LIVING LOVELIER
Delicious Dishes
My cousins and I enjoying the fruits of our labor after a wonderful afternoon of cooking at Chianti Cookery, Florence, Italy. Thank you for the cooking class, Mario!
Bucket list CHECKED!
Living Lovelier in the Kitchen
Recipes. Kitchen Tips. Kitchen TricksMake it Lovely. Keep it Simple
Four Cheese Ravioli with Irish Butter and Sage
Ok, so the butter does not need to be Irish, but I am an Irish Lassie, and there really IS a difference. Trust me. My favorite is Kerry Gold. And truth be told, only fresh sage will do.
I cooked Davio’s ravioli (a Boston area brand) but any good ravioli will do. Cook the ravioli as directed and drain. Melt 2-ish tablespoons of butter and add fresh, rough-chopped sage and the ravioli and mix gently as to not break it up.
Cook your Italian Sweet Sausage in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. Transfer to a skillet and sear.
You are done. Its been 20 minutes and you are undoubtedly a freaking rock star.
Enjoy!
Coconut Rice with Shrimp and Corn
Holy COW! Tonight I cooked this NY Times Recipe and it was a home run! I used 8-12 raw shrimp and I used fresh corn off the cob.
When a recipe calls for fresh herbs (and roots), don’t question it, please. The fresh basil and ginger made allllll the difference. (Save the dried herbs for the Bolognase). It took a bit longer to cook than I had anticipated, but it was well worth the wait.
(Next time I will add some garlic for another layer of flavor).
Enjoy!
Asian
INSPIRED
GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN IS THE STAR OF THIS ASIAN INSPIRED DINNER. SERVED WITH MINUTE RICE WITH PEAS AND ONION, SUGAR SNAP PEAS COOKED WITH GARLIC IN TOASTED SESAME OIL AND SPRINKLED WITH SESAME SEEDS. FOR A LITTLE CRUNCH? PEANUTS! AND FOR AN UNEXPECTED SIDE HUSTLE? STIR-FRIED TERIYAKI TOFU.
Whats for
dinner?
Here is a mid-week dinner “improv” idea. I was feeling a bit too lazy to head out to the grocery store. I found shrimp and some sweet Italian sausage in the freezer which I cooked with red onion, shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, and diced tomatoes. At the very end I tossed in some frozen peas. I served it over paparadelle pasta which I cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor.
Served along with crisp greens, shaved carrot and a light vinaigrette, it was lovely way to end a long day.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs resh Halibut
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Small vidalia onion diced
1 large shallot minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp fennel seed
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 bunch of swiss chard (or escarole) with the stems removed and rough chopped
1 15 oz can of cannellini beans drained and rinsed
2 cups of vegetable broth (homemade is best)
1/4 cup grated parmesan divided
Kosher Salt and black pepper
Directions
1. Saute the onions, shallots and herbs in olive oil on medium to high heat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes until they are fragrant, about one minute.
2. Add the Swiss Chard and stir until it wilts, add the drained beans and mash approximately half. Bring to a simmer and add the vegetable broth. Simmer until the broth reduces.
Add the parmesan right before serving
Add salt and pepper to taste
White Beans with Swiss Chard and Parmesan
by livinglovelier
Seared Halibut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Rinse and pat dry halibut
Heat a skillet on very high heat. I use my Grammy’s cast iron skillet which is about 100 years old. (It is my absolute favorite thing in my kitchen).
Swirl 2 tablespoons of olive oil so that the pan is coated and place the fish skin side up. Let it cook for a bout three minutes or until the fish has a nice brown sear on it. See the photo above.
Remove the pan from the stove and put into the oven for approximately 10 minutes. (The fish should be flaky) Remove from the oven, put on a plate and cover tightly with foil. Let it sit for 5-10. minutes. This will seal in the juices.
Plate the White Beans with Swiss Chard and Parmesan and place the Halibut on top.
Bon Apetit
Arancini- Italian Rice Balls
by livinglovelier
Ingredients
(yields approximately 15-18 rice balls)
One cup of risotto*
One medium onion minced
Four cups of chicken stock
One quarter pound mozzarella cubed
One egg, beaten
One cup of plain panko bread crumbs
Four cups of canola or vegetable oil
*For best results, use risotto which has completely cooled (leftover is even better.) If you do not make the risotto ahead of time them, add a generous amount of grated parmigiano cheese to it once cooked. This helps it to bind it.
Directions
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan and add the onions. Cook them until they are translucent (about 3 minutes.)
Cook the risotto according to the package and add the onions. I always cook my risotto in chicken stock.
Shape the risotto into a 2 1/2-inch diameter ball.
Press a hole in the middle and place a few cubes of buffalo mozzarella cheese inside. (Variation: peas, prosciutto or use your artistic license)
Reshape rice ball until mozzarella is fully enclosed.
Roll each rice ball into beaten egg and coat evenly with breadcrumbs.
Cook in batches in a deep fryer at 365 degrees. Do not overcrowd them. Cook them for about five minutes.
Once removed, place the arancini on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Panko and Crab Stuffed Cod
Cod, crabmeat, panko breadcrumbs, sauteed shallots, fresh parsley, dry white wine, and good mayonnaise are the ingredients for this savory and simple stuffed cod dinner.
In addition, I followed Julia Child’s recipe for a lemon beurre blanc (cookbook, “The Art of French Cooking”). She is the Goddess of Cooking. As you know. Obviously.
This is wonderful served with sauteed green beans almondine, and garlic roasted Idaho potatoes, cubed, and cooked in bacon fat. (the bacon fat cooks the potatoes to be crisp on the outside but buttery soft on the inside). This is such an easy dinner to make for a dinner party. You can prep a day in advance and it is simple and quick from the oven to the table. That way, you have more time sitting with guests, than standing in front of the stove.
You can certainly make this heart-healthier by substituting the butter and bacon fat with olive oil. That is, if you want to be ho-hum. Live dangerously on occasion!
Sharing this decadent Ceasar Salad dressing by Once Upon a Chef.
Ceasar Salad is sort of a confusing menu item. I mean, it is salad which leads us to believe that its healthy. But, let’s face it, it qualifies as comfort food. But, it is green. So there’s that.
I discovered this recipe, and it has been life-changing. That is, it terms of how salad can change a person’s life. Click below for the recipe by Once Upon a Chef.
-no renovations required
Here is a quick trick for more counterspace
DIY. kind of
My guys love warm chocolate-chip cookies. I always make a double batch so that I can freeze half for yummy cookies on demand. Also, when we have an impromptu, casual dinner party, I pop them into the oven an a warm delicious desert is on the table in less that 15 minutes. Want to know how?
Make a ball out of your dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it. Once it is frozen, cut the dough into pieces and immediately put them into a freezer friendly container while they are still frozen. When you want to bake them, spray a sheet pan with cooking spray, place them on the pan and bake.
Check the box. You are awesome.
CookieDough
Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
Three bone-in chicken breasts, halved (do not remove the skin)
Two medium onions peeled and roughly chopped
Two Teaspoons of fennel seed
Three Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Six whole garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tablespoons of butter equally divided One teaspoon coarse sea salt (or more) One half teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or more) Six sprigs of fresh thyme (or one tablespoon of dried thyme)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cover a half sheet pan with aluminum foil and spread the onions and fennel seeds evenly on top.
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and place them on top of the onion.
Gently lift the skin of each breast and place 1 clove of garlic and a pat of butter between the skin and the flesh. The garlic will infuse and the butter will self- baste the breasts
Place thyme and rosemary on top of the chicken breasts
Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the juices run clear and the instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees
Remove the pan from the oven and tightly cover with aluminum foil. Let this rest for 10-15 minutes.
Done!
Roasted chicken is delicious and a staple comfort food in my home. But, it also serves as the foundation of lots and lots of other yummy recipers. Roast it and keep a stash in the fridge for easy weeknight dinners
Serving Suggestions:
Serve it up with mashed potato and your favorite veg
Shred the chicken and make it the star of “Mary’s Chicken Soup” or “Mary’s Chicken Pot Pie”. Mary= livinglovelier
Slice the chicken to make a sandwich on toasted sourdough, lettuce, tomato, bacon and tarragon mayo.
you are a rock star-look at you go
This was taken in Florence! My cousins and I took a cooking class with an instructor form the Culinary Institute of Florence. Here I am making homemade ravioli. Even though I have been cooking for years, there is always more to learn. Andiamo!
If you can read, you can cook.
Do you want to learn how to cook? I promise you can. If you can read and you can follow directions, the rest is gravy. Literally.
Think of cooking as learning any other skill. You have to start somewhere, right? Start with recipes which are simple and straightforward. After time and practice, you will move up to cooking more challenging meals
After years of cooking professionally, as well as entertaining, and putting food on my family’s table, I have learned that once you master timing, you have arrived. It does not happen overnight, but with practice you will know just when to flip your burger, pull the roast out of the oven and when to turn your scallop to create the perfect sear.
If you live to eat not eat to live, land here and lets cook!f
Keep it Simple. Make it Lovely.
Beginner Tip- Find a cookbook whose author provides simple yet delicious menus. My very favorite? The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Her book series offers a variety of menus which are simple, delicious and impressive!
Read More...
Read More...
Beauty
Stable & Style
Living