Proud Italian Cook

Baked Tuna with Herbacious Gremolata

May 13, 2010 by Marie 23 Comments

This recipe can be adapted to any firm fish that you like. It goes equally as well with salmon, swordfish and a nice fillet of cod. I recently bought some fresh tuna steaks and couldn’t wait to use them for this.

Thirty minutes before you place your fish into the oven you’ll want to marinate it so all the flavors infuse. Place your fish into a baking dish, add sliced lemons, at least 4 crushed garlic cloves, dried oregano, white wine and olive oil.

Bake your fish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees, it took about 12 minutes for the tuna but time and temperature will vary according to the thickness and the type of fish you use.

While the fish is marinating start making your gremolata. The bold flavors come together with a generous handful of fresh parsley, basil, 1 garlic clove, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, a couple of tablespoons of rinsed and drained capers, a splash of red wine vinegar and drizzled olive oil to get the right consistency. I used my mini food processor and pulsed everything together and then drizzled in the olive oil.

Spoon the gremolata on top of your warm fish!

Another great use for the gremolata is to drizzle it over grilled vegetables, so be sure to make extra!

Buon Appetito!

23 Comments Filed Under: Fish Tagged: baked fish, Grilled Veggies, herbed gremolata

It’s Fava Bean Season!

May 8, 2010 by Marie 19 Comments

Beautiful and plump fava beans are showing up all over in our produce markets. These very versatile beans are known to be the stars of the legume family and taste fantastic in salads, crostinis, pastas, risottos, stews and dips just to name a few.

Look for favas that are bright green with slightly fuzzy pods and avoid any ones that are blackened and limp.

Shucking the beans can be a little time consuming but well worth the effort once you unveil the inner glossy green bean! Here is a visual guide to show you how to do it.

Their taste has been described as a buttery texture with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor.

Methods for removing the shell vary. The most common way is to bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the beans, cook for 1 minute, then drain and plunge them in ice water to stop the cooking process. This softens the outer shell and allows you to slit open its side and force out the beautiful glossy bean.

I have other plans for these little beauties besides this awesome Spring Salad I made which consisted of the blanched favas, defrosted peas, and blanched asparagus cut on the diagonal, all tossed with arugula and shaved fontinella cheese, you could also use parmesan or pecorino as well. The dressing was made with fresh lemon and olive oil that went perfectly with all the vegetables.

I served the salad along side this Asparagus and Ricotta Tart for a meatless meal we had during the week. I had leftover blanched asparagus from my salad so I put them to good use and made this.

I lined a 9 inch tart pan with a store bought pie dough which was fast an easy.

In a bowl mix 1 1/2 cups of ricotta

2 large eggs

1 crushed garlic clove

Zest of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of grated parmesan

Whip until smooth and incorporated and then pour mixture into your pie shell.

Arrange your asparagus on top and sink them into the ricotta. I blanched the asparagus for 3 minutes in boiling water which was then plunged into ice water, thoroughly drained and patted dry. Sprinkle with more cheese and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Bake in a 375 degree oven until crust is golden and ricotta is set.

Have a great week and Buon Appetito!

19 Comments Filed Under: Savory Tarts, Spring, Vegetables Tagged: asparagus ricotta pie, fava beans, spring salad

Tiny Tomatoes: Big Taste

May 3, 2010 by Marie 120 Comments

Even though it’s not tomato season in my area yet I can always find those sweet little grape tomatoes along with Campari tomatoes on the vine, and just recently I’ve been buying the mini heirlooms packaged as Gourmet Medley, all of them have such great flavor in every bite.

Recently I went a little overboard in the tomato department and had to find ways to use all that I had, besides I can’t bare to waste them! Great in salads but also great to cook with, which I often do. Here are a couple of ways I like to enjoy them.

Zucchini Boats

Just cut a zucchini in half lengthwise and trim a little off the bottom so it sit still in a baking dish*** Scoop out the center where the seeds are with a spoon*** Brush the surface with a mixture of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper*** Arrange halved grape tomatoes into the grooves, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes*** Remove and place diced fontina or mozzarella in between the tomatoes, place them back in, but now under the broiler til golden and bubbling***Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. You will love this as a side dish!

Caprese Tart

This comes together so quickly, I even used a store bought pie dough. I love the flavor of the tiny heirlooms which makes this tart taste spectacular!

Place your pie dough on a removable bottomed tart pan, I used a 9 inch one here*** Prebake your pie crust in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes*** Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees*** Drizzle olive oil on top of the crust along with fresh snipped basil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese*** Layer the bottom of your crust with slices of fresh mozzarella, and since I had some fontina left from my zucchini boats, I mixed that in as well*** Arrange your halved tomatoes all around the tart right on top of the cheese*** Add more snipped basil and another drizzle of olive oil*** Bake for about 25 minutes*** Let it cool down before you cut into it. This, with a nice tossed salad is perfect for dinner!

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!