Healthy Mediterranean Cooking at Home

Category Archives: Healthy Italian Cooking

 

 

Ingredients

Marinade

¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon Greek seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Skewers

Kebabs
8 oz boneless lamb chops fat removed and cut into ¾ inch chunks. I use loin lamb chops and remove the bone. Loin lamb chops are very tender.
1 small bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ of an onion cut into1-inch pieces

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add the lamb pieces, cover, and place in the refrigerator to marinade. (2-3 hours minimum, ideally overnight)

Remove the lamb from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook and throw the lamb pieces, onion, and chopped peppers on skewers.

 

Cooking Instructions

Air fryer
Heat the air fryer to 400°F, spray the basket with olive oil, and place the skewers inside the air fryer when it has come to heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway.

Indoor grill
Grill for approximately 10 minutes, turning halfway.

BBQ (Grill)
Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway. You’ll need to light a charcoal barbecue 30 minutes before cooking.

Oven baked
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with foil or grease it with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking and cook for 10-15 minutes without turning

 

Serve with Greek Salad and bread

 


 

INGREDIENTS

Dry Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wer Ingredients
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups sour milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1⁄4 cup butter, melted plus extra for the griddle

 

Maple syrup for serving

DIRECTIONS

In one bowl mix together the dry ingredients. In a second bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet or griddle, and lightly butter the pan.
Pour 1/2 4 cup measures for each pancake onto the hot grill.

Cook the pancakes until tiny bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is golden brown.
Flip and cook the second side for about 1 minute or until golden.
Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with Maple syrup.


 

Ingredients

2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a mixing bowl Add the celery and onion; stir. Add the chicken and mix carefully to keep the chicken from breaking up. Fold in the pecans and grapes. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Cover and chill until serving time.

 


 

NY Strip Steak With Bearnaise Sauce

Marinade

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon of whole black peppercorns or ¼ teaspoon of cracked black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Strip steaks, trimmed of excess fat

Let the steak stand for about 15 minutes so it comes to room temperature. Add all the ingredients to a glass dish or other non-metal container. Mix well. Add steaks and cover with plastic wrap.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, flipping them after 12 hours. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.

Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped and roughly chopped
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Directions

Place the white wine vinegar, minced shallot, and half the chopped tarragon in a saucepan. Heat this on a medium-low for 5 minutes, until the shallots are soft and the liquid has reduced by about half. Strain out the solids, replace the concentrated liquid back into the saucepan, and let it cool to room temperature.

Add the egg yolks, water, vegetable oil, and salt into the saucepan with the concentrated vinegar mixture, and heat over a medium-low flame while whisking vigorously. The goal here is to whisk the eggs to a fluffy, custard-like consistency, which should take around 3-5 minutes. Once you see it start to steam, be extra vigilant: if you overcook the sauce, it’ll turn into scrambled eggs. Remove the pan from the heat if needed to better control the temperature.

When the sauce thickens and reaches the desired consistency, add in the butter and the rest of the chopped tarragon, and whisk until the butter dissolves.
The sauce is best served immediately but can hold well for 30 minutes to an hour.
Cooking Directions: Air-Fryer, Grill or Broiler

 

Air-Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF for 5 minutes.
Drain the steak from the marinade.
Place the New York strip steaks in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until an instant meat thermometer registers 135ºF for medium rare.

Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and serve with the Bearnaise Sauce, baked potatoes, and sauteed spinach.

 

Grilling or Broiling

Cut Thickness Rare (125°) Medium (140°) Well (170°)
Flank steak 1-1½ lbs. 10-15 min. 15-19 min.
New York strip 1 in.o 8-10 min. 10-12 min. 12-14 min.
Ribeye ¾ in. 5-7 min. 7-9 min. 9-11 min.
Steaks:

Porterhouse, rib, ribeye sirloin, T-bone, tenderloin, top loin

1 in.

1½ in.

2 in.

6-7 min.

10-12 min

15-17 min.

7-9 min.

12-15 min

17-19 min.

9-11 min

15-19 min.

19-22 min.  


 

 

Ingredients

1 box, two 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter
Half onion chopped
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 potato diced
2 cups chicken mushroom gravy
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas or green beans thawed

Directions

Heat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch glass pie pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook over low heat stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in salt and pepper. Gradually stir in chicken gravy

And chicken. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into a crust-lined pan. Top with

 

second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in the top crust.

Bake 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 


 

BROTH

1 leftover roast chicken carcass (skin, bones, and any meat stuck to the bones)
4 quarts water
1 carrot, halved
4 celery tops
1 small onion, halved
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
Peppercorns to taste

In a soup pot, combine the chicken carcass, vegetables, and water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the mixture for 2 hours.

Place a colander or strainer over a large bowl. Tip the contents of the pot into it. Let the mixture cool. Pour the strained broth back into the soup pot.

Pick through the bones and remove any meat; discard skin and bones. Add the meat to the broth; set aside.

SOUP

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 oz thin spaghetti or any noodles you like. I use Chinese stir-fried noodles.
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Return the broth to the soup pot. Add the vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Bring the soup to a low bowl and add the noodles. Cook for 15 -20 minutes until the noodles are cooked and the vegetables are tender. Add parsley and adjust salt to taste.


 

The sauce recipe makes enough for 2 pies. You can freeze half for another day or make two pizzas.

Ingredients

1 lb store-bought or homemade pizza dough

 

16 oz mozzarella, sliced thin
!/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sauce
6 Italian sausage links, casing removes
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2-14 oz containers of finely chopped Italian tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ cup red chili flaked

Directions

For the sauce heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the sausage meat and cook stirring and breaking up the meat as it browns. When brown, add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushroom and cook for 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes

 

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Oil a 16-inch pizza pan.
Press the dough out in the pan to its edges.
Cover the dough with the mozzarella cheese slices. Spread the sauce over the cheese.
Parmesan.
Bake the pizza for about 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving


 

Garlic Butter Recipe

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cloves garlic, grated
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place 1 stick of unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside to use in the recipes below.

Sea Scallops with Orange and Rosemary

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons garlic butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 lb dry-packed large sea scallops
Tempura flour or all-purpose flour, for dredging
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
1 tablespoon grated orange peel, preferably organic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of garlic butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Dredge very lightly with flour, and season with salt and pepper.

Add Scallops to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Turn the scallops over and cook the other side for 2

minutes; remove to a bowl.

Add the remaining garlic butter to the skillet and sauté the shallots.

Add wine, orange juice, and orange peel to the skillet (the sauce will sizzle and steam). Bring to a boil, and reduce until thickened about 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness; add more salt, and pepper if necessary.

Return shallops to pan heat through and coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with rosemary, and serve with Creamy Garlic pasta and a sal; ad.

 

Creamy Garlic Pasta

Ingredients

8 ounces (25 g) of dried pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or any other long or short pasta I used spinach fettuccine.
4 tablespoons Garlic Butter, see recipe above
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water.
In the empty pasta pot, add the garlic butter and heat over low. Add the pasta, pasta water, and remaining ingredients. Mix well and serve with the scallops.


 

This chicken will yield at least 3 leftover meals: soup, pot pie, and chicken salad. Recipes will follow throughout the week. If you plan to use some of the leftover chicken for a pot pie, triple the recipe for mushroom, chicken gravy.

The recipe requires advanced preparation.

Ingredients

5 lb whole chicken
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 potatoes, Yukon Gold or red
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 fresh thyme sprigs, divided
zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Mix the salt and smoked paprika together and rub the outside and inside of the chicken with the mixture.
Refrigerator overnight uncovered.

When ready to cook:
Quarter the potatoes and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and 1 thyme sprig.

Arrange potatoes around the chicken in the baking dish.

Cut a lemon in half and place inside the chicken with the remaining thyme sprig.
Tie the legs of the chicken legs together.
Drizzle 1 Tablespoon olive oil over chicken.
Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees F and toast the chicken for 60-75 minutes.
Rest the chicken for 20 min before cutting.

 

You know your chicken is cooked when the thermometer reads 180°F (82°C) for a whole chicken.
After you remove the meat from the bones, use the bones to make Chicken Noodle Soup.

Make a mushroom chicken sauce to serve with the sliced chicken.

Easy Chicken Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 packet of Chicken gravy mix
1 cup cold water

Directions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushroom liquid has evaporated. Whisk the gravy packet with the cold water. Stir into the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a low boil. Lower heat and sinner, stirring, for 1 minute. Serve with the chicken.

Hearty Salad

Honey Mustard Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water
1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar, honey, water, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Cover until serving time.

 

Salad

5-6 cups hearty salad greens, such as radicchio, escarole and romaine.
½ cup salad toppings that include fruit and nuts
A handful of croutons
Honey mustard dressing

Direction

Combine the lettuce mix, salad toppings, and croutons in a salad bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten the salad or to your taste.


 

Ingredients

1 lb fresh or dried rigatoni pasta
1 lb Italian sausage {any type}
1bunchb broccoli rabe
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Remove the casing from the sausage. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook until completely brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Keep warm.

Trim the broccoli rabe by cutting off the tough ends. Cut each stem into 1-inch pieces.

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook as per package instructions until the last 4 minutes of cooking. Add the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot and cook the pasta.

Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving one cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta mixture to the skillet with the sausage and mix well with the oil mixture, adding water as needed to keep it moist. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and Italian bread.



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