Pasta Salad Verde: Going Green

Pasta salads are so 1980's. They used to consist of cooked rotelle spiral macaroni, gross bottled Italian salad dressing, some canned black olives (should be illegal) and maybe cut up green pepper or something resembling a piece of deli meat.

No thank you.

Now that it's summer, I see so many nice looking "pasta salad" recipes on blogs, with healthy vinaigrettes and fresh produce added in. Boy how times have changed.

Here is my addition to the summer pasta salad recipe stockpile on the blogosphere.

Pasta Salad Verde.
Only green things are allowed to enter the bowl.
By green, I mean color, hence the name "verde".

You can use any herb or vegetable you like, as long as it is green.
My recipe, my rules. But you don't have to use spinach pasta!

Stacey's Pasta Salad Verde:

Basil Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of pine nuts
salt & pepper
1/3 cup of good olive oil

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until resembles paste, add in olive oil at end thru feed tube.

16oz. of farfalle pasta (bowties)

1 cup of green beans, trimmed and cut in half on the diagonal
1 bunch of asparagus, woody stems trimmed
1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup of good olive oil
1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar
1 cup of basil pesto

1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped (don't leave this out, really goes well with the peas and has a nice flavor)



Cook green beans and asparagus in the same pot, about 4-5 minutes.

Cut your asparagus spears on the diagonal, so they match the green beans.

Cook pasta as per directions in salted water and drain.

Add all ingredients, along with the defrosted peas to a large bowl.

You can pour your pesto and dressing ingredients over the pasta salad, you don't have to mix them in a separate bowl. Lastly, throw in your fresh herbs. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

This is best served room temperature and made a few hours before serving.
The refrigerator changes the texture & flavors of the dish, so if you are making it ahead, make sure you take it out of the fridge an hour before and adjust seasonings.

Makes enough for a crowd.



Enjoy!

Pork & Pineapple Fried Rice

Here is what I did with all the leftovers from that delicious orange and garlic roast pork.

I made fried rice.

I have always been told that you have to use leftover rice when making this dish, which I never have, so I make a batch of rice in the morning, then I refrigerate it!
Does that count as "leftover" rice?.
I say yes.

You can throw anything in with the rice.
Any type of leftover meat works. Chicken, shrimp or pork.
You can add scallions, sesame seeds, or nuts.
The world is your oyster (but don't add oysters).

I usually make my fried rice with chicken, frozen peas and scrambled eggs. It's so much better than going to the Chinese place downtown and much healthier, because you know what's in it.



Last night I used some chopped pineapple, cilantro and some chopped red bell pepper.
It was a winner.

Hawaiin Pork & Pineapple Fried Rice: serves 4

2 cups of cold leftover rice (any rice will do, I like basmati)
2 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced (or sliced scallions)

2 cups of leftover shredded pork from last night's roast (you can use chicken or shrimp)

1 cup of diced fresh pineapple
1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
a dash of hot pepper flakes

2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce

Heat your oil in a heavy skillet or wok and cook your diced red pepper and onions for a few minutes until starting to soften (don't brown them).



Next add your rice. Cook on high heat with the vegetables about 4 minutes. Keep stirring the rice in the pan so it doesn't stick. Add more oil if needed.

Add your sesame oil and soy sauce to the rice mixture and then add the pineapple and shredded pork. Heat until everything is combined.



Sprinkle w/ fresh cilantro and hot pepper flakes.

Artichoke & Olive Tapenade

I saw this easy Mario Batali recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and since I am the Queen of Crostini, I thought I would try it.

I added garlic scapes to the mixture and it was excellent.

Here is the simple recipe:



Artichoke & Olive Tapenade:

1 garlic clove
1 cup large green pitted olives (I mixed manzanilla and kalamata, because that is what I had on hand)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

loaf or baguette, sliced and toasted

Place all ingredients (except for the bread) in a food processor and pulse once or twice, leaving the mixture chunky. Add your olive oil at the last second.



Spread on crostini toasts and garnish with garlic scapes or sliced green onion.

Easy and delicious!

Classic Potato Salad

This is my personal best and most favorite way to make potato salad.

We all have our own recipe for potato salad, but lately people have been getting too fancy with their picnic fare. Champagne vinegar with mint and chanterelles and a bit of foie gras on top.......no thank you.

Try not to use non fat mayonnaise (please), or any non fat products if you can help it. They are just not REAL foods. (except for nonfat milk products, such as yogurts, which do not need chemicals to make them taste good).

A tablespoon of mayo once a year, won't kill you.

There, I have spoken.

I make this once a year, on July 4th only.
Why? Because I love it so much, I could eat the entire bowl.
I hide it in the garage refrigerator, so as to forget it's there.

This is a recipe from my childhood. Plain and simple, old school.
Nothing fancy.

The only difference in my potato salad and Elayne's (that would be my mother), is the variety of potatoes used.



30 years ago, people stood and peeled tons of baking potatoes for potato salad.
I use the small red skinned potatoes with the skins left on. Makes life much easier.



Classic Potato Salad: THE BEST!

1 lb. of small red potatoes, with skins on
3 stalks of celery, sliced thin
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, mashed with a potato masher (in a separate bowl)
handful of fresh parsley, chopped

optional: 1 red or green pepper, chopped
handful of sliced green onions

Dressing:
1 cup of Hellman's REAL mayo (I should get paid by them for the amount of times I give them a plug!)
1-2 tbsp of Gulden's spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup of pickle relish
salt and pepper

I never measure, so add as much or as little or as much mayo, celery or egg as you like, but use this recipe as a guideline.

Boil your little potatoes in salted boiling water for about 22 minutes.

So I don't have to wash another pot, I time the potatoes so I can throw my eggs in the same pot with them and boil them for the last 13 minutes of cooking time!



So smart, aren't I?

If you have iron hands, such as I, you can quarter your potatoes while piping hot.
If you don't have iron hands that can touch scalding food, then wait until the potatoes are cool enough to handle.

Throw them in a big bowl with your chopped celery, onion and parsley.

Now mix the dressing right in the bowl, on top of the potato mixture.



Add salt and pepper to taste and mix gently.

You can make this 2 days ahead and it still tastes fantastic!
This is my favorite all American classic. I hope you try it!

Weekend Menu Ideas & One Year Blogiversary

The best thing about summer is being able to grill and eat outdoors.

Here, in New Jersey, we only get to do that for about 3 months out of the year, and sometimes it's too hot and humid to want to be outside, that's when air conditioning is king.

I made these excellent filet mignon kabobs and grilled pizzas for a weekend BBQ.
Served up with some easy corn & asparagus salad and a big bowl of potato salad, and summer never looked so good.

Filet Mignon Kabobs: serves 6

3 lb. piece of beef tenderloin (filet mignon), cut up into cubes
1 red, 1 yellow bell pepper, cut up
1 red onion, cut up to fit on skewers
12 cherry tomatoes (2 for each skewer)

lemon or lime juice
kosher salt and pepper
a bit of olive oil

About an hour before grilling, salt and pepper your beef cubes and keep them on the counter at room temperature.



Thread your skewers, alternating vegetables and meat.
Put a little more kosher salt over the vegetables and meat skewers and drizzle with olive oil and squeeze a lemon or lime over the kabobs on a platter.

Grill on medium-high heat to your desired temperature.



Grilled Pizzas:

I purchased fresh focaccia bread and drizzled with olive oil.

Place sliced fresh Bufala mozzarella pieces on top & roasted tomato pieces.
Finish with fresh basil and place on the top rack of your grill, while the kabobs are cooking.



I just realized that my blog turns one year old today!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend with your friends and family!

Tart & Sweet: Cherry Chutney

File this under: OH MY GOD GOOD!

I had a lot of leftover roast pork this week and was planning on making sandwiches with the leftovers (as well as fried rice w/ pineapple).

I am a chutney lover.
Spicy, savory and a bit sweet. Very exotic.

Since there is no jar sterlizing involved in making chutney (which scares me), I decided to make some for myself.

Cherries are a nice match for pork and are in abundance at the farmers' markets this week, so how about a cherry chutney?



This is my own recipe, and I am quite proud of it!
Next time, I might increase the amount of cherries used, otherwise, this came out perfectly.
A little tartness, a little sweetness and a lot of spice!



Stacey's Cherry Chutney:

1 lb. dark, sweet cherries, pitted
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup of orange juice (I use the extra pulp variety)
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup of golden raisins
1.5 tbsp of grated fresh ginger (this gives the heat)

1/2 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Mix all of your ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and simmer the mixture for about 45 minutes, uncovered, until it starts to thicken.



Spoon the hot mixture into a bowl and let cool before putting in the fridge.
Stays good for 2 weeks, if it lasts that long!



Enjoy w/ cheese or on roast pork sandwiches!

My Favorite Summer Side Dish

This was my family's most requested side dish last summer.

The original recipe from Sara Foster from Foster's Market in Durham, N.C. calls for grilled corn on the cob, however, Jersey corn is not in season until September in New Jersey, so I use a bag of frozen corn, defrosted and toasted in a pan.



Throw it in with grilled asparagus, fresh herbs, oil and vinegar, and you have the tastiest, easiest summer side.
Serve along with a potato salad and some grilled steaks, and we have a party!



Grilled Asparagus & Corn Salad:

2 bunches of fresh asparagus, woody stems trimmed
1 bag of frozen sweet corn, defrosted

a bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
a bunch of fresh basil, chopped
a few scallions sliced

3 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp of good extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat some olive oil and butter (you can skip the butter if you want) and toast your corn for about 15 minutes.



*Don't stir the corn. Lay it in a single layer and really toast it, until you hear it pop, like popcorn!
Then you can move it around to toast the other side.



Grill your asparagus spears w/ kosher salt and olive oil for a few minutes.
Take off the grill and slice the spears on the diagonal into 2" pieces.

Place your corn and asparagus in a large bowl.
Toss w/ fresh herbs and add oil, vinegar, salt & pepper to the bowl.

You can make this hours ahead and keep on the counter at room temperature.



Enjoy!

Grilled Gulf Shrimp w/ Mango Salsa

On a recent vacation to the Emerald Coast, a.k.a. the Panhandle, a.k.a. the Gulf Coast, I was asked by our hosts if I would cook dinner for everyone one night.

Not too much pressure.
Hey, I thought I was on vacation.

What could I make for 8 people? It was not my kitchen, and I had no idea what kind of markets they had in that part of Florida. It was going to be dinner on the patio, and since I have a food blog, they figured I could just "whip something up".

I took a bike ride and got lucky and found a fantastic little fish market on Route 30-A that closes its doors when the fresh fish runs out. They had beautiful Red fish, Grouper and fresh Gulf shrimp, stuff we NEVER see in the NYC area. This was fresh caught stuff and CHEAP! I was excited.

I decided to make grilled Jumbo Gulf Shrimp and some kind of fresh salsa to go with.
I was winging it.
I paired it with my beet and orange salad on arugula (which is always so easy), and it was a big hit with everyone. I came out looking like a star!

Next time I am staying at a hotel!



Shrimp and Marinade:

1 lb. of jumbo shrimp, peeled but tail left on

1/4 cup of soy or teriyaki sauce
juice of 2 limes
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp of sesame oil

Marinate your cleaned shrimp in the marinade for about 30 minutes and not more than an hour.



Mango Salsa:

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced (good luck cutting the mango, what a pain)
1 ripe avocado, diced
a tsp of kosher salt
1/4 cup of minced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (or 1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced)
juice of a lime
handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

You can make your salsa 2 hours ahead and keep to the side.



Grill your shrimp on medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side.



Place your shrimp and salsa on a platter and serve with either black corn tortilla chips or rolled up in warm flour tortillas.



Enjoy!

No More Sufferin' Succotash!

I just realized how the expression "Sufferin' Succotash!" from the cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Sylvester came about.

Growing up in a house of frozen vegetables and tater tots (not the good Ore-Ida Crispers!), punishment and suffering was being served lima beans. That was a fate worse than brussels sprouts.

That is how I learned to use my gag reflex, eating those pale green, dry, yet mushy legumes with my baked potato in foil, no sour cream allowed. My mom was mean. Look out.

I have made peace with brussels sprouts and actually LOVE them, roasted, or sauteed with bacon........so I think it was about time to make friends with lima beans.
Hell, I've never met a bean that I didn't like.



The June issue of Bon Appetit had a succotash recipe and I figured I would give it a try. I skipped the green beans and bought real lima beans and soaked them overnight.

Frozen corn, red pepper, a bit of butter and Old Bay Seasoning made this a delicious side dish.



No More Sufferin' Succotash: (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 cup of frozen defrosted corn
1 cup of frozen defrosted lima beans (I used dried beans)
3/4 cup of red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning (I used a whole teaspoon)
2 tbsp of butter
1 tsp salt

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a heavy sauce pan and add your vegetables, saute a few minutes until crisp. Add in butter, Old Bay and season with salt.



Served along with this delicious recipe for Orange & Garlic Roast Pork Loin from bitchincamero, there was no suffering eating this meal!

Birthday Party Post

It was my sister's birthday (and brother's birthday, they are twins) this week and I cooked all of her favorites.......click on the links for recipes.



Seared tuna on seaweed appetizers with an avocado mash.



A great and easy Chinese Chicken Salad.



Steamed asparagus, shredded chicken breast, green onions, Napa cabbage, toasted sesame seeds, and mandarin orange slices in a simple Asian style dressing, and you have a healthy, delicious salad.





And my Deadhead Bread, made by deadheading the herbs from the the garden and stuffing the inside of a loaf with mozzarella cheese and garlic. Can't believe it's been one year since I have made this.





Happy Birthday Eden!

Weekend Bachelor Eats: Chicken Livers on Polenta?

I got an email from my husband's cousin Rich, who is a transplanted New Jersey guy, professional photographer, living in Cave Creek, Arizona in the desert with his wife and daughter.
(He doesn't actually live in the desert, he does have a house, complete with big kitchen and big man grill outside).

He mentioned that his wife and daughter were going on a school trip for 2 weeks, and he would be home alone.
He was excited to cook all the foods they don't like or eat.

He has an obsession with all things bacon.
Chocolate covered bacon, bacon cookies, etc.
I sent him Kat's post this week, bacon gelato and her dark chocolate bacon cupcakes! So, I figured he would be living on pounds of Oscar Mayer fried bacon strips, hot dogs, burgers, pizza and crap for 2 weeks of bachelor cooking.

But no.......this dude made Crostini di Polenta con funghi Trifolati. Sauteed chicken livers and onions on polenta! Grilling his polenta in that 105+ degree heat ("but it's a dry heat").

A man after my own heart.

I guess living in the desert makes you do weird things.
His Italian roots are clearly showing thru.

Thanks for guest posting this weekend! Here is Rich's recipe.

Crostini di Polenta con funghi Trifolati

Recipe is fairly simple... Even a guy could do it! Remember, this is a recipe for one, with one leftover.

Polenta:
3 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mushroom Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 white mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (you can subtitute any variety of mushroom)
1/4 Vidalia onion sliced thinly
1 clove garlic sliced very thinly
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus 1 sprig for garnish
Pinch sea salt
Pinch cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sherry (I used Harvey's Bristol Cream)
Shaved or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

For the Polenta:

In a 2 quart saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Slowly add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. When all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil.
In a 13"x9"x2” baking dish, lightly spray PAM or coat with olive oil. Spread the cooked polenta into the dish and even out. Put in refrigerator and cool for 20-30 minutes.

While the Polenta is setting, fire up the grill to medium. After the polenta has set, coat very lightly with olive oil and put on grill, 4-5 minutes per side.



For the Mushroom Topping:

While the Polenta is grilling, heat a large sauté pan on med-high heat. Add olive oil then sliced onions. Cook for a minute or two and then add the mushrooms, cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown.



While the mushrooms are caramelizing, fire up another sauté pan and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Then add the chicken livers and cook until done, about 2 minutes per side.

Just as the livers are done, add the 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the mushroom mixture and then give it a shot or two of sherry and cook for another 30 seconds.

Plate the polenta and cut into triangles if desired.
Add the mushroom mixture on top of the polenta.
Plate the chicken livers and add the sprig of rosemary for garnish.
Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano on top of the crostinis
Get a glass of wine, turn the ball game on, and enjoy.

Bruschetta

Here is my basic tomato bruschetta recipe.

Pronounced BRU-SKETTA, please.

This is probably one of the first things I learned how to make when I was a teenager.

You can use any variety of tomatoes. Cherry, Heirloom, Roma or whatever you have.
I like to use Roma (also known as plum) tomatoes because they don't seem to get mushy, they have less moisture than other tomatoes.



I have seen people add kalamata olives or onions. Not me.
Here is my recipe. SO good and SO easy.

Simple Tomato Bruschetta: makes a lot

6 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1-2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt

Add your chopped tomatoes to a bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt.



Add the rest of your ingredients and mix together. You can make this hours ahead and keep on the counter at room temperature.



For the bread:
Slice a good baguette or ciabatta on the bias into slices, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
On a baking sheet, toast your bread slices at 400 degrees for a few minutes, watch that they don't burn.

Split a peeled garlic clove in half and while the toasts are still warm, rub the garlic half all over the top of the toasts. This will release the oil from the garlic and coat the bread.



Now you are ready to spoon your tomato mixture on top of the toasts.

Arrange on a platter and serve!



The perfect summer appetizer!

Cherry Clafoutis

This is as simple as they come.

A French rustic pudding baked in a gratin dish or next time in a cast iron skillet for a more rustic look.

The French leave the pits in for a more bitter taste, but I didn't want anyone to crack a tooth, so I removed them!

I found a few different versions of clafoutis in my French cookbooks, the only difference being the amount of eggs used. Some used 4, 5 and even 6 eggs in the recipe.
I chose this one on Simple Recipes, because this recipe called for only 3 eggs, and it sounded lighter. It also had an addition of slivered almonds, which I think I would omit next time, you don't need the crunch.

Crunch aside, this was a fantastic dessert. The only hard part was pitting the cherries. Hey, that's what I have a husband for!



Cherry Clafoutis: recipe from Simple Recipes

2 cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons of slivered almonds (I am leaving them out next time)
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of whole milk
2 teaspoons of Amaretto -or- 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting



Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9X9 or 10X7 baking dish. Toss in the cherries and slivered almonds.

Whisk the eggs, sugars, salt, and flour together until smooth.

Add the milk, Amaretto (or almond extract, if using), and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the baking dish.



Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you pull it put of the oven it will wiggle a bit which is normal. Place on a wire rack to cool. The clafoutis will have puffed up quite a bit and will deflate while cooling. When cool dust the clafoutis with powdered sugar. Serve.



I ate this hot out of the pan, because I have no patience and have to try all of my cakes HOT off the presses.
I know this is wrong, because cake always tastes better the next day, after all of the flavors have mellowed and it has cooled, but I can't help myself.



This one tasted great hot out of the pan, a half hour while still warm, and the next morning for breakfast at room temperature.

No complaints from this cherry orchard.

Pan Roasted Eggplants w/ Shallot Vinaigrette

Ok. This is by far, my new favorite way to make eggplant.

If I only make this one recipe from this new cookbook Two Dudes One Pan, then it was worth the purchase of the book.



Terrific.

Pan Roasted Eggplants w/ Shallot Vinaigrette: (from Two Dudes One Pan)

6 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, cut in half horizontally
3 shallots, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

canola or grapeseed oil for frying
kosher salt for the eggplants

2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of capers, drained
1.5 teaspoon of sugar
1 tbsp of butter

Sprinkle your eggplant halves with kosher salt and set aside.

Heat your canola or grapeseed oil (don't use olive oil, because it will burn) on medium high in a heavy stainless steel skillet and face down, place your eggplant halves and cook for 5 minutes without moving them.

Now turn them over and cook another 3 minutes until cooked thru. Remove eggplant halves from the pan and place them on a platter.



Add another tablespoon of oil and lower the flame a bit and cook your shallots and garlic for about 2 minutes until fragrant, pushing them around with a spoon while cooking.

Turn off the heat and add your vinegar, sugar, herbs, and capers, swirling in your butter last. Mix together and pour this sauce over your hot roasted eggplant.

This is best served right out of the pan, but trust me, we enjoyed this cold in an antipasto with red peppers the next night and it was FABULOUS!

Winter Food in June

It has rained 18 out of 22 days in N.J., no joke, so I figured why not make a winter comfort dish? It sure doesn't feel like June and I have been getting way too wet grilling outdoors lately.

So, tonight it's comfort food. Straight from December.

This is sort of like a cassoulet, but without the sausages and duck. So, I guess it's not like a cassoulet, except for the beans. duh.

I saw this yummy dish on this blog and figured this would warm us up!
The original recipe is from Gourmet magazine and can be seen here.

It was excellent and easy (those 2 E's again!).

I doubled the amount of chicken and I pulled the meat off the bone with the extra chicken to make a great leftover stew.

I think this dish also needed some fresh herbs to give it color and more depth.
I chose rosemary sprigs, but thyme would be a good choice too.

Don't forget to use your splatter screen. Most important!



Baked Chicken with White Beans & Tomatoes: (from Gourmet Magazine):

6 bacon slices (1/4 lb total), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bone (I used 8 thighs)
2 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 (14- to 16-oz) can stewed tomatoes including juice
2 (15- to 16-oz) cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
a few fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.




Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.

While bacon is browning, pat chicken dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brown chicken in fat in skillet over moderately high heat, turning over once, about 8 minutes total, then transfer chicken with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook onions in skillet with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes and juice into onions and boil, uncovered, 3 minutes, to concentrate juices slightly. Stir in bacon and beans and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in beans and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.



I will save this delicious recipe for my winter repertoire, but in the mean time, SUN PLEASE COME OUT I need my vitamin D!!!!

Provencal Potato Salad

 

This recipe is from Ina Garten's original cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa. It is similar to my salade nicoise, and is our favorite year round hearty salad.

I use Dijon mustard as well as whole grain mustard, because I love the little mustard seeds. I also skip the fresh dill, only because I don't grow it in the garden, therefore never have it on hand!



Provencal Potato Salad (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

1 recipe of Ina's French Potato Salad (click here for recipe)

1/2 pound haricots verts, stems removed
two 6-ounce cans Italian tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup capers, drained
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered, optional
6 anchovy fillets, optional



Directions

1. In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch haricots verts for 3 to 5 minutes, until barely tender. Drain and immerse into ice water for 5 minutes. Drain again.

2. In a large bowl, combine the haricots verts with the potato salad, tuna, capers, tomatoes, onions, olives, eggs, and anchovy fillets. Serve at room temperature.

 

Random Bites in June

I read an article on Serious Eats about a person getting 12 double yolks in a carton of Trader Joe's eggs! I have never had that good fortune, and I eat eggs everyday of my life.

I read the comments and many people said that if you buy JUMBO eggs, it is not uncommon to get a double yolk.
I usually buy extra large eggs.

Well, I accidentally purchased JUMBO eggs at my market, and there they were! A double yolk! I felt so lucky!




With all the Hamptons rhubarb I bought this month I made a rhubarb cobbler, same recipe as my little individual rhubarb cakes, though in a bigger pan this time, and I increased the rhubarb cooking liquid and added buttermilk. YUM!






I finally made dinner with the complimentary Buitoni Riserva Mushroom Agnolotti that I received.
I lied to the husband and told him they were stuffed with sausage (SHHHHH, he HATES mushrooms).



They were SO DELICIOUS, and I am not getting paid to say that!
I am not a stuffed pasta lover, and I LOVED these!

I made a simple pan sauce by frying some sage leaves from my garden in butter and adding some sea salt at the end.
Served with a salad, this wins the 2 E's award. Easy and Excellent.

My husband detected the mushrooms, though he did eat it, he didn't like being tricked.

Pizza Tasting

Do you know Paulie Gee?

I met Paulie Gee on the Serious Eats website called SLICE.
A website all about pizza.



I have been reading Paulie's comments regarding the good, bad and the ugly pizzerias all over the NY metro area for a while now.
This Brooklyn native knows his slice.

Well, back in April, I am reading that Paulie is a neighbor of mine in New Jersey and has an outdoor pizza oven that he built with his own hands! You can read Adam Kuban's article about Paulie here.

HOW COULD I NOT KNOW THIS? I thought I knew everything. My mother always said I was a "know it all".

So, I found out and the rest was history.

Forget Daniel Boulud, forget Thomas Keller, forget about Tom Collichio (no, let's not forget him)........we have Paulie Gianonne.

A June night pizza tasting at Paulie's famous backyard pizza oven was all I needed to kick off my summer. (Now if it would only stop raining).



Paulie's son, Michael, a recent Air Force Academy graduate, is in charge of the wood burning oven, and keeps it at a balmy 900F degrees, which takes about 3 hours to reach the desired temperature.



He also uses a laser thermometer to make sure the oven is at the correct temperature at all times.



Paulie makes only Napoletana style pies and makes all the gorgeous dough himself.
90 seconds in the oven and it's done. The pizzas are a certain size by Naples law, and only have 4 ingredients total.



We had 10 pizzas total (for 7 people!!!), and I couldn't decide which pie I loved more.

The one with arugula and lemon juice had my name on it, and the Nancy Silverton sunny side up egg version was fabulous too........but I think the star was the Berkshire guanciale (pig's cheeks) with fresh salted mozzarella.



It was a 4 hour tasting, featuring Paulie's homemade Limoncello to start the evening, and a big salad made by Mary Ann, his lovely wife.

Here are the fantastic highlights.



The Menu:

Pizza Tasting
June 16th 2009

Margherita with Prosciutto di Parma (post oven)

Bianco with Sliced Fresh Garlic, Pecorino Romano and Basil

Margherita with Sopressata Picante and Parmigiano Reggiano

Bianco with Baby Arugula, Fresh Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Prosciutto di Parma and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Margherita with Berkshire Guanciale, Pecorino Romano and Sliced Red Onion

Margherita with Sauteed Italian Eggplant

Bianco with Berkshire Guanciale, Parmigiano Reggiano and Sunnyside Up Eggs

Tomato Medley Margherita

Margherita with Sopressata Picante and Parmigiano Reggiano






My contribution to the evening was my ricotta cheesecake for dessert.



I was even allowed to bring my pizza loving husband, who just maybe, will build ME a pizza oven in our backyard!

We are hoping that Paulie opens his pizzeria in Brooklyn soon, we will be there waiting in line to get in.



Thank you to Paulie and his family for their hospitality and generosity.
These pizzas by far, were the best pies we have ever eaten, and I am not kidding around.



THE END.

Hanger Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce

If you are not yet acquainted with hanger steak, get to know it.

It used to be known as the "butcher's filet" because the butcher used to save it for himself.
It's a very popular cut of beef in Europe and catching on here in the U.S.
It is known in France as "onglet".

It is the piece that "hangs" from the diaphragm of the steer, not to be confused with skirt steak. You can always ask your butcher to cut you some if you can't find it.
It always shows up in my market in the summer, because it is a popular cut for grilling and is quite a bargain!

It is very tender and needs little or no attention.
Only tip is that it should be served medium rare so it doesn't get tough.

I made a delicious chimichurri sauce and it was a super easy weeknight dinner.

Chimichurri is a popular uncooked sauce made with fresh herbs which originated in Argentina. I make it differently every time. The consistency is much like pesto, but chimichurri has no basil.



Grilled Hanger Steak w/ Chimichurri:

handful of fresh parsley
handful of fresh oregano leaves
handful of fresh cilantro
2-3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
enough olive oil to make a dressing, about 1/8-1/4 cup

Hanger Steaks (usually packaged in 2 long pieces)

You can omit the cilantro if you don't like it, but I love it.
Either pulse all the ingredients in a food processor, or hand chop the herbs and garlic to make a fine paste, then add the oil and vinegar. (I usually hand chop everything because I am too lazy to wash out my food processor every time!).

Season your hanger steaks with kosher salt and pepper and keep at room temperature for about an hour before grilling.



Light your grill to medium-high and grill steaks 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. It is important to let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain. This will distribute the juices so the meat doesn't dry out.

Slice the steaks across the grain and serve on a platter with the chimichurri sauce drizzled on top!

Nutella Cupcakes

Growing up in my house, delicacies like FLUFF and NUTELLA were not allowed.

It didn't matter how much we begged and pleaded, my mother was not giving into the sugar + palm oil as first 2 ingredients list. She liked all natural products like Grape Nuts cereal and processed American cheese slices........
(However, we did wear her down and she allowed TRIX & FROSTED LUCKY CHARMS cereal!).

I saw that forbidden Nutella on sale in my supermarket the other day, and figured, why not? You only live once.

I think Giada DeLaurentis has made this hazelnut spread popular again because I see she uses it in a few of her recipes on Food Network.

The label says "NO artificial colors or preservatives", however, when you read the ingredients, it has artificial "flavor", vanillin being the culprit.

It is not made in Italy as I always dreamed, but in Canada. But it does say "50 hazelnuts for every jar!".
Ok, then I can eat it.

I made this popular blog recipe for Nutella cupcakes.
A simple vanilla cake with nutella swirled in. How easy is that?

It was. Not only was it so easy, but such a treat.
Maybe now I can have that sip of coffee, so it won't stunt my growth!



Nutella Cupcakes: makes 10 cupcakes

10 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 10 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until combined.

Fill each muffin liner with batter. Fill about 3/4 full.

Top each cake with 1 tsp Nutella.




Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.



Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.