la bella vita

Our Super Bowl Spicy Chili!

2012-02-05T10:05:00.002-05:00

Are you ready for some football? For the Super Bowl today, we're about as ready as possible (mostly ready for all the hype to be over). Oh yes, we'll watch the game alright, and most importantly, we'll enjoy noshing on some good eats the entire time! On the menu is a pot of hot n' spicy chili, perfect for not only the big game, but also for a February Sunday afternoon even though the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is a spring-like 60 degrees. So it's not as though we needed some chili to warm up our innards, but rather to just keep with our Super Bowl game tradition! This chili recipe is a combination of a variety of recipes that I have married together throughout the years. It is though, fairly spicy in heat and includes three varieties of beans plus some corn. We just love it and I hope that you enjoy it too.

Favorite Spicy Hot Chili

4 Tbsp. olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced through a garlic press
2 - 3 cups finely chopped celery, including the leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
2 lbs. ground pork
4 - 5 lbs. ground lean ground round
1/2 can chopped jalapeno peppers . . . or better yet, 1/2 of one chopped fresh jalapeno pepper with seeds removed ~ ~ note that using the fresh option increases the level of heat (spiciness).
1/2 cup chili powder
1/3 cup cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 28-oz. cans peeled, whole or diced Italian tomatoes
3 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
4 cups water
Louisiana Hot Sauce - - generously sprinkle as much as you like (and we like our chili HOT!)
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Garnish:
Sour cream
Finely shredded 4-cheese Mexican cheese blend
Chopped green onion stems
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Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan.
Add the garlic, chopped onion, celery, and green pepper to saute'.
Add the pork and beef. Cook while constantly stirring and breaking down the chunks of meat, cooking until the meat is browned nicely.
Add all of the spices and stir until well blended.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.
Add the corn (really this is optional).
Add the jalapenos (use the amount you prefer for heat level).
Heat up the spiciness by adding Louisiana Hot Sauce, about 5 shots to begin with.
Adjust seasonings by adding more where desired, especially the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes!
Cook on low heat for about an hour to allow all of the flavors to blend, adding more water if the chili becomes to thick. Add a little water at a time until your preference of thickness is reached.
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Garnish with sour cream, Mexican cheese, and chopped green onion stems.
Serve with fresh cornbread and/or tortilla chips.
Also have small bowls of sour cream and Mexican cheese to pass around to your guests.
** This chili freezes very nicely too, since this is a big batch of chili!
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Steaks with Mushroom Sauce & Chive~Garlic Potatoes, Lightened Up!

2012-02-01T12:15:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read the name of the recipe correctly! Did I blow my healthy nutrition path that I've been on for a month now? Not at all! This is comfort food at it's best: Lightened up! This entree is also light in calories, coming in at about 326 calories for a 4-ounce portion. This month of February when the winds blow cold and we yearn for foods that keep us more warm and cozy inside, the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club prepared healthier versions for a wintery "Comfort Food" theme. Normally when I think of comfort foods, I think fattening, rib-sticking foods that are heavy enough to make me fall asleep on the spot. So I was really shocked to find so many lightened up recipes for comfy food on the Cooking Light web-site.

As the web-site states, "It doesn't get any heartier then a big piece of steak topped with savory mushroom gravy and paired with creamy mashed potatoes." So true! And here it is with reduced calories and fat for us. Yummo, it was comforting alright!

Trimming the fat off the beef helps reduce the calories, as well as sautéing the mushrooms in olive oil and red wine instead of butter. All that I can say is that I was totally fooled that this dish is lighter in calories. What a winner! It was even raved about by my picky, picky skinny, meta-high metabolism husband, Mr. M. and P.!

I was concerned that I'd gain weight from this entree, but in fact, my weight loss remained steady. However, you have to remember that I'm also working everything that I put into my mouth into the Weight Watchers program that I'm on as well. So here's another recipe for you to try. This really is delicious and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Don't forget to stop over to Val's "More Than Burnt Toast" blog, where she hosts this monthly gathering of healthy recipes from Cooking Light. I'm heading over there right now to see what everyone else prepared for this comfort food-focused winter season!

Steaks with Mushroom Sauce and Chive-Garlic Potatoes

4 (4-ounce) boneless rib-eye steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
Season with Nature's Seasons, Mrs. Dash, and any other that you prefer
3/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
1 - 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 Idaho russet potatoes
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook potatoes until done (either by microwaved, boiled, or baked in oven) and then set aside and keep warm.
Sprinkle steaks evenly with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt and any of your favorite herbs and spices.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add steaks to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add mushrooms to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown, stirring frequently.
Combine wine, 1/2 cup water, flour, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; stir well with a whisk.
Add wine mixture to pan; bring to a boil.
Cook 2 minutes or until thick; stir constantly. Remove from heat.
Mash the warm potatoes.
Stir in chives and garlic powder.
Place small mounds of potatoes on each plate.
Top each mound of mashed potatoes with 1 steak and about 1/4 cup mushroom sauce.
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Valentine's Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple Smoothie!

2012-01-29T13:35:00.003-05:00

No, it's not another green smoothie, but is still an extremely yummy strawberry, banana, pineapple smoothie and totally loaded with good stuff to help improve health and lightly de-tox. Plus the pink color is perfect for the upcoming St. Valentine's Day, one of my all-time favorite holidays, being a romantic at heart!

Today I hit the 10 pound weight loss point since the first week in January . . . I am doing this slowly and intelligently through a change in what I put in my tummy. I also joined Weight Watchers to someday have a body like spokeswoman, Jennifer Hudson (in my dreams at 56 years old!).

Oh, yes, I did blow it (eating healthfully) for one lunch this week when Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) and I stopped 'where the parking lot is full' at a local new and booming BBQ joint, "The Squealing Pig".

I caved!

However, I did order chicken instead of pulled pork and I did have sweet potato fries instead of regular white potato fries. Oh yea, baby . . . it was wonderful! And absolutely no sweet tea, just lemon water. Hey, one has to splurge every now and then to stay on this health journey, don't ya think?

Valentine's Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (this is your de-tox magic ingredient!)
10 medium to large strawberries
2 Tbsp. coconut water
1 tsp. local honey
1 tsp. chia seeds (swells to 8 times larger in your tummy to help you feel fuller)
2 ice cubes (to chill it)

Blend the banana, add the pineapple, blend again, add strawberries, blend again.
Add the rest and anything else that you like, blend again.

Enjoy the full feeling you get from this pretty pink drink!
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Pineapple, Spinach & Ginger Green De~Tox Smoothie!

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Am I having fun yet? I'm referring to all of these smoothie concoctions that I've been experimenting with. Well, yes and no. Truthfully I'd rather be stuffing my face with a deep dish double-layered Chicago style pizza, just to name one outrageously fattening food that I could choose from. But that's not going to happen for some time and only for a splurge when I visit my son in Chi-town.

So here's Smoothie recipe #2 that I posted a week or so ago. This green drink was much more effective in it's claim 'de-tox' due to the pineapple. I mean to tell you that you will be 'cleansing' (to put it nicely) alright!!! No doubt about the accuracy of the name 'de-tox' in this green potion! However, since I do not have a juicer, I couldn't churn up the pineapple and spinach into a 'true' smoothie. So it was a little more lumpy than the first smoothie. The taste was just fine though, and that's a key factor for acceptability in my book! You can't even taste the spinach and instead your tastebuds really pick up on the fruit and ginger elements. It's quite nice!

Here's the recipe for you if you'd like to try it:

Pineapple, Spinach, and Ginger De-Tox Green Smoothie

adapted from Zoomy Yummy

1 1/4 cup pineapple juice

juice from 1/4 lemon

handful fresh spinach leaves

2 slices fresh pineapple

1/4 tsp. fresh grated ginger

Place in a juicer or blender/food processor.

Give it a whirl.

Pour in glass.

Drink up.

Enjoy results!

Parmesan, Garlic & Basil Crusted Tilapia!

2012-01-21T21:26:00.010-05:00

I've been increasing the amount of fish in our nutrition lately and found this delightful recipe (among many) on the web (allrecipes.com). Normally I like to prepare fish with a lemon-garlic-butter brushed on top, so I was ready to try something new. This is very good and is quite adapted from the recipe on-line that sounded far too salty.

I combined it with a spinach and lettuce salad with avocado. The baked potato is supposed to be a 'no-no', but since I'm not perfect, neither was this meal! HA!

We enjoyed this delicious fish earlier this week and then prepared some salmon tonight with my trusty lemon-garlic-butter to get more of those healthy Omega-3's (click on the link in red italics for the recipe). I'd prepare this tilapia recipe again . . . but next time, no baked potato! Sweet potatoes are the acceptable healthier choice of potatoes now. Baked sweet potato fries would be awesome!

Parmesan, Garlic & Basil Crusted Tilapia
adapted from "allrecipes"

1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (may add up to 1/2 cup, but taste as you go)
1/4 cup butter, softened (I'd also recommend an Olive Oil butter replacement)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I'd use reduce calorie mayo next time)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
a pinch of celery salt (if you happen to have it on hand; or use another seasoned salt such as Old Bay)
2 pounds tilapia fillets
paprika to sprinkle on for garnish

Preheat oven broiler.
Spray pan with cooking spray (I use Olive Oil Cooking Spray).
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Season with dried basil, pepper, garlic powder and celery salt.
Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the fillets with more pepper, only if desired.
Broil a few inches from the heat for 4 minutes.
Flip the fillets over and broil for 2 more minutes.
Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side.
Sprinkle with paprika for color.
Broil until the topping is browned and the tilapia flakes easily with a fork.

Avocado with Cilantro Jalepeno Turkey Sammie & Green Smoothie!

2012-01-15T17:34:00.002-05:00

Losing weight is hell (at least for most people). That food we put in our mouthes had better be yummy and filling or it's all over. I'm an honest person and I'm not going to lie! It is is overwhelming how much research is out there now on how there's certain genetic predispositions, hormonal changes, metabolism changes, etc. etc. ad nauseum that sabotage our healthy weight. But it still all boils down to one simple notion that we all excuse away: getting rid of the crap that we've put in our bodies and putting in the good stuff instead! That and changing bad physical habits into positive habits such as getting off the damn couch and logging off (dare I say) the computer!

We've all heard the mantras:

Eat more fruits and veggies!

Eat more lean meats and (as Dr. Oz recommends) only one meat a week from a 4-legged animal . . . Mr. M. and P. has to suffer without his red meat. I'll suffer more without my pork! So it's hello to more chicken, turkey, fish, and vegetarian recipes.

Eliminate as much processed food as possible (no problem there)!

No fast food! Doable!

And more! I can't and do not want to list all of the proven strategies for improving our nutrition. I'll leave that to the tons of healthy nutrition lists on-line and in the plethora of nutrition and health books on the market!

But I did think that I'd share just a few things that I did this week to drop 2 pounds:

First of all, I don't have enough of the precious resource of time in my life, so the most important element of preparing something in my insanely busy life (and I'm working on that issue too), is that the healthier food and recipes must be SIMPLE!!!

Nothing could be simpler than the green de-tox smoothie and a wonderful sammie that I had over the weekend. The next post will be a wonderful tilapia recipe that I haven't uploaded the photos yet . . . you know, it's the time thing!

Turkey, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich with Jalepeno Cilantro Hummus

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 Tbsp. Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus (available at Whole Foods)

4 - 6 oz. sliced smoked turkey breast

lettuce or spinach leaves (your choice)

1/2 an avocado, sliced

2 - 3 tomato slices

a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Spicy Southwestern Spices no-salt blend

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toast bread

Spread the hummus on both slices of bread.

Layer each ingredient.

Sprinkle on Mrs. Dash and salt and pepper to taste!

Make any changes that you like!

Enjoy! This is very good, very filling, and has quite a nice kick to it!

There is no cheese in this sandwich (which causes me to frown) and there is no mayonnaise. The flavorful hummus and creamy avocado made up the difference very well!

And here's the very first green smoothie concoction that I have ever made. This was for a different lunch this past weekend and it is surprisingly delicious and filling! Again, I cannot tell a lie! Very easy, and quite fun to make as well.

Green De-Tox Weight-Loss Smoothie

(from 'nutrition to invigorate mind body and spirit)

1 - 2 bananas

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1/2 cup frozen mango

a couple handfuls of spinach

1/4 cup of water

ice (if desired)

Add more water if necessary

Since I don't have a juicer (on the wish list), I used a mini food processor and followed up with my trusty boat motor immersion blender to chop up the spinach leaves more. The results were just fine.

Again, this is a very good smoothie. I gulped it down instantly.

But of course . . . I was hungry!

I loved the addition of the mango to this smoothie!

I'd like to try pineapple as well.

De~Tox Smoothies for Health!

2012-01-08T08:34:00.005-05:00

I love clean living, whether it's inside my home, office, car, yard, and even my handbag. So if I am going to keep everything uncluttered on the outside, I've got to remember to keep it all as clean as possible on the inside . . . of myself! Over the holiday break from classes I had some time to watch TV and fell in love with all of the healthy advice provided by the Dr. Oz Show and web-site. So much invaluable information on nutrition is shared from a variety of experts that helps us understand just how much each organ of our bodies is affected by what we put into them. Dr. Oz has developed an especially effective de-tox and energizing green smoothie that's high in fiber, rich in vitamins, and low in calories.

I found several other green drinks/smoothies on Pinterest that have been given a nod for success that I'd like to try simply for variety. I've put those together below, along with the correct citation of their origins for you. Each of their creators say that they really have an increased level of energy to get through their busy days. Other benefits discovered are better weight loss, improved digestive and immune systems, and more radiant skin, nails, and hair! And who doesn't need and want those?

Each of these smoothie recipes are fast and easy to prepare. All that is needed are the ingredients and a blender. If you are fortunate enough to have a veggie blender, than of course you can use that.

Dr. Oz's Green Drink

2 apples, cored

2 big handfuls of spinach

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

1 celery stick, chopped

1 thumbnail length of ginger root, peeled

1 lemon - juice only (use peel slice for zest)

1 medium cucumber

Place ingredients in a blender, add 4 oz. spring water or a handful of ice cubes, then puree quickly for one minute. Makes two glasses of Dr. Oz’s green drink.

Green drink – Optional ingredients:

2nd cucumber

raw carrot

unsweetened fruit juice

banana

This green drink has a strong taste, so if you're used to sweet beverages,

the taste will take some getting used to. Dr. Oz suggests adding other items

at first to sweeten the green drink to your taste.

Anti-Aging Green Monster Drink

from Dr. Andrew Weil

This green drink is loaded with protective phyto-nutrients, found in fruits and vegetables, known to help boost your body's defenses against cancer and chronic degenerative diseases. It can help correct diet deficiencies - and tastes good, too. A perfect way to get your family to drink to their health.

1 cup apple Juice

1/4 cup carrot Juice

1/4 cup cucumber Juice

3/4 cup kale Juice

1/4 cup organic plain yogurt

1 tsp olivello juice (optional)

1 cup ice

If you don't have a juicer at home, buy good quality organic juices from the market.

If you do have your own juicer, start with organic produce;

the fresher the produce, the more juice it will yield.

You can juice the fruits and vegetables an hour ahead of time.

You can also freeze the juice in ice cube trays.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add more or less ice to get the desired consistency and flavor.

Classic Green Monster

from Oh She Glows

1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

1 ripe banana, preferably peeled + frozen

2 handfuls organic spinach

1 Tbsp. chia seeds or 1 Tbsp. ground flax

1 Tbsp. nut butter, optional

1-3 ice cubes

protein powder of choice, optional

Add in some powders too:

Navitas Maca powder

Vega Shake & Go

Amazing Grass Wheat Grass

De-Tox Smoothie

from Zoomy Yummy

1 1/4 cup pineapple juice

juice from 1/4 lemon

handful fresh spinach leaves

1/4 tsp. fresh grated ginger

Make Juice Not War Green Drink

from crazy sexy life

2 large cucumbers (peeled if not organic)

big fistful of kale

big fistful of sweet pea sprouts

4 – 5 stalks celery

1 – 2 big broccoli stems

1 pear or green apple (optional)

1 inch of ginger (or less)

Other optional greens: romaine, parsley, spinach and dandelion.

Green Smoothie for Weight Loss

from nutrition to Invigorate mind body and spirit

1-2 bananas

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1/2 cup frozen mango

a couple handfuls of spinach

water

ice (if desired)

Add enough water to blend

Lisa's Green Monster
from Green Monster Movement

1 handful of ice
1 handful of frozen fruit (strawberries, papaya, mango, bananas, and pineapple)
1 cup of almond milk
2 handfuls of spinach
1/2 c. to 3/4 c. of vanilla or plain yogurt
1 tbsp. of chia or flax seeds
1 tbsp. of honey
Simply place all ingredients in the blender

The Green Monster Movement blog has an incredible array of green drink recipes posted by readers! Here's just one more green drink to try!

2 cups spinach

2 cups cucumber

1 head of celery

1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root

1 bunch parsley

2 apples

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

I'll let you know how this goes!

Sangria Lightened Up!

2012-01-04T17:24:00.014-05:00

There's nothing quite like fresh citrus in the middle of winter! And in the citrus state of Florida where Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) and I just spent a few chilly days, this was a delightful recipe to enjoy and salute the new year! For my first healthy food recipe post of the new year, I chose a light version of a classic citrus drink to help me (and you) seriously start the year out right! It's also another great year for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club that's coordinated and hosted by the super health-minded and talented Val of "More Than Burnt Toast".

Like many of you, I love to try new recipes and new cuisines. The theme this month for the Cooking Light group is "Mexican -- Dreaming of a Summer Fiesta", which is a cuisine that I rarely prepare other than what we enjoy for party appetizers (especially our guacamole)! So here's a first for me: Sangria. This beautiful Mexican and Spanish beverage just sounded so fresh and citrus-y with all of the fruit and spices infused in the liquid concoction! Plus oranges, lemons, and limes are in the peak of season at this time. And so gorgeous to look at in the midst of a winter day!

If you live in an area where the skies are cloudy or gray, this colorful beverage should certainly brighten your day. And it tastes wonderful!

Sangria

1 (1.5-liter) bottle dry red wine, divided
2 Tbsp. brandy
2 Tbsp. Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh orange juice (fresh squeezed would be awesome!)
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
2 cups sparkling water, chilled
8 orange wedges
5 lemon slices
5 lime slices

I had a bottle of "Blu' Italy" Lemon Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

that I used for this Sangria. It added a little more lemon flavor, which we love.

Combine 1/2 cup wine, brandy, liqueur, and sugar in a 2-quart glass measure.
Microwave at high 1 minute or until mixture is warm; stir to dissolve sugar.
Stir in the remaining wine, juices, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. Chill at least 2 hours.
Strain mixture into a pitcher, and discard spices.
Just before serving, stir in sparkling water and the remaining ingredients.

Click on "Read More" for the rest of the gang's recipe selections to complete our Dreams of a Summer Fiesta

Sandi was brilliant in preparing Pork Hominy Chili
Val brought gorgeous Chicken Carne Asada Tacos with Pickled Onions
Giz, our newest member, cooked up Camarones Fritoes with Mexican Cocktail Sauce
Jerry finished up the fiesta with a lovely Mexican Chocolate Soufflé

I'm also adding this recipe to the new link-up in Australia at Anne's "Domesblissity's" Thriving On Thursdays:
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Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you!

Cheers to 2012!

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA

New Year's Day

Three Years of Deliciousness mark the end of 2011!

2011-12-29T19:02:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's been three years for 'la bella vita' as of this past October, and here we are once again at the end of another year! Time truly does pass by quickly, doesn't it? I know that all of us in the blogging world enjoy looking back at our original blog posts and seeing how our blogs have 'evolved' over time. I know that 'la bella vita' has certainly transformed since it's beginning in 2008. And what a unique and wonderful community of friends I've made in these three years!

This end-of-the-year post is my annual compilation of your 'favorites' that you've commented on the most and have also prepared in your own kitchens (the ultimate compliment). I have to agree with you, these are wonderful recipes, with some that were entirely new and some that are tried and true family recipes. I hope you enjoy this ensemble of good eats from 2011.

January, 2011's chill of winter, as usual, always presents opportunities to heat up the oven to prepare delicious recipes. For us, this oven-baked pork roast created by the late Craig Claiborne back in the 70's when my passion for cooking sprouted, is simply perfect. Dripping in a garlic-thyme-lemon-olive oil marinade, this Roast Pork with Garlic and Thyme never fails to warm us up with super flavor!

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In February, 2011 we were still experiencing some serious winter weather here in the South. However, since winter is the premier, peak growing season for citrus I created this special Italian Blood Orange Polenta Olive Oil Cake with a sweet mascarpone filling, then drizzled with honey. This is a less sweet and heavier-crumb cake that is perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea any time of the day.

For March, 2011 there were two recipes that tied in popularity with you! I think my readers have some serious sweet teeth! First, for breakfast or brunch, I created a decadent Raspberry and Italian Mascarpone Cheese Stuffed French Toast. It tastes as wonderful as it looks! The second sweet treat is a 'lite' version of Luscious Lemon Cake with Limoncello Cream Icing! Yumminess with less guilt! You loved both of these recipes!

In April, 2011 the most popular recipe was another one of my creations that is super easy to make and definitely a diet-buster! Farfalle Carbonara with Spring Peas is this creamy pasta dish with loads of cheese and cream to make it totally blissful!

In May, 2011 I decided to make my own balsamico vinaigrette for a Fresh Spring Salad with Strawberries. It is just wonderful and I'm grateful for Larry over at Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings for trying this salad and vinaigrette and for confirming how flavorful it is! Even my ranch-dressing-only husband enjoyed it!

In June, 2011 you'd probably find me frequenting our local farmer's market for fresh, local produce that wasn't growing in my garden on the acreage. I have absolutely no berry plants, so I always buy locally grown berries for a more intense level of flavor. You loved this Blackberry Cobbler with Sweet, Tender Biscuits. This is the quintessential summer dessert!

During July, 2011 I traveled to Iowa for my annual summer visit with my parents and other family. I brought a huge box of perfectly vine-ripe tomatoes for everyone to enjoy. My mother used some in a delicious batch of cold Gazpacho that was thoroughly enjoyed during the heat of those summer days!

In the continuing heat of August, 2011 my husband and I escaped to spend a few days in the cooler mountains of North Carolina where we enjoyed some recipes that utilized minimal amounts of heat for preparation. While there I made this Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club that I'm a member of. This salad is outstanding!

In September, 2011 the Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake was not only a chilled sweet treat in the midst of an intense summer heat, but it was gorgeous just to look at too! This cheesecake didn't last long at all! After all, who doesn't love the combination of lemons and raspberries?

For October, 2011 I shared my delicious Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Grapes. The dried red cranberries and red onion add a lovely crimson hue for autumn color. Red grapes can be used instead of green grapes to add even more red if you like. I know there are a million recipes for chicken salad, but this one is really a winner! Thanks to those of you who made this chicken salad for writing to me and letting me know how you liked it too.

November, 2011 marked my first month as a member of The Secret Recipe Club. I discovered a wonderful little treat that everyone loved. These little Nutella and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites are a new find and a true keeper in my family! It seems that just reading and saying "Nutella" strikes a most happy note in all of us!

And lastly for December, 2011 this is my family's most cherished holiday recipe, Tortellini in Brodo (Broth). We make nearly 2,000 hand-made tortellini for every major holiday throughout the year. I couldn't imagine Italian life without these delicate little stuffed pastas to enjoy and share with family and close friends in celebration of Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

It has been such a pleasure for me to be able to come into your computer screens, tablets and cell phones with posts about great food, healthy gardening, restaurant reviews, and fun stories and photos while on the road traveling! I have valued all of your friendships, recipes, stories, and inspiration. So heres a big cheers to another fun, delicious, and inspirational year of blogging together in 2012!

Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix ~ ~ Secret Recipe Club!

2011-12-26T08:00:00.033-05:00

What would Christmas and winter be without a hot, frothy mug of hot chocolate to warm us up inside! I just cannot imagine it! Growing up in the cold Midwest, we always enjoyed hot chocolate after being outside sledding, building snowmen, or snow forts to protect us in snow ball fights! As a child, that frigid cold didn't' seem to bother me at all. It was just normal winter weather! But even now, as a warmer weather lover adult in the South, I still savor quiet moments by a crackling fire with a mug of this liquid chocolate love!

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, my 'secret' blog is from a young aspiring cook, Casey, who is in high school and enjoys cooking and team sports (lucky girl to work off the calories from all of her yummy creations on her blog). Casey's food love can be found on her blog, Beautiful Disasters where I found this delicious recipe reminiscent of the blend that I grew up with (and even took to college to heat up in my dorm room): Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix! The biggest difference between Casey's recipe and my family's is that Casey's is more up to date with a focus on DARK chocolate and not milk chocolate. I guess that eases up the guilt a bit since dark choco is better for our health! Casey's recipe also includes chocolate chips for that extra cocoa blast! Mmmm!

This hot cocoa recipe is also great because you can make it in a batch that you can always come back for more when you want to and it is ready to mix right there and then! Easy, the way I like things in the kitchen!

I hope that everyone is having a blessed Christmas and holiday season!
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Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

1 cup cocoa powder (half Ghiradelli‘s unsweetened cocoa and half Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all of the ingredients except for the whipped cream in a medium bowl.
Place mix into a jar or airtight container to store.
When making hot chocolate, microwave a mug of water for about 60 - 70 seconds (until hot-desired drinking temperature).
Add about 3 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix, or to taste.
Garnish with whipped cream of course and whatever other goodies you like on top!

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Cooking Gifts for Aspiring Cooks in My Family!

2011-12-14T10:36:00.006-05:00

I've just found some time for Christmas gift-making and shopping! My life has just been a whirlwind of over-busyness and I'm focusing on a holiday season filled with as little stress as possible! One great way for me to decrease the normal levels of stress experienced at this time is to keep our gift-giving expenses within budget and at the same time give gifts that will have lasting meaning and memories!

Several years ago I began our first family cookbook with recipes that have been cherished and enjoyed since my own childhood. Each of my kids received one of these cookbooks as a Christmas gift, as well as did my mother and sister. Every Christmas since the first 'edition' was created, I add about 15 more recipes to their cookbooks since they are binder-bound and can easily be snapped open to add more recipe inserts. This year I even began adding my favorite and most popular recipes from my blog, 'la bella vita'.

"Tastebook" is the name of the web-site that helps develop your own custom cookbook. I love how I can add my own 'story' or thoughts and notes to each recipe. Having my own photos uploaded really adds a lot to each recipe as well.

One of the coolest things about this cookbook is that there is also an awesome app that can be downloaded onto my iPad2 and iPhone. So when I'm out and about doing errands or away on a trip and want one of my recipes, all I need to do is pull up the Tastebook app and retrieve a recipe, ingredients, and procedure! Actually I needed one of my mother's recipes included in my cookbook over Thanksgiving when we were in Hilton Head. My mother couldn't remember how much of an ingredient to use in a recipe, and so all I did was pull it up on the app and there was her answer!

How sweet is that?

So all of you foodies, if you need a super great gift for the cooks or cooks-to-be in your life, I highly recommend this cookbook for a gift. If your friends and family are anything like mine, who not only love to cook, but also value family traditions, I know that they will love this and treasure it for many years!

Isn't this so cool? My recipes in the cookbook pull up identically on my iPad2!

(PS: I wasn't paid nor solicited for this free publicity for "Tastebook";

this post was simply sharing my thoughts with my fellow blogging friends and readers)

Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites

2011-11-28T08:00:00.008-05:00

Throughout November and all of autumn I always think of seasonal pumpkin recipes. Although I've never been fond of pumpkin pie, I do enjoy small pumpkin treats such as pumpkin brownies. So when I found this recipe for Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites on my Secret Recipe Club blog, The Spiffy Cookie, I knew that this would be a recipe that I had to try. Erin's blog is full of wonderful sweet recipes that make your mouth water just from her photos alone.

Most of us have a food love affair going on with Nutella right? This gooey, chocolate-y, Italian ingredient was the clincher that made this recipe from Erin's blog call out to me to bake.

Did you know that "the original version of Nutella was called "pasta gianduja"? Pasta means paste and "gianduja", is the name of a carnival character famous to the region. This was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children. But many children would throw away the bread and only eat the pasta gianduja!"

"So Mr. Ferrero altered the product into a paste that came in a jar so it could be spread on the bread. This then became known as "supercrema gianduja," because it was a spreadable version of the gianduja. It was eventually renamed "Nutella" in 1964, with the origin of the word being "nut" and the "ella" giving it a soft ending. Nutella was first imported from Italy to the U.S. over 25 years ago in 1983 and was initially distributed in the Northeastern part of the country. The popularity of Nutella has grown steadily over the years and it is now available across the United States and sold all over the world." all quoted excerpts from the "History of Nutella".

Now since I'm a cook that prefers at all times to use up anything that I have in my pantry, I used milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache. This made the mini cheesecakes a bit sweeter, which is what my family prefers anyway. We just loved these little mini-desserts and will definitely make them again and again! Thanks Erin!

These are simply incredible . . . and so neat to be in such small sizes! Great for a party tray!

Nutella and Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Bites

8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor
1-1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. Nutella
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted in 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.
Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat.
Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.
In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined.
Remove approximately a fourth of the cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin to larger, and Nutella to the small half and mix until incorporated.
Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly into the 12 cups filling about 2/3 way full.
Spoon about half a tablespoon of the Nutella mixture into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently.
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through.
Let cool completely.
Remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a spoonful of chocolate ganache and hazelnuts.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Click below to view the blog hop with all of the entries for November!

Simple, Quiet Nature in the Lowcountry

2011-11-26T18:04:00.004-05:00

It seems that there is a need for a little more peace and serenity in our lives. In all of our busy-ness these are so difficult to experience, especially with the craziness of the holiday season. I'm a firm believer in taking time to savor the simple silence that nature offers us. So with that said, here are a few photos of my escape from the calls of the shopping centers and black Friday sales. We won't be back to the coast until summer and so I thought I'd chronicle some of the blissful beauty by the sea.

Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth) A Northern Italian Classic!

2011-11-24T23:50:00.008-05:00

Everyone loves their cherished family traditions, especially for the holidays. For my family, no holiday would ever be complete without tortellini in broth (tortellini in brodo). We serve this soup the authentic way from northern Italy, specifically the provence of Emilia-Romagna. Although tortellini is delightful served in a cream sauce, this is the true northern Italian way to serve it. My family savors this delicate homemade stuffed pasta in a very American way that differs from how it is served in Italy . . . we fill our bowls with a large quantity of tortellini, whereas in Italy only a small amount of tortelllini float in a large amount of broth. Why keep going back for seconds when it's already in front of you in your bowl? Makes sense to me!

We are spending Thanksgiving in a much different way than in the past. For the first time we are celebrating this holiday on the coast on Hilton Head Island, SC. The weather is just gorgeous in the 70's to low 80's, with soft breezes and cool evenings. It really is a wonderful change. Each day we've been biking and walking the beach. A perfect way to relax, restore, and ponder on all things that we are grateful for.

This recipe requires several days to prepare; one day to make the pasta and broth, and one day to fill and twist the tortellini. If you have the time and desire for a true Italian homemade pasta specialty, here is my cherished family recipe for Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth):

I found this following bit of Italian food trivia on the Barilla web-site:

"Although tortellini are undoubtedly a food from Emilia, the origin of this famous pasta dish is unclear. One thing is for sure and that is that tortellini are fairly ancient. There is a recipe for tortelli, larger tortellini, that dates back to the 12th century, while the first recipe for tortellini alla Bolognese comes from 1550. From that moment on, tortellini have held a special place in the cuisine of Bologna.

There are many legends told about this dish: one of the most famous, written by Cerri in the 14th century, recounts that Mars, Bacchus and Venus came down to earth to intervene in the 12th century war between the people of Modena and Bologna. Having arrived at the battle site, the three guests decided to spend the night at an inn in Castelfranco, a small town located in between the two cities.

According to the legend, in the morning, Bacchus and Mars woke up early to visit the battle site, but when Venus awoke, she thought she had been abandoned by her companions. She immediately called the innkeeper to find out where they had gone. The innkeeper arrived to find the goddess of love naked in front of him. The beauty of her body made such a strong impression on him that he created a new shape of pasta that resembled her belly button!

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Traditionally, when cooked in broth, 50 tortellini were served per person?"

Thanks Barilla!

Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in Broth)

Pasta Dough:

Blend together:

1 - 2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

2 jumbo eggs

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. whole milk (this helps the pasta seal together when twisting the tortellini)

1 cup Semolina flour

Blend these six ingredients together very, very well.

Then add:

3/4 cup regular flour (not semolina)

You can mix this the old-fashioned way by making a "bowl" of flour on a wooden block, placing the wet ingredients in the center of the 'flour bowl' and gently add the flour in with a fork until completely mixed, OR you can mix the dough in a food processor until it has the consistency of corn meal. This finished dough should be well blended, but NOT sticky. If it is sticky, cut the dough into 3 sections and add 1 Tbsp. flour to each. If, on the other hand, it is too dry and crumbly, add 1 - 2 tsp. water.

Knead the pasta dough for 2 - 3 minutes. Put into plastic bag and let rest for 30 minutes.

For every egg that you use, it will make about 100 tortellini, therefore this recipe makes 100 tortellini (at the correct size that is).

Tortellini Filling:

1 lb. ground cooked veal, drain the fat and cool slightly

1/4 lb. prosciutto

1/4 lb. mortadella

While the veal is cooking, grind the prosciutto and mortadella in a food processor, only until it is in little pieces -- don't process to much or it will turn into a mushy mess.

Then add this the cooked veal; let it cool a little or the egg that you are about to add will cook and you don't want the eggs to cook.

Add to this whole mixture:

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. (or more to taste) nutmeg

dash of pepper

1 jumbo beaten egg

Continue to add:

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

1/3 - 2/3 cups plain bread crumbs

If needed: add 1 - 2 Tbsp. butter

You need to taste throughout the blending process to determine the 'crumbly texture and biting taste'.

Now, let's get the chicken broth going on the stove before you get started rolling the pasta dough out.

Homemade Chicken Broth (Brodo):

Fill a large, tall pot with clean water (I like to use water from my frig that purifies it) with enough room from the top of the pot to put the rest of the ingredients in without overflowing the water.

Put the following in the pot:

One 6-pound chicken (hen)

1 package soup bones (if you can get them)

1 4-pound round bone beef roast

3 carrots, cut in thirds

1 onion, cut in 1/4's

3 celery stalks, cut in thirds

1/4 bunch of Italian parsley

salt

Cook 2 - 3 hours.

Take all ingredients out of the broth with a hand strainer.

With thin tea towels covering a colander/strainer, pour the broth through them into another pot......this is a lot of work and usually needs two people to do this. Be careful, the broth is very hot while you do this. Continue to strain the broth into clean tea towels about two more times until the broth is completely clear and free of any ingredient remains.

Taste, add more salt to taste.

If you make this the night before, refrigerate it, and then the next day, skim off any fat/grease from the top (it will solidify in the frig and be very easy to remove).

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiana cheese

Buon Appetito and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cranberry Sauce!

2011-11-02T20:19:00.005-04:00

Cranberries: one of the very few truly native North American fruits. Cranberries were first given to European settlers from Native Americans, who also taught them how to bake cranberries in breads or mashed with honey or maple syrup for sweetener. These little round ruby berries are mostly grown in marshes and bogs in the northern region of the U.S. (Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington). They're great for including in a healthy lifestyle.

I'm always so happy when cranberries are in season and available in the marketplace (mid-September through November). Finding a recipe to use cranberries was a natural choice for me for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club theme. Since it was my month to select a theme, "An Autumn Harvest", I knew that the entree recipe had to include cranberries. Once again, the archives of Cooking Light did not fail in producing a delicious recipe. Plus this recipe is super easy!

Please check out the host of this monthly food blog event, Val, and her wonderful blog "More Than Burnt Toast". On her blog you will find the recipe line-up of all the food bloggers who join together (from Canada and the U.S.) every month with cooking/baking recipes from Cooking Light magazine:

Jerry baked a Pear Cake for dessert,
Val made Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa,
MaryAnn prepared Warm White Beans with Roasted Fennel, and
Sandi made a Roasted Acorn Squash with Corn Bread Stuffing.

Mouthwatering recipe titles, don't you think?

Every month the recipes are simply amazing! I never knew that preparing healthy recipes could taste this good!

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cranberry Sauce

For the Pork:

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

To prepare pork, combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.
Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Remove pork from bag, discarding marinade.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Add pork; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.
Place pan in oven; cook at 425° for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
Cut pork into 1/4-inch slices; keep warm.
To prepare sauce, combine cranberry sauce and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
Serve sauce with pork.

Fresh Homemade Applesauce!

2011-10-31T15:42:00.008-04:00

What would autumn be without apples? I just cannot imagine this season without this wonderful fruit, whether eaten straight from our hands or prepared in some wonderful recipe. This month is my very first to participate in the wildly popular "Secret Recipe Club" and I was assigned to an absolutely beautiful blog with a sub-title that tops them all "Without Adornment ~ A Quest to be Myself". A lovely young woman named "Bean" is the author of this delightful blog and has one some of the best photography talent in blog-land (in my humble opinion). I hope that everyone will give her a visit for both her recipes, photography, and philosophy on life!

One of the most simple and yet satisfying apple recipes that everyone in the family enjoys is for homemade applesauce. For this busy working woman, nothing beats simplicity with yumminess and this recipe meets both of those! I had to try Bean's version. For her post, she also provides us with wonderful advice on canning applesauce (which I have never done). I made two different versions, plain and simple as instructed in Bean's recipe and then with some cinnamon for a second version. Both are delicious! Enjoy!

Homemade Applesauce

Tart apples
Water
Sugar
Cinnamon (for the second version, if desired)
.
Wash the apples, remove any spots and chop into halves, quarters or eighths depending on the size of the apple. Don’t worry about removing the stems or cores as the food mill will take care of that.
Put cut apples into a large pot with an inch or two of water in the bottom.
Bring the pot up to a boil, stirring moderately frequently.
Once the pot comes up to the boil, turn it down to medium heat and stew until the apples are falling apart.
Remove the pot from the heat and place the foley food mill (or whatever you are using) over another large pot.
Scoop the apple stew into the food mill and process. Periodically scrape out the skins, stems and seeds once the flesh has been removed.
Once all the applesauce has been processed, return pot to heat and bring up to a boil.
Once boiling, turn down the heat and add sugar until the desired sweetness. Adjust consistency either by reducing or adding more water. Remove from heat.

For further instructions on canning applesauce, please click on the link above which takes you directly to her post.
I hope that everyone will enjoy a fresh taste of autumn with this delicious applesauce recipe!

Autumn Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Grapes

2011-10-17T17:16:00.007-04:00

The other day, I stopped and picked up a pretty good chicken salad croissant sandwich for lunch from a local gourmet grocery store . . . you know the kind of food store that has the most beautiful readily-prepared foods displayed inside and in front of glass food cases. Foods so gorgeous that they could easily be in a glossy, high-end food magazine or blog!

Well, the sandwich wasn't too bad, really. It certainly satisfied my tummy. Yet to me it lacked some major taste factors to make the sandwich better than great . . . to make it a 'wow' chicken salad (whether in a sandwich or salad alone).

Some of you are probably thinking that here we are in October, autumn, the pre-holiday season, and so why am I making a simple chicken salad sandwich/salad at this time of year when we celebrate pumpkin, squash, and sweet potatoes in our recipes?

Simply because I love chicken salad, and it doesn't matter what time of year it is to enjoy this traditionally loved sandwich or salad. However, in the spirit of the season, I added dried cranberries and used red onion instead of yellow or scallions . . . just to match the changing colors of autumn.

I hope that you enjoy this little twist and tribute to autumn in an old classic! And I know that you'll definitely taste some great flavors in this recipe!

PS: I just wanted to give a BIG shout-out thank you to Larry and Bev over at "Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings" for their culinary approval of this recipe who also prepared substituting dried blueberries for dried cranberries (both are great additions!). Do stop by this incredible blog that I guarantee will always inspire you and have you leaving very hungry (especially for breakfast!).

Autumn Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Grapes

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup halved green grapes (red would be even prettier for the season)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip salad dressing

1/2 cup heavy whipped cream (whipped until soft peaks form)

1 tablespoon freshly diced Italian parsley
(use any or all of the following seasonings to your taste preference)
1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon or dill
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/8 tsp. curry powder (if desired, optional)

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

paprika

Italian parsley

large tomatoes

lettuce varieties of choice

Combine the first dry ingredients in one large bowl.
In another medium sized bowl, blend the mayonnaise, whipped cream, and spices.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the chicken and other ingredients.
Mix well.
Adjust seasonings as desired.
Cut out large tomatoes.
Lay tomatoes on bed of lettuce, or inside a half head of iceburg lettuce.
Place the chicken salad inside the tomatoes and around the lettuce.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Garnish with sprigs of Italian parsley.

Sun~Dried Tomato Pesto, Basil Pesto, and Turkey Bagels with Herb Cheese Spread!

2011-10-09T01:45:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time, a local sandwich shop offered a wonderful bagel sammie that was unforgettable. I memorized the ingredients way-back-when so that I could try and replicate the sandwich at home. I really had to go back into the cobwebs of my mind to retrieve those ingredients to make this savory bagel sandwich.

Here's the story that I found in the recesses of my mind:

There once was a toasted bagel that had two friends stop over and visit. One friend's name was sun-dried tomato pesto and the other friend's name was basil pesto. Along came some nice, crispy lettuce, a sliced red onion, and plenty of sliced turkey friends to join the party. But what would a good sandwich be without the joy and friendliness of some creamy, soft herb cheese to soften up the tangy pestos? Together these ingredients made one bagel lover eat happily every after!

If you're looking for a flavorful sandwich, than you'll certainly love this!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Basil Pesto, and Turkey Bagels with Herb Cheese Spread.

Bagels (your preference in flavor, garlic would be nice; and preferably authentic NY bagels)
Sun-dried tomato pesto
Basil pesto
Lettuce (use the variety of your choice)
Red onion
Sliced smoked turkey (Boar's Head is the best)
Soft herb cheese (such as Boursin)

Slice the bagels in half and toast them.
Spread the sun-dried tomato pesto on the inside of one half.
Spread the basil pesto on the inside of the other half sliced bagel.
Thickly layer the smoked turkey on top of one half.
Spread some soft herb cheese on top of the turkey slices.
Place some lettuce leaves on top of the cheese.
Place some red onion slices on top of the cheese.
Put the other half of the bagel on top.
Slice the whole bagel sandwich in half and secure with toothpicks, if necessary.

Chocolate Spiderweb Cookies

2011-10-05T18:10:00.007-04:00

Chocolate and Halloween! What a fun pair!

This month’s Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club’s theme is “Spooks”, perfectly appropriate for this time of year. Although I’m a chocoholic, I’ve never, ever made chocolate cookies . . . always brownies or a cake. So this was a first for me. The cookie dough itself is like buttery fudge and truthfully could be devoured as such and not even baked into cookies! Yum!

Now I must admit that I didn’t have the steadiest hand to make perfect icing spiderwebs . . . after all, I’m not a spider or a professional baker! In the end after the big ‘photo shoot’, I just filled two chocolate cookies with the icing and enjoyed what I think could really rival an Oreo cookie! Mr. M. and P. will be so happy when he gets home to nosh on these chocolate treats!

Chocolate Spiderweb Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 350º.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Place shortening in a large mixing bowl; beat with a heavy-duty mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until well blended.
Add vanilla and egg white; beat well.
Add flour mixture; beat until well blended.
Turn dough out onto wax paper; shape into a 6-inch log.
Wrap log in wax paper.
Freeze 2 hours until very firm.
Cut log into 1/4-inch slices, and place slices 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350º for 7 minutes. These will harden as they cool, so do not over bake.
Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Combine powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk until smooth.
Spoon into a small zip-top plastic bag; seal.
Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag.
Working with 1 cookie at a time, pipe 2 to 3 circles onto each cookie.
Starting at center circle, pull a wooden pick through other circles at regular intervals to create a "web."

Note: For the glaze, snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag. If it's too small, you can always make it bigger.

For more recipes from this month's Cooking Light group, head on over to Val's blog More Than Burnt Toast!

Our host this month is Jerry from Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants prepared Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe started us off with Devilish Eggs.
Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen brought Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas.
Val of More Than Burnt Toast contributed Roasted Squash Soup with Turkey Croquettes.
Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club made Devilishly Divine Peanut Butter Caramel Corn.

Lots of super-delicious autumn and Halloween fare to enjoy!

Boo!
.

Nonna's Italian Stew!

2011-10-03T20:09:00.004-04:00

October has arrived!

Finally, we're able to enjoy a break in the intense heat of this past summer. All of these welcomed cooler days and chilly evenings officially ring in the time of year to prepare delicious, rib-sticking, hearty soups and stews. So today, with daytime temps in the low 70's, it was a perfect time to prepare my mother's treasured stew.

Although we enjoy this throughout fall and winter, it is very special to my family because we traditionally serve this stew every Christmas eve, ladled on top of creamy polenta and thick slices of cheese. Since my family is from the northern mountains of Italy, they do not live near the sea. My relatives weren't even aware of the Italian 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' on Christmas eve!

Now this is definitely an Italian version of beef and vegetable stew. It's thick tomato base and garlic give this stew it's distinctive difference. Here is the recipe for our beloved Italian stew:

Nonna's Italian Stew

2 lbs. round steak or London broil, cut into 1" cubes
8 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
6 carrots, peeled, sliced into 1 - 2" pieces
10 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 2" cubes
2 cups sliced celery, with the leaves chopped up
2 large onions, quartered
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
at least 12 oz. of tomato paste
at least 4 cups of water

In a large, deep, heavy pot, brown the meat cubes in the olive oil.
Add the garlic when the meat is browned (do not burn the garlic).
Add the tomato paste and the water.
Cook the meat approximately 45 minutes.
Add all of the vegetables and more water if it is too thick.
Add the parsley.
Cook for potatoes are 'al dente' and NOT mushy, about 20 minutes.
Always taste and change, taste and change to your preferences!

Even Coco, our Siamese, was able to sneak in the kitchen and lick up some of the sauce! Yup . . . that good!

A Big Hug to You Plus A Sandwich Worth a 10 Year Wait!

2011-09-26T21:54:00.008-04:00

Before I even 'talk food', I just want to extend a sincere, from-the-bottom-of-my-heart "thank you and grazie" to all of you (100's of bloggers and social network friends) who wrote to me to offer me your prayers and positive thoughts for the event that took place in my life. Although the situation hasn't disappeared, my husband and I felt that blogging with my friends about our shared passion for cooking, gardening, and travel . . . is really tremendous therapy for me. I started to read your posts last week to see everything that you've been cooking up and I have to still say that you are all some of the best cooks on the planet!! I will get right back to commenting very soon . . . promise!

So I'm at a point now where I'm ready to return to my community of friends! I truly believe that all of your prayers and positive thoughts sent my way will be answered in the right way and at the right time!

OK . . . it's foodie time!

New York has it's famous pizza.
Chicago has it's deep-dish pizza and Chicago Vienna Beef hot dugs.
Buffalo, NY has hot wings.
Boston has it's beans.
New Orleans has muffalettas.
San Francisco has it's sour dough bread.
And the South has shrimp and grits and pimento cheese!
So how about the Midwest; what stands out besides corn on the cob, buttery corn-fed beef or the State Fair's butter cow sculpture?

Well, hold on and I'll tell you about something that few people outside of the Midwest know of . . . . and it was recently featured in Cook's Country (Cooks Illustrated) magazine. It's the Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich.

This classic Midwestern sandwich even has it's own web-site created by a dedicated connoisseur: Pursuing the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, a discussion/debate on the sandwich on Chowhound, plus a blog, ! The web-site also provides a list of numerous restaurants, diners, and eateries that serve this sandwich. There is even a DEBATE over where the sandwich originated: Was it Iowa, Illinois, or Indiana (the three "I" states in the Midwest)?

Well, I have no idea which state it originated from, but I know that there are more hogs in Iowa than there are people, so I'm voting for Iowa as the source . . . I'm just sayin'! No offense to any of my friends and relatives in Illinois and Indiana! Besides Iowa doesn't have any professional sports, so give it some credit for something besides Maytag Bleu Cheese and Amana appliances!

Many of you know that my roots are from the Midwest. My parents' restaurant (Italian and American food) used to have these sammies on their menu and they sold as fast as hot dogs at a baseball game. Every summer I had to have one when we'd stop at a roadside diner half-way through our 4-hour drive to Lake Okoboji in Iowa (up at the border of Minnesota).

It was a ritual !!

And this year, for the first time during one of my annual summer visits to Iowa, I brought back some super-sized pork tenderloins for this sandwich. It's been a LONG time, maybe even 10 years since I've had one of these guys!

Now to make these huge sandwiches, there are a few rules to follow:

- It must be huge, twice the size as the bun, and hanging out all over. "think outside the bun" ha ha!
- It must be a tenderized piece of pork tenderloin and not some tough pork 'chop'.
- It must be served with mustard and pickles; other condiments are OK, but not necessary (lettuce, mayo, onions, tomatoes).

So here's a great recipe for you:

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

For the breading:

Use even amounts of each of the following (start with one cup each):
Flour
Super-fine crushed saltine crackers
Panko bread crumbs or white cornmeal
Depending upon how many tenderloins that you are breading, just make up more breading if you need to.

For the wet batter:

1 cup whole milk (some use buttermilk)
2 jumbo eggs
minced garlic or garlic powder (to taste, I just sprinkle it all over the milk/eggs)
couple shakes of paprika (some use cayenne pepper)
Also depending upon how many tenderloins that you are marinating, just make up more batter if you need to.

Prepare the wet batter.
Pour into a ceramic/glass baking pan.
Place the pork tenderloins in the wet batter.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator OVERNIGHT --- this really makes them tender, tender!

The next day:

Prepare the dry breading mixture in a large cake pan or something similar because these are BIG and need the space for the breading process.

Remove tenderloins from the marinade and place in the dry breading, lightly pressing down so that the breading gets into all of the crevices of the tenderized pork.
Gently flip over and repeat.

Now if you really want the real deal: Dip the breaded tenderloins ONCE AGAIN in the marinade and then double-dip them again in the breading!! It may be messy, but it will really be BREADED thickly!

Heat canola oil to 350 degrees. The oil MUST be hot.
Deep fry in a deep cast iron pan (I use my Le Crueset) or in a deep fryer (which I don't have).
Fry for 3 minutes.
Serve hot.
Salt to taste.
Place on buns with pickles and mustard.
Enjoy this Midwestern treat!

This bad boy was so big, that Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) split it with me!

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake!

2011-09-07T17:54:00.039-04:00

Despite that it was Labor Day on Monday, my husband had to go in to work. However, I was able to enjoy the holiday and had the kitchen all to myself. So I decided to make an over-the-top, takes-all-day-to-make cheesecake just for my sweetie!

And this is one show stopper, stunning cake!

Hubby ate a thin slice before he even touched dinner and said "this just might be as good as _____ (you fill in the blank ;-D). And then he said, "Well, not really!" Now that's a relief!

This is a very light textured cheesecake; not densely thick and heavy as is a New York cheesecake (which I'm a huge fan of). Freshly squeezed lemon juice in the filling lends just a hint of lemon; it's not overpowering in any way. I simply love the combination of lemon with raspberries. I doubled the crust for a stronger cake base (and increased the amount of sugar in the crust). The crust was just unbelievable and I think that I'll do this from now on when baking cheesecake. I also added a kick of Chambord, (raspberry liquor) to the topping. For a delicate, yet flavorful cheesecake, this is one of the best cheesecakes that we've ever bitten into.

I must admit this cheesecake is simply delicious!

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

For the crust:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 sticks salted butter, melted

For the filling:

2-1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
5 jumbo eggs, room temperature
2 jumbo egg yolks only, room temperature
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the raspberry topping:
1 cup red seedless raspberry or strawberry jelly
3 half-pints fresh raspberries
1 tsp. Chambord (raspberry liquor)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened.
Pour into a 9-inch spring form pan.
Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy for 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well.
Scrape down the bowl and beater.
With the mixer on low, add the lemon juice and vanilla.
Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The cake will still be a little wiggly in the middle so:
Turn the oven off and open the door slightly.
Keep the cake in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes.
Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 3 hours, until completely cooled.
Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the spring form pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake.
Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.
For the raspberry topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat.
In a bowl, gently toss the raspberries, warm jelly, and Chambord until well mixed.
Arrange the berry mixture on top of the cake.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: I place a large shallow baking pan filled with water on the bottom of the oven to keep the cheesecake more moist.

Tomato Basil Risotto!

2011-09-01T01:00:00.004-04:00

The choices for using garden-fresh veggies and herbs in our recipes are almost endless and cooks can be as resourceful and creative at the same time when using their bounty! I discovered a nice recipe for Tomato and Basil Risotto from "Vegetables From An Italian Garden ~ Season By Season Recipes". The recipe for this risotto is a spin-off of the classic Caprese Salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil . . . only blended into creamy risotto.

Risotto is so easy to make and such a cooking ritual of love with the stirring and adding, tasting, stirring more and more until a creamy consistency results. You do need to use Arborio rice because of this variety's characteristic of creating creaminess from the constant stirring and release of starches while at the same time absorbing the liquid.

Although it is very common to serve risotto as a main dish for many people, for Mr. Meat and Potatoes, I simply baked some thick-cut, boneless pork chops sprinkled with a basic dried Italian seasoning blend for the entree. They are so brainless to prepare; just make sure that you don't over-cook the chops beyond a half hour in a 350 degree oven.

Another thing that I need to mention is that this risotto is more mildly flavored due to the mozzarella, whereas most risotto recipes don't use mozzarella. Again, this recipe is a take on Caprese salad, so the mozzarella cheese was necessary for this version. Even though we prefer risotto with a stronger cheese bite, we still enjoyed this delightful risotto using fresh tomatoes and basil.

Tomato and Basil Risotto

(adapted from 'Vegetables From An Italian Garden")

5 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced (my addition)

1-2/3 cups Arborio rice

3 cups peeled, diced, ripe tomatoes

10 large basil leaves, torn into pieces (I doubled the basil from 5 leaves)

6 Tbsp. butter (I doubled the butter from 3 Tbsp.)

5 oz. buffalo mozzarella (the soft cheese, not the hard variety), cut into cubes

1/2 freshly grated Parmigiana Regiano (use the good stuff for this recipe)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Pour stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot.

Add the chopped onion and saute over low heat for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the minced garlic and saute for one more minute; do not burn.

Stir in the arborio rice and cook, all the while stirring continuously, for 2 minutes until all of the rice are coated with oil.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes.

Add a ladleful of the hot stock and cook, stirring continuously until absorbed.

Continue to add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until each addition of stock is absorbed, for about 20 minutes.

When the rice is nearly cooked, add the torn basil leaves.

Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Remove from the heat.

Stir in the butter.

Stir in the buffalo mozzarella.

Stir in the Parmigiana

Transfer to a warm serving dish.

Garnish with basil leaves.

Serve immediately.

Just look at the creamy, white mozzarella melting and oozing into the risotto!

Gorgeous . . . full of summer-fresh flavors . . . and delicious!

Bolognese Risotto Stuffed Peppers!

2011-08-29T08:38:00.160-04:00

Mama mia! More red peppers! Well, I'm finished roasting and freezing peppers for the moment and just ready to prepare something for us to enjoy in the here and now. Stuffed peppers just sounded really good right now, and I just made these with what I had on hand, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that (and writing it down as I went along).

Living way out in the countryside, I've got to keep a well stocked pantry and 2 freezers-full of frozen foods. This way I'm always fairly prepared and don't have to resort to wasting expensive gas driving to the nearest town for one or two items! We learned very quickly when we moved to the Carolina's that things are REALLY spread out from each other. Plus when I come home from my hour and a half long commute from work, I am in no mood to shop for groceries!

For this recipe, I used my family's Bolognese sauce recipe. Mr. M. and P. will not eat anything without meat, so a good Bolognese makes his tummy happy every time! Vegetarians can use marinara sauce instead, but it will taste different. The best flavored Bolognese is part beef, part pork, and part veal. At least that's the way we make ours.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add what you like and delete what you don't like. I think these would also be great with some sauteed, chopped porcini mushrooms added, or some diced prosciutto too! Change the cheese varieties around, add some basil, etc!

Bill came home and dipped a spoon in some of the extra stuffing and said, "This is really, really good!" Now that's a super comment coming from this quiet-natured man.

Before and after baking the stuffed peppers

Bolognese and Risotto Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers (red, yellow or a mix), halved lengthwise, tops and seeds removed
4 cups Bolognese sauce (I use my homemade sauce)
1/4 cup risotto
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, cut fresh from the garden if possible
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Shredded Asiago cheese and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish.

Heat up the Bolognese sauce in a large sauce pan.
Fill a large pot half-way with water.
Bring the water to a boil; add risotto and cook for half of the time indicated on the package directions (it will continue to cook in the sauce and peppers).
Add the cheese to the sauce.
Add the Italian parsley.
Add the red pepper flakes.
Add salt and pepper and taste, taste, taste.
Add more of whatever you prefer for your own taste.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the pepper halves in a bread loaf (keeps them in place when snug in this pan).
Fill each pepper half with the stuffing.
Sprinkle more grated cheese on top of each stuffed pepper.
Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley (or after they're finished baking if you prefer).
Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 30 minutes.

Such rich colors of summer!

Mediterranean Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini!

2011-08-28T20:00:00.003-04:00

As peppers continue to ripen in the garden and the heat of August lingers on, it seemed wise to simply make another sandwich. The only heat involved when making sandwiches the Italian way is inside a panini grill. There's no heat from a stove or oven and there's no outdoor 90+ degree heat to swelter in next to a grill! I am truly a whimp when it comes to high heat without a swimming pool!

Last week I was inspired by the open-faced Ratatouille Sandwich prepared by Jessica of Kitchen Belleicious. We're both firm believers of recommending that you adjust recipes to make them more to your preferences.

Isn't that part of the fun of cooking? And that's exactly what I did with this sandwich.

First of all, I am a very strange Italian in that I don't care for eggplant. It's just all moosh to me! Mr. M. and P. won't touch eggplant either, so we were in synchronized culinary unison on that ingredient to substitute. But similar to Jessica's sammie, I stayed true to using Mediterranean flavors: homemade pesto, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and Italian Fontina cheese. I also added sliced pepperoncini to give the sandwiches an extra kick! I had a marvelous Tomato Focaccia bread on hand which made the sandwiches irresistible! After layering everything, I sprinkled the top with freshly minced oregano picked from the herb garden.

In a previous post, I roasted red peppers and yet in another post I marinated red peppers in a balsamic-olive oil-caper mixture. Since the peppers stay fresh in the frig for a week or two, I had a few left over to use in this sandwich. Bill and I always look for ways to use up everything that we've previously made so nothing is wasted.

As the sandwich sizzled inside the panini grill, the aroma from the melting cheese, pesto and balsamic vinegar was intoxicating! We couldn't wait to bite in and savor. The flavors are once again powerful and wonderful. This is not your ordinary bland sandwich.

Above: Pesto on the top left, beautiful fresh prosciutto on the right.

Marinating roasted red peppers on the lower left and the sandwich grilling in the panini press on the lower right.

Just before grilling and pressing, the sandwich looks huge!

Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini
.
Pre-heat a panini grill to high.
Focaccia bread - use your favorite flavor combination; cut into sandwich sizes and then slice each horizontally in half.
Layer the bottom half with basil pesto.
Layer next with thinly sliced red onions.
Layer next with the roasted red peppers.
At this point, add some capers if you don't have the original marinade.
Layer next with the Fontina cheese (grated or sliced).
Layer next, sliced Italian pepperoncini.
Pile on 3 to 4 thin slices of prosciutto.
Sprinkle with minced oregano.
Cover with the top half of the foccacia.
Place the sandwich on a hot panini grill.
Slowly press down the top of the panini grill.
Grill on high for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

After grilling on the panini press, everything blends together for a toasty treat!

Our beautiful "Mowee" checking out the peppers from the garden.

Roasting Red Peppers (and Green, Yellow, or Orange)!

2011-08-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

Roasted red bell peppers are great to add a layer of extra flavor in sandwiches, panini, pasta recipes, salads, and the traditional Italian antipasto platter. With the intent to continue to grow my own (you can't get any more local than your own backyard or patio/balcony), I've enjoyed roasting my own and freezing them in small quantities. This way they are only an arm's length away to use throughout the colder months.

The actual roasting is a simple task, not hard at all, but there is a bit of work involved once they are finished roasting and cooling. But it's so worth it! Here's what you do:

Roasting Peppers:

Wash the peppers and if they are store-bought, remove the sticker labels.
If using a gas range, turn the burners on high and place the peppers directly onto the grates.
Using tongs, turn the peppers for an even char.
The peppers will hiss and bubble while the peppers' moisture evaporates.
If using a grill, the method is the same.
However, if you're like me and roast a lot of peppers at a time, then use the oven broiler setting.
In all options, make sure that you continually turn the peppers over to ensure even charring.

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven on "Broil".

Arrange the peppers evenly on a baking sheet.

Place in the hot oven on the highest rack position.

Roast, while keeping a constant eye on them, turning them whenever necessary to prevent burning/complete blackening.

Once nicely roasted and charred all over, put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean paper bag.

Do not open or the steam will come out.

Keep the peppers in the covered bowl or bag for 30 minutes to allow the steam to help loosen their peels which makes peeling them easier.

Once the peppers have cooled, cut off the tops of the peppers.
Cut into half and then into half again (quarters) . . . actually I simply pull them apart in sections where they 'naturally' separate into sections.
Remove the seeds.
Carefully peel or scrape off the charred skin with either your fingers or a sharp paring knife.
Discard all peels, tops, and seeds or put in your compost pile.

Do not rinse the peppers as the water diminishes the smoky flavor.
When the skins and seeds have been removed, cover the peppers with olive oil, adding garlic slices, herbs or capers if desired, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
To freeze, I don't put them in any oil.

Below, for freezing, use zip-lock freezer bags, indicate contents and date, insert the peppers only (no oil), press lightly to remove extra air, and seal. Freeze.

A simply gorgeous bounty . . . and this is just one of about 5 harvests thus far!

Roasted Red Pepper & Italian Cheese Panini!

2011-08-24T17:24:00.012-04:00

Red peppers are selling for 4.00 a pound here (green peppers: $3, yellow peppers: $5, and orange peppers: $6 per pound). There is some serious legal highway robbery going on in our marketplace! All the more reason that I'm grateful to grow our own fresh veggies in our garden. Just one red pepper plant gifts us with a minimum of 6 peppers . . . that's PER plant!

This year we planted green, red, yellow, orange, and purple peppers and I know that with loving care they will continue to produce until the cool weather arrives (usually in late October to early November here).

I referred to Larry of "Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings" for advice on preserving all of our peppers. Larry is an accomplished master gardener and has a weekly post with gardening tips every Thursday. And he always answers every one of my questions! So with his guidance, that little job of freezing peppers is behind me, at least for this week before more ripen next week to freeze more. After that was finished, I quickly moved into roasting more peppers and freezing those as well.

However, one must taste and partake in one's labor, right? There are so many excellent recipes for using red peppers and of the final ten that I saved, one simple recipe just screamed at me to make: Ina Garten's Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich.

Adjustments that I made: Since I'm not fond of goat cheese, I swapped that out and used a shredded 6-cheese Italian blend. I always keep this bagged cheese on hand for simplicity, money savings, and to top home-made pizzas. I added a top layer of cheese as well. I also grilled them on a panini press to melt the cheese and re-heat the peppers that were cold from marinating in the frig. Perfect choice!

I roasted the peppers a day earlier so I had that out of the way.

For Mr. Meat and Potatoes, we added smoked turkey and some prosciutto. I chose the turkey for the mildness of flavor so that the peppers and basil could stay on center stage. Genoa salami, capicola, and too much prosciutto would be too powerful for the peppers which are meant to be the star of the show in this sandwich. Another recommendation: keep the marinade from the peppers and use it for a dipping sauce for your sandwich.

This sandwich is simply indescribably and outstandingly delicioso! What a wonderful, delightful flavor combination . . . and now one of my favorites! The flavors are powerful, in perfect harmony, and addicting. Trust me, this sammie is superb and full of perfect fresh flavors of roasted red peppers, fresh basil, cheese, capers, balsamic vinegar and EVOO. You'll love this!

Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Cheese Panini
(adapted from Ina Garten)

4 large red bell peppers
1 large ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 bag 6-Italian cheese blend (replaced goat cheese)
8 to 10 large basil leaves
1/4 of a medium sized red onion, thinly sliced (I increased this from only 3 slices)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sliced smoked turkey (amount is up to your preferences) (optional)
Thinly sliced prosciutto (optional)

Marinade for the peppers:
2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons drained capers
.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and bake on the highest rack in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
.
After the peppers have roasted in the oven and cooled, remove the stems, peels, and seeds from each pepper (discard or compost).
Cut each pepper in half and then in half again (quartered).
Place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected.
Pour the olive oil and vinegar mixture over the peppers.
Stir in the capers.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Assembling the sandwiches:

Spread the bottom half of the ciabatta loaf with the cheese.
Add a layer of peppers.
Then add a layer of basil leaves.
Separate the red onions into rings and spread out on top.
I added another layer of peppers and capers on top of the red onion slices.
Then I drizzled some of the marinade all over everything.
Add the turkey and/or prosciutto at this time if you prefer.
Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

I also sprinkled another layer of cheese on top of everything.
Place the top half of the ciabatta bread on top.
Grill for 5 minutes on a panini press.
Cut into either entree or appetizer size servings.
Serve with a side dish of the marinade for dipping!

Fresh Basil Pesto !

2011-08-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend I harvested baskets and baskets of basil and joyfully made my second batch of pesto. This rich green, earthy, aromatic sauce is such a basic Italian staple to prepare some simple, yet absolutely delicious gnocchi, pasta, and polenta. But hey, do what I do, just lather a huge spoonful on top of a piece of toasted French or Italian bread, and that's as good as it gets! Dollop some in a baked potato, add a layer in a panino, enhance a steak or piece of chicken with it on the side, use it to add to roasted cherry tomatoes . . . the yummy possibilities for using this summer-fresh green pesto is endless!

Plus pesto is so incredibly easy to make and freeze!

A plethora of recipes for pesto can be found everywhere; however, as a purist, I prepare my pesto in the most traditional manner with only fresh basil, high-quality pine nuts (pignoli), freshly ground Parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, and sea salt.

You can use either a mortar and pestle, which I prefer if time permits, or a food processor when time is scarce in a busy life (that would be crazy me!). Some purists believe that a food processor takes away some of the flavor and doesn't allow the oils to release properly. I think that it's really more about the ingredients than the process.

One thing that is critical to remember though, especially for garlic freaks such as myself: do not use more garlic than required because you use only fresh cloves of garlic in pesto and not powdered or flaked. Too much fresh garlic will overpower the delicate sweet flavor of the basil and make it taste bitter.

For the basil, Genovese is the variety of choice, but don't worry if you don't have that, it's all good! But do make sure that the basil is dry or the water will cause the pesto to spoil much faster.

Finally, have more than enough olive oil on hand so that you can pour a layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to preserve it even better and prevent browning/freezer burn.

Basil Pesto
.
4 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried (Genovese if possible)
2 - 3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted if preferred
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
extra olive oil to cover the top of the pesto

In either a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, blend/press the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano cheese into a paste-like consistency.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is still running.
Add the sea salt.
Blend thoroughly until a smooth consistency is achieved.
Top off your jar/container with a layer of extra-virgin olive oil to better preserve the pesto.

Pesto stays fresh in the refrigerator for one week in a covered container.

For freezing pesto, simply fill an ice cube tray with pesto and freeze until solid.
Once frozen solid, remove the cubes from the ice cube tray and wrap in plastic and return the cubes to the freezer.
Use these pesto cubes in future recipes at ANY time of the year!
You'll be SO happy that you did this in the summer!
............

Grilled "Belleicious" Buffalo Chicken is Truly Delicious!

2011-08-21T21:49:00.009-04:00

"Very, very good!" were the first words that my husband used after tasting the chicken drumsticks that I prepared tonight using a marinade recipe from Jessica of Kitchen Belleicious for Buffalo Chicken Skewers.

These words are not spoken every day, peeps! Mr. M and P (meat and potatoes) is a hard one to please when it comes to trying new recipes!

Last week we made the oh-so-scrumptious Grilled Thai Chicken from Sam of My Carolina Kitchen, so this weekend we felt it was time to try a twist on a beloved American flavored-chicken: BUFFALO!

Although I much prefer white chicken meat, all I had on hand in the freezer were dark meat drumsticks/drummies that I was saving to make buffalo drummies (I'm just not crazy about the greasiness of dark chicken meat). But I'm a firm believer in using up what is on hand!

I made a few personal adjustments to Jessica's excellent recipe, simply from wanting a more fiery hot taste. To enjoy Buffalo chicken, we like to have steam coming out of our mouths and ears, along with tears streaming from our eyes! That level of heat is the only change that was made to her great marinade!

As I was mixing up the marinade, the aroma was drifting through the kitchen and family room, just teasing us for what flavor was to come! This is a winning recipe!

Drummies singing in their bath of zingy marinade!

"Bellecious" Buffalo Chicken on the Hot Side!
(adapted from Jessica's Kitchen Belleicious recipe for increased 'heat')

8 chicken drummies / drumsticks (skin removed)
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (decreased from 5 Tbsp. in original recipe)
2 Tbsp. Worchetshire sauce (increased from 1 Tbsp. in original recipe)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 - 2 Tbsp. Texas Pete hot sauce (increased from 1 dash in original recipe)
2 Tbsp. beer
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 garlic cloves, minced (increased from 1 clove in original recipe)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (increased from 1/4 tsp. in original recipe)

Place the chicken in a sea salt brine bath for 30 minutes or more.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter on medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan.
Add the brown sugar and blend well.
Add the remaining ingredients and adding the beer at the very last.
Blend all ingredients well.
Place the chicken drummies/drumsticks in a shallow or deep narrow baking pan.
Pour 3/4ths of the marinade sauce over the chicken.
Set aside the remaining 1/4 of the sauce to use for basting the chicken on the grill.
Marinate for at least 2 hours.
Grill for approximately 8 minutes on each side or until completely cooked (our drumsticks were quite large and needed the extra cooking time).
Baste the chicken again during the last 2 to 3 minutes of grilling.
Serve warm!

Yummo, Jessica!

Linked to:
These Chicks Cooked @ This Chick Cooks
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Grilled Thai Chicken

2011-08-07T20:25:00.007-04:00

I just love Thai cuisine! Having had the good fortune to visit Thailand twice and experience truly authentic (and very hot and spicy) Thai food, I'm always on the look out for great recipes (and great Thai restaurants). One of my favorite food bloggers, Sam, from My Carolina Kitchen, posted a wonderful, grill-outside-don't-heat-the-kitchen recipe for chicken that really pleases the taste buds and satisfies one's Thai food fix. Sam is a food professional and I trust her judgement and the recipes that she develops.

I had to try her recipe for BBQ Thai Chicken and just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand . . . I love it when that happens!

The chicken marinates in a sweet and spicy coconut marinade for 4 hours. And oh does this marinade make the chicken moist and bursting with flavor. When you first read the ingredients you might think that this is going to be spicy-hot. But it really was not; in fact, it gave the chicken perfect undertones of lime, coconut, red pepper, and cilantro.

We just loved it!

I served this with basmati rice cooked in Tom Gha Kai coconut chicken soup . . . superb! And served some bright green, fresh steamed broccoli alongside a fresh fruit salad.

I would have preferred to serve my recipe for Thai Cucumber Salad, but my husband's tummy can't handle cucumbers. But here's a photo and link for the recipe (also on my sidebar) for you. It would pair perfectly with the chicken.

It was a lovely summer's evening dinner and I highly recommend this recipe!

Thanks Sam!

Sam's Carolina Kitchen "BBQ Thai Chicken"

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup nam pla (Asian fish sauce)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 - 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 scallions, trimmed and minced, for garnish or Thai basil
1 fresh lime, cut in wedges for garnish

Combine the coconut milk, nam pla, lime juice, garlic, shallots, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar,
and cilantro in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and put it in a large plastic zip lock bag.
Pour the coconut mixture over the chicken and marinate it for 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning the chicken occasionally.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill.
When the temperature is medium-hot, remove the chicken from the bag, and discard the marinade.
Place the chicken on the grill; cover and cook for about 8 minutes on one side.
Turn the chicken over and cook another 8 - 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with the scallions or Thai basil.
Serve at once with lime wedges on the side.

Linked up at:
Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind The Curtain

Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil

2011-08-03T14:30:00.009-04:00

Ahhhh, the dog days of summer and what better theme for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club than having a "Beachcomber Picnic"! Currently, I'm lounging around in a cabin in the cool temps of the mountains with Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes). A short drive to a mountain lake, and not the ocean, is a wonderful way to escape the 100 degrees where we live (it's 75 degrees up here!). Going to the beach is an extremely popular activity in the Carolina's . . . insanely popular, in fact. So many people bee-line to the ocean, that we avoid the beach and the traffic that goes along with it from June through August! But the beachside recipes shared this month can be prepared for our very favorite time at the beach -- and that's October when the crowds are gone.

The Cooking Light blogging gang has once again prepared some mighty tasty dishes pulled from the archives of Cooking Light to pack up in our baskets and into the backs of our cars. Our host Valli, from More Than Burnt Toast (click to see all of the recipes) has done another fantastic job organizing everything! And the great thing about all of these recipes is how healthy and flavorful they are!
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For me, a picnic dish needs to be super easy and portable. So I selected a recipe that gets better by the minute through the marinating of it's ingredients. A salad of August-ripe, ruby-red, juicy tomatoes, onion, and basil provide the foundation for Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil. Even without the bread, this salad is a super winner in my salad book! The addition of bacon was new to me for panzanella, but I assume there are many panzanella creations that include pancetta (Italian bacon). This recipe also differs from traditional panzanella by the inclusion of lettuce as well. It's a nice addition. It's that type of recipe where you can add this or that and make it your own creation!

Panzanella Salad with Bacon, Tomato, and Basil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups coarsely chopped vine-ripe, red tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 (8-ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups torn romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
In a medium mixing bowl, add tomato, onion, basil, and bacon; toss well. Set aside.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until toasted; cool.
Add bread and lettuce to tomato mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

For this salad, I chose to present the salad in a 'layered' manner. The torn romaine lettuce leaves are under the tomato mixture. Then I placed a layer of bread cubes on top of the lettuce. The tomato-basil-garlic-vinaigrette mixture is placed on top of the bread cubes and the bacon is crumbled on top to finish the salad off.

This is quite delicious, light and healthy. And that's a good thing, isn't it?

Gnocchi con Zucchero e' Cannella ~ A Veronese Specialty!

2011-07-30T18:05:00.004-04:00

"Romeo, oh Romeo, where forth art thou Romeo?"

Those famous words from Juliet to her lover in Verona, Italy as penned by Shakespeare in his classic melodrama "Romeo and Juliet". The heroine of that story underscores this month's movie for "Food 'n Flix" which was selected by our host, Kim of Stirring the Pot -- "Letters To Juliet".

Also set in Verona, Italy, a young American woman is inspired by the real-life activity of people writing letters to Juliet and inserting them into the walls of Juliet's courtyard. 'Secretaries of Juliet' reply to those who wrote the letters. The story unfolds about the romantic lives of two women, one young and one in mid-life and how their endeavors play out in the hills of Italy. Of course it all ends happily, but if you're interested in more of the details of the film, click on this {link}.

OK, so I began to think about what might be a typical dish that originated from Verona, Italy. Not knowing much about the city's cuisine, I did some research. I discovered that Tiramisu was created in Verona, that unforgettably sweet peaches and cherries flourish there, that Valpolicella wine and some of Italy's finest extra-virgin olive oil are both produced in Verona and finally, there is a traditional gnocchi recipe that is sweetened with sugar and cinnamon, known as: "Gnocchi con Zucchero e' Cannella", an Italian dish that I have never tasted, nor ever heard of. So to help me get out of my comfort zone and try something new, I chose this unusual recipe. I really wanted to make a peach mascarpone cheesecake, but I didn't want to turn on the oven and bake in this 100 degree summer heat that we're experiencing this week. More of Verona, Italy's specialty dishes and foods can be found at this {link}.

I also found that there are several ways to make this gnocchi. One way is for dessert and the other method is for an entree version. Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) would have nothing to do with the entree recipe and so I made both versions to keep him happy. I don't know what I'm going to do with him sometimes!

Gnocchi con Zucchero e' Cannella

Potato gnocchi - 16 oz. or about 50 dumplings
8 oz. melted butter
5 tsp. sugar
1 ground cinnamon

In salted, boiling water, cook the gnocchi for about 10 minutes or until they rise to the top of the water.
Strain the cooked gnocchi and discard the water.
Place the gnocchi in a medium-size pasta bowl.
Pour in the melted butter.
Add the sugar and cinnamon.
Stir gently.

For the entree version:

Follow the recipe above, but also ADD:
8 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Stir in gently with the other ingredients.

The verdict: Mr. M. and P. said it was just OK, but not to worry about making it again. I felt that the entree version was acceptable, but know that there are so many other Italian recipes that are so much better! But I don't think Southern 'greens' are a big deal either and I know Southerners who drool over the word alone. I did, however, enjoy the dessert version without the Parmesan cheese, and could easily enjoy this as a warm, late-night treat! It needs to be noted that Italians do not eat or enjoy super-sweet desserts, but rather prefer fruit and cheese at the end of a meal, or something subtle in sweetness such as in this gnocchi!

I'm glad I learned about and tried something new! That's always fun and interesting, don't you think?

Insalata Caprese Authentico!

2011-07-28T01:00:00.007-04:00

.This is the real deal in regard to Italian Caprese Salad. There are numerous varieties for presentation of this appetizer/salad, including the salad that I have provided (in my sidebar). But the true, most authentic way to prepare "Insalata Caprese" is extremely simple and delightful, especially in these summer months when tomatoes and basil are at their freshest!
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As the name implies, this salad originated on the isle of Capri, off the west coast of Italy. The colors of red, white, and green are the colors of Italy's flag as well, which makes it a little bit more "Italian". Most of all, Insalata Caprese, encompasses the pure, delicious simplicity of Italian cuisine at its utmost!

Insalata Caprese

Fresh Roma or small-sized tomatoes, sliced about 1/4" thick
Fresh, soft buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced about 1/4" thick
Fresh whole basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground Italian sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh garlic cloves

Lay the sliced tomatoes on a platter.
Layer the mozzarella slices on top of the tomato slices.
Lay one to two large whole basil leaves on top of the tomato and cheese slices.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Sprinkle the freshly ground Italian sea salt and black pepper over everything.
Serve with a small loaf of baguettes, sliced about 1/2" thick.
Rub fresh garlic all over the tops of each slice.

** We also enjoy a great balsamic vinegar drizzled all over the Caprese. It's wonderful!

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Italian Sea Salt

Shared at:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage
This Chick Cooks

Panzanella Frittata!

2011-07-27T21:31:00.007-04:00

Eggs, they're what's for ~~dinner~~ breakfast! Last week I made Panzanella, the classic Italian tomato and bread salad. I had some left-over the next day and decided to make a frittata with what little bit was left. We call anything left over in the frig "must-gos" because whatever foods that are still fresh, must go! Frittatas are incredibly versatile, in that you can use whatever you have on hand to blend into the eggs. Italians hate to waste food . . . 'waste not, want not' are the words that I grew up with. My mother always said that our relatives would use up everything but the 'oink' of a pig!

For this frittata, I removed any chunks of soaked bread and placed the veggie mixture into a small frying pan. I sauteed them until all of the liquid was absorbed and then tossed in 2 beaten jumbo eggs. Cover and cook the frittata mixture on low for about 10 minutes and then place in a 350 degree oven. Bake for another 10 minutes until the eggs are cooked through and set. At this point I turn the oven to 'broil' and keep the frittata under the broiler until a beautiful golden brown color develops. Keep a very close eye on the frittata while broiling so that it does not burn. Remove from the oven and garnish with a little bit more of the panzanella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This is so amazingly delicious!

Gazpacho Ala Mama!!

2011-07-23T20:00:00.011-04:00

My mother just prepared the best gazpacho I've ever tasted in my life! I brought a huge box of tomatoes from my garden back to the Midwest with me and since gazpacho is one of her favorite soups along with this intense heat in July, she decided to use them to make her 'wow-factor' version of this chilled Spanish tomato-vegetable soup. I inherited my 'preserve, freeze, and/or can' outlook from my mother, so not surprisingly, she froze most of this batch of soup to enjoy later. "No waste, no want!" I could easily say that this gazpacho could rival that of the culinary pros.

The color of this soup is seriously this beautiful shade of deep red, resulting from the vine-ripe tomatoes that she used. This radiant color and flavor cannot be achieved with those hard, juice-less, spongy pink things that you find in a grocery store. Also worth noting: the flavor intensifies as it chills in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

My mother doesn't use exact measurements, she's an old-school, taste-as-you-go cook and she is a master at it. So I said that she had to give me a little help to be able to write down the recipe and post it here.

Gazpacho Ala Mama

6 cups chopped, vine-ripe, fresh tomatoes
2 large cucumbers, 1 peeled, 1 with peel left on, all seeds removed, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
2 cups chopped celery, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
1 cup Vidalia onion, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
2 red peppers, stem and seeds removed, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
1 yellow pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
1 green pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced and cut into 1/4" chunks
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vinegar: 1/2 of it balsamic vinegar and 1/2 of it red wine vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
5 cups tomato juice (Campbell's brand is recommended)

Mix everything together and chill overnight for the best marriage of flavors!

Luscious Fresh Peach Ice Cream!

2011-07-21T01:17:00.008-04:00

Glorious free-stone peaches from the South! One of those fruits that we have to wait and wait for, and then pick at just the perfect point of ripeness . . . not a moment earlier or later. I've brought a bag of these fuzzy gems home to my parents since it is my father's favorite fruit. Arriving at nearly midnight, my parents were waiting up for me, whereupon my dad quickly devoured two peaches right on the spot! His exact words were, "Now this is what I call a peach!" Truly, they are summer treats to say the least.

But before leaving for my trip to the Midwest, my husband, Mr. M & P (meat and potatoes) whipped up a batch of fresh peach ice cream, using what has now become our favorite recipe from David Lebovitz. We've tried them all, and this is hands-down, the winner!

This recipe is so unique in that there is sour cream included. I really think that is why this version is so creamy! This time we made peach sundaes with a slice of plain pound cake, a layer of peaches, topped with the ice cream. YUM-MO!

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it . . . and please let me know what you think!

Just look at the huge chunks of peaches throughout this ice cream!

Fresh Peach Ice Cream
(adapted from The Perfect Scoop)
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1-1/3 lbs (about 4 large peaches) fresh or frozen peaches (we freeze peaches every summer)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (original recipe calls for 1/4 tsp. but we like more vanilla flavor)
a few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
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Place a large bowl or container in the freezer to chill it before you get started. This container is what you'll put the finished ice cream in and it will already be pre-chilled nicely.

Peel and slice the peaches, remove the pits.
Cut the peaches into slices or chunks.
(original recipe calls for cooking the peaches in 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes; we skipped this step because we like our peaches more fresh and uncooked, except in crisps and pies).
Add the sugar to the peaches.
Blend the peaches and sugar with the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla extract and the lemon juice with an immersion blender or hand-held electric beater.
Blend until slightly chunky.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions (we use a Cuisinart).
Freeze for several hours or overnight until desired level of firmness is achieved.

A Beautiful Day in Chicago!

2011-07-20T10:29:00.009-04:00

Although sweltering hot in the Midwest's intense heat wave this week, I spent a few days with my son in Chicago. Since I've visited the city's famous museums several times, my son took me on an architecture/historical Chicago river boat tour. It was fantastic and I highly recommend this on your "bucket list". At the end of this mini-photo tour, you'll see what traditional and famous Chicago treat we had for dinner!

The "Aqua" building that won best architecture design award in the world this year! The design of the balconies imitates the waves of Lake Michigan.

Flowers are everywhere lining the river and Chicago streets, hanging from balconies, along walk-ways, and more. Truly a city to be proud of!

Kayakers out on the river enjoying the sunny day!

My son on the boat with the Chicago sky-line and Sears Tower in the background.

After the end of the architectural river boat tour, we ended the day with a delicious, out-of-this-world, super deep-dish and stuffed Chicago-style pizza!

As "old blue eyes" used to sing, "Chicago is my kind of town!"

What a great weekend with my son!

Homemade Tomato Soup for Autumn Enjoyment!

2011-07-12T21:34:00.010-04:00

A hot bowl of soup on a hot summer day is not for me! However, while tomatoes are ripe and now in the peak of their season, this is the time to make a big batch of tomato soup and to can or freeze it. So in the midst of our 99 degree weather day, that's just what I did today. If you have ever had the pleasure of sipping fresh tomato soup or any flavor of soup for that matter, you'll never go back to the canned varieties! You also know that there are no additives, artificial flavorings, and not so much salt/sodium in your homemade soups! Plus there's no fat in this, unless of course you add the good mono fats of the olive oil (and we still need that for our skin, you know).

Fresh, chopped basil and garlic mingle with sauteed onions and carrots to make this soup's flavor explode! In the cold days of fall and winter, we'll add cream to this for our favorite version of tomato soup alongside some grilled cheese panini! Now that's where the fat will come in, but hey, you have to indulge now and then! All this sweaty, hard work in the kitchen will be appreciated when the chilly weather arrives and we'll be enjoying some summer flavors in a bowl.

For this recipe, I don't have exact amounts of tomatoes listed, because I just throw in as many as my taste palate prefers. I recommend that you do the same. Start off with at least 10 tomatoes though.

Fresh Homemade Tomato and Basil Soup

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups red onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10 large, very ripe tomatoes, peels and stems/core removed, seeded if possible
(start with this amount and taste to see if you want a stronger tomato flavor).
1/4 - 1/3 cup of fresh basil, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable if you're vegetarian), homemade is best (which I also freeze large batches of to use in soups).
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of cream, if cream of tomato soup is desired.

In a big soup pot, pour in the olive oil with the stove heat set to low.
Add the onions and carrots to saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and saute for one more minute.
For the tomatoes, I blanch them, let them cool, then remove the peels and stem/cores.
Place the peeled tomatoes into a food mill (on top of a medium/large bowl to catch the juice) and turn them around until all of the seeds remain inside the mill and all of the tomato puree comes out into a bowl. I do this for about half of my tomatoes because it is so tiring! I'm of the school that the seeds don't do that much damage to the flavor. In fact, I'm reading more and more about just leaving them in!
Pour all of the tomato puree and juice into the big soup pot.
Add the basil, sugar, salt and pepper, and chicken broth. Stir.
Cook on very low (with a sheet pan underneath the pot to prevent burning), for about 45 minutes.
Taste and add whatever you prefer.
Add the cream and heat up if you prefer cream of tomato soup.

I do not freeze this soup with the cream in it, but rather add the cream when I thaw out and heat up the soup.

About 3 - 4 cups of tomato soup in each of these containers . . . off to the freezer!

Homemade Fresh Tomato Soup

Panzanella ~ ~ Italian Tomato, Bread and Basil Salad!

2011-07-11T18:42:00.009-04:00

Bread is perfect for mopping up sauces and broth! That's the basic idea of this wonderful, traditional Italian, fresh tomato and bread salad known as "Panzanella": crusty, hefty, day-old bread chunks tossed into tomatoes, onions, and fresh basil with a vinaigrette dressing. This simple and delicious salad is a creation from the central region of Italy. Panzanella is also another great way to use those juicy tomatoes that are in the peak of the season. You won't even have to use the oven or stove; it's a cold, lovely, and light salad full of rich flavor!

Chopped tomatoes, red onion, and basil in vinaigrette, all juicing up nicely! The bread soaks up up all of that wonderful juice.

Several days-old ciabatta or sour dough bread cut into 1" cubes. These were rock hard!

Toss everything together . . . the orange-colored bread is from the red tomato juice/vinaigrette being soaked up.

Panzanella

4 cups fresh, ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes

1 cup red onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces

20 fresh basil leaves, sliced into slivers or shredded

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

8 cups of day old/several days-old ciabbata or sourdourgh bread, cut into 1" cubes

Sprigs of fresh basil for garnish.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onions, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until well mixed.

Just before serving, toss in the bread cubes.

If you prefer, you can allow the salad to set for 10 minutes before serving so that the bread soaks up the vinaigrette more.

Kick it up a notch by doing any of the following:

Add some chopped up cucumbers.
Add cubes of fresh mozzarella.

Or add chopped prosciutto.

OR, add a combination or all of the above!

Our golden retriever, "Buckeye", just LOVES tomatoes and bread.

With the basil and vinaigrette, he was smacking his lips in appreciation!

Italian Panzanella

Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Fresh Basil and Parmesan!

2011-07-11T11:38:00.009-04:00

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Heirloom tomatoes have the most intense flavor! And their color(s) are so vivid and rich! I just love simply looking at them. So far, Bill and I have frozen 6 (gallon-size) freezer bags of blanched tomatoes. We've eaten countless amounts of BLT's (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) every day for lunch as well . . . somehow we just never tire of that sandwich combination. We never run out of tomatoes, but we always run to the store for more bacon and lettuce! LOL!

Anyhow, here's a superb Italian frittata recipe that helps use some of those fresh tomatoes, basil, and onions that you've got growing in your garden (or from the farmers' markets/roadside stands). It is packed with flavor in it's simplicity! I hope that you enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Basil and Parmesan

2 - 4 Tbsp. olive oil
3 jumbo eggs, beaten
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1 medium tomato, heirloom or hybrid (regular), cut into small chunks
8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 - 4 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmiggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Turn the oven on 'broil'.
In a small frying pan, pour 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil and heat on 'low' for just a few seconds so that you do not burn the olive oil.
Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Again, do not burn.
While the onion sautes, beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, and set aside while the veggies cook on the stove.
Add the chopped tomato to the onions in the frying pan (not the eggs), turn up the heat of the stove, and cook until most of the liquid is reduced (too much liquid will lead to very runny frittatas that are undercooked and mushy).
Add the basil to the onion/tomato mixture in the frying pan.
Remove pan from heat and add all of this cooked veggie/herb mixture to the bowl of beaten eggs.
Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Blend everything together well.
Add another Tbsp or two of olive oil to the pan. Heat on low.
Pour the egg/veggie/herb/parmesan mixture back into the pan, cover, and cook on LOW for 20 minutes or until the egg mixture is cooked.
Place the frying pan with frittata in the oven and broil until the frittata is cooked through and golden brown. Keep your eyes on it so that it doesn't burn.
With a good oven mitt/glove, take the frittata out of the oven.
If you like, sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Garnish with pretty tomatoes and sprigs of fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Tomato Frittata with Basil and Parmesan Cheese

Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday!

2011-07-07T21:05:00.011-04:00

Time just flies by when you're having fun! From reading your blogs, it sure sounds like you had a great time and enjoyed some wonderful food and company over the holiday weekend! Everyone is cooking up so many wonderful recipes these days and so now's the time and here's the place to link up, share, and show others what's been going in your kitchen or out on the grill.

I can't thank each of you enough for returning or if you're new to this link-up. Both oldies and newbies are selected for the weekly Featured Posts. This is a great forum for foodies to find new bloggers just starting out or to invite them to discover the well-established blogs.
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Now let's take a look at these lovely Featured Posts from last week!

Aren't these Mixed Berry-Kiwi Sorbets with Lemon and Basil just beautiful? They were kindly shared by Amy at "U Try It" This recipe is on my "must-make" list!

click on 'read more' beneath my signature to read all of the shared and featured recipe and gardening posts from last week!

This Big Carrot Cake is just irresistible! Just look at the amount of icing alone on this huge slice of sweet goodness that was shared by Lisa from "Sweet As Sugar Cookies".

A big welcome to Sam of "My Carolina Kitchen", who creates such interesting recipes such as this Crunchy Chicken Salad. I love all of the colors in this dish!

Oh my gosh, chocolate is a weakness for so many of us! This Deeply Chocolate Gelato is rich, creamy and heavenly that was shared by Jo at "Bees and Fleur de Lis".

What an outstanding and beautiful Berry Cheesecake shared by Sheryl at "Lady Behind the Curtain". This is cake is just so over-the-top! Welcome Sheryl!

This Drunken Asparagus with Prosciutto and Feta Cheese won 3rd place in a cooking contest due to the added flavor from a beer marinade. Sometimes the most unexpected combinations turn out to be delicious! Kudos to "The Local Cook".

Chipotle and Lime Buttered Corn on the Cob is one of the top trendy summer grilling items this season. These flavors are so delicious together and brought to us by Jackie at "Lovin' My Domestic Life".

So all of you featured bloggers, please go ahead and grab the "I've Been Featured" button and place it anywhere on your post or blog if you like. The "Code" is on the bottom of my sidebar to the right.

Time to share your new posts for this week!
Please use the URL address of your post only and not your blog in general.
Recipe or gardening posts only, please.
You can share up to 2 posts from any date.
**To be considered for one of next week's featured blog posts, the button to this get-together and/or link to "Fresh Food Friday" or "Seasonal Saturday" needs to be included in your post(s). The "Codes" are on the bottom of my side bar on the right**

Thank you for your kindness; I appreciate each of you, whether this is your first visit here or if you regularly stop by and share a post each week! I truly enjoy each of your posts! May God bless you over the weekend and always!

Chocolate Amaretti Peaches ~ ~ Dining "Al Fresco"!

2011-07-06T19:33:00.005-04:00

What a sweet treat! Fresh summer peaches loaded with sweet, crushed amaretto cookies and brown sugar, blended together with warm butter! Warm chocolate drizzled all over the top of them after being broiled to a golden brown color. We were amazed at such an unexpected flavor combination. We were "Wowed"! After devouring them, we were thinking of other ways to us the cookie/brown sugar/butter topping: as a crumble topping covering cherries, or apples, or whatever fruit you enjoy. The cookie crumb topping is what made this simple dessert shine!

This month the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club's theme is "Sounds Like Summer ~ ~ Al Fresco", a time to prepare recipes to enjoy eating outside. This theme is so welcome to me now that the first session of teaching summer school is over and behind me. In June, I was indoors all day, every weekday. And now I'm FREE to be outside . . . my favorite place! So thanks to Mary Ann of "Meet Me In The Kitchen" for selecting this month's theme so perfectly! Val, from "More Than Burnt Toast" is always such a wonderful party host and gets all of us organized and on the same page each month. You can head on over to her blog here {link} to read what the rest of the group prepared for our outdoor dining event for July.

Amaretto cookies always come individually wrapped in colorful, delicate tissue paper.

Inside each wrapper are two little cookies with sugar. The almond aroma is incredible!

Chocolate Amaretti Peaches

1/2 cup crushed amaretti cookies (about 8 cookies)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large ripe peaches, halved and pitted
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons butter (I increased this to 4 Tbsp. - one for each peach half)
dark chocolate, melted or shaved (I chose to melt the chocolate to drizzle it)

Heat up oven broiler.
Combine cookie crumbs and sugar in a small bowl.
Hollow center of peach halves.
Fill each peach half with 1 rounded tablespoon cookie crumb mixture.
Arrange peaches in an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Place 1 teaspoon butter on top of each filled half.
Broil 2 minutes or until butter melts.
Drizzle melted chocolate or sprinkle shaved chocolate evenly on top of the peaches.
Cool 5 minutes before serving.

The peaches are stuffed with crushed amaretti and brown sugar.

A tablespoon of butter added on top of each stuffed peach.

Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants: Grilled Pizza w/ Prosciutto, Arugula & Lemon.
Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen: Summer Lemon-Vegetable Risotto.
Jamie from Mom's Cooking Club: Summer Peach and Tomato Salad.
Val of More Than Burnt Toast: Poached Salmon with Creamy Herb Sauce.
Sandi from The Whistlestop Cafe: Peach Ice Cream.

Peaches swimming in a pool of melted brown sugared butter, drizzled with chocolate!

The Big Mama, Big Bang, Big Kahuna Burger!

2011-07-04T19:03:00.005-04:00

Your mouth will stretch twice it's normal size in order to bite into this bad boy! The burger lives up to it's name: The Big Mama (because it was for me, while Bill had his own concoction), The Big Bang (for the fireworks of the 4th of July), and The Big Kahuna (in attempts to duplicate a burger that I enjoyed in Hawaii in May). It's big, bad (in a good way), and incredibly delicious!

Yes, that is a chopstick inserted half way down to hold the monster burger together; toothpicks weren't long enough! I ended up eating it with a fork and knife, being unable to manage it by my hands alone without looking like a freak.

The Big Mama, Big Bang, Big Kahuna Burger

7 oz. (each) corn-fed ground beef patties

2 slices thick-cut, hickory smoked bacon, fully cooked until browned

pepper jack cheese slices

large hamburger buns, TOASTED (if not, the buns turn to mush!)

Thousand Island dressing

dill pickles (hamburger slices)

1/2 avocado, sliced

tomato, sliced

onion, sliced

lettuce

ketchup and mustard

Grill the burgers, seasoned the way that you prefer.

Place cheese slices on top of each burger during the last 30 seconds on the grill and no more than that or the cheese will drip right off into your grill.

Toast the buns.

Spread Thousand Island dressing on both insides of the buns.

Layer lettuce and onions on first.

Lay the burger/cheese on top next.

Lay the bacon on next.

Layer on the tomatoes, pickles, and avocado slices.

Close up the burger, wrap with wax paper, foil, or insert a chopstick in the middle to hold it together.

And now how about the coleslaw? Well, it's a copycat type of recipe from a famous chicken restaurant. The recipe is all over the web and so we decided to try it. The flavor is just about identical and the reviews/comments on the web-sites declare that it IS identical to the real deal cole slaw. Here's how to make it:

Cole Slaw

1 head of cabbage, finely chopped (this makes a ton of cole slaw, so you might want to divide this recipe in half).

1/2 cup finely shredded carrots (I doubled this)

2 Tbsp. minced onion

Dressing: (I doubled this)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 whole milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Mix everything together and let set for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

This is the very simple way in which we dine and eat on the 4th of July. Just a simple grilling of burgers and/or hot dogs with a fresh veggie side dish and a cold glass of iced tea. Nothing fancy, complicated, or gourmet; just classic grilled burgers and/or hot dogs . . . and we love it that way.

Afterwards we sit back, watch fireworks, and feel gratitude for this great country!

Happy 4th of July!

The Big Mama, Big Bang, Big Kahuna Burger

Garden Fresh Heirloom Tomato, Pepper, and Cucumber Salad

2011-07-02T15:54:00.007-04:00

Eat your vegetables!
Eat a more colorful array of foods!
Eat more local, more fresh, and more in season!

Not a problem with this summer salad!
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Growing up, my mother always made very simple, delicious salads using tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onions. There's no secret, magic recipe to this. Just cut up what you've got in your garden or that's available in the fresh markets or at your local farmers' market, mix them up with a bit of red wine or balsamic vinegar, some olive oil, garlic and basil . . . and there you have it!

It's the garlic and the fresh basil that takes the flavor of this vegetable salad over the top of deliciousness!

I have heirloom tomatoes falling off the vine in perfect ripeness right now, along with all of the other tomato varieties doing the same thing! The peppers are in perfect harmony of readiness in picking too! Looks like it's time for me to start freezing and canning sauces!

In the meantime, it's a scorching hot weekend . . . even our cats who love to bask in the heat of the sun are refusing to go outside. This means it's time for some no-cook/no-bake items whenever possible. This salad is perfect for that!

Garden Fresh Heirloom Tomato, Pepper, and Cucumber Salad

3 heirloom and/or regular tomatoes (in a variety of colors if possible), cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 large green pepper, cored, seeds cleaned out, and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 large basil leaves, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, generously used to taste.

Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add more of any ingredient that you prefer.
Salt and pepper to taste (I use a good bit of these).
Allow the salad to set for about 15 minutes for all of the juices to blend well together.

Now how easy is that?
Plus you get your veggies in all of their summer color and vine-ripe freshness!
Cool stuff on a hot summer day!
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Happy 4th of July weekend!

Garden Fresh Heirloom Tomato, Pepper, and Cucumber Salad

Fresh Food Friday and Seasonal Saturday!

2011-07-01T01:54:00.004-04:00

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Happy 4th of July my friends, and Happy Birthday to the U.S.A.! What a fun celebration with so much meaning! This is a special time for folks to get together, cook outside, savor the fresh bounty of summer, and watch some fireworks light up the skies! Ya just gotta love it!
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Oh my gosh, I just cannot get over the sensational, mouthwatering recipes being shared here on Fresh Food Friday and Seasonal Saturday as more and more foodie and gardening bloggers discover this get-together that has been growing each week! This get-together may not total over 100 posts, but by golly, they are the best of the best out there! And quality is more important than quantity any day! A nice, long, well-deserved weekend holiday has begun and I'm really anxious to see what you're preparing for it!

I can't thank each of you enough for returning or if you're new to this link-up. Both oldies and newbies are selected for the weekly Featured Posts. Have a safe and happy weekend and may God bless YOU, our precious freedom, and this wonderful place that we call home!
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Now let's take a look at these lovely Featured Posts from last week!

Katie from This Chick Cooks shared this creamy, dreamy Cream Cheese Fruit Dip for all of those seasonal and fresh picked fruits that we're enjoying right now.

Click on 'read more' beneath my signature below to view all of the shared and featured posts from last week"

Margo from Joyful Homeaking linked up this incredibly cheesy, garden-fresh Meatless Spinach Lasagna. This is certainly a keeper in my kitchen!

The 4th of July in the USA would not be complete with out a superb red, white, and blue dessert! Just look at "I Savor The Weekend's" Patriot Trifle . . . Beautiful!

Concetta from Concetta's Cafe is at it again with a tangy-sweet, perfect Lemon Glazed Party Cake. I'd love a slice of this right now with a cup of iced tea!

Kate from A Spoonful Of Thyme shared this jaw-dropping gorgeous Sour Cream Cake with Blackberries and Blueberries. Simply perfect and delicious, I'm sure!

Anne from Domesblissity shared one of everyone's all-time Italian favorites, but with a twist . . . on top of penne pasta: Osso Bucco with Tomatoes and Gremolata. Osso Bucco is my dream Italian dish of all time, Anne!

So all of you featured bloggers, please go ahead and grab the "I've Been Featured" button/badge and place it anywhere on your blog if you like!

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Time to share your new posts now for this week!
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Please use the URL address of your post and not your blog in general.
Recipe or gardening posts only please.
You can share up to 2 posts from any date.
To be considered for one of next week's featured blog posts, the button/badge to this get-together and/or link to "Fresh Food Friday" or "Seasonal Saturday" needs to be shared in your post.

<a href="http://bellavita-bellasblog.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/bellavitaspix/freshfood.png" /></a>

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Thank you for your kindness; I appreciate each of you, whether this is your first visit or if you share a post each week! I truly enjoy each of your posts so much. May God bless you during this next week and always!

If you'd like to vote for your favorite, the Linky allows you to vote several times for more than one post.

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Creamy Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic!

2011-06-27T06:59:00.016-04:00

I've fallen in love with a married man! Well, not really with HIM, but rather with the authentic Italian recipes that he prepares, as well as his TV show, Dolce Vita, filmed in Tuscany! I'm talking about my obsession with the cooking methods of David Rocco, a Canadian-Italian who now lives with his young family in Italy. David takes us on his escapades throughout Italy alongside some of his crazy Italian friends, and always speaks to them in Italian . . . he speaks in English during the cooking portions of the show. The only other celebrity Italian chef that even comes close to this level of authenticity of actually filming in Italy in all of it's food culture is Lidia Bastianich; but even Lidia films the cooking portion of the show in her kitchen here in the States.

Finally, after waiting for six months, his first cookbook that parallels the television show is once again available on the market. I just received it last week and couldn't put it down! I have also pre-ordered his second cookbook which will be out this fall sometime.

So what to prepare for dinner today? How about a new recipe that I can use up some of the baskets of cherry tomatoes that we harvest every morning? I have a great recipe for roasted cherry tomatoes that has been prepared with positive reviews, Sweet Cherry Tomato Basil Pesto Sauce on Farfalle Pasta, but I'm always wanting to try something new. Flipping through the Rocco cookbook, I found this recipe for orecchiette (little ears) pasta in a smooth, creamy, velvety cheese sauce. I tweaked it quite a bit because Bill and I found it to be just a little too bland for our taste buds. I doubled the tomatoes, added lots of garlic, and replaced the cilantro with basil from my garden. It is simply delicious! I highly recommend this recipe for all of you pasta and tomato lovers!

Creamy Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, and Garlic
(very adapted from David Rocco's Dolce Vita)

1 lb. box Orecchiette pasta
4 Tbsp. olive oil
40 cherry tomatoes, washed, cut into halves (David Rocco used only 20 tomatoes)
2 - 3 large garlic cloves, minced (my addition)
30 leaves fresh basil, chopped (my addition, David Rocco used cilantro)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of the saved pasta cooking water
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (my addition)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil a large pot of water.
Add a few tablespoons of salt.
Cook the orecchiette for about 9 minutes, just before the 'al dente' stage is achieved.
Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the oil and cook for a few minutes (3 - 5 minutes).
Add the minced garlic.
Add the chopped basil.
Add the pasta and ricotta.
Add the red pepper flakes
Use some of the saved pasta cooking water to make the mixture a little more creamy.
Blend everything well until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
Serve immediately.

Below is a glimpse of the beautiful bake ware from Lydia Bastianich.

Gorgeous, huh?

Stuffed Tomatoes with Spinach, Basil and Six Italian Cheeses!

2011-06-26T11:17:00.013-04:00

Wi.

Pomodori! Tomatoes! With the heat we've had, an early harvest of these large red orbs signals the time to begin using them in delicious summertime recipes. The perfect round shape of several varieties this year inspired me to bake them with a cheesy, spinach-basil, garlic-y filling. These stuffed tomatoes are simple, flavorful and can be a delightful luncheon entree or a superb accompaniment to an omelette, frittata, or grilled entree!

Below is shown the stuffed tomatoes before baking in a muffin pan to help them stay upright during baking.

Stuffed Tomates with Spinach, Basil, and Six Cheeses
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1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
2 tsp. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
salt
5 large tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup shredded 6-blend Italian cheese
1/2 cup diced onion
15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 jumbo egg
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly grated pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Freshly grated parmesan cheese.
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Prepare spinach according to package instructions with the chicken bouillon added in.
When cool, squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach.
Cut about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the tomato out of the inside.
Sprinkle salt on the tops of the tomatoes.
On a paper towel, place the tomatoes upside-down to drain liquid.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, spinach, cheeses, onion, basil, egg, garlic, salt and pepper.
Blend well.
In a muffin pan, place the tomatoes.
Top each with a heaping mound of the spinach-cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until the spinach has a golden brown edge on top.

Stuffed Tomates with Spinach, Basil, and Six Italian Blend of Cheeses

Fresh Food Friday and Seasonal Saturday!

2011-06-25T04:26:00.002-04:00

Welcome back to another delicious showcase of recipes and gardening tips that some of the best food bloggers are sharing during this fine first week of Summer, 2011! The recipes and photos are always so amazing! Kudos to all of you and your culinary talent! I always come away with so many new ideas and inspiration from each of you who share the fruits of your loving labor here on Fresh Food Friday and Seasonal Saturday! I hope that you do too!

Just look at these beautiful Featured Posts from last week!

click on 'read more' beneath my signature below to read all of the Featured and shared posts from last week!

Liz from her fresh new foodie blog, "Fresh Plate" contributed these absolutely beautiful cream cheese and sugar Stuffed Fresh Strawberries. Couldn't you easily just plop a few of these sweet things in your mouth?

Lisa from "Flour Me With Love" prepared her own original version of a creamy, silky, and golden Luscious Lemon Tart. My husband is begging me to make this dessert!

Angie of "Angie's Recipes" developed and shared this oh-so-colorful and fresh salad, Pan-Seared Prawn Salad with Avocado. Just look at all of those flavors mixed in this salad!

Jessica's passion for baking and cooking shines through in her beautiful blog, "Kitchen Belleicious" and it definitely shows in her Jalapeno Cheese Bread. As a bread and cheese addict, I could eat this entire loaf by myself.

Heather from "girlichef" knows how to create phenomenal recipes and her Chinatown Chicken Salad looks and sounds perfect for these hot days of summer when we eat lighter and fresher!
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Bonnie of "City Home Country Home" linked up this delicious Garden Fresh Herbal Butter that adds such flavor to fish, chicken, beef, and even veggies! Perfect for grilling during this summer season!

Please go ahead and grab the "I've Been Featured on Fresh Food Friday" badge below if you like, and place it anywhere on your blog.

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Time to share your new posts now for this week!
.
Please use the URL address of your post and not your blog in general.
Recipe or gardening posts only please.
You can share up to 2 posts from any date.
To be considered for one of next week's featured blog posts, the button/badge to this get-together and/or link to "Fresh Food Friday" or "Seasonal Saturday" needs to be shared in your post.

Thank you for your kindness; I appreciate each of you, whether this is your first visit or if you're one of the bloggers who links up each week here! And I truly enjoy each of your posts so much. May God bless you during this next week and always!

If you'd like to vote for your favorite, the Linky allows you to vote several times for more than one post.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Fresh Blackberry Cobbler with Sweet, Tender Biscuits!

2011-06-22T21:22:00.017-04:00

The local Farmers' Market is where you can find my husband and me on the weekends. This is fun and recreation to me, as it is to most foodies! There was so much fresh produce and so many local farmers to select from that we didn't know where to start and/or stop! Even sweet corn and watermelons were ripe and for sale which I'm not used to seeing in June! Southerners are so fortunate to be able to have two growing seasons in spring, summer, and fall versus the North where fruit and veggies ripen so much later and only one crop is harvested due to a shorter season.

First stop: just-picked-from-the tree peaches! They weren't the cling-free or freestone variety that we prefer (will be ready in a few more weeks), but the young lady said to me, "Just take a bite and taste how sweet these are!" No problem-o! She was so right; and that one bite compelled us to buy a small bushel.

Next I picked out some cucumbers, then beets, and green onions the size of golf balls. We didn't plant any of these in our garden, so into the basket they went. But the best of all were the gigantic, nearly 1-1/2 inch long, fresh, glimmering blackberries. After all it is fruit cobbler season, and I just couldn't resist them! Bill reminded me that we don't have that much room left in our refrigerator and to buy only what I was going to use right away. He's a good control feature when we're in the market.

Here's a cobbler recipe that can be used for any fruit. The cobbler topping is delicate, tender, sweet, and cream-based -- in other words, there is no shortening in these cobbler biscuits, thus creating a more light and tender topping. I found the base recipe years ago in a old, classic Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and tweaked it a little bit through the years. I don't use either lemon zest or juice with blackberries because they won't brown like apples or peaches, and they tend to be sour with the addition of lemon. If you use apples or peaches, then I do recommend the addition of some lemon juice. If you use cherries, than adding almond extract is a must for us. Make any changes that you prefer as well to call it your own! That's part of the fun of baking and cooking!

Juices of the blackberries dripping over the baking pan and under the golden cobbler topping.

See what I mean about how huge these berries are?

Fresh Blackberry Cobbler with Sweet, Tender Biscuits

Blackberry Mixture:

4 cups berries, rinsed and drained

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch (or tapioca if you prefer)

Sweet Cobbler Biscuit Topping:

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 - 10 Tbsp. sugar (taste to get to the sweetness you prefer & we like ours on the sweeter side)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 beaten eggs

extra sugar to sprinkle on top

In a large mixing bowl, gently blend the blackberries with sugar and cornstarch/tapioca.
In another large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream with the beaten eggs.

Add the cream-egg mixture to the flour-butter mixture.

Stir just to moisten; do not over stir.

Pour berry mixture into a baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to get the berries partially cooked and thickened. This prevents the biscuits from absorbing the juice before they're fully baked.

Remove the hot berries from the oven and spoon cobbler biscuits on top in nice-sized mounds.

Sprinkle the biscuits liberally with sugar.

Turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees and bake for another 20 - 30 minutes on the lowest rack to prevent the biscuit topping from burning.

** You want the biscuits to cook completely and slowly, so check on this when you pull out the cobbler. If the bottoms of the biscuits are not cooked enough, place it back in the oven to cook for another 10 minutes and check again.

** Also note that the juices will continue to thicken up by the next day.

Serve with your favorite ice cream!

Vanilla ice cream melting and oozing into the warm berries . . . time to dig in!

Blackberry Cobbler with Sweet, Tender Biscuits

Fresh, Sweet Strawberry Ice Cream

2011-06-18T20:15:00.008-04:00

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Yes, another recipe for ice cream in the world of food this month . . . and yes, it IS strawberry! I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it is a whopping 98 degrees today with a sticky 93% level of humidity. So what do we do in the South to endure these scorching temps?

Well, Bill and I don't have a pool to jump into to cool off (but he has promised that when we win the lottery, I get my dream pool)!
It's too hot to go out on the lake, even to sit in the shade (just ask the fish!).
And I don't run through yard sprinklers anymore (maybe I should!).

So the next best thing for the two of us to do in this heat, is to relax indoors with something chilly and cold! What better thing to enjoy than fresh, homemade ice cream!
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It's Father's Day and food is what my husband craves! Bill is a crazy, almost maniac, ice-cream-loving guy. Not one day goes by in this house that he doesn't have a bite of ice cream! And his very favorite flavor of all is simply strawberry . . . nothing fancy at all . . . just good, old-fashioned, plain strawberry ice cream.

So two years ago for Father's Day, it was a no-brainer for what I chose to give him for a gift - - his very own automatic ice cream maker/machine. You may have read in other posts that I'm a brand loyal Cuisinart fan. I've just never been disappointed with Cuisinart ever since my very first Cuisinart food processor that I bought in 1979 that I still use to this day. Last year there was even a more powerful, almost commercial-level Cuisinart ice cream maker placed on the market, but it commands a price well over $200 which is far too steep for our budget.
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Making fresh, home-made ice cream is just one of the easiest things to prepare now that we have these automatic gadgets. Simply gather up all of your ingredients, do a little mashing/pureeing tango dance with your immersion blender (which we lovingly call our 'boat motor'), pour everything into the pre-frozen container, flip the switch and let it whirl! After a half hour, put the ice cream into the freezer to harden further if you so desire. If you like soft ice cream, then you'll be thrilled with the half hour results. It's just a little too runny for us, but I'm sure that it would be great over a simple pound cake or angel food cake.

The strawberry season was very early this year due to high temperatures in the spring, but still graced us with lovely, huge berries. They grew bigger this year because of the slower speed in which they grew compared to last year.

You can tell that someone went nuts at the berry farm purchasing strawberries, but I'm a freezing, put-up, canning maniac and love to buy produce in season, only to be able to enjoy them throughout the year from the freezer or the jar.

Here is a simple recipe that we use, and as I said, it is pure and simple. I hope you enjoy this cold, creamy treat on a hot summer day!

Fresh, Home-Made Strawberry Ice Cream

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3 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1-1/2 cup sugar, divided

1-1/4 cups whole milk

2-3/4 cups heavy cream

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar.

Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours.

Strain the berries, reserving juices.

Mash or purée half the berries.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries, and vanilla.

Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let mix in completely.
The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.
If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Gently wash the strawberries.

Remove the green stems from the clean strawberries and remove any bruised areas.

Slice the strawberries to your desired thickness.

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Pour all of the ingredients into an electric, automatic ice cream maker (this is my beloved Cuisinart).

Be on the look out for hungry, strawberry lovin' golden retrievers hanging out in the kitchen. "Buckeye" and "Abby" are being so polite and patiently waiting. They know they'd be in big trouble if they ever took something off my table . . . they have superb manners, and very begging eyes, huh?

One last peek at a perfect and beautiful strawberry! Just amazing!
Hope you are able to make some home-made, cold, creamy goodness this summer! M-mmmm!

Fresh, Sweet Strawberry Ice Cream

Roasted Garden Vegetables with Garlic and Rosemary!

2011-06-18T11:38:00.002-04:00

I've always thought it would be so wonderful to live like people in Italy, India, and Thailand, where one visits the local fresh markets in the morning to see what is being offered by the various food vendors. This traditional, cultural experience influences what one will prepare for that day's meal by what is available in the market.

The only thing fresher than a local or farmers' market is to take a stroll through your own garden and harvest what is ready to use that day . . . and that's just what I did yesterday! I just love going out to my vegetable gardens that are right next to my kitchen. All I have to do is walk out the side door with a basket and a pair of clippers and I'm able to return with nature's freshness to cook with! It's such a rewarding feeling! And I always, ALWAYS think about about my grandparents and great-grandparents who were avid gardeners whenever I'm in the garden!

Currently, my bell peppers are growing very well, so I knew I needed to include red, green, and orange bell peppers in a side dish. The herbs are going strong and so something from that garden bed could join in for added flavor. I already had on hand some new baby red potatoes, a red onion, and garlic (purchased from the local farmers' market).

A cookbook or a recipe is not always referred to in my Italian family. The cooks in my family, more often than not, cook and add ingredients as they go. With that said, I poured some olive oil into a large mixing bowl . . . about 2 Tbsp. Into the olive oil went two very huge minced cloves of garlic and I gave it a whirl. Then I cut up the red potatoes into wedges and threw them into the olive oil - garlic mixture, stirring so that they were all evenly covered with oil and garlic. Then I added the chopped peppers and onions. Finally, I tossed in about 3 Tbsp. freshly snipped, and finely chopped rosemary. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper were sprinkled liberally all over these ingredients.

After tossing well, I just placed everything in a medium-sized baking dish and baked them in the oven for about 40 minutes on 375 degrees. To brown the potatoes, the oven was switched to "Broil" for about 5 - 10 more minutes, with a constant eye on things so that they wouldn't burn and to pull the baking dish out of the oven and toss everything around once to brown everything evenly.

A colorful mixture of the fresh veggies before baking in the oven.

.Golden brown and ready to enjoy!

Roasted Garden Vegetables with Garlic and Rosemary

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 very huge, minced cloves of garlic
10 - 15 red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 each of green, red, and orange bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, cut into small 1/2" pieces
1/2 an onion (I used red simply because that's what I had on hand), chopped
3 Tbsp. freshly snipped, and finely chopped rosemary
Generously amounts of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place oil and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
Toss in all of the ingredients and mix well for everything to be thoroughly covered with oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Put everything in a medium baking dish.
Bake on 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily be inserted.
Turn oven to "Broil", with a watchful eye, brown the veggies for about 5 - 10 minutes, stirring once, and then brown for another 5 - 10 minutes.
Do not let these burn under the broiler.

Serve warm and enjoy your fresh bounty!

Roasted Garden Vegetables with Garlic and Rosemary

Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday!

2011-06-18T01:12:00.001-04:00

Summer is flying by and there's so much fresh produce available right now. What a fun time to cook, bake, grill, and preserve! I'm lovin' it! It's also the end of the week and time to come together to share ANY post, no matter when you published it, related to food and gardening. We've developed quite a friendly and consistent circle of friends who love to share about what they have enjoyed making in their beloved kitchens! If I haven't thanked you yet, please know that I truly am grateful for your blog friendship and participation in this weekly party!

Please use the URL address of your blog post and not your blog in general.
To be considered for one of the featured blog posts, you need to have either the button/badge to this get-together and/or a linky with 'la bella vita's Fresh Food Friday' shared in your post.

Thanks for your kindness! You are so appreciated; may God bless!

And now here are the featured posts from last week! Enjoy!

click on "read more" beneath my signature below to read all of the Featured Posts and other shared posts from last week.

This beautiful Triple Berry Pound Cake is from Claudia of "What's Cooking Italian Style?" What a treasure of a cake from Claudia's grandmother!

Jane from "Cottage at the Crossroads" brought her fresh Zucchini Fritters! Can't wait until the zuk's are ripe so that I can fry up some of these guys!

Oh my what a treat that Misty from "Bake Me Away" shared with us! A freshly baked Rhubarb Cake with Warm Butter Sauce! Oh my gosh, I know what I can now bake with all of my rhubarb growing out of control!

And just take a look at this gorgeous Lemon Tart with Fresh Raspberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries from Gloria of "Canela's Kitchen"!

And lastly, Miz Helen of "Miz Helen's Country Cottage" shared her gorgeous Roasted Chicken with us . . . looks so juicy and delish!

For those of you who were featured last week and this week, please GRAB THE NEW "I'VE BEEN FEATURED" button and post it on your blog.

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