Tortellini Salad

This is an excellent pasta salad (my husband's favorite) and is quite easy to assemble. I use Chef Todd's seasoning, but it is also really good with Italian seasoning. Also, because there are only two of us, I make a smaller portion by choosing a smaller package of the refrigerated tortellini, but when I make it for larger groups I use two packages or a larger package - preferably with multi-colored tortellini. I don't think it tastes any different, I just like the way it looks.

Recipe Yield: 4 servings

1 9 oz package cheese tortellini, prepared according to directions on package

1 red pepper, sliced

1/2 can black olives

Chef Todd's seasoning (to taste)

Salt, to taste

Olive oil

Feta cheese

Combine pasta, olive oil, and seasonings and stir until the pasta is completely coated. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. If the pasta soaks up the olive oil before you eat it, add a little bit more.

Simple Chicken Cacciatore

There are some recipes that I have heard of dozens of times, but never had myself. I often think of them as  "gourmet" or "fancy." This was one of those recipes. I wanted to cook something Italian and so I decided to make it. Once I read through a couple of recipes completely, I realized that it is pretty much just chicken with spaghetti sauce. There is another recipe by Giada de Laurentiis that is somewhat different and I really want to try it in the future. The sauce completely homemade and it looks really good (and gets great reviews). Still, this one was decent, quick to make, and I would definitely make it again.

Yield: 4 servings

4 chicken breasts

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1-2 tsp minced garlic

4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups pasta sauce

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp oregano

Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil for about 15 minutes or until it is thoroughly cooked and is crispy and golden on the outside. Add onion and garlic during the last five minutes of cooking. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve over spaghetti, prepared according to directions on the package.

Baked Beef Ravioli

Lately, I have really been focusing on saving money by making things with ingredients that I already have. A month or two ago, we bought a bag of ravioli from Costco. We have eaten plain ravioli with olive oil and seasonings a few different times and I was looking for something new that I could try. This recipe is adapted from one that is on the Better Homes and Gardens website. It was super easy - basically just ravioli with a red meat sauce - and it was fun to change things up just a little bit.

15-20 oz. refrigerated ravioli (cheese-filled)

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4-5 tsp minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Boil ravioli according to directions on the package. Preheat oven to 375°. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is brown and onions are tender. Drain fat. Stir in tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, oregano, and basil and heat until warm. 

In a baking dish, combine ravioli and sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until it is completely heated.

Classic Meat Lasagna

I wanted to post something amazing for my first recipe of 2012. I actually have a number of other dishes that I have made over the past several days, but I am glad that I procrastinated updating the blog because this one was truly incredible. My husband actually gave it a 10 without me even asking what he thought.

We are really big fans of Stouffer's lasagna. In fact, we were pretty sure that no homemade lasagna could even compare. Besides, why spend hours in the kitchen when you can get one that tasted that good from the frozen foods section at the grocery store? Well, I thought I would go out on a limb and try making my own and I think it actually tops Stouffer's. The best part is that it wasn't nearly as time consuming as I had feared - especially because I prepared it in advanced and stored it in the refrigerator until baking time. It was HUGE so we froze half of it right off the bat and we still had a couple of meals of leftovers. If you are baking for 2 or 4, you may want to cut this recipe in half and make it in a square pan rather than a 9x13.

Sauce:

1/2 - 1 lb ground sausage

1 lb ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 - 2 24 oz jars pasta sauce (I used Prego)

Ricotta Mixture:

16 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp oregano

16 lasagna noodles, prepared according to directions on package

1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced

1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pan, cook meat, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is soft. Add Italian seasoning, basil, and pasta sauce and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer while lasagna noodles are boiling and while you are stirring the cheese mixture together in a medium bowl.

To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a deep 9x13" pan. Top with 4 lasagna noodles (3 will fit, but I used 4 and overlapped them a bit). Spread ricotta mixture over top of noodles, top with mozzarella cheese and another layer of meat sauce, then 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers and top with remaining mozarella and Parmesan cheese. This should be enough for 4 layers, although the pan might only fit 3.

Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. 

Cannoli

Although I grew up in the States, I feel like I have a strong connection with my Italian ancestors. Family heritage is something that is really important to me, especially when it has to do with food. One of my favorite stories is about my great grandmother making Canolis and frying the shells on the end of a broomstick. While many modern chefs choose to use special metal tubes that were specifically designed for making these delicious pastries, I don't see anything wrong with the old fashioned way. I actually used a wooden dowel that had been cut into 8" pieces. I cured them by soaking them in vegetable oil and then baking them in the oven on 200° for an hour (I found someone online who said that is what you should do - I don't know if it really made a difference). 

There are generally two types of Cannoli filling. One uses ricotta cheese and one is just milk and sugar (basically). This "non-cheese" recipe seemed easy (and tasted GREAT - much better than those disgusting Cannolis I tried last week at Kneaders - blech...). I decided to add about 3 oz of cream cheese to the filling - non-traditional, I know - so I won't include it in the recipe.

Cannoli shell:

4 cups of flour

3/4 cup Crisco

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

20 Tbsp cold water (there are 16 Tbsp in a cup)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

(makes approximately 50 small cannolis or 20 large ones)

Stir together flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients, stirring until the mixture is approximately pea sized, then add the egg and slowly stir in the water until it forms a ball.

Preheat a pan of canola oil on medium-high. When the oil sizzles with a splatter of water, you know it is ready. Gently place several cannoli shells in the oil and fry until they are a deep golden color. When you remove the shells, place them on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.

The shells can be made several days in advance and refrigerated.

Cannoli filling:
5 cups milk
1 cinnamon stick
2/5 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla


Heat 4 cups sugar, milk, and cinnamon over medium heat. Mix remaining cup of milk with cornstarch. When milk comes to a boil, add cornstarch/milk mixture. Mix until thick, stirring continuously. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir so the milk doesn't burn. Refrigerate until cool, then stir in vanilla.


Use a pastry bag to fill shells with filling. Dip ends of cannolis in crushed chocolate pieces or nuts. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top.

Tomato Basil Penne with Chicken

I really like making pasta and "Italian" food for dinner, but sometimes the traditional red sauce or white sauce recipes get kind of old. I was looking for something interesting I could make with penne pasta and I stumbled upon a recipe that looked really good. I made a couple of changes to the recipe to make it my own. It was really good and VERY easy to make. It only took about 20 minutes total. I would recommend this recipe to anyone - especially those busy people who want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible, but still appreciate good food.

8 oz penne pasta, prepared according to directions on box

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3 tsp minced garlic

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (more if desired)

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp minced fresh basil

1 1/2 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

Chef Todd's seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet. Cook chicken, seasoning with Chef Todd's seasoning until the meat is thoroughly cooked and begins to turn golden brown on the outside.

Then, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook garlic, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cheeses. When they begin to melt, stir in cooked penne pasta and chicken. Season with fresh basil.

Baked Shells with Bolognese Sauce

This was a little pasta dish that I came up with on the fly when I was trying to save money by using the ingredients we had in our home already. Luckily, we had some pretty good ingredients lying around. I used the jumbo conchiglie (shells) pasta, but if I were to make it again I would use the smaller shells or some other type of bite-sized pasta. The sauce is similar to a bolognese sauce, but just a little different because of time and some ingredient constraints - close enough, though.

Bolognese Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage or ground pork

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste 

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

White Sauce:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

2 cups dried conchiglie (shells)

2 Tbsp dried Italian style bread crumbs

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds before adding in onions, carrots, peppers, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, then add meat. Cook, stirring frequently until there is no pink left in the meat. Season with oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk (or cream) and turn down heat. Taste and add seasonings according to preference.

While Bolognese sauce is simmering, boil pasta according to the directions on the package. Preheat the oven to 375°.

In another pan, cook the white sauce by melting the butter in a pan, then adding flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add milk slowly, whisking to combine until sauce is smooth and thick. Season, then remove pan from heat. 

Drain pasta and put it into a casserole dish. Pour Bolognese sauce over top and stir to mix. Beat the egg into the white sauce and pour over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs and bake on 375° for 15-20 minutes

Manicotti with Mixed Vegetables

A few months ago, my husband and I ate at Macaroni Grill. We ordered a dish that was amazing (despite being a little small). I don't remember the whole name but it was the first time I had ever had cannelloni, a tube-like pasta that can be stuffed with cheese, meat, vegetables, or any combination of the three. I went to the store because I wanted to make a similar dish; unfortunately I couldn't find cannelloni anywhere. I bought manicotti; really the only difference is that the edges are ribbed. Although this took about 45 minutes to prepare and about another 45 to bake, it was totally worth the wait. Really, it was incredible.

24 dried manicotti tubes
8 oz spinach
1-2 large cans spaghetti sauce

Filling:
2 Tbsp oil
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground sausage
4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 C flour
14.5 oz (1 can) beef broth
2 small zucchinis, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

Sauce:
1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
2 C milk
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350° F. For the filling, heat the oil in a large pan. Add ground beef and garlic. Cook until meat loses its pink color. Add the flour and cook for one minute more. Stir in beef broth and bring to a boil. Add onion and zucchini and season. Cook for 10 minutes.

Spoon the beef mixture into the manicotti tubes and place in a casserole dish that has spaghetti sauce covering the bottom. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and place on top of the manicotti tubes. For the white sauce, melt butter in a pan. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk, cheese, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Pour spaghetti sauce and then white sauce over manicotti and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Italian Meatballs

Making these meatballs was a great Sunday afternoon activity for my husband and I. I had actually never had homemade meatballs; and, in fact, thought that I didn't like meatballs before when we decided to make these. Well, it turns out that I do like meatballs. These were great.

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork sausage
2 c. Italian bread crumbs (or homemade bread crumbs with Italian seasoning)
1 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

We made the bread crumbs with 100% whole wheat bread that we had in the house by putting it in the oven at about 300° for 10 minutes (give or take a few). Then we put the bread in the blender to grind it up. After this was done, we combined the meats, bread crumbs, 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning, and all of the other ingredients. Then we formed meatballs and baked them in the oven on 350° for 22 minutes.

The below pictures are before and after baking pictures:

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I had never made lasagna from scratch before I decided to make this one. It started out as only an idea for a combination of flavors. I didn't even have a recipe! Needless to say, I learned a lot about putting together a lasagna, and found out that it wasn't as intimidating as I had imagined. One thing I learned is that I only needed to make about half of the box of lasagna noodles, or do more layers of lasagna (which would require more of the other ingredients). My husband loved this dinner and was very eager to eat leftovers, which there were quite a lot of because I made a whole 9x13 pan and there are only 2 of us. This lasagna also freezes well.

Lasagna noodles
Alfredo Sauce, double the recipe (4-6 cups total)
1/2-1 lb sliced mushrooms
Fresh spinach
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 lb chicken, cooked and shredded or cut into small pieces


Begin by preparing lasagna noodles according to directions on the package. While noodles are boiling, make alfredo sauce and set out all ingredients for ease of assembly. Generously oil the bottom of a 9x13 (or 10x18) baking dish. Drain the noodles but do not rinse them. Cover bottom of pan with noodles. Layer chicken, alfredo sauce, mushooms, spinach, then lightly sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over top. Repeat layers until pan is full. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350° 20-30 minutes. You may want to cover with foil for the first 15-20 minutes to melt the cheese and then uncover for the last 10 min. to brown it. Let the lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Parmesan

This is a recipe that my mom made for us a lot when I was growing up. It is easy to make and tastes great. Most of my favorite dishes require a lot of spices and are fairly time consuming but one of the things I really like about my mom's recipes is that they generally require very little work and fairly few spices but still have a great flavor. This is definitely one of those dishes that I wouldn't hesitate to make for any dinner guest - even one who is very picky.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese spices
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Dip chicken in eggs followed by bread crumbs then Parmesan cheese and brown in skillet of olive oil and garlic. Pour sauce in 9x13 pan to coat bottom. Place chicken breasts on top. Top chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Add more sauce. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes.

Zucchini Tomato Sauté

This dish is inspired by one that a friend of mine in Guatemala made for me a few years ago. Frying things in excessive oil or lard is pretty much a way of life in Central America so of course the original dish had a lot higher fat content and different spices. I really like to make this side dish in combination with Fettuccine Alfredo. This time I made it as a side dish to steak and potato wedges.

2 cups zucchini, sliced
1-2 cups tomatoes, diced (I often use canned tomatoes with italian seasoning)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (less if using canned tomatoes)
Salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium skillet and saute over medium-high heat until onion and zucchini soften. Serve warm.

Rosemary Chicken Tortellini

This was an incredible dinner that I made for my parents and siblings when they were here visiting the week of Thanksgiving. It was very simple and quick to make and the leftovers tasted just as good as when it was fresh. This recipe makes enough to feed a family of 8 and still have leftovers.

4 16 oz packages fresh tortellini (I got a variety of kinds for taste and color)
8 oz sauteed mushrooms
Alfredo sauce (double recipe and replace garlic powder with rosemary)
1 Tbsp dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 lb chicken cut into strips and grilled
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
Garnish with Parmesan cheese and Rosemary

Boil tortellini according to directions on package (you may also use dried tortellini). Preheat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. While pasta is boiling, saute onion until tender then add chicken, seasoning with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms.

Make Alfredo sauce, doubling the recipe and replacing garlic powder with about a tablespoon of dried Rosemary. Once everything has been prepared and tortellini has been drained, stir mushrooms, sauce, chicken, and pasta together. Serve in a 9x13" casserole dish or other dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and a bit of Rosemary.

Eggplant Parmesan

My husband had never had Eggplant Parmesan but, being very proud of my Italian ancestry, I insisted that we have it at our wedding luncheon. He loved it even though it doesn't contain any meat! This is the version that I like to make. I use my mom's recipe for Chicken Parmesan and use eggplant instead. I like to serve it with extra sauce over pasta.

Eggplant (1/2" slices)
Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Favorite spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese slices
Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Prepare eggplant by cutting into 1/2" slices. Place in a strainer by layers and sprinkle salt over the top of each layer. Put a heavy plate or a bowl full of water over top and let them sit for at least an hour. They should begin to release condensation. This helps to remove the bitterness. Once you have finished this step, rinse the eggplant and pat dry.

Dip eggplant in eggs followed by bread crumbs then Parmesan cheese and brown in skillet of olive oil and garlic. Pour sauce in 9x13 pan to coat bottom. Place eggplant on top. Top eggplant with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Add more sauce. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for about 40-50 min.

Herb and Cheese Bubble Loaf

I have been trying to expand my bread-making repertoire, so I was looking through my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and found this delightful bread recipe. It is easy to make (just follow the instructions) and turns out light and fluffy. If I didn't know that I made it myself, I would have thought it came from a professional bakery.

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese (4 oz)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp snipped parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a small saucepan heat and stir milk, the 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/2 tsp salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in cheese and as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 min). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place till nearly double in size (about 1 hour - less in higher altitudes).

Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole or a loaf pan. Stir together the 1/4 cup melted butter, parsley, oregano, and marjoram. Set aside.

To shape, on a floured surface roll out dough from center to edges, forming and 8x6-inch rectangle; cut into 48 pieces. Gently pull each portion of dough into a ball, tucking edges beneath. Roll each ball in butter mixture. Arrange balls, smooth sides up, in prepared casserole or pan. Cover; set rise in a warm place till nearly double (30-40 min).

Bake at 375º oven 35-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped (cover loosely with foil the last 10-16 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Remove bread from casserole or pan. Serve warm.

Alfredo Sauce

I had tried a recipe for homemade Alfredo Sauce before and it was truly disgusting. After that I started to wonder if I even liked alfredo sauce because I don't like the kind from the store and I didn't trust that a homemade one would turn out any different than that first one. But my hubby finally convinced me to try his mother's recipe and WOW it turned out great.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
about 2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet. With a whisk mix flour in, a little at a time. Cook until bubbly. Stir while slowly adding milk until you reach desired thickness. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Add garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper.

Baked Chicken Bacon Alfredo

I saw a dish similar to this on the menu of one of our local restaurants and it looked great (although I didn't actually taste it) and I decided that I could try making my own version of it at home. We tried the whole experiment and invited some friends over to eat it. It was a big hit with everyone and it is definitely something I can see becoming a family favorite. This recipe makes enough to serve 6-8 people and filled two of the casserole dishes pictured above.

Ingredients:
12 oz pasta (penne, rotini, rotelle, etc)
4 cups Alfredo sauce (see recipe in sauce section of blog)
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
12 oz grilled chicken, cut into small pieces
6-8 oz Canadian bacon, small triangle shaped slices
3-5 oz sun-dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Add pasta to boiling water; while pasta is boiling cook Alfredo sauce (double recipe in sauces section of this blog). Drain pasta and split into two casserole dishes (this would also fit well into a 9x13" pan) mix in Alfredo sauce, mushrooms, onion, bacon, chicken, Canadian bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. Top with shredded mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until top begins to turn golden. I put the oven on broil for the last few minutes.

Garlic Bread

What better compliments a delicious Italian style dinner than some delicious Garlic Bread. I am toying with the idea of making primarily (if not exclusively) homemade bread so I thought today was the perfect opportunity to make a type of bread that I haven't ever tried before. I decided to use a generic French Bread recipe but add a little twist with some Italian seasoning. It was a little more dense and less dry than the kind of garlic bread that you buy from the store. It tasted good and I would probably make it again, but I have been looking online and I have found some recipes that I think might turn out better.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp quick rise yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
5-6 cups flour
2-3 tsp Italian seasoning

Combine yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand until completely dissolved. Stir in salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour and stir. Add Italian seasoning and stir. Slowly add remaining flour, constantly stirring until forming a soft dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes. Shape dough into two loaves; place on a cookie sheet and cut diagonally across the top. Brush loaves with water and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

While bread is baking, make garlic butter by mixing garlic powder with softened butter.  After removing loaves from oven, cool for a few minutes, cut in half lengthwise and spread garlic butter on each half. Return to oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.