A real succulent Italian classic that will have you coming back for thirds!

Chicken Parmigiana

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
salt
freshly ground black
4 large egg whites
2, 8 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
4 cups arugula
2 Tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 ounces of fresh mozzarella cut into 8 even slices
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, about 18 inches below the heating element. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow broiler proof baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. One cutlet at a time, coat it evenly. Coat the chicken with 2 tbsps f oil and place each cutlet on the rack. Place the cutlets under the broiler and cook until browned on one side, about 8 minutes. Then flip the cutlets over and brown the other side.
Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan. Place the arugula in a chilled bowl. Dress with vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the broiler and place it in a large ovenproof skillet. Top each cutlet with tomato sauce and 2 slices of mozzarella. Return the cutlets to the broiler and cook until the mozzarella is melted. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle the Parmigiano evenly over the chicken. Divide the chicken and salad among 4 plates.

Amazing Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar who knew life could be so good?

This is a truly heavenly and decadent dessert plus it is also another aphrodisiac!

This simple and delicious dessert will have you coming back for seconds!

Strawberries Balsamico

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 Tbsps of  balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp of white sugar
1/4 tsp of fresh lemon juice
3 cups of strawberries
2 Tbsps of light brown sugar
ground black pepper to taste *(optional)
 Whip cream for topping *(optional)


Directions: 

Bring the balsamic vinegar, white sugar and lemon juice to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the syrup is reduced by half, almost 2 - 3 minutes.
Transfer the syrup to a small bowl and cool completely. Wash, hull and cut the strawberries lengthwise into 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) slices.
Lightly toss the berries and brown sugar together in a large bowl and let stand until the sugar dissolves and the berries release some juice about 10 - 15 minutes. 
Pour the vinegar over the berries, add pepper ( if you choose) to taste and toss to combine. Divide the berries among 3 or 4  bowls or goblets and serve immediately with whipped cream topping if you choose.. 

Italians are known for their seafood and this dish does not dissapoint!

Try these delicious crab cakes with a zingy pepper dressing.

Crab cakes 

 

 

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery finely chopped
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp ground walnuts
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
  
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1½ tsp crab boil seasoning
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp mustard
• ½ tsp ground  paprika
• 1 lb crabmeat, flaked and drained if from a can
• ½ teaspoon peperoncini
• 1 cup fresh panko bread crumbs
• sprigs of Italian parsley for garnishing

Italian pepper sauce

• 2 whole jarred roasted red peppers drained
• ½ cup of mayo
• ground fresh black pepper

Directions for Crab Cakes:

1. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove to a large bowl.
3. Stir in the egg white, walnuts, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, crab boil seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, celery seeds, and paprika.
4. Blend with a fork.
5. Stir in the crabmeat and peperoncini. Mix thoroughly.
6. Form into 8 patties.
7. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll the patties in the bread crumbs to coat completely.
8. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
9. Working in batches if necessary, add the crab cakes and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Cover and cook for 1 minute longer, or until browned on the bottom.
11. Coat the tops with cooking spray and turn over. Cook for 2 minutes longer, uncovered, or until golden brown.
12. Serve with the sauce dolloped in dots on the plate.
13. Garnish with the parsley. 

Directions for Italian Pepper Sauce:

1. Puree the roasted peppers in a food processor or blender.
2. Add the mayonnaise and black pepper as desired and process briefly to combine.
3. Transfer to a small bowl.

A great way to dress up Tomatoes!

Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 medium ripe tomatoes
2 Tbsps of olive oil
4 ounces of lean free range ground bison (or beef)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of steamed rice
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
4 mint leaves, torn into small pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each tomato and discard the top. Using a very small spoon, scoop out the core from the middle of the tomatoes and chop the pulp.
Put the oil in a nonstick pan and place over medium heat. Add the ground bison or beef in one layer and cook until lightly browned (about 4-5 mins). Place the meat aside and add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is golden brown (about 2 mins).
Add the tomato pulp and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the rice and turn off the heat. Add the Parmigiano, zucchini, and mint and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Season the inside of each tomato with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute the mixture in the hollowed tomatoes.
Season the panko with salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of each tomato.
Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and bake until they are warmed through and the panko is browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the dish and divide them among 4 plates. Serve warm or cold.
(We prefer them warm!)

If you need help in the bedroom try out this dish!!

Artichokes are considered a powerful Aphrodisiac in Italy so eat up! Serve with a good Italian White Wine which will set up the mood even more.

Delicious Italian Artichoke Crostini

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) jar of whole artichokes packed in water, drained
2 Tbsps of minced celery, leaves removed, chopped and set aside
4 Tbsps of jarred green peperoncini, sliced 1/8 inch thick.
4 Tbsps of chopped fresh flat Italian parsley
1/2 ounce of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 Tbsp of pure Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8 (1/4 inch thick) slices of Italian or French baguette



Directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. Cute the artichokes into eights. Place them in a medium bowl with the celery, peperoncini, parsley, Parmigiano and olive oil. Toss together gently and season with salt and pepper. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until crisp and lightly browned on both sides (about 1 minute per side). Place the crostini on a serving plate. Top each with an equal amount of the artichoke mixture and scatter the chopped celery leaves on top.

When you have too much broccoli in your fridge it is great when you can find good ways to use it up.

Here is a wonderful  and healthy soup recipe that is quick and simple!


Cream of Broccoli Soup

Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves minced
ground pepper to taste
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
2 lbs of broccoli chopped
1 large onion chopped


Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick saucepan.
Add onion and garlic, reduce heat to low, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
Add broccoli, salt, and a pinch of pepper; stir well to coat.
Add broth and lemon juice; raise heat and bring to a simmer.
Partially cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until broccoli is very tender, about 25 minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender and puree. Serve hot.

We never tasted this rice dish before and it has become a new favourite because it is so delicious!

This delicious appetizer is usually served at special celebrations in Italy like weddings. It is a little complicated as it has many steps but it is worth it.

 

Arancini

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of short grain rice (or feel free to use risotto)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
Salt
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 ounce of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Freshly ground Pepper
1 and 1/2 ounces of fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup of flour
2 large egg whites, whisked until foamy
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup of marinara sauce (from a can or make your own).


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F . Put the rice in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder and pulse the machine on and off in 2 second intervals until the rice is broken up into pieces about half of their original size. Put the rice into a 2 quart saucepot and add 1 and 1/4 cups of water and the saffron. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, season very lightly with salt, cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 mins). Scrape the rice into a stainless steel mixing bowl using a rubber spatula and add the basil and parmigiano, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in the freezer to cool for about 4 minutes. 
Cut the mozzarella cheese into 12 equal small nuggets. Remove the rice mixture from the freezer and form into 12 equal loose balls. Next, take each ball and gently push a piece of mozzarella into the middle. Form the rice back into a tight ball , sealing in the mozzarella entirely. Repeat with the rest of the rice and mozzarella and place the balls in the freezer again to tighten up for about 2 minutes.
Place the flour, egg whites, and panko in 3 separate small bowls.  Lightly season the panko and the flour with salt and pepper. 
Pull the balls out of the freezer and in batches of 3, coat the finished rice balls with flour, knocking off any excess, then dip them into the egg whites to coat evenly, then roll them in the panko. Place your finished arancini on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Continue coating the rice balls until they are all breaded. Place them in the oven and cook until the panko is toasted and crisp, about 6 minutes.
Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan while the arancini are baking and divide it among 4 small dipping dishes. Remove the arancini from the oven, place 4 pieces each on 4 small plates, and serve with the sauce. 

Delicious baked pasta!

I have an Italian friend visiting who is giving us a crash course in Italian cooking so the next several posts will be of delicious Italian dishes. There is no better way to learn how to cook Italian than from an authentic Italian. First we will start off with decadent Baked Ziti.

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

8 ounces of rigatoni
2 cups of marinara sauce (from a can or make your own)
16 large basil leaves torn into bite size pieces
1 ounce of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3/4 cup ricotta
2 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch crescents
2 Tbsps of Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 Tbsps of salt. Add the rigatoni and cook for a minute less than the package directions say for al dente. Drain the rigatoni and return it to the pot.
Add the marinara sauce, the basil and half the Parmigiano to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Dollop the ricotta on the surface of the pasta, place in the oven, and bake until sauce has coated the pasta, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano. Turn on the broiler. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide the pasta among 4 plates.

If you love Crab you will adore this dish!

Creole Gumbo

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps extra virgin oil
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 Tbsps of whole wheat flour
2 tsps of salt
2/3 cup of canned tomatoes and juice
2/3 cup of chicken broth
1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of okra cut intpo 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup of shrimp
1 cup of crabmeat, flaked (canned is fine)
1/4 cup of hot water
1 Tbsp of finely chopped parsley


Directions:

Heat the oil in a 5 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add the celery, onion, pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and salt and cook until the mixture bubbles. Add the tomatoes, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the okra, shrimp, crabmeat, water and parsley and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Luscious fresh Blackberry Jam

This is the most tasty jam recipe you will ever make and easy as ever.

Blackberry Jam

Servings: 2 cups of jam.

Ingredients:

4 cups of fresh blackberries
2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1/2 a package of powdered pectin
1.5 cups of sugar

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a medium-sized pot, mash blackberries with a potato masher or a fork. Over low heat, stir in the lemon juice and the pectin. Bring to a rolling boil and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Return to a boil and boil rapidly for about 25 minutes, skimming off the foam and discarding, until the mixture thickens.
Pour the jam into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4-inch space at the top. Wipe the rims clean. Apply lids and clamp or screw on tightly. Process in a water bath (the large pot of boiling water) for 10 minutes.
Remove from water bath and set aside, letting cool to room temperature, about 8 hours (the jam will further set as it cools). Press on each lid. If a lid springs back, it is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

Delicious Blackberry Sauce Recipe Perfect for Pancakes, Waffles or Ice Cream!

The uses for this delicious sauce are endless!! This is such a simple and delightful recipe you will not regret making it.

Blackberry Sauce

Servings: makes 5, ½ cup containers of jam.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of fresh blackberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Directions:

Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a lid. Simmer over a low heat until berries are easily mashed and syrup develops. Mash fruit to your desired consistency. Use a blender if you want it smooth. Pour into storage containers. Cool before placing in the fridge or freezer.

Easy, breezy, flaky (and delicious) no roll pie crust recipe! Which we used to make a fresh in season Blackberry Pie!

In August the blackberry bushes are full. We picked the berries for 2 hours and got two bucketfuls. They were fresh ripe and delicious but we wanted the perfect pie crust to go with it and we found it. This sweet, easy crust makes the pie all that it is!

 Servings: Makes 1 - 9 inch pie crust

**Double this recipe to make the top layer of the pie crust.**

 

  Easy Pie Crust (and Fresh Blackberry Pie):

Ingredients :

 

1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup oil

2 tablespoons 2% milk
 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place all ingredients in 9 inch pie pan. Stir together with fork. Pat mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Poke holes in bottom and side of crust.
3. Do the same thing for the top layer of the pie (you may choose to roll the dough to have a more uniform polished look)
4. Add filling to the pie and sugar (we used 3 cups of fresh blackberries and 2 cups of sugar)
5. Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown.

My favourite dish from Argentina!

This is such a simple and tasty dish. The flavours are delicious and add that gourmet touch. Argentinians really know how to cook their meat and this lamb dish is fantastic. Truly the best lamb dish we ever made.
*I bought  free range lamb steaks* Feel free to substitute this recipe with Beef or Bison.


Lamb Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

4 (4-ounce) lambsteaks; 3/4 inch think

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1/3 cupfresh parsley leaves

2 cloves garlic peeled

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried Oregano 1 tablespoon of mint 1 tablespoon of chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat grill or grill pan to high. Rub lamb chops with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil, and allow meat to rest.

While lamb is resting, combine remaining oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, and chives and mint in a food processor. Pulse to combine until just pureed. Season with salt and pepper and serve with lamb.

**I served the dish with saffron rice and green beans which I fried with garlic and olive oil.**

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

I decided to try the recipe by Simply Love Food blog.

I adapted the recipe a bit and it was delicious. For the original recipe go to: http://simplylovefood.blog.com/2012/02/25/southwestern-stuffed-peppers/

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• 1/2 lb lean ground bison
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 package Old El Paso Smart Fiesta Taco Seasoning
• 1 cup cooked rice (I used brown)
• 3-4 organic bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• ½ cup of organic frozen corn (optional) I had corn on the cob so didn't add the corn
• 1 roma tomato cut up
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

• Toppings: Sliced Green Onions

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil and roast in a baking dish about 20-25 minutes just until cooked thru. Remove the peppers from the oven.

While the peppers are cooking, cook the ground bison and add the smart fiesta taco seasoning (follow the instructions on the seasoning packet). Also cook the diced onions in a pan until they cook through. After the bison and onions are cooked put them in a bowl and mix in the kidney beans, tomatoes, rice and corn (if using corn).


Spoon the bison mixture into each half of the bell peppers and place back in the oven.  Cook the peppers for another 15 - 20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked all the way thru.

Before removing from the oven sprinkle the tops of each pepper with shredded cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven just until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and top with green peppers.

This is one of the tasties Creole Shrimp recipes you will ever try! Who thought Bacon, Worcestershire and Shrimp would go so well together?!

In this hot weather there is nothing better than having a quick, easy and delicious meal like this tasty Creole Shrimp. You can also use juicy prawns for this recipe if you choose. This meal is very simple but the flavor combination will make your palate sing! Serve with brown or white rice and white wine pairs nicely.

Southern Creole Shrimp
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 slices of bacon
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)

8 large basil leaves chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Optional *1 teaspoon of hot sauce
4 cups of cooked brown or white rice.


Directions: 

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp (no oil needed). Place on paper towel to drain. Once cool, crumble the bacon.

2. Over medium heat, in left over hot bacon drippings, cook onion and bell pepper  for 5 minutes or until tender.

3. Stir in garlic and cook for one more minute.

4. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce (and hot sauce if you like). Stir.

5. Heat to boiling, then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add shrimp and crumble in the bacon. Stir.

7. Cook for 6-10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and serve over cooked rice.

Recipe by Arthur Agatston