Saute Escarole

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One head of Escarole, 5 cloves of garlic. ¾ cup of Olive Oil. 1 large pot.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Important: Wash each escarole leaf individually to make sure there is no grit/sand on any of the leaves. Once the escarole is thoroughly rinsed, break the leaves apart in half. Fill your pot ¾ of the way with water, place on stove put heat on high. Add in your escarole and cover until the water comes to a boil and your leaves have wilted. Your leaves should have a translucent color in the middle part, it is tender enough to strain. Once strained, in a medium sized pan, add in your olive oil. With the heat on medium, add in your garlic. The garlic can either be pressed or chopped. Once the garlic has turned a light brown color, add in your escarole.
Caution: your escarole will have some water on the leaves still, pat it somewhat dry with a paper towel to avoid oil splashing. You may want to turn your heat to low before putting in your escarole to avoid an oil splatter. Add in Salt and Pepper, stir/sauté as it is cooking, turning the escarole occasionally. After 5 minutes the dish should be complete and ready to be served. 

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!