Friends Food Family

White Barn Inn Basil Pesto

 

Back two weeks ago, we traveled up to Kennebunkport, Maine to spend the weekend celebrating a close friend's 50th birthday. We stayed at the cutest place called The Cottages at Cabot Cove. Perfect sized cottages for two people. As part of our weekend stay, we made reservations at the White Barn Inn restaurant to enjoy an incredible dining experience. The White Barn Inn offers the only combined AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star dining experience north of New York City. Being a foodie, this is like heaven. The meal was amazing, all the way to my flour less chocolate cake sitting between layers of praline...death by chocolate.

As we left, our friends purchased a signed copy of The White Barn Inn Cookbook. Ah, the memories of an incredible dinner, brought to life in a cookbook. I couldn't stop reading through the recipes.

We are starting slow with this cookbook (it's a 5 star) and since the basil in our yard is overflowing, pesto was the first on the list. I liked this pesto recipe because it was very easy and used three different types of nuts. The flavor to this dish is amazing...nutty and fresh.

Not only did we serve it as an appetizer with crackers, we put it on crusty bread with dinner and we finished the last of it with a chicken ravioli pesto recipe. Delicious alone and versatile with other ingredients, think pizza, pasta or a  sandwich spread, the list goes on. The White Barn Inn suggests mixing it with Idaho potatoes to make a pesto potato puree.

This is a great staple for any occasion. Make a batch and unleash your taste buds to endless opportunities.

Ingredients:

a bunch of basil leaves (about 2 cups packed)

a 1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley (about 1 cup packed)

1 clove of garlic, sliced

3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of pistachio nuts

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1/4 cup of walnuts

salt and pepper to taste

crusty bread (sliced thin) or stone ground crackers

Preparation:

Place the basil, parsley, garlic, cheese and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the nuts and chop a few more seconds being careful not to over-process the mixture. The nuts should be chopped to a medium texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. We serve ours with crusty bread.

The pesto will keep best in a non-reactive glass or stainless steel container. Place a layer of olive oil on the top to keep the mixture fresh and green.

Maine Summers Chunky Chickpea Salsa

 

On Wednesday night, we were invited to a friend's birthday party. Our job was to bring an appetizer. Luckily, we purchased another cookbook. (This is almost becoming funny...we are running out of cookbook space.)

The Maine Summers Cookbook is a collection of recipes from a mother and daughter duo, named Linda and Martha Greenlaw, from the tiny Isle au Haut located off the coast of Maine. It has a really nice selection of recipes that use local fare from Maine as well as New England and then they add a slight spin. The cookbook was reviewed as "Haute cuisine from Isle au Haut". 

We love chickpeas so we gravitated to this recipe. It was easy to put together and we made it a day in advance. My daughter, Danielle, tested the chunky chickpea salsa first as she thought it was for our family. She has taken it for lunch with a sandwich and thought it was amazing. "You need to make this again!"

We brought it to the party and it was funny when we found out the birthday boy loves chickpeas. Scooping it up on a pita chip or tortilla chip added to the taste and texture of crunchy and fresh. Chickpeas, onions, peppers, and fresh cilantro...DELICIOUS. People were eating the salsa as a side dish as well as dip. All and all, it was new recipe success!

After making this salsa it has given me an idea for our next attempt at chickpea salsa. I think I will be adding a few more ingredients, maybe black beans, tomatoes and some jalapenos. But as chunky chickpea salsa, it is definitely a crowd pleaser.

And not to forget, Happy 50th Birthday Brian!

Ingredients:

1 - 15 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed drained and coarsely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest (not in the recipe but we added it)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of red onion, diced
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

pita chips or tortilla chips

Preparation:

Mix together the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice,lemon zest, olive oil green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until time to serve. Serve with a crunchy pita or tortilla chip. Serves 8.

 

Seared Scallops with Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

A few weeks ago, we entertained family for the weekend as Jeff's niece's wedding shower was being held at our house. When we entertain, we love to have a few appetizers or small plate snacks before serving dinner.

In April, I gave Jeff the Stonewall Kitchen Appetizers Cookbook for his birthday. Not that we needed another cookbook BUT this have a nice variety of different appetizers from hot to cold to chicken, pasta and seafood. They also have great uses for fresh herbs and vegetables that are found in your garden. This recipe seemed perfect on a warm summer night, Seared Scallops with refreshing Pineapple-Pepper Salsa.

The recipe called for a green pepper but I love red peppers because they are a bit sweeter and they complement the pineapple in taste and color. We made the salsa a few hours in advance and refrigerated them until the scallops were cooked. The combination was amazing. There is something wonderful when you add fruit to seafood, especially when there is that hot and cold combination; hot juicy scallops with cold refreshing pineapple.

Our guests were delighted. With a few extra scallops and salsa left after the first serving, people moved quickly to get a few spare seconds. Everyone enjoyed the quick bite before we served dinner.

We are fortunate because we love to entertain and our guests are always excited at see what we will serve. Not because it is incredible but more that it is different. Finding a new recipe, allows you to become a bit more creative as well as let your guests taste something deliciously different. 

The Pineapple-Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped fresh pineapple
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large lime, juiced
1-1/2 tablespoons of  chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 to 1 small red chile pepper or japaleno pepper, chopped, with or without seeds
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together, pineapple, bell pepper, scallions, oil, lime, cilantro and chile. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. The salsa can be made 1 to 2 hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

The Scallops

1 pound of sea scallops (dry scallops)
1 cup of all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation:

Pat the scallops dry. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour salt and pepper to taste. Lightly dredge the scallops in the seasoned flour; be sure to brush off any excess flour.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot (add a touch of flour and make sure it sizzles), add half the scallops in one layer, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, depending on the size of the scallop, or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining scallops.

Place about 2-3 tablespoons of salsa in the middle of a small plate. Top with two to three scallops. Garnish with a lime wedge and cilantro sprig.

 

White Bean, Shrimp and Tomato Salad

 

As I had mentioned a few blogs back, we are going to be highlighting some great cold salads which can be used as an appetizer or side dish for your next function or event. As the weather gets warmer, we look for dishes that are easy and use as many fresh ingredients, from the garden, as possible.

This salad is a family and party favorite. We use it most times as an appetizer and whatever remains is usually used in a salad for lunch or a light snack the next day, but only if it is doubled. The recipe is part of our "recipe box" series, those recipes we started cutting out and saving 6-8 years ago. This box holds many of our favorite dishes.

We love this recipe for a number of reasons (but here are two):

1. Everybody raves about the dish, it's basic but very different tasting. If you think about it, have you ever had anything like this at a party?

2. It's easy and delicious...beans, shrimp, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil...on toasted french bread...to die for!

A few more weekends before the 4th of July cookouts begin. Try this recipe on your family and friends, we can guarantee that you will be making it for your next gathering. Be the hit with this appetizer, the white bean, shrimp and tomato salad.

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 ounce) cans of small white beans or cannellini beans, we use a can of each

2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh sage leaf, finely chopped

1 pound of fresh small (or medium) shrimp, peeled

2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and finely chopped

8 large basil leaves, cut into fine strips

1/3 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Stone ground crackers, pita chips or french baguette slices, lightly toasted  

Preparation:

Rinse the two cans of beans in a colander and place into a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, and garlic.  

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for one minute or just until the shrimp turns bright pink. Add the shrimp to the bean mixture with the sage, basil and olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve slightly warm or cold with crackers, pita chips or toasted slices of french bread.

NOTE: If the mixture seems a little bland, add a little more olive oil.  

Boston Globe's Easter Traditions - Italian Taralli

 

I think I survived the holidays? Did you?

I do know that I did quite a bit of baking for Easter and have some interesting recipes to share. The problem is timing. I always wish I had more hours to be able to cook and blog, but sometimes life gets in the way. Or cooking dinner for 26 gets in the way.

I love to make one or two new recipes for the holidays. Last Wednesday, the Boston Globe featured a great story on Italian Easter Traditions. On the cover of the G magazine was a picture of Tarallis. Taralli is a dense bread which is similar to a pretzel or a bread stick. It is boiled and then baked and can be given a sweet or savory finish depending on the ingredients in the recipe. Sweet taralli is made with the basic dough mix and then frosted with a lemon icing. Savory taralli have onion, garlic, poppy seeds or fennel added to the basic or used as a topping before baking.

Before you decide to make taralli, check out the ingredients. (Ok, I'll give you a minute...) Yes, one of the ingredients is Brioschi. Why Brioschi? It has sodium bicarbonate in it. They use it similar to baking soda. It definitely gives the dough a rise when the taralli  is baked. You can find Brioschi at CVS.

So now, mixed reviews. We served them for breakfast and snack on and before Easter. Some family members thought they were delicious, something wonderful to dip in tea or coffee (some people dip them in wine...that works!). Others thought they were OK...a little chewy, a little dry. They are definite something that could be made again and experimented with. I'd like to try the savory type and serve them with a pasta dish or possibly as an appetizer with a dip.

It's a different type of Easter tradition that is worth trying. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or glass of wine...taralli will complement any one. You will definitely find these at my house next year!

Ingredients:

12  eggs
1/4  cup olive oil
2  teaspoons salt
2  tablespoons sugar
1  teaspoon Brioschi
About 7 cups flour, sifted
1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and oil until smooth. Beat in the salt, sugar, and Brioschi. Continue to beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour, continuing to beat the mixture. Add the vanilla and beat well. The dough will be sticky.

Spread the remaining 3 cups of flour on a work surface, making a circle of flour about 15 inches in diameter. Make a wide, shallow well in the middle and turn the wet dough out into it. With a large spoon, draw the flour into the dough, going around the perimeter of the flour circle and kneading in the flour with your hands as you do. When all the flour is incorporated, you will have a stiff, firm dough.

With your hands, knead the dough vigorously and thoroughly for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better); eventually, the dough will become elastic and smooth. When sliced, it will have visible air bubbles inside. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Slice the dough into 12 pieces. With your hands, roll each into a thick snake about 9 inches long. Join each snake’s ends (overlap them slightly) to form a ring, pinching the ends to make a tight seal. Place 4 rings in the boiling water; they will sink to the bottom. When they rise to the surface, add 4 more dough rings to the pot. Remove the first batch of rings from the boiling water 2 to 3 minutes after they’ve surfaced, and wrap them in a dish towel to keep them warm. Repeat this process until all the dough rings are boiled. While the rings are warm, score the outside of each ring (as if you were going to slice it like a bagel, but without slicing it through) around the entire periphery.

Place the rings in the oven directly on the oven racks. Bake the taralli for 35 to 40 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown and very dry and crisp.

For icing:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons of water
1 pound of confectioner's sugar

Mix lemon juice and water together. Add liquid mixture to the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is of a loose frosting consistency. Spread on cooled taralli and sprinkle with colored jimmies or colored sugar.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche from "around my french table"

 

 

Jeff and I are still having fun making recipes with Dorie Greenspan's Cookbook, "around my french table". French cooking is really interesting as I always thought it was a very rich cuisine.

About a week ago, we decided to have a light dinner of orange-scented lentil soup with the spinach and bacon quiche. We both love lentil soup and the intriguing ingredients of orange peel, fresh ginger, coriander and cloves, made it hard not to want to try. (I'll be highlighting that recipe in the future.) We chose the spinach and bacon quiche to complement the soup because it didn't look like the traditional 3-4 inch thick quiche. It was more like a tart and there were only 2 eggs and 2/3 a cup of heavy cream for the custard base.

The quiche calls for a homemade crust (not something I am great at) and I will give you a few helpful tips. Make sure you knead the crust until it is smooth before you form it into a disk. We didn't knead ours enough and the crust became cracked around the edges. As we rolled it out, the cracks would spread. The more we rolled it, the cracks became tears. In the end, we patched the crust together, but it was a bit frustrating.

The filling was quick to put together and within a half hour we were seated and enjoying lentil soup and wedges of spinach and bacon quiche. As much as the crust was a challenge it was light and buttery. The quiche was much better than a traditional quiche. It was light and the custard didn't overpower the spinach and bacon. You tasted each ingredient.

Don't think that this is only a meal for dinner, you could eat this for breakfast or lunch. Buttery crust, spinach and bacon, a few eggs and it's not overly-filling. As I mentioned with the Chicken Pot Pie recipe, if you are not one to tackle a pie crust, use a a ready-made crust. It will at least give you a chance to try this deliciously, light recipe. 

Ingredients:

1- 9 to 9 1/2 inch tart shell, made from tart dough (see recipe below) partially baked and cooled
10 ounces of ready-to-use baby spinach (or about 1 1/4 pounds regular spinach, trimmed and washed)
4 strips of bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and pepper for taste
2 large eggs
2/3 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Center a rack in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the tart shell on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper after partially cooking the crust (see directions below).

To cook the spinach, fit a steamer basket into a large pot. Pour in enough water to come almost up to the steamer. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, cover, and steam just until soft and thoroughly wilted, about 4 minutes. remove the spinach, drain and run under to cool it and set the color (it will be deep green). 

When the spinach is cool enough not to burn your hands, squeeze it between your palms and get out as much moisture as you can; do this in batches, so you can squeeze harder. Put the clumps on a cutting board and coarsely chop or thinly slice the spinach.

Put the bacon in a skillet, place the skillet over medium heat and cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and pat it dry (set the pan aside). Cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips.

Drain off all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet, return the skillet to medium heat, and toss in the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft but not at all colored, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat.

Add the bacon and spinach bits to the pan, toss to blend and add a little more salt and a few generous grindings of pepper.

Turn the spinach bacon mixture into the crust, spreading it as evenly as possible. Whisk the eggs and cream together until well blended and pour into the tart shell, giving the custard a minute to seep around the spinach and settle in. Sprinkle the top of the quiche with the Parmesan cheese.

Carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling is uniformly puffed (wait for the center to puff), browned and set. Transfer the quiche to a colling rack, remove the sides of the pan and allow it to cool and gather itself for at least 5 minutes or so before serving.

Crust
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of very cold unsalted butter, cut into bits (3/4 stick)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of ice water

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the processor and whir a few times, until the butter is coarsely mixed into the flour. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in 3 small additions, whirring after each one (Don't overdo it - the dough shouldn't form a ball or ride on the blade) You'll have a moist, malleable dough that will hold together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly), and flatten it into a disk.

HAND METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in the bits of butter and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed. You'll have large and small butter bits, and that's fine - uniformity isn't a virtue here. Beat the egg and water together, drizzle over the dough, and, using your fingertips, mix and knead the dough until it comes together. Turn it out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn't come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it some more), and flatten it into a disk.

Chill at least 3 hours or up to 5 days. When you're ready to bake the tart shell, butter a 9 - 91/2inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter it even if it's nonstick).

To roll out the dough: Roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a lightly floured rolling cover; or you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. If you're working between sheets of paper or plastic wrap, lift it often so that it doesn't roll into the dough, and turn the dough over frequently. If you're just rolling on the counter, make sure to lift and turn the dough and reflour the counter often. The rolled-out dough should be about 1/4 inch thick and at least 12 inches in diameter.

Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) If you'd like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some of the excess dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the sides. Using the back of a table knife, trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with a fork.

Chill - freeze - the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
 
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F Press a piece of buttered foil (or use nonstick foil) against the crust's surface. If you'd like, you can fill the covered crust with rice or dried beans (which will be inedible after this but can be used for baking for months to come) to keep the dough flat, but this isn't really necessary if the crust is well chilled. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart pan on the sheet.

TO PARTIALLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with the rice or beans). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3 - 5 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

TO FULLY BAKE THE CRUST: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it is an even golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.

 

Dorie Greenspan's Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

 

I have a confession to make...we own 100 cookbooks. At least in the quick count of one of our cabinets. Our newest addition arrived last week "around my french table" by Dorie Greenspan. Jeff loves to read some of the reviews on Amazon and said this one was phenominal. He especially liked it because it had some really great French recipes, not a style of cooking we normally use. We spent most of last week thumbing through the cookbook, marking off our favorite recipes. Both of us decided that since we hadn't had scallops in quite a while the Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce would be our first recipe.

The recipe was simple with a few ingredients and the process to get everything prepared took about 20 minutes. You could serve this dish as a meal as well as an appetizer. We enjoyed the scallops with couscous and broccoli. And I'll have to admit, after eating the scallops, I was running my broccoli and couscous through the remainder of the sauce.

The sauce was sweet but not overpowering, just delicious...incredible...amazing. I love this style of sauce with seafood. It never takes away from the wonderful taste of the scallops.

The best description of this recipe : quick, easy, sweet and delicious. This is a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Juice of 1 large orange - generous 1/3 cup (we used a blood red orange)
1 pound of sea scallops (we used dry scallops)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, for taste
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Candied Orange Zest (recipe below)

Preparation:

Sprinkle the sugar into a small sauce pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see it turn brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. When the sugar has turned a deep caramel color (you can put  a drop of sugar on a white plate to test the color), about 3 minutes, stand back and add the white wine and orange juice. It may bubble and spatter, so watch out. Turn the heat up to high, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil the sauce until it is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. (You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.)

Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Slice or pull off the little muscle attached to the sides of the scallops. Have a warm serving platter and a small strainer at the ready.

Put the sauce pan with the caramel sauce over very low heat so that it can warm while you cook the scallops.

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center — nick one to test. Transfer the scallops to the serving platter.

Check that the caramel sauce is hot — give it more heat if necessary. Pull the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through the strainer into a sauce boat or pitcher. Drizzle some of the sauce over the scallops and pass the rest at the table.

Before you squeeze the juice from the orange, cut off the zest using a zester, a vegetable peel or a knife, avoiding the cottony, white pith. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, toss in the zest and boil for one minute, then drain in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Put 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of white sugar in the pan and cook, stirring until dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Add the zest, reduce the heat to as low as possible and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zest is soft. At serving time, remove the zest with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and strew it over the caramel-sauced scallops.

Epicurious' Fontina Risotto Cakes with Fresh Chives

 
(plain)

 

(with a tomato dipping sauce)

Before the devastating New England Patriots loss, Jeff and I were heading to the Jaegar's house to watch "the big game". I never like to go anywhere empty handed so I found this recipe on the Epicurious website. I was looking for an appetizer and this seemed pretty good - Fontina Risotto Cakes with Fresh Chives - especially since risotto is a favorite of ours and very easy to make.

This is where the story goes a little...blank. I was at a baby shower and didn't have time to put this together so Jeff was in charge. I came back to finish the tomato dipping sauce. I can't really tell you how easy or hard it was to put together but I can tell you this...they were delicious. I was the official taster and the rice cakes were cheesy (Parmesan and Fontina) but the chives gave them a great (but slight) onion flavor. We decided that as much as they tasted great without a dipping sauce, we figured we'd create one and then see whether it worked.

Off to work I went...

Tomato Dipping Sauce

        2 - 8 ounce packages of cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced in half)

        4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

        1/2 cup of olive oil

        12-16 fresh basil leaves, chopped

        2-3 tablespoons of freshly chopped chives

        salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a medium saute pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and saute until slightly golden. Remove from oil and throw away. Add the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes Add the basil, chives and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, the sauce is ready.

We put the risotto cakes on top of the sauce and it was perfect. Most times when you are served risotto cakes or Arancini Rice Balls, there is usually a tomato sauce mixture for dipping. As much as we used this for the risotto cakes, it's actually a great sauce for pasta or bruscetta. 

If you are looking for a different type of appetizer or even as a light luncheon idea, try this. It will be an event to remember! 

Ingredients

3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 large egg yolk

2 large eggs
Canola oil (for frying)

Additional grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh chives

Preparation

Bring 3 cups broth to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep warm. Heat olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 30 seconds. Add broth, 1/3 cup at a time, and simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more, and stirring often, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 6 tablespoons Parmesan and butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spread risotto in 13x9x2-inch pan and cool completely.

Mix 1/2 cup panko, Fontina cheese, parsley, chopped chives, and 1 egg yolk into risotto. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls; flatten to 2-inch rounds. Arrange on rimmed baking sheet. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 250°F. Set another rimmed baking sheet in oven. Beat 2 eggs in shallow bowl to blend. Place 1 cup panko in another shallow bowl. Dip risotto cakes into beaten egg, then into panko to coat. Pour enough canola oil into large skillet to coat bottom; heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté risotto cakes until crisp and brown, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet in oven.

Serve risotto cakes sprinkled with cheese and garnished with chives.

Checklist for a Football Gathering or Tailgate Party

This past summer, we did a Checklist for a Great Cookout. It did surprisingly well as a resource both within the Friends Food Family Community and the internet. Over the past few weeks, we have been putting together some great recipes which we can tie together for a checklist for a football gathering or tailgate party.

 

Let's start with dessert first. No football event is complete without Chocolate Covered Football Oreos. These were easy to make and disappeared quickly. We covered them in both dark chocolate as well as Symphony Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Toffee Bits.  We'll give you a heads up...the milk chocolate go faster than the dark chocolate. The other dessert which is great for a large group is the Apple Slab Pie. The pie can travel in the sheet pan, it's easy to cut and eat with your hands. The nice thing about this pie is it uses ready made crusts which cuts your prep time in half.

Let's start with a few appetizers:

1. Sticky Chicken Wings - They are addictive. We normally make 5 pounds at a time because they go quickly. If you have a large crowd, we would suggest doubling the recipe. Another recipe we use for chicken wings is a little sweet and more sour. Try this one, too!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

1 cup of dark brown sugar

1 cup of zesty italian dressing

1 cup of cola

1 cup of ketchup

1 - 5 pound bag of frozen chicken wings

Mix together in a bowl until well incorporated. Place frozen chicken wings in a large roasting pan. Pour this marinade over the chicken wings. Stir the wings so that they are evenly covered with the marinade. Cover with aluminum foil.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven for one hour.

At the end of the first hour, remove the foil. Turn all the chicken wings over. They will be floating in the sauce. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the wings become golden or slightly blackened. remove from oven and pour 1/2 of the liquid from the pan. Turn over the wings and cook for another 30-45 minutes to a dark golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

2. Killer Guacamole - What can we say! It's a staple for any party.

3. Our favorite for any party or gathering, Asparagus and Proscuitto.

 

And for the meal time filler, we would suggest chili. We have two we make on a regular basis, Al Roker's Spectacular Beef Chili and White Bean Chili with Chicken. Both chili recipes are delicious, filling and always enjoyable on a cold day. Real comfort food.

 

If you want to serve something other than chili, try the Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas. These you can prep ahead of time and they take a few minutes to put together and cook. We have also substituted the chicken and spinach with pulled pork (covered with your favorite barbecue sauce) and red onions. These can be served as both a meal or appetizers because you can pick them up with your hands and eat them.

To end, we will leave you with Muddy Buddies. Though we highlighted them as a cool summer treat, take them out of the freezer and place them in bowls around the room. They are great little snacks for those looking for "light" sweets after a day of great food!

Enjoy this combination of favorites and pass them on to your friends and family!

Boston Globe's Fish Chowder with Proscuitto - The BEST!

 
 

Here is part two of our Boston Globe article, "Hake goes from trash fish to treasure". This Fish Chowder with Proscuitto is the wonderful results of last night's meal Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto.

I think I will just start by saying this is the BEST fish chowder I have ever tasted. Hands down, better than clam chowder, too.

Take out those three servings of fish and potatoes from our last blog article, Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto. Take the proscuitto off the fish and chop coarsely. Do the same for the fish and potatoes. 

Note that we did things a little differently: 

1. We used scrod as the white fish since we couldn't find hake.

2. We used seafood broth, which we found in the broth section at the supermarket.

3. Ours didn't look as golden as theirs so we added a few threads of saffron.

This recipe took us about fifteen minutes to put together. It was a nice hearty chowder with rich flavors. It wasn't thick but it was creamy and the fish and potatoes gave it body. It happened to be rainy and cold the night we served it, so it hit the spot for warming you up.

We were so impressed with the taste of the chowder, we are going to make a pot of the chowder the next time since this recipe only feeds 4. We will take the time to cook the fish and potatoes the night before and then quickly make the chowder the following day.

If you want to impress your friends and family, cook the Hake Wrapped in Proscuitto next weekend and serve this chowder as a meal or appetizer at your next gathering. You will mark this recipe as a favorite under "The BEST fish chowder...EVA!" 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of butter

6 scallions, chopped using both green and white pieces

Proscuitto from pieces of fish, chopped coarsely

Sliced potatoes from fish, chopped coarsely

2 cups of clam or fish broth

2 cups of heavy cream

3 pieces of cooked fish, flaked into large pieces

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2. Add the prosciutto and continue cooking, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes, clam or fish broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes.

4. Add the fish and cook 2 minutes or until the fish is heated through. Taste the chowder for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

5. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.

Sticky Chicken Wings

 

Are you looking for a great appetizer to serve at your next football gathering, tailgate party or family cookout? I have a recipe that has three ingredients and is guaranteed to become a party favorite...STICKY CHICKEN WINGS.

I can't remember where the actual recipe came from but, I think it was Cousin Dave who borrowed it from his mother, Auntie Ree-Ree. I probably cook mine a bit differently than they do, but the results are still the same...(sticky) finger lickin' good!

They are so good, they fall into the category of addicting. Sweet and Salty, a perfect balance. It's like the old Lay's potato chip commercial, "Nobody eats just one". It's really one after another after another!

To start:

5-6 pounds of frozen chicken wing parts

Place these in a large roaster pan.

Mix:

3 cups of brown sugar

3 cups of soy sauce

Place these ingredients in the bowl and mix well. It will be very thick and syrupy. Pour this over the chicken wings. Stir the wings so that they are evenly covered with the marinade. Cover with aluminum foil.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven for one hour.

At the end of the first hour, remove the foil. Turn all the chicken wings over. They will be floating in the sauce. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the wings become golden or slightly blackened. remove from oven and pour 1/2 of the liquid from the pan. Turn over the wings and cook for another 30-45 minutes to a dark golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

And no fighting over the last wing!

Apologizes for the picture which is a bit blurry....maybe it was my sticky fingers taking the picture!

 

Seared Tuna with a Sesame Crust

 

A while back I wrote about a great sesame seed crust for salmon, Black Dog Tavern's Sesame Crusted Salmon Fillet. The recipe came from The Black Dog - Summer on the Vineyard - Cook Book by Joe Hall and Elaine Sullivan. It is one of the most popular entrees at The Black Dog Tavern.

One night we decided to try the recipe on our tuna and it was absolutely delicious. The combination of sesame seeds and sesame oil brought an incredible flavor to the fish. I know this may look quite rare to some, but this is the best way to enjoy tuna.

The first time I had tuna was at Rialto Restaurant in Boston. I ordered it because I knew it tasted similar to swordfish. When it arrived, I wasn't sure I would be able to eat it, it looked so rare. As it stands, it was the best tuna I have ever eaten, outside of our house, of course.

I'm so glad I did because I truly enjoy tuna, especially when we make it with this crust. Try this on your next piece of tuna, you'll love the results.

Ingredients

3/4 cups of plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup of raw hulled sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons of Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh parley

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark (toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 pounds of boneless, skinless salmon fillets about 1 inch thick

Preparation

1. Mix together the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, white pepper, salt, paprika, parsley and 1/4 cup of sesame oil.

2. Place a saute pan over medium high heat and add the canola oil. (We used our LeCruset grill pan)

3. Rub tuna tops with the remaining sesame oil and then press oiled tops into the bread crumb mixture and coat well.

4. Place the breaded tuna, bread crumb side down, in the hot pan and sear for about 2 minutes or until evenly browned. (2 minutes was what we seared for our pictured results, if you like your tuna less rare, please cook longer)

5. Turn the tuna over and continue to cook on the other side for about 2 minutes more.

6. Before we remove the tuna from the pan, we will sear the sides slightly, holding the tuna for about 30 seconds on each side.

7. Slice and enjoy!

  

Zucchini and Tomato Frittata

  
When I got out of college, and lived on my own, making meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner was always a challenge. If my roommate was home and we were both tired, a box of Triscuits and some cheddar cheese did the trick for an "any" night dinner. One day, I read an article about frittatas and started making them. They were easy and you could basically put anything you want into them.

I had a few cups of shredded zucchini left from making all our zucchini bread (check out the Chocolate Zucchini Cake and the Pineapple Zucchini Bread) and decided I needed to do something so it wouldn't go bad. With one starving son in the kitchen looking for breakfast, I knew what I could make...a zucchini frittata. As I was putting it together, I went out to the garden to see what else I could "throw" in. I found ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and lemon thyme. I had everything I needed to create a healthy breakfast.

My son, Michael, was impressed. This was a little different from his standard omelette. Since he only ate half of it, it gave my mother and I the opportunity to taste what was left. The fritatta was nice and firm and bursting with flavor. The zucchini and tomato, fresh from the garden, is amazing in anything. Add fresh herbs and a little cheese and it was perfect. I love that quiche consistency without the crust.

A frittata is one of those wonderful dishes that can get your vegetables and proteins in one quick, easy, and delicious meal!

Start with:

6 eggs

1/2 cup of half and half cream

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Blend together with a fork or whisk until well incorporated, set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to broil.

In a medium sized frying pan over medium heat, add

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Add to the pan:

1 chopped scallion, sauteed for 2 - 3 minutes, until translucent.

Stir in:

1 cup of shredded zucchini

6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

6 basil leaves, torn

1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme

Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes, the tomatoes will begin to soften.

Add the egg mixture:

Stir the egg mixture and move the mixture around until it begins to set and there is a bit of wetness to the top. Take the frying pan off the burner and sprinkle with

1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

Place the pan under the broiler (SEE NOTE) and cook until the top is light to golden brown (2-3 minutes). The eggs will now be firm. Remove from the broiler and let cool slightly. The frittata should slide out of the frying pan. Cut into wedges. Feeds 2-3 people.

NOTE: Read manufacturer's instructions for placing frying pans under the broiler. I place foil around my handle to protect the rubber.

Saveur's Shrimp and Grits

 

Last year, Jeff and I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina and enjoyed the best shrimp and grits dinner at Carolina's. Since that time, we have been in search of a shrimp and grits recipe. Carolina's shrimp and grits was made with andouille sausage, which brought an amazing flavor to the dish. We found a recipe with the andouille sausage but it just didn't taste the same. We weren't sure if it was the recipe or the grits. We just couldn't get it right. 

A few weeks ago, Jeff found another shrimp and grits recipe which looked pretty good. The ingredients were basic and it had bacon instead of sausage. This Shrimp and Grits recipe was from Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; it was highlighted in Saveur Magazine.

We loved this recipe for two reasons. Not only did it taste great, but we have served it both as a main course as well as an appetizer when we recently entertained friends. We still have a little bit of difficulty with grits. We found the instant grits were easy and tasty. The next time we make it, we will attempt stone-ground grits, and will probably take the hint from the restaurant and let the grits soak overnight.

Like the cooks at Crook's Corner, the celebrated restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we recommend using stone-ground grits. They take more time to cook, but their flavor and texture are richer than instant grits. For quicker cooking, let the grits soak in water in the refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients:

1 cup white or yellow stone-ground grits
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup parmesan
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. canola oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. medium shrimp (about 30), peeled
   Freshly ground black pepper
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges
1/2 tsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until grits are tender and creamy, 30–40 minutes. (Whisk in more water for thinner grits.) Whisk in cheddar, parmesan, and 1 tbsp. butter and season with salt; cover and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Reserve cooking fat in skillet.

3. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, add shrimp to skillet and cook, turning once, until bright pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon. Lower heat to medium; add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute. Raise heat to high, add chicken broth, and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until broth reduces by half, 3 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet along with the lemon juice, remaining butter, and hot sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Divide grits between 4 bowls; top each with shrimp and its sauce. Garnish each bowl with bacon, scallions, and lemon wedges.

SERVES 4

William-Sonoma's Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

 

Friday was quesadilla and mojito night. Nothing better than a minty refreshing drink with some great finger food. Jeff found this recipe in a cookbook I purchased a while back called William-Sonoma Weekend - Food Made Fast. The recipe was called Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas. Hands down, the easiest meal to make and HEALTHY! I know many of my recipes don't give nutritional value, but look at the ingredients...fresh and basic.

Our household loves any type of Mexican food and as much as they love our chicken enchiladas, we have a new recipe to add to our list of "regulars." We made it with our Killer Guacamole and added some warmed black beans. With all the other compliments, salsa, sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, everyone continued to build their quesadillas to their liking.

The flavor was great with the moist roasted chicken, wilted fresh spinach and mushrooms. The Monterey Jack cheese was a perfect blend to these fresh ingredients. Crunchy tortillas, fresh veggies...they were delicious.

If you have had a long week (or a short one because it is only Monday!) and are looking for a quick and easy meal for dinner, pick up these ingredients and presto! Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons corn oil

6 ounces fresh button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

2 cups packed baby spinach

2 cups shredded roast chicken, homemade or purchased

8 flour tortillas, each 10 inches in diameter

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup salsa, homemade or purchased

PREPARE THE FILLING: In a large, heave fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and chicken and saute just until the spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.

ASSEMBLE THE QUESADILLAS: Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, spooning it onto half of each tortilla and leaving a 3/4-inch border uncovered. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half over the chicken mixture to enclose loosely.

COOK THE QUESADILLAS: Wipe out the fry pan with a paper towel and return to medium heat. Brush lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Working in batches, add the quesadillas to the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, carefully turn the quesadillas and cook until golden on the other side and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Divide the quesadillas among 4 plates and serve. Pass the sour cream and salsa at the table.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinaigrette

The other night, we were looking for a quick and easy salad to serve with our Herb Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce. (Recipe will follow this week.) We did a quick google search and came up with this wilted spinach salad recipe. It was offered through the What's Cooking America website.

We liked it because it had few ingredients, we were able to cook the bacon ahead of time, and the vinaigrette cook minutes to complete. Because we eat cold salads on a regular basis, we forget how good a warm salad tastes. With a little bit of red onion and chopped bacon, it was delicious. I wish the picture of the salad was better. Sometimes the kitchen lights at night are not conducive for picture taking.

If we were going to make this more of a meal, we could add chopped eggs, craisins and a few walnuts. Grilled chicken would be good, too. This recipe is a great base and you can dress it up with your favorite likes. 

Ingredients 

6 cups (5-ounces) fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chilled
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon coarse or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Remove stems and veins from spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces; place spinach in a large bowl.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, fry bacon approximately 5 minutes or until crisp; transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate, leaving fat in pan. Return frying pan to medium heat; add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened. Add balsamic vinegar; swirl to incorporate.

Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt (when properly wilted, the leaf edges soften slightly, but the spinach retains some crunch). Sprinkle bacon over spinach and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Cinco de Mayo Throwndown - Killer Guacamole VS Tequila-Lime Guacamole

 
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and what better way to celebrate than an ice cold margarita with some killer guacamole and chips. For the past few years, Jeff and I have been using this guacamole recipe at most of our gatherings. The other night we decided to have a "GuacamoleThrowdown"...Friends Food Family style.

This weekend in the Boston Globe Magazine, there was a section called Tequila and Lime. There was a guacamole recipe called Tequila-Lime Guacamole. It was a little different from our traditional recipe as it used red onions and included tequila. I mixed up a batchand we began our taste test. The guacamole was creamy with chunks and had a nice lime and cilantro flavor. I liked the crunchiness of the red onions and the jalapenos brought some nice heat.

Next was our Killer Guacamole. It comes from a margarita book I purchased from Williams-Sonoma. This recipe is made with tomatoes which gives it some additional flavor. I have always like this recipe because you taste everything from the garlic to onions and cilantro. I love serving it with black bean chips.

After the Throwndown it was decided...quite unanimously...it's the Killer Guacamole. Everyone liked both guacamole but there was a little more flavor with the "killer".

I've given you both recipes, so I'll let you decide. Also, I apologize for only one picture which is the Killer Guacamole. The tequila-Lime Guacamole picture came out extremely blurry.

Killer Guacamole Makes about 3 cups

4 ripe Haas avocados

1/2 cup of finely chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup of finely chopped white onions

2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (we use half)

1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Pepper to taste

Scoop the flesh from the avocados and place into a bowl. Mash the avocados leaving some chunks. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and lime juice. Once blended add cilantro and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips (and margaritas). Enjoy!

Tequila-Lime Guacamole Makes 2½ cups

3 ripe Haas avocados, halved

¼ cup very finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup tequila, or to taste

Salt and black pepper

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Scoop the flesh from one avocado into a medium bowl, add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, tequila, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste, and mash well with a fork. Working with the remaining avocado halves 1 at a time, use a dinner knife to make ½-inch crosshatch incisions in flesh, cutting down to but not through the skin. With a soup spoon, scoop the avocado chunks into the bowl with the avocado-onion mixture. Sprinkle the lime juice over the mixture and stir gently. Taste the guacamole and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and tequila, if desired. Serve at once.

Cioppino-Style Seafood - Shrimp and Mussels

 
Last week we had some friends for dinner. Actual term is Guinea Pig Dinner - no idea of what we are serving, hence, they become the guinea pigs for dinner. We decided we would have seafood so we went to New Bedford to get some mussels, shrimp and swordfish from Kyler's Catch Seafood and some golden yukon fingerlings at Sid Wainer & Son. Jeff had found a recipe for mussels and shrimp and we were eager to try it. What we liked about the recipe was that it had some citrus in the broth and it peaked our culinary interest. The only downside to this recipe is that we don't know where we got it. It was in a magazine under a special advertising special. I love to give credit to the author or chef.

The prep time was pretty quick once we got the shrimp peeled and deveined. The house smelled heavenly as the mixture was simmering and the final product was delicious. The shrimp and mussels were tender and nicely flavored. The broth was light and flavorful (with that little bit of lemon and orange zest and hot pepper kick!) and the bread was perfect for sopping up the remains after the shrimp and mussels were gone. 

We're looking forward to trying this again, especially as we begin to hit the warmer weather and we can sit outside enjoying this like a mini clambake.

Basic Description: Tender mussels and shrimp are cooked in a golden saffron tomato broth, which is enhanced with fresh citrus flavor.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

2 (14.5 oz) cans of Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes - undrained

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon drained capers

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound jumbo shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined

2 1/2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed well and beards removed (if attached)

1 loaf artisan Italian bread cut into slices

Heat oil in a large skillet of dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add saffron, undrained tomatoes, water, capers, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, orange juice, hot red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.

Add shrimp, return to a simmer and simmer until shrimp is just cooked through, stirring occasionally about 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp with slotted spoon to bowl and set aside. Add mussels to skillet and return liquid to simmer, cook and cover, just until mussels open wide, about 4-6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Return shrimp to the skillet.

Serve the stew in shallow soup bowls with bread on the side for dipping.

Linguica and Steamers for Two

  

I am fortunate to work with some great people. One of them is Tammi Jacobsen. We are blog partners. When I started Friends Food Family about 6 months ago, Tammi started Gracie's Bark. Starting a blog wasn't easy and it was nice to have someone working on the same blogging system as you. We have been able to work through many successes and frustrations. Tammi has talked about this recipe for a while and I bug her every time she makes it. I asked her to be a guest blogger and she was kind enough to send this recipe.

 

Read on...

 

Rob and I are always looking to spice up our cooking in different ways. The weather this weekend hasn’t exactly felt like spring time, so we were looking to cook a summer meal to keep our spirits up. We stopped at the new Fisherman’s Market in New Bedford and picked up some steamers. We decided to make a smaller version of a clam boil for dinner and it was delicious! We wanted to share this recipe with Trish and Jeff at Friends Food Family.

 

Ingredients:

 

1-½ pounds of Steamers

1 pound of spicy (hot) Linguica (slice into 1 inch sections)

1-2 tablespoons of butter

2 -3 cups of water (depending on size of steamers)

 

Spices:

 

Weber Grill Creations Zesty Lemon Seasoning (sprinkle to your desire)

Paprika (about 1 tablespoon)

Minced Garlic (about 1 tablespoon)

Crushed Red Pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil; add Linguica, butter and spices. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes, and then add the steamers. Once steamers have been added, you may need to add the 3^rd cup of water. You want to be able to boil the steamers, but not have them all completely submerged in the water.  Boil until steamers shells open up (about 10-15 minutes).  Turn off heat and let the pot sit for about 5 minutes with the cover on to absorb all the flavors.

It was an easy tasty dish that reminded us of summer. We really enjoyed it.

Tammi & Rob

 

Thanks, Tammi and Rob. We are looking forward to making this ourselves!

 

Also, look for their new blog, EyePictured showcasing Rob's photography.

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Mini Golden Yukon Potatoes with Dill

These are probably the best potatoes we have had in a long time.

We were at Sid Wainer & Sons in New Bedford and came across mini golden Yukon potatoes. They were about the size of grape tomatoes. We bought two pounds and figured we could find a new recipe to use them in. As we looked for recipes to jazz up these potatoes, we realized that maybe just a pan saute would be fine. We boiled the potatoes first and then I threw them into the frying pan with a little butter. We had some fresh dill from the weekend before and figured we'd add it to the dish.

They were great. Browning them in the frying pan gave them a crunchy skin and soft centers. The dill was perfect and didn't overpower the potatoes. We enjoyed our potatoes with a porter house steak. Nothing better than steak and potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of mini golden Yukon potatoes

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoon of fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Place potatoes in a pot of water (generously salted) and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes.

2. Remove from pan and cool slightly.

3. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and melt the butter, place potatoes and dill in the pan and saute until sides of the potatoes are slightly golden brown (approximately 10 minutes).

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

La Cucina Italiana's Sausage Risotto with Cranberry Beans

 

Risotto is a staple at our house. Similar to having pasta, we eat risotto almost once a week. We found this recipe in La Cucina Italiana. We love this magazine so much we won't cut out any recipes, we keep the entire booklet intact. The recipes are authentic Italian, real comfort food. 

Many people feel risotto is difficult to make, but once you get the technique down, it is easy.

Here are a few quick tips when making risotto:

- heat the stock and keeping it at a slow simmer

- keep the heat of the pan consistent, as much as it says to keep on medium heat, once you add the rice, we cook our risotto on medium low

- risotto cooks slowly, don't rush the process

We liked this Sausage Risotto with Cranberry Beans because it had beans in it. Most risottos have meats and/or vegetables but very rarely beans. It was a perfect dish, the chunky pieces of sausage brought a nice balance to the beans and rice. Try making a risotto recipe, you'll realize your time is worth the end result.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1¼ cups arborio rice
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 6 ounces canned cranberry beans, drained and rinsed (or small red pinto beans)
• 4 cups vegetable stock, boiling  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup freshly grated paramigiano-reggiano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sausage, and sauté until the onion is translucent and the sausage is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the rice, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze with the wine, and stir well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cranberry beans and ½ cup stock, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Continue adding stock in ½-cup increments, stirring frequently, until the rice is fully cooked but still al dente, about 15 minutes. (You may not have to use all of the stock.)

Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and grated Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Easy and Delicious - Asparagus and Proscuitto

 
There is nothing better than asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. It's one of the best and easiest appetizers you can serve to a group of people. For me, it's like candy. When the prosciutto is grilled, it caramelizes and gives you that sweet taste. Combine that flavor with the asparagus and it is to die for. We have served this on numerous occasions and it always seems to be a favorite.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, remove lower 1/4 of asparagus stem

1/2 pound of imported prosciutto, thinly sliced

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Preparation:

After removing the lower stems, place the asparagus in a bowl. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap 1 slice of  prosciutto around each asparagus spear. Place on grill over medium heat. Turn until all sides of the prosciutto are golden. About 5-7 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.

It doesn't get any easier than this!

Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart

 

Another great appetizer to add to your list. We made this cornmeal-crusted roasted ratatouille tart from our Appetizers booklet by Fine Cooking on Saturday night. This booklet has become our new favorite. Four recipes which we marked as keepers and there were many others we would have liked to have tried.

This tart was very different tasting. It had a great cornmeal crust which balanced the freshly roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. The layers of mozzarella cheese and chopped basil pulled everything together. It was an appetizer which you might serve in late summer after you picked your vegetables fresh from the garden...absolutely amazing. The tart slices disappeared as quickly as we put them on the plate.

 Crust:

• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup whole-grain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons water

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced eggplant rounds (about 1/3 medium eggplant)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (about 8 ounces)
• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine cornmeal, pastry flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse about 20 times, until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add water and pulse until mixture forms a loose dough. Remove dough from processor and press into bottom and about 1/8-inch up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable rim. Press aluminum foil into the bottom and sides of the pan on top of the dough and weigh down with uncooked rice or pie weights. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove rice and foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer shiny and wet. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the filling: Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat; saute shallots until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices on the trays in a single layer and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast the vegetables until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from oven and cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the eggplant slices in 2 layers on the bottom of tart; cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and some of the shredded basil. Add the zucchini and shallots, top with another 1/3 of the mozzarella and basil, then the tomatoes. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables have further wilted. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm.

Creamy White Bean and Herb Dip

 
This is another one of the appetizers we served on Saturday night. The recipe came from Appetizers, a magazine published by Fine Cooking. I will be referring back to this booklet because three of our appetizers were from it. We served the Creamy White Bean and Herb Dip with stone ground crackers and toasted slices of a sour dough baguette. The crowd loved it and the recipe has been marked as a keeper. I love when a recipe is easy to make and delicious to eat.

Ingredients:

2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 anchovy fillet, rinsed and patted dry (optional) (I'm not an anchovy fan, but we added one)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
1 Tbs. chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
Crudités, crusty sourdough bread, or crackers, for serving

Preparation:

Put the beans, cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, anchovy (if using), 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Transfer the spread to a large bowl and fold in 2 Tbs. of the chives and the marjoram. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spread to a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. chives, and serve with crudités, bread, or crackers.

Note: I was eating some of the extra dip with the stone wheat crackers and drizzled some gourmet olive oil on it...incredible!

Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

 
Last night my cousins and sister, along with their spouses, came to our house for an evening of food and fun. We had gotten together during the summer and had promised to set another date during the year. Jeff and I had found some new recipes and what better an audience to try them on. We had a little bit of everything, cheeses, dips and breads, a vegetable tart, fish cakes, risotto and ended with Texas sheet cake.

As food was coming out of the oven or off the grill, they had a chance to taste a wide variety of dishes. Hands down, the top two choices were Carrot Top and Toasted Walnut Pesto and Saveur's Fish Cakes. They found the pesto delicious since it wasn't the traditional basil pesto. They liked the garlic and red pepper flake bite. The fish cakes were also a hit because they were light and the cod was fresh (that morning we went to Kyler's Seafood in New Bedford). They liked the taste of the fish cakes without it being fishy tasting.

Everyone then began to have individual favorites. Over the next week, we will be featuring all the food we served. We'd like to start with Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce because we have served this appetizer to rave reviews over the past year. They do take some time to prepare but the results are worth it. The shrimp is cooked on the grill and it always tastes moist and flavorful with some garlic and ginger heat. The tomato dipping sauce is a wonderful compliment. I can't remember what disappears first the shrimp or the sauce. Hold on to this recipe for your next outdoor event, your guests will love you.

Note: I apologize for not being able to show the sauce, trying to take pictures during a party can be a challenge! Enjoy!

Ingredients

SHRIMP

1. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
3. 2 tablespoons minced garlic
4. 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
5. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
6. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9. 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

DIPPING SAUCE

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3. 1 large garlic clove, minced
4. 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner bulb only, minced
5. 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
6. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
7. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8. Kosher salt

Directions

1. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil with the parsley, garlic, basil, ginger, lemon juice, salt and crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Stir in the ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt. Transfer the sauce to ramekins.
3. Light a grill. Loosely thread the shrimp onto 10 skewers. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to plates and serve with the tomato sauce.

 

Me, cousin Andria, cousin Sue, cousin Jane, cousin Terri, sister Karen.

Yellow Cherry Tomato Spread

  
This weekend my cousins are coming for an evening of wine, assorted appetizers and desserts. Jeff and I spent time this past week cooking up with some dips and sauces to serve with bread or crackers. I had bought two pints of yellow cherry tomatoes and figured I'd make a quick tomato sauce. The result was a yellow cherry tomato spread. 

Looking at its color, we couldn't imagine it on pasta, so we started spreading it on baguette slices. The results were fantastic. The sweetness of tomatoes with the bite of red pepper flakes. We ate it both heated and cold, the flavors were wonderful at both temperatures. When you use all fresh ingredients the flavor is incredible! 

The one thing I wish we had tried was placing a thin slice of fresh mozzarella on the top of the spread. Well, we still have time, we are serving it on Saturday night. I'll report the results.

Ingredients:

2 pint size containers of yellow cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half

1/3 cup of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 chopped onion (about 1/2 cup)

16 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 french baguette, cut into 1 inch slices

Preparation:

1. Heat saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil.

2. Once oil is heated, add the onions and garlic.

3. Cook about 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft.

4. Add the tomatoes, basil and red pepper flakes.

5. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce becomes watery, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

6. Place on baguette slices and serve with a small sprig of basil.

Option: If you would like, lightly toast the baguette slices.
 

Carrot Top and Toasted Walnut Pesto

 
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of stopping by the Winter Farmer's Market located at Attleboro Farms in North Attleboro, MA. This was a great place to visit on a cold Sunday. There were numerous booths filled with farmers and artisan food producers. (North Attleborough Winter Farmer's Market)

As we were purchasing some organic raviolis from NorthStar Farms, they were also selling bunches of organic baby carrots. With the baby carrots was a recipe for Carrot Top Pesto. It seemed interesting and it reminded me of some of the parsley pesto recipes we have made before.

What I loved the most about this recipe is we got to use everything we bought...carrots and greens. The pesto was a little different since you do have to cook the carrot greens and onions first. After finally getting all ingredients in the food processor and giving it a few pulses, we had a great appetizer for crackers and bread. It had a wonderfully nutty taste with a warm bite. My younger son, who can be picky about what he eats, kept dipping crackers and enjoying the mix.

I'm hoping to have a little left at the end of the week because I will be making a vegetable risotto and it might benefit from a few tablespoons of carrot top pesto.

Ingredients:

1 bunch carrot greens (organic, washed, and loosely chopped)
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil (we found we only used about 3/4 cup, total)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and loosely chopped carrot greens. Heat the greens and onions just until wilted (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool for a few moments.

In a blender, add the garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, walnuts, parsley, cheese, carrot greens mixture and half of the left over olive oil. Puree in pulses. Add the rest of the olive oil as needed to make a loose paste. Taste and adjust seasonings and oil.

Serve over prepared pasta, as a garnish for soups, or as a sandwich spread.
Keep in container in refrigerator for several days, or freeze for several weeks.
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Saveur's Fish Cakes

 
We have always been fans of cooking magazines. If we aren't looking at a new cookbook, we are purchasing Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Fine Cooking, Gourmet and one of our new favorites Saveur. Jeff came across a recipe for Fish Cakes in Saveur magazine and thought this could be a great appetizer for our next gathering.

Having recently received a tip on a fresh seafood market in New Bedford, Jeff headed to Kyler Seafood and returned with tuna, swordfish and cod. It was the freshest seafood we had purchased in a while. Over the next few hours we proceeded to cook and enjoy our seafood creations. After everything was cooked and eaten, the results were in...the Fish Cakes were incredible. They were light and fluffy. The softness of the potatoes and chunkiness of the cod, pulled together with fresh dill allowed all the flavors to come through. Eating the Fish Cakes on one of the coldest night's this year made me long for summer and a chair by the pool!

It's definitely a New England classic and we look forward to adding this to our growing list of great appetizers.

Ingredients

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 russet potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled and cut into 1⁄4" cubes
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. boneless skinless cod filets
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄2 cup dried bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer celery–onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Put potatoes into a 4-qt. saucepan and cover with salted water by 1". Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; transfer half the potatoes to a plate. Set aside to let cool. Transfer remaining potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork. Transfer mashed potatoes to reserved bowl of onion mixture; set aside to let cool.

3. Season cod with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cod and cook, turning once with a metal spatula, until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer cod to a plate and let cool. Break cod into 1" chunks and set aside.

4. Add bread crumbs, mayonnaise, herbs, egg yolk, and lemon juice to the potato–onion mixture and stir vigorously to combine. Add the reserved cubed potatoes and the cod and mix gently to combine. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form into 3"-wide cakes (use a 3" ring mold if you have one). Transfer cakes to a wax paper–lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm.

Working in 2 batches, heat 1 tbsp. oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add cod cakes and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer cakes to a serving platter; serve with chowchow, if you like.

SERVES 4 (or 8 if an appetizer)

Royal Caribbean's Eggplant Roulades

Melanzane Ripieni Di Ricotta E Spinaci Alla Parmigiana...can you say that three times fast? It could be called really good eggplant rolls stuffed with ricotta and spinach and covered in a fresh marinara sauce, but it doesn't sound as interesting.

Last week, we had the opportunity to host my office after-Christmas Party. Trying to figure out what we would make, we pulled out a cookbook called Savor, The Royal Caribbean International Cookbook. Jeff's daughter had given him the cookbook after she had been on their cruise. It was a highlight of all the food served on the Royal Caribbean.

We had made the recipe about 6 months before and figured it would be a nice choice since we had meat lovers as well as vegetarians. So, I'll begin by saying, this is not an easy recipe. It is done in phases and probably took us about 2 hours to get all the pieces of the dish together. Though it takes time, it is TOTALLY worth it. The eggplant adds a wonderfully, soft texture to the ricotta and spinach filling. The fresh marinara sauce and herbed oil finished the dish. It is a perfect blend of vegetables and cheese. When the vegetables are fresh from the garden, it's even better. It was the hit of the evening and my co-workers have been waiting for me to post the recipe.

So, here it is Tammi and Melinda...enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

White Sauce

2 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of flour

1 cup of milk

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

For white sauce, in a small stockpot, melt butter over medium heat; gradually add flour a spoonful at a time to create a roux. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and stir consistently to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper.

Filling

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 pound baby spinach, wilted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small saute pan over medium heat, saute onions for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add ricotta, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Combine with white sauce and Parmesan cheese.

In a saute pan over medium heat, place spinach and pan-fry for 5 minutes. Season and squeeze all water out of them. Add to ricotta mixture. Mix well and let cool.

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon of chopped basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For marinara, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and saute onion and garlic for 4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Melanzane

2 medium size eggplants, skinned and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup of flour

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese

Toss eggplant slices in flour. Shake well to remove excess flour. In a frying pan over high heat, warm oil and fry eggplants, 1 minute on each side, Set aside on a plate with a layer of absorbent paper.

On a slightly greased sheet pan, lay eggplant slices and fill with ricotta mixture. Roll and top with some marinara sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 10 minutes.

Herbed Oil

1/4 bunch of fresh basil

1/4 bunch of parsley

1/4 bunch of chives

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

To prepare herbed oil, blanch herbs in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and refresh in iced water. Pat dry with paper and transfer to a blender. Add oil and puree until smooth. Using a fine sieve or cheesecloth, strain into a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

To serve, place a couple spoonfuls of marinara in the center of each warmed plate. Top with 2 eggplant rolls and garnish with parmesan shavings. Finish with herbed oil drizzles.

NOTE: I listed the ingredients in the easiest order for making this dish. We didn't have fresh tomatoes (which are hard to find in January), we used a large can of diced tomatoes. In the summer, we make it with eggplant, tomatoes and herbs from our garden. When we fried the eggplant, we used more olive oil than suggested (we used 2 tablespoons of oil every time we sauteed a new pan of eggplant) and we cooked the eggplant 2-3 minutes on each side. We placed them between absorbent paper towels and then used a second round of towels to absorb the olive oil.