Proud Italian Cook

ROASTED CAMPARI TOMATOES!!

October 31, 2007 by Marie 8 Comments

Cut side up, on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, shaved garlic, fresh thyme, salt & pepper. Roast at 425 till you get a nice carmelized color on them!

One staple that I always have in my home, are these little gems!! I can’t say enough about them! Long gone are the days of the tasteless winter tomatoes, because these babies are available all year long!! Campari Tomatoes were developed in Europe and imported to the US in the 1990’s. They are sold in clusters still on the vine to ensure freshness, grown in a greenhouse herbicide free, always unblemished, sweet, and delicious!! If you haven’t tried them yet, please do! You’ll be hooked like me! And if you don’t see them in your grocery store ask about them! One thing you must know, is that you never, never, refrigerate them! Always keep them at room temperature and they will be as sweet as the day you bought them.

Some of the ways I use them of course are sliced up in a salad, bruschetta, I sometimes stuff them with rice and basil, as a side dish, but I have to say I love them roasted the best! You can put them in pasta, on a nice piece of fish, or chicken, or on top of your favorite pizza, you get the picture, I’m crazy about them!!! Try them if you can, you won’t be disappointed!!

Buon Appetito!

TUSCAN-STYLE PORK ROAST

October 28, 2007 by Marie 12 Comments

I had a small pork roast and a lot of fresh herbs still left in my garden, and unfortunately tonight in Chicago will be our first frost!!! So, I gathered up the last of my Rosemary and Thyme to use for our dinner tonight. I thought I would try something a little different, normally I would rub the outside with lots of herbs and roast it like that, but this time I made a paste of olive oil, smashed garlic, finely minced Rosemary & Thyme, salt & pepper.

I generously rubbed the whole outside, with lots of garlic and all the herbs I brought in.

But the new thing for me was to cut open the roast, in half, not all the way through, but like a book. Next, I took out my meat tenderizer and gave it a few good wacks!!! and then I rubbed that aromatic, yummy paste all over it!! I rolled it up tight like a jelly roll, and tied it with string, and let it sit in my frig a couple of hours before I cooked it. The result!!! Unbelievable flavor infused through out the whole roast! I will definitely do this again, it was well worth the little extra effort!

As a side dish I made cauliflower and prosciutto in a garlic cream sauce, it went well with the pork. All in all, it turned out to be a nice Sunday Dinner!! Hope your’s was too!!

Buon Appetito!

12 Comments Filed Under: Meats Tagged: cauliflower, pork roast, rosemary, thyme

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP!!

October 25, 2007 by Marie 18 Comments

There’s something so comforting about a big pot of soup simmering on the stove on a cold day or when maybe you just need a little more comfort in your life. The first time that I posted this recipe was way back in 2007 when I started my blog. It’s now the year 2020 with my updated pictures and to tell you that I’m still making this wonderful soup.

This lentil soup can easily become a vegetarian version by using a vegetable broth base and eliminating the sausage, and believe me it’s just as good!

It’s hearty and filling and you really don’t need to serve anything else with it, unless you have a weakness for warm, crusty bread with butter like I do.

This lentil soup comes together quickly because it’s made with pantry ingredients, dried lentils that cook up quite fast and staples like carrot, onion and celery.

One ingredient that I think really enhances this soup is dried, ground fennel. If you have whole fennel seeds you can grind them down into a powdery consistency with a coffee grinder, put it in a little jar and save it.

Try it, I think you’ll love it, if not you can double up on the other spices, no problem! I always like to taste as I go along anyway I’m always adjusting for salt, pepper and spices.

Lentils tend to blow up a little and they really absorb flavors so don’t be shy, I’ll give you basic guidelines but make it your own.

Easy, hearty with delicious Italian flavors all throughout, this soup is a classic and will never ever go out of style!

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SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP!!

This recipe can easily become vegetarian, by eliminating the sausage and using veggie broth

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dried, brown lentils, rinsed
½ lb. Italian sausage, bulk, precooked so you no longer see any pink
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
1- 14 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes, or chopped tomatoes
1 quart broth, chicken or veggie + 1 cup water
1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, dried oregano and dried fennel
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
grated Parmigiano or romano for garnish
NOTE; sometimes I add a few leaves of chopped swiss chard stirred into at the end but that is optional.

Instructions

In a heavy bottomed pan drizzle with olive oil and add in the carrots, celery, garlic and onion.
Toss in the cooked sausage.
Saute til soft then sprinkle in all the spices mixing and coating everything well.
Toss in the rinsed lentils, coating them with veggie mixture.
Pour in the broth and water.
Add the tomatoes.
Bring it to a soft boil, then let it simmer until lentils soften.
Taste for seasoning, adding more if needed.
If lentils thicken the soup too much for you I always adjust with a little water or more broth to loosen it all, lentils tend to blow up.
Feel free to double the recipe, it's that good!
Garnish your bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkling of grated cheese if you like.