Healthy Mediterranean Cooking at Home

Category Archives: Sauces

 

Besides a turkey, I cooke4d a 3 lb b4eef tenderloin roast on Thanksgiving. It is easy to turn the leftover bee and gravy into a stroganoff.

4 servings

Ingredients

5-6 ½-9nch slices of roasted beef tenderloin, sliced very thin
3 cups le3ftover beef gravy
2 tablespoons butter
½ a medium sweet onion, sliced
4 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup sour cream
6-8  oz noodles
Salt and pepper

Directions

Fill a large {12-inch} skillet 3-quarters full of water. Bring to a boil, add salt and the noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain in a colendar.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat,m add the onions and mushrooms, and cook until tender, 6-8 minutes.
Lower the heat and add the beef and thyme. Stir gently until warm.
Stir the sour cream into the gravy and add to the skillet. Heat gently over low, stirring often until hot, about 5 minutes. Add the noodles and heat gently, stirring often until hot, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in pasta bowls.

 


 

Here in the warm south, summer squash is still growing and very plentiful at the farm markets.

Ingredients

2 large zucchini cut lengthwise into thin slices (9-10 slices)
Salt
1 cup Flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs
¼ cup olive oil
1/2 sweet onion diced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 pound spicy Italian sausage sliced into thin rounds
4 garlic cloves minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
26-28 oz canned diced Italian tomatoes
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes if using spicy sausage, more if using sweet sausage
16 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
Dredge the zucchini slices in flour mixed with salt to taste, egg wash, and bread crumbs.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat until very hot but not smoking.
Shallow fry the zucchini sliced until light brown. Drain well on paper towels.

 

Clean out the skillet and add the sausage slices. Cook until brown on both sides.
Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes.

 

Add the tomatoes, red pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning. Cook until thickened, about 30. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
In a 9×13 inch oiled baking dish alternate layers of zucchini, sausage sauce, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle each layer with Parmesan.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 45 hours minutes until the casserole is bubbling.
Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Add a salad and fresh Italian bread to round out the meal.


 


2-3 servings

Ingredients
5-6 oz fettuccine pasta
¼ lb sea scallops
½ lb large shrimp deveined and shell
removed
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
A few chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish.

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to package instructions and drain in a colander. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Once the oil starts to heat up, pan-fry the shrimp for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Sear the scallops in medium heat for 2 minutes per side. Turn off the heat.
In the empty pasta pan, melt the butter, and then cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the shallots and peppers. Cook until tender over low heat, about 5 minutes.
Pour the heavy cream in the pan and then stir. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
Add the Parmesan cheese and turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper if needed. Stir. Divide the pasta between 2 pasta bowls. Top each with shrimp and scallops. Serve immediately.


 

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.

 


 

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. Haddock fillets
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup Italian Italian-flavored breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon. Paprika Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt and pepper
½ cup prepared marinara sauce
4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Oil a glass baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.

Cut the haddock into two fillets. Pat it dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place on a plate.
In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs and paprika. Brush the fillets with mayonnaise and press into the breadcrumbs. Turn the fillets over brush with the remaining mayonnaise and dredge in the remaining breadcrumbs. Place the breaded fillets in the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven divide the marinara sauce and cheese between the two fillets and bake for 10 more minutes until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted.

Serve with spaghetti and a salad.

 


 

4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak or you can purchase stir-fried steak at your grocery store that is sliced and recipe ready
4 cloves garlic
One 1-inch piece of ginger
7 tablespoons ow-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup beef broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 sliced scallions
Cooked Jasmine or white rice, for serving

Directions
If using flank steak: Freeze the flank steak until the meat is slightly frozen and firm enough to thinly slice with ease, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Grate 2 cloves of garlic into a large bowl. Peel the ginger and cut it in half. Finely grate one of the ginger halves into the same bowl; reserve the remaining ginger. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the Shaoxing wine, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar, and several large grinds of pepper to combine. Set aside.

Thinly slice the flank steak against the grain on a very slight bias into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Cut any extra-long pieces in half; the strips should be no longer than 3 to 4 inches. Add to the bowl with the marinade and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

 

When ready to cook use tongs to transfer the steak to a large baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and arrange it in a single layer. Lay additional paper towels on top to help absorb any excess marinade. Set aside to take the chill off the meat.

Whisk together the beef broth, sesame oil, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and a couple of large grinds of pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.

Finely mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to a small bowl. Finely mince the remaining ginger and add to the same bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add half of the steak strips in a single layer and cook until well-browned on the first side, about 1 minute. Turn over and cook until browned on the second side, about 1 more minute. Transfer to a large plate. Cook the remaining steak adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil per batch. Transfer to the plate.

Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and a splash of water to the empty skillet and cook, scraping up any browned bits and stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Add the red and green bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently and adding another splash of water if the skillet starts to get too brown on the bottom until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until softened about 1 minute.

Return the steak to the skillet and stir to combine. Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce, then pour it into the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pepper steak to a large serving platter and top with sliced scallions Serve immediately with a side of rice.



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