Grilled Lamb Chops

For the steak seasoning, I like Pensey’s Chicago Seasoning, but use whatever seasoning you like.

For 2

Ingredients

• 4 loin lamb chops, 1 ½ lbs and 1 ½ inches thick, fat trimmed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
• 2 lemon quarters

Directions

In a zip-lock bag combine the lamb chops, oil, lemon juice and steak seasoning. Close the bag and mix well. Refrigerate the lamb chops overnight.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

Transfer the lamb chops to the grill. Cook 5 minutes,; turn and cook 5 minutes. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the lemon quarters.

If making the potatoes on the grill leave continue to cook them while the lamb chops rest.

Grilled Potatoes

For 2

Ingredients

• 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Directions

Boil the potatoes in water for 6 minutes, until slightly cooked but firm in the center. Drain potatoes in a colander. Dry on paper towel.

Place the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and mix well.

Place a piece of heavy-duty foil on the opposite side of the grill from the lamb chops. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the foil. Cook for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking..

Cucumber Tomato Salad

For 2

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, peeled if bitter, sliced thin
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 medium tomato, halved and sliced
• Ranch Dressing, recipe below

Directions

Place the cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Toss to distribute the salt evenly around the cucumber.  Let sit for 20 to 25 minutes while the salt helps pull excess moisture out of the cucumbers. Then rinse off the salt, drain the cucumbers and dry them with paper towels

Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion. Refrigerate until serving time. When ready to serve, dress the salad with some of the ranch dressing.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• Pinch of onion powder
• Pinch of paprika
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic, chopped herbs, onion powder, paprika, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Mix until well combined then cover and place into a refrigerator for at least 30 before serving so the flavors have time to mingle.

Swordfish and Zucchini Kebabs  

For 2

Ingredients

Swordfish

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil olive oil
• 1 Swordfish Steak, 1 inch thick (about 12 oz)
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Black pepper

Kebabs

• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed
• 10 squares of red onion
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 skewers

Directions

Place swordfish in a glass dish, sprinkle with lemon zest and black pepper, scatter garlic over the fish and pour olive oil over all. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1 inch pieces. I had 10. Remove 2 red onion rings from a large onion. Cut each ring into 5 –  one inch pieces.

Remove the garlic from the fish and cut the fish into 10 – one inch pieces.

Tread 2 skewers, alternating fish, zucchini and onion. Pour the dripping from the fish marinade over the skewers.

Heat an outdoor grill to high and oil the grill grates. Place the skewers on the grill and close the cover. Lower the heat to medium. Cook about 12 minutes until the fish is cooked through, turning the skewers halfway through the cooking time. Serve the kebabs over spaghetti.

 A New Way To Cook Pasta

Angel Hair Pasta 

I have read several articles about cooking pasta in a skillet with less water. I made a full pound of spaghetti for this recipe to test this non-traditional procedure for cooking pasta. The leftovers will not be wasted. It worked very well. The pasta cooked quickly and was perfectly cooked. You do have to stir it often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. It is definitely an energy and time saver, without loss of flavor.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 16 oz thin spaghetti
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups cold water
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 oz)
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Place pasta in a dry 12 inch skillet (if pasta is very long, such as spaghetti, break the stands in half). Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 6 cups cold water.

Place over high heat and cook uncovered, stirring frequently to keep pasta submerged, until pasta is almost al dente, about 7-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.

Tilt the pan and spoon off the liquid that pools at the edge of the pan into a bowl, so that very little is left in pan. Add remaining ingredients to the pasta.

Return just enough cooking liquid to the pasta, tossing them with the spaghetti. Serve with the swordfish kebabs.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Use this sauce for the meatballs and eggplant recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (28-ounce) containers Italian Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 large basil leaves

Directions

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil, until soft over medium to low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute; be careful not to overcook.

Add tomatoes, oregano and crushed red pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and cover with a lid.

Cook for 25 minutes on medium heat. Stir in parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the fresh basil.

Makes about 7 cups of sauce.

Neapolitan Meatballs

I call these Neapolitan meatballs because this is how my grandmother made them. She grew up in northern Campania before moving to America.

Makes 16 meatballs

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 4 thick slices firm, hardy white bread, crust removed, cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Add the bread to a medium mixing bowl and pour in the milk. Add the onion and garlic, stir and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bread mixture. Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands until just mixed together. Don’t overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough.

Divide the mixture into 16 equal pieces and shape them into meatballs.

You can brown the meatballs in a skillet in olive oil until brown. Or, you can put them on a foil lined baking pan and bake in a 350 F oven for about 25-30 minutes until brown.

Place the meatballs in a medium-large sauce pan or skillet and cover with some the homemade marinara sauce. Simmer for about 30 minutes before serving.

Eggplant Parmesan

This is not a dish that can be prepared quickly, but with some of my make ahead tips, you can enjoy this entrée for dinner and have several leftovers for future use without spending all day in the kitchen. Eggplant freezes very well in all stages of its preparation. Additionally, I do not fry the eggplant, but bake it in the oven to reduce the calories.

For each one pound of eggplant, you will need:

• 1 pound eggplant, peeled
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup refrigerated egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters) or egg whites
• 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat two large baking sheets with nonstick olive oil cooking spray.

Cut peeled eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (no thicker).  You want them to be thin.

Place the egg substitute in one shallow dish and the bread crumbs mixed with the cheese in another.

Dip the eggplant slices into the egg substitute, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the eggplant slices over, and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes longer.

To assemble the casserole, you will need:

Spray an  8 inch or 9 inch or 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

• 2 ½ cups Marinara sauce (see recipe above)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 recipe breaded and baked eggplant

Directions

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1 cup of sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add the remaining eggplant slices and top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Italian Romaine Salad

For 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of romaine lettuce, sliced, washed and dried
• ¼ of a small red onion, cut into rings

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place the greens and onion in a medium salad bowl. In a jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Shake well and pour over the greens. Toss and serve.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beef, Bread, Casseroles, Cheese, cucumbers, eggplant, Fish, Grilling, Healthy Italian Cooking, Herbs, Lamb, lemon, onion, Pasta, Pork, potatoes, Salad, Salad Dressing, Spaghetti, swordfish, tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian, zucchini Tags: weeknight dinner ideas for May