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 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

Chicken saltimbocca  

Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets.  Sprinkle lightly with salt, then place 3 fresh sage leaves on the top of each cutlet.  Separately, line up 4 thin slices (2 oz total) of pancetta (or prosciutto de Parma) and slice in half, lengthwise.  Wrap each chicken breast with 2 pancetta strips each, securing… Continue reading Chicken saltimbocca