Proud Italian Cook

Let the Grilling Begin!

May 21, 2012 by Marie 45 Comments

Memorial Day is right around the corner, here’s a few tasty ideas you might want to try.
First up, Chicken Flavored with a Mustard and Herb Paste.

Place 1 1/2 cups of loosely packed herbs of your choice into a food processor, I used parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme. Add 3 cloves of garlic, the zest of a lemon, salt and pepper then process to a fine chop. Add the juice of one lemon, a healthy glop of dijon mustard then drizzle in some olive oil until you get a thick paste consistency.

Now rub it all over your chicken, under and over the skin and let it sit for a few, then it’s time for the grill!

The end result is chicken flavored to the max!

When the chicken is done and resting you can make these Garlic Grilled Tomatoes, a recipe adapted from Steven Raichlen the BBQ king.
Cut your tomatoes in half crosswise, season with salt and pepper.
In a small frying pan add crushed garlic, olive oil and fresh thyme, cook til golden, take off the heat and add in grated parmesan cheese. Place your tomato halves cut side down on and oiled grill until you get grill marks, then turn them over with tongs and spoon the garlic cheese mixture on top and continue cooking.

This is a wonderful side for anything you might be putting on your grill.

You might also want to plan ahead and grill up some eggplant.

Then pair it with a caprese salad for another side or appetizer. Oh, this is so good!

Then finally, you have to have dessert! My go to, no brainer, quick dessert is a scoop of
vanilla ice cream drenched with Amaretto and topped with chopped almonds, so simple and a hit every time!

Or you just might be in the mood for Limoncello drenched ice cream… To die for!
Enjoy your weekend!

45 Comments Filed Under: Desserts, Poultry, Side Dishes, Summer, Vegetables Tagged: Amaretto dessert, caprese eggplant, garlic grilled tomatoes, grilled chicken, limoncello dessert, mustard herb paste

Lemony Spring Risotto

May 13, 2012 by Marie 16 Comments

All things green are the key ingredients in this risotto, baby zucchini, leeks, artichokes, asparagus, chives and peas. One bite and you know spring is here to stay!

The fresh peas and those cute tiny zucchini came courtesy of Trader Joes, the few asparagus and chives came right out of our garden.

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a healthy dose of grated lemon zest highlights all the vegetables and compliments the whole dish!

Ingredients
A cup of peas, 2 small leeks sliced, 4 asparagus spears sliced, 1/2 can of artichokes drained, baby zucchini, precooked ( I did mine for a couple of minutes on a grill pan) snipped chives and the zest from 2 small lemons.
You’ll also need 1 box of chicken or vegetable stock warmed up on the stove and 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice, 1/4 cup of white wine and 3/4 cup or so of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Here’s what you do
Saute your leeks and some of the chives in a combination of olive oil and butter. Add rice and stir until coated then add wine and simmer on low until wine is absorbed. Start adding stock ladle by ladle until all is gone and absorbed. Fold in all your veggies, lemon zest and cheese adding salt and pepper to taste along with more chives for garnish.Enjoy!

16 Comments Filed Under: Rice and Risotto, Spring, Vegetables Tagged: baby zucchini, risotto, spring risotto, spring vegetables, Trader Joes

Mamma Agata’s Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

May 7, 2012 by Marie 170 Comments

Do you know who Mamma Agata is? Just in case you don’t, let me introduce her to you. Mamma Agata is a legend on the Amalfi Coast and Ravello. At a very young age her cooking talents were being noticed and shortly after, her name became famous among American movie stars and politicians.
Mamma Agata has cooked for Humphrey Bogart, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Astaire, and Jacqueline Kennedy just to name a few.Today you’ll find her still in the kitchen along with her daughter Chiara and son-in- law Gennaro right beside her, conducting classes in their cooking and wine school that is actually their private home. Their beautiful home sits on a clifftop, 1000 feet above sea level with a spectacular view of the Amalfi coastline.
This has been on my “bucket list” for years!

You can imagine my excitement when I received an email from Chiara asking me if I’d like to review their cookbook, pasta and olive oil. I couldn’t wait to open up the package the day it arrived. The cookbook was hand signed by all in the family and there were two different pastas, pappardelle and spaghetti, a bottle of their newly launched olive oil and a beautiful handwritten note from Chiara.

I was dreaming about the Amalfi for days! This is the actual view from their terrace! Wouldn’t you love to gaze out at this every day?
I can see why her school is called, ” The Hidden Treasure”.

Mamma Agata, “Simple and Genuine” was a labor of love written by Chiara Lima, Mamma Agata’s daughter. She wrote the book to “save” her mothers treasures for generations to come, her experiences, recipes, secrets and techniques.
Their first cookbook, which was self published, has been honored with the” Gourmand Best in the World 2010 Award” coming in second in the category ” Best Easy Recipes”. This book is filled with mouth watering recipes, there are so many I want to make like her Lemon Chicken that has a wine and herb infusion prepared four days before the dish and her Lemon Cake which she is so well known for.
You can only order the book on her website, they ship all over the world, and each and every copy will be personally signed!

I couldn’t wait to try the pappardelle, so I decided to make the Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta from the book, following the instructions to cut the peppers not to thin and not to thick.

After sauteing the peppers ahead of time I added sliced onion and cooked until golden brown. Mamma Agata likes to cook the sausage whole in a ring, then pierce with a fork, it allows the juices to flow in the pan and will enhance the flavor of the sauce.

The pasta is hearty, toothy, made with the highest quality durum wheat produced exclusively in Italy. The surface is slightly rough, perfect for absorbing your sauce!

After your sausage is seared you add in cherry tomatoes, fresh torn basil and a cup of fresh tomato sauce, I had some homemade marinara that I added to mine. Remove the sausage, cut into slices and toss it all with your slightly under cooked pappardelle and allow it to cook a couple of minutes more in the sauce. The end result is amazing!

Before we devoured the main course we sampled the olive oil, very fresh tasting with a nice peppery bite!
If you’d like to have a taste of Mamma Agata’s kitchen you can order the pasta and olive oil . Remember, they ship all over the world!