Linguine Limone Parmeggiano

Thanks to this site for photo

Summer is pretty much over, though I'm still waiting for the Indian summer to begin, since you know it will.  I did collect some new cookbooks over the summer.  I spent much of the summer cooking from websites. And I will try to make a better effort to blog the yummy stuff I try. Photos, however, those  I will not promise to include.  One of the books I bought was "my father's daughter" - Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook. The book was highlighted in an article I read in Self. I tried this recipe for her dad's pancakes.  I totally recommend this recipe as well. Awesome pancakes, and I like the idea of making the batter the night before.

The recipe I tried tonight was for her spaghetti limone parmeggiano.  I used linguine noodles tonight, thus the name of the entry.   Ready in 15 minutes, it is so yummy!  Here's the recipe:

1lb pasta noodles
1 lemon
1 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 T olive oil
3-5 T pasta water
A handful of basil leaves

Instructions:
While you bring the water to a boil and you cook the pasta, make the sauce.

Use a bowl large enough to hold a pound of cooked pasta and mix it with the sauce. Zest the whole lemon into the bowl (I roll my lemons before I zest and juice them, not sure if it really helps, but it always makes for yummy lemon flavor.) Cut the lemon in half and juice each half. Paltrow recommends using the hand grater used to grate the zest as the strainer when juicing the lemon to save on dirty dishes. I gave it a try, it worked great.

Add cheese, pepper and olive oil to bowl. Tear the basil leaves (I used about 15 nice sized leaves) and stir into the sauce.  Once the pasta is cooked, I added 1/4 c pasta water to the sauce and stirred it in.

Drain pasta and add to bowl, and mix with sauce.  Serve right away.

Delish!

Braided Spaghetti Bread

* 1 loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
* 6 oz spaghetti, cooked
* 1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
* 1/2 pound brown ground beef or 1/2 pound cooked Italian Sausage
* 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 1 egg white
* shredded Parmesan cheese
*Parsley flakes

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray or sprinkle counter with flour. Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16 inch rectangle. Carefully place onto greased baking sheet. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it rest. Cook spaghetti according to package. Drain and let cool slightly. Mix spaghetti sauce and ground beef with the spaghetti. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti mixture lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough. Add cubed mozzarella cheese on top of mixture. Make cuts 1 1/2 inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. You can also add garlic powder. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

[Cook Challenge: Fruits of Your Labors] Skillet Chicken Parmigiana + Corn on the Cob

Fruits of my labor...dish #1.
I am still in awe that this husky, golden gem came out of my very own garden.  I totally geared up for failure with my single, humble row of corn; especially after I found you really need to plant corn in at least 3x3 grids.  But I am very proud to say, we have harvested our corn!

I paired our corn with this family favorite recipe: Skillet Chicken Parmigiana.  Mmmmm.  A splendid dinner indeed.

Margherita Pizza

Phillip and I recently returned from New York. We ate the most delicious pizza at Lombardi's in Little Italy. When I was flipping through my Food Nanny recipe book (I bought it at Swiss Days last year and LOVE it!), I noticed this recipe and thought it was very similar to what we had in NYC. I made it for my family and we gobbled it up fast. It was delicious. I also used her Basic Pizza Crust recipe and did half flour half wheat and it had such a good honey wheat flavor. The only thing it was missing was the wood burning oven taste. So simple, so fresh, and pretty fast. Once my tomatoes and basil start growing this summer, I know I'll be making this a lot.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of very ripe Roma or Hot House tomatoes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. olive oil

8 oz Mozzerella Cheese thinly sliced

2 T. freshly grated imported Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 pinch of course salt and ground black pepper

14 count small basil leaves torn into pieces (I like to stack, roll, and cut)

Directions:

Oil the pizza pan(s) and set aside. Prepare the pizza dough, roll it out, and place it in the prepared pan(s). Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Dice the tomatoes (I like them pealed), discard the seeds, and combine with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 c oil in a bowl. Spread over the crust. Bake for 15-20 on the lowest oven rack. Remove pizza from oven and arrange the mozzerella and Parmesean. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with additional olive oil. Return to oven until bubbly, 5-10 minutes. Top with basil and serve immediately.

For the Basic Pizza Dough recipe, go to the Food Nanny Blog.

Lasanga Rolls-Ups with Asparagus and Broiled Tomatoes

As given, this is a vegetarian recipe - I added sausage when I made it though. This is also a great recipe if people are coming to dinner who avoid dairy. Usually cottage cheese is OK for sensitive stomachs, and in this recipe, the main cheese is a sauce you pour on top, so they don't have to pour the cheese atop.

Ingredients
Salt and pepper
Lasagna noodles
Asparagus
1 lemon
2 T olive oil
16 mushrooms, chopped (I used fresh)
1 lb ground sausage (Italian or breakfast depending on taste preference)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 4)
4 tomatoes
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry (I used fresh spinach which I chopped into thin strips)
1/4 t nutmeg
2 c ricotta cheese (I don't like ricotta, I use cottage cheese)
1/2 heavy cream
8 oz gorgonzola cheese

Instructions
In a big pot, cook the noodles. Set a colander or steaming pot on the top that you can use to cook the asparagus with the steam. The asparagus will be served at room temp, so don't worry about cooking it so early. Squeeze the lemon over the asparagus and set aside. (I did cover it to keep a little heat in.) Drain the noodles and set aside. It was a lot easier to roll with dryer noodles.

Place an oven rack in the top spot. Preheat oven to broil.

For the stuffing, brown the sausage and set aside. Then add olive oil to a pan to cook the garlic, onions and mushrooms and first until onions and mushrooms are cook (5-10 minute). Add spinach and cook for one minute. Add salt and pepper and the nutmeg. Add the ricotta cheese and remove from heat. (I remove from heat after adding nutmeg and in a bowl mix the veggies, sausage and cottage cheese.)

Start the sauce now. Heat the chicken broth and cream to a boil. Add Gorgonzola cheese, melt cheese and return mix to a boil. Once comes to a boil reduce heat to low.

Wash tomatoes and slice in half. Set in baking dish (I used a pie dish). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in oven under broiler and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven.

Set noodle on counter
Set mixture onto the noodle (not a lot)


Roll noodle


And set the finished rolls on a plate.

You can pour the cheese sauce over all the roll-ups or I put the sauce in a gravy boat and each person poured the amount they wanted on their roll up. Serve with the asparagus and broiled tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Rachel Ray's Lazy Sister Ria's Chicken

So I've been cooking a lot again, so posting has been delayed. I've moved on to a Rachel Ray cook book I received for Christmas a few years ago. These are NOT thirty minute recipe (they are not even labeled as such.)

We all really liked this. I had been gone most of the week and didn't go shopping. I needed to make something for Sunday dinner and this recipe was made up of things I had in the house. I will, as usual, put the changes I made in italics.

My Sister Ria's Lazy Chicken,
or My Lazy Sister Ria's Chicken

Ingredients:
1&1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets - thinly sliced or pounded breast meat (I used 2 chicken breasts, I thinly sliced the chicken into pieces.)

Balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
2 medium white potatoes, thinly sliced (I used russet because it is what we had in the house. I used 4, I did not skin them, only washed them and sliced them.)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (I used 1/2 of a large red onion, because that is what I had.)Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste (I used quite a bit)
1/2 c white wine or chicken broth (I ended up using chicken broth and 2 cups - a whole can)
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced (I didn't have a zucchini)
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
10 leaves fresh basil (I used more like 20 leaves)
2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 to 2/3 c shredded Italian-type cheese (I used mozzarella)

Instructions
Coat the chicken with balsamic vinegar. Heat 1 T olive oil in a deep skillet (you'll use the same pan for all the preparations.)
Brown the chicken for two minutes on each side. I cooked it longer, I cooked it until the chicken was fully cooked.
Remove chicken from pan.

Add 1T olive oil to pan and lay potatoes and onions in the pan. Sprinkle the veggies with the steak seasoning and pour about half of the broth over the veggies. Cook until veggies are soft, but not fully cooked. Add the chicken and pour the tomatoes on top. And finally sprinkle the basil and oregano atop. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are fully cooked.

Sprinkle with cheese. The recipe says to set the pan under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese. I just put the lid back on the pan and set it on the table. It was melted be the time we sat down to eat.

Yum, yum!


Enjoy!

Chicken and Potatoes Italiano by The Food Nanny

Dinner #2:  Chicken and Potatoes Italiano

Time: Long

Price: $$$$ (I found my drumsticks on sale for less than .50 cents each!)

Servings: however many pieces of chicken you use!

My thoughts: A delightful comfort food.  I've never cooked with drumsticks before, so I was pretty nervous I was going to mess things up.  But to my advantage, I didn't.  Again my dinner turned out! Round of applause for me!  This recipe was soooo easy.  And super simple.  I stuck this in the oven before I left to take my daughter to dance, and when I returned it was nearly done.  We paired this entree with Green Bean Casserole*, a family favorite).

What I loved: Using fresh rosemary - and realizing just how much that little amount of Rosemary really does flavor it!

ingredients

6 medium russet potatoes (2 pounds) peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

6 chicken drumsticks

6 chicken thighs (I omitted these, and just did drumsticks)

1 freshly ground black pepper

2 medium white onions, thickly sliced

2 T fresh Rosemary leaves or 2 teaspoons dried coarse salt

directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Place potato and onion pieces in a sheet pan or other large baking pan, drizzle olive oil over them, saving 2T for chicken.  Remove the skin from the chicken pieces if desired.  Rub the remaining 2 T of olive oil over the chicken and place in the pan between the potatoes and onions.  Sprinkle the rosemary on the chicken.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper generously over all.  Bake for 30mins.  Turn the potatoes and onions and continue baking until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 25 mins more.

*Green Bean Casserole
ingredients
2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Frech's French Dried Onions
1/3 cup milk

directions
Mix all ingredients, except for half of the dried onions, in a 9x13 pan.  Top with remaining half of dried onions.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

grown up grilled cheese/ ariel's favorite panini.

lately at my house we've been obsessed with using the george foreman grill. i always forget about my small appliances, and i'm glad i dug this one up from the depths of my cupboards! one of my favorite things to make on the geo.fo. is paninis. i've done a whole lot of experimenting and this is by far my favorite combination:

sourdough bread
pesto
mozzarella cheese
brianna's blush wine vinaigrette

i like to use bread from an unsliced loaf so i can cut it as thinly as i like. lightly butter the bread on the outsides, pesto & shredded mozzarella on one side, 1-2 tsp vinaigrette spooned over the other side, a couple of minutes on the geo.fo. and voila! best panini ever! you seriously need to try it.

{i'm not putting this in the "live longer lunch" category unless you feel like the sides make it a super healthy meal...}

The Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

I didn't follow my own advice on this one. I know that her recipes feed an army, and yet I still didn't half this one. I think because it calls for the same amount of noodles as my family's recipe, I figured it would make the same amount too.

Um, this is the lasagna before I put it in the oven.
Yah, it kind of makes a lot.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
Salt
Pepper
10 oz Lasagna noodles (8 noodles)
1 lb mozzarella cheese, Shredded (I use fresh mozzarella, slice it and lay it atop when needed)
1 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 1 lb)
1 lb hot ground sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 - 14.5 oz cans whole tomatoes
2 - 6 oz cans tomato paste
12 (or more) basil leaves, chopped (I used more, I really like basil)
1/4 c Italian leaf parsley, chopped
3 c cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions:

1 Boil the noodles. Once they are done, drain water, and lay the noodles out on tin foil (don't ask why, but it worked and they didn't stick...)

2 Brown the meat in the olive oil. (I browned the beef and then the sausage, I think that is way too much meat for one pan, so I did it separately. After all meat is cooked and is drained of excess fat, put back into the pan, add the tomatoes with their juice. (I cut the tomatoes in the can with kitchen scissors so that the tomatoes aren't whole, but not small chunks). Also add the tomato paste, 1/2 t salt, and freshly ground pepper to the pan. Simmer for 45 minutes - stirring occasionally.

3 Chop the basil and the parsley. Add half of the herbs to the meat mixture after is has simmered for 45 minutes.

4 In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan, and the other half of the herbs.

5 Assemble the lasagna. Lay four noodles on the bottom of your dish. Spoon half of the white sauce on top of the noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated, or lay freshly sliced, mozzarella on the white sauce, and top with half of the meat mix.


6 Repeat - the other four noodles, the rest of the white sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, the rest of the meat sauce. Now sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and the rest of the mozzarella.

7 Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. I put a cookie sheet under my casserole dish to catch the dripping.

8 I recommend letting it sit 10-20 minutes before serving. We served it hot, you can see on the plate shot below, it was a a little runny.


The little guy at his all up, so I'd say it was a hit.

Enjoy!

Italian Tortellini Soup

I've posted a Tortellini recipe in the past - but it was more of a stew, quite a bit thicker, while this one is definitely a savory soup.  This one may trump all however.  I'm in LOVE with this soup.  Pretty sure I ate it for a week straight after I made it; not only because it makes a lot, but I really loved it!  Perfect for our cold winter days ahead.  I challenge you to cook up a savory pot of this yumminess . . .

Also, this soup would be fabulous with this Macaroni Grill bread.

(Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!)

ingredients
1 lb hamburger
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 onion
salt and pepper
3  14.5 oz cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1  8 oz can tomato sauce
1  6 oz can tomato paste
8 C water
8 t beef bullion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 C carrots, chopped
1 C fresh or frozen green beans, chopped
1 can kidney beans
1 C zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper
1 pk. Good Seasoning Italian Dressing mix
1 can tomato soup
1 20 oz pkg Cheese Tortellini (I used the refrigerated kind, but you can easily use dried. Costco has a good deal on refrigerated kind for $10)

instructions
1. Brown your hamburger in a large skillet with the onion, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.


2. Put the canned tomatoes in a blender and blend them up nice and lovely like. Just for 30 seconds or so.

3. Put the meat mixture, blended tomatoes and all other ingredients BUT THE TORTELLINI and TOMATO SOUP into a large soup pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes. I like to leave the lid partially on. Less to clean up, and it keeps the heat some what trapped.

4. In a separate medium sized sauce pan cook the tortellini according to package directions. Be sure not to over cook it. When it's done drain the water from the tortellini and add it to the large soup pot.

5. Stir in the tomato soup and let it simmer for just 5 more minutes.
 
Yields: 12 servings (lots of leftovers!  Have some people over for dinner, or freeze half)

Tomato-Pesto Pasta Salad

This recipe is so easy, it's almost embarrassing, but easy and fast is the best way to go when it comes to cooking for me.



Ingredients:

• 1 packet pesto mix {you could easily substitute for fresh pesto sauce or from a jar}

• 1 package noodles {I used half a box of whole wheat rotini and half a box of bow-tie}

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh basil
• 1 TBS white vinegar

How To:

• Prepare your pesto according to directions {I used McCormack's brand and I believe it called for water and olive oil}
• Boil noodles according to instructions
• Once noodles are cooked, let them chill in the fridge for a little while
• Slice cherry tomatoes in half
• Put noodles in serving dish and add your tomatoes, basil and cheese {for this salad to taste good you really need fresh basil and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, I wouldn't substitute}
• Pour your pesto sauce over the salad along with your vinegar and stir together
• Let it chill in the fridge until serving, it is best served as a cold salad

Now wasn't that easy! You could also add chicken to the salad, or basically anything you want, but this was how I made mine, and it was pretty tasty!

Tortellini Soup

Thank you Katie Rammell for this wonderful recipe in our cookbook.  This soup is one of my favorites!  Plus I just LOVE tortellini.

ingredients

1 lb ground italian sausage

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cups beef broth

1/2 cup water

2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 14oz can diced tomatoes)

3 large carrots, sliced

1 T oregano

1 3/4 c tomato paste

1 t parsley

1 bay leaf

1-2 zucchini, sliced

1 10-oz pkg. tortellini (I buy the frozen kind, with cheese inside!)

instructions
Brown sausage and drain.  Saute onion and garlic.  Add everything but zucchini and tortellini.  Simmer for a couple hours.  Add zucchini and tortellini 45 mins before serving.

mizithra cheese pasta

This is one of my favorite meals from The Old Spaghetti Factory, delicious. So I decided I should try and make it myself, and it was crazy easy.

Ingredients:

spaghetti
mizithra cheese (found in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store)
butter
basil
salt and pepper

That's all! You cook the pasta, melt the butter in your frying pan, drain the pasta and put it in the frying pan. Then coat the pasta in the hot butter, put on a plate and put the shredded cheese right on top. Shred the cheese using the finer shredder. Sprinkle basil salt and pepper on top. Easy peasy.

I know I didn't put any measurements on the ingredients because I really just do it to taste. Just make sure you use plenty of butter (what's better than hot butter?), that's the key. Oh and plenty of cheese. Enjoy!

Carrot Calzone [Cook Challenge: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking]

While living in Uruguay, I learned to make a lot of different tucos, or sauces. Regardless of the pasta the tuco was to be served on top of, it always contained shredded carrots. I was told they used the carrots to absorb the oils and greases from the meats. Regardless of the reason, they are yummy sauces.

While in DC, another dish my cousin taught me was her favorite dish that her mother-in-law prepares. It isn't actually a calzone, but it is a bit like one. And, the main ingredient is carrots. So of course I had to learn. Yum!

Ingredients: (this is enough for one calzone, I made two tonight, thus the pictures with two)
4 large carrots, sliced
Garlic, about 1 head - more if you prefer, cut not mashed
Peppers, optional (I use a couple sweet peppers)
Tomatoes, optional (I've done it both ways)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese (I get those yummy Belgioioso "logs" from Costco)
Pecorino Romano cheese (a fresh block, not powdered in the green can)
2 Hard boiled eggs
Olive Oil
Dough, bread or pizza - I use homemade, the frozen Rhodes bread loaves work too
Cornmeal

Instructions:
1. Slice the carrots.

I'm a KitchenAid girl. And I like my attachments. Yes, I LOVE my food processor, but sometimes this is an easier clean up. I used my slicer attachment, much easier then slicing that many carrots.



2. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a pan. Saute/cook the carrots, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes. I supplement with water if the vegetables get too dry or stick. Cook until the carrots are soft, not mushy - about half an hour. Hard boil the eggs while everything else is cooking.

3. I prepare the dough prior to cooking. I start to prepare the carrot mix after I do the last punch down of the dough prior to rising for the last time. With the carrots done, I roll out the dough. I put cornmeal on a cookie sheet (I also use silpat) - lay the dough on the cookie sheet. (You want to prepare the calzone on the cookie sheet, it's hard to transfer after prepared.)

4. Spread the carrot mix in the center of the dough. Be sure to spread all the way to the end (no one like the end cinnamon rolls if they don't have the sugar and cinnamon, same with this - the end bite should have something to bite.) Pat the mix down. Top with mozzarella cheese slices (I like mine really cheesy so use about 1/2 lb or half a "log" per calzone)and grate some Parmesan atop. Slice the eggs (2 eggs per calzone) atop the cheese. I know - carrots, cheese and eggs? It really is good.


5. Fold the dough over the concoction. Seal tightly. Spread some olive oil on top and sprinkle some more cornmeal. Then cut some slits in the top of the dough. It doesn't need to rise, just place it right in the oven.


6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. (20 minutes for 1, 25 for 2)

As you can see, I didn't seal the left one well enough, it opened in the oven.

One calzone will serve 3-4 adults - they aren't very dense.

Enjoy.

Mini Calzones

This is a quick and easy meal and a staple around our house. The best part about it is that you can change it to your liking.

ingredients:
8-10 Rhodes rolls (about 2 per person)
pepperoni
mozzarella cheese
olives
mushrooms
1-2 egg whites

or...
Canadian bacon
pineapple

...etc.

directions:
unthaw rolls they don't need to raise, and flatten out into circles. In a bowl mix cheese, pepperoni, sliced olives, and mushrooms, or other optional ingredients, with the egg whites. This will help it took stick together and cook better. Place large spoonfuls onto each dough circle. Then fold in half and pinch the ends together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown. Use pizza sauce or ranch for dipping. Enjoy! :)

Yummy Sweet Peppers, Garlic, Onion and Olive Oil [Cook Challenge: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking]

Sorry, I don't actually know the actual name for this dish. So I called it what it is. Four ingredients, that's it. I recently visited my cousin's family in the DC area. Her husband is a born and bred Italian. So she's picked up the yummiest recipes over the years when she visits his family in Italy. Our challenge was to cook from scratch. I'll admit, it's an easy one for me because that's really all I do. But here's what I've been making for my lunches since I returned from vacation. (Leftovers store well.)

A while back Gina posted the Catenzaro Italian Spaghetti & Sausage recipe. In her words, "don't be surprised by how easy the recipe is, and how few ingredients there are." The same goes here folks. Really, everything I've learned from my cousin's mother-in-law, via my cousin, has only a couple ingredients and it is SO good and flavorful. So here's how you make this one.

Ingredients:
One bag of mini sweet peppers from Costco (of course you can get them anywhere)
One onion (I've used regular yellow or white or sweet Walla Walla - they all work)
3 bulbs Garlic (that's the full bulb, not a little clove - but put in what you are comfortable with)
Olive Oil

Instructions:
I slice the onion first, do the painful thing and get any possible tears out of the way first. Slice, don't chop. Place in the pan.

(I figure you don't need an image of a sliced onion...)

I clean off the garlic skins, cut off the ends and then cut each bulb in half (the really big ones in three maybe.) But you want big pieces of garlic. This isn't really the seasoning, it's part of the dish. You'll cook it so long, the garlic chunks will be soft and sweet - SO good. This one you do chop so to say. Add to the pan.

Big chunks of garlic

Cut of the tops and bottoms of the peppers, slice 'em in half and clean out the guts (you know, the seeds and the white stuff) and slice the long way (top to bottom). They are mini peppers so you won't have terribly long slices, but again, slice, don't chop. Add to pan.

Lots of peppers
Get a good mix of yellow, orange and red

Now I eyeball the olive oil. This isn't Rachel Ray adding a couple swigs of EVOO to the pan. You need to coat the veggies. I add enough to make the veggies shine. (To quote Cristian, my cousin's hubbie, "the best part is the sauce.") I'd say the more sauce the better but this is oil, so you don't want pools on the bottom of the pan. Remember as the veggies cook down, they do add some of their own juices to the sauce.

Hopefully you can kind of see the glistening of the olive oil coated veggies

I simmer in the covered pan (don't want to lose any liquids... sauce...) at medium heat for about 20 minutes, and then I allow it to cook, still covered, at low heat for at least 40 minutes. At first, you'll really smell the garlic and the onion, but about 40 minutes in, the sweet smell starts to really come out. Cook for about an hour in all or longer if you want, stirring or tossing the veggies every ten minutes or so.

I added extra sauce to this plate, just so you could see it.

You should get enough extra sauce if served with a spoon.
Hopefully you get the idea.
Serve with bread (you need something to dip in the sauce.)

Enjoy.

ps: if you can think of a better name, I'm open for suggestions.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

{I apologize that my pictures are never that great, I don't have an eye for that I suppose! But I promise you, this is the best tasting pizza ever!}

1 recipe pizza crust:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
  
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 3 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Directions for pizza crust:

In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour, a little at a time . Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this should take about 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it's smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

After dough has risen, roll and stretch into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.

Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a 12 inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick.

Chicken Pesto Pizza ingredients:

1 packet of pesto sauce (to make this sauce, you'll need oil--preferably olive oil--and milk)
Any kind of cheese
Diced Tomatos
Bacon

Cook up the chicken and set aside.

Make the pizza crust according to directions.

While it is being pre-baked (I believe it's like 5 minutes), cook the pesto sauce according to directions. After the crust is done being pre-baked, pour most of the sauce on the crust, and spread it around.

Leave enough of the sauce to mix with the chicken.

After putting the sauce on, cover the top with cheese. And then layer with the chicken, and tomatoes/bacon (we use turkey bacon and it tastes so good)


Cook at 425 for about 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!

{pre-cooked}

easy minestrone.

ingredients:
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 small onion
olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1-2 cans kidney beans
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb cooked pasta
1/3 cup chopped parsley (reserve 1 Tbsp for garnish)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

directions:
Chop carrots, celery, and onion into a small dice (The smaller you dice, the faster they cook). Saute in large stock pot with a little olive oil over medium high heat until vegetables are soften. Add garlic and red pepper flakes (if you so desire) and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (don't drain them), beans (drain and rinse these), and chicken stock. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add pasta and parsley. Serve. Garnish with a little fresh parsley and Parmesan. Serves 6.

i had no parsley on hand, so that's why there's a lack of green in my picture :)

recipe from here.

Catenzaro Italian Spaghetti & Sausage

Here it is. The coveted Catenzaro spaghetti. This is the real deal. My husband's grandfather brought this recipe with him from Italy and it is a Catenzaro family favorite, requested by many. I'll be shot and hanged for posting the recipe, so you better appreciate what I'm doing for you. Just kidding. :)

Don't be surprised by how easy the recipe is, and how few ingredients there are. In speaking with people who have lived in Italy (I'm not one of the lucky ones), American-Italian food is much different from real authentic Italian food. Americans may call real Italian food 'bland.' However, do not fret. This spaghetti is scrumptious. Enjoy!


Steps:

ingredients

1 pkg (or 2!) Granato's Hot Italian Style sausage (imported from Italy)

12 oz tomato paste

2 cans tomato sauce + 1-2 cans water

1 can diced tomatoes
1.5-2 pkgs of spaghetti noodles

instructions

Preheat oven to 190.

Brown sausage links in a skillet. Do not cook, just brown. Remove browned sausage links from skillet and slice 1-2 inches in thickness (see pic). Add to dutch oven. Add tomato paste, sauce (+ water), and diced tomatoes. Stir. Place dutch oven in 190 degree oven. Cook for 4-5 hours.

Add cooked noodles. Serve with hot garlic bread. Mmmm.

five cheese ziti al forno.

i took really terrible pictures of the food, so i won't post them. this was the menu board for our olive garden dinner. my sister made the zuppa toscana which also turned out delicious!

{this recipe has a lot of cheeses... all of which can be found at smith's marketplace. it looks complicated, but it's really SUPER easy and very convenient that you can make two parts and put them in the fridge until you're ready to make dinner. it's great for a party or pot luck. says it serves 6-8, but it could serve 10 easily.}

for the ziti sauce
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups alfredo sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons fontina cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

for the ziti topping
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons romano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

remaining ingredients
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

directions
combining all ingredients for the ziti sauce in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. in a medium-size bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients for the ziti topping. add the garlic, oil, and parsley and mix until thoroughly blended. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

when ready to prepare the whole dish: preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or large casserole with non-stick spray. prepare the pasta according to package directions. Pour 1/2 cup of prepared ziti sauce into the prepared dish, and spread it evenly over the bottom using a spoon. when pasta has finished cooking, drain the water and pour the hot pasta into the bowl of remaining sauce. mix thoroughly; pour into the baking dish. spread 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the pasta and sauce mixture. top the mozzarella with the prepared ziti topping, spreading evenly.

place pan on center oven rack and bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. remove and serve immediately.