Proud Italian Cook

Turkey and Sweet Potatoes, They’re Not Just For Thanksgiving Anymore!

June 10, 2010 by Marie 23 Comments

Are you tired of having hamburgers and steaks on the grill yet? Try something different and cook up an Herb Grilled Turkey Breast! It’s really very simple, it’s just a matter of chopping up some of your favorite fresh herbs, adding lemon zest, smashed garlic, drizzling in some olive oil, salt and pepper until you have a nice thick paste, and then rubbing it all over your turkey breast, under and over the skin, front and back. I had a half of a turkey breast and the herbs I used were thyme, parsley and basil.

I put the turkey breast directly on the top of my grill cooking it with indirect heat, which means the middle burner was shut off, I kept the temperature hovering around 350F until internal temp reached 180F. Of course cooking times will vary according to weight, but make sure you check it because you don’t want it to go past 180F.

The result you’ll get is meat that is exceptionally moist and bursting with flavor, now that’s a good thing!

Since this is a summer version of a turkey dinner how about a Grilled Sweet Potato Salad to serve on the side?I like using corn, green onions, red and yellow pepper rings along with my sweet potatoes, but this time I added some asparagus and string beans that I had in my fridge. Toss everything in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and just grill them all up!

Same goes for the sweet potatoes, which by the way taste excellent when grilled, remember their the star in this salad after all!

After all the veggies are grilled up, shuck your corn and place everything on a platter and garnish with chopped parsley, chives or whatever fresh herbs you like, and then drizzle your salad with a Homemade Vinaigrette, here’s mine;

3 Parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Part Red Wine vinegar

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 minced garlic clove

1 Teaspoon dried Greek Oregano

A squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice

Salt and pepper

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

23 Comments Filed Under: Poultry, Side Dishes Tagged: grilled sweet potato salad, grilled turkey breast

Caprese Omelet

June 6, 2010 by Marie 27 Comments

At the moment, this is my current favorite omelet. Maybe it’s because tomatoes have been tasting so good lately, or maybe it’s because the basil I used was freshly picked from my garden, or is it because it just screams summer!

Perfect for the weekend when everything slows down a bit and you get to linger over your second or third cup of coffee.
Be sure to pop some crusty Italian bread in your toaster. Have I told you I love the smell of toast?

This is so easy to prepare, it will take you just a few minutes.

Ingredients are:

Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Fresh Mozzarella, torn

Fresh Basil

Eggs

In a pan saute your cut tomatoes in a drizzle of olive oil and butter, make sure tomatoes are cut side up when finished. Next, throw in your torn basil and then pour your egg mixture over the top and now place your fresh mozzarella randomly around. I mixed my eggs with water, salt and pepper. Let it cook on medium until it sets, in the meantime, I put my broiler on but put my pan on a lower rack so just the heat from the broiler sets the top.

This omelet is not meant to be thick but rather thin, like a pizza.

Buon Appetito!

27 Comments Filed Under: Eggs Tagged: caprese omelet, weekend breakfast

Grilled Polenta

June 2, 2010 by Marie 45 Comments

Over Memorial Day weekend I grilled a pork roast Tuscan Style and served this grilled polenta as one of my side dishes, it went perfectly together. What makes this polenta extra special in flavor is the addition of shredded zucchini and grated cheese that gets folded in at the end.

Then for even more flavor, a roasted tomato is added on top of each slice so that when you cut into it everything mingles together and makes perfect harmony.

I used roma tomatoes, and after slicing off the tip and a little off the bottom I cut them into thirds, added a piece of shaved garlic on each, along with salt, pepper and dried oregano and then a generous drizzle of olive oil. Roasted in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet lined with foil until wilted but still juicy. This can be done the morning of.

To shred your zucchini use either a box grater or a food processor as I did.

Next, you have to squeeze out all the liquid from your zucchini, a task I’ve always hated to do until I saw this brilliant way to do it on my friend Debby’s blog.

If you have a potato ricer laying around that you rarely use like I did, get it out and dust it off it will be your new best friend in the kitchen, if not, go out an get one it will make your life so much easier! I was amazed to see how much liquid came out when I used it, the zucchini was practically dry! It sure beats squeezing it with a towel or by hand, she even says it works great for spinach as well.
After your zucchini is squeezed out you’ll need to saute it in a pan drizzled with olive oil, cook it until it’s not raw anymore, it only takes a couple of minutes.

Cook your polenta according to directions and when it’s finished fold in the cooked zucchini and a generous amount of grated parmesan or romano cheese. I used a half a box of polenta and 3 zucchini.

Spread the mixture into a rimmed baking sheet that’s been brushed lightly all over with olive oil, I used a quarter sheet pan and it worked perfectly. Spread the warm polenta evenly all over the pan and smooth it down with a silicone spatula. After it cools down a bit cover with tin foil and refrigerate it preferably overnight. I would suggest doing this all the day before because you really want the polenta to be cold when you go to cut into it.

When you pull it out of the fridge and take the foil off you might have a tiny bit of condensation on top, no worries, just dab it with a paper towel. Now you’re ready to cut your polenta into squares.

Heat up your grill and make sure it’s super clean, then take a paper towel soaked with canola oil or vegetable oil and rub it all over your grates. Place your polenta squares on and wait until you see some good grill marks appear then flip over and do the other side. I have an olive oil sprayer so I sprayed a little on top of each before I flipped them over. I also had my grill on medium heat, you don’t want them to burn!