Sformato di Verdure e Carne and a Belated Happy Birthday!

Tonight we have another recipe from Lidia's Commonsense Cookbook. I prepared this on Sunday and tonight Chris just had to bake it when he got home. This seems to be more of a fall/winter dish. But comfort food is good any time of the year. And the turkey was a nice change! This was really delicious and will be made again! I think of making the filling and then topping it with mashed potatoes, kind of like a Shepherd's Pie. But that won't happen until at least October. Stay tuned.

Ingredients-

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, thinly sliced

1 pound zucchini, diced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups white wine

2 fresh bay leaves

1 3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced  (1/4 inch thick or less)

8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded

1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method-

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the zucchini is tender, then remove vegetables to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the ground turkey. Cook and stir the turkey until it is crumbled and browned, about 4 minutes. Then clear a space in the pan and add the tomato paste. Let it toast for a minute, then stir it into the turkey. Add the wine and bay leaves, bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced and saucy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onions and zucchini.

Toss the potato slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining teaspoon of salt. In a medium bowl, toss together the two cheeses. To assemble, butter a large oval baking dish (4 quart size). Layer the potatoes in the bottom, and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Layer all of the turkey mixture, then all of the remaining grated cheese. Cover with foil (making sure it doesn't touch the cheese), and bake on the bottom rack until bubbly around the edges, about 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the top is browned and crusty, about 15 minutes more.

And I forgot Donald Duck's birthday yesterday! 

Want to know more about the amazing duck?
Click here for 10 facts about Donald Duck.

Lentils with Wine-Glazed Vegetables

I saw this recipe in my inbox and had to make it. The recipe was on 101 Cookbooks blog. There are actually a number of variations of the recipe. One, which I think is the original recipe, is served as a pot pie. That will appear on this blog later in the year.

The feta cheese I picked up had cranberries in it. I did not realize it when I purchased it. It added an extra layer of flavor to the dish. Score!

Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups lentils
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2/3 cup / 80 ml dry red wine
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter


Method-
Put the lentils in a saucepan with 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but hold a little texture, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute more, and then add the wine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is syrupy and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard and add the cooked lentils along with their broth. Simmer until the sauce is mostly reduced, then stir in the butter, and season with pepper. Serve topped with greens/arugula, and crumbled feta cheese, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Serves 4.

Stuffed Hamburgers

Chris gave me Lidia's Commonsense Cookbook for Christma and I have been looking forward to making these burgers. I was unsure about the sun-dried tomatoes, but loved the finished product.

Ingredients-
1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces low moisture mozzarella, cut in small cubes

6 large basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method-
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar and salt. Mix the ingredients together with your hands to combine. Form into 6 equal sized balls.

In a small bowl, toss together the mozzarella and basil. Make an indentation in each ball and press in some of the mozzarella/basil mixture. Seal the mozzarella in and press to form patties, about an inch thick.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook until cooked through and the cheese inside is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes in all. To check if the cheese has melted inside, stick a toothpick into the center; if the cheese has melted it will stick to the toothpick.

For a side dish I made Cold-Fashioned Potato Salad. The recipe is from the Food Network. Yum!

Skirt Steak, Zucchini Salad and Red Pepper Hummus

Meat on the grill. I was looking forward to this. I put the steak in a marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary. Chris did a perfect job on the grill. The meat was quite delicious.

For a side dish I made a zucchini salad. I used the mandoline to thinly slice the zucchini and some red onion. I toasted some walnuts and tossed the zucchini, onion with some baby greens. Added a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Tossed in some grape tomatoes and topped the salad with the walnuts.

Before dinner we watched the Belmont Stakes. I had some of the roasted peppers leftover from this week, so I made a Red Pepper Hummus. Okay, it was really, really good. Chris and I are not fans of garlic, so I googled Hummus Without Garlic and found this recipe on Might Good Eats. I added the Roasted Peppers and loved it.

Ingredients-
1/2 can chickpeas – do not drain, but rather, spoon the chickpeas into a bowl so that you retain some of the juice (cans at around 500 ml)
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Pinch of paprika
1/8 tsp salt
Juice of quarter a lemon
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cold water

Method-
In a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender, whiz all the ingredients.

Penny Lane Pub and Our Favorite Band

Tonight we had dinner at Penny Lane Pub in Old Saybrook. We went there before going to see the Smithereens at the Kate.

Dinner was good. We started with drinks and County Cork Calamari, "tender rings freshly breaded and fried, tossed with banana peppers. Wasabi and marinara sauces." The sauces were good, especially the Wasabi. The Calamari was okay. I prefer it a little crispier.

For an entree, I had Polenta and Grilled Vegetable Melt. Grilled polenta cake topped with squash, roasted bell peppers, onions, Portobello mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, finished with a balsamic glaze. I loved this. The vegetables were grilled perfectly and the balsamic glaze was fantastic. Anything with polenta gets my vote.

Chris had the Bison burger with Jalapeño Bacon. Yes, it was Jalapeño Bacon!

The Smithereens put on a great show. It was a perfect end to a crazy week!

Grilled Cheese with Roasted Peppers, Prosciuotto, Arugula and Provolone

Grilled Cheese with Roasted Peppers, Prosciutto, Arugula and Provolone! Wow, that's a mouthful. I made Roasted Peppers this weekend. The recipe is from Chef Silvio. The red peppers were on sale. Whenever I see red peppers on sale I think of my Dad. He could not resist them... Neither can I.

Peperonata Roasted Peppers, from Cooking with Chef Silvio

Ingredients-
6 large yellow and/or red peppers
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
20 pitted Calamata olives
2 heaping teaspoons capers
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs

Method-
Cook peppers on a grill or bake on a sheet pan at 450˚, turning frequently, until charred all around. Place them in a closed brown bag and let rest for 1/2 hour. Take peppers out, remove stems and seeds and peel. Cut into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl. Add oil, garlic, olive, capers, half of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and give a good mix. Place in a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake at 400˚ for 10 minutes, or until the top turns light brown and a bit crusty. Using a metal spatula, transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley.
This dish can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature and is excellent as a contorno, side dish with sandwiches or as a salad or appetizer.

Grilled Chicken and Pasta Pie

Tonight we had the first grilled chicken of the season. This morning before I went to work I put the chicken breast in a marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh chopped rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Delicious!

To go along with the chicken I made a Pasta Pie on Sunday using the leftover pasta from Friday night. That and a salad of arugula, tomato and shaved Parmigiana made this a perfect dinner.

If It's Sunday...

Pizza. Bacon, Olive, Onion and Peperonata Roasted Peppers Pizza. 

I think I can let the photos speak for themselves tonight.

Pasta with Pancetta, Potatoes and Arugula

I read a couple of recipes that inspired this meal. The one I followed was Pasta e patate alla Napoletana from Mario's Italian Kitchen. I used everything but the celery. Not sure why I did not use the celery. This was well received. Chris really enjoyed the dinner. I liked it too, but I was glad that we have leftovers. Yes, they will appear next week as a Pasta Pie. Another thing I liked about this meal was that it used up a lot of little things I had in the fridge. Again striving for no waste.

My rendition of Pasta e patate alla Napoletana from Mario's Italian Kitchen.

Ingredients-
2 tablespoons olive oil
70gr pancetta, chopped small
300gr potatoes, diced small
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup baby arugula
1 pound fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method-
Place olive oil in a large saucepan, and turn heat to medium. Add onion and Pancetta to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, and crushed red pepper and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown all over, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add tomatoes and their juice, the cherry tomatoes along with 2 cups of the simmering water, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Stir well and continue to simmer on a gentle heat.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. A minute before removing the pasta, add the arugula and let it wilt.
Drain the cooked pasta and arugula and mix with the sauce.

After I drained the pasta I put it in the pasta bowl with a little butter and cheese. I could have stopped right there.

 But I added the sauce. It was the right thing to do.

And a note about lunch.

Worked from home today, so I heated up the leftover 

spaghetti squash and topped it with a poached egg. 

Wow!

Hot Dogs on the Grill.

Let me start out by saying I am not a huge hot dog fan. But it is a summer staple so... 

 

When Chris called and asked what he was supposed to do for dinner, I asked him to put the hot dogs on the skewers and spiral cut them. That way the relish and other compliments get in the slices in the hot dog, covering up the taste! Sorry, but that is the way I feel. To me a hot dog is a small piece of meat (?) that holds all sorts of tasty condiments in a roll.

Remember the roasted peppers from the other night.  

Well, they can make a hot dog taste quite good!

 Then we have the basic All American Dog.
American Cheese, relish and mustard.

 And the salad....

Farro, red onion, zucchini, parsley, mozzarella  cheese,
cherry tomatoes and olives. Dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.