Cooking Show: Italian Recipes!

We recently filmed another episode of the cooking show.

My friend, Nick, joined me and we prepared a few recipes that showcased our love of Italian food (and drinks)!

(Click on the links to be taken to the recipes.)

We started off with Limoncello Limonata.  We made our own fresh-squeezed lemonade and added 

Limoncello.  

Next, Spinach, Pomegranate & Feta Salad, with a Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I usually make this salad with grilled chicken, but tonight we omitted the chicken because we didn't want the salad to compete with our main dish:

Braciole!

Nick and I both agree that braciole is one of our favorite Italian recipes.  My recipe for braciole doesn't stray too far from old school-- rolled with garlic, parsley and cheese and simmered in a red sauce.

I think there is another show in our future.  Nick has some creative methods of preparing braciole with different fillings and sauces...at some point we are going to film Braciole Part II!

Finally, Cannoli Dip!  

You have to do a teensy bit of advance prep--but once the ricotta has been drained you can whip this up in about 2 minutes.  Break a few ice cream cones and pizzelles into bite-sized pieces and start dipping!

Spinach, Pomegranate & Feta Salad with Chicken

If my husband had his way, we'd be grilling steak several times a week and serving those steaks with a side of potatoes.  He's totally a meat and potatoes sort of guy.

If you've followed my blog at all, you know quite well that I don't cook red meat very often.  Chicken recipes outnumber steak recipes, 43-6.

A teensy bit lopsided, for sure.

I don't think he shares my affinity for salads, but I sure am grateful that he doesn't complain;  better yet, he really LIKED this salad! Caitie and I liked it so much, I figured that I better blog about it so that I'll remember the combo of ingredients that I used.

Today's Playlist

• "Seven Nation Army"...The White Stripes
• "All Apologies"...Nirvana
• "Re-Education"...Rise Against
• "What I Got"...Sublime
• "Brain Stew"...Green Day
• "Bulletproof Heart"...My Chemical Romance"
• "Level"...The Raconteurs

Spinach, Pomegranate & Feta Salad with Chicken (serves 2-4)

Printable Recipe

Salad ingredients:

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 8 oz cooked chicken, sliced

Dressing ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• salt and pepper, to taste

Gather your ingredients.

There's really not much prep to this recipe--remove the seeds from the pomegranate, zest the lemon, slice your chicken and chop the chives.  Mix up the dressing and then throw it all together!

This is how I remove the seeds from a pomegranate: first, using a sharp knife, score around the outer shell.

Pry the pomegranate open along the score lines.  Hold each half over a bowl (seed side-down), and bang the sides of the pomegranate half with a wooden spoon.  

Most of the seeds will fall into the bowl.  There will be some left inside. I use my fingers to pull the remaining seeds out, but if anyone has any suggestions for easier methods to de-seed a pomegranate I'd love to hear about it!

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until combined.

Place the spinach, feta and pomegranate seeds into a large bowl.

Drizzle with the dressing.  Toss to combine.

Place heaping servings into individual bowls. Top with sliced chicken and sprinkle with chives.

Enjoy.

Cooking Show: Our Favorite Ina Garten Recipes

The theme for our most recent cooking show was suggested by a friend of mine who absolutely loves, loves, LOVES Ina Garten.

"Have you ever thought of doing a show featuring Ina Garten recipes?" was all she had to say to convince me that it would be the next theme for the show.  So we picked out a few recipes (I admit we had trouble narrowing it down to a few!  We'll have to do another show in the future).

 

We started with Pomegranate Cosmos.  Whew, they sure do pack a punch.  After a few sips, we all agreed that they were extremely refreshing and would be a great summer cocktail!

Next up: Cape Cod Chopped Salad.  Was it my love for arugula that made me choose this recipe?  My affinity for Cape Cod? My fondness for adding fruit to my salads?  Because...bacon?  Who knows?  The only thing you need to know is that this salad is out-of-this-world delicious! 

I asked my friend, Trish (an expert on all things Ina), if she had a favorite Ina Garten recipe.  Her reply:  "Shrimp Scampi!"  I googled it and the first recipe that popped up was for Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi, which was not the scampi recipe that Trish was referring to; however, we both agreed that it looked so good that we had to give it a try!

This scampi was outstanding.  It didn't take long to disappear!  One of the participants in our dining room audience may have asked me for the recipe before she even swallowed her first bite, it was that good.

The last recipe we prepared was my recipe for Croque Monsieur, which I've altered over the years but the first time I made it I followed Ina's version.

 Do you notice anything else in this picture, something I haven't mentioned yet?

Truffle Tots!!

Not an Ina Garten recipe, but I did promise in a previous blogpost that I would post about my truffle tots soon-- click here to be taken to that recipe!

Croque Monsieur on a Croissant!

I don't know when I first became aware of the French ham and cheese sandwich known as Croque Monsieur.  Somewhere, someway, I either read about it or heard it mentioned often enough that I knew what it was, even if I had no idea what it really looked like.

My obsession, however, truly began in 2009...when I saw It's Complicated.  I'm glad "Thou shalt not covet the belongings of Meryl Streep's movie character" is not a commandment because I would still be saying penance. Hopefully, you've seen this movie and know what I'm talking about!  In the moments between the times I was laughing uncontrollably, most of my thoughts while I watched this movie were along the lines of

-"I want her house!"
-"I want her garden!"
-"I want her bakery!"
-"I want (John Krasinski's character) to be my future son-in-law!"
-"I want her purple suede boots!"

The food scenes were drool-worthy.  In one scene, when she took a baking pan out of the oven I think I may have actually said out loud, "What is that!?"  And when Alec Baldwin's character answered the question for me and said, "Is that croque monsieur?" I mentally made a note that I just had to make croque monsieur for myself.  After I bought a pair of purple suede boots, of course.  I'm still waiting for my future son-in-law to come and sweep my daughter off her feet.

She's going to hate me for writing that.

As luck would have it, Ina Garten's Croque Monsieur  popped up when I googled this recipe for the first time.  I've made a few adaptations--I use significantly less cheese, and instead of bread I decided a French sandwich calls for a croissant, oui?

Individual Braciole

There are probably as many different braciole recipes out there as there are chefs to cook them!

Different fillings, different preparation methods--adjust the fillings to suit your taste.

I keep my filling really simple--just garlic, parsley and romano cheese.  Just enough to season the beef!

If you google "braciole" you'll find lots of different variations.  I like to cut the flank steak into individual portions, which goes against the grain--pun intended, ha!--of some purists.  Others butterfly the steak so there is one huge, albeit thinner, steak to roll up.  Some people add pine nuts, additional spices, bread crumbs, sliced cheese, sausage or prosciutto.  I'm sure I left out lots of other possible additions.  Feel free to fill your braciole with whatever ingredients you like!

Today's Playlist

• "Learn To Fly"...Foo Fighters
• "Another One Bites the Dust"...Queen
• "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"...The Clash
• "Troublemaker"...Weezer
• "Back Against the Wall"...Cage the Elephant
• "The Denial Twist"...The White Stripes
• "Love and Affection"...Neon Trees
• "Chelsea Dagger"...The Fratellis

Cooking Show: Mother's Day!

We taped a cooking show last week with a Mother's Day theme.  Even though Mother's Day is still a month away, we figured we'd throw some ideas out there for those who are looking to cook up something special for Mom!

My friend, Maribeth, cooked with me.  You can see her apron in the background of this picture...we wore our special "Mommy's Helping Hands" aprons that our daughters made us for Mother's Day when they were in kindergarten.  

I don't know how many of those aprons from Mother's Day 2001 are still in existence...I think that there could be a few other moms from the Daisy troop who are as sappy and sentimental as Maribeth and I, and I'd bet they still have their aprons. (hint: Joanie, Sophia & Tina--I'm talking to YOU!)

What did we cook?  Well, we thought we'd come up with a menu that featured recipes we wish that someone would make for us.  On Mother's Day, or any day!

To start the day:  Cap'n Crunch French Toast with Berry Syrup.  With whipped cream on top.

Of course I neglected to take a decent picture during the show.  It's that dish in the center.  Click here to be taken to the printable recipe.

Here's an archive picture, from last month.  

I wish that I had cut into it, so you could see the crunchy goodness of the outside and the fluffy contrast of the inside!

Maribeth and I sipped our Raspberry Lemonade Martinis while we cooked.  We think Mom might appreciate these drinks on Mother's Day as well!  To make them (serves 2):

• Rim 2 martini glasses with sugar
• drop a lemon drop into each glass
• combine 1 1/2 oz limoncello and 1 1/2 oz Stoli Razberi vodka in an ice-filled cocktail shaker
• shake well, then evenly strain into the glasses
• top with 4 oz pink lemonade
• add a twist of lemon
• cheers!

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Because after eating Cap'n Crunch French Toast for breakfast, this light & tasty salad is about all Mom will be able to handle for lunch!

And a lighter dinner would probably be a good idea as well.  These Open-Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Garlic Mayo & Pancetta fit that bill!

And for a sweet finish on Mother's Day, you can't go wrong with Sliced Pear with Prosciutto & Honey!

Open-Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Garlic Mayo & Pancetta

These sandwiches are my latest obsession.

I thought I would wait until summer to blog about this recipe.  You know, because that would be when tomatoes are in season, and perhaps I'd make them with heirloom tomatoes of differing colors so that the photos would be beautiful.

But then I considered that lackluster winter tomatoes don't stop me from wanting to make these sandwiches twice a week!  There's just so much else going on--the crunchy sourdough bread, the garlicky mayo, the salty pancetta--all the different flavors screaming for attention.

Take it from me: don't wait until it's summertime to make these sandwiches.  Make them today!

Sliced Pear with Prosciutto and Honey

Are you craving a salty-sweet snack?

If you have one pear, one slice of prosciutto and a teaspoon of honey on hand, you can whip up a tray of these in a jiffy!

Today's Playlist

• "No Rain"...Blind Melon
• "I'm Shakin'"...Jack White
• "Dani California"...Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Dirty Little Secret"...All-American Rejects
• "Riptide"...Vance Joy
• "Everybody Talks"...Neon Trees

Sliced Pear with Prosciutto and Honey

Printable Recipe

• 1 medium-sized pear (I used an anjou pear, use what you like)
• 1 paper-thin slice of prosciutto
• 1 teaspoon honey

Note: the prosciutto may be baked in advance.  To prevent the pear from turning brown, however, it should not be sliced too far in advance of serving!

Gather your ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the prosciutto onto the parchment.  When your oven is ready, bake the prosciutto until crisp (about 10 minutes).

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

While you're waiting for the prosciutto to cool down, slice your pear into slices approximately 1/4-inch thick.  Discard the two end slices.

Stack the slices and slice through the middle.

Use a paring knife to remove any seeds/discoloration from the center of the slices.

Arrange the slices onto a serving platter.

Place the honey into a small bowl or dish and microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds.  This will cut down on the viscosity of the honey and make it easier to brush onto the pears.

Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the surface of the slices with honey.  

Brushing the pears with honey helps the crumbled prosciutto to stick to the slices and not fall off and go down the front of your shirt when you bite into the pear.

Not that I would know anything about that.

Crumble the slice of prosciutto over the pear slices and serve immediately.

 Enjoy.

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

I swear all it takes is a few days of mild (60's) temperature and I'm practically in full summer mode.

And when I spot a perfect wedge of watermelon in the produce department--it's out of season, what am I doing even looking in that direction (see full summer mode, above)--I can't help but decide that one way to validate my summer mood is to make a watermelon salad.

It was so good I went back to the store the next day and bought another piece of watermelon...to make another salad with.  I changed up the ingredients a bit with the second one--used a different cheese (seared halloumi, omg), different nuts, different greens.  The only constants were watermelon and a simple balsamic vinaigrette (if you have balsamic vinegar, olive oil and dijon mustard on hand you can whip up your own dressing in 30 seconds).

Feel free to substitute the salad ingredients to suit your taste preferences!



Today's Playlist

• "Funky But Chic"...New York Dolls
• "Runaway Train"...Soul Asylum
• "The Zephyr Song"...Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "You Shook Me All Night Long"...AC/DC

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Printable Recipe

• 6 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 3 cups arugula
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

vinaigrette ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Gather your ingredients.

To make the vinaigrette: add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard into a small bowl.

Stir with a fork until combined.

Prep your ingredients: cut the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and chop the scallions.

To assemble the salad: place the watermelon, scallions, feta and pistachios into a large bowl.

Stir gently to combine.

Add the arugula.

And the spinach.  

 Add a grind or two of fresh pepper, to taste.  Lightly drizzle with half of the dressing and toss to coat.

Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

 Enjoy.