

Mix chicken, veggies, sauces and salt and pepper (tsp each) in a large bowl

Unroll one pie crust and fit it to a 9 inch round baking pie pan

Fill with mixture and cover with second pie crust

Seal and shape pie

Beat one egg and baste top of the pie (this will not use the whole egg maybe half or less)

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until golden brown on middle rack

Enjoy for 2-3 meals

Additional ingredients: I add saut'eed onions and mushrooms to my pies cause I like them :~)

Saucy Tsp's Basic Recipes

Welcome again to three teaspoons!

My blog name is Saucy Tsp and I've spent my life divided between Howard Beach, NY, Charlotte, NC and Fort Lauderdale, FL. I've worked in many different restaurants( Mexican, Italian, Cajun, and American) and spent my childhood grating pecorino cheese with my grandmother and rolling meatballs with my mom. So I'm not a professional by culinary standards but I love to cook and I know a thing or two about making an awesome and easy dinner. Here are some of my basic recipes and suggestions. If I can do these anyone can!

Breaded Chicken Cutlets
(Fancy pants name/Chicken Milanese)
Serves 2-3

Take a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice thin and trim fat

Place on large cutting board and cover with plastic wrap

Pound cutlets thinner with a mallet until preferred thinness is achieved

(I like mine super skinny-fancy name/scaloppini)

Beat two eggs in a bowl and add a splash of milk

Add two cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs to a shallow dish

Dip cutlets in egg mixture then coat with bread crumbs completely

Now there are two ways to cook these...

The First Way/ stove top-

Heat a large skillet with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil on med/high

when oil begins sizzling add cutlets

Cook on each side for 5-10 minutes depending on thickness

Place on paper towel covered dish and press with napkin to remove excess oil

Second way is a bit healthier-

Preheat oven to 375 while preparing
chicken, drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet pan

Place cutlets on pan and bake for 20-25 minutes turning them over once halfway

Place pan on bottom rack of oven to prevent burning

Serve and enjoy!

Options when cooking the second way-

Use this basic recipe to make Chicken Parmagian by adding a tablespoon of Marinara sauce and slice of mozzarella for the last five minutes of baking.

Or make a simple Chicken Cordon Blue Dinner by adding a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese to the last five minutes of baking

It's a new year!!!

This year my new year's resolution is
1. to actually have a new year's resolution
2. to do the things that I have been thinking about doing or say I'm gonna do and never actually do

That brings me to this blog.
I've been a long time listener, first time caller to the food blog world. I first stumbled upon this blog a while ago and since have clicked my way from one yummy site to another finding so many great recipes and inspiring food photography. I have decided it was about time to give back. I am hoping to use this blog to keep track of all the great recipes I have come across and the things I have been making with them.

So here is the first post in what I hope to be many...
Happy New Blog Year!

cheers!