Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One Bunch of Asparagus, 3 cloves of garlic, Salt/Pepper, Olive Oil

What you will need: Grill Pan, Tongs, small bowl.

Let’s Get Cooking:

First, wash the asparagus and cut off about an inch of the stalk at the bottom. Next, peel your garlic and run it through a chopper or a garlic press. In a small bowl add about 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Give that a good mix, then rub the ingredients from the bowl onto your asparagus. Put your grilling pan on the stove and spray the pan with Pam. Once you can feel heat

off of the pan you can add your asparagus, you should hear it sizzle.. Let cook on either side about 8 -10 minutes, or until it is at the desired tenderness. The time on either side can vary depending on the thickness of the stalks. If you opt to barbeque the asparagus, you can follow the exact directions; just use a pan that is mean to for the bbq.

Chicken with Broccoli with White Wine Sauce over Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One head of Broccoli Crowns, 3 Chicken Cutlets, 1 ½ Cups of White Wine (pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) 1lb of Pasta. ½ cup of Water. 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic. Salt/Pepper. Deep Sauté Pan, and Medium sized Pot for Pasta. 2 cutting boards. 1 strainer.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Let’s start by washing the broccoli, I also like to rinse off the chicken. Taking two different cutting boards, keeping your meat separate from your vegetable, place both on separate cutting boards. Slice your chicken length wise so that they are about an inch and a half long. Place on the side. Cut your broccoli into large pieces, taking off the stems, you can discard those, or save them for another dish. Slice your Onion in round slices and then cutting again in half moon shape, put to the side. Cut your garlic by either pressing it or slicing in the shape of almonds. Put to the side along with your onions.

Fill your medium sized pot with enough water to make 1 lb. of Pasta. Place on the stove adding 1 table spoon of salt to the water, cover and turn heat to Medium/High.

In your Sauté pan, add about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Turn your heat on Medium. Once you can feel some heat coming off the pan, add in your garlic/onion. It should sizzle. Now add in your Chicken slices. After two minutes, turn your chicken. Now add in your Broccoli. Cover for about 5 minutes. After that time add in your White Wine, Water, Salt and Pepper. Cover for 10 minutes. At this point, your chicken will be done, so now it’s up to you on how soft or crunchy you like your broccoli. Don’t be shy, taste a floret, so it’s to your liking. If you think it’s done, remove the cover for about 5 more minutes. During this cooking process if your water comes to a boil, add in your pasta, stirring every 4-5 minutes until it is done. Again, how people like the consistency of their pasta varies, so at the 10 minute marker, make sure you taste it. Once the pasta is done, strain it in your sink, and then add it back to the pot you cooked it in. Now add in all contents of your Sauté pan. There should be a good amount of liquid in that pan to be absorbed by the pasta. If there isn’t, simmer 1 cup of Chicken Broth if you have it handy or another cup of white wine. You can serve this dish out of the pot into your guest’s dishes, or put in a large bowl for family style serving.

Zucchini with Rotelle

Yum! Zucchini! One of my favorite vegetables. You can make these a million different ways. In quiches, in omelette's, fried with bread crumbs.. tonight, we are making them along side spiral macaroni's (Rotelle).
Another quick and easy dish with lots of deliciousness. Similar to my Pasta Piselli recipe..

What you will need:
Large Pot
2 small cans of tomato sauce - I recommend Redpack or Tutto Russo or Del Monte
1/2 Large Onion
3 cloves garlic
salt/pepper
olive oil
Grated Cheese - I recommend Locatelli or Pecorino Romano
2 Zucchini
3 cups of water
Let's get cooking:

In the Large Pot, add in your olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated add in your garlic and chopped onions.
Let them simmer for about 4 minutes on Medium heat. Now add in your Zucchini. You'll want your Zucchini cut in cubes. Not too big. Sir your mixture in the pot a couple of rounds. Add in your cans of tomato sauce, stir and cover for 5 minutes. Now add in about 3 cups of water. Cover on High. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in your Rotelle. (feel free to use ditalini, or any smaller macaroni's).

For the important part! Some people like this dish soupy. Others like myself enjoy it more pasty!. If you want it soupy, add in another cup of water and leave the cover on the entire time while the macaroni is cooking and turn your heat to Med. If you want it pasty, cook with the cover on for 8 minutes on Med to high heat. Remove the cover after that time frame, leave heat as is. (stirring occasionally so that the macaroni doesn't stick together). If the mixture is still not getting pasty after 11 minutes, crank up your heat to high and let the water evaporate.  Add in about a table spoon of grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, mix and serve! This will be piping hot for sure, allow it to cool just a bit before you dig in!

Wine Recommendation: Antinori Peppoli Chianti 2007

Buon Appetito!

Spinach Pie

Easter is coming and in my family that means we make a lot of Pies! Not apple, or cherry, we make meat pies (pizza rustico), spinach pies, artichoke pies.. Pies to eat before our 5 course meal, same as Christmas dinner!

This is a pie you serve as an appetizer or with your main course. Either way, your family will be cheering.

What you will need:

2 Pie Shells (from the freezer section)
1 large bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 Large container of Part Skim Ricotta
1 Large Mozzarella for shredding or 1 bag of already shredded Mozzarella (Polly-o or Sorrento)
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano or locatelli cheese
2 eggs
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
1 Large Saute Pan
Large mixing bowl
1 or 2 baking sheets depending on how long they are. You need to be able to fit both pies.

In your Saute Pan, add in your olive oil to line the pan. Turn to med-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add in your garlic. let it start to get somewhat golden brown (less than a minute).Now add in your bag of frozen spinach (no need to thaw it before hand). Stir until cooked all the way (no longer frozen). Turn off your stove.

Preheat your oven now at 375 degrees.

In your large mixing bowl, add in your ricotta, shredded mozzarella, 2 eggs and grated cheese. Mix all together until the eggs are evenly spread throughout the mixture. Add in salt and pepper to taste. About 1 teaspoon of salt and about 3 shakes or grinds of pepper. Mix evenly again. Now take your spinach from the saute pan and add it to the mixing bowl. Again stir until the ingredients in the bowl are evenly distributed.

You should definitely have enough for both pie shells. Add in your mixture to each pie shell. You should leave a little room at the top (don't fill all the way). The ingredients will rise during the baking stage.

Place your pies on the baking sheet/sheets. Put in the oven, it should be preheated to the correct temp by now. Set your timer for 30 minutes. Check periodically after the first 15 minutes. All ovens vary in levels of temperature and cooking time. You want to take your pies out once the top has turned a golden brown.


Tip: I usually place foil around the edges of the pie, sometimes they tend to cook quicker then the inside. To avoid burning the edges, i add the foil, then at the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time, i remove the foil so that the edges can get a nice golden brown color.

You don't serve this dish right out of the oven. If you do, the inside will just spread out once you cut into the pie. Let is hang out for about an hour. Serving this at room temperature to warm is the way to go!

Buon Appetito!