Anna's Tiny Kitchen

This is a super delicious and easy dish to make!  It is economical because it requires no meat or expensive ingredients.  Serve with some garlic bread and a salad for a hearty, comforting dinner.  P.S. Although this recipe isn't Portuguese, the doily underneath the baking dish is!  24 Jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained, and cooled 2 T. extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 onion, chopped 1 bag frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed tight to remove excess water 1 1/2 c. chopped fresh mushrooms 12 oz. park-skim Ricotta cheese 1 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1 large egg 1 - 2 T. chopped fresh basil 1 t. garlic salt 1/2 t. ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups Marinara sauce Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, heat the olive oil till very hot and add the minced garlic and chopped onion.  Stir well for a minute and then add the thawed, squeezed spinach and chopped mushrooms.  Stir and saute for about 3 or 4 minutes. 

This amazing recipe is adapted from Fran Warde's beautiful cookbook, Simply Delicious Food Morning Noon and Night.  I've made this recipe many times over the years and it is rich and divine!  I love the combination of bananas, caramel and chocolate.  The secret lies in boiling the sweetened condensed milk can in a large pot of water the day before.  Who knew?  Oh and it's perfect for summer because it requires no baking! 1 can sweetened condensed milk (you might not use the entire can) 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup pure butter 3 firm bananas 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar 3 oz. high quality dark chocolate Place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan.  Cover with water, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the hear and simmer for 3 hours.  Check the water level from time to time and top up as necessary.  Let cool overnight. Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the cracker crumbs and mix well.  Pour

These Chewy Almond Fruit Bars of goodness are so delicious!  Cake-like, yet dense and chewy like a Blondie, they are irresistible.  And they are so easy to make!  Use whatever preserves or fruit spread you have on hand! 4 large eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup melted butter (no substitutions) 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract 3 heaping Tablespoons all-fruit spread Confectioner's sugar Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture reaches pale lemon-colored.  Beat in the flour and almond extract, scraping the sides the bowl.  Beat until smooth and thick!  Spread into a greased 13 inch x 9 inch baking pan.  Drop the fruit spread all over the dough in the pan and swirl with the tip of a knife.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into bars.  Yield: 2 dozen chewy

Hello everyone! My name is Anna and I'm very excited to introduce my new blog, Anna's Tiny Kitchen!  I live in a small apartment and indeed have a very tiny kitchen.  I have a passion for cooking and baking and love to create new, delicious recipes in my little kitchen.  With my new blog, I can showcase my goodies and share them with everyone. I love to bake cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, and tarts.  I like to try new recipes and then adjust them according to my creative whimsy.  I hope you enjoy the treats presented here and are inspired to try them out in your own kitchen.  I come from a Portuguese background and am so excited to showcase my mother's delicious recipes as well! Thank you for visiting and stay tuned for my first post coming soon! Thank you, Anna