Morgan’s recipe for Noodles with a Walnut Pesto Sauce

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Noodles with Walnut Pesto Sauce
1 cup parsley, chopped and packed into a cup
1 Tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. water, boiling
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped or whole pine nuts
8 oz. thin spaghetti, angel hair pasta, or noodles cooked according to package directions
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except spaghetti.  Beat with a fork to combine thoroughly.  Place well-drained hot spaghetti in a large bowl.  Pour sauce over spaghetti and toss lightly to coat.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.  Makes 4 servings.
Note: Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Cover with a thin layer of olive oil and store in a covered jar.  Let it warm to room temperature before using.  It may also be frozen.
***This is also a great dinner option to take with you camping or packing on horseback into the backcountry – take the prepared pesto with you in a sealed container, cook the spaghetti on your camp stove, drain and add the pesto…it makes an easy and great meal while roughing it.

 

Chocolate Truffles Made with Love by Morgan

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Chocolate Truffles
16 ounces of finely chopped dark or semi dark chocolate (or a mixture of both)
1 2/3 cups of heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1/2 tsp. of course salt
unsweetened cocoa powder to use when rolling the truffles
Place chocolate in a medium bowl.  In a small saucepan, heat cream until it begins to simmer; pour over chocolate.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.  Uncover and whisk chocolate mixture until smooth.  Mix in vanilla and salt.  Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and let cool 15 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set, about 3 hours.
With a melon baller, a 1-inch scoop, or a teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture and place on parchment paper.  Coat hands with cocoa and roll truffles into balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.  (To store truffles, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.)  Roll in finely chopped nuts or more cocoa powder, or brush with lust dust just before serving or packaging up these wonderful little treats.
Morgan found this recipe in her Martha Stewart cookbook.  She enjoyed making these little treats and when she made them they were  always made as gifts for friends and family.  Everyone was delighted to receive these from Morgan and Morgan was always so happy to give them as gifts to everyone.   
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Morgan’s Lithuanian Potato Kugel Recipe

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Potato Kugel
4 medium potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
1 large yellow onion
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil or 3 pieces chopped bacon
Garnish with sour cream
A kugel is a pudding-like dish, best eaten hot or warm.  Peel the potatoes and grate them as quickly as possible.  Peel and grate the onion.  Beat the eggs lightly.  Stir together the potatoes, onion, eggs, salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, pour the oil, into a shallow, medium sized casserole, add the potato mixture and bake it for 1 hour.  If using chopped bacon instead of oil on the bottom of the casserole, put the bacon into the casserole and bake 15 minutes before adding that potato mixture, then bake for 1 additional hour.  The kugel should be puffed up and browned.  Serve hot with sour cream.  Serves 6 – 8.

Morgan loved this recipe – it is one of the Lithuanian recipes that she enjoyed just as much as she enjoyed learning to speak Lithuanian.  Morgan’s father Steve is 1/2 Lithuanian and Morgan was practicing her Lithuanian in order to travel there someday – it was on her bucket list.  Whenever I called her on her phone she had it set to show up on the screen that  “motina” was calling.  Motina is Lithuanian for mother.

imissyou

Tonight I feel Morgan very close – the full moon, one of the super moons, maybe with it’s gravitational pull…I don’t know if that is it, all I know is that she is very, very close.  And I know how much I miss her laughter, her smile, her flat hand against the middle of my back, gently placed there whenever I was upset.  Her hand seemed to put an invisible warm sense of calm throughout my body.  That same warm “blast” of energy I can still feel when I break down and cry…wondering why did this sweet, kind daughter has been taken from this world.  I know Morgan is sending her love, she wants me to stay strong, and she wants me to continue to raise awareness, and push for justice and truth, not only for her, but for all others that have not been able to find justice.  I won’t let her down.

I enjoy sharing these recipes to keep the happy memories of Morgan alive – I hope you will enjoy them as well.  Love and hugs to all.

Morgan in the kitchen: Appetizer recipe for Italian stuffed mushrooms

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mushroomStuffed Mushrooms Parmesan

1 lb. mushrooms with 1 – 2 inch caps
2 Tbsp. olive plus 2 additional Tbsp. *
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs (1 slice) we usually use Italian bread crumbs, but either kind works
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. oregano
Grease shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Clean mushrooms and cut off stems from caps.  Place caps open side up in casserole.  Set aside.  Finely chop mushroom stems.  Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet.  Add chopped mushroom stems, onion, and garlic.  Cook slowly until lightly browned.  Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and oregano.  Mix in onion, garlic, and stems.  Pile mixture lightly into inverted caps.  Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil into casserole.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and the tops are browned.  Makes 6 – 8 servings.
* Additional olive oil is to pour into casserole at the end.  Morgan used to always make these on Thanksgiving.  Everyone in our family used to cook whatever their favorites were on Thanksgiving, and they became all part of our Thanksgiving dinner.