The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook*

by Shannon Barczak

  4) * You can also use a fryolater if you have one available. I personally use mine all the time!*

  Crab Rangoon’s

  1 clove of garlic, minced

  1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese, softened

  1 (6oz.) can of crabmeat, drained and flaked

  2 green onions, thinly sliced

  2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

  ½ tsp. soy sauce

  48-wonton wrappers

  Directions:

  1) Preheat oven to 425 and lightly spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray or heat oil in a fryolater to 375 degrees

  2) Combine garlic, cream cheese, crab, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a bowl. Place one tsp. of filling onto the center of the wonton wrapper and fold diagonally to form a triangle, pressing the edges to seal.

  3) Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or fry for 2-3 minutes.

  Orange Pork with scallions

  1-pound pork tenderloin

  2 TBLS. cornstarch, divided

  ½ cup fat free chicken broth

  1/3 cup orange juice

  3 TBLS. soy sauce

  2 tsp. chili garlic sauce

  2 cups carrots, julienned

  ¼ cup of water

  2 tsp. ginger, minced

  2 tsp. garlic, minced

  1/3 cup green onions/ scallions

  Directions:

  1) Cut pork into strips and combine with 1 TBLS. cornstarch

  2) Combine 1 TBLS. cornstarch, chicken broth, orange juice, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl; Set aside

  3) Heat 1 TBLS. cooking oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add pork and sauté 8 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove pork from skillet

  4) Pour about ½ TBLS. more of cooking oil into the skillet and add carrots, water, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Return pork to skillet and stir in broth mixture; simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add scallions and remove from heat.

  5) Serve with white rice or ramen noodles.

  Thai Chicken Wraps

  6 (8-10-inch) flour tortillas

  ½ tsp. salt & pepper

  1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

  2 TBLS. cooking oil

  4 cups broccoli slaw mix

  1-medium red onion

  1 tsp. ginger

  *peanut sauce, recipe follows*

  Directions:

  1) Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in 350-degree oven for ten minutes; set aside.

  2) Toss chicken with 1 TBLS. flour, 1 tsp. garlic salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook until chicken is done, and juices are clear, remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

  3) Add broccoli, onion and ginger to skillet. Cook for three minutes, frequently stirring. Remove from heat.

  4) Spread each tortilla with 1 TBLS of peanut sauce and top with chicken and broccoli mixture. Roll up and serve immediately.

  Peanut Sauce

  ¼ cup sugar

  ¼ cup creamy peanut butter

  3 TBLS. soy sauce

  3 TBLS. water

  2 TBLS. cooking oil

  1tsp. minced garlic

  1) Combine all ingredients until mixture is smooth.

  Mama Mia! Italian Food, Willa style.

  I always have said that all three of my children came out of my womb singing ‘That’s Amore’.They all love Italian food. I was a little worried and frankly grossed out at the thought of my children being half vampire. I had this horrifying vision of feeding them baby bottles of blood. Luckily for me, their eating habits are fairly normal. The boys do like their meat on the rare size, but I think I dodged a bloody bullet on the whole baby vamp thing.

  One of my most requested recipes is for my lasagna with pepperoni sauce. Mathias thinks it’s too spicy, so that’s why I make him a loaf of Italian bread to eat while we feast on this truly excellent lasagna.

  Willa’s Lasagna with Pepperoni Sauce

  1-package lasagna noodles

  3 cups spaghetti sauce

  1-pound Italian sausage

  1 large container (1pound) Part-skim ricotta cheese

  1 egg

  1-cup sour cream

  4 cups of mozzarella cheese

  2 cups parmesan cheese, divided

  2 TBLS. parsley

  Salt & pepper

  1 TBLS. red pepper flakes

  ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

  1 TBLS. oregano

  1 TBLS. basil

  ¼ cup red wine

  Pepperoni Sauce

  1 pkg. green onions, minced

  1 pound of pepperoni, sliced thin

  2 TBLS. garlic

  1 can diced tomatoes

  Salt & pepper to taste

  1-cup tomato sauce

  ½ tsp. oregano

  ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

  ½ cup red wine

  ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

  Directions:

  1) Prepare pepperoni sauce first. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about two minutes. Add pepperoni, diced tomatoes, salt & pepper, tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, and red wine. Bring to boil and reduce to low. Simmer until pepperoni is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place back into skillet and simmer for ten more minutes.

  2) Meanwhile prepare other sauce. Heat 1 TBLS. of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add ground sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink. Add spaghetti sauce, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, to taste, oregano, basil and red wine. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

  3) Cook lasagna noodles in salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes; you want the noodles to be very al dente! Drain noodles and take each wet noodle and squeeze off excess water. Place noodles gently over the side of the pot to cool.

  4) In a large mixing bowl, stir together, ricotta, sour cream, ¼ cup parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, salt & pepper, 1TBLS. parsley.

  5) Spray large, deep dish baking pan with cooking spray and place ¼ cup of pepperoni sauce and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Place four-lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan and spread about one cup of ricotta cheese on top of noodles. Drizzle ¼ cup of pepperoni sauce, ¼ cup of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat two more layers, making sure to use all of the pepperoni sauce on the last layer. Place remaining 4-lasagna noodles on top and spread spaghetti sauce all over. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and parsley.

  6) Cover with tin foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Take off tin foil and cook for another 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

  Julia is very similar to my aunt Gussie when it comes to cooking, but she does make this great recipe and I badgered her to give it to me so I could add it to my book.

  Lemon Pasta with Arugula

  This is a nice, light, refreshing summer dish.

  1 TBLS. olive oil

  1 TBLS. garlic, minced

  2 cups of half-half

  3 lemons

  Salt & pepper to taste

  1 pound of pasta (fusilli is nice)

  ½ pound of arugula

  ½ cup of parmesan cheese

  1 pint of cherry tomatoes

  Directions:

  1) Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the cream, zest, and juice of two lemons. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

  2) Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain and return to pot. Add cream mixture and cook for three minutes.

  3) Pour hot pasta into a large serving bowl and add arugula, parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Toss well. Slice last lemon into wedges and use to garnish, if desired.

  Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Red pepper and Cream Sauce

  1-pound bow tie pasta

  2 tsp. olive oil

  ½ cup finely chopped green onion or shall
ot

  1 (12oz.) bottle of roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped

  2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

  1-cup half-half

  1 TBLS. tomato paste

  ½ tsp. ground red pepper flakes

  1-cup parmesan cheese

  1 TBLS. basil

  Directions:

  1) Cook pasta according to package instructions

  2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for two minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers and cook until heated, about two minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in vinegar. Cook one minute or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

  3) Place bell pepper mixture in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return mixture to skillet over low heat until warm. Combine half-half and tomato paste in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add tomato mixture to bell pepper mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in ground pepper flakes.

  4) Combine pasta and bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add ½ cup of cheese, tossing to coat. Top with rest of cheese and basil.

  Linguine with Asparagus, Parmesan and Bacon

  3 cups (1 inch) sliced asparagus, about 1 pound

  1 pound of linguine pasta

  4-bacon slices, uncooked

  1 cup chopped green onion

  2 tsp. minced garlic

  1 tsp. dried oregano

  2 cups grape or cherry tomato

  1-cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

  1 TBLS. butter

  ¼ tsp. salt & pepper

  2 TBLS. lemon juice

  ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese

  Shaved parmesan cheese, optional

  Directions:

  1) Cook pasta according to package directions. The last three minutes of cooking, add asparagus, drain; set aside

  2) Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 tsp. of bacon drippings. Cool bacon slightly and crumble. Add the onion, garlic, and oregano to pan drippings in skillet; sauté for four minutes. Add tomatoes; cook two minutes. Add the broth and bring to boil. Stir in butter, salt & pepper; remove from heat.

  3) Place asparagus and pasta mixture in a large bowl. Add tomato mixture and lemon juice, tossing well. Top with bacon and shredded cheese. Garnish with shaved parmesan if desired.

  Baked Ziti

  1 pound of ziti, prepared according to package directions

  1-pound ground beef or ground turkey

  2 TBLS. of olive oil

  2 cloves of garlic, minced

  2 cups fresh spinach

  2 small shallots, minced

  2 cans diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh tomatoes-chopped

  1 can tomato paste

  2 TBLS. basil

  Salt & pepper

  ¼ cup red wine

  1 jar or 2 cups Alfredo sauce *recipe follows*

  1 TBLS. lemon zest

  1/3-cup ricotta cheese

  2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

  ½ cup parmesan cheese, divided

  Directions:

  1) Cook ziti according to package instructions, reserve about ¼ cup of pasta sauce

  2) In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute, add spinach and stir well. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add shallots and cook two minutes. Add ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Combine diced tomatoes and paste to meat mixture; stir well. Add red wine, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to simmer for about ten minutes.

  3) Meanwhile, place cooked and drained pasta back into the pot you cooked it in and add ¼ cup pasta water, Alfredo sauce, white wine, lemon zest, ricotta cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix well

  4) Add about one cup of meat sauce to pasta mixture and stir. Place in a greased baking dish and cover with remaining sauce and cheeses.

  5) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbling

  Easy Alfredo sauce

  ¼ cup butter

  ¼ cup flour

  ½ tsp. garlic salt

  2 cups half-half

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1/3-cup parmesan cheese

  1 TBLS. parsley

  1) Melt butter over medium-high heat, whisk in flour and salt, stir until smooth. Slowly add half-half. Stir in garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese and whisk constantly until mixture is thickened; simmer for 3-4 minutes.

  Best Homemade Mac-Cheese * This is NOT low-fat, calorie counters beware!*

  1-cup panko breadcrumbs

  1 pkg. thinly sliced prosciutto

  1 pkg. penne pasta

  1 shallot, minced

  ½ cup of butter

  ¼ cup of white wine

  ¼ cup of flour

  2 cups whole milk

  2 cups whipping cream

  ½ tsp. salt & pepper

  2 blocks of sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

  1 cup of smoked Gouda, shredded

  ½ cup parmesan cheese

  Directions:

  1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake breadcrumbs in a single layer on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, stirring once. Remove and let cool.

  2) Prepare the pasta according to package directions

  3) Cook prosciutto in a large skillet until crisp, drain and let cool

  4) Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the wine, stirring loose particles on the bottom of the pan, cook one minute.

  5) Gradually whisk in flour and whisk until smooth about two minutes. Then gradually whisk in milk, whipping cream and salt & pepper. Whisk constantly until smooth, about 12-14 minutes.

  6) In a large bowl place shredded cheddar cheese, Gouda and parmesan. Gradually pour in white sauce over cheeses until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in pasta and prosciutto until well blended.

  7) Pour into a lightly greased 13x9 greased baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and cook for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

  Chicken Marsala Cacciatore

  1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

  1/3-cup flour

  1 cup Marsala wine

  2 TBLS. olive oil

  1 TBLS. butter

  2 cups diced Italian tomatoes

  2 large tomatoes, chopped

  2 jars, marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

  1 green pepper, sliced

  ½ cup roasted red pepper, roughly chopped

  1 small can black olives

  ¼ cup fresh basil chopped finely

  2-garlic cloves, minced

  Salt & pepper to taste

  1 tsp. red pepper flakes

  1-pound linguine

  Parmesan cheese & fresh parsley for garnish

  Directions:

  1) In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter and add olive oil. Coat chicken with flour and sauté in skillet until outside is golden brown. Add Marsala wine and deglaze the pan for about one minute. Add canned tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, artichokes, green pepper, red pepper, black olives, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Bring to boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

  2) Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. Add pasta water to the sauce and give it a good stir.

  3) Combine pasta and sauce in a large serving bowl. Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese and parsley.

  Chicken Scaloppini with Spinach and Linguine

  1-pound fresh asparagus or fresh broccoli

  1-pound linguine

  1 (9oz.) package fresh spinach, thoroughly washed

  ¼ cup flour

  2 tsp. salt, divided

  1 ½ tsp. black pepper, divided

  6-chicken cutlets

  2 TBLS. butter

  2 TBLS. olive oil

  2 TBLS. flour

  2-½ cups chicken broth


  1 TBLS. lemon zest

  3 TBLS. lemon juice

  2-plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

  Grated parmesan cheese

  Directions:

  1) Snap off and discard tough ends off of asparagus, cut into half crosswise

  2) Prepare linguine according to package instructions, adding asparagus during the last two minutes of cooking. Drain, return to the pot. Stir in spinach, cover and keep warm over low heat.

  3) Combine ¾ cup flour, 1-½ tsp. salt and one tsp. of pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken cutlets; seal bag and shake lightly to coat.

  4) Melt 1 TBLS. of butter with 1 TBLS. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook three cutlets in skillet, 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned and done. Remove from skillet. Repeat process with remaining 1 TBLS. of butter and 1 TBLS. of oil, and cutlets.

  5) Place chicken on a large plate and cover with aluminum foil. Meanwhile in skillet, whisk 2 TBLS. of flour into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining ½ tsp. of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking loosened particles from bottom of skillet. Pour over warm cutlets; toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with tomatoes. Serve immediately with linguine mixture and parmesan cheese.

  Chianti-Braised Short Ribs

  8-beef short ribs, on the bone

  Salt & pepper

  1 TBLS. vegetable oil

  1 onion finely chopped

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  2 cups Chianti wine

  2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

  1 tsp. tomato paste

  Directions:

  1) Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the ribs and cook turning often, until browned, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker.

  2) Pour off all but 1 TBLS. fat from the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly softened, about four minutes. Stir in the wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low heat for six hours.