Tomato, Arthichoke, Black Olive and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta!!

This is a really simple, fast and delicious appetizer to serve your family and friends.  I recently made this for my wife and her friends as an appetizer before they went to the movies, they all loved it.  There are only a few ingredients so it is important to use the best you can find.  You will need some vine ripened tomatoes, marinated artichokes, black olives (or green if you prefer),  fresh mozzarella, fresh parsley, garlic, good quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a baguette!

Start by doing all your prep work.  Chop the tomatoes (about 3/4 of a pound of the ripest you can get, to me the smaller tomatoes work best), marinated artichoke hearts (I used about 1 small jar and a half), black olives (about 1/2 a can), fresh mozzarella (I used about 3/4 of the container) all into about the same size pieces.  I think it is important to take the time and cut everything the same size.

This is one of those recipes that when it comes to how much of each ingredient to add there really is no right or wrong, put in as much of each as you like.  If you love artichokes, add more, if your not a huge fan of black olives, put in a little or none at all, it can be totally customized to your taste.  For the fresh mozzarella, you can buy any type you want, but the smaller balls are easier because they require less chopping (I simply quartered the ones you see in the picture above).  Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, now add some chopped parsley and chopped fresh garlic (I used 4 cloves chopped very small). 

Finish with some balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix everything together and taste. I pretty much dress it with equal parts balsamic and olive oil but you can adjust to your taste.

     Now you have to make the toast for the bruschetta topping.  Take a baguette or any french bread and slice on an angle about 1/4 in slices.  Place them on a sheet pan an brush them with a light coat of olive oil.  Place them in the oven and toast them a few minutes until just golden.  I like to put them under the broiler, only takes a few minutes so be careful, if you turn your back on them they will go from nicely toasted to burnt in a few seconds so stand by.

Arrange the toasted baguette slices on a platter and top them with the bruschetta mix.  Great before dinner or just stand alone with a nice glass of wine.  Give it a try!!  You could easily change this up to a Greek bruschetta by using calamata olives and feta, the combinations are endless!

Shells and Broccoli with Shrimp!!

This is a really simple yet delicious dish that my mom used to make. You can make it with or without the shrimp. Since there are so few components, it's really important that you use fresh quality ingredients!

                                                           
 You will need 1 lb. of large pasta shells (not the size that you stuff and bake), 8-10 cloves of garlic chopped,  some fresh broccoli, fresh wild caught shrimp, olive oil, butter, red chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley and fresh parmigiana reggiano cheese, and a few lemon wedges.
Start by doing all your prep work.  Peel and devein the shrimp if they have not already been cleaned (the amount of shrimp to use if any is totally up to your taste and budget), cut the broccoli into bite sized florets (as far as how much broccoli, again it is up to you depending on how much you like a lot or a little), chop the garlic and the parsley.  That's pretty much all the prep work!

                                                                  

Bring a large pot of  salted water to boil, one you normally use for pasta.  Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water.  While the broccoli is cooking make an ice bath in a large bowl big enough to hold the broccoli by simply adding ice cubes and water.  After about 4-5 minutes of cooking the broccoli remove it from the water with a slotted spoon and place it in the ice bath, this will stop the cooking process so the broccoli will remain crisp and keep the bright green color that we love.

Now bring the water that the broccoli was in back to a boil,  it will probably be a little green from the broccoli, this will only add flavor to the pasta.  If you need to add more water do so.  Re salt the water and once it has returned to a boil add the shells and cook until al dente according to the package directions.  You definitely want to keep the pasta al dente because it will continue to cook after it is removed from the water and for a few minutes in the pan with the broccoli.

Asian Spiced Pork Chops w/ Pan Fried Udon Noodles!!

We love Asian food in our house, whether it is simple Chinese take out like fried rice or beef with broccoli, or going out to a nice Japanese steakhouse for hibachi steak or chicken and all that comes with it.  After a recent visit to a new Japanese steakhouse in our neighborhood, we were introduced to grilled Udon noodles.  They were brought precooked on a tray and slapped on the grill in front of us, seasoned with spices and soy sauce and heaped into bowls.  Now we pretty much like any type of pasta in our house and this was no exception, everyone loved it!  A few days later everyone was still talking about the noodles and wanted some more so I decided to try them myself.  I watched the cook make them in front of us that night and it looked simple enough.......and it was!  These noodles are a great alternative to rice and take less time to make.  I pair them with beef, chicken, pork or fish which I marinade in a simple blend of Asian spices and grill or broil in the oven.

For the marinade:
1 cup soy sauce
1 tbs. Thai chili garlic sauce (more if you like spicy like me)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
4-6 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbs. honey
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
3 scallions chopped
2 tbs. chopped cilantro

As I've stated previously, when I cook I do not measure out the ingredients and these are just approximations.  This marinade is very versatile and flexible and can be tailored to your  particular tastes, if you like spicy add more chili sauce, if you don't like ginger or scallions leave them out, etc.  For this recipe we had some pork chops in the fridge so that is what I used, it could just have easily been done with chicken, steak or even fish.

Place the pork chops in a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add all the ingredients of the marinade.  Allow the meat to marinade for at least 20 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to penetrate and flavor the chops.  While the meat is marinating, turn your attention to the Udon noodles.  Chop or grate 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp. of fresh ginger, set aside.  You will also need some sesame seeds, about 1-2 tsp. depending on how much you like them (again you can leave them out). Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the noodles, they only cook for about four minutes in the water so don't drop them yet.

After the meat is finished marinating bring it to the grill.  Obviously you can also cook in the oven or under the broiler if you prefer.  Place the chops on the grill and spoon some of the marinade on top, cook the chops for a few minutes turning a quarter turn halfway through to get nice grill marks.  Turn the chops over and cook the same way with a little marinade on top turning a quarter turn halfway through on the other side. The total cooking time for these chops was about 6-8 minutes per side.  When they are cooked through remove them to a plate to rest, be careful not to over cook the pork they will dry out.

Pot Roast Soup

     This recipe is based on a soup my dad used to make.  Yes, dad did a lot of cooking too, in fact he used to cook all the weekday meals since both  my parents worked and he was the first one home.  I don't think dad really enjoyed cooking that much, it was just something he had to do, even though he was pretty good and very often was quite creative (you never knew what you were gonna get that night).  One thing was for sure though, dinner was at a certain time and you had better be home or else.  Many a time I had to leave in the middle of a baseball, football, or basketball game to teasing chants of "I gotta go home and eat" from my friends!

     When I make soups, I usually do so in 2 different pots.  In the first pot, I have whatever meat will be in the soup and build a stock with it along with some veggie scraps, and spices.  In the second pot, I have the vegetables that will be in the finished soup along with some spices and a container of store bought stock. Do all your prep work in advance, it makes things go much smoother and quicker, so I always start by doing all my chopping and cutting first. For this soup I like a lot of meat because it comes out so tender and delicious.  I usually buy 1 large pot roast or 2 smaller ones.  I prefer to buy the bone in pot roast because it adds flavor to the soup.  For this particular batch of soup I made they had no bone in pot roast so I bought a large boneless one and added 2 beef shanks to help flavor the soup.  You can even buy beef bones at the store and use them along with a boneless pot roast, entirely up to you.

I always put a light coating of flour on the meat before I brown it and season it generously with salt and pepper.  Brown all the pieces of meat and bone in the olive oil on both sides, all those brown bits add up to flavor in the soup. You can do them in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan and steam them instead of browning them.  After browning all the meat and/or bones, return them all to the pot and cover in beef broth and or water.  I used 1 large carton of good beef broth and the rest water.

Now you build the flavor of the soup.  Add a whole onion quartered, 8-10 whole garlic cloves, a couple of whole carrots quartered along with the tops of the celery that have been rinsed (use all the scraps left from prepping the veggies for the soup as well), add the leaves of the celery they are full of flavor don't throw them out!  Add 2 bay leaves, some large sprigs of parsley stems and all, several whole peppercorns, and some good sea salt, bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer and let it go low and slow!

       Now on to the other pot.  In this pot I start to build a base for the soup.  As I said earlier, I like to have all my prep work done before I start to cook so you will need to cut up 5-6 carrots, 5-6 stalks of celery, 1 large onion, and  6-8 cloves of garlic.  If you like a lot of vegetables in the soup, use more, if not, use less, up to you.  I like to cut them up in rather large pieces since they are gonna cook up in the soup, it makes the soup a little heartier and more rustic.  Start by heating some olive oil in a medium soup pot, add the chopped onions and let them saute for about 6 minutes until they begin to get translucent.  Next add the garlic for a few minutes followed by the celery and carrots.  At this point I will add some sea salt and pepper and allow the veggies to cook together for about 6-8 minutes more stirring so they don't brown.  Next add 1 large can of whole or chopped San Marzano tomatoes.  Allow this to come to a good boil stirring frequently.  Now add 1 large container of beef broth and 2 bay leafs, bring to a boil again and reduce to a simmer.  Taste for salt and pepper adding if needed.

 

Allow both pots to cook low and slow. After the pot roast has cooked long enough for the meat to be tender (about 1 1/2 hours), remove the meat to a plate and check it for tenderness. It should fall apart rather easily when pulled with a couple of forks, if it does not return it to the pot to cook a little longer. If it is tender then allow it to cool enough that you can handle it and break it into the desired size pieces.  I like to leave it in large bite size pieces.

Old Fashioned Apple Slices!

     It's fall and the stores and markets are full of apples, the holidays are right around the corner!  If you don't count boxed cakes and brownies, we didn't do a lot of baking in my house growing up, maybe occasionally Toll House Cookies, but every year around Thanksgiving my mom would make apple slices.  The smell and flavors of these delights just scream holidays!  A few years back I started making them myself and was surprised at how easy they were, and my family just loves them.

      The other day I was at the farmer's market in Chicago and was amazed to find an unbelievable assortment of apples.  Normally I would use Granny Smith apples but with so many varieties I thought I would try something new.  The man at the market recommended an apple called Spigold, which I had never heard of or seen, so I tried them on his recommendation, "Better than Honey Crisp" the sign said, and they were!

So, on to the apples.  First you have to prep the apples by coring and peeling them all, for this recipe of one large jelly roll pan I used 11 medium to large apples.  Next you slice the apples, I used a mandolin because it is fast and slices them all the same thickness, about 1/4 in., but you can slice them by hand like you would for apple pie.  Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and immediately squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over them.  This prevents them from oxidizing as well as adding some tartness.  Now season the apples.  I must admit, I did not follow a recipe for this so these are approximate amounts, don't worry it will come out fine. If you are nervous baking this way and need a recipe for homemade dough and pie filling  or if you are afraid to try without an exact recipe, I will provide this from Saveur Magazine. The recipe is for 1 apple pie so you will probably have to triple the dough but the apple looks right.                                                                        

FOR THE PIE DOUGH:

3 cups flour
1 1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 1⁄4 cups vegetable shortening, preferably Crisco, cut into small pieces
1⁄2 cup cold milk

FOR THE FILLING:
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3⁄4–1 cup cornstarch
1 1⁄2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
3⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
12 golden delicious apples (or about 5 lbs.), peeled, cored, and sliced

This is how I did it.  Start with the sugar.  I used about a 1/2 cup of white sugar and a little more than a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Now add the cinnamon, about 2 tsp, a little goes a long way and you can always add more.  Grate in some fresh Nutmeg to taste. I used about 1/4 of a nutmeg ground on a micro plane, probably about 1/2 tsp. or so.  Add a pinch of allspice, 1 tsp. of salt, and about 1/3 cup of flour and mix well to coat evenly.

At this point you have to taste the apple filling.  If you don't like the taste now, you surely won't like it when they are done baking.  Adjust to your taste, more cinnamon, more nutmeg, more sugar, more lemon, too runny add more flour or cornstarch.  Depends on if you like it more sweet or more tart.

Now assemble the apple slices, as I said I used a large jellyroll pan. When it comes to the crust, you can use any recipe for pie crust that you like for example the one I provided above, and roll it out to fit in the pan, be sure to go up the sides as well.  I took a shortcut and used store bought Pillsbury pie crusts and it came out fine, saved me some time and work.  Each package has 2 pie crusts in it, and I used 3 pie crusts for the bottom and 3 for the top so I needed 3 packs of pie crust.

I started by placing one whole pie crust sheet in the middle of the pan, then I cut another in half and placed it on either end with the straight edge facing the side of the pan and the rounded half overlapping the middle. The third crust was used to fill in the holes, namely the four corners and the sides, don't worry about how it looks and let it overlap, press gently to seal any seams and be sure to go all the way up the sides and in the corners.

Chicken Cacciatore!!

     Chicken Cacciatore is one of those dishes that when you make it the whole house smells good, don't be surprised if the smell seeps out into the neighborhood and friends start ringing your doorbell with a knife and fork in hand!  Growing up we didn't eat this a lot, but when we did I remember thinking "we should have this more often!"  This is an old school Italian dish that you don't see a lot of in restaurants but is very good.
     Okay here is what you will need:
                                                    1 large chicken cut up in pieces
                                                    1 large onion sliced
                                                    8 cloves of garlic minced
                                                    2 peppers (any color) roughly chopped
                                                    1 lb. of mushroom sliced in large pieces
                                                    1 1/2 cups white wine
                                                    2 cans San Marzano tomatoes
                                                    2 bay leafs
                                                    Bundle of fresh thyme and oregano
                                                    Sea salt
                                                    Freshly ground black pepper
                                                    Red pepper flakes
                                                    Olive oil to coat pan
                                                    1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

 Start with the chicken,  you can buy the chicken already cut up or whole and cut it yourself.  I prefer to cut the breasts in two pieces, one whole breast is just too big.  If you prefer dark meat like me you can make this dish with all leg/thigh portions,  the dark meat is so much more tender and juicy, but since the wife and kids like white meat I use the whole chicken.  Get out your biggest pot and get it nice and hot, add some olive oil to the bottom of the pot.  Now after seasoning your chicken with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, add it to the pot skin side down, don't over crowd the chicken, work in batches if you have to removing browned chicken to a plate, you want it to get a nice golden brown on both sides, if you over crowd the pan it will steam and never get brown!  

At this point you are not cooking the chicken all the way through, just browning it. Remove it to a plate and set it aside.