Proud Italian Cook

Sage Embossed Fingerling Potatoes

November 3, 2015 by Marie 10 Comments

Ok, I just want to say that I’m absolutely giddy about this recipe, well honestly it’s not a recipe but more like a simple how to, but imagine how gorgeous a platter of these pretty sage embossed potatoes would look on your holiday table!

I saw this in a BHG magazine on party foods, and I think this would be the perfect side dish to one of your holiday parties, it’s so eye catching!

First, get some fresh sage, I still have a ton growing in my garden, so I just went out and grabbed some.

Next, buy a bunch of those cute fingerling potatoes, wash them, pat dry, then cut in half lengthwise.

Toss them into a bowl and coat with olive oil, a little pepper and some good flaky salt like Maldon.

I had sixteen potatoes, thirty two halves and I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper, very important, you must line with parchment, now place one sage leaf on each potato half then quickly flip it over onto the parchment, the sage leaf will stick as it cooks.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15- 20 minutes, depending on your oven.

You’re looking for tender and golden, so lift a few up and check for that nice color just to make sure.

I’m in love with these beauties, they taste delicious and they’re insanely simple to make!

If I need to bring a dish to someones house, guess what? I’m bringing these!

Make them, you’ll be a rock star!

( The holidays are around the corner, follow me on Instagram to see what I’ll be making in my kitchen!)

10 Comments Filed Under: Party Foods, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: fingerling potatoes, holiday side dish, party side, potatoes, sage

Savory Squash and Brussels Sprout Flatbread

October 29, 2015 by Marie 11 Comments

I can’t tell you how much I love making making flatbread pizzas, every body seems to love them and when I’m pressed for time I can whip one up in a few minutes. What I like about flatbread pizza is that you can make them so many different ways, actually using whatever you have on hand in your fridge. They bake up with a nice crispy crust that’s able to hold up to whatever you place on top, think leftover chicken, veggies, cheese, you don’t need much of each, actually less is more. Here’s some other ones I’ve made in the past.

I use lavash bread, there’s many different brands and you can find them at almost any large grocery store, I keep a couple of packages in my freezer at all times. Honestly, even if you take them straight out of the freezer they only take a few minutes to defrost, which is great for busy days and unexpected guests.

Last week I bought a butterkin squash at my farmers market, which is now officially closed for the season, sniff sniff. They told me I should try it, that it was creamy and delicious, a cross between butternut squash and pumpkin. I loved it and would buy it again, to me it tasted like a more intense butternut squash and it had an amazing orange color, so fall like!

I decided to make a puree from it by first roasting it then scooping out the cooked pulp and smoothing it all out in my food processor, you could actually do this with any type winter squash, it’s nice to have on hand and I’ve been using it in a bunch of different things all week.

For instance, I used some of the puree for the base of my flatbread, I put a couple of tablespoons into a little ricotta and spread it on as my first layer, it was a nice little twist and enhanced all the flavors of the other ingredients that I used on top.

My next layer was shredded mozzarella, then pre-roasted delicata squash rings, ending with shaved, pre- roasted brussels sprouts that were tossed in olive oil and parmesan cheese, both were leftovers in my fridge and when all put together it was out of this world good!

A few tips for the flatbread, brush olive oil on both sides, place on a baking sheet, top with ingredients and bake at 400 degrees for no more then 10 minutes, that’s it!

Want to see what I’m cooking up during the week? Follow me on Instagram here.

11 Comments Filed Under: Fall, Pizza, Uncategorized Tagged: brussels sprouts, flatbread pizza, squash

Warm Up with My Chunky Minestrone

October 21, 2015 by Marie 9 Comments

What’s better than a steamy hot bowl of soup when the weather starts to cool down? A nice bowl of hot soup never fails to instantly warm me up on a chilly day. I love making a big pot and eating it all week for lunch or even having it for a light dinner. The thing about homemade soup is that there are no rules, you can add to it whatever you have on hand.

For me it always starts out with a heavy dose of vegetables, more variety than amount, one zucchini. a few carrots, a handful of peas, you get the picture, you don’t need a ton of each. I always have canned beans on my pantry shelf along with organic, low sodium chicken stock, as I write this I have seven boxes sitting on my shelf.

Don’t get me wrong I love making homemade chicken soup that has a rich, deep broth created from the bones of a whole chicken simmering on the stove for hours, but this is a quicker pot of soup that is just as comforting and nourishing and it’s chock full of chunky bite size vegetables and beans in a parmesan broth, and if you so desire, you can add in some mini meatballs and pasta, but you don’t have to, it can be strictly all vegetable.

Everything gets put into the pot at the same time, no sauteing anything ahead of time, you can literally throw it all together, quick and easy!

Since I make meatballs quite often around here I always roll up some mini ones to tuck away in my freezer during the fall and winter months, which is a good addition if you want to bulk up your soup. If I’m adding pasta, I always make it ahead of time and serve it on the side for those who want some added carbs, I never cook my pasta straight in the soup broth, I don’t like how it looks and tastes when it blows up and gets mushy, I prefer my pasta al dente.

Another thing you will always find in my freezer are parmesan rinds, I always save my own but mostly I pick up a couple of packages every time I go to my Whole Foods, very inexpensive, a couple of dollars for three or four in a package and usually they still have a lot of cheese attached, well worth the money, I use them all the time.

Please ditch those canned soups that are overly salty with ingredients you can’t identify, always make your own, your family will thank you.

Healthy and delicious, comfort in a bowl!

Follow me on Instagram, where I’m always cooking something up.

4.8 from 4 reviews

Chunky Minestrone

Chunky good for you glorious vegetable soup with beans and wonderful parmesan broth, mini meatballs and pasta, optional

Author: Marie

Recipe type: Soup

Ingredients

Each ingredient is roughly 1½ cups each, cut into chunky bite size pieces.
broccoli florets
cauliflower florets, ( if i had it I would have used it)
yellow and green zucchini, a combo of both
leek
onion
carrot
peas
celery
butternut squash
brussel sprout leaves, or cabbage, or any greens of your choice
potato, ( I opted to double the butternut squash, but you can do both)
15 cherry tomatoes
3 large crushed garlic cloves
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
½ can of butter beans, drained and rinsed ( butter beans are quite larger, if you can't find them do another bean of your choice)
a bunch of chopped parsley and some basil, or other seasoning you like
salt and pepper to taste
2 parmesan cheese rinds
2 handfuls or so of grated parmesan or romano to toss into the broth when finished after removal of rinds, taste to your liking.
broth or stock, enough to cover all the vegetables and then some, you want enough so that when it's stirred it's loose, I used organic, low sodium, chicken stock in a box.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
mini meatballs, precooked
pasta of your choice, precooked