This seafood salad is a classic dish in Sicily, where Hallmark Channel movie “Missing The Boat” takes place! It’s fresh and bright, perfect for a sail around the coast of Sicily!

I loved everything about this movie! From the scenery, to the storyline, and of course the two main characters played by Emilie Ullerup and Kristoffer Polaha! The pair I never knew I needed! Well, a cruise and a trip to Sicily isn’t complete without some calamari and octopus, so let’s get cooking!

Ingrdients:

-1 pound squid

-1 pound octopus

-1 pound shrimp

-Juice of 2 lemons

-Parsley

-Cherry tomatoes

-4 celery stalks

-Garlic infused olive oil

-Chicken stock

-2 cloves garlic

Directions:

In a large pot, pour chicken stock, and add water if it is not enough to cover the squid and octopus completely. Add two whole cloves of garlic, to season the water.

Add squid and octopus into the pot and cover while heat is on simmer. The squid will take 3 to 4 minutes to cook, and the octopus will take closer to 20 minutes. Once you have removed them both from the water, let them cool a bit.

In the meantime, you can prep your tomatoes, celery, and parley. Rinse and chop those up, throw them in a bowl and set aside.

Then you will cut your cooled calamari into rings, and your octopus tentacles. Add those into the bowl with your vegetables, and add some pre-cooked cocktail shrimp as well.

Squeeze the juice of two lemons and pour that all over. Next, pour a generous amount of garlic infused olive oil on top, followed by salt and pepper. Mix until it is all well combined.

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter with lettuce and lemon wedges, adding a little more parsley on top for garnish. Best if served chilled. Enjoy!

“Caught By Love” on Hallmark Channel was such a fun movie! I loved the combo of a love story amidst the mystery of a jewel thief! Rachael Leigh Cook and Luke Macfarlane were fantastic together! I absolutely loved the tropical vibes of Malta, the scenery, and all the tropical drinks that were consumed! I decided to concoct my own tropical mocktail that I think would have been a great addition to the menu at the Salini Resort, where the film took place!

Ingredients:

-2 oz coconut water

-3 oz mango nectar

-Pineapple sparkling water

-Pineapple for garnish

*MAKE SURE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE COLD

Directions:

In a very tall glass (I used a beer pilsner), start with a bit of crushed ice.

Add coconut water, then mango nectar.

Top off whatever space is left in the glass with pineapple sparkling water. Give it a quick stir.

Add a slice of pineapple for garnish, and that’s it!

If you choose to add alcohol and make it a cocktail, a splash of coconut rum would work with this drink.

If you watched “Lost in Paradise” on Hallmark Channel, you know exactly what this dish is all about! Lacey Chabert and Ian Harding’s characters, “Sophia” and “Max” were marooned on a deserted island, well, at least they though it was deserted! One of the best scenes is when the two of them are spear fishing in the ocean to catch dinner. Max, who is a chef, turned their catch of Skip Jack into a culinary masterpiece! He cooked the fish over a fire with coconut, sea salt, fresh tropical herbs, and wrapped in a banana leaf to lock in moisture while cooking. I just had to recreate what sounded like the most delicious dinner you could have while stranded on an island!

Ingredients:

-1 pound fresh cod (I couldn’t find Skip Jack, and this is in the same family)

-1 or 2 large banana leaves (found these in the frozen section)

-1 can coconut cream

-3/4 cups chicken stock

-1 teaspoon ground ginger

-3 cloves garlic

-juice of half a lime

-cilantro

-green onions

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by defrosting the banana leaves.

In a large pan, pour coconut cream, chicken stock, lime juice, ginger and garlic in. Stir and bring to a boil while stirring often.

Add the amount of cilantro and green onions that you like. Continue simmering and stirring until thickened and reduced.

Open up thawed out banana leaf and wipe down with damp cloth or paper towel. Then dry with a dry cloth or paper towel. I layered two banana leaves for extra leak protection. Use a baking sheet to lay the banana leaves on.

Lay the fresh cod on top of banana leaf. Add salt and pepper.

Pour on the thickened coconut sauce, covering entire cod.

Wrap banana leaves around it like a present and then gently flip seam side down.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes. Fish will be flaky.

Place on serving dish, and add more chopped cilantro and green onions on top. Pair with a side of cilantro-lime rice. Enjoy!

The trilogy of “Three Wise Men and a Baby” on Hallmark channel has concluded with “Three Wisest Men”. I’m a big fan of all three of these movies, and if you haven’t seen any of them yet, you should! This recipe was inspired by the scenes where “Kings Hawaiian” rolls were featured ( some kind of advertisement plug throughout the movie). I was thinking why “Kings Hawaiian”? Maybe I’m thinking too deeply into it, but the in the Bible, the Three Wise Men are also known as The Three Kings, so maybe there is a connection there? You never know! I decided to use these sweet rolls to make the most sweet and savory baked sliders! Perfect for family dinner or a holiday gathering!

Ingredients:

-1 package “Kings Hawaiian Rolls”. The slider buns that are pre sliced.

-1 package smoked ham

-1 package provolone cheese

SAUCE:

-3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

-2 tablespoons mustard

-1 tablespoon mayonnaise

-2 tablespoons honey

-1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

-1 tablespoon onion powder

-Everything bagel seasoning

Directions:

Start with the sauce. Melt the butter first in a microwave safe bowl, and then add all other ingredients. Whisk until it is all well combined. Set aside.

In a square baking dish, place the buns inside. Remove the tops and set aside. Place as much ham and provolone as you’d like on each bun. I like to start with ham, then cheese, then more ham.

Top with the top buns. Spoon or pour all of the sauce you made on top of the whole thing. Covering buns completely.

Add a generous about of “everything bagel seasoning” on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Let it sit for a few minutes before serving so the buns can soak up all the juice. Enjoy!

The group of potential leading men in Hallmark Channel series, “Finding Mr. Christmas” was a fun one this week! Not only did the guys become cowboys in a scene with Hallmark star Allison Sweeney, they also built gingerbread houses that were to reflect themselves and their lives. They were so cute and festive! These gingerbread muffins are for these studs!

Ingredients:

-2 1/4 cup flour

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-pinch salt

-2 teaspoons cinnamon

-1 1/2 tablespoons ginger

-1/2 teaspoon cloves

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup milk

-1/2 cup molasses

-1 stick unsalted butter, melted

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1/4 teaspoon orange extract

-2 eggs

-Orange zest

FOR GLAZE:

-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

-Desired amount of milk (start with one teaspoon until you reach the consistency you like)

-Orange zest

Directions:

In a bowl with electric mixer, mix eggs and brown sugar first.

Then mix in milk, molasses, melted butter, vanilla and orange extracts, eggs and orange zest. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves.

Slowly add your mixture of dry ingredients to your wet ingredients as the mixer is on low/medium. Stir until well combined.

Line your muffin tin with festive liners and fill will two scoops of batter in each muffin liner.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 23-25 minutes.

For the glaze, using a fork, mix the powdered sugar and milk until you get the desired consistency. Then stir in a bit of orange zest.

Spoon on your glaze so it seeps into the cracks of the muffins. Enjoy!

If you’ve been watching “Baked With Love- Holiday” on Hallmark Channel, then you know all the baking themes in which the contestants have been creating with. Week two of the competition included a cookie wreath, which was such a cute dessert idea for a holiday party! I’m going a little bit against the grain on this one, and making a savory baked wreath. It’s a pizza dough, shaped and decorated like a wreath, stuffed with seasoned eggplant, Italian cheeses and sun dried tomatoes. The top is basted with basil pesto to create the green “wreath” color and adorned with more sun dried tomatoes as ornaments. It is a fabulous appetizer at a holiday party your guests will love!

Ingredients:

-2 packages refrigerated pizza dough (rolls out into a rectangle)

-1 jar sun dried tomatoes

-1 jar basil pesto (or homemade if you prefer)

-Italian cheese blend (shredded)

-1 large eggplant

-Garlic powder

-Black pepper

-Sea salt

Directions:

Start by peeling and slicing the eggplant. Spread them out on paper towels and generously sprinkle with salt to draw out the moisture and bitterness. Cover with another paper towel and let sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, you will notice the moisture having been drawn out into the paper towels. Rinse in a colander under cold water and squeeze dry.

In a saute pan, use the oil from the can of sun dried tomatoes to cook the eggplant in.

Warm up the oil, add the eggplant. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Saute until soft and translucent. Set aside.

Take one of the pizza dough’s and slice it in half, creating two long rectangles.

One a round pizza pan, use both pieces of dough rectangles to create a circle (the wreath).

Make sure it is wide enough to place eggplant on top of it.

Add cooked eggplant along the top all around the circle. Cover with Italian cheese blend and a few sun dried tomatoes.

Take the second package of pizza dough and slice that one in half the same with you did with the first.

Cover the top of the wreath along the same seams as the bottom dough to create a “sandwich”. Pinch the edges to seal all the goodness inside.

Using a basting brush, baste on the pesto all over the entire dough wreath. Place remaining sun dried tomatoes as ornaments along the top after that.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until puffed up and golden. Enjoy!

“Merry Christmas Ted Cooper” on Hallmark Channel was FULL of love, laughter and cheesy jokes, and I couldn’t love it more! My favorite scene was at the Christmas costume party where he is bustin’ a move dressed as Frosty the Snowman! Between this scene and his “cheesy” personality, I was inspired to make a snowman cheeseball. It also happens to be perfect to serve at a Holiday party, just like the one in this scene!

Ingredients:

-2 bricks softened cream cheese

-2 cups shredded cheese mix of provolone and mozzarella

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/4 teaspoon onion powder

-1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped finely

-1 bunch fresh basil, chopped finely

-Container of grated Parmesan cheese (for rolling the cheeseballs)

-Bag of small pretzel sticks

-Peppercorns

-Baby carrots

-Variety of crackers

Directions:

Place the softened cream cheese into a large bowl.

Add shredded cheeses, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped rosemary and chopped basil. Stir very well and place in plastic wrap in a ball for 30 minutes.

Once it has firmed up, separate the cheese ball into three balls, each different sizes ranging from smallest to largest. Remember, you are building a snowman!

Roll each cheese ball in a bowl full of grated Parmesan cheese to give it more of a “snowy” look.

Grab your serving platter!

Use a pretzel stick to use as support to attach one cheese ball to the next. Start with the largest ball on the bottom, and end with the smallest on top.

Use peppercorns to create eyes, a smile, and buttons.

Use two pretzel sticks to create arms

Take one of the carrots, and slice a small part off to create a small carrot nose. Push that in the center of your snowman’s face.

Once your snowman is done, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

When ready to serve, add your crackers and carrots around the snowman on the platter for dipping. Enjoy!

“A Christmas Angel Match” on Hallmark Channel was full of heavenly delight! I loved Benjamin Ayres and Meghan Ory as the match making angels that they were. And what better way to end the movie than with the two matchmakers becoming a match themselves! The all white attire, and setting up in the clouds was done very well and really set the tone for these character’s roles. I wanted to make something light and fluffy just like the clouds these characters resided in. No better heavenly treat than angel food cake! With a Christmas twist of course!

Ingredients:

FOR CAKE

-1 cup flour

-1 cup sugar

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-10 egg whites

-1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR TOPPING

-1 cup heavy whipping cream

-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

-1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

-Crushed candy canes

-Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whisk together the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until a thick and frothy consistency occurs.

Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time until totally combined. Whisk on high a few more minutes until a meringue forms with slightly stiff peaks.

With a spatula, gently fold in the extracts and then slowly fold in the flour a little bit at a time. Being careful not to stir too much and release all the air in it.

Pour into an UNGREASED tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When you remove from oven, place upside down on a plate to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the topping.

In a cold bowl using an electric mixer, whisk the heavy whipping cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on high until it becomes thick and ribbons. Gently stir in the peppermint extract. Place in fridge.

Once your cake has cooled in the pan upside down, use a butter knife to loosen the edges and gently shimmy it out of the pan.

Sprinkle the sides with powdered sugar. Then take your whipped topping out of the fridge and dollop that all along the top to look like clouds.

Crush the candy canes in a ziplock bag or food processor and sprinkle on top. Enjoy!