Recipes

Imported Italian gorgonzola, tallegio, and tartufu truffle cheese, proscuitto Di Parma and Tuscan garlic bread

Rustic Italian










Pasta Bolognese

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic/ minced

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1 or 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and ground pork mixture.

1 cup of white wine

Salt, pepper, nutmeg, two bay leafs

1 cup of chicken broth

3/4 or so of fat free half and half

15 or so ounces of tomato purée

Parmesan reggiano cheese

A bunch sprigs of finely chopped flat leaf parsley.

1 pound of pasta. I like cavatappi with this recipe, but whatever you prefer is fine. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Al dente!

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep pan. Add onion, garlic and carrots sauté until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Medium heat is fine.

Add the meat mixture and brown and crumble. Drain the fat.
Add wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg and bay leafs. Cook for about five minutes. Add the sautéed onion, garlic mixture, tomato purée and broth. Stir and cook for about 45 minutes to one hour.

Add half and half and cook for another 30 -40 minutes. Add finely chopped parsley and remove bay leaves. Top with cheese

I don’t cook with exact measurements or set cook times. I sprinkle in what looks and feels about right and I taste often as I go along. If looks and tastes good, it’s done. Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi

2 teaspoons of olive oil and a pat of butter

1 pound of shrimp peeled and deveined

5 garlic cloves minced (I love garlic and five is my lucky number, you can add less if you want)

1/2 cup of white wine (estimate)

Finely chopped flat leaf parsley…a handful before chopped

Salt, pepper and 1 fresh lemon

Heat oil and butter over medium heat/ add shrimp and garlic and sauté. Do not brown the garlic. Add the wine, pour it over. Bring to a boil. If the shrimp look done, reduce heat and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the shrimp. Don’t use the whole lemon, chop up the other half for garnish. Stir, remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy with wine and crusty bread!


Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove- cracked

1 cup of white wine

1/3 of pound of Gruyere cheese (shredded)

3/4 pound of cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 tablespoon of flour

Crack the garlic and rub in the inside of the fondue pot or non-stick sauce pan. Bring the wine to a boil on medium heat, stir in the cheese slowly and whisk until melted smooth. Add a tablespoon of flour to thicken. Feel free to experiment with your cheese combination. Some of my favorites are Swiss, Queso Blanco etc. Serve with baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and baguette. Enjoy!

World's Best Pumpkin Bread

Full disclosure, I hate baking, but this Libby's pumpkin bread is easy and flavorful!

3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
3 cups of sugar
1 15ounce can of LIBBY'S pumpkin. (Don't buy the store brand- I swear it makes a difference)
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 cup of  dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9x5inch loaf pans

Combine all the ingredients beat until blended and fold in the cranberries. Pour into greased loaf pans.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Recipes makes two loaves.

Chicken Cacciatore

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 pound or so of boneless skinless chicken thighs or a split chicken- boneless/skinless is recommended

1 green pepper- sliced

1 red pepper- sliced

half of sweet onion- sliced

1 sprig of fresh oregano and rosemary- chopped/ Dried is fine too, teaspoon 1/2 of each.

1 8oz package of fresh sliced baby Bella mushrooms

4 garlic cloves- minced

1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of dry red wine

15- 20oz of tomato sauce

Serving size- 4 small servings. Use additional chicken for larger serving sizes and increase the tomato sauce accordingly.

On medium/high heat lightly brown the chicken (two minutes on each side)

 

Remove the chicken from pan. Add the sliced peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to pan, add the oregano and rosemary; add the wine and broth and simmer for a minute or two. Add the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for 20- 25 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. If you are using chicken on the bone you will need to cook the sauce for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy with some crusty bread and a fine glass of chianti.

On a side note- I was fortunate enough to use fresh herbs grown out of my garden!