Eggs and Peppers with Avocado Salsa
Servings: 2
Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
Juice of 1 small lime
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil,
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
Slice off the top and bottom of the bell pepper… Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Finely chop the top and bottom end. Slice the pepper center into four 1/2-inch-thick rings.
For the salsa
Combine the diced pepper ends with the avocado, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper rings, then crack 1 egg into the middle of each ring.
Cover the pan and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are firm.
Spread ½ cup of salsa on each serving [late and place two pepper rings on top.
Tuna Steaks
2 servings
Ingredients
2 5-oz. boneless, skinless wild-caught yellowfin tuna steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup green olives, such as Cerignola
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Season the tuna with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. Shake off any excess.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the tuna in the skillet in a single layer and cook, turning once, until done to your liking (3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare). Transfer the tuna to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives, basil, and a few grinds of pepper; cook until warmed through and the tomatoes are just softened, about 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice.
Return the tuna steaks to the skillet to warm over low heat.
Serve with the sauce and a pasta side dish.
Chicken And Vegetables
ingredients
4 chicken cutlets, about 2 lb
8 slices Prosciutto di Parma
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 small zucchini, about 1 ½ lb, sliced ¼-inch thick circles
2 cups diced plum tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup shreddedMozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Polenta, recipe below
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sprinkle the cutlets lightly with salt and pepper
Wrap two slices of prosciutto around each chicken cutlet.
Pour the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread the oil over the bottom of the dish.
Layer the zucchini slices overlapping each other across the bottom of the baking dish.
Place the prosciutto-wrapped chicken on top of the zucchini.
Top the chicken evenly with the diced tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper.
Sprinkle the mixture with salt and Italian seasoning.
Bake for25 minutes or until the chicken registers 155-160 degrees F on an instant meat thermometer.
Sprinkle the cheese over each breast and return the dish to the oven. Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the chicken registers 165 degrees F.
Creamy Polenta
4 servings
Ingredients
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 cup polenta
¼ cup cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place the broth and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add polenta, whisking to prevent clumping. Reduce heat to low. Add thyme and the cream cheese, and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed and polenta is creamy and thoroughly cooked for about 10 minutes.
Add cheese and salt, stirring gently until incorporated.
To serve
Spread 1/4th of the polenta on a serving plate and top with baked chicken breast and vegetables.
Pork Cutlets
2-3 servings {easily doubled or tripled}
Ingredients
5-6 lean pork cutlets,½ inch thick
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
5-6 slices of mozzarella cheese
Directions
Spread the mustard evenly over the pork.
Sprinkle the thyme and pepper over the cutlets.
Coat each piece of pork with the panko breadcrumbs.
.Heat oven to 425°F. Spread the olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the cutlets.
Between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, flatten each pork cutlet to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Top each cutlet with tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Swiss Chard And Mashed Potato Combo
2 cups cooked Swiss Chard
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Directions
Cook the potatoes and garlic in boiling salted water until soft. Drain and return the potatoes and garlic to the pot. Mash well. Moisten with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the drained cooked Swiss Chard. Mix well, Heat over low heat until hot.
Springtime Vegetables and Eggs
6 servings
Cut all the vegetables into ½ inch cubes
ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced
1 cup diced red onion
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil1/4 teaspoon drie4d oregano
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup leftover cooked asparagus {see recipe}
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Heat the broiler and move the rack down to the center of the oven.
In a large 12-inch ovenproof skillet or omelet pan, heat the oil.
Add the garlic. potato. Bell pepper android onion. Cook over medium heat until soft, 10=12 minutes. Add the seasonings, zucchini, and asparagus. Cook until heated through.
Pour the beaten eggs over the vegetable and cook over medium until the eggs are set on the bottom. Distribute the cheese evenly over the egg mixture.
Place the pan on the oven shelf under the broiler and cook until the cheese is completly7 melted and the eggs are set on top.
Let the frittata rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.
Ingredients
Dough
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Topping
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
One-quarter of a large red onion, finely diced
16 oz block whole milk mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving
Directions
Combine all the ingredients for the dough in the large bowl of an electric mixer and with the paddle attachment mix until the ingredients come together around the paddle. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
For an overnight rise: Spray a large ziplock plastic bag with olive oil cooking spray. Place the dough in the bag and close the top. Place the bag in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to make the pizza, remove the bag from the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the pizza.
Turn the oven to 450 degrees F and let the oven heat for 30 minutes.
Prepare the crust: flour your hands lightly and pat the dough evenly into a lightly oiled 16″ pizza pan.
Top the crust in the following order: slices of mozzarella, vegetables, oregano, salt, pepper, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Pork Cutlets
Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 5 to 6 ounces each)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 cups plain dried bread crumbs or panko
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 sprig thyme minced
Lemon wedges
Directions
Begin by placing each chop between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pounding them out with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until they are 1/4-inch thick.
Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Put the bread crumbs in a third dish and again season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each piece of pork in flour, then in the egg, and finally into the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs onto the pork gently so they have a nice even coating.
Lay the breaded pork cutlets in a single layer on a plate lined with parchment and refrigerate, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes to allow the coating to dry out a little and adhere to the pork.
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thyme sprig and let it fry for about 1 minute to infuse the oil. Remove the thyme sprig and reserve. Gently lay the cutlets into the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to drain. Season with salt and transfer to a serving platter while still hot. Garnish with lemon wedges and thyme before serving.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
If you do not like the sprouts caramelized and crispy, cook for 10 minutes less.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds Brussel sprouts, washed and trim bottoms, cut in half
Salt and pepper to season
5 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh shredded or grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Spread evenly in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I cover mine with foil for easy clean-up).
Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until browned and caramelized. Finish with a grinding of course sea salt.
Baked Tomatoes
ingredients
2 large Roma tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped\
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine the oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Place the omato in a small pan, brush with the oil mixture, and sprinkle an even amount of cheese on each tomato slice. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with chopped basil and serve warm.
4 servings
Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pasta:
Kosher salt
8 oz bucatini or spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
4 slices applewood-smoked bacon, diced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup white wine
(1 pound or 1 bag or 30) small clams, cleaned
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
For the topping: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and breadcrumbs and toast, stirring often, until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt. Set aside to cool. Stir in the Parmesan.
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
Put the olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes and red onion; toss to coat. Deglaze with the white wine and add the clams. Cover the skillet with a lid and shake gently. Cook until all the shells have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the clams to four individual pasta bowls, discarding any unopened clams.
Add the pasta to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water to create a loose sauce. Toss with the parsley. Scoop equal amounts of pasta and sauce over the clams in the pasta bowls.
Sprinkle each with the breadcrumb topping. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and ciabatta br+ead.
Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Sauce
Servings 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
½ cup Panko crumbs
1 rack of lamb, “frenched”, about 8 ribs
Directions
Brush the meat area with mustard. Sprinkle it with rosemary and garlic. Press on the panko crumbs.
Place the lamb in a roasting pan with the ribs curving down. Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees.
Roast the lamb for exactly 20 minutes for rare or 25 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, then cut into individual ribs and serve with the Pomegranate Sauce.
Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups of water
1 pomegranate, seeds removed
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Set aside 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Place the remaining seeds, honey, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Strain the liquid over a bowl and in a colander and press the seeds until most of the flesh is extracted. Discard the seeds. Set the mixture aside.
Heat the oil in the sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until tender, about one minute.
Whisk in the broth and molasses. Add seeds.
Increase the heat to high. Boil the sauce until it reduces by half and is syrupy about eight minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the butter into the sauce, one piece at a time, until well blended. Season the sauce to taste with salt and twists of the pepper mill.
Parmesan Rice Cakes
You can cook these patties in the oven with the lamb. Leave them in the oven to finish cooking after you remove the lamb.
Makes 6-8 patties
Ingredients
3 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup onion finely minced
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper or to taste
Vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Oil a baking sheet.
Using a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measure, form the mixture into patties and place on the prepared pan.
Bake until brown and crisp about 40 minutes.
Cucumber And Tomato Salad
Ingredients
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, sliced into 1/4″-thick half-moons
1 large tomato, diced and drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Directions
Place cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine yogurt, sour cream, onion, vinegar, sugar, and dill in a mixing bowl. Add cucumber slices and drained tomatoes; toss to coat. Let salad stand for at least 5 minutes before serving, or chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
Make a batch of Greek Lemon Rice. Serve some with your dinner and set aside 1-2 cups for the recipe below.
Lemon Rice
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup of water
1 large lemon (1 teaspoon zest + 3 – 4 tablespoons lemon juice)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped herb (dill or parsley, oregano, basil chives, mint)
Salt and pepper
Directions
Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Add garlic and onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
Add rice and stir until rice is coated.
Add broth and water. Place lid on, bring to simmer then turn the heat down to low.
Cook for 12 minutes or until water is evaporated.
Remove from the stove and rest for 10 minutes (keep the lid on).
Remove lid. stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
Greek Style Flounder WIithLemon Rice Stuffing
Serves 2. Double the ingredients for 4 servings
You might want to serve some crusty bread with this dish to soak up some of the tasty sauce.
Ingredients
1 lb. flounder fillets
1 cup Lemon Rice, recipe above
½ teaspoon Greek seasoning
2 plum tomatoes
Grated Pecorina Romana cheese
Sauce
1/4 extra virgin olive oil oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
Directions
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the fish fillets lightly with Greek seasoning. Spread the rice evenly over the fish fillets. Roll the fillets up and secure with a toothpick, Place the fish rolls in individual baking dishes.
Cut the tomatoes in half. Place two in each baking dish and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Pour the sauce evenly over both fish rolls and tomatoes.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve in the individual baking dishes.
Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers, peeled
½ teaspoon of sea salt
`/4 cup Feta Cheese
Dressing
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup sour cream
¼ of a sweet onion, finely chopped
½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cut the peeled cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Cut each half into ½ inch thick slices (half moons). Place in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Toss gently to evenly distribute the salt.
Let the cucumbers drain while you make the dressing.
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a storage bowl with a cover.
Place the salted cucumbers on several thicknesses of paper towels and squeeze gently to rid them of extra moisture.
Add them to the dressing and mix well. Cover the bowl and chill several hours before serving.
