Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis is here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/winter-minestrone-recipe.html We used thick-cut bacon (cut into matchsticks, browned, and set aside before the first step of the recipe and the added back in at the last step) and increased the beef broth from 3 ½ cups to 4 cups. We also used a very small sprig of… Continue reading Italian winter minestrone soup
Tag: italian
French bread pizza with pepperoni
This is a clever riff on Stouffer’s frozen pizza, using store-bought ingredients that you assemble. Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a baking rack on top of the foil, then lightly spray the rack with oil (the rack will stabilize the uneven baguette crust and the oil will make… Continue reading French bread pizza with pepperoni
Chicken piccata
This recipe calls for a total of 4 Tbsp olive oil and 6 Tbsp butter, each divided into 2 Tbsp increments. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut 2 chicken breasts in half crosswise (so that they are thin, like cutlets). Try to keep each breast intact. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then lightly… Continue reading Chicken piccata
Roman-style chicken
This recipe is from Giada de Laurentiis on Food Network in the Kitchen. (Apr. 2013)
Italian poached whole fluke
One of my favorite Italian dishes is sapore di mare, an Italian style seafood soup with tiny pasta. While looking for that recipe, I came across this “Single Fish Cooked Fish-Soup Style” in one of my Italian cookbooks, so we tried it this evening. Wash a whole fluke (gutted and scaled) in cold water, pat dry, and set aside. Separately,… Continue reading Italian poached whole fluke
Italian chick pea and swiss chard soup
Using a stockpot, saute 2 oz thick-cut bacon (cut into matchsticks) in a little olive oil until browned, then remove and set aside. Add 1 chopped onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 5 sprigs thyme (leaves only), 2-3 minced sage leaves, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper and sauté for a few minutes. Add 1 bunch… Continue reading Italian chick pea and swiss chard soup
Barley pilaf with artichoke hearts and chick peas
We first tried this recipe in 2007 when our friend Sandhya served it at a party. The recipe is here: https://www.food.com/recipe/barley-pilaf-with-chickpeas-and-artichoke-hearts-301799 Our modifications: first, we halve the amount of marinated artichoke hearts (to a 6 oz jar), drain, and slice them vertically in half. Second, for the pesto, we prefer Safeway private label brand or… Continue reading Barley pilaf with artichoke hearts and chick peas
Italian-style eggs in a nest
I woke up with a sudden craving for this breakfast dish from a scene in the film, Moonstruck. It involves two components: marinara sauce and an egg fried in a slice of bread. First, the marinara sauce: I had to improvise here with whatever we had in our pantry and balcony garden. Heat olive oil in a… Continue reading Italian-style eggs in a nest
Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Saute 2 hot Italian chicken sausages (casings removed) with some olive oil in a large Dutch oven, breaking up into pieces. When sausage is browned, remove and set aside. Using the same pot, add 2 onions (chopped), minced garlic, several sprigs thyme, 4 sage leaves (julienned), and 2 carrots (chopped). Season with a little salt… Continue reading Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Italian caponata
In a wide, high-walled, and heavy skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil on medium heat. Add one celery stalk (chopped) and sauté until crisp-tender. Fold in one medium eggplant (cubed), and saute until a little wilted (the eggplant will absorb most of the olive oil). Season with a little salt. Then add a chopped, seeded… Continue reading Italian caponata
Cooking Adventures 