Caprese Insalta Arrosto

Mmm...just the thought of this dish makes my mouth water! I love a traditional caprese salad but rarely are the tomatoes at peak perfection for the dish. Who wants to eat bland, mealy tomoatoes? Not me! One day while watching the FoodNetwork, which is on at least 365 days a year in my house, I saw Ina Garten (the queen of cuisine) make a roasted version of the old Italian classic. So the next day, I made it too. Such a simple and elegant dish that is perfect as a side to deliciously roasted meat (chicken, lamb, pork) or as an appetizer served with peppery crackers and wine.

Ingredients:

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tspKosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling.
16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Method:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Arrange the tomatoes on a large sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Mangia!

Turkey Day Tonight

Cooked Meatballs

Decadent Pan Sauce


Voila!

Thanksgiving is my favortie holiday. It not only marks the beginning of the Christmas season but it's also a day filled with wonderful food that I generally don't eat the rest of the year. I once again found myself with an abundance of ground turkey as it was on sale. In an effort to keep it interesting in the kitchen, I decided to make turkey pasta with all the great flavors of Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small Spanish onion, diced
1 T Herbs de Provence
1 egg
1 package cremini mushrooms
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 T unsalted butter
2 to 3 T all purpose flour
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I so cannot pronounce that word)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 chopped, flat leaf parsley (for garnish)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling/cooking
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Bring water for pasta to a boil and set aside but keep warm.

Place ground turkey in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add celery, onion, apple, herbs de provence, lemon juice, bread crumbs and egg and mix until combined. Don't over mix or you'll have dry meatballs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form meat mixture into meatballs using your hands and place on parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in a 425 degree, preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You want them firm and browned.

Add salt to the pasta water and drop the pasta. Cook according to package directions and drain when done.

In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium/high heat. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook until tender. Season with salt & pepper. Move mushrooms to the side of the pan creating a small circle in the middle. Add butter into center and whisk in flour to melted butter. Cook for about 1 minute and slowly whisk in stock until there are no lumps. Add the Wocestershire sauce. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens.

Toss the pasta with sauce & cheese. Serve with meatballs on top and fresh parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Is My Blog Burning?

No, its just the BBQ.

One of my favorite, go-to summer recipes is my White BBQ Chicken. This dish is not for those who can't take the heat but it does require you to get out of the kitchen!

Ingredients:

Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup light mayo
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Zest of one lemon and 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

Method:

Combine salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chile powder and cayenne pepper. Trim chicken of visible fat, place on a clean, dry surface and pat dry. Rub all sides of the chicken breast with the spice mixture, cover with plasitc wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the rub sit on the chicken for at least 4 hours. I usually put the rub on the night before I plan on serving it.

Preheat grill on high. Place chicken on grill and turn temperature down to medium and cook approximately 4 minutes per side (this varies depending on the grill and size of the chicken breast).

While the chicken cooks prepare the sauce. Whisk together the mayo, white vinegar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and sauce. Finish the chicken on the grill by brushing both sides with the sauce. Remove chicken from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Place on platter and drizzle with white bbq sauce.

Happy Grilling!

Pefectly Portioned Pizza

I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I have a husband that not only listens when I ramble but also remembers what I say. Eat your heart out ladies! So, I mention to Brent that I need marinated artichoke hearts for a new recipe I had written and planned to try out in a few weeks. My mention of needing artichokes did not fall on deaf ears. The very next day, I had a jar of marinated artichokes so big (thank you Costco) I could have cooked my way through The California Artichoke Cookbook.

Due to my bounty of artichokes despite making a new artichoke chicken recipe and many, many Greek salads, I figured I had better come up with another use for them. I HATE waste! I looked around the kitchen and spotted garlic, mushrooms and basil. I also had some lemon aioli chicken I had grilled the night before to toss on a salad. Hmmm... Then I saw the Flat Out wraps. Aha, I will make pizza! The pizza turned out delish and will definitely be making another debut in my kitchen. The recipe is as follows (to the best of my memory, I was just winging it):

Ingredients

2 light Italian Herb Flatout wraps

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup Italian blend cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 T unsalted butter

3 T flour

1/2 C half-n-half

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, diced

6 oz shredded chicken

2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place wraps on a baking sheet and ligthly brush with extra virgin olive oil. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp.

Heat 2T olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions, garlic, artichokes and mushrooms for 10 minutes or until tender. Move all ingredients in the pan to the outside creating an open circle in the middle. Place butter in the center and stir until it melts, whisk in flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add in half-n-half, keep whisking. Mix all ingredients in the pan together. Stir in salt and pepper. The mixture will thicken as it sits. Note - you can add chicken stock if the sauce becomes too thick.

Place 1/2 sauce mixture on each Flatout wrap. Top with shredded chicken and cheese. Place back in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly-browned and bubbly. Sprinkle with julienned basil. Serve with wine.

These could also be made just as easily on the grill!

Bon Appetit!

For the Love of Lemon Curd

My love affair with lemon curd began during a trip to London. I'll never forget High Tea at Harrod's where the tart perfection was served slathered over euphoric scones and biscuits giving me my very first culinary high. Upon returning from Britain, I began searching for this most delicious treat and had luck at my local specialty grocer. I found out real quick that store bought curd (all 5 different versions) just wasn't the same as homemade. What a tease! So, I began searching for recipes and learned that these too are all different and most of them just don't do the real thing justice. I actually saw one that used margarine. Seriously? Margarine? Blach!

After making many batches of lemon curd, I've finally found a recipe good enough to make me feel like I'm at least in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge. Though let's be honest, not quite as good as Harrod's. Perhaps curd just tastes better across the pond? Whatever the reason, I'm just happy eating it!

Lemon Curd Recipe

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 to 5 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Heat about 2 inches of water in a large stock pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a medium sized metal bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Once water reaches a simmer in the stock pot, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk constantly (you must not stop) until thickened, approximately 10 minutes (this also doubles as a workout), or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately remove from heat and stir in butter one piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next (this regulates the temperature). Place the curd in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap by placing a layer of plastic directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate. This will stay fresh in the refrigerator for to 2 weeks.

Serve curd on just about anything, including grilled chicken (just heat it up first)! I regularly use it on french toast, ricotta pancakes, pound cake, berries and drizzled over ice cream.

Long live the lemon!

Dinner for Father-in-law

Last weekend my Father-in-law came into town for a short visit. So what says welcome to my humble abode better than being a guinea pig for new recipes?

Dijon Roasted Trout

I'm generally a creature of habit and cook my trout with lemon and fresh herbs on the grill. I decided it was time to change it up. I used dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, creme fraiche, a dash of white wine to create the sauce and placed it on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Brent and my FIL loved it. I could have done without the creme fraiche.

Parmesan Broccoli

I love, love, love broccoli! It's my favorite vegetable. For this dish I placed broccoli florets on a roasting pan with sliced shallots, sliced garlic and mushrooms. I tossed all in a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. I then roasted it all in a 450 degree oven for about 12 minutes. After removing it from the oven I added lemon zest, 2 T fresh lemon juice, 1/4 aged Parmesan cheese (not the Kraft stuff in the bag) and some toasted pignoils. We all agree, this is delish!

Pecan Wild Rice

I prepared the rice according to the package directions using chicken stock in lieu of water. Toasted the pecans and set aside. In a separate bowl I combined 1 tablespoon of butter, zest of one orange, 2 T fresh orange juice, 1 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, about 1 cup of halved green grapes and the pecans. Toss with wild rice and serve. Note - I used wild rice for this test and will use a wild rice blend next time. Otherwise, the dish had great color, aroma and flavor!

Limoncello Parfait

I had something similar to this at a brunch once and paid about $10 for it. So this was my attempt at recreating the recipe. For this recipe I tossed one carton of sliced strawberries, a pint of blackberries and a pint of raspberries with 2 T of sugar and about 1/4 cup of limoncello. I let this sit together in the refrigerator for a few hours stirring a few times along the way. In a separate bowl combine an 8 oz container of Fage made with 2% (Greek yogurt), 1 T honey, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1/3 cup homemade lemon curd (can use prepared lemon curd). Place berries in a serving bowl and top with the yogurt mixture. Garnish with a lemon and eat!

B's Mini Meatloaf Muffins

When I think of meatloaf two things come to mind, my grandmother and the movie A Christmas Story. My grandmother because I have fond memories of helping her prepare dinner and meatloaf was in the regular rotation. A Christmas Story because I just LOVE the scene where Randy (Ralphie's younger brother) has been reprimanded for playing with his food and enters his protest, "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf." I suppose for some people the term meatloaf brings up memories of a dry hunk of meat that meant you would definitely be eating dinner at your friend's house! This was not he case at my grandmothers. Mawmaw's meatloaf was always moist, full of flavor and without leftovers. Unfortunately, mawmaw's meatloaf was also always full of fat and salt (not to mention time consuming).

I've been working on a recipe to capture that retro goodness found in my grandmother's cooking that doesn't require me to spend an extra 3 hours on the treadmill tomorrow. Finally!

Mix all ingredients

Into the muffin pan

Remove and glaze

Plate and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T finely chopped cilantro
zest of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 bellpepper (any color) diced
2 chipotle peppers (canned) in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (I use Kosher)
1 pound ground turkey breast

Topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T chipotle pepper adobo sauce (reserved from can)
1 T brown sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 8 muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, onion, bellpepper, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, chipotle peppers, lime zest, celery salt, kosher salt and pepper until mixed. Next add in the oats and egg whites and combine. Fill each muffin cup to the top (makes about 8 muffins) pressing down lightly. Bake for 20 minutes.

While it cooks, combine ketchup, adobo sauce and brown sugar and set aside. Remove meat from oven after 20 minutes and spoon the sauce over the top of each meatloaf. Return to oven and continue cooking for 10 minutes (or until 160 degree center). Let meatloaf stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Per Mini Meatloaf - 110 calories, 1g fat, 6g carbs, 16g protein and 1 gram fiber.

Buon Appetito!