Proud Italian Cook

Grilled Potato and Asparagus Napoleon

May 6, 2013 by Marie 16 Comments

I’m so happy grilling season is back in full force! This is one of the things I made recently, Grilled Potato and Asparagus Napoleon, it’s the perfect side dish for all your summer grilling parties.

Grilled asparagus, grilled red pepper slices layered together with creamy and slightly tangy goat cheese slathered in between thick grilled potato slices then topped off with nicoise olives and a rich drizzle of balsamic glaze, perfect for swiping everything into it.
I did three stacks of potato slices here but two stacks would work as well especially if your serving a bunch of other side dishes. It looks impressive, the flavors are amazing, it’s a win, win!

Grilled Potato and Asparagus Napoleon

Ingredients

Amounts will vary depending on how many you will be making and whether you have a 2 or 3 high stack. This will be a guideline.
I used large baking potatoes which need to be precooked until tender but not mushy. You could either steam, boil or bake After they are cooked cut off the ends and make ½ inch slices. Brush slices with olive oil then finish cooking on grill for a few minutes. Be sure to get some nice grill marks!
Asparagus, pre grilled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Goat cheese log, cut into rounds
Red pepper slices, pre grilled
Nicoise olives and balsamic glaze for finish
Light vinaigrette or fresh lemon olive oil dressing

Instructions

Have everything ready for assembly,
Potato* goat cheese round* red pepper slice* asparagus pieces* a few olives.
Drizzle layer with either a light vinaigrette or fresh lemon and olive oil dressing.
Repeat!
When napoleon is made, garnish with more dressing, olives, asparagus pieces and a healthy swirl of luscious balsamic glaze around the plate.
better served either slightly warm or room temperature.

16 Comments Filed Under: Party Foods, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: goat cheese, grilled asparagus, grilled potatoes, Mandarano balsamic glaze, vegetable napoleon

Olive Oil and Chardonnay Pound Cake with Citrus Vanilla Glaze

April 29, 2013 by Marie 35 Comments

Have you ever been instantly attracted to the title of a recipe? It happened to me the second I read the words olive oil and Chardonnay pound cake, and ever since I’ve been obsessing about making this cake!

I’m so glad my obsession turned into a reality because we loved this cake! It’s super moist from the olive oil with hints of chardonnay throughout, and the glaze was bright and bold. A very special cake for a special occasion, this would be a wonderful addition to your Mother’s Day table that would cater to all the adults.
And the best part is it’s such a breeze to make! Easy prep with few ingredients, my kind of baking! It’s a nice bubbly batter created by the chardonnay addition and you can actually smell the chardonnay as it’s baking in the oven, your kitchen will smell so good! I found this recipe on the Jordan Winery website, the original recipe finishes the cake off by brushing it with cognac, I wanted to try something different. Since chardonnay has notes of citrus and vanilla I decided to make a glaze using the zest of a lemon, lime and a mandarin orange along with vanilla. If I do say so myself I think the glaze took this cake way over the top! The flavors all blend amazing together, this is a cake for special summer events. It’s golden brown with a nice moist crumb and the chardonnay and citrus compliment each other perfectly. It’s very impressive! I will be making this cake over and over again!

Olive Oil and Chardonnay Pound Cake with Citrus Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients

3 eggs
1¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup good extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup chardonnay
1½ cup unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
the zest of ½ a lemon, lime and mandarin orange
½ teaspoon vanilla
Squeeze the juice of all 3 citrus fruits until you get the right consistency for your glaze, slightly thick but still runny.

Instructions

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, I used glass.
With a mixer, beat eggs. Gradually add sugar and beat until batter is light and creamy. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil and chardonnay. Stir to combine.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture. Spoon batter into your buttered cake pan.
Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Let cake cool for ten minutes then remove from pan.
Let it cool down a little before you pour the glaze on, cake should be warm but not hot.

35 Comments Filed Under: Cakes, Spring Tagged: chardonnay, citrus vanilla glaze, Easter, Mothers Day, olive oil, special occasion cake, spring

Spring Green Pasta with Parsley Walnut Pesto

April 22, 2013 by Marie 19 Comments

The spring weather reached havoc here in the midwest with major flooding all around us last week. As I drive through my neighborhood I see piles and piles of peoples belongings in dumpster after dumpster, many homes are uninhabitable just a few blocks from me, one of them a close friend of mine. For some reason my house was spared and not a drop of water came in. I feel guilty and grateful all at the same time.
Yesterday was a comfort food kind of day, something simple and easy but full of bright flavors. The key to this pasta dish is the parsley walnut pesto. Fresh parsley, toasted walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice all swirled with extra virgin olive oil, you could slather this on anything and it would be good!

I decided to slather it all over spaghetti along with strips of yellow squash and zucchini, peas, asparagus and spinach. This is what I call cozy and delicious spring comfort food!
The pesto clings to the warm pasta, every bite has intense flavor!
Toasted walnuts and shaved parmesan tops this dish off, all you’ll need is a bowl and a fork!

Spring Green Pasta with Parsley Walnut Pesto

Ingredients

For the Parsley Walnut Pesto
2 cups fresh parsley
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup grated parmesan or romano
2 garlic cloves
zest of 1 lemon
juice of ½ lemon
pinch of salt and pepper
½ to ¾ cup of olive oil
For the Pasta
½ lb. spaghetti or linguine
2 medium zucchini julienned
1 yellow squash julienned
1 lb. small asparagus cut on the diagonal
½ cup of peas
a good handful of fresh baby spinach
reserved ½ cup of pasta water

Instructions

For the Parsley Pesto, place parsley, garlic and toasted walnuts in food processor bowl, pulse until well incorporated. Add in remaining ingredients and process until you get a nice smooth consistency
For the pasta, prepare your squash first by making thin strips julienne style, you can do this with a mandoline, a julienne vegetable peeler, or by hand cutting planks and then making the strips with the tip of your knife like in the photo above. When finished, quickly saute until slightly wilted, a minute or two.
Saute the peas and asparagus together in a little olive oil just until al`dente tender. set aside.
Cook pasta and reserve some of the pasta water. When finished, toss hot pasta into a large bowl along with all the other vegetables, the peas, asparagus, squash and spinach. Add 2 or 3 heaping tablespoons of the pesto, adding more if needed and to your taste. If you want to thin it out add some of the pasta water.
The leftover pesto keeps well in the fridge.