Monday, April 30, 2012

Broccoli Rabe and Beans with an Egg!

Yum! I had the rabe in the freezer from the batch Chris brought home from work. I sauteed them with olive oile and some crushed red pepper and added some cannellini beans. Then I dropped an egg in the center. Some Italian bread and a glass of wine. Life is good.
Oh and Chris had the leftovers from last night!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs is from Bon Appetit. I have made this recipe before and will most likely make it again. Delicious. To quote Chris, "Wow!"
We had sauteed zucchini and mashed potatoes as side dishes.

Speaking of potatoes I had seen a post for Baked Potato Peel Chips a while back. Not a bad way to use up those potato peels.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Chris and I love Cacio e Pepe so when I saw the recipe for Bucatini all'Amatriciana on The Italian Dish blog I had to make it. I used spaghetti in place of the bucatini. But I was able to find San Marzano tomatoes. Dinner was delicious.

Where were we last night? We went to the Infinity Music Hall for dinner and to see Chielli Minucci and Special FX with Special Guest Bernie Williams. Yes that Bernie Williams from the Yankees. It was an amazing show.
They opened with Little Wing and this was their last song.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Mom's Chicken Cutlet Recipe

Well tonight we had the most amazing dinner. I made my mom's Chicken Cutlets a couple weeks ago and popped them in the freezer. Mom had a way with chicken breast. And fortunately my sister has her recipe. Oh what a wonderful meal.

And here is the recipe -
Have 2 dishes set out. In one put bread crumbs. In the second put in the eggs but first separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites then mix in the yolks. Dredge the cutlet in bread crumbs, then dip in to the eggs. Let as much egg drip as off possible before adding to the hot oil. Do not touch the cutlet until it looks like the eggs is set. You will be tempted to move it around but do not!
Once the egg is set flip the cutlet to cook the other side. Drain fried cutlets on paper towels and put in 350˚ oven for about 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooking.

These freeze beautifully so make a big batch!

Today was 6 years that my mom passed. I am sure if she were still with us she would love this blog and read and comment on it every day!


Test post

This is a test of remote blogging.


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Vegetable Frittatta

Potatoes, Onion, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Scallion & Spinach. Oh and cheese and eggs!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cheesy Quiona Mac and Cheese

Cheesy Quiona Mac and Cheese. I am new the the site, Around the Table: Loving Food in RI and Beyond. But I will be back there very soon.

Okay so back to dinner..... Cheese is in the title of this twice! That is a sign of a good dish. This was perfect for cleaning up extra veggies I had in the fridge. I sauteed zucchini and yellow squash and then I also sauteed some mushrooms! I put the mushrooms in my portion of the casserole. Someone here is not a mushroom fan! I even made a small dish for my dad, he got mushrooms too!

And today I got my confirmation for Foodstock 2012! Seeing Ruth Reichl and Molly O'Neill in one day. Can't wait...


Monday, April 23, 2012

Beef in Sauce

Beef in Sauce. From Campania. I am seeing a pattern here...
Well this is my take on the recipe. The original recipe called for Lard and Lardo and Raisins and Pine Nuts. I don't use Lard. I have never seen Lardo in a store and I don't remember anyone in my mom's family adding raisins when they made braciola, not to say it may not be delicious. And pine nuts are out of my price range! Ah but of course I have Prosciutto!

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/4 lb beef rump in 6 slices
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 oz scamorza cheese cut in strips
4 oz Prosciutto sliced
Salt and Pepper

I heated the olive oil in a pan and added chopped onion and cooked until golden. Added tomato paste, then stirred in the wine. Added a little water to make a thin sauce.
For the meat I put a piece of Prosciutto on top of the slice of meat and sprinkled each piece with parsley, salt and pepper and scamorza cheese (I had that left over from last night's dinner).
I rolled up the slices of meat and tied them with twine, noting that the last time I did go a little nuts with this process...
I added the bundles to the sauce and reduced the heat to low and cooked for 1 1/2 hours. I removed the meat and let the sauce continue to cook.

Now all that happened yesterday. Yes I do my cooking on Sundays. So tonight Chris heated up the sauce and then added the meat to the pan for about 10 minutes. We served the meat and sauce with rice. Not bad for a Monday!

And another post of Cookbook Sunday!
CookbookSundays

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Baked Fusilli and Orecchiette

Tonight we turn to La Cucina The Regional Cooking of Italy.
 Baked Fusilli and Orecchiette is from Campania. This is a typical dish of Avellino.
1/2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
1 large egg beaten
1/2  cup crustless bread, soaked in milk until soft, then squeezed dry
1/2 grated pecorino
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups tomato sauce
6 oz fusilli
6 oz. orecchiette
6 oz. scamorza cheesed, sliced
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Form the ground beef, onion, egg, bread, pecorino and a pinch of salt into meatballs. Heat the olive oil in pan and cook the meatballs until browned. Add the tomato sauce and let it cook over medium heat until it thickens. Cook the fusilli, or in this case curly elbows, and orecchiette in separate pots of lightly salted boiling water until very al dente: drain. Mix the two types of pasta and put in ovenproof dish, adding the meatballs, sauce, and scamorza. Bake about 30 minutes or until the liquid is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browned. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
This disappeared very quickly!
And I made a small dish for my Dad.
And we have an entry for Cookbook Sunday!
CookbookSundays

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Pork "Saltimbocca" with Roasted Onions and Potatoes

Hey didn't we have this not too long ago. Well this one was worth revisiting. Roasted potatoes are one of my weaknesses. The onions and pork, which is marinated in white wine, only add to the dish. Oh and then there is the prosciutto!
Also made Roasted Green Beans. Not so crazy about those. They can't all be winners!

I was at my Dad's today and guess what we saw in the garden....

First Fig!

Soon to be bottle of wine.
 
 And money does grow on trees, well bushes anyway.



Friday, April 20, 2012

Spaghetti Vesuviana

Move over Fettuccine Alfredo there is a new favorite pasta dish in town. This recipe is from Cooking with Chef Silvio, Stories and Authentic Recipes from Campania. Chris got me an autographed copy for Christmas a year ago. And there is a Madison connection. Chef Silvio operates Cafe Allegra and the Woodwinds in Branford. And his jarred tomato sauces are excellent.
 
Now some of you may know that my grandparents were from Campania. So I love finding authentic recipes. I remember my grandparents on my mom's but I was pretty young when they passed (both of my dad's parents had passed before I was born). So my cooking memories are more from my parent's stories. I do remember my grandmother telling me that eating the fat on a steak was not a good idea.
My grandmother (she's the pretty on on the right) with 2 of her sisters.

So back to dinner. The flavors were spicy and salty. And I almost made Fettuccine Alfredo but luckily found this recipe. And it only took 20 minutes!

Spaghetti Vesuviana
Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers!)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves of garlic (No I did not use garlic, sorry it does not agree with me!)
2 bell peppers (I used red), seeded and cut into strips
14 oz can Vesuvian cherry tomatoes, or canned San Marzano Tomatoes, undrained & crushed by hand
1 cup fresh Basil leaves, torn
15 to 20 pitted Calamata olives, halved
1 tablespoon capers
pinch dried or chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1 1/3 cups grated parmigiano cheese
Additional fresh basil or Italian parsley for garnish, optional

In a large frying pan heat the oil, add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the peppers and, stirring frequently, cook until slightly softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, olives, capers, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the peppers and tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape. Give it a final taste for salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a pot with salted water, cook spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Add the sauce to the pasta along with half of the grated cheese and toss well. If too dry, adjust using pasta water to moisten. Serve in pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese and garnished with fresh basil or parsley if you wish.

And I can submit this post on Cookbook Sundays!
 CookbookSundays 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Stuffed Peppers

I sauteed some sausage and beef with a chopped onion and mixed that in with brown rice, Parmesan cheese, Oregano, salt and pepper. Filled the pepper halves, I par boil mine. Baked them for 20 minutes and served them with some homemade marinara sauce.
And I would like to thank Debi at Sh*t My 6-Year Old Says for the shout out! I was wondering where you have been!


What did we have for dinner 1 years ago...
Barbecue Pork Sandwich

What did we have for dinner 2 years ago...
Grilled Chicken, Roasted Pepper and Feta Panini


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Chicken and Rice Soup


Well that's the last of my chicken broth from the freezer. I will have to make more very soon.

Speaking of the freezer... Chris brought home a lot of Broccoli Rabe from Pete at work. Wow one meat pie equals a whole lot of Broccoli Rabe. A fair trade if you ask me.

As I was cleaning the rabe it reminded me of Sunday evenings when I was little. Every Sunday I would go for a ride with my mom and dad. We would usually go for a hike, which was really a blueberry or mushroom hunting hike. After the stop at Carvel Ice Cream (!!!!!!!) we would hit the farmer's market as they were closing up. That is when the deals were found. A whole bushel of something for not a lot of money. I would think they were crazy. They would have so much work ahead of them when they got home.
And after work tonight I cleaned the rabe and steamed and packed it up for the freezer and thought of what I will make first...
 


What did we have for dinner 1 years ago...

What did we have for dinner 2 years ago...

 
What did we have for dinner 1 years ago...
Barbecue Pork Sandwich

What did we have for dinner 2 years ago...
Grilled Chicken, Roasted Pepper and Feta Panini

Monday, April 16, 2012

Eggplant Parmigiana

I had planned on frying the eggplant for this. It tastes so much better than when it it baked. But I could not bring myself to fry it. I kept thinking that we should keep it on the healthy side. Well next time we order subs I am getting a eggplant one because I am sure it will be fried!
So I dipped the eggplant in egg then Panko bread crumbs and baked it for about 15 minutes and flipped them and baked for about another 10 minutes. Next I layered homemade Marinara Sauce, the eggplant, shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Oh I also added seasonings - salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper. The dished baked for about 20 minutes.
Even though I prefer the taste of fried eggplant this was pretty good... and I noticed someone went back for seconds. No I will not name names!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Red-Wine-Braised Pork Butt with Apples and Thyme

Before I get to tonight's post there is something I would like to address.
First have you seen this video-
Gosh it makes me so annoyed. You have to read the fine print on EVERYTHING!
So today's lesson is to freeze your own darn veggies!

Today was a an unusual day. I actually said to Chris, "Well the pork butt is in the oven." Never did I think I would say that. And before I put it in the oven I had to take a picture... it looked so pretty! Pork butt, pretty... good grief. The recipe is from Tasting Table.
The recipe suggested serving the pork with a salad. That is what we did and it was a wonderful meal.



Saturday, April 14, 2012

Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Sausage and Cheese

Do you read Food Lover's Odyssey? That is were I found this recipe. For it being a busy Saturday this was easy to prepare. And the flavors that came out of the ingredients (cauliflower, pasta, sausage, olive oil, pepper and cheese) were amazing. It was not easy not to go back for seconds!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Bistecchina alla Napoletana

First Friday night after Easter means it's meat for dinner!
I found this recipe on a favorite blog of mine, Cooking with Guiseppe. Cooking with Guiseppe is were I can find recipes that look just like what a ate as a child. And I knew as soon as I saw the recipe that Chris would like this. And he did. We both did. As you can see by the photos I did not use mushrooms. One of us does not like mushrooms... no I will not name names. So I added zucchini in its place.

I went to the wine store and I was looking for a wine from Naples. Not easy to do. But at least the owner knew what I was looking for and would order some. I ended up getting a bottle of Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rufina 2009 for $12. I know that Jacques Pepin said you don't need to spend over $10 for a good bottle of wine but what the heck it has been a long week.

And seeing it was Friday I made some Roasted Chickpeas. Perfect with that Vodka Gimlet.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Happy Blogiversary!

Yes Blogiversary is a word. And it is this blog's 3 Year Blogiversary.

3 years of...
 I thought I was going to fall off my chair when I saw that for the first time. 

So 3 years ago tonight I was baking Easter pies. When I had finished I wished I could pick of the phone and tell my mom about my day of baking her recipes. And that is when this blog was born. And I am blown away that there are 87 of you who follow this little blog, and you not all relatives!

Tonight's dinner was quite good. I browned some sausage meat. I added a can of Crushed Tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. A little tomato paste and let it cook for a while. Chris picked out some Bucatini for the pasta. It was delicious!


What did we have for dinner 1 years ago...
Chorizo and Goat Cheese Quiche

What did we have for dinner 2 years ago...
Spinach Salad With Warm Onions and Crispy Salami

What did we have for dinner 3 years ago...
Twas The Night Before Easter

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yes you read that correctly. Are you on Pinterest yet! That is were I found this. It was love at first sight. The blog it is from, A Bird in the Kitchen, is new on my reading list but I will be visiting it often. This sandwich was amazing.
We had it with some black bean soup,  Progresso's Vegetable Classics - Black Bean which was surprisingly quite good.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Beef Stew with Cannellini Beans

Food Styling by Chris
From Every Night Italian, Beef Stew with Cannelini Beans. 
I actually made this on Saturday night while I was decorating cookies!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday


First I would like to announce that I am a Great Aunt again! Luca Aidan was born Friday! Can't wait to meet him.
Now on to dinner...
We ate at Luca's grandparent's (Lenore and Ralph). And yes dinner was amazing. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the food!
 Pasetalli in Broth


Stuffed Artichokes

 
Vegetable Bundles , Lamb and Pork



Rice Pie

 
Ricotta Pie

Wheat Pie




 Meanwhile back at home....

 Best Friends!