Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe came together easily enough. I was supposed to make stuffed portobello mushrooms for dinner but after seeing an iridologist earlier in the day for some minor health issues, she told me to eliminate mushrooms. So I had to come up with plan B. Stuffed tomatoes! Why? Because they were on my counter. And actually, they were really great because I used ground chicken and the tomatoes added a lot of juice. John really enjoyed them.

I essentially used my meatball recipe but subbed the chicken for the beef and because the iridologist also told me to eliminate bread, I subbed soaked oatmeal for breadcrumbs. It worked well for this. I would definitely do this for meatballs and tomato sauce too.

I had about a dozen medium sized tomatoes and I still had a little stuffing left over, which I made into a patty and grilled. It just depends on the size of your tomatoes. I'm going to say 12 for this recipe and if you have left over stuffing, grill it for lunch the next day.

Stuffed Tomatoes

12 medium sized tomatoes
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup oatmeal, soaked in milk for 20 minutes
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped herbs (I used a combination of cilantro, mint and basil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil to drizzle over tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400F.
Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and with a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and some of the membranes. Sprinkle the inside with salt and turn upside down on paper towels.
In the meantime, in a bowl combine the ground chicken, soaked oatmeal, egg, parmesan cheese, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Stuff the tomatoes to the top and place in a greased oven proof baking dish. Drizzle the tops of the tomatoes with more olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes until the tops are golden. Serve.

m xo

Pesto Alla Trapanese

I had a wonderful weekend spent with family and friends! We really lucked out because it was supposed to call for rain, pretty much both days. But on Saturday it only rained in the morning and on Sunday it started to rain late evening, just as our guests had all gotten in their cars. And we had just spent ALL afternoon, outside, eating wood burning oven pizza that my husband made. I really thought we had to cancel and reschedule another day, but John had faith all along that it wouldn't rain and my girlfriend Anna, put rosary beads outside just to make sure. Hahaha! See what the power of intention can do?

This recipe for pesto has been calling my name for a couple of months now. I always make the classic pesto with basil, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. Especially this time of year when basil grows in my garden abundantly! I make a lot it and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. So nice in the middle of winter when all you have to do is boil pasta with some potatoes and green beans and you have Pasta alla Genovese. Mmm, mmm, good!

This pesto is a little different as it has almonds and tomatoes. The rest is pretty much the same. But can I tell you? The almonds make the sauce so creamy. Delicious! I ended up throwing it on everything. For lunch, I brushed some on merluzzo fillets and then I baked in the oven. So tasty. And then for dinner, I spiralled zucchini with my trusty vegetable spiral slicer, salted it to drain the water, wrung the zucchini with my hands and sautéed over high heat with a splash of olive oil. Then I tossed it with the pesto. A nice, light side dish.

 And of course, it's amazing on al dente pasta!

This makes enough for 1 generous cup of pesto but you can easily double it.

Pesto Alla Trapanese

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and cooled
A generous handful of basil, washed and dried
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup cherry tomates
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 peperoncino
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

In a food processor or blender, drop in the garlic and blend. Add the almonds and blend until all the nuts are ground. Add the basil, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, peperoncino and salt and blend again. Scrape everything down and blend again to make sure everything gets blitzed. With the machine still running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream until it looks like a puree. You might have to add a little more oil. Make sure it's at room temperature when ready to serve or store in refrigerator for another time.

Enjoy!

m xo

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

I didn't grow up with brussels sprouts but now I love them raw in salads and making different variations of them. I alter them a bit each time by adding a different vegetable and/or changing the cheese and oil. I like the vegetables sliced really thin and have tried to do this with a knife but I can never slice them thin enough. So I use a mandolin.  Just be really careful when using one and don't get distracted as I have been known to do and sliced my finger tips many times.

I find the longer this salad sits, the better it is.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

1 lb. brussels sprouts
2-3 celery stalks
1/2 cup marcona almonds, chopped
Shaved parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons walnut oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the outer leaves of the brussels sprouts and slice thinly along with the celery using a mandolin or a knife. Toss with the other ingredients and let sit for at least an hour before serving.

m xo

Spinach Ricotta Pie

We usually have lunch at my mothers every Sunday, and it always includes a pasta and some sort of meat (usually meatballs in sauce) but since she has become a snowbird this year, sadly we have to fend for ourselves. Can you believe that?! Hahaha! Just kidding.

So for this Sunday's lunch I decided to make a spinach pie.  Well actually, we had to have it for dinner because I forgot you have to thaw phyllo dough for a few hours.

I usually make this pie with an olive oil based pie crust but I didn't feel like a doughy crust so I decided to use phyllo instead. I only used 3 sheets, so if you're trying to cut back on carbs, this is perfect but you can use more if you want a flakier crust. And a tip I got from my Greek friend, Lena, who got it from her grandmother, sprinkle a few droplets of water on the phyllo before baking. It makes it a little crispier. Thanks Lena!

The leftovers were great for breakfast.

Spinach Ricotta Pie

8 oz. bag of spinach (more or less)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
475g ricotta
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
zest and juice of a lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
nutmeg to taste
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
3 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil to drizzle on the phyllo dough




Preheat oven to 350F.  On medium heat put the spinach in a pan with a splash of water. Don't worry if the pan doesn't seem big enough, as the spinach wilts down, just add more spinach. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool and chop.

In the same pan, sauté garlic and shallot in olive oil until soft. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine spinach, sautéed onion and garlic, eggs, ricotta, parmesan cheese, zest and juice of lemon, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

In an 11inch tart pan with a removable bottom, place a sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. The phyllo will probably hang over the pan. Repeat with another 2 sheets. After brushing the 3rd sheet of phyllo, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Spoon in the filling and fold over the hanging phyllo all around the pie. Sprinkle some water and drizzle the dough with a little olive oil. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove the ring around the pie.

m xo

Surprising Meatloaf

When I first tried this meatloaf recipe, I have to admit I wasn't that impressed. John claimed it was one of the best so far.  It reminded him of his childhood and his mother made one for him whenever he came home for a visit from the army.

The ingredients are pretty simple: ground beef, bread, eggs and cheese.

The next day when I made a sandwich with the leftovers for lunch, wow was it ever great! It was even better than the first day I served it. This could definitely be a great make ahead meal.

A little tip I stole from my niece Jennifer when she makes meatloaf; she lines the pan with carrots and potatoes so it doesn't stick to the pan and it adds a little more flavour. I love the idea but I only had carrots.

Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
4 slices of bread
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk because that's all I had)
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl soak the bread with the milk for a few minutes. Add the ground beef, eggs and parmesan cheese. Also add salt and pepper but be careful with the salt because the parmesan adds a lot of saltiness.

Mix all the ingredients together. I find the best way to do this is with my hands. Really get in there.

Place the carrots side by side on the pan and shape the meat into a loaf on the carrots.

Glaze with the ketchup and bake for 1 hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the sliced meatloaf. I forgot to take a picture and just served it :-0

m xo

Caesar Salad with Chicken

I really like caesar salad, especially for dinner with the addition of chicken. And once you see how much better it is when you make your own dressing, you'll be hooked.
Just a couple of pet peeves regarding caesar salad I need to get out.

I HATE when there is too much garlic in the dressing ( I know, hate is a pretty strong word but it really makes me angry). In my opinion, the garlic should be noticeable but subtle. Nobody needs to know you had caesar salad for the next THREE days. Gross!
I guess because I've always worked in a close proximity to my clients, I'm always conscious of what I eat : ) So I only use 1 or 2 cloves of garlic.

Another thing I really dislike are the packaged croutons. They're way too salty and most of the time they taste stale. I just cube or tear whatever bread I happen to have. Heck, even sliced bread (that's toast bread for all you Anglo-Italian people). Lightly coat with olive oil and a little salt and toast in oven. Easy peasey.
Whenever you have leftover bread and don't know what to do with it, make croutons and store in a zip lock bag for future use. Warning though, you will  be snacking on these all the time! So put them where you don't have easy access to them. Hahaha, but that could just be me!

I'm also not a fan of chicken breast. If it's up to me, I will always choose thighs and legs. When I do cook chicken breast, I cut it on the bias so I get 3-4 pieces. Place each piece between cling film and pound it out a bit. Because they are thin, they cook a few minutes on each side and therefore they are not dry. But you can use whatever cut you want.

Caesar Salad with Chicken

Dressing

3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 2 small anchovies, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil, I used a combo of olive oil and veggie oil
pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Romaine lettuce
Croutons
Grilled chicken( breast or thighs)

In a bowl combine mayo, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually start whisking the oil in drop by drop. You don't want to dump it all in otherwise it won't emulsify and will separate. It should be thick and glossy. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with pepper. You can definitely make the dressing a day ahead.
Dress your romaine leaves and croutons. Top with chicken.

m xo

Devils on Horseback

I always have Medjool dates on my kitchen counter. Here's why. I have a sweet tooth, especially after dinner. I figure I will eat the dates instead of a cookie or candy. Right? Umm, no. My intentions are good but that doesn't happen all the time (ok, most the time). So last night I decided to make Devils on Horseback with my dates. I love these little appetizers because they are sweet and salty, my favorite combination. I'm sure you've seen this recipe everywhere. It's all over Pinterest. I made them once before without the cheese, just dates wrapped in bacon. I found them a little too sweet. This time I added parmesan cheese and almonds. They were de-lish!

Devils on Horseback

Medjool dates, pitted
Parmesan cheese, pieces
Almonds, sliced
Bacon, cut lengthwise
Toothpicks


Preheat oven to 400F.
Place a little piece of cheese and a couple slices of almonds in the centre of each date. Carefully wrap each one with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Carefully remove toothpicks and serve.

Now I have to replace the dates that I used for these so that I have something sweet to eat after dinner. ;-)
m xo