Proud Italian Cook

The Heat Is On!

June 27, 2012 by Marie 66 Comments

The temperature is rising here in Chicago so lighter meals and salads are now on the menu.
This extremely delicious salad just screams summer! It’s fresh and bursting with healthy vibrant color, how could you resist?

Ribbons of yellow squash and green zucchini take center stage on a bed of mixed greens tossed in a light vinaigrette.
The other components are, sliced mini heirloom tomatoes of various colors, red and orange pepper strips, purple onion,
peas and grilled corn, ( which I grilled inside) finished off with dots of creamy goat cheese and crunchy hazelnuts and a drizzle more vinaigrette.
Crispy bread and a tall iced tea and your set for the perfect summer meal, of course feel free to add in some grilled chicken for a little heartier fare, but I was totally satisfied.

There are no exact ingredients here just add in as much as you want, you can’t go wrong. I layered a platter with mixed greens to start. For mine I used 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, the ribbons were made with a vegetable peeler. It was way too hot to go outside and grill so I put 2 ears of corn in the microwave for 5 minutes then threw them on my grill pan inside to give them a good char.

It looks beautiful spread out on a big platter because of all the colors, so keep this in mind for your July 4th cookout, it would work great as a side.

Stay Cool!

66 Comments Filed Under: Greens, Salads, Summer, Vegetables Tagged: grilled corn, heirloom tomatoes, summer salads, zucchini ribbons

Portobello Baked Fries with Red Pepper Aoli

June 18, 2012 by Marie 20 Comments

About a month ago I went to a restaurant with my girlfriends, we ordered portobello fries for an appetizer and we haven’t stopped talking about them ever since! Trust me, if you’re a mushroom lover you will go batty over these, they’re so addicting you can’t stop eating them!
Meaty portobellos with the perfect crunch all the way around enhanced even better with the dipping sauce served along side it.
Two of my friends already tried to recreate them at home using panko crumbs and frying them, I decided not to fry mine so I could eat more without guilt, here’s my version.

Go get some nice, large, firm portobellos, wipe them down and scoop out the gills, now slice them up.
Crack a few eggs in a bowl, whisk and set aside.
For my breading I used equal parts of unseasoned good quality breadcrumbs, polenta, and grated romano cheese. I added snipped fresh chives, salt, pepper and a little granulated garlic.
Dip each portobello slice into the egg mixture first then into the breading.

Have your oven at 425 degrees, place parchment paper on a baking sheet and drizzle it with olive oil, then place your breaded slices on top and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake until crunchy and golden, flipping once.

The sauce I made was so simple! Take a jar of roasted red peppers, drain and pat dry. Place them in a food processor with one small garlic clove, salt and pepper. Process until smooth keeping a few tiny lumps. Now toss it all into some real mayonnaise, start out small until you get the right creamy consistency. I added snipped chives to mine. A match made in heaven!

The polenta provides a nice coating that really sticks to the portobellos, by adding the breadcrumbs you’ll get even more crunch, and the romano cheese just gives you tons of flavor.
Now get ready to dip!

20 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Sauces, Vegetables Tagged: portabella fries, portobello fries, red pepper aoli

Crowd Pleasers

June 11, 2012 by Marie 40 Comments

Are you hosting any parties this summer? Here’s a few idea’s to help you feed the masses! Perfect for Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, a casual buffet or a backyard barbecue.

My family always enjoys a big pan of sausage with peppers and onions.

I buy my favorite Italian sausage and cook it up on the grill, because, lets be honest, grilled sausage has the best flavor!
When it cools down I slice it into two inch pieces on the diagonal.
Five pounds will feed a ton of people!

For flavor and convenience I always roast my peppers and onions on a baking sheet drizzled and tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper in a hot 425 degree oven, this way you can do large amounts and your stove doesn’t get all messy and splattered with grease, and personally, I think the flavor is so much better!
You can make this ahead of time, toss everything in a foil pan and heat it up right on the grill when you’re ready to eat for a few minutes just until warm.

Chickens marinated ahead of time in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and lemon peel tossed with parsley, oregano or any of your favorite herbs. I like buying half chickens and then after they’re grilled I just cut them across the center to separate the leg and thigh and wing and breast.

Five chickens will yield you twenty quarter pieces.

Everybody loves a pan of Baked Mostaccioli and it compliments the chicken and the sausage so well! 2 pounds of pasta goes a very long way especially when you are adding ricotta, grated romano cheese and fresh mozzarella to it.

I always like to have some vegetable sides like this pan of zucchini that I roasted with a little bit of olive oil in a 425 degree oven with thin sliced tomatoes and onions.
When it all cools down, drizzle all over with more olive oil and fresh basil, you can eat this at room temperature.
Try to find and use the smaller zucchini for individual servings or you can just cut them in half.

Eggplant caprese stacks are a wonderful side dish, honestly they’re so good you’ll see them disappear quickly!
You can prepare the eggplant the day before or early in the day, slicing into rounds then breading and frying until crispy, then all you have to do is layer one slice of eggplant caprese style with a ripe tomato slice, fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf, then drizzle all over with olive oil.

Place this mediterranean salad on a big platter and everyone will dig in! Tomato wedges, sliced fennel, red pepper strips, kalamata olives, red onion, crumbled feta cheese and drained canned cannellini beans, all tossed together with parsley, basil, lemon juice and olive oil, also delicious at room temperature.