English Muffin Pizzas

So finally after all the times I have mentioned pizza in my blog I am finally posting about it! Friday night is pizza night (99% of the time) and it's usually ordered out. Our order is exactly the same each week, we get a black olive pie delivered from Saporito's Pizzeria in Denville. We love their pizza it's the best we found since we've moved here and believe me, we've tried a lot of places, but sometimes it's nice to make pizza yourself. So I didn't make the dough and maybe this is considered cheating but I did make my own sauce and it was definitely a very nice change.

If you don't toast the english muffins first or if your sauce is too hot, they will turn out soggy.

English Muffin Pizzas

Pizzas:

1 package of english muffins
1 package of shredded mozzarella
handful of grated cheese, we like locatelli romano

Sauce:

1 can 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Saute garlic, italian seasoning and crushed red pepper in oil. Add tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Let cook for 30-40 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Let sauce cool.

Open english muffins and place on a cookie sheet. Bake dry at 400 for about 10 minutes and tops are lightly browned and crisp.

Add sauce, sprinkle of cheese and mozzarella to each muffin. Bake until cheese melts and gets light brown.

Enjoy!






Steve Approves!

English Muffin Pizzas

So finally after all the times I have mentioned pizza in my blog I am finally posting about it! Friday night is pizza night (99% of the time) and it's usually ordered out. Our order is exactly the same each week, we get a black olive pie delivered from Saporito's Pizzeria in Denville. We love their pizza it's the best we found since we've moved here and believe me, we've tried a lot of places, but sometimes it's nice to make pizza yourself. So I didn't make the dough and maybe this is considered cheating but I did make my own sauce and it was definitely a very nice change.

If you don't toast the english muffins first or if your sauce is too hot, they will turn out soggy.

English Muffin Pizzas

Pizzas:

1 package of english muffins
1 package of shredded mozzarella
handful of grated cheese, we like locatelli romano

Sauce:

1 can 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Saute garlic, italian seasoning and crushed red pepper in oil. Add tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Let cook for 30-40 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Let sauce cool.

Open english muffins and place on a cookie sheet. Bake dry at 400 for about 10 minutes and tops are lightly browned and crisp.

Add sauce, sprinkle of cheese and mozzarella to each muffin. Bake until cheese melts and gets light brown.

Enjoy!






Steve Approves!

Taco Dip

The first time I dipped my chip into this dip I was hooked! Now I or someone else makes it for every get together. It doesn't get any easier than this so grab your chip, scoop or whatever you prefer and dig in!

A special thanks to Steve's Mom, Lyn who shared this recipe with me!


Taco Dip

1 pkg. cream cheese or sour cream (I use 8 oz sour cream)
1 can chili with or without beans
1 jar salsa
1 pkg. taco blend cheese
2 lg. tomatoes, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 can sliced back olives

Layer ingredients in the order above in a nonstick rectangular pan.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350˚

Taco Dip

The first time I dipped my chip into this dip I was hooked! Now I or someone else makes it for every get together. It doesn't get any easier than this so grab your chip, scoop or whatever you prefer and dig in!

A special thanks to Steve's Mom, Lyn who shared this recipe with me!


Taco Dip

1 pkg. cream cheese or sour cream (I use 8 oz sour cream)
1 can chili with or without beans
1 jar salsa
1 pkg. taco blend cheese
2 lg. tomatoes, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 can sliced back olives

Layer ingredients in the order above in a nonstick rectangular pan.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350˚

Lentil Soup

Sorry that it's been so long since I've posted anything new. I've been having some trouble uploading my pictures through imageshack. I think the website was having some trouble but now it seems to be working.

So the fall is here! Yay! I've been looking forward to this season for weeks! Along with all the fun fall activities I look forward to making hearty soups and stews to warm our bellies. Lentil soup is one of my absolute favorites. I like it soupy and I also like it when it thickens up.

Take note of my pretty vietri dish!!! I fell in love with these dishes when I first saw them on Giada's food network show, Everyday Italian. They aren't cheap so I have started my collection with the pretty deep dishes that I used for this photo. I love it!

Michele’s Lentil Soup


Ingredients:

2 cans chicken broth
4 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 onion diced
3 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 small potato diced
2 cloves garlic, cracked (optional)
1/2 – 8oz can Delmonte tomato sauce (can substitute with fresh tomatoes or diced)
½ bag lentils
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 bay leaves
* can use 6 cans chicken broth in place of water and bouillon cubes.

Saute onion, garlic, carrots and potato in oil for 2-3 minutes. Stir to prevent potato from sticking. (If using fresh or diced tomatoes, add now and let cook a few minutes so they soften.)

Add broth and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves and bouillon cubes if using. Let it cook a minute so the bouillon cubes dissolve. Add lentils and Delmonte and cover. Let cook for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.

In a separate pot cook 1 pound of small pasta such as ditilini or broken up spaghetti.

Serve with pasta. (Do not mix pasta and soup in the pot b/c the pasta will absorb all the juice and it will be too thick, unless of course you like it that way!)

Bon Apetito!

Note - To make this vegetarian swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

Lentil Soup

Sorry that it's been so long since I've posted anything new. I've been having some trouble uploading my pictures through imageshack. I think the website was having some trouble but now it seems to be working.

So the fall is here! Yay! I've been looking forward to this season for weeks! Along with all the fun fall activities I look forward to making hearty soups and stews to warm our bellies. Lentil soup is one of my absolute favorites. I like it soupy and I also like it when it thickens up.

Take note of my pretty vietri dish!!! I fell in love with these dishes when I first saw them on Giada's food network show, Everyday Italian. They aren't cheap so I have started my collection with the pretty deep dishes that I used for this photo. I love it!

Michele’s Lentil Soup


Ingredients:

2 cans chicken broth
4 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 onion diced
3 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 small potato diced
2 cloves garlic, cracked (optional)
1/2 – 8oz can Delmonte tomato sauce (can substitute with fresh tomatoes or diced)
½ bag lentils
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 bay leaves
* can use 6 cans chicken broth in place of water and bouillon cubes.

Saute onion, garlic, carrots and potato in oil for 2-3 minutes. Stir to prevent potato from sticking. (If using fresh or diced tomatoes, add now and let cook a few minutes so they soften.)

Add broth and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves and bouillon cubes if using. Let it cook a minute so the bouillon cubes dissolve. Add lentils and Delmonte and cover. Let cook for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.

In a separate pot cook 1 pound of small pasta such as ditilini or broken up spaghetti.

Serve with pasta. (Do not mix pasta and soup in the pot b/c the pasta will absorb all the juice and it will be too thick, unless of course you like it that way!)

Bon Apetito!

Note - To make this vegetarian swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

Crash Hot Potatoes

So as you already know I spend a lot of time on bakespace. These past two weeks there has been lots of talk about this potato recipe. I believe it all started at The Pioneer Woman's blog and then over at Cooking Stuff and then Life, Dreams and Cupcakes. I couldn't take it any longer, I had to make my version of these delicious looking potatoes! The minute I saw them I pictured them with melted cheese and crispy bacon, almost like those potato skins you get at most chain family restaurants...but better! The cheese and bacon worked very well on the potatoes, they had the taste of the loaded potato skins but without the grease. I would definitely make these potatoes again and I encourage you to try your version or one of the many I have linked to!

Crash Hot Potatoes

So as you already know I spend a lot of time on bakespace. These past two weeks there has been lots of talk about this potato recipe. I believe it all started at The Pioneer Woman's blog and then over at Cooking Stuff and then Life, Dreams and Cupcakes. I couldn't take it any longer, I had to make my version of these delicious looking potatoes! The minute I saw them I pictured them with melted cheese and crispy bacon, almost like those potato skins you get at most chain family restaurants...but better! The cheese and bacon worked very well on the potatoes, they had the taste of the loaded potato skins but without the grease. I would definitely make these potatoes again and I encourage you to try your version or one of the many I have linked to!

Italian Chicken with Couscous

Steve and I love olives...a lot...kalamatas are our favorites. I try to keep them on hand all the time and we either eat them out of the container or I cook with them. This is a great recipe for using kalamatas. You dont have to make couscous with it but I think it goes so well. I usually put a lot of the sauce on top of the cousous and it's so good like that. I even eat the couscous cold the next morning for breakfast. I know, it's weird but I really love it.

I find myself saying this often...you do not need to follow this recipe exactly. I came up with this to use what I had on hand but I've substitued diced tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes when I don't have fresh. Sometimes I don't use capers. One thing you should keep in mind is that if the sauce is thick you may not need to add the cornstarch. If it's too watery from fresh tomatoes and you want it thicker then add a little or if you like it loose that's fine too. :-)

I tried a new technique with my camera. I shut off the flash and adjusted the lighting through the computer. I'm not sure if it's better or not. I'm new to this and I also have a new camera so any advice would be lovely!


Italian Chicken with Couscous


Ingredients:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp capers, drained
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup chardonnay or any dry white wine
1 can chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 box Near East toasted pine nut couscous

Directions:

Rinse chicken, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp butter and a little oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from pan and keep warm on a plate tented with foil.

In same pan add remaining butter and oil (if needed), onion and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes or until onions are soft. Add tomatoes and a little chicken broth while scraping browned bits from pan. Add olives, capers, salt and pepper to skillet. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat and cover pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions and substitute chicken broth for water. (May be a little short on broth so add water if needed) Stir together wine and cornstarch; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken to pan and any juices that accumulated in the dish. Stir in basil. Let cook for 2 minutes more.

Serve sauce over chicken and couscous.

Italian Chicken with Couscous

Steve and I love olives...a lot...kalamatas are our favorites. I try to keep them on hand all the time and we either eat them out of the container or I cook with them. This is a great recipe for using kalamatas. You dont have to make couscous with it but I think it goes so well. I usually put a lot of the sauce on top of the cousous and it's so good like that. I even eat the couscous cold the next morning for breakfast. I know, it's weird but I really love it.

I find myself saying this often...you do not need to follow this recipe exactly. I came up with this to use what I had on hand but I've substitued diced tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes when I don't have fresh. Sometimes I don't use capers. One thing you should keep in mind is that if the sauce is thick you may not need to add the cornstarch. If it's too watery from fresh tomatoes and you want it thicker then add a little or if you like it loose that's fine too. :-)

I tried a new technique with my camera. I shut off the flash and adjusted the lighting through the computer. I'm not sure if it's better or not. I'm new to this and I also have a new camera so any advice would be lovely!


Italian Chicken with Couscous


Ingredients:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp capers, drained
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup chardonnay or any dry white wine
1 can chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 box Near East toasted pine nut couscous

Directions:

Rinse chicken, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp butter and a little oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from pan and keep warm on a plate tented with foil.

In same pan add remaining butter and oil (if needed), onion and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes or until onions are soft. Add tomatoes and a little chicken broth while scraping browned bits from pan. Add olives, capers, salt and pepper to skillet. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat and cover pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions and substitute chicken broth for water. (May be a little short on broth so add water if needed) Stir together wine and cornstarch; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken to pan and any juices that accumulated in the dish. Stir in basil. Let cook for 2 minutes more.

Serve sauce over chicken and couscous.

Roasted Peppers

We're in an age where everything is simplified for us. We can do our banking online, go to a drive through for our morning coffee and go to school without leaving the comforts of our own homes. Technology is great, it makes our lives easier but in my opinion it also makes us lazy and dependant. I always loved hearing stories from Nanny about how she brought her laundry to the lake to do her washing or my father's stories about the different peddlers who strolled the streets selling their goods. This is a different age and there are many things that have become lost or forgotten. I know it's hard to resist the supermarkets temptations of pre-made meals and jarred sauces, I myself have been known to give in to the "fast and easy monster". Today I wanted to do things a little different and the result is well worth the time and effort. Next time you make a fresh antipasta platter think twice about opening that jar of roasted peppers. Try roasting them yourself! You'll love the fresh taste, I can guarantee it!

Roasted Peppers

It’s really quite easy to roast peppers. There are a few different methods but this is the one I like the best. I use red peppers because they are the sweetest.

Brush peppers with olive oil and put on a hot grill on medium heat.



Leave peppers alone, don’t fuss with them until they blister and begin to turn black in some areas. Turn and do the same until all four sides are roasted and blistered.



Put peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave peppers alone to steam and the skins will loosen from the flesh. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off skin and discard.





Dress peppers with fresh garlic, basil, salt and extra virgin olive oil. There are no measurements for this. Use as much or as little as you like. Eat room temperature or cold.

Roasted Peppers

We're in an age where everything is simplified for us. We can do our banking online, go to a drive through for our morning coffee and go to school without leaving the comforts of our own homes. Technology is great, it makes our lives easier but in my opinion it also makes us lazy and dependant. I always loved hearing stories from Nanny about how she brought her laundry to the lake to do her washing or my father's stories about the different peddlers who strolled the streets selling their goods. This is a different age and there are many things that have become lost or forgotten. I know it's hard to resist the supermarkets temptations of pre-made meals and jarred sauces, I myself have been known to give in to the "fast and easy monster". Today I wanted to do things a little different and the result is well worth the time and effort. Next time you make a fresh antipasta platter think twice about opening that jar of roasted peppers. Try roasting them yourself! You'll love the fresh taste, I can guarantee it!

Roasted Peppers

It’s really quite easy to roast peppers. There are a few different methods but this is the one I like the best. I use red peppers because they are the sweetest.

Brush peppers with olive oil and put on a hot grill on medium heat.



Leave peppers alone, don’t fuss with them until they blister and begin to turn black in some areas. Turn and do the same until all four sides are roasted and blistered.



Put peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave peppers alone to steam and the skins will loosen from the flesh. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off skin and discard.





Dress peppers with fresh garlic, basil, salt and extra virgin olive oil. There are no measurements for this. Use as much or as little as you like. Eat room temperature or cold.

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs and The Dinner Divas

If you ever moved to a new state you know how difficult it is to make new friends. It's hard enough on children but eventually they make friends in school, during sports and other after school activities. If you're an adult it's even harder. There really isn't anywhere to meet people if you have moved to a state where you don't know more than one person. This was my problem when I moved to New Jersey with Steve. I decided to be brave and reach out to people on the Internet and join some groups. I'm a busy girl these days. The group that is closest to my heart is "The Dinner Divas". We are a group of young women who get together once a month and eat wonderful homemade food that we have made. Each month one of us hosts a themed meal of our choice and the rest of the members contribute an appetizer, dessert or wine. I've made some great friends through this group and I hope it's something that we'll continue for years. I'd like to take this time to thank my Dinner Divas friends, you guys are great! I truly appreciate the commitment that everyone makes to the group each month and always look forward to seeing my friends!

If you have any questions about how to start a dinner group in your own area feel free to email me at myitaliangrandmother@hotmail.com.

This past weekend Janet hosted a Sweet and Savory themed dinner. My job was to make an appetizer so I decided on Sweet and Sour Meatballs. A friend's mother used to make these but I never made them myself and didn't have a recipe. I looked it up online and found a recipe from Sicilian Home Cooking. Check it out. I have adapted the recipe to meet my tastes which was my basic meatball recipe with some raisins and pine nuts mixed in to continue the sweet and savory theme and used their directions for making the sweet and sour onions. I made them Swedish meatball size but of course they can be made larger.

The result was awesome! I'm really excited about this recipe and I plan on making this more often! So, without further adieu, here is my recipe!

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 lbs ground beef (85% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup milk
1 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup bread crumbs
Garlic powder and onion powder
1 handful raisins
1 handful of pine nuts

Sweet and Sour Onions:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Sprinkle beef with garlic powder and onion powder. Just enough to lightly cover meat. Then add all ingredients, mix to combine. Form meatballs and fry in olive oil. Set aside and drain on paper towels.

Add onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté onions in extra virgin olive oil on low heat until they become tender. Do not allow them to brown.

Stir in vinegar, sugar and water.

Return meatballs to pan and gently toss in sauce. Let them cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and cool. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs and The Dinner Divas

If you ever moved to a new state you know how difficult it is to make new friends. It's hard enough on children but eventually they make friends in school, during sports and other after school activities. If you're an adult it's even harder. There really isn't anywhere to meet people if you have moved to a state where you don't know more than one person. This was my problem when I moved to New Jersey with Steve. I decided to be brave and reach out to people on the Internet and join some groups. I'm a busy girl these days. The group that is closest to my heart is "The Dinner Divas". We are a group of young women who get together once a month and eat wonderful homemade food that we have made. Each month one of us hosts a themed meal of our choice and the rest of the members contribute an appetizer, dessert or wine. I've made some great friends through this group and I hope it's something that we'll continue for years. I'd like to take this time to thank my Dinner Divas friends, you guys are great! I truly appreciate the commitment that everyone makes to the group each month and always look forward to seeing my friends!

If you have any questions about how to start a dinner group in your own area feel free to email me at myitaliangrandmother@hotmail.com.

This past weekend Janet hosted a Sweet and Savory themed dinner. My job was to make an appetizer so I decided on Sweet and Sour Meatballs. A friend's mother used to make these but I never made them myself and didn't have a recipe. I looked it up online and found a recipe from Sicilian Home Cooking. Check it out. I have adapted the recipe to meet my tastes which was my basic meatball recipe with some raisins and pine nuts mixed in to continue the sweet and savory theme and used their directions for making the sweet and sour onions. I made them Swedish meatball size but of course they can be made larger.

The result was awesome! I'm really excited about this recipe and I plan on making this more often! So, without further adieu, here is my recipe!

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 lbs ground beef (85% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup milk
1 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup bread crumbs
Garlic powder and onion powder
1 handful raisins
1 handful of pine nuts

Sweet and Sour Onions:

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Sprinkle beef with garlic powder and onion powder. Just enough to lightly cover meat. Then add all ingredients, mix to combine. Form meatballs and fry in olive oil. Set aside and drain on paper towels.

Add onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté onions in extra virgin olive oil on low heat until they become tender. Do not allow them to brown.

Stir in vinegar, sugar and water.

Return meatballs to pan and gently toss in sauce. Let them cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and cool. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

No Excuse Steak Pizziaola

When people tell me they can't cook it baffles me. I understand that some things may be too difficult, have too many ingredients or may even be too exotic. I get that, however, there are some dishes that are so easy to make it's difficult NOT to do it. Well folks, it doesn't get easier than this. There are only a handful of ingredients and there is no special technique but the taste is so great that if you serve it to guests they will never know how easy it is!





Steak Pizziaola

Ingredients:

1 package small steaks (sometimes labeled chicken steaks)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Italian seasoning
dried basil
salt and pepper
2 – 14 oz cans Delmonte Tomato Sauce or 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
½ can petite peas

Directions:

Add garlic, Italian seasoning and basil to oil on medium low heat. Add the steaks and brown on both sides.




Add tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Let simmer for 1 hour.




Remove steaks from pan and cut into bite sized pieces, removing vein. I took a close up picture of the steak so you can see the vein. It goes right down the middle of the steak and is very easy to remove.


Return steak pieces to sauce and add peas and stir. Let peas heat through.
Serve over egg noodles ( I like to use no yolk noodles).

My mom makes this dish a lot and she never cuts out the vein. We always did it in our own plates. Well, my honey is a little finicky and to save myself the aggravation I do this before it gets in his plate. Sigh, the things we do for love...

No Excuse Steak Pizziaola

When people tell me they can't cook it baffles me. I understand that some things may be too difficult, have too many ingredients or may even be too exotic. I get that, however, there are some dishes that are so easy to make it's difficult NOT to do it. Well folks, it doesn't get easier than this. There are only a handful of ingredients and there is no special technique but the taste is so great that if you serve it to guests they will never know how easy it is!





Steak Pizziaola

Ingredients:

1 package small steaks (sometimes labeled chicken steaks)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Italian seasoning
dried basil
salt and pepper
2 – 14 oz cans Delmonte Tomato Sauce or 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
½ can petite peas

Directions:

Add garlic, Italian seasoning and basil to oil on medium low heat. Add the steaks and brown on both sides.




Add tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Let simmer for 1 hour.




Remove steaks from pan and cut into bite sized pieces, removing vein. I took a close up picture of the steak so you can see the vein. It goes right down the middle of the steak and is very easy to remove.


Return steak pieces to sauce and add peas and stir. Let peas heat through.
Serve over egg noodles ( I like to use no yolk noodles).

My mom makes this dish a lot and she never cuts out the vein. We always did it in our own plates. Well, my honey is a little finicky and to save myself the aggravation I do this before it gets in his plate. Sigh, the things we do for love...

Should I be concerned?

In 2 years and 9 months, Steve and I have consumed many, many, bottles of wine. Enough that we have filled up this entire urn with corks. In all fairness we didn't drink ALL of them alone. We had company and some parties but I guess for the most part we'll have to take responsibility. Do you think we have a problem??? Sometimes, I wonder if my parents think we do! LOL We're fine...not to worry. We just enjoy our wine and started collecting corks since we started dating. They are overflowing now and I think the time has come, not to get rid of them but to make them into something. Maybe a corkboard? Any suggestions???

Should I be concerned?

In 2 years and 9 months, Steve and I have consumed many, many, bottles of wine. Enough that we have filled up this entire urn with corks. In all fairness we didn't drink ALL of them alone. We had company and some parties but I guess for the most part we'll have to take responsibility. Do you think we have a problem??? Sometimes, I wonder if my parents think we do! LOL We're fine...not to worry. We just enjoy our wine and started collecting corks since we started dating. They are overflowing now and I think the time has come, not to get rid of them but to make them into something. Maybe a corkboard? Any suggestions???

la la la Chicken - aka Chicken Marsala

I can't help but laugh as I read my chosen title for this post. You guys must think I'm one strange cat but really it's not me that's crazy, it's my brother-in-law, Thomas. Yes Thomas, I'm writing about YOU! Thomas has chosen to make fun of my cooking endeavors, my blogging and every club and new project I seem to get myself involved in. I know it's out of love (most of the time) so I'm not too upset, in fact, it is kinda funny. A couple of weeks ago while I was at my parents' house, Tommy wanted to know, what I was making...was it la la la something or other. I know he was teasing me because I'm usually making something different from the usual and what he considered fancy so the "la la la" is his take on "a la" (like chicken a la fill in the blank). Anyway, to get to the point, this post is about la la la chicken or as I like to call it Chicken Marsala.

I've made Chicken Marsala multiple times. I've tried different recipes from different Chef's but nothing ever tasted the way I know it should taste. So this time I decided NOT to follow a recipe and just wing it. Well, I'm glad I did because it turned out perfect this time! The only problem is that I'm worried that I may not be able to give you an accurate recipe...bear with me, I'm going to do my best!

La La La Chicken aka Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

1 package thin sliced chicken cutlets
1 egg
flour
salt and pepper
Romano Cheese
1 package cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 package shitake mushrooms, cleaned, destemmed and sliced
3/4 cup Marsala wine
garlic - 3 cloves minced, 2 cloves cracked
fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup chives, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1 small onion (or 2 shallots), sliced.
1 cup chicken broth
butter
Olive Oil


Directions:

• Season about a cup of flour with salt and pepper and set aside in dish. In a medium bowl beat one egg with salt, pepper and a little romano cheese. Dredge cutlets in egg mixture and then cover in a light coating of flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan. Saute chicken until lightly browned and set aside. You may need to add a little more butter and oil if the pan is dry.
• Add another tablespoon of butter and saute mushrooms with cracked garlic until brown. Remove from pan and set aside, discard garlic.
• Saute onions, scallions, chives and chopped garlic, add more butter if needed. Do not brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add some flour(approx 2 tablespoons) to make a roux (mixture of flour and butter that is a thickener), stir and let cook for about one minute. Add marsala wine. Let cook for about 5 minutes and then add the cooked mushrooms to the pan. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes and add chicken broth (a little at a time) until you have enough sauce to coat chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. This shouldn't take too long to cook. It's ready when the sauce no longer tastes like pure marsala wine.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and stir. Return chicken cutlets to pan just to heat through.

I hope this wasn't too confusing. I didn't measure anything so it was hard to write up this recipe. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me and if something is unclear let me know and I will fix it.

There are a few things I'd like to mention before I go. Any type of mushroom can be used in this dish. I used what we like but sliced portabellas can be used or even buttons mushrooms (although I don't know why anyone would use these ever). Use what you like, what you have on hand, what makes you happy. You get the idea. There is one universal rule that I'd like to share. Never rinse your mushrooms under water or soak them in water. This makes them rubbery. All you need to do is brush away the dirt with a cloth or paper towel and they will be fine to eat. Most mushrooms have edible stems. Just cut off a small piece at the end since it's dry and cut the rest of the stems along with the mushrooms. However, shitake mushrooms are different. Their ends are woody, tough and inedible. Just pop them off and slice the caps.

Egged and floured chicken sauting in butter and oil mixture.




Shitake mushroom before stem is removed.



Removed stem of shitake mushroom. Look how fibrous it is. You don't want to eat that!




Mushrooms and Garlic.



Chicken and Mushrooms simmering on the stove.

la la la Chicken - aka Chicken Marsala

I can't help but laugh as I read my chosen title for this post. You guys must think I'm one strange cat but really it's not me that's crazy, it's my brother-in-law, Thomas. Yes Thomas, I'm writing about YOU! Thomas has chosen to make fun of my cooking endeavors, my blogging and every club and new project I seem to get myself involved in. I know it's out of love (most of the time) so I'm not too upset, in fact, it is kinda funny. A couple of weeks ago while I was at my parents' house, Tommy wanted to know, what I was making...was it la la la something or other. I know he was teasing me because I'm usually making something different from the usual and what he considered fancy so the "la la la" is his take on "a la" (like chicken a la fill in the blank). Anyway, to get to the point, this post is about la la la chicken or as I like to call it Chicken Marsala.

I've made Chicken Marsala multiple times. I've tried different recipes from different Chef's but nothing ever tasted the way I know it should taste. So this time I decided NOT to follow a recipe and just wing it. Well, I'm glad I did because it turned out perfect this time! The only problem is that I'm worried that I may not be able to give you an accurate recipe...bear with me, I'm going to do my best!

La La La Chicken aka Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

1 package thin sliced chicken cutlets
1 egg
flour
salt and pepper
Romano Cheese
1 package cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 package shitake mushrooms, cleaned, destemmed and sliced
3/4 cup Marsala wine
garlic - 3 cloves minced, 2 cloves cracked
fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup chives, sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1 small onion (or 2 shallots), sliced.
1 cup chicken broth
butter
Olive Oil


Directions:

• Season about a cup of flour with salt and pepper and set aside in dish. In a medium bowl beat one egg with salt, pepper and a little romano cheese. Dredge cutlets in egg mixture and then cover in a light coating of flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan. Saute chicken until lightly browned and set aside. You may need to add a little more butter and oil if the pan is dry.
• Add another tablespoon of butter and saute mushrooms with cracked garlic until brown. Remove from pan and set aside, discard garlic.
• Saute onions, scallions, chives and chopped garlic, add more butter if needed. Do not brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add some flour(approx 2 tablespoons) to make a roux (mixture of flour and butter that is a thickener), stir and let cook for about one minute. Add marsala wine. Let cook for about 5 minutes and then add the cooked mushrooms to the pan. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes and add chicken broth (a little at a time) until you have enough sauce to coat chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. This shouldn't take too long to cook. It's ready when the sauce no longer tastes like pure marsala wine.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and stir. Return chicken cutlets to pan just to heat through.

I hope this wasn't too confusing. I didn't measure anything so it was hard to write up this recipe. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me and if something is unclear let me know and I will fix it.

There are a few things I'd like to mention before I go. Any type of mushroom can be used in this dish. I used what we like but sliced portabellas can be used or even buttons mushrooms (although I don't know why anyone would use these ever). Use what you like, what you have on hand, what makes you happy. You get the idea. There is one universal rule that I'd like to share. Never rinse your mushrooms under water or soak them in water. This makes them rubbery. All you need to do is brush away the dirt with a cloth or paper towel and they will be fine to eat. Most mushrooms have edible stems. Just cut off a small piece at the end since it's dry and cut the rest of the stems along with the mushrooms. However, shitake mushrooms are different. Their ends are woody, tough and inedible. Just pop them off and slice the caps.

Egged and floured chicken sauting in butter and oil mixture.




Shitake mushroom before stem is removed.



Removed stem of shitake mushroom. Look how fibrous it is. You don't want to eat that!




Mushrooms and Garlic.



Chicken and Mushrooms simmering on the stove.

Mom's Meat Sauce

Growing up I always thought that this was bolognese but now I know that a traditional bolognese has some veggies and wine in it and takes a long time to cook. This is a much simpler version but still adds another layer of flavor and depth to the sauce. As always I change some minor things like how I season the meat but the end result pretty much comes out the same. We were over my parents' house on Sunday and my mom made this with rigatoni. It was delicious and I'm proud to say that mine and hers tastes almost exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar


Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Serve over pasta.

Mom's Meat Sauce

Growing up I always thought that this was bolognese but now I know that a traditional bolognese has some veggies and wine in it and takes a long time to cook. This is a much simpler version but still adds another layer of flavor and depth to the sauce. As always I change some minor things like how I season the meat but the end result pretty much comes out the same. We were over my parents' house on Sunday and my mom made this with rigatoni. It was delicious and I'm proud to say that mine and hers tastes almost exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar


Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Serve over pasta.