Herbed Italian White Beans
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed, or to taste
1 teaspoon. dried sage
1 (14-oz.) can cannellini beans (Italian white beans), drained, or 2 cups homecooked
2 cups grape tomatoes cut in thirds crosswise
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh basil, shredded
2 teaspoons wine vinegar or to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sage. Sauté about 2 minutes.
Add drained beans and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until hot/.
Uncover the pan and remove from heat. Immediately add basil and vinegar and serve.
Greek Style Lamp Chops
Ingredients
2 loin lamb chops
2 tablespoons Greek seasoning
Marinade
1 garlic clove, mined
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag. Add the lamb and refrigerate for several hours.
When ready to cook, coat chops with a tablespoon of seasoning.
You can grill the chops in a grill poa or in the broiler for about 4 minutes per side. You can cook them in an air-fryer at 400degrees F for 12 minutes or cook them in a skillet for about 4 minutes on each side
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Break off the woody bottoms of the asparagus and wash in cold water.
Arrange trimmed asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon.
Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes.
For 2 servings
Avocado Salsa
¼ of red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
2 tablespoons jarred salsa
1/2 pound larg3 shrimp (about 8) peeled and deveined
4 -6-inch tortillas, heated
1 lime, cut into wedges
Shredded lettuce
Chipotle Lime Sour Cream
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lime juice
14 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
Directions
Combine the salsa ingredients in a medium-serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Mix the sour cream sauce ingredients together and refrigerate until serving.
Season the shrimp with chipotle powder and salsa. Cook in the oil in a medium skillet just until pink.
Serve in heated tortillas of your choice. With the Avocado Salsa, cheese, and shredded lettuce.
Pork Chops
Ingredients
2 bone-in pork chops, center-cut, 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup Italian flavored Panko crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
In a flat shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, with the Italian seasoning.
Cover the pork chops with a light coating of mayonnaise. then place the pork chops in the breadcrumb mixture and coat all sides evenly.
Air-Fryer Directions
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Place breaded pork chops into the air fryer in one layer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through cooking. If cooking thicker pork chops, cook for 14-15 minutes.
Remove pork chops from the air fryer.
Oven Baked Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and the meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes.
Panfried Potatoes
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
2 pounds of small Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Directions
Slice the potatoes into thin round circles. Heat the oil in a medium skillet along with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown and tenders for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Zucchini Tomato Saute
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 fresh tomato, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
12 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Top with the cheese. Top with the mozzarella and serve.
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
3 cups cooked chicken: roasted, grilled, or rotisserie
Half a delicious red apple, seeded, peeled, and finely diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 large celery stalk, finely diced
1 cup of small pecans, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix the apple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the finely diced chicken and all the remaining ingredients except the pecans. When ready to serve, stir in the pecans. Serve over lettuce leaves with corn on the cob and heritage tomatoes.
Ingredients
5 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled eggplant (1 pound)
2 large chopped leeks, white and light green portions
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
4 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade
2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
2 tablespoons sundried tomato paste
2 teaspoons whole dried fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spread eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet, and toss with 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until soft.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a Dutch Oven, add the leeks, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the onion is tender but not browned.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the stock, roasted eggplant, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, fennel seeds, oregano, red pepper flakes, honey, salt, and black pepper.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 1-hour stirring occasionally. Puree the soup with a hand blender.
Stir in basil and taste for seasonings.
Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Shrimp Salad In Cantaloupe Rings
2 servings
Ingredients
8 oz cooked shrimp, diced into small pieces
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
2 center-cut slices of cantaloupe kept in circles, about 1-inch thick, peeled and seeded
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
Place a cantaloupe circle on each of the two plates. Divide the shrimp salad in half and pole into the cantaloupe rings and serve with the Zucchini Salad and muffins.
Zucchini Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
Salad
1 medium zucchini, sliced into very thin circles
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set them aside.
In a medium serving bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add half the dressing and mix well. Use the remaining dressing for another recipe.
Mini Corn Muffins
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the egg substitute, milk, and oil together.
Fill your mini muffin cups with batter up to three-fourths full.
Set your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the muffin cups inside the oven then let them cook for ten to twelve minutes or just until the toothpick inserted at the middle of the muffin does not have anything sticking to it when pulled out. Then allow them to cool down for five more minutes then place them on the wire rack.
Cavatelli with Basil Pesto and Green Beans
4 servings
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 lb dried cavatelli pasta
1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup basil pesto, see recipe below
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Let cook to al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Add the green beans and cook for the remainder of the time. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta. Place in a serving bowl. Gently mix in the [esto, pasta water, and cheese. Serve in individual serving bowls.
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
4 packed cups of washed basil leaves
½ cup shelled pistachio nuts, pignoli, or walnuts
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the pistachios, garlic, salt, and pepper in a processor bowl. Process until the nuts and garlic are chopped.
Add the basil leaves and process for a minute or two. In the opening spout at the top, pour the olive oil as you process.
Keep processing until the mixture is smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Caprese Salad
2-3 servings
Ingredients
2 large vine ripe tomatoes
4 oz fresh mozzarella
Black Olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
Directions
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into 1/4″ slices.
Assemble the salad by layering slices of tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves on a serving plate.
Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter a few olives around the serving plate and serve.
Jewish Deli Style Pickled Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
½ serrano or jalapeno chile
1 pound firm green tomatoes about 4 green tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dill seeds
½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
Directions
Prep the ingredients. Wash the jalapeno and tomatoes. Cut the stem end off the jalapeno and slice it in half lengthwise. Cut the tomatoes in half and cut the big ones into quarters. . Peel the garlic cloves and slice them in half lengthwise.
Prep the bottle. Make sure you have a really clean bottle and lid. The lid insert should be new so that it has a good seal. The best thing to do is buy canning jars and lids from Ball. They are in a lot of hardware and grocery stores. Sterilize them by submerging them in a boiling water bath.
Put the garlic, dill seeds, chile, and peppercorns into the bottle first. Then cram the tomatoes in leaving about 1/2″ – 3/4″(12.7 – 19.1 mm) of space at the top.
Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil, and stir until all the salt is dissolved. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and cukes to within 1/4″ (6.4 mm) of the top. Wipe the jar top, put the lids on, and tighten.
Age. Let the pickles sit for 2 to 3 days (1 week is optimum) in the refrigerator before serving. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.
The brine will taste very salty at first, but don’t panic. The juices from the tomatoes or cucumbers will dilute the concentration of salt in a few days.
Zucchini Bread
one 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf
Ingredients
3/4 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups grated or shredded zucchini, somewhere between firmly packed
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted until golden
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan. I line my baking pan with parchment paper cut to fit the pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Whisk the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the flour, then add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients in the bowl, stirring or beating gently until smooth.
Stir in the zucchini and walnuts.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it if necessary.
Bake the bread for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. For best results, don’t slice until it’s cool.
Store the bread at cool room temperature, well wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Tip for crispy oven fried chicken:
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spread 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over the foil. Place the pan in the oven and leave it there while the oven preheats to your recipe’s oven temperature.
Chicken
2 large boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half to form 4 breats
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Vegetable oil
Topping
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
9 mozzarella balls {they about 1-inch in size}flattened slightly
Directions
Place the prepared cookie sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In 3 separate shallow bowls: pales the flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper in one bowl. In the second beat the egg with the mayonnaise and in the third place the panko, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Place one chicken breast in the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko/ Repeat with the remaining chicken.
With potholders, take the pan out of the oven and place the breaded chicken on the hot pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the pawn from the oven and place 2 tomato slices on top of each breast, followed by 3 mozzarella balls on each piece of chicken. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese melts about 5 minutes.
Serve with a green vegetable. I baked asparagus in the oven along with the chicken.
Have you tried Sea Bream?
The ancient Greeks and Romans liked sea bream cooked with seasoned sauces and accompanied by fruit. They are most often found in coastal areas but have been caught at depths of up to 150m. Spawning occurs between November and December. Solitary fish, eat worms and crustaceans as well as smaller fish and have impressive teeth when you see them up close.
Interestingly, these fish start life as males and change sex at about three years of age.
With dense, moist white flesh, sea bream are usually sold whole or in fillets. With a satisfying meaty texture, a clean taste, and a delicate flavor they’re a good choice for dinner. Whole or filleted, sea bream can be baked, pan-fried, grilled, steamed, or roasted.
A good rule of thumb is not to overcook sea bream. In fact, it’s always better to undercook sea bream than let it spend too long in the pan or the oven.
Cook sea bream fillets with herbs and spices to enhance the fish. Cooking sea bream fillets only takes a few minutes on each side and they’re ready to eat for a quick dinner.
Here is how I like to cook these fillets.
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 sea bream fillets, about 6 oz each
Side Dish
20 cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
A small bunch of basil, chopped
1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potato Cakes
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, diced
1 egg
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
For the side dish
Place a small saucepan over gentle heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the oil. Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper and stir over low heat for 1–2 minutes.
Add the coriander, garlic powder, basil, and lemon juice of one-half to the pan stir, and set aside to allow the flavors to infuse.
For the potato cakes
Mix mashed potatoes, flour, onion, egg, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl until batter consistency.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop 4-inch circles of batter into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.
To cook the bream
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Slash the skin of the fillets in 3 places. Add a dash of oil to the pan and, when really hot, add the bream fillets skin side down. Season and cook for 2 minutes. (The flesh should be opaque two-thirds of the way up the fillet.)
Turn the fillets and cook on the other side for 1 minute until just cooked through.
To serve
Pace a potato cake on a dinner plate. Top with a fillet and spoon some of the zucchini mixtures around the fish.
