This was the question that was asked by my mother every day when we spoke. We both enjoyed talking about food. She passed away in 2006. I miss someone asking that question. So this is where I will tell whomever what I am making for dinner.
October 1st. Soup Season has begun. And we started strong tonight with a soup that got rave reviews from across the table. Lentil and Sausage Stew. Recipe from one of my favorite sites An Italian in My Kitchen.
I think Lentil Soup is one of my top 3 favorite Fall/Winter soups. I usually make the Mark Bittman recipe but this time I opted for a recipe with sausage. There were no complaints about this addition.
When it comes to Sunday dinners, I prefer to keep things easy and stress-free. No elaborate preparations or mountains of dishes to wash! This week, I stumbled upon a recipe in the New York Times that perfectly fit my goal.
The only feedback from Chris was to dial back the crushed red pepper next time. Other than that, it was a hit! And since we were just two, halving the recipe was the perfect portion size.
Click here to see the original recipe. This is my version of the recipe.
Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy at the edges, about 5 minutes.
Carefully drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat, reserving any excess for later.
Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the red-pepper flakes, and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, just a few seconds.
Add the onion, season generously with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add more bacon fat if the pan dries out.
Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the vodka.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until 2 minutes shy of al dente.
While the pasta cooks, turn the heat under the sauce to high and cook, stirring constantly, until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes.
Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat.
Reserve 1 cups of the pasta water.
Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, along with 1 cup pasta water and most of the pecorino.
Cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with one hand while moving the pan back and forth with the other, until the sauce glossily drapes the noodles, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add more pasta water if the sauce looks dry.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as desired.
I've lost count of the rib recipes I've tried, but I think I might have finally found my holy grail. Inspired by a recipe from Cooking with Momma C, I took a crack at these ribs, and let me tell you, they were finger-lickin' good!
I swapped out the garlic powder for onion powder and paired these tender, juicy ribs with a sweet and smoky Ricky D's Rib Shack Original Kansa-Lins BBQ sauce. The result? Pure barbecue bliss.
To round out the meal, I kept it classic with grilled corn on the cob and a fresh tomato, feta, and mozzarella salad tossed in a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. It was the perfect summer supper.
St. Louis Ribs-
Ingredients-
4 pounds slab of St. Louis ribs (or baby back ribs)
¼ teaspoon onion powder
10 ounces BBQ sauce (or use as much as you'd like)
Method-
Spray a large slow cooker with cooking spray or use a slow cooker liner.
Sprinkle the ribs with onion powder.
For an oval, 6-quart, Crockpot, cut the slab in half with kitchen scissors if needed to fit the ribs inside.
(Lay them down if needed.)
If you have a tall Crockpot, place the ribs standing up, with the meat side facing the walls of the cooker.
Cover and cook on low for eight hours.
A half hour before they are ready (7 ½ hours into the process), transfer the ribs to a platter and drain the liquid from the pot into the sink.
Place the ribs back in the slow cooker and add the BBQ sauce.
Cover and cook for the last 30 minutes on low.
Place the ribs on a platter (they will be falling off the bone).
Serve with extra sauce from the slow cooker on the side.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca was from Delish.com.
The corn fritters are a Jacques Pepin recipe. They were sooooo good!!!!!
Let's start with the Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca.
I used only 3 cutlets and cut them in half. There was plenty for the two of us with little left over for lunch for me on Monday. The prep was straightforward. This will become a go-to recipe. Easy to prepare and the chicken was delicious.
You need to try this recipe. You will be satisfied. Here is a link for the YouTube video of Chef Pepin preparing the fritters.
Corn Fritters Recipe-
Ingredients-
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup seltzer water
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
1/4 cup oil for frying
Method-
In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
In thirds, add seltzer, mixing with a whisk after each addition.
You want a smooth batter.
Stir in the corn.
Heat oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, add about a 1/2 cup portion of the corn fritter batter.
Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Look for bubbles on top and crispy edges.
You want them nice and crispy.
When you remove them from the oil give them a quick dash of salt.
Drain them on a wire rack placed on top of a dish or baking sheet, do not put them on paper towels, as that will make the bottoms soggy.
Here is the recipe for the Chicken Saltimbocca-
Ingredients-
3 chicken cutlets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 thin slices prosciutto
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. low-sodium chicken stock
2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (8-oz.) container ciliegine or bocconcini, halved or quartered if larger (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
Method-
Season chicken all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Wrap 2 slices prosciutto around each piece of chicken, gently pressing prosciutto against chicken to adhere.
Pour flour on a shallow plate.
Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off any excess.
In a 12" skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.
Cook chicken, turning halfway through, until chicken and prosciutto are golden and prosciutto is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer chicken to a plate.
Pour vinegar into skillet and cook, scraping up browned bits, until almost completely reduced, about 30 seconds.
Add stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Return chicken and 1/2 of the tomatoes to skillet and cook, turning a few times, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat.
Transfer chicken to a platter.
Scatter the remaining tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil over top; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Drizzle the remaining sauce over the chicken and serve.
Inspiration can strike anywhere, and it hit me at Bishop's Farm Market. A bottle of their house-made Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette caught my eye, and my mind immediately conjured up the image of a juicy pork tenderloin glazed in its sweet-tart goodness.
While I found a recipe on AllRecipes.com for inspiration, I decided to tailor it to my ingredients. Speed was key, so I opted to slice the tenderloin into medallions for quicker cooking. The star of the show, however, was the simple yet stunning sauce. Just a touch of the Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette was heated and simmered with some fresh blueberries, creating a glaze that needed no further embellishment.
The result? A resounding success! A hearty thumbs up from the other side of the table confirmed that this recipe is a keeper. It's a perfect example of how a little creativity and fresh ingredients can turn a weeknight meal into something truly special.
My recipe for Pork Medallions with Blueberry-Balsamic Glaze, adapted from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients-
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 Bay Leaf
1/3 cup of Jasmati Rice
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 firm ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes
1 oz Prosciutto cut into small pieces
1/4 cup parmigiano cheese
4 fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Method-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small pot, bring to boil 1 cup water with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the bay leaves.
Stir in the rice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until rice is al dente and liquid is almost all gone, about 10 minutes.
Scrape into a bowl to cool.
Slice the tops off the tomatoes, reserving the tops.
Scoop out the inner flesh of the tomatoes with a spoon, leaving a thick shell.
As you work, put the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl to collect the juices.
Once all of the tomatoes are scooped out, season the insides of the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
Chop the tomato flesh and put in the bowl with the rice.
To the bowl, add the mozzarella, Prosciutto, 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, basil, oregano, and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss to combine.
Pour reserved tomato juices into the bottom of a baking dish.
Evenly divide stuffing in tomatoes.
Arrange cut-off tomato tops in the baking dish and place a stuffed tomato on each top.
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, you may have a little leftover stuffing.
If so, roll it into “meatballs” and place into the spaces in the baking dish.
Drizzle tomatoes with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle tops with remaining grated cheese.
Bake until tomatoes are soft and juicy and stuffing is browned on top, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Pork Chop Marinade-
The tomato salad was put together with ingredients we had on hand. I picked up the tomatoes at Cole's
Farm stand, which no Virginia does not accept payment with Venmo. Parsley and basil from our deck. Fresh mozzarella, some feta cheese, salt pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
This is the recipe we use for boiling corn. Yeah, it seems simple enough but why waste time guessing.
From Love and Lemons we have this-
Ingredients-
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
Dried egg fettuccine
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
Method-
Melt butter in a large saute pan.
Cook fettuccine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain fettuccine in a colander.
Immediately toss the fettuccine with butter and salt in the sauté pan, then slowly add 3/4 cup cheese, tossing constantly and adding enough of the cooking water to keep pasta moist.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
The pasta is the only recipe I use. It is from Tide and Thyme.
Fresh Pasta Yields about one and a half pounds of fresh pasta
Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surfacesMethod-
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surfaces
Combine the flours, and salt in a bowl or on a work surface, creating a well in the center.
Crack the eggs into the well.
Using a mixer or by hand, slowly mix, incorporating the flour into the egg mixture a little bit at a time.
Once you have a dry, shaggy dough, mix in the olive oil and water and knead by hand until the dough is fairly smooth and homogeneous.
Divide the dough into four portions and cover with a damp towel.
Let rest for 20 minutes.
At this point, proceed with thinning and cutting as desired, depending on equipment available.
To cook, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes or until al dente.
Drain well and serve immediately.
Air Fryer Greek Chicken Souvlaki (this recipe is more than enough for 2 people)
Ingredients-
1 lb Boneless skinless Chicken thighs or breasts
1/2 tablespoon Oregano
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon White pepper
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
Method-
Prepare chicken
Wash and pat the chicken dry with a clean paper towel.
Cut chicken into 2-inch bite-sized pieces.
Combine the chicken bites with the marinade till well coated.
Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating soak the bamboo skewers in water to keep it from burning during cooking.
When ready to bake, thread the chicken pieces on the skewers till all the meat has been threaded.
Air fry
Place chicken skewers in a parchment paper-lined air fryer basket.
Mine takes 5 at a time.
Bake at 400°F for 15 mins flipping halfway through cooking time.
Internal temperature should be at least 165°F.
Let it rest for 2 minutes then bake the next batch.
Serve with your favorite fixings.
