Marie, Author at Proud Italian Cook

Winter Panzanella Salad With Roasted Vegetables

February 20, 2021 by Marie 9 Comments

A panzanella salad traditionally is made in summertime with fresh tomatoes and bread, but today I’m featuring a winter version of a panzanella salad. I promise you will love it and you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to make.

Go take a look inside your fridge and see what veggies you have in there, any combination would work, this is truly a freeform type of recipe.

Below is exactly what I had in my fridge.

I had a mix of broccoli, carrots, onion, peppers, brussel sprouts, sugar snap peas and cauliflower. If I had squash I would have added that, whatever you have will work.

Don’t be afraid to fill a whole sheet pan full of your favorite veggies like I did. Then drizzle them all over with olive oil, add salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees until golden, with still a little bite. Make sure you don’t over cook them, you don’t want mushy vegetables here.

Another important component to this salad is homemade croutons. I can’t stress enough how important it is to make your own, store bought ones do not compare.

I used a stale hunk of ciabatta for mine but any crusty bread would do. Just chunk it up, place on a baking sheet, drizzle and toss them with a generous amount of olive oil, pepper and I had a rosemary salt that I added.

You’re going to put those bread cubes into a 400 degree oven until they get golden and crispy, they don’t take too long so keep watching and tossing them.

Then the final important elements are a homemade vinaigrette and fresh bocconcini, ( fresh mozzarella). Again I stress homemade is best, so please don’t use a bottled dressing of any kind, making your own vinaigrette is easy to do and makes a world of difference to the taste and over all deliciousness of this salad.

I will add my vinaigrette recipe below at the end of the post.

After the veggies have been roasted and cooled down and the croutons and vinaigrette is made, it’s time to put this winter panzanella together.

Grab a pretty bowl, add the roasted veggies, torn basil and chopped fresh parsley. Toss in your croutons and bocconcini, use as much as you want and add in a few sliced cherry tomatoes for freshness.

All that’s left is to spoon that vinaigrette over the top and dig in! This could serve as a lunch, side dish or if you just feel like eating a bowl of goodness!

I hope you try this winter version of a panzanella salad.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Homemade Vinaigrette

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 part white balsamic vinegar
3 parts olive oil
a dollop of dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, grated
a pinch of salt and pepper
a pinch of dried oregano

Instructions

Place all the ingredients into a jar that has a lid.
Shake well until it all emulsifies together.
Store in the fridge when not using.

9 Comments Filed Under: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Winter Tagged: croutons, homemade breadcrumbs, panzanella, roasted veggies

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Tart with Amaretti Cookie Crust

February 11, 2021 by Marie 1 Comment

Calling all chocolate lovers! Here’s an easy dessert to make for upcoming Valentines Day, a special occasion or if you just have a wild craving for dark chocolate!

The best part about this dark chocolate tart with the almond flavor of Amaretto is that the only thing you’ll have to bake is the crust!

Speaking of the crust, it’s made with crushed amaretti cookies and butter, just like you would make a graham cracker crust but only better.

The filling is basically a mousse made of melted dark chocolate that’s folded into whipped cream and flavored with amaretto liquor. The liquor gives it a rich deep flavor, but if you want to substitute that with almond extract go ahead, you need to have that almond flavor.

As soon as you open up the bag of amaretti cookies that almond smell hits you right away, I promise you it will make the tart so much more amazing by using them for the crust.

Grab some good quality dark chocolate to melt down and when it cools you’re going to fold it into some heavy whipped cream to create a wonderful silky mousse.

Then it’s onto your baked amaretti crust and into the fridge for chilling, but the wait is worth it!

When chilled, garnish the top with some of the crushed amaretti cookies and toasted sliced almonds and then share a piece with someone you love!

Enjoy!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Dark Chocolate and Amaretto Tart with Amaretti Cookie Crust

Satisfy your chocolate craving with this easy to make chocolate Amaretto tart.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

Tart Crust
1-7oz. package of amaretti cookies
5 Tablespoons melted butter
Mousse Filling
1¾ cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Amaretto liquor or ½ to 1 teaspoon of almond extract
5 oz. chopped dark chocolate, good quality
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
toasted sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions

Pre heat the oven to 325F
Melt butter then set aside.
Pour 90% of the cookies into a food processor and process until fine crumbs, leaving the rest to crush by hand later for garnish.
Pour the butter through the tube of processor until the crumbs look like wet sand.
Press the crumbs into a 9" fluted tart pan.
Bake the crust at 325F for 20 minutes until set, then cool completely.
In a small saucepan add ¾ cup of heavy cream, when it starts to slightly simmer remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and Amaretto. Stir til the chocolate is silky smooth, then let it cool to room temperature.
In a medium size bowl add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and powdered sugar, whip til you get stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the cooled down chocolate and mix until fully incorporated.
Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Right before serving garnish with toasted almonds and some of the remaining crushed amaretti cookies.
***Recipe adapted from Everyday Food***

1 Comment Filed Under: Desserts, Sweet Tart Tagged: amaretti cookies, Amaretto dessert, chocolate, chocolate tart, tart

Seafood Freeform Lasagna with Lemon Cream Sauce

February 5, 2021 by Marie 6 Comments

If you’re looking for a special date night dinner, something a little fancy but not so hard to make try this seafood freeform lasagna, what makes it even more special is the subtle lemon cream sauce that’s spooned all over.

This is the perfect dinner to have on Valentines Day which is coming up soon and I’m quite sure many of us will be dining at home. This is meant for two people but you can certainly double the recipe for more to enjoy if need be.

I used a mix of scallops and shrimp in this easy freeform lasagna, which is highlighted with a touch of Limoncello for a smack of bright lemon flavor!

The prep work is all done in advance so when it’s time to eat all you have to do is pop your dish into the oven, warm it up and get that golden top.

You’ll be spending all your time with your date instead of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen all night, and that’s a good thing!

The lemon sauce is very light, you can use half lemon juice and half Limoncello or just all lemon juice. I wouldn’t do all Limoncello because that would be too sweet tasting and overpower the seafood.

If lemon is not your thing, you can make a nice white sauce to top it off like a béchamel, that would be equally as delicious and creamy to top it off.

Cut your lasagna noodles to fit into individual ramekins if using or if you end up using a bigger dish, it doesn’t have to fit perfect.

Then you’re going to layer all that amazing seafood on top. It’s a delicious mix of chopped scallops, shrimp, garlic, shallots with a little ricotta and mascarpone for creaminess and to help bind it all.

Save some whole shrimp for garnish it makes a striking presentation. This can be served along side a beautiful salad or if you really want to go all out, a steak for some surf and turf!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Seafood Freeform Lasagna with Lemon Cream Sauce

A date night or Valentines Day dinner for you and your special someone.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 lb. seafood, I used a combo of ½ lb. shrimp and ½ lb. scallops, you can also use all shrimp or any combo of your choice, peeled and deveined leaving a couple of whole shrimp or scallops for garnish
6 lasagna sheets, pre-boiled
SEAFOOD MIXTURE INGREDIENTS
drizzle of olive oil
1 large shallot, small dice
2 large garlic, minced
2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley, extra for garnish
¼ cup of ricotta
1 heaping tablespoon mascarpone cream
1 tablespoon, limoncello in the seafood mix or use 1 tablespoon, lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE LEMON CREAM SAUCE
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter and extra to butter your ramekins
2 Tablespoons, Limoncello ( or use all lemon juice to make up the 4 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Pre boil your lasagne noodles, according to the time directions on the box, cool them down and set aside.
Chop up your seafood into bite size pieces, making sure to clean your shrimp beforehand, and setting aside 1 or 2 for garnish.
For the whole shrimp garnish, season them and stick into a 420F oven until cooked through, then set aside.
Butter 2 -6 inch" ramekins or 1- 12 inch"
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a sauté pan, add the shallot and garlic til soft then toss in the chopped seafood, tossing gently till cooked. Don't over cook!
Add 1 Tablespoon of Limoncello to the mix or lemon juice as well as the parsley.
Let the mixture cool down then add the ricotta and mascarpone, folding it in and mixing it til incorporated.
Make your lemon cream sauce by placing both Limoncello, ( 2 tablespoons) and lemon juice( 2 tablespoons) in a small sauce pan together ( or use all lemon juice( 4 tablespoons).
Once warm whisk in your butter.
When the butter melts in add the heavy cream gently stirring on low heat until the cream thickens.
NOW FOR ASSEMBLY
Line the bottom of your ramekins with a few cooked lasagna noodles, cutting them if need be to fit.
Spread a little of the lemon cream sauce on the noodles.
Divide your seafood mix between the two ramekins and spread on top of the pasta.
Use the remaining lasagna noodles to fit over the top of the seafood mixture.
Spoon some of the lemon sauce all around.
This all can be prepped ahead of time.
When you’re ready to serve you can place the ramekins under your broiler to warm it up and get some golden color on top, but if you do you can't walk away!
Stay near the oven broiler and keep checking to make sure it doesn’t burn,.
You can also heat them in the oven at 375 just til heated through, ovens vary so keep checking, it won't take too long, and remember everything is cooked already.
If you want a little more golden on top, stick it under the broiler for that, but again do not walk away!
Spoon some of the lemon cream on top to finish, garnish with chopped parsley and top it off with the whole cooked shrimp.
Enjoy!

6 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Seafood Tagged: date night, freeform lasagna, lasagna, scallops, shrimp, Valentines day dinner

Chicken Parm Meatballs, A Twist On The Classic

January 21, 2021 by Marie 9 Comments

Who doesn’t love a good meatball? They’re a favorite of many with endless ways to make them! This version is everything you love about classic chicken parm but formed into a meatball.

The outside is crispy, similar to the way you would fry up your chicken cutlet. They’re topped with a nice marinara sauce, some melted cheese, basil with a surprise center.

When you bite into them they still hold on to that crunch because they’re not simmered in sauce as you would traditional Italian meatballs.

After the balls are formed you’re going to bread them as you would when making chicken cutlets, first a light dusting of flour, then egg, then into breadcrumbs. You’ll brown them first until that crispy coating sets, then they’re finished off in the oven.

Depending on the size you make you can serve them as a main with a nice green vegetable or salad on the side, place them on top of pasta or you might simply want to stuff them into a crunchy baguette for a delicious sandwich.

Your family will love the fact that you turned the classic chicken parm into a meatball, how can they resist! Crispy on the outside with melted mozzarella oozing on the inside, every bite is amazing!

I hope you make this fun spin on the classic chicken parm!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Chicken Parm Meatballs, A Twist On The Classic

Author: Marie

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALL MIXTURE
2 lbs. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 large egg
½ medium onion, small dice
2 heaping tablespoons each, parsley and basil
¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE BREADING MIX
2 large beaten eggs
flour for dredging
panko breadcrumbs enough to coat your meatballs
*****
½ lb. of dry mozzarella in a block so you can cut into ½ inch cubes
½ lb. of fresh mozzarella, just so you can top each cooked meatball, you'll probably have some leftover
marinara sauce, enough for a dollop on each meatball and some warmed up to serve on your plate.
additional basil for garnish as well as extra marinara
Note: you do not simmer these meatballs in a pot of sauce like traditional ones, you want to keep them crispy

Instructions

Mix up the meatballs with ingredients listed.
Form them into size the meatballs you like then push the cubed mozzarella into each one, making sure the meat covers the cheese.
I got 10 meatballs with the 2lbs.
Have your breading station set up with the flour, egg and panko.
Lightly dredge each meatball into the flour dusting off excess, then into the egg, then finally the panko, making sure to coat the whole meatball all around.
In a nonstick heated fry pan drizzle in some olive oil, fry the meatballs making sure to get all sides golden and crispy.
Transfer them to a casserole dish and into a 400 degree oven for around 10 minutes, then pull them out, top with a dollop of marinara on each as well as a piece of the fresh mozzarella, then back into the oven for an additional 5 or so minutes so they can finish cooking on the inside and the cheese melts on top.
Garnish with chopped basil.
Serve with some warm marinara on the side.

9 Comments Filed Under: Meats, Party Foods Tagged: chicken meatballs, chicken parm, meatballs

Cannellini Beans from Scratch is Well Worth The Effort

January 15, 2021 by Marie 9 Comments

Making beans from scratch might take you a little longer but there is absolutely no comparison to the taste, texture and flavor that results. If you’re like most people you have a pantry stocked with canned beans, I do myself, it often allows you to pull together a quick meal during the week, but when you want to slow it down and create an epic meal, dried beans is where it’s at!

The cannellini beans above were slow simmered, infused with aromatics then stewed together with a garlic, tomato and sage sauce. This is a meal in itself, it’s rustic with so much flavor and perfect texture, and the star of this dish are the beans that were made from scratch with some of the dreamy broth it produces as a bonus!

Make it easy on yourself, soak the beans overnight, all you have to do is give them a good rinse, fill a pot with cold water with enough to cover them, pop a lid on and go to bed.

There is a quick soak method out there where you boil the beans for a couple of minutes first, then remove them from the heat, cover and let them sit for an hour. then cook. I’ve tried that method, it didn’t go so well for me, but I much prefer the end result from soaking them overnight.

When you wake up you’ll see how much they puffed up, then you’ll want to drain them and give them a good rinse.

Then the fun begins, place the rinsed beans into the pot with fresh water that covers them again. You’ll want to infuse those beans with aromatics, I used a half a bulb of garlic, a handful of fresh sage and my favorite ingredient, a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind.

Let’s talk about the cheese rind for a second, you need to have this ingredient for this recipe! You might have your own stash of rinds tucked away in your freezer from cheese you’ve used, if not you can ask your cheesemonger if they would sell you some. I can easily get them from my local Whole Foods, they sell 3 or 4 in a bundle and I’m always impressed how much of a chunk of the cheese they leave on each rind, and that’s what you want, a rind that has some of the cheese still attached.

Bring those beans to a boil then reduce the heat to a slow simmer with a lid on top. Mine took almost 2 hours for a pound of cannellini beans but the best way to test them is to taste after about an hour, if they’re still tough continue cooking. Make sure not to rush them or overcook them, you don’t want mushy beans, they should be slightly Al dente.

The end result should have a slight bite with a soft creamy center.

Now it’s time to remove the cheese rind, sage and just the peels of the garlic because all the cloves will have fallen inside and melted in and produced the most dreamy tasting broth!

This bean dish was such a hit, I can’t imagine it being made with canned beans, it just wouldn’t be the same. The aromatics along with the cheese rind infuses the beans with so much flavor!

Eat them as a side dish or my favorite way is to scatter them on top of toasted crusty bread, each bite is out of this world good!

The other benefit of making beans from scratch is that you’ll probably have some left over, I got around 6 cups of cooked beans from a little over a pound of dried beans. You can tuck them away in your freezer and use them later in a multitude of other dishes, or if you’re like me you’ll make this rustic stewed tomato and bean dish again and again!

4.8 from 4 reviews

Cannellini Beans from Scratch

The bean preparation was my own but the actual stewed bean and tomato dish was adapted from the blog "How To Feed A Loon" I tweaked some amounts and additions.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

FOR THE BEANS
1 lb. bag of dried cannellini beans
a small handful of sage
½ whole garlic bulb
1 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind with some cheese still attached
FOR THE STEWED BEANS WITH TOMATOES, GARLIC AND SAGE
4 heaping cups of the cooked dried beans
⅓ cup of olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup white wine
⅓ cup of the bean broth
6 sage leaves, chopped fine
1 28 oz.of whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained of all liquid and crushed by hand
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil drizzle

Instructions

Soak the beans overnight.
Drain the beans in the morning then refill the pot with cold water covering the beans.
Infuse the water with your aromatics of sage, garlic and 1 cheese rind.
Bring the beans to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer.
Times vary but you’re looking for a creamy soft inside with a slight bite on the outside. ( mine took almost 2 hours, so keep checking).
When beans are done remove the aromatics, they did their job and keep all that luscious broth as well it's liquid gold!
FOR THE STEWED BEAN DISH
In a large skillet add the olive oil, then add the garlic and chopped sage, cook til golden.
Add the wine and let it evaporate.
Scoop in the beans, along with the flavored broth.
Squeeze in the drained tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Toss in 3 whole sage leaves and let it simmer until the sauce thickens up a bit and reduces, you don't want a soupy consistency.
When finished drizzle with olive oil.
Serve as a side or on toasty bread.
If you have extra beans you can freeze them or use for another dish, or make this again!

9 Comments Filed Under: Beans, Side Dishes Tagged: cannellini, dried beans, stewed beans, tomatoes and sage beans

Healthy Fresh Salmon Cakes

January 7, 2021 by Marie 10 Comments

January is the month that everyone wants to do a reset in the eating department, we’ve enjoyed all our goodies during the holidays and now it’s time for some healthier eating.

If eating salmon is on your regular meal rotation I encourage you to change things up and make these salmon cakes instead of the usual filets.

If you’re a salmon lover these cakes will soon win you over. Tender, juicy chunks of salmon on the inside, lightly crunchy on the outside with no heavy fillers that mask the actual salmon taste and oh so flavorful, they are amazing!

The reason these salmon cakes are so scrumptious is that they’re made with fresh salmon, not canned, it really makes a big difference in taste and over all texture. If you check out some recipes on the Internet you’ll find that many salmon cakes are made with cooked, fresh salmon. I prefer forming them in the raw state, like you would a burger, I feel they retain their juiciness that way.

The added ingredients which are vegetables are diced small, sautéed then mixed into the fresh chopped salmon. You can do this all ahead of time getting your prep work done because they take no time at all to cook.

Stick with wild caught salmon rather than farmed, I can always find it available here. I once discussed this topic with my fish monger at Whole Foods because they do sell farm raised there, but he went into deep length saying that their farm raised salmon is sustainable and ethical and raised the right way so that might be another option for you.

After the sautéed veggies cool down they get gently mixed into the salmon along with some added spice and binding agents with no need for eggs.

A key tip is to form all the salmon cakes then refrigerate them for at least 2 hours, even overnight if you wish. This firms them up and they’re able to keep their shape when cooked. I would not recommend forming them and cooking immediately, they won’t be sturdy enough.

I like to use a three inch biscuit cutter that I have to form the salmon cakes. I place the form on the pan I’m going to stick in the fridge, spoon the mixture inside filling to an inch deep, press it compact then I lift the biscuit cutter right off and a perfect shape is formed.

After they’re chilled they lift off easily with a spatula.

I like to crisp up the top and bottom on the stove top first, then finish them off in the oven.

All you need is the a little tartar sauce, a squeeze of lemon and a nice salad on the side and you’re on your way to a healthier and very tasty January!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Healthy Fresh Salmon Cakes

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs. fresh salmon or 4 filets, skin removed. hand chopped into small chunks ( I was able to make 7 cakes with that amount)
1 celery stalk, small dice
¼ onion, small dice
2 green onions, sliced small
2 small mini red peppers or half of a large red pepper, small dice
1 yellow mini pepper or ¼ of a large, small dice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
a pinch of cayenne
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 large garlic clove, chopped fine
1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley
⅓ cup full fat mayo
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs and a little extra to coat the top and bottom of the cakes
1 heaping tablespoon of Djon mustard
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Drizzle the bottom of a small sauté pan with olive oil and toss in all the diced veggies, onions, peppers, celery and garlic, cooking until translucent. Turn off heat and let them cool down completely.
Into a bowl add the chopped salmon, the cooled down veggies, the mayo, zest, breadcrumbs and Djon and a little salt and pepper to taste.
Gently toss well to incorporate ingredients.
Form your salmon cakes into 3x1 inch deep patties. Note: I use a biscuit cutter to form mine as stated in the post.
Refrigerate the salmon cakes for at least 2 or more hours for best results, I would not form and then cook them right away.
When it's time to cook, heat the oven up to 450F.
Drizzle the bottom of an oven proof skillet with olive oil.
Pour some panko breadcrumbs on a flat plate and press the bottom and top of each salmon cake into it then into the heated skillet.
When each cake is lightly golden on each side place the oven proof skillet into the oven and finish it off, anywhere to around 6 or 8 additional minutes, oven vary so you be the judge.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon and tartar sauce, or an aioli of your choice.
NOTE; I had some leftover and the next day I heated them at 350 just until warm and they were still great.

10 Comments Filed Under: Fish Tagged: fresh salmon, heathy January, salmon, salmon cake, salmon patties

Creamy Feta Dip with Toasted Pita Chips

December 29, 2020 by Marie 6 Comments

Everyone needs a go-to dip to have for a special occasion, one that requires little work but tastes like a million bucks! NYE is a couple of days away and then game day will be right around the corner, so I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce this creamy feta dip with toasted pita chips.

This dip is so creamy and full of flavor, a little swipe goes a long way. Feta cheese is the shining star along with Greek yogurt and some cream cheese, it’s the perfect blend for a nice smooth dip.

The feta dip itself can be served with an array of fresh sliced veggies, for a healthier version or with my favorite dipper, these toasted pita chips.

I was introduced to this way of preparing the pita chips by a friend of mine years ago, she made it for a girls lunch and we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from them. The chips are thin and crispy but yet sturdy enough to hold up well when dipping.

I’ve made them many times since and they’re always a hit!

One bag of pita yields so many chips! You’re going to cut the pita into 6 or 8 strips with scissors, then snip the tops and end off so you can open it up.

One strip will give you 2 thin pieces. So for 1 whole pita you can get 12 to 16 chips out of it, so if you do a whole bag that’s quite a few chips!

Then place the inside rougher side up on a baking sheet and brush each strip with oregano infused olive oil.

I think what makes these so special is definitely the shape and the thinness, as opposed to the thicker triangle shaped ones, and of course the olive oil flavor coming through. I can’t say enough about these dippers, they’re amazing!

They’re the perfect accompaniment to the creamy feta dip. But don’t get me wrong, honestly they go well with any dip! Think crab, shrimp, hummus, white bean, onion, spinach artichoke, I could go on and on.

I garnished the top of my dip with olive oil, parsley, red pepper flakes, pistachios and olives but be creative and do what you like.

I would encourage you to take the time and make these chips, you won’t be disappointed, it’s the ultimate combo along with the creamy feta dip.

They can be made well in advance and they stay perfect for up to 3 weeks, that is if they last that long! Once you put them out you’ll see them disappear!

I like to store them in a tin can layered between wax paper.

Enjoy!

Creamy Feta Dip with Toasted Pita Chips

This dip recipe can be doubled because it stays very well in the fridge, and the dipper chips can be made well in advance.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

8 oz. feta, good quality Greek in brine, patted dry
4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temp
¼ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons of oregano infused olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
FOR THE TOASTED PITA CHIPS
1 bag of fresh, Greek pita
¾ cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
a light sprinkling of kosher salt to top the chips before toasting

Instructions

In a small bowl add the oil and oregano together and let it sit for 15 minutes to infuse.
Then in food processor first add the feta to break it down, then add in the cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic.
Give it all a whirl until it's nice and creamy.
Remove from processor and place into a serving bowl and garnish with a little of the olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, olives or whatever you like.
If making the pita chips, take 1 pita at a time, with a scissor cut 6 to 8 strips then snip the top and bottom off of each strip so you can gently open up the pita and have 2 pieces. (See blog post for example)
Continue cutting the pita into chips then brush each one on the inner rough side with the oregano infused olive oil.( see blog post for visual)
Place onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle them all lightly with a little kosher salt, then into a 400 degree oven for 7 or 8 minutes until golden. Ovens vary so watch closely, you want them golden not burnt, they cook fast.
Remove chips and place on a rack to cool.
Chips can be stored in a tin can layered between wax paper for up to 3 weeks.

6 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Party Foods Tagged: feta cheese, party dip, pita chips

Luxurious Pasta With Vodka Cream Sauce

December 12, 2020 by Marie 11 Comments

If you want mid week rave reviews on a dinner served or if you just want to wow your guests with something special, this is the dish for you! Serve them this luxurious pasta with vodka cream sauce.

This sauce tastes like you spent hours cooking it on the stove, but you really didn’t. It has a deep, rich flavor with a silky and luxurious texture that coats the pasta inside and out in every groove.

Speaking of pasta I recommend using mezzi rigatoni, it’s the shorter version of traditional rigatoni, go for the one with the ridges.

Don’t get me wrong you can use other shapes, I’ve made it with penne pasta before, but my heart belongs to mezzi!

Get yourself a bottle of vodka that has a nice smooth character to it, you don’t want to use anything too harsh. Right now I’m enjoying Trader Joe’s TX vodka it’s 6 times distilled and it really pairs well with this sauce. (not sponsored).

Have your ingredients ready to go and your salted water boiling and you’re on your way to a fantastic meal!

Onions and garlic are the foundation to this sauce but the star of the show is tubed tomato paste!

Triple concentrated tomato paste to be exact, this is the game changer to this recipe! No more cans of tomatoes, no more doctoring up a marinara sauce with cream, no chopped tomatoes added, nothing!

Triple concentrated tomato paste is the secret ingredient!

Let the tomato paste cook down a bit, then you’ll deglaze it with the vodka. Now is the time to start cooking your pasta.

You’ll be adding pasta water and heavy cream together stirring and stirring until it reaches a vibrant pink color.

Like this!

Now add in your pasta (al dente) and incorporate all that sauce with the pasta really well.

Shut the burner off and sprinkle in the cheese and toss gently.

Now get a big scoop so you can fill your plate!

Add more cheese of course and a sprinkling of parsley, after you take one bite you’ll know exactly what I mean. This sauce is to die for!

You’ll want to make it often and the best part is that it comes together so quickly, so make sure you have a full bottle of vodka and tubes of tomato paste on hand.

If you want to go all out and show off a little, you can sear up a few scallops or add some shrimp like I did for a special date night meal, it’s over the top delicious.

All I did was added some partially roasted shrimp at 400F to the original recipe below until slightly opaque then tossed them in the sauce to finish cooking and to soak up all that goodness!

I chose some thin and long penne pasta for this and it was quite elegant tossed around with the shrimp.

Trust me, you need this in your life!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Luxurious Pasta With Vodka Cream Sauce

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Author: Marie

Ingredients

½ lb. mezzi rigatoni with ridges, or penne with ridges
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
3 oz. triple - concentrated tomato paste in a squeeze tube
¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese, more for plated garnish
2 oz. vodka ( smooth character )
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup or so of reserved pasta water
pinch of red pepper flakes
olive oil
parsley for garnish

Instructions

Start your water boiling for the pasta, make sure it's salted
Have all your ingredients ready to go.
Drizzle olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan.
Saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to brown around the edges, could take 5 or so minutes.
Squeeze tomato paste in along with red pepper flakes.Sir well until the paste coats the onion.
Continue stirring until the paste reaches a deep red color and starts to brown on the bottom of the pan, around 5 or so minutes.
Add the vodka and deglaze the pan, stirring to incorporate, reduce heat to low.
Using a heatproof measuring cup scoop ¼ cup of the boiling water from the pot, then add all the cream to the hot water, this will temper the cream so it doesn't break when added into the sauce.
Slowly add the warm cream into the pot, stirring to incorporate.
Remove from heat for a few minutes.
Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook it al dente according to box instructions.While pasta is boiling, add a little pasta water so it's not so thick.
Reserve a good cup of the pasta water to add to sauce to thin out later if needed.
When cooked, transfer the pasta into the sauce pot using a spider (as pictured in post).
Toss everything together, adding pasta, then the grated cheese, plus enough of the pasta water to have the right consistency.
Sauce should be smooth, glossy and coating each piece of the pasta, not runny.
Toss in some chopped parsley.
Garnishing each plate with a drizzle of olive oil, cheese and more parsley.
Enjoy!

11 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Sauces, Seafood Tagged: mezzi rigatoni, penne pasta, shrimp and vodka sauce, vodka, vodka sauce

Ham Bone Split Pea Soup

December 1, 2020 by Marie 14 Comments

Let’s face it, most families don’t often make a bone in, baked ham on their weekly rotation of meals, but on special holidays it’s often the star of the show.

Thanksgiving was a just a few days ago and ham was on the menu at my sister-in-laws house. Since she didn’t feel like doing anything with the ham bone she wrapped it up, rang my doorbell and gifted it to me!

Lucky me, there was still a lot of meat left on the bone so split pea with ham was surely going to happen! If you’ve never made split pea using a ham bone, you’re missing out. It gives it a ton of flavor and elevates the soup to another level, even pea haters love this soup!

Just a few ingredients to start the soup off, then it’s a nice slow simmer so all the flavors can meld together.

Grab a big pot with a lid and nestle the ham bone right into the center, then in a couple of hours you’ll be able to pick the meat off the bone.

As you stir the soup while it’s simmering the peas will break down and become nice and creamy!

Just the smell of of this soup simmering on the stove makes your home feel all comfy and cozy, it’s such a hearty and satisfying soup.

Keep in mind, you need something crunchy on top for garnish. So if you have any leftover bread, please make your own croutons. I had some leftover ciabatta bread that I cut up in cubes, drizzled it well with olive oil, then sprinkled it with salt and pepper then into a 400 degree oven til nice and golden.

Crunchy croutons on top of such a hearty, creamy, smokey, meaty delicious soup, I could go on and on!

There are many variations of this soup, some add potatoes ,but I don’t think you need them at all. Some add bacon instead of a ham bone, it may be good, but it’s just not the same. There are vegetarian versions but today we’re not going there. Try this once with a ham bone and you’ll be hooked!

Ham bones freeze well so if you don’t feel like making this right away, tuck it into your freezer for when you do.

And lastly this soup freezes well, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Ham Bone Split Pea Soup

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 meaty ham bone, make sure to leave meat on that bone
1- 1lb. bag of green split peas, rinsed well
1 quart of chicken stock, low sodium
5 cups, water ( more to thin out soup if it thickens too much later)
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 thyme branches, stripped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
olive oil
good knob of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Homemade croutons for garnish

Instructions

In a large stock pot with lid, drizzle the bottom with olive oil and add the knob of butter.
Throw in the chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic, saute til soft.
Add the split peas and stir well.
Sprinkle in the thyme leaves along with the 2 bay leaves and a grind of black pepper.
Hold off on the salt until the end for taste because some hams tend to be saltier than others.
Pour in the chicken broth then nestle the ham bone right in the center.
Add additional cups of water, stirring well, then bring it to a boil, reduce, and let it simmer with lid on almost covered completely.
Cooking times vary somewhere between an hour and a half to 2 hours, mine took almost 2 hours on very low. The peas will break down and get nice and creamy
Keep checking and stirring.
When you start to see the meat falling off the bone, remove the bone, let it cool a little then start picking the meat off and placing the shredded meat back into the pot.
Discard bone.
Taste for salt, pepper and thyme, adding more if needed. Always stirring to check for thickness.
If need be, add a little more water for a looser soup. It's up to you on how thick you want your soup.
Garnish with homemade croutons.
Use a hearty style bread, cut into cubes, drizzled with olive oil, black pepper and a touch of salt.
Place into a 400 degree oven until crispy and golden, it goes fast so keep checking.
Enjoy!

14 Comments Filed Under: Soups and Stews Tagged: croutons, ham bone, split pea soup

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage and Brown Butter

November 20, 2020 by Marie 4 Comments

Thanksgiving isn’t all about the turkey, yes turkey is all well and good, but to me Thanksgiving is all about the sides! One of my favorite sides are these butternut squash gnocchi.

I’ve been serving them for years at my Thanksgiving table. I normally make them a week or two ahead of time and have them tucked in my freezer until turkey day.

They may be small in size but not in flavor, they’re slightly sweet with the rich flavor of parmesan cheese running through every tender bite.

You start out by roasting your squash, roasting the squash adds to the depth of flavor, when tender and soft cool it down and then scoop out the pulp.

Next you’ll toss it into a food processor until it becomes nice and smooth without any lumps.

What I’ve learned over the years is that after processing the squash you’ll see that the squash holds onto some moisture, so a good thing to do is to toss the pureed squash into a sauce pan and cook it down until you see the moisture disappear, maybe five or ten minutes. When you cook some of the moisture out you won’t have to keep adding flour, which in turn could make them too heavy and doughy.

Then you’ll want to make sure to cool the mixture down completely before you start mixing in the flour and other ingredients.

NOTE: I always test my gnocchi before I form all of them. I boil a few just to see if they stay together, this will ensure you that your mixture is sturdy enough and they won’t fall apart and become mushy in the water. Sometimes you might have to add a little more flour. This is a very important step!

No doubt making gnocchi is a labor of love but I can tell you it’s worth every bit of the time it takes, and remember you can make them ahead at your convenience.

There is no ricotta or potato added to these gnocchi, it is straight up butternut squash that’s permeating throughout these tender bundles.

Gnocchi take very little time to cook, always place them into salted boiling water, as soon as they float up to the top they’re basically done. Never ever pour them into a big strainer, you need to hand scoop them out like shown in thee picture above. Gnocchi are very delicate.

A quick toss into toasty brown butter flavored with frizzled sage, if you want you can add a touch of pasta water to loosen the sauce up a bit.

Brown butter sauce is the perfect compliment to these delicious gnocchi!

My Thanksgiving plate from years past where’s there’s always room for the butternut squash gnocchi, and I should say that the leftovers are just as good the next day!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Parmesan, Sage and Brown Butter

Butternut squash with hints of parmesan in every tender bite!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

FOR THE GNOCCHI
1 large butternut squash, around 3 lbs. roasted then pureed to yield 2 cups
1 heaping ½ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus extra for garnish
1 large egg, whisked
1 teaspoon, salt
pinch of black pepper
2 plus cups of all purpose, unbleached flour
FOR THE BROWN BUTTER SAUCE
1 stick of unsalted butter
a handful of fresh sage leaves

Instructions

Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, drizzle each half with olive oil, salt and pepper and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cut side down, at 375 until tender and the tip of a knife goes through easily 40 minutes or so.
Scoop the flesh of the squash out and place it into a food processor, puree until completely smooth with no lumps.
Place pureed squash into a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring often to evaporate any moisture that might be showing up in the mixture.
Next cool down that mixture completely, so place the pan into the fridge until completely cooled .
Now you’re ready to start forming the gnocchi.
In a bowl add the pureed squash with parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and egg.. Then add the flour little by little into the mixture and work together by hand. It will be very sticky, you might need to add more flour, or even less, just judge by the feel of the dough, you have to be able to roll it.
Once smooth, flour the work surface, Divide dough into 6 pieces and then roll each piece into a long strip, about ½ inch wide. Cut the strip into ½ inch pieces.
Using a gnocchi board, a fork, the back of a grater or just as is, to create ridges. Place each piece on floured wax paper and repeat with the rest of the dough.
At this point you can freeze them in single layer until solid frozen then place the gnocchi into zip lock bags until ready to use.
When ready to eat, have a large pot of salted water going, when boiling add the frozen gnocchi, (don't let the water boil so so hard, lower it a bit) when they float up to the top, they’re pretty much done, but you can test one to make sure. Always take them out of the water with a hand strainer like a Chinese spider, never pour them into a big strainer, gnocchi are delicate.
You don't ever want your gnocchi to blow up and over cook, they should have a little bite to them.
While the gnocchi is in the water cooking make your brown butter sauce by melting the butter over medium heat, when it starts to to smell nutty and turn golden brown toss in your sage leaves and let them fizzle.
Take your gnocchi from the water with a hand strainer, gently and place them into the brown butter sauce, tossing till covered, If you want to loosen the sauce up a bit, add a little pasta water, then add more parmigiano.
They're ready to eat now!

4 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Pasta, Side Dishes Tagged: brown butter and sage, butternut squash, gnocchi

Cauliflower and Sausage Stuffing

November 9, 2020 by Marie 5 Comments

Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away so it’s time to start talking and planning the big meal and side dishes. Do you have anyone you might be serving this Thanksgiving who is gluten free, keto or doing low carb, if so this is a great option.

Last year I made this cauliflower and sausage stuffing for a gluten free family member, not only she enjoyed it but everyone that tried it loved it, it definitely satisfies your stuffing desire.

It’s made similar to my traditional stuffing with all the same flavors going on except cauliflower florets replace the bread, but the nice thing is you’ll still get crispy bits along the edges ( my favorite part), with fresh and dried herbs mingled between the sausage and all the veggies.

I’ve always added breakfast sausage to our stuffing, preferably one flavored with extra sage, it’s tradition over here, so that’s what I’ve added in this cauliflower stuffing.

Feel free to add your favorite type of sausage or eliminate it all together. I do however suggest that you add in some mushrooms as I did to punch up the flavor and give it more bulk.

There’s a little bit of prep before like browning the sausage and a quick saute of the veggies, but as far as the cauliflower goes you can toss it in raw as long as the florets are in bite size pieces.

Everything then goes into as buttered casserole dish, like a traditional bread stuffing. This can all be prepped a day or two ahead then popped into the oven with the rest of the other sides on the day your serving it.

When it comes out it looks like this, crispy and golden. The cauliflower takes on all the traditional flavors of a bread stuffing but without any bread!

A delicious option for all to enjoy!

Cauliflower and Sausage Stuffing

A nice option for those who are gluten free and those preferring to eat less carbs.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 good size medium cauliflower cut into bite size florets
1 lb. breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean or Bob Evans, in bulk
1 large onion, diced
4 or 5 celery stalks, diced
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 stick of butter
½ to ¾ cup of chicken stock
handful of chopped parsley
dried sage, thyme, poultry seasoning (optional) salt and pepper to taste
Fresh sage leaves for garnish

Instructions

Butter the inside of the casserole role dish you'll be using
In a large skillet place remaining butter until it melts then saute the onions, garlic and celery until soft, then add the sliced mushrooms for a couple of minutes.
Place all the sautéed veggies into a large bowl.
Next brown up the sausage in the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking it until you see no pink.
Drain the sausage on paper towels then toss it into the bowl with the sautéed veggies.
Fold into the bowl the bite size cauliflower, raw. If you think its to big you can toss it into the skillet for a couple of minutes to take the rawness away.
Add in the chopped parsley.
Add in the spices, dried sage and thyme and poultry seasoning if using into the mix. Start with 1 teaspoon each and then taste for your preference, adding more if you like plus the salt and pepper.
Place everything into the buttered casserole dish, then distribute the broth all around.
Top with a few fresh sage leaves for garnish.
At this point it's all prepped and you can refrigerate it 1 to 2 days ahead.
When you’re ready to serve, heat oven to 400 degrees.
lightly foil the dish for 15 minutes then remove the foil and continue roasting until cauliflower is tender, golden, the sausage edges have crispy bits.
Ovens do vary so keep checking every 15 minutes or so, you can also stick it under the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get desired golden look if needed.

5 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetables Tagged: cauliflower, cauliflower and sausage, gluten free, low carb, stuffing, Thanksgiving side

Kabocha Squash With Parmesan Cream And Thyme

October 28, 2020 by Marie 5 Comments

I can’t think of a better side dish to have this fall, one that includes kabocha squash. Have you tried it yet? Kabocha is a rich tasting squash and it tastes like a cross between a sweet potato and pumpkin, it’s vitamin rich and even low in carbs.

This dish is foolproof to make, when the squash is cut into quarters and the seeds scooped out ( which you can roast) it becomes the perfect vessel to hold the parmesan and thyme cream sauce.

This can easily be served during the week or set out on a platter for the holidays.

You might be intimidated and think how am I going to cut this! Well you definitely have to be safe. One way is you can stick the whole squash in your microwave for a couple of minutes to soften it, doing that will make it much easier to cut.

What I often do is take my knife, make a slit then cover the top of the blade with a tea towel, then take a mallet and pound it until it breaks through, it’s very safe that way and no fingers are involved.

When parmesan and thyme meet together it’s a match made in heaven, the flavors meld together perfectly!

Of course this sauce would work with acorn, honey nut and butternut squash as well but if you haven’t tried kabocha, I urge you to give it a try.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Kabocha Squash With Parmesan Cream And Thyme

The perfect fall side dish

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 kabocha squash cut into quarters, scooping out the seeds and pulp. Follow instructions on blog post above for a safe way to cut it.
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup of grated parmesan
12 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper

Instructions

Cut the squash into quarters then drizzle all sections with olive oil and sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 375F oven. When you see a rich golden color on the outer edge flip the squash over.
In the meantime mix together the heavy cream, the parmesan and some thyme leaves.
Then I like to transfer the squash into a baking dish where they fit somewhat tightly together, right side up, then gently spoon the cream sauce into the cavities.
Place thyme sprigs all over each filled quarter.
Place back into the oven until cream thickens and squash is tender.
Depending on the size of your squash time varies , keep checking it.
You made have leftover cream sauce or not enough again according to the size of your squash.
Scoop and enjoy!

5 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: kabocha squash, parmesan cream sauce, squash, winter squash

How To Make A Star Shaped Stuffed Crusted Pizza

October 19, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

Impress your friends and family my making this star shaped pizza. This pizza is shaped into an eight pointed star and each point is stuffed individually with a mix of cheese hidden inside, not only is it visually striking it’s the ultimate stuffed crusted pizza as well!

Don’t be intimidated, this pizza is easy to make, just take your time and go over my tips and instructions a couple of times.

You’ll need a half a pound of pizza dough to make one pizza, that will result in the look of a nicely shaped star, so just think from one pound you can make two of these beauties!

You’ll want to actually roll this dough out with a rolling pin, no pressing down with your fingers like a traditional pizza. The dough has to be flat all the way to the end for best results with the stars tips.

Aim for a ten to twelve inch circle, I like rolling my dough circle on parchment, then I just plop it over onto my lightly oiled and slightly dusted with cornmeal, pizza pan.

Then using a sharp knife make eight two inch slits from the end of the circle towards the center, be careful not to go more than two inches, it won’t look as nice, plus you need room in the center for your toppings as well.

So again you want eight cuts all together like the marks on a clock.

Within those eight sections is where you’ll place your cheese for the crust. I used a mix of shredded mozzarella and ricotta. Keep in mind cheese when melted spreads, so less is more to protect it from breaking open and oozing out all over.

Here’s where you can get creative, use whatever mix of cheese you want as well as the toppings you prefer in the center.

This pizza was a simple margarita style with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella in the center with a nice drizzle from my stash of basil pesto that I have in my freezer.

A fun pizza to make and eat, just grab an end and share it with the people you love!

5.0 from 1 reviews

How To Make A Star Shaped Stuffed Crusted Pizza

Margarita style star shaped pizza

Author: Marie

Ingredients

½ lb. of prepared pizza dough, room temperature
½ cup ricotta and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella mixed together with salt and pepper to taste
tomato sauce for center of pizza, a cup or so
2 or 3 slices of fresh mozzarella, torn up
1 or 2 tablespoons basil pesto or fresh torn basil
olive oil
dusting of cornmeal or polenta for pan preparation

Instructions

Heat oven to 500F.
Prepare your pan by drizzling olive oil all over and a dusting of cornmeal or polenta for a crispy crust.
Roll your dough out on parchment into a 10 or 12 inch circle, flat all the way to the ends.
Then pick up your parchment and plop the dough round onto prepared pan, straightening it out if need be.
With a sharp knife make an incision 2 inches long 8 times, like the marks on a clock face, be careful to not go over 2 inches.
Within those 8 sections place a scant teaspoon of the ricotta and shredded mozzarella mixture, be careful not to overstuff because it will be hard to seal each point. ( see post for visual )
Then pick up the corners of each section that is filled and start pinching the dough together from the point to the center to form a triangle. The edge of the triangle shape should point outwards, and as you continue doing it you'll create an 8 pointed star shape all around.
Then fill the center with your sauce and fresh mozzarella and a quick drizzle of olive oil on top.
Place into the hot oven for around 15 minutes.
Garnish the pizza with basil pesto or fresh torn basil.
Pull apart and share!

3 Comments Filed Under: Pizza Tagged: pizza, speciality pizza, star shaped

Butternut Squash Pasta With Sage And Parsley Breadcrumbs

October 9, 2020 by Marie 6 Comments

This is an easy fall dinner meal using my favorite butternut squash, it is after all squash season. It’s amazing how many meals you can create using squash, it’s so versatile, I never tire of it, plus meatless meals are good for you!

I had a medium sized butternut squash that I peeled then cut into one inch chunks, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in a 400F oven til golden and pretty much of the moisture gone.

Now if you do this a day ahead or early in the day this meal can be on your table in no time, which I recommend.

Then your going to grab a good handful of fresh parsley as well as fresh sage leaves, and nicely chop them up.

Then take a sauté pan and add a nice dollup of butter and a healthy swirl of olive oil. Add one or two crushed garlic cloves along with roughly 2 cups of (preferably) homemade bread crumbs. Toast them up really good then add in your chopped herbs along with a generous half a cup or so of grated parmesan cheese.

Taste if salt and pepper is needed, set aside in a bowl, you’ll be tossing them in at the end and you’ll want them to stay crispy.

Please don’t worry about exact measurements!

Then boil the pasta of your choice, I used 1/2 pound of linguine but you can use any shape at all. Chunky rigatoni, orecchiette, ziti, pappardelle, what ever, I just wouldn’t use tiny shapes.

Lastly take the sauté pan that you toasted the bread crumbs in, drizzle it with olive oil, warm up your cooked squash if need be then toss in your cooked pasta and maybe a little pasta water to loosen it up.

Shut off the heat, top and toss the crispy breadcrumbs right in, add some more parmesan and a nice drizzle of olive oil and garnish with some fried sage leaves for a nice presentation, serve immediately.

It’s really very quick and simple to do and so delicious!

Enjoy

6 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Pasta, Vegetables Tagged: butternut squash, homemade breadcrumbs, parsley and sage, pasta and squash, quick and easy meal

Mushroom Galette With Roasted Garlic And Thyme

September 28, 2020 by Marie 11 Comments

A galette is a rustic, freeform pie/tart which can be savory or sweet. They’re super simple to make and the finished results are very impressive!

This savory tart is filled with roasted cremini and oyster mushrooms with a bulb of roasted garlic smashed into it with hints of fresh thyme. There’s also a three cheese mix of asiago, parmesan and mozzarella melted into it.

Keep in mind you’re free to use any mix of mushrooms you like as well as any mix of cheese you prefer, that is the fun thing about making galettes, do your own thing, make your own combo, this is just a guideline for what I used, which happened to be very successful and delicious!

You can make your own pie crust or even buy a good quality one to make life easier. I’ll let you in on a little secret… I used a Trader Joe pie crust for this, but every time I use it I make sure to ball up the dough first then I roll it out to the size I want, I never just take it out of the package and use it as is.

If you prefer to make a homemade crust, here’s one that I make that would go very well with this mushroom galette.

Roasted mushrooms always produce great flavor and even more so when you squeeze and smash roasted garlic into the mix.

The garlic you can roast ahead of time, keeping it in the fridge and using it for multiple dishes as well as this one, it’s a nice treat to have tucked away.

Another reason I’m such a fan of galettes is that you always get a nice, crispy crust all the way around and on the bottom with each and every slice.

The flavor combination of this rustic, stress free dinner is out of this world good, so good we couldn’t wait to have the leftovers the next day!

I hope you make this heavenly mushroom galette, it’s the perfect fall meal!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Mushroom Galette With Roasted Garlic And Thyme

Rustic, freeform and super impressive!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 pastry pie crust, either homemade or good quality store bought
1- ½ lbs. of cremini mushrooms, sliced and roasted
½ lb. oyster mushrooms, sliced and roasted (Can use all of one kind or a mix of others)
1 whole bulb of roasted garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup shredded asiago
2 heaping tbl. grated parmesan, plus a little extra for garnishing
thyme sprigs
olive oil
1 egg for egg wash

Instructions

Pre-roast your garlic ahead of time by cutting off the top portion of a whole bulb, placing it in tin foil and dowsing it with olive oil, some salt and pepper and a couple of thyme sprigs. Wrap it up and place into a 350F. oven around 30- 40 minutes or til golden and soft.
Pre-roast mushrooms in 400F. oven sprinkled with thyme leaves and drizzled with olive oil, roast until all the moisture is out and they start to caramelize.
When mushrooms are done and while the pan is still hot, squeeze and smash in the whole bulb of roasted garlic, tossing gently til incorporated, taste if salt and pepper is needed.
On a piece of parchment that will fit a baking sheet, roll out your pastry to around 12 inches, then place the whole thing onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Sprinkle the cheese mixture on the bottom of the pastry leaving an inch and a half border all around, reserve 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture to dot on top of galette.
Spread the mushrooms all around the top of the cheese mixture, covering it completely.
Fold up the edges of the dough all around the filling.
Put reserved tablespoons of cheese on top of mushrooms dotting it in sections. ( it just makes it look pretty when finished).
Whisk egg then brush the folded up edge with it, you'll have leftover egg for sure.
Sprinkle some thyme on the crust edge along with grated parmesan and black pepper.
Top galette with 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme and pop it into a 400F. oven for around 30 to 40 minutes or until deep golden on bottom and crust, all ovens do vary.
Serve warm or at room temp.
Enjoy!

11 Comments Filed Under: Savory Tarts Tagged: 3 cheese, galette, roasted garlic, roasted mushrooms, stress free cooking

Squash And Ricotta Rustic Tart

September 16, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

As soon as the weather starts to change into cooler days and nights, I’m in the stores buying squash. Squash of any kind is so versatile and you can create so many healthy and delicious meals with it.

Tarts are the perfect way to showcase winter squash, it can be served as a meatless main dish or a tasty appetizer or side, either way you can’t go wrong!

For this tart I paired creamy ricotta with delicata squash, delicata is easy to work with because the skin is nice and thin and totally edible, but you can certainly make this with butternut squash you just have to peel it first.

The crust is homemade ( which is a breeze to make in the food processor) and has the addition of polenta which gives it the ultimate crunch factor. As much as I like to buy pre-made crusts nothing compares to this one.

Topped with crispy sage and toasted pepitas, this tart screams FALL!

I used two delicata squash, sliced them into half inch rounds then scooped out the seeds. Placed them onto a baking sheet and roasted them beforehand.

Ready for the oven with a quick drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan before baking.

A crunchy crust with the creamy, cheesy filling of ricotta, topped with the sweet rich flavor of the delicata squash, it’s the ultimate combo!

If you want to try another version, here’s one I did a few years back, using different veggies with the same delicious crust.

I hope you make this amazing tart and serve up a slice to your family and friends this fall season.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Squash And Ricotta Rustic Tart

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 delicata squash, cut into ½ inch rings with the seeds scooped out
FILLING
1 cup ricotta, drained of moisture
1 finely minced garlic clove
2 eggs, 1 for the filling and 1 to brush on top
½ cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
DOUGH
1 cup of all purpose flour (unbleached)
½ cup of instant polenta or fine cornmeal
½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper
6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ to ½ cup of ice water
fresh sage leaves
pepitas (optional)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400F
Place rings of delicata onto a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, roast til lightly golden on each side, then remove and let them cool down.
Prepare the dough in a food processor by pulsing the flour, polenta, salt and pepper together. Add the butter and process until combined. Then while the machine is running add the ice water down the tube a little at a time until the dough starts to come together in a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for ½ hour.
Meanwhile mix up the ricotta in a bowl along with the grated cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 egg.
Remove the dough from the fridge, let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes the on parchment roll it out to about 12 inches in diameter. Take your time rolling then place the whole thing onto a baking sheet.
Spread the ricotta mixture onto the dough leaving a 2 inch border all around. Place your roasted squash on top all around. Fold the edges up and pleat where needed to seal it in good.
Brush the crust with the remaining egg, you won't use it all.
Sprinkle the edge with grated cheese, black pepper .
Drizzle the top with olive oil.
Bake around 35 minutes at 400F or until crust is deep golden and ricotta is set.
To garnish the top, drizzle a bit of olive oil in a small pan and crisp up the sage and toss in pepeitas to get golden and arrange all over the finished tart.
Enjoy!

3 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Savory Tarts Tagged: delicata squash, fall meal, tart, winter squash

Summer’s Last Hurrah With Fresh Figs

September 3, 2020 by Marie 1 Comment

Fresh figs are in peak season right now and if you’re a fig lover it’s time to take advantage of them as summer winds down. I’m sharing my two favorite ways to showcase them in a non-cook way with no recipe needed!

Find yourself any variety of fresh figs that are available in your area, I used black mission here for this delicious salad of figs, prosciutto and burrata.

Grab a pretty platter and arrange prosciutto slices all around, next take a couple of balls of burrata cheese, gently break it open and dot it all around.

Place sliced figs, longwise on top of the prosciutto and burrata, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze and top with sliced almonds and fresh basil leaves.

A little salt and pepper and that’s it!

I promise you that you and your guests will enjoy every last bite!

For a fun and very easy appetizer you must make this version of stuffed figs with goat cheese and ribbons of prosciutto. It’s finished off with a sweet honey drizzle and topped with a walnut piece. It’s a dreamy one bite delight!

Cut the figs cross-wise from the top, halfway down the fruit and gently open it up like a blossom. Place some softened goat cheese right into the center, I used a honey goat cheese but you can also use gorgonzola and even ricotta works well, then tuck a piece of torn prosciutto right on top.

Place them onto a platter with some scattered leaves of arugula, top each fig blossom with a walnut piece or any nut of your choice then give a good drizzle of honey all over each fig, oh my this is so good!

Figs are said to be the nectar of the gods, I believe they are, enjoy them while they’re still here!

1 Comment Filed Under: Appetizers, Salads Tagged: fig, fig and prosciutto, goat cheese

Summer Tomato Salad With Whipped Ricotta

August 23, 2020 by Marie 6 Comments

It’s late August and summer tomatoes are in major abundance, all vine ripened and at the height of their flavor. Tomato salads have been a consent in my house, I’m either buying them or having them dropped off at my house by family or friends who have gardens of their own and their crop is overflowing. Believe me I’m not complaining, fall will be here before we know it!

There’s some salads that just stick out in your mind, I’ll be dreaming about this one in the dead of winter. What’s so special about this salad besides the vine ripened juicy heirlooms gracing the top, is that the base of this salad is a layer of whipped ricotta which has a hint of lemon zest and herbs folded into it.

On top of the whipped ricotta there’s a salad layer of lemony arugula. One thing is certain, you must have crusty bread when you eat this! I’m telling you it’s a meal in itself!

You want to look for a dryer type ricotta, not one that has a lot of moisture, if that’s the only kind you can find then I would drain it for a couple of hours in a strainer.

Less than a minute in a food processor and the ricotta takes on a beautiful smooth consistency with a touch of olive oil drizzled in.

Parsley, basil and lemon zest was folded in for additional flavor.

Slice up some colorful heirlooms and mix them in with other varieties and use the best extra virgin olive oil you have.

I added some sliced red onion and olives to round it all out, it’s outrageous! Put this on a big platter and watch it disappear .

I hope you make this, but don’t forget the crusty bread please!

If you find yourself with an abundance of zucchini, here’s another use for whipped ricotta, I did a post on this a while ago, zucchini ribbon salad with whipped ricotta.

Summer Tomato Salad With Whipped Ricotta

Author: Marie

Ingredients

A variety of summer heirloom tomatoes, sliced. Enough to cover the ricotta. A variety of colors makes a nice presentation
2 cups ricotta, on the dryer side, if too wet drain it for a couple of hours
Good olive oil for drizzling and to add to the ricotta
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cups arugula, roughly
sliced red onion
olives for plating
parsley and basil a heaping tablespoon each, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
a loaf of crusty bread

Instructions

FOR THE WHIPPED RICOTTA
Place ricotta into the bowl of a food processor and add in 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, process for 30 seconds, or until smooth.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop out into a bowl and fold in the zest and chopped herbs.
Toss the arugula with lemon juice and olive oil.
Spread whipped ricotta mixture onto a platter, drizzle top with olive oil, then topped with arugula salad, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, then a good drizzle of olive oil all over, place olives all around.
Place slices of crusty bread all around the platter.

6 Comments Filed Under: Salads, Summer Tagged: heirloom tomatoes, summer tomatoes, whipped ricotta

White Pizza, Four Cheese With Summer Corn

August 7, 2020 by Marie 1 Comment

Nothing screams summer more than fresh corn on the cob and beautiful summer garden tomatoes. I love a good white pizza, meaning no red sauce on top, it’s actually my favorite type of all, but I must confess in my years of making pizza I have never had or made a corn version, until now!

Yes, I have seen many photos of blogger friends ( Stacey Snacks) sitting in restaurants eating gorgeous summer pizzas showcasing fresh corn which I was very envious of because it’s not something I see here in the midwest at all.

Recently a family member dropped off some fresh corn from Wisconsin so I thought this would be a perfect time to make a white version of a corn pizza, and I’m so happy I did, and to say we loved it is an understatement!

I also made an heirloom tomato salad to go along with it and it turned out to one one of our favorite summertime meals that I will repeat again and again!

At first glance this pizza may not look so fancy but don’t let that fool you, this pizza has so much flavor and texture. Nice crunchy dough topped with a combination of four cheeses, mozzarella, fontina, dreamy burrata and Parmesan, melted together it’s the perfect union!

The burrata cheese is scrumptious as it is, but when mingled with the corn it’s outstanding, but remember always use fresh shucked corn, never ever frozen.

I’ll look forward to making this pizza every summer, it’s now a top favorite and before this summer ends I’ll be making it again and again while corn is still at it’s peak.

If you’ve never had a corn pizza stop what you’re doing and make this now!

4.0 from 1 reviews

White Pizza, Four Cheese With Summer Corn

Recipe adapted from The Original Dish

Author: Marie

Ingredients

16 " round pizza pan
cornmeal for dusting pan along with olive oil
1 pound ball of pizza dough, homemade or good quality store bought
3 ears of fresh shucked corn, uncooked
4 oz. shredded fontina cheese
2 balls (not large) of burrata cheese
¾ lb. of shredded mozzarella
a generous handful of grated parmesan, enough to spread all over the pizza
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh basil leaves
red pepper flakes optional for garnish

Instructions

Note: First and foremost it's important to get your dough to room temperature so it's easy to stretch out into the pan.
Coat the bottom of your pizza pan with olive oil and a dusting of cornmeal, it keeps the bottom nice and crunchy.
Stretch your dough onto the pan and place it into a hot prepared oven at 480 degrees for only 5 minutes, then remove it.
If it bubbles up when you take it out pierce it a few times with a fork.
Now add and spread all around your fontina and mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle your grated parmesan generously all over.
Open up your burrata cheese and place dots of it all over the surface.
Sprinkle the fresh, uncooked corn kernels all over the top, evenly spreading them all over the pizza surface.
Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 480 for around 15 minutes or until bottom of crust is deep golden and cheese is all melty.
Garnish with fresh basil all around and optional red pepper flakes.
Enjoy!

1 Comment Filed Under: Pizza Tagged: 4 cheese, burrata, corn on the cob, fontina, mozzarella, parmesan, summer corn, summer pizza

Summer Corn and Shrimp Fritters

July 29, 2020 by Marie 11 Comments

Tis the season to make fritters! It’s summertime and everyones garden is bursting with fresh vegetables as well as the farmers markets and grocery stores. I’ve been seeing all sorts of fritters being made of broccoli, cauliflower, but the most popular in the summer are ones made with zucchini or corn.

Today we’re pairing shrimp with corn in a fritter. Summer fresh corn and shrimp go really well together and are the perfect combination, it takes on a high end kind of flavor experience.

Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside with pops of sweet corn in every bite. Serve these for a midweek dinner and if you have leftovers they heat up well and are delicious for lunch, I’ve even made them for a fancy girls summer dinner party.

This recipe makes quite a few fritters, ten to twelve depending on the size. You can prep and form them early in the day then stick them into the fridge to get chilled before you pan fry them, these are not deep fried but rather requires just enough of a drizzle of oil to cover the bottom of a pan.

You can up the seasoning on the inside with smoked paprika, a cajun spice, some Old Bay seasoning or just leave it as in with the basic recipe, either way it’s all good!

Golden brown and crispy ready to be dipped into a sauce of your liking. I’ve served them with a spicy and sweet chili sauce, a lemon aioli, a mango and peach chutney, believe me it’s all good!

Summer Corn and Shrimp Fritters

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 lb. shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined and patted dry
3 medium ears of corn, shucked
3 eggs, whisked
3 green onions, sliced with a little bit of the green not all
1 cup of AP flour
¾ cup of shredded cheddar
1 smashed garlic clove, large
basil and parsley a heaping tablespoon each, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Optional spice like smoked paprika, Old Bay, cajun, maybe a heaping teaspoon
olive oil for pan frying

Instructions

Take ⅔ of the shrimp and place it into a food processor and pulse it into a paste, remove it with a spatula and place it into a large bowl.
Take the remaining shrimp and roughly chop it into small pieces, then add to the bowl.
Then add in the eggs, garlic, parsley, green onions, basil, seasoning, flour and cheddar, mix well then add in the shucked corn continuing to incorporate it all.
Form the mixture into patty's.
Refrigerate them for a couple of hours.
When it's time to cook them remove patty's from fridge.
Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a heated non stick skillet and pan fry each side until nice and golden and fully cooked inside.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce like a lemon aioli, or a sweet and spicy chili sauce or even a peach or mango chutney.
This recipe I was able to make 11 fritters, so anywhere between 10 and 12 you should yield.

11 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Seafood, Summer, Vegetables Tagged: fritters, shrimp, sweet corn

Summers Magic Sauce, Basil Pesto Cream

July 19, 2020 by Marie 4 Comments

It’s no secret that I have fondness for fresh basil, I look forward to summertime when I can walk out into my garden and pick my own. This season has been particularly great for growing it as you can tell by my beautiful bounty pictured above, at least 2020 was good for something…

It’s mid July here and so far I’ve used my basil in so many different meals, plus I’ve already made pesto a couple of times, some for me and some for family and friends. I like making pesto, it can be used to enhance so many dishes, it’s so intense in flavor, I love it!

One of my absolute favorite treats whenever I make basil pesto is to turn it into a cream sauce. Ok, let’s stop here and let me say that if you’ve never tasted a basil pesto cream sauce, you’re really missing out!

It’s beyond decadent and creamy and so delicious with seafood, meats, veggies, pasta, I could go on and on, and the best thing is, it’s super simple to make.

It’s definitely summers magic sauce!

It all starts with the making of your own homemade basil pesto, very important, homemade. Here’s how I do it.

It’s so delicious because it’s filled with fresh basil leaves, quality parmesan cheese, garlic and toasted nuts. I guess you could use store bought in a pinch as long as it’s a good quality one, but I really recommend you making your own, it really makes a difference.

There are very few ingredients used to make this luscious sauce, just your homemade pesto and some heavy cream, how easy is that?

Grab a pint of heavy cream, it must be heavy, pour it into a saucepan and simmer it low and slow until it starts to thicken, you’ll begin to see the cream bubbling along the edges of the pan.

When it thickens turn off the heat and start adding your prepared basil pesto, tablespoon by tablespoon whisk it in, it should be a nice balance between the pesto and the cream.

No need to add any other seasoning, it’s a wonderful marriage of the two. If you end up with some leftover sauce it heats up well the next day just put it on a low flame and maybe add a little more cream to loosen it up, but making it the day you’re going to use it is best.

I recently seared some scallops and placed them into a puddle of this scrumptious sauce, no words, pure deliciousness!

Think of it smeared on salmon, into your favorite pasta shape, roasted or grilled veggies and different meats, like I said, the possibilities are endless. I hope you make this magic sauce!

4 Comments Filed Under: Sauces, Seafood, Summer Tagged: Basil, basil cream sauce, basil cream scallops, Pesto, summer basil

Creamy Polenta With Summer Garden Veggies

July 10, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

Since I started this blog way back in 2007 ( next month will be 13 years!) I have posted many different polenta recipes, needless to say we adore polenta in our house.

If you do a search here on my blog you’ll find polenta muffins, polenta biscotti, a polenta tart, croutons, grilled polenta and many different ways to serve it with meat, eggs and various vegetables that are highlighted during the seasons.

Today I made a creamy polenta that showcases all the summer garden veggies like corn and zucchini that are readily available right now. It’s a fun and very delicious way to highlight both.

I use instant polenta which takes no time at all to cook up, and if you prep a few of the other ingredients ahead of time, this comes together quickly.

I roasted a pint of cherry tomatoes the other day and I had some grilled corn leftover from the weekend so I added zucchini and yellow squash and picked some fresh basil from my garden. Just a few ingredients makes such a spectacular meal, but this can also serve as a side dish with something you cook up on the grill.

I also like to serve this up alongside grilled shrimp, it’s such a nice combo!

So all you have to do is whisk up some creamy polenta, top it off with julienned strips of zucchini, smokey charred corn along with sweet, juicy roasted cherry tomatoes. Polenta tends to firm up after it sits for a while so if you have leftovers no problem, cut it into wedges and serve it like a pizza!

A summertime dish you won’t forget!

Creamy Polenta With Summer Garden Veggies

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 ears of grilled corn with planks cut off the cob, make some planks along with the kernals
1 small zucchini, julienned
1 small yellow squash, julienned
a squeeze of fresh lemon
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, rainbow colored
2 green onions, sliced
fresh basil
olive oil
FOR THE POLENTA
1 cup of instant polenta
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth preferably, or water
½ cup parmigiano cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
additional ¼ cup or so of water to thin it out a bit if needed at the end

Instructions

Prep your tomatoes by placing them whole on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle generously with olive oil all over and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if made the day before just warm them up a bit the day of.
Roast at 400 until they burst and all the juices mingle with the oil.
Grill both ears of corn cutting the kernels off the cob and making some into planks, it looks nice when placed on top of the polenta.
Julienne both zucchini and yellow squash then place into a bowl and add a squeeze of lemon and a little olive oil just to wilt them down a bit.
MAKE THE POLENTA
In a medium saucepan add the broth or water, get it to a boil and whisk in the polenta, now turn the heat down and let it cook til it thickens, it doesn’t take long.
Shut off the heat and stir in the butter, chopped basil and parmigiano, taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper, maybbe more cheese.
When polenta is finished pour it into your serving dish and "decorate" the top to your liking with all the ingredients including the green onion and extra sprinkle of basil and cheese for finishing. You'll probably have some leftover ingredients, especially the roasted tomatoes.Be sure to spoon some of the tomato oil on too.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

3 Comments Filed Under: Grains, Side Dishes, Summer Tagged: grilled corn, polenta, roasted tomatoes, summer veggies

Spice Encrusted Chicken Thighs With White Peaches

June 26, 2020 by Marie 2 Comments

This is a quick summer dish to make when you see peaches starting to appear in the markets. Crispy, spice encrusted chicken thighs balanced with the sweetness of peaches creates such a wonderful flavor combination, and it’s made all in one pan!

I like using bone in, skin on chicken thighs, they stay nice and juicy even if you overcook them a little bit. But if you’re not a fan of thighs you can make it with chicken breasts, but again I would only recommend bone in and skin on, it really makes a difference in flavor.

I was lucky enough to come across these beautiful white peaches the other day. White peaches have a creamy white flesh and taste just as sweet when they’re firm and crunchy as well as tree ripened.

Open up your spice cabinet and pull out some of your dried spices because that is what you use primarily for this dish, with a little fresh basil for garnish.

I usually make beer can chicken during the summer out on the grill, I make it a couple of different ways but my family likes it when it’s all spiced up the best.

By spiced up I mean a blend of different dry spices rubbed all over a whole chicken, it’s delicious because the spices create a smoky, savory crust but it can get very messy while prepping it because you’re rubbing the spice mixture all over a propped up ( on a beer can) and vertical whole chicken.

In this version you’re using the same spice mix and placing it on top of the skin of the thighs, which results in that same crispy, smoky, savory crust and it takes about a half an hour or so to cook in your oven!

So grab some peaches when you see them, and of course you can sub in the classic yellow peach or even some sweet nectarines if you want, but if you do happen to come across some white peaches I hope you give them a try.

Sweet and spicy is always such a perfect combination!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Spice Encrusted Chicken Thighs With White Peaches

Author: Marie

Ingredients

6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
5 peaches, pit removed cut into quarters
SPICE MIX
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon each of oregano and thyme
½ teaspoon each of granulated garlic, onion and salt
¼ teaspoons fresh black pepper
fresh basil for garnish
olive oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 450 F.
Mix up your spice blend in a small bowl and have it ready to go.
Drizzle the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil.
Place thighs in pan, skin side up and brush top with olive oil.
Spoon the spice mix on top of each thigh covering the skin completely and using all the mix.
Do a quick drizzle on top of each thigh.
If you can, let it sit for 15 minutes or so to permeate the meat.
Place pan into the oven and roast for 15 minutes then take out pan and place the cut peaches all around, then back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until temp insides reaches 165 to 170.
The crispier the better, so a few minutes more won't hurt it at all, if using thighs.
Let it rest for 10 minutes then garnish with a generous amount of fresh basil.
Enjoy!

2 Comments Filed Under: Fruit, Poultry Tagged: chicken and peaches, chicken thighs, peaches, spice encrusted, white peaches

How To Grill An Herb Stuffed Pork Loin

June 16, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

Grilling season is in full force and Father’s Day is just around the corner and so you might be thinking of something special to make, may I suggest grilling a pork loin. A pork loin is excellent to make on the grill if you’re having a small or large group, you can feed a crowd with a pork roast being the main course and then just have some wonderful side dishes to serve along side it.

A pork loin has a much richer flavor because of the marbling throughout, as opposed to a very lean pork tenderloin.

A grilled pork loin that’s smothered with fresh herbs inside and out is easier than you think to make, plus it can be stuffed, rolled and tied a day ahead or hours before which makes for a stress free day of entertaining.

Ask your butcher what size roast you should get according to the amount of people that you’ll will be serving. Look for a pinkish red color when picking your fresh roast and one with some marbling, because as we know, fat = flavor.

I used three herbs for my rub, sage, rosemary and thyme along with garlic and olive oil of course!

If you have a smaller roast, two to three pounds, you can cut it down the center, lengthwise with a sharp knife, being very careful not to go all the way and cut through the bottom, then gently open it up like a book.

Cover the meat with plastic wrap and beat it all over with a meat mallet until it’s about a half inch thickness. If you have a larger roast, four to five pounds, you’ll have to be a little more precise in opening it up. Here’s a good visual for details on the cutting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Vl78vJMJ8

It’s best to get the roast all prepped and ready for the grill ahead of time so all the flavors can marinate together as it sits in the fridge.

The smell when it’s grilling is out of this world, your neighbors will be so jealous!

Each bite is jam packed with flavor and the pork retains all it’s juices.

Happy Grilling!

How To Grill An Herb Stuffed Pork Loin

Author: Marie

Ingredients

3 lb. fresh pork loin
meat mallet
butchers twine
a small handful each of rosemary, sage and thyme plus extra branches for decorating the roast, and your platter.
3 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

To Make your herb paste:
On a cutting board or a small food processor place the herbs, garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Chop or pulsing the herb mix then drizzle in some olive until the mixture becomes a loose paste, set aside.
To open up the pork loin take a sharp knife and cut down the center, being care not to cut all the way through.
Open the roast up like you do a book.
(If roast is bigger, refer to the youtube link I provided in the post, and double the herb mixture.)
Lay some plastic wrap on top of opened meat.
Take your meat mallet and pound all over the surface, you want it to be about a half inch thick all around.
Remove plastic wrap and smear all over the surface, reserving enough for the outside of the roast.
Have your butchers twine cut and ready to tie the meat
Now roll up the meat as close and tight as you can and secure it with the twine in 2 inch intervals.
Rub the outside all over with remaining herb mixture and add a branch of each herb under one tie.
At this point you can place in a fridge overnight or you can place in fridge for a couple of hours before grilling, you want the flavors to mingle for a while.
FOR A GAS GRILL
Take roast out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling.
Sear both sides on a medium high flame for a few minutes then lower it down to medium, around 350 until internal temp reaches 140. You will have to move it from time to time checking it and watching your temp but other than that it's hands free, and of course cover your grill.
Remove roast and let it rest under loose foil for 15 minutes.
Cut the twine off and it's ready to slice!

3 Comments Filed Under: Meats Tagged: fathers day, grilled pork roast, grilling, herb filled roast, pork roast

Roasted Eggplant Artichoke and White Bean Dip

June 7, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious appetizer or snack to serve up this summer, I have just the thing! My roasted eggplant, artichoke and white bean dip.

This wonderful dip is like an Italian version of hummus.

It’s full of flavor and quite healthy and comes together quickly using canned cannellini beans and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, with no tahini required! ( I never was a fan).

The only cooking you’ll be doing is roasting your eggplant, this can be done a day ahead of time, just pierce the skin and roast it whole.

The eggplant will eventually collapse and become soft, when it cools down you’ll be able to slice and scoop out the nice creamy flesh inside, which is a key component in your dip along with the artichoke hearts, white beans.

Perfect for entertaining with a beverage of your choice. Serve it swiped on crusty bread, crackers or even veggies.

Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

Roasted Eggplant Artichoke and White Bean Dip

An easy to make summer dip, snack or appetizer!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 medium/ small eggplant left whole, roasted with flesh scooped out
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 can of cannellini beans, drained
1 or 2 small garlic cloves
small handful each of basil and parsley
¼ cup olive oil, extra for top garnish
lemon zest
a small pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Small jar of roasted red peppers drained, which you will use for garnish only
TO GARNISH THE TOP
a few olives
a swipe of roasted red pepper paste easily made by draining a jar of roasted red peppers and swirling them in a food processor into a thick consistency.
olive oil
extra chopped herbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Poke fork holes all around the whole eggplant skin, then roast until eggplant is soft and collapsed.
Let the eggplant cool down and then scoop out the flesh.
In a food processor add the artichoke hearts, the beans, the eggplant pulp, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic cloves, lemon zest and pulse slowly to desired consistency. ( I like to see some of the artichoke bits). Taste for salt and pepper.
Place dip into a serving bowl and make a swirl on top with a small spoon, drizzle in some olive oil into the swirl, add the red color of the roasted red pepper.
Sprinkle with herbs.
Serve with toasted bread, crackers or veggies

3 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Party Foods Tagged: artichoke, bean, crostini dip, dip, eggplant, snack

Roasted Pepper Salad with Castelvetrano Olives

May 27, 2020 by Marie 10 Comments

You’re in for a real treat when you make this smoky flamed roasted pepper salad. It tastes nothing like the peppers that you can buy in a jar, not in the least!

The salad is sweet as well as smoky with just a few ingredients such as garlic, olive oil and herbs, and it’s perfectly accompanied by buttery, mild and lightly brined Castelvetrano olives. Aaah… Have you ever tried them? Even olive haters are won over by their incredible taste.

To start out making this you have to prepare the peppers. The skin has to be removed by charring all the sides and it can be done a few different ways.

Blistering the skin takes a little time and you don’t want to hurry the process.

You can use a grill pan inside, a grill outside or you can even place them directly onto the burner of your gas stove while the flame is going.

Another way which is pretty easy, especially if you’re making quite a few is to stick them onto a foil lined baking sheet and place the pan right under the broiler. Any of the methods you chose you have to be watchful with constant turning making sure all sides of the peppers are blistering.

You’ll know when they’re done, they’ll feel tender to the touch with charring all around.

Then you’re going to place them into a bowl putting plastic wrap over the top so they can steam a bit while they’re still hot, maybe 15 minutes.

When they cool down the outer skin will peel right off, if you need a little help grab hold with a paper towel. You’ll be left with the meat of the pepper.

Open up the pepper and scrape out the seeds, you might have a few lingering but that’s ok. Now all you have to do is cut them into slices.

Now here’s the easy part. Grab a bowl, add the sliced peppers and start adding in the rest of your ingredients.

For six peppers I added roughly a third cup of olive oil, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves, a good handful of chopped parsley, ( you could add basil too) salt and pepper to taste and a generous amount of Castelvetrano olives. Some people add in capers, pine nuts, garbanzo beans.

I say add what you like but I’m more of a purist and want those olives to shine through all the way.

Keep in mind the flavor just enhances the more it sits and marinates all together. So as the saying goes, the more it sits the better it gets!

Grab a platter and serve up this beautiful, colorful pepper salad as a side to anything you put on the grill, or simply served as a crostini on some crusty bread.

Simplicity at it’s best!

10 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Party Foods Tagged: pepper salad, roasted pepper crostini, roasted peppers

Memorial Day Weekend Grilling Ideas

May 20, 2020 by Marie 4 Comments

It’s time to bust out your grills, Memorial Day weekend is around the corner and it’s the start of warm weather and enjoying the outside, and quite frankly I’m tired of comfort foods I’m ready for some serious grilling!

Honesty this post could go on for days because there are so many meals you can make on the grill. Pizza is always fun and so is paella and who doesn’t love a good old clambake on the grill!

Today I’m going to focus on a few of my good old standbys, ones that I make throughout the summer. Starting out with rainbow colored veggie kabobs.

Just skewer your favorite veggies together, I love adding chunks of portobello mushrooms on mine. I usually use wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for a couple of hours so as not to burn, if you have metal skewers, even better.

I usually do a simple olive oil, salt and pepper that’s brushed all over mine I like the individual veggie flavors to really shine through. I have a basil infused olive oil that I sometimes drizzle over them at the end when plated, simple and delicious!

To go along with the veggie kabobs you might as well do some meat ones. I usually do sirloin steak and chicken breast sprinkled with dry herbs and olive oil of course. I have a Greek seasoning that I love to use but I’ve also done some wet marinades as well, like teriyaki.

That’s the fun part just make them the way you want.

You really don’t use a lot of meat when making kabobs because there’s always some type of veggie stuck in between, so they’re very economical to make and great for a party. Yes, they’re a little time consuming to put together, but all that can be done a day ahead.

They’re so pretty on a platter and everyone seems to love them, make a couple of sides and you’re good to go.

I love doing fish on the grill, in fact I prefer it. I often make a cedar planked piece of gorgeous salmon. Again I’m mostly a dry rub girl, the one I used here had a mix of brown sugar, onion, garlic, paprika, cilantro, smoked salt, chipotle and some other spices, but again make it your own, just be sure to soak your planks for a couple of hours so they don’t burn up on the grill.

I’ve even done a whole sheet pan full of cod with tomatoes, olives, lemons, capers and other spices out on the grill which is super simple to do with amazing flavor.

Grilled shrimp always a favorite, for this I make a simple marinade of olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley. Large shrimp is best to use so that you can put them directly onto the grill grates to get all that good charred flavor.

Served with lemon slices these shrimp on the barbie always disappear!

Steaks, ribs, burgers and grilled chicken are all front runners in the grilling department.

In my family you can count on Italian sausage on the grill always making a reoccurring appearance, tossed with peppers of course.

If you don’t want to skewer your veggies just grill up a whole bunch of your favorite and arrange them on a platter, a healthy and delicious side to any of your grilled meats or fish.

Throw in a good pasta salad or two, this one has a mix of artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, olives, tomatoes, red peppers, cucumber, red onion, spinach and feta.

Or do this simple caprese pasta salad. Chop up your tomatoes and let them sit with olive oil and garlic til the juices run out and mingle together, then toss into your cooked pasta and add fresh chopped mozzarella with fresh basil.

If you prefer a potato salad, here’s one I posted made with fingerling potatoes and a honey, lemon and Dijon vinaigrette.

Most of us will be homebound this summer so we might as well make the best of it, enjoying our outdoor spaces, nice weather along with good food and drink!

Happy grilling!

4 Comments Filed Under: Meats, Party Foods, Summer Tagged: Grilled Veggies, grilling, kabobs, Memorial Day BBQ

Chicken Parmigiana with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

May 12, 2020 by Marie 6 Comments

Chicken parmigiana is an intensely flavored dish of crispy, crunchy chicken topped with warm, oozing melted cheese and then garnished with the luscious flavor of roasted cherry tomatoes.

It all begins with a pan of roasted cherry tomatoes, I’m obsessed with roasting tomatoes, I’ve been doing it for years and you can’t beat the flavor.

I like to line my pan with foil so none of the juices dry up and burn, you want every single drop. I always add shaved garlic into the pan and toss in some fresh basil along with dousing the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.

You’ll want to roast the tomatoes until they burst open and release their juices so that they all mingle together with the garlic and basil flavors.

You can prepare the tomatoes early in the day, just warm them up before using.

Then you want to cook up your chicken. Sometimes I can find thinly cut chicken cutlets but more often I just trim my own by slicing a breast longways into two or three pieces, then you’ll want to pound then flat for even cooking.

The chicken cutlets are dipped in egg first then into a mix of panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, granulated garlic, fresh snipped parsley and a touch of paprika.

Pan fried in olive oil will give you a nice crunchy crust. Be sure to place them on a rack to keep that crunch after frying, otherwise the bottom might get soggy and believe me you don’t want soggy chicken parmigiana!

Then plop a slab of fresh mozzarella on top, stick the cutlets under the broiler just until the cheese starts to melt. Pull the chicken cutlets out and top them with the warm roasted tomatoes, this is a heavenly combo!

Make this anytime of the week, prepare the tomatoes ahead, then everything else will take no time at all!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Chicken Parmigiana with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

No exact measurements, it will depend on how many cutlets you have. Just mix up your breadcrumb mixture as you go. Start out with 2 eggs.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

chicken cutlets, sliced thin and pounded flat
ROASTED TOMATOES
at least 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2 or 3 shaved garlic cloves
fresh torn basil
olive oil
BREADCRUMB MIXTURE
panko breadcrumbs
granulated garlic
fresh chopped parsley
a handful of grated parmesan
paprika
2 eggs scrambled
slices of fresh mozzarella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Prepare your tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. throw on the tomatoes, shaved garlic, salt, pepper and torn basil, douse with a generous amount of olive oil.
Roast tomatoes until they burst and juices mingle with the olive oil.
Set up your breadcrumb mixture and scrambled eggs.
Dip cutlets into egg first then into crumb mixture then directly into a pan with the bottom coated with olive oil.
Cook cutlets on both sides til golden brown with no pink inside.
Place cooked cutlets onto a rack to stay crispy.
Place the cheese on top then under the broiler just until it melts slightly.
Remove and place them on a platter and spoon the warm, garlicky roasted tomatoes on top.
Garnish with more basil.
Enjoy

6 Comments Filed Under: Featured, Poultry, Uncategorized Tagged: cherry tomatoes, chicken parm, parmigiana, roasted tomatoes

Linguine and Zucchini On Your Table In Minutes

May 4, 2020 by Marie 9 Comments

We all need a quick go to meal, one that we can put together in minutes without much thought. This recipe uses ingredients that are very inexpensive and easy to find but when put together tastes like a million bucks!

Linguine and zucchini, a match made in heaven, but truth be told you can really use any shape of pasta for this dish, use what you have and like, you can’t go wrong.

Zucchini coins that are pan fried in olive oil gives you the flavor base along with toasted breadcrumbs, pecorino cheese, parsley and toasty nuts and of course my choice, good old fashioned toothsome linguine pasta.

Fry up as many zucchini you like, you’d be surprised how many slices you get from just one good sized zucchini. You can go heavy on the veg and light on the pasta amount, or visa versa, it’s up to you.

When you pan fry the zucchini it goes really fast, it doesn’t take long before you’ll get a nice golden brown color on them. The time it takes you to boil the water you’ll be done with the frying.

This is such a satisfying and comforting dish quick to make for mid week or the weekend, I hope you make this linguine and zucchini for your family!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Linguine and Zucchini On Your Table In Minutes

Author: Marie

Ingredients

Linguine pasta, or any other of your choice, ½ lb. or 1 lb. However much you want to make
1 or 2 zucchini, medium sized sliced into coins
2 shaved garlic cloves
a generous handful of toasted walnuts, grated Pecorino or Parmesan along with breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
chopped parsley
red pepper flakes, (optional)
olive oil

Instructions

In a frying pan cover the bottom with olive oil and start frying your zucchini coins, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside on paper towels to drain.
Have your salted pasta water going while you’re frying up the zucchini.
When done frying the zucchini, add more oil to the bottom of the pan and toss in the shaved garlic, the toasted nuts and the breadcrumbs, everything should be golden and toasty.
Cook your pasta Al dente, reserve some hot pasta water then drain the pasta and toss it into the pan with the breadcrumb mixture.
Gently toss in half of your zucchini coins, combining well.
If you feel you need to loosen things up add in some of the pasta water.
You can then toss in your parsley, check for seasoning adding salt, pepper, more cheese and maybe an extra drizzle of olive oil, it's up to your taste buds.
Place pasta into your serving dish and top with the remaining zucchini coins for a nice presentation along with a sprinkling of nuts and more parsley.

9 Comments Filed Under: Pasta Tagged: linguine, quick and easy, quick midweek meal, zucchini, zucchini coins

White Pasta Fagioli

April 24, 2020 by Marie 11 Comments

I don’t know about you but I’m still seeking out comfort foods, especially soup. On a rainy, dreary April day this white pasta fagioli is just what you need!

It’s nice to make a big pot and have it ready to heat up for lunch during the week, it’s so comforting and I know we can all use some comfort right now.

Let’s talk about the white version of pasta fagioli or “pasta fazool”which I grew up calling it. You won’t find any tomatoes in this version at all and although I love the tomatoey version, the white is hands down my absolute favorite!

There’s something about the smokey bacon flavor that goes so well with the beans, garlic, celery and onions, ( yes I use bacon). You could use pancetta if you like, but I prefer using bacon.

No elaborate ingredients go into this dish, in fact probably have some of the pantry items already, boxed stock, pasta and cannellini beans as well as celery, grated cheese, onions and garlic, staples you might have in your fridge.

This actually takes no time at all to make, before you know it you’ll be enjoying a hot steamy bowl right in front of you, with some crusty bread I hope!

It’s so satisfying and it has that feel good flavor, I hope you find comfort in every bite!

5.0 from 3 reviews

White Pasta Fagioli

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4 slices smokey bacon, medium dice
3 celery stalks, diced
½ white onion, diced
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 large can cannellini beans, 1 lb. 13 oz or 2 regular sized cans, drain half of the liquid
½ lb. of ditalini pasta or something similar that size
a handful chopped parsley
a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese
chicken stock in a box, or homemade if you have it, not quite a whole quart or depending on desired thickness
a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
black pepper and salt to taste
olive oil

Instructions

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a heavy pot to cover.
Cook the diced bacon until it gets slightly, crispy golden.
If it's too greasy, remove and drain on paper towel, wipe out pan and add more olive oil and return the cooked bacon.
Toss in the the garlic, onion and celery, cook til it softens, add in your red pepper flakes to taste (optional).
Throw in the beans with the remaining liquid in the cans.
Stir well, then pour in the chicken stock.
Get it to a boil then simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes, it should thicken to the right consistency on its own, if it doesn't thicken enough I take my immersion blender and do a quick blitz on the side, not too much, just enough to puree some of the beans to act as a thickener.
In the meantime boil the pasta on the side, a’dente then drain it.
Turn off heat when soup is finished, add a big handful of grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Add a little bit of the pasta, reserving most of it for your individual bowls, this way the pasta won't blow up in the hot soup and you can take as much as you want for your bowl.
Taste for seasoning on everything.
Ladle into bowls adding a drizzle of olive oil, more cheese, black and red pepper.
Enjoy!

11 Comments Filed Under: Beans, Soups and Stews Tagged: comfort food, pasta and beans, pasta fagioli soup, pasta fazool

Pizza Night At Home, Who Needs Delivery!

April 16, 2020 by Marie 4 Comments

Nothing beats the smell of freshly made pizza cooking in the oven and it’s easier to make than you think. You might have a favorite handed down pizza dough recipe from your family, I know I do but honestly I hardly ever use it these days.

Good quality ready made pizza dough can be easy to find nowadays. You can find it in Italian markets, grocery stores and even your local pizzeria will sell you some.

I usually buy a few balls of dough and stick them in my freezer so I have them readily available when we feel like pizza night at home, you can do the same with your homemade dough if you make it ahead and freeze it. I’ll usually take the dough out of the freezer in the morning, as it sits it will defrost but then more importantly it comes to room temperature which makes it very pliable and easy to roll out.

The above photo was a pizza I recently made which was really fun to do and it tasted amazing, I call it pizza art. This pizza needs no sauce or cheese.

I always start out coating my pans with olive oil on the bottom and sides, then I sprinkle the bottoms with a light dusting of cornmeal or polenta.
I used a quarter sheet pan for this with a heated oven at 450F.
Place 1 pound of dough into the pan and make dimple marks all over with the tips of your fingers.
Drizzled olive oil all over making sure it falls into the dimple indentions.
All the vegetables I used in the photo above were uncooked, I also added olives and very thin sliced potatoes.
Drizzle the top of the veggies with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, maybe red pepper, oregano whatever you want.
Bake til golden brown on bottom and sides, maybe 15 minutes or so but ovens do vary so keep an eye on it!

One of my personal favorite types of pizza to make is this white pizza with garlic sautéed spinach, oh it’s so delicious!

The topping has no red sauce but rather a mix of ricotta, shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese and you really don’t need a lot! I also take a nice handful of fresh spinach and wilt it down in a sauté pan with some garlic flavored olive oil, then cool it down and squeeze it til no moisture is clinging onto it.

This pizza was made using 1/2 pound of dough, rolled to fit a 15 inch round pizza pan.
Prep the pan with olive oil all over and a dusting of cornmeal or polenta on the bottom, preheat oven to 500F.
Mix together 1 cup each of ricotta and shredded mozzarella, add in a good handful of grated parmesan cheese.
Pre- cook dough for 5 minutes in hot oven, only 5! Then take it out, push it down if it bubbled up and spread the ricotta mixture all over the warm top, then arrange your spinach all around.
Bake for around 12 – 15 minutes till golden on bottom and sides. (ovens do vary).

When I use red sauce on a pizza I make a simple and light sauce which doesn’t overpower the ingredients but rather enhances them.

Open a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, a good Italian brand.
Right into the can add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 small smashed garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and an optional pinch of red pepper flakes.
Stir it up and that’s it, it’s ready to use!

My husbands favorite combination on pizza is cheese, sausage, mushroom and onions. The pan and the pre-cooking of the dough was exactly the same as above pizza. By precooking the dough for the 5 minutes it gives the bottom a head start on a nice crispy crust.

The sausage was removed from the casing then browned so there was no visible pink.
Spread your fresh sauce on top, then shredded mozzarella, onions, sliced mushrooms, dotting the cooked sausage all around.
A quick drizzle all over with olive oil, you can add fresh basil or dried oregano whatever you have.
Into the 500 degree oven for around 15 minutes or so.

If you’re from Chicago then you’re very familiar with a very popular sandwich here called the Italian beef. It’s thinly sliced beef in a highly seasoned Au Jus, it’s usually served with sweet peppers on top, and hot giardiniera on the side. It’s excellent and you can also put all the components on a pizza!

Same as above, precook dough on nicely oiled pan for 5 minutes, spread red sauce, then cheese, thin slices of beef and slightly sautéed peppers.
In 15 minutes or so remove and drizzle on the giardiniera on your individual piece.

And let’s not forget dessert! You can make a Nutella pizza and it is sinfully delicious! You may think cooked pizza dough with Nutella on it? Don’t think twice just do it!

I did a step by step post on it here, so check out how it’s done. Feel free to top it with berries of your choice or sliced bananas topped with nuts, you can’t go wrong with any of it!

Enjoy having pizza night at home, it’s inexpensive, it uses few ingredients, it’s so easy to do and the kids can even get involved.

Like I said, you may never order delivery again!

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4 Comments Filed Under: Breads, Pizza Tagged: Italian beef pizza, pizza art, sausage pizza, sweet pizza, white pizza

Easter Sprinkle Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

April 6, 2020 by Marie 1 Comment

Easter will be quite different for all of us this year but we can still try and make the best of it. I’m thankful for FaceTime, Zoom and all the other video apps where we can chat and connect with family and friends as often as we want while we all hunker down in our homes and pray for this virus to end.

The fact is Easter is around the corner and there are still ways we can make it special. If you’re looking for a super easy and fun sweet treat to make, one that doesn’t require a bunch of ingredients and one that your kids could help you make and eat, try these colorful, sprinkle, chocolate dipped macaroons!

Cute little sprinkles in pastel colors is a pop of brightness after a long winter and it is very spring like.

This recipe comes from Molly Yeh but I put my spin on it by shaping them into Easter eggs and using pastel sprinkles, but you can certainly use whatever colored sprinkles you have and just scoop them out into round mounds if you like.

And just a note, if you think you might not care for sprinkles in your macaroons, I urge you to take a bite of these, I was hooked!

They’re soft and chewy in the middle and crisp and toasty on the outside and finished off with a nice dip into chocolate!

Just a few ingredients are required and some you probably already have in your pantry, like a jar of sprinkles, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a bag of chocolate chips and coconut.

Whatever your own spin is on these cookies I know you’ll love them! Who doesn’t love cookies and especially ones with sprinkles!

Have a blessed Easter, wishing you all safety and good health with the hope that we’ll all be reunited with our loved ones soon.

Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

Easter Sprinkle Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

This recipe is adapted from Molly Yeh's Sprinkle Macaroon's

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons, vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 14 oz. bag sweetened shredded coconut
2 large egg whites
¼ t, salt
¼ cup pastel sprinkles or rainbow of any color, more for topping each cookie
3 oz. of chocolate chips or any kind for melting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 f. Line a baking sheet with parchment
In a large bowl add the condensed milk, vanilla and almond extract. Mix in the shredded coconut and set aside.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture and then gently fold in the ¼ cup of sprinkles.
Scoop out about a 2" ball and shape it into an egg, or if not shaping into egg just leave it as that.
Place onto baking sheet 1" apart and sprinkle the tops with more sprinkles.
Bake until golden brown, check at about 18 minutes, remove from oven, let it cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Melt your chocolate in the microwave at 30 second increments, stirring til smooth.
Dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate and place back on parchment.
Let the chocolate on the cookies cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge.
These can be. stored in the fridge for up to a week and still be fresh and delicious!

1 Comment Filed Under: Cookies, Spring, Summer Tagged: chocolate dipped, coconut, Easter cookies, macaroons, sprinkle cookies, sprinkles

16 Inspiring Frittatas with Helpful Tips and Tricks

March 27, 2020 by Marie 8 Comments

Frittatas have always been a regular staple in my house, for as long as I can remember my whole married life I’ve been making them. Over the years my technique has evolved and I probably can make them in my sleep now.

What I like about frittatas is that they make a hearty breakfast, they can become an amazing brunch, a very satisfying lunch and a casual and light dinner.

Right now as I write this we are all living in uncharted waters, trying to navigate our lives through this horrible virus that’s attacking the earth. We want to nurture our loved ones and cooking is one of the ways to do that.

Frittatas don’t take a lot of energy to make, and in times of stress that’s a good thing. You don’t need to go out and buy fancy ingredients, in fact you’d be surprised how little you actually need. The key ingredients would be of course eggs, maybe some leftover veggies you don’t want to waste or some odds and ends of cheese wrapped up in the fridge. All these things can be transformed into an amazing meal to feed your family.

I hope to give you some inspiration with some of the ingredients I’ve used. The above frittata was made with a yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, fontina and pecorino.

My caprese frittata made here with the three basics ingredients of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, I could eat this anytime of the day.

Keep in mind if you make these throughout the year like I do, no doubt you’ll be using seasonal veggies as well.

This frittata is a hearty meal of pre-cooked crumbled Italian sausage, roasted butternut squash, a handful of spinach, pecorino and shredded mozzarella.

I actually made this one the other day with some leftover cooked artichoke hearts that I had, a few stalks of roasted asparagus with some cherry tomatoes.

One ingredient constant in all my frittatas is grated pecorino, to me its like Emeril’s ”BAM !”

This one has a Greek flavor profile with feta cheese, red onion and tomato wedges, feta is fantastic in frittatas!

I love squash and delicata squash is no exception, I make it during the fall and winter a lot by roasting it, and always have leftovers. Here it is with roasted cauliflower and spinach. This time I used cheddar with a mix of mozzarella and pecorino of course, because what can I say, it just enhances the whole frittata!

Oh and yes you can eat the delicate skin on the squash!

My go to pan is always an oven safe skillet, mostly 10 inch, sometimes 12 inch but I’ve also made them in a quarter sheet pan which is fun. You can have fun creating a little scene with all the veggies, great if you’re feeding a group, just double the egg amount.

This one is filled with fresh roasted asparagus, a handful of frozen peas, red onion, herbs, cherry tomatoes with pecorino and mozzarella.

I call this my spring frittata, it has beautiful melted brie cheese with shaved asparagus, peas and cherry tomatoes. The shaved asparagus gives it a really special look and it tastes amazing!

Pan sautéed zucchini coins with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, pecorino and cheddar.

Hearty and delicious roasted brussels sprouts leaves with cooked chopped bacon, mozzarella and pecorino.

When tomato season is here remember this frittata made with sliced heirlooms, cheddar, pecorino and basil.

I look forward to making this when delicate zucchini blossoms start to appear along with sautéed zucchini coins, pecorino, basil and fresh mozzarella.

Speaking of zucchini, this frittata is made with spiralized zucchini, fresh herbs, tomato slices, mozzarella, pecorino and shaved parm on top.

Roasted mini colored peppers with peas, pecorino and mozzarella with a green salad plopped on top, which by the way is a fun way to eat a frittata.

I often mix up some arugula with just lemon and olive oil and plop it on top of mine.

Roasted broccolini with red pepper, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and pecorino.

And lastly an earthy frittata made with shiitake mushrooms, goat cheese and spinach, feel free to use any mushroom you have, leaving some whole for a nice presentation.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING FOOL PROOF FRITTATAS.

Always use an oven proof skillet ( 10 inch if you want it thicker, 12 inch if you want it thinner)
Have pre-cooked fillings ready ( you can use frozen veggies if that’s all you have, just saute them in a little olive oil for flavor)
Use fresh tomatoes and herbs
Use various cheeses of your choice ( cheddar, mozzarella, fresh or shredded, brie, feta, fontina, gouda, you get the picture)
Use 6 eggs scrambled with a dash of water from the tap ( I never use milk or cream in my frittatas)
Start out by drizzling olive oil in the bottom of your pan, if using onions start out sauteing them first then place your veggies all around the way you want your frittata to look, sort of like painting on a canvas.
Pour your scrambled eggs gently over the tops of your veg.
Heat should be medium lowish
Sprinkle with grated pecorino or parmesan
Add some salt and black pepper

Heat up your broiler.

When the eggs start to set a little it’s time for the broiler, so shut the flame off the stove. At this time I like to take some tongs and gently lift up some of my vegetables, otherwise they all get buried under the egg mixture and you won’t have a pretty presentation or see any of the veg popping out.

Next you want to strategically place whatever cheese you’re using all around trying not to bury everything, then add maybe a quick drizzle of olive oil and some more pecorino.

Speaking of broiler, I always finish my frittatas under the broiler, I’m not a flipper, I prefer the presentation you achieve from using the broiler.

One important note; don’t leave the broiler! keep opening the door to see how golden it’s getting, ovens vary so don’t leave the scene! You want a nice golden color from the melted cheese.

Test the center to see if any egg runs, if so put it back in for a few seconds.

Take it out and let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes, garnish with herbs if you like.

Frittatas can be eaten warm, at room temperature, or cold right from the fridge.

To round out the meal even more you can add some crusty bread and a salad.

Enjoy!

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8 Comments Filed Under: Eggs Tagged: eggs, frittata

10 Inspiring Easter Desserts

March 11, 2020 by Marie 1 Comment

Are you looking for some inspiration while planning for your Easter dessert? Well here are 10 of my favorites! Each and very one I have made for family and friends and all have been a big hit!

Let’s start out with this dreamy Limoncello Tiramisu. It’s bright and delicious and the perfect ending to a great meal. This particular recipe can be made in individual parfait glasses or in a 9×13 inch pan like featured above, all you have to do is double the recipe!

Cannoli Pie, I call it a pie because it’s actually a take on another Easter pie that I make.

This special dessert is made in a spring form pan which allows you to press broken cannoli shells easily against the wall of the pan in forming the crust. You can make it a day ahead then adorn the top with all things cannoli, like pistachios, mini chocolate chips and powdered sugar.

Italian Anise Cookies, these are a staple in many Italian homes, usually made often for any type of celebration and holidays. The nice thing about these cookies is the fact that you can decorate them according to whatever occasion it is.

The pastel colors scream winter is gone and spring is upon us! I promise they’ll be the perfect addition to your Easter table.

Olive Oil Chardonnay Pound Cake with Citrus Vanilla Glaze. This recipe has been on my blog since 2013 and I have to say I have a weakness for this cake.

This pound cake has a bright and bold flavorful glaze that mixes three different citrus zests together, and the texture of the cake is amazing, plus I think it gives a pretty awesome presentation.

Easter Lamb Cake. Lamb cakes have been a tradition for years and years at Easter time. Yes, you can buy them at bakeries and grocery stores around the holiday, but have you ever wanted to make your own?

I had a dear friend show me step by step how she makes her old school recipe which she’s been making for over 50 years! Get the kids involved in the decorating it would be a nice tradition to start in your own family as well.

Check out her delicious pound cake recipe that she uses.

Strawberry Tiramisu, I love a rich and creamy tiramisu. You can change up the berries using which ones that you like or even do a mixed berry version.

I have a confession to make, I never make my tiramisu with raw eggs, I prefer it without.

Limoncello Tart. ( Can you tell I love Limoncello?) This one has a crust that’s made with crushed amaretti cookies and it’s served with a blueberry sauce on the side.

It’s an amazing combination and a real show stopper!

Triple Zested Ricotta Cookies. Flavors of lemon, orange and lime are tasted through out every bite of this cookie.

They’ll look nice and pretty set out on your Easter dessert table, everyone loves a ricotta cookie, so light and refreshing!

Easter Italian Rice Pie with Rum Soaked Raisins. Arborio rice and soaked rum raisins nestled in with a mix of mascarpone and ricotta.

My little twist uses a phyllo crust which is very forgiving. The contrast between the creamy and the crunchy is out of this world good!

A very traditional Easter dessert with a little updated twist.

Anginetti, Italian Lemon Knot Cookies. This cookie goes by many names but one thing that remains the same is the taste. Intense lemon flavor with a soft texture to the bite. Another special occasion cookie and just perfect for Easter time.

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration with some of these Easter dessert options.

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1 Comment Filed Under: Cakes, Desserts, Spring, Sweet Tart Tagged: cookies, Easter desserts, lemon, Limoncello, pie, tart, tiramisu

Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey, Lemon and Djon Vinaigrette

February 27, 2020 by Marie 5 Comments

Easter is around the corner and I can’t think of a better side dish to have sitting next to your Easter ham. It’s a potato salad made with those pretty colored fingerling potatoes. It showcases a special creamy vinaigrette made with honey, lemon and Djon. The vinaigrette is the perfect compliment to the fingerlings because their light and mild flesh makes the flavors easy to absorb.

The flavors are bright and slightly tangy with a lighter version of a traditional potato salad. This salad can safely sit out and be served at room temperature because it’s made without mayonnaise, so keep this potato salad in mind for future BBQ’s, parties and picnics.

Adding hard boiled eggs, your favorite olives, parsley and sliced green onions round out all the flavors in this hearty potato salad.

Seek out fingerlings that are about the same size because you want them all to cook evenly together, sometimes you’ll see some larger ones in the mix.

Fingerlings boil up fast so be careful not to overcook them. You want the tip of a knife to go through easily but not so much so that the potato falls apart when poking it. Be mindful of that, so keep checking for doneness so they don’t fall apart and get mushy.

The vinaigrette is dreamy, you might want to double the recipe and have extra in the fridge so you can use it for a bunch of other dishes!

A while ago I ordered these balsamic pearls on line but never got around to using them, since they were lemon flavored I thought they would be a nice addition to this potato salad. This is totally optional, no need to add it to the recipe at all, but they are sort of fun!

Look closely, you’ll see them sitting on the surface.

Feel free to make this salad your own with inspiration of seasonal veggies like asparagus, peas, green beans or even corn, and maybe switching up some herbs and adding some arugula, all would go well with the flavors of honey, lemon and Djon.

I hope you seek out some of those vibrant fingerlings and make this delicious potato salad customized by you!

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Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey, Lemon and Djon

A potato salad you'll eat all year long!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 lbs. vibrant colored fingerling potatoes, roughly same size and cut in half lengthwise
3 or 4 hardboiled eggs halved or quartered, your choice
½ cup or so of sliced olives, green or black
3 green onions sliced on the diagonal
balsamic pearls (optional)
Vinaigrette ingredients
1 big shallot or 2 small, finely chopped
chopped parsley, a handful
3 tablespoons of Djon mustard
2 tablespoons, lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon, honey
⅓ cup or so of good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl, taste to your liking, maybe you want it sweeter, add more honey, more tart, add a splash more vinegar or lemon juice or even more olive oil, then set aside.
Wash your potatoes really well.
Place them into cold water and let them reach a boil, then turn down heat to a medium simmer.
Test potatoes for doneness you don't want them mushy as stated in the post.
When finished cooking drain them and place the warm potatoes gently into a large serving dish.
Sprinkle in the green onions and olives all around the potatoes and arranging the hard boiled eggs.
Spoon the vinaigrette all over the warm potatoes so that flavors can absorb.
Taste and determine if salt and added pepper is needed, maybe sprinkle in more parsley, onions and olives as well.
Serve best at room temperature

5 Comments Filed Under: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: easter side dish, fingerling potatoes, honey djon, honey mustard vinaigrette, picnic food, potato salad

Eggplant Parmesan Veggie “Meatballs”

February 21, 2020 by Marie 8 Comments

Who says meatballs all have to be made with meat? Here’s a great veggie alternative that’s made with eggplant. They’re lighter in texture but full of flavor!

These eggplant balls have a little chunk of mozzarella stashed into the center so they totally take on the eggplant parmesan taste through and through.

It’s simple to make with just a few steps like cubing the eggplant then sautéing it with a bit of olive oil and water. You want to make sure that the consistency is nice and soft.

Then you’re going to mash all that eggplant up just to make sure it gets nice and smooth, that’s going to make it really easy to mix with all the other ingredients.

When I make traditional Italian meatballs I always add egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, pecorino and a bit of red pepper flakes, it’s the same with these eggplant parmesan veggie balls, it takes on those Italian flavors perfectly but without the meat!

Make sure you poke a hole into the center when forming your balls and place a cube of mozzarella inside, this will ensure that the cheese will ooze out just perfectly when you take a bite.

So delicious covered in a pool of warm marinara sauce, the smells and taste of eggplant parmesan is in every bite.

Eggplant parmesan that’s all rolled up into a meatball, what’s better than that? You can eat them with pasta or alone with just a salad and a hunk of bread, or you can make yourself a meatless “meatball” sandwich, it’s all good!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Eggplant Parmesan Veggie "Meatballs"

Author: Marie

Ingredients

Eggplant, 2 or 3, depending on how large they are. Slice the tops and bottoms off, remove the skin peeling it off in a striped manner, keeping some on and some off, then cut the eggplant into small cubes
1 cup or more of toasted breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup or so grated pecorino romano
a small handful, chopped parsley
a few tablespoons, chopped basil
¼ cup water
olive oil
salt and pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
small cubes of fresh mozzarella to stuff inside
marinara sauce, 1 quart or less

Instructions

Heat oven to 375, spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Drizzle the bottom of a heated skillet with olive oil and place the cubes of eggplant inside.
Season with salt and pepper on the eggplant then pour in the ¼ cup of water tossing until the eggplant is cooked and very soft and tender.
Mash the eggplant mix with a potato masher until you get a nice smooth consistency, then let it cool down.
Grab a large bowl and add the cooled down eggplant, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, pecorino, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes, mix well.
If mixture seems too wet and more breadcrumbs.
Roll into balls then poke a whole in the center and add your cubed mozzarella making sure it's well inside and gets covered with eggplant mixture.
When all is rolled out place on oiled baking sheet then into the oven for around 20-25 minutes.
Plop the eggplant balls into warmed up marinara when done baking.
They're ready to serve!