Cooking With Margaret

  Caprese Salad  Serves 6-8 Ingredients Salad 3 pints of fresh cherry tomatoes  2 pounds of fresh mozzarella, diced  1 bunch of Italian parsley, minced, divided 1 cup of fresh basil 1 tablespoon olive oil Dressing 1/2 cup pesto 2/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice  1 tablespoon salt  2 teaspoon pepper  Directions Rinse cherry tomatoes, in colander, set aside Dice up mozzarella into cubes, put in bowl  Tear up fresh basil leaves (*chopping basil bruises the leaves and can reduce the amount of flavor from them)  Add 1/2 the minced parsley  Dressing Whisk olive oil, pesto, and lemon juice Add other 1/2 of parsley Add salt and pepper Assembly  In your serving bowl add mozzarella cubes, basil leaves, parsley, and olive oil Toss with dressing, until evenly coated Season to taste Serve and enjoy!

  Crab and Artichoke Spread Serves 8-10 Ingredients 1 medium onion, small dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese, divided 5 oz shredded parmesan cheese, divided 2 13.75 fl. oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and diced 2 cups mayonnaise  3/4 pound Dungeness Crab meat, picked over  1 bunch italian parsley, minced, divided  Salt and Pepper to taste To Serve Ciabatta or Focaccia, toasted  Sliced garden fresh tomatoes Remaining Parsley Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large pan saute onion and garlic, add artichokes, saute until warmed through In a large bowl add half of each of the cheeses, mayonnaise, crab meat and about 2/3 of the parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste  Place in a large casserole dish that has been greased. Place on a baking tray. Bake until golden brown and bubbling in the center, about 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, spread crab and artichoke mixture over toasted bread. ...

   Cashew Curry Chicken Salad Ingredients                   Salad   1 rotisserie chicken   1 large onion, small diced   1/2 the heart of celery, diced   1 bunch of Italian parsley, minced, divided  2 cups of whole roasted salted cashews, roughly chopped                 Dressing  Combine in a bowl 2 1/2 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric  1 tablespoon of salt  Remaining 1/2 of parsley 2 cups of mayonnaise 1 tablespoon of  white wine vinegar          Directions  In a bowl, shred the chicken Add celery and onions Add 1/2 the parsley Add dressing  Add cashews Stir   Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight   Serve  Wonderful with toasted bread, in a salad, or by itself Enjoy! 

Garlic Dip With Herbs Makes About 4-6 Cups of Dip Ingredients 3- 8oz boxes of cream cheese, softened  3 cups cottage cheese 2 tablespoons milk/heavy cream 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 bunch of chives 1 bunch of parsley 10 cloves of garlic Salt to taste Paprika, for garnish Directions  In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip cream cheese, cottage cheese and milk, and Worcestershire (*adding more milk at end if needed to adjust consistency*)   In a food processor combine the remaining ingredients and pulse until finely chopped Add to mixing bowl and whip until fluffy Taste to adjust seasoning Sprinkle with paprika Serve *Can be made ahead (recommended*) so the flavors can blend and get stronger

Gemmeli Carbonara Serves 4  Ingredients 1 pound of gemmeli pasta 1 large onion, diced  3 garlic cloves 6 egg yolks 2 whole eggs 1/2 pound thick cut prosciutto, diced (putting in freezer, 30-60 minutes before cutting makes it much easier to cut) 1 bunch of parsley, minced, divided  1 cup grated of parmesan, plus more for serving  Salt and Pepper, to taste Directions Bring water to boil, add generous amount of salt. Add pasta, cook according to package directions, stirring often.  While the pasta is cooking sauté onion and garlic, with olive oil and salt until onion is translucent. Set aside.  In another bowl whisk together eggs, 3/4 of the minced parsley and grated parmesan. Set aside.  Chop prosciutto up into small pieces. Drain pasta, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to hot pot, stir in egg mixture, making sure they don't scramble by adding a little pasta water (start with about 2 tablespoons) until a sauce coats the noodles. Fold in...