The Best Kind of Wedding!

Italian Wedding soup, also known as Minestra Maritata, means “married soup” and the name can be a bit confusing. I thought it was a special soup served at Italian weddings but in fact, the name refers to the perfect marriage of the soup ingredients most especially the combination of meat and greens in a flavorful broth.

Minestra Maritata is said to come from an ancient Roman custom and is a traditional Neapolitan soup. It is a complete meal served with or without pasta and can be accompanied by bread, salad and desert. The meatballs can be made of beef, turkey and/or pork, the leafy greens are either escarole or curley endive - both hardy lettuces which are best served cooked and are perfect for soups. The pasta can be Pastina, Orzo, or Risi - any tiny pasta will do. 

 

MINESTRA MARITATA (ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP)

Soup:

3 qts. Chicken Broth

One head of escarole or curly endive lettuce

2 eggs, beaten well

2 Tb parmigiano reggiano cheese

Salt and Pepper

Meatballs (see recipe below)

1/2 package Pastina, *cooked (Pastina: tiny star shaped pastas)

Meatballs:

One pound ground beef (or ground turkey)

one small grated onion

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped well

one egg, beaten

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

one slice of fresh bread cut or torn into tiny pieces

1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese

Combine all meatball ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make one inch sized meatballs. Place on baking sheet. Let chill for 30 minutes.

For the soup:

Bring broth to boil in large pot over medium heat. Place meatballs and escarole/endive into pot and simmer about 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked and the lettuce is tender. Turn off the heat.

Whisk the eggs and cheese in a bowl to carefully blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion and while the soup is swirling, drizzle the egg mixture into the broth and gently stir with a fork so that the egg mixture becomes thin strands - about 1-2 minutes. Add about one cup cooked pasta as desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup in shallow bowls and sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a tossed green salad.

*Note: Cook the Pastina earlier in the day or the night before so that you can chill it and it can firm up.

ENJOY!

HAPPY FOURTH!

There is something wonderful in the air and I think it is the scent of all the delicious peaches, apricots and melons that are finally available. Summer will be officially here soon along with hiking and boating and of course, barbeque picnics. Let's celebrate Father's Day and the Fourth of July in grand style.

We all enjoy burgers and slaw along with baked beans and corn on the cob, so here are a few variations on the menu theme. If you want even more variety, try my menu from the Far East: Oriental Burgers with Asian Slaw. The recipes for these can be found on my blog site listed below. Enjoy and have a safe and sane holiday!

  

PORTOBELLO BURGERS

Portobello Mushroom Marinade:

1/4 C Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar 2 TB

Garlic, 3 cloves minced

Mayonnaise Dressing:

1/2 C mayonnaise

2 -3 tsp fancy mustard

1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated

Garlic, 2 cloves minced

Burgers:

4 large Portobello mushrooms

salt & pepper

4 slices of cheese: mozzarella or provolone

1/3 C fresh basil leaves

1 tomato, sliced

2 fire-roasted bell peppers, canned or jar from Trader Joe's, drained & pat dry

8 slices of sourdough bread or 4 hamburger buns, sliced in half

1. Preheat your barbeque grill. Mix the marinade and set aside. Mix the dressing and set aside.

2. Clean the mushrooms by removing the stems and gills and then wipe the caps clean. Brush both sides of mushrooms with marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then let sit for about 10 minutes to soak up flavors. Brush the bread or buns lightly with marinade and set aside.

3. Place the mushrooms gill side down on the grill for about 3-5 minutes. Turn over and grill for 3-5 more minutes. Reduce heat to low and turn mushroom caps are up. Top them with cheese. Place the bread on the grill, cut side down and let cheese melt while bread becomes lightly toasted. Watch very carefully so nothing burns.

4. Assemble burgers with dressing on the bun, mushroom, basil leaves, tomato and slice of bell pepper.

5. Serve with Summer Slaw and a tossed garden salad.

SUMMER SLAW

1/2 red cabbage

1/2 green cabbage

3-4 carrots

3-4 celery stalks

1/2 medium jicama

4-6 scallions

1/2 - 1 cup golden raisins

1/2 - one Jalapeno pepper

salt & pepper

Poppy Seed Dressing (Brianna's is the best)

1. Grate the cabbages.

2. Dice the carrots, celery, jicama, and scallions. Add raisins.

3. Cut the Jalapeno pepper in half, carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Dice 1/2 of it very small. Add to salad and mix. If you like it hot, dice and add the rest.

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add your dressing and toss.

6. Chill overnight for the flavors to meld.

Brisket and Slaw for Pa!

With both Father's Day and Memorial Day coming up, I am thinking of the wonderful men who are or who have been in my life. So, a “thank you” to all the service men who bravely serve our country, to all the fathers, and to those men that father in some way or another. I am especially proud of my son Eric who is a super-dad to his two young boys. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow from a boy to a man and to become the dad he is today.

If the weather is nice, Father's Day will be a good day for a picnic or barbeque with an array of hardy, fatherly foods. I think this day calls for something extra special. As it turns out, Father's Day is just about the time I give my oven a rest for the summer months but I thought of one last way to take advantage of it before the days become really summery hot.

I actually discovered this recipe years ago from a lady in line at a grocery store. I asked her what she was going to do with her brisket and her exact instructions are here in this recipe. It has been a tried and true recipe for over a decade. You can serve this for dinner and then chill the rest and use it for tasty sandwiches on fresh baked rolls accompanied by homemade coleslaw. Enjoy!

 

BRISKET FROM THE LADY IN HUGHES MARKET

Cook brisket in a 350 degree oven for about 3 hours in a big roasting pan with a lid with either beer, red wine or beef stock (just enough to cover the meat) Add: 4 whole garlic cloves, 8 whole peppercorns, one whole carrot and one celery stalk.

After 3 hours, remove from liquid, cool a bit and then chill both liquid and meat, separately, overnight. Be sure both are well wrapped. Next day, cut all fat off the meat and slice in 1/4" slices. ALWAYS slice brisket AGAINST the grain. This is essential if you want tender meat! Skim fat off the liquid.

Put meat and liquid into your roasting pan and add either 2 cans of Dawn Fresh Mushroom Steak Sauce (2- 6oz. cans - sold in grocery stores, WalMart, or online) or if you like, one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. Bake at 350 for one hour. Serve with noodles and a veggie for dinner and then save the rest for wonderful brisket sandwiches with coleslaw on the side.

 

WILD COLE SLAW

cabbage, red & green, shredded

carrots, shredded

celery, diced

jicama, diced

green onion, chopped

golden raisins

jalepeno, minced

Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

salt & pepper

Grate cabbage and carrots. Dice jicama, celery, and green onions. Seed and clean out membrane of the Jalapeno then mince, really tiny! Mix all together, add dressing and salt and pepper to taste, chill.

For portions I use half of each small cabbage - half a red, half a green. About 3 carrots, 3 celery and 4 -5 green onions. A handful of raisins to taste. I use half of a jalapeno with membranes and seeds taken out. If you like it hot, use the whole thing.

Toss and chill then enjoy!

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!

Simplicity is a quality and a choice. It relates to the way we do things and although it sounds simple, it is a very complex thing! I love the expression “Keep it simple sweetheart.” This in many ways relates to my current cooking style. When I bake a cake people often ask me if I made it from “scratch”. Have you ever wondered why we ask that question? Perhaps it is because we want to know if it is something we would like to tackle. Or, do we think it tastes better when we know how it was made?

I have found that simplicity is not lazy, in fact, it is downright clever. There were times, as a wife and mother, that I spent much time in the kitchen over a cookbook while finding my way through very complex recipes. Yes, it was worth the time. However, at this juncture in my life I want to have more time to do more things. And so, I have devised some simple short cuts in my kitchen.

For baking, I see no reason not to use packaged cake mix as a base. It has no more or no less ingredients than the ones I would assemble anyways except it takes about one tenth of the time and effort. From there, I add many ingredients which make it my own creation. For salads, I have discovered salad bars in various stores where I can buy washed, cut, grated and chopped ingredients that I can use for salads, vegetable side dishes and for main dishes as well. In the meat section of the store I can use fajita mix sold all cut and ready to go in order for stir fry, soups and stews.

In honor of Mother's Day I am presenting to you a simple and delicious recipe that is fun to make and great to make for mom or whomever. I love making this for myself and so, this recipe serves two. To make for more, just double or triple the ingredients. Whatever you do, please enjoy!

 

CHICKEN STIR FRY

One whole chicken breast, boned, skinned and cut into strips

(option: I use 4 boned & skinned chicken thighs which I buy at the meat market)

Garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 tsp minced ginger or to taste (option: Japanese pickled ginger)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup cilantro, rough chopped

Soy sauce to taste

1 cup trimmed snow peas cut diagonally

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups grated carrots

½ bell pepper, cut into strips

1. Cook a pot of brown or white rice.

2. Season chicken with spices and let sit for about 10 or so minutes.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet and then, using a small amount of olive oil, stir fry the cut chicken over medium heat with the ginger, garlic, and cilantro for a few minutes until chicken starts to brown but is not cooked.

4. Add the snow peas, cabbage, carrots and bell pepper and stir fry until all ingredients are tender and chicken is cooked. (Be careful not to overcook).

5. Add small amount of soy sauce right into pan and mix, taste, and adjust seasonings.

6. Serve with rice.

Melting Pot Meals

Today we can celebrate for almost any reason: springtime, Cinco de Mayo, Armed Forces Day, and even Tax Day. All of these occasions are coming up on the calendar and all of these are reasons to gather in fellowship. What a wonderful way for us to remember to take time out to be with family and friends.

In the USA, we have many cultures and so, the name “melting pot” is quite significant. Personally, I like to think of a melting pot as something cooking in a crock pot or something simmering on the stove! What's fellowship without food?! And what's food without trying new and different dishes from all the many cultures that live here in our free country?!

Here are two recipes that absolutely demand to be shared and enjoyed! The Picadillo is a Cuban recipe and the Chicken Curry is from India. Both can be adapted to serve as many as you wish and both can be taken to potluck events. Enjoy!

 

PICADILLO

2 lbs. Ground beef

Olive oil

one onion, chopped

one yellow or green bell pepper, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

one large can whole tomatoes, with liquid

1/8 cup white vinegar

small jar green olives stuffed with pimento, cut in half (not lengthwise)

¼ cup capers, drained

¼ – ½ cup raisins

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

salt and pepper

optional: hot sauce, about ¼ tsp

Picadillo...

1. In a large stock pot, heat about 1-2 Tb olive oil and over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and green pepper until soft. Remove from pot and set aside

2. Add to the pot more oil as needed and brown the ground beef, separating it with a fork.

3. Return the onion mixture to the pot and add all remaining ingredients. Simmer over medium-low heat for one hour. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick. Adjust seasoning.

4. Serve with rice as a meal and/or corn chips to dip for a party food.

Bombay Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breasts - halved & skinned

Flour to coat

Salt and fresh ground pepper

3 Tb. Olive Oil

2 Tb. Butter

1 can chicken broth (about 14 oz.)

1/2 dry white wine or white grape juice with a squeeze of lemon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C fresh parsley chopped

1/4 tsp. ginger powder

1 Tb. curry powder (or to taste)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (about 13 oz.)

Condiments:

Shredded unsweetened coconut

Chopped peanuts

Choppe green onions

Raisins

Chutney (Major Grey's)

Accompaniment:

Basmati or Jasmine Rice

1. Rinse chicken, pat dry and put into plastic bag with about 1/2 C. flour and salt and pepper. Shake to coat then take out of baggie and shake off excess.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for five minutes on each side until lightly browned.

3. Add chicken broth, wine, onion, garlic, parsley, ginger and curry powder. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for five minutes. Cover, then simmer for about 10 more minutes.

4. Remove chicken and set aside

5. Stir in coconut milk and reseason. Heat on low and while this is heating up, slice chicken into 1/2” strips. Add back into pan and gently heat.

6. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice with Chutney and condiments on the side.

Nothin' Foolish About This!!

Spring has sprung and the snow is finally melting. The creeks are flowing, the buds are budding and the gardens are growing. Some spring veggies are ready to be picked. This is a time of renewal and once again, we honor our sacred holidays, we delight in the spring equinox and we look forward with mixed emotions to April Fool's Day!

Ah, the day of hoaxes and practcal jokes is almost here, so watch out! While not a national holiday, it is indeed celebrated by people in many countries around the world including Great Britain, France, Italy and of course, the USA. It is said that this date, April 1^st, came about by an error someone made when mis-copying official manuscripts in the days of Chaucer.

So you can see that April Fool's Day has been around since the fourteenth century and my guess is that it is here to stay. In getting prepared for the serious business of joking around, many of us plan and plot the most intricate of gags. Why did you know that there are lists of these on the internet? They range from office pranks to fake snakes, electronic idiosyncrosies, and even some booby traps. Go figure!

However, there is nothing foolish about a good meal. Anyone ready for chillen and grillen? Well, we're almost there. Just two more snowstorms to go …. ha ha, just kidding! I ernestly wish you to savor this wonderful time of year and for this, I offer you a succulent fish recipe that can either be grilled or baked depending upon the weather. I also offer you a great side dish for that meal, my southwestern pasta salad. Enjoy!

 

MARINATED SWORDFISH STEAKS

2 pounds swordfish steaks- serves 4-6

Marinade:

3/4 cup soy sauce

2-3 TB lemon juice

3/4 C. orange juice

4 TB Ketchup

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 C. parsley leaves, chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp. pepper

Combine ingredients and marinate the swordfish steaks for 1-2 hours. Heat your grill and put on the fish. While it cooks, baste it occasionally with the marinade. (Option: bake or broil in the oven).

Serve with rice or pasta salad, grilled veggies and French bread.

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD

Best made 1-2 days ahead

One lb. medium Macaroni Shells, cooked al dente

1/3 C. Cider vinegar

¾ C. Mayonnaise

¼ C. Vegetable Oil

1 C. Celery, chopped

1 bunch (about 6) Green Onions including green tops, chopped

One green pepper, chopped

Pimiento, one small jar (about 4 oz.), drained

3-6 generous dashes Worcestershire

3-6 dashes Tabasco

Salt & Freshly ground Pepper to taste

One can (15oz.) Black Eyed Peas, drained

One can (15oz.) Corn, drained

One small can (3-4 oz.) pitted Black Olives, sliced & drained

One jar (4 oz.) Green Olives with Pimiento, drained

1. Cook & drain pasta. In the meantime, combine the vinegar, oil, and mayo. When pasta is done and drained, put in a large bowl and add the mayonnaise mixture just to moisten the pasta, then set aside while you fix the rest of the salad.

2. Prep all the rest of the ingredients and add to pasta. Mix and adjust seasonings including adding more dressing as needed.

Note: add the dressing incrementally until you find the salad a bit moist but not drenched. Save any extra dressing.

3. Cover in refer for 1-2 days, adjust seasoning and dressing and serve.

ENJOY!!

The Color Green

We always seem to be working up to a celebration of some kind, and why not?! When I was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, the city was cleaned up and spotless after each night's celebration. On the day after Fat Tuesday, the actual day called Mardi Gras and the last day of the city's feast, New Orleans was transformed once again. Green was the color and it was time to look forward to Saint Patrick's Day.

St. Paddy's Day, as it is affectionately known, is really about Irish culture. However, it is officially a religious day in honor of Saint Patrick and is observed on the day of his death, March 17^th. We wear green to honor the day and we eat, drink and make merry. In fact, it is said that everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's day! Did you know that the Chicago River is dyed green on that day?

Saint Patrick lived in the fifth century and is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It is said in a legend that he explained the Holy Trinity using the three leaves of an Irish clover, hence, the shamrock. I am sure he would be delighted to see us enjoying our lucky shamrock holiday!

In honor of this holiday I introduce you to my Pistachio Nut Torte which, while not actually Irish, is a beautifully presented green and white dessert!

 

Pistachio Nut Torte

Crust:

2 C flour

4 T sugar

2 sticks butter

1 ¼ C chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix together then press into a 9X13” pan (or a spring form pan). For large size can use a 10X15 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool thoroughly. (This can sit out overnight).

First Layer:

Cream Cheese: 8 oz.

Sugar: 2/3 C

Cool Whip: ½ of a large or about 6 oz

Blend and spread onto cooled crust.

Middle Layer: not cooked, only mixed until thickened

Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix: 2 small packages (UNcooked)

Whole Milk: 2 1/2 C

Mix together until it becomes very thick.

Pour onto first layer & spread.

Refrigerate & let set.

Top Layer:

Spread the other ½ of the Cool Whip (or 6 more oz) on top. Chill. Before serving, sprinkle with a few pistachio nuts.

Have a happy & safe Saint Paddy's day!