Grilled Steak with Arugula, Parsley-Parmesan Salad

From time-to-time I cook steak for Chris. It’s true. I do. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine & thought that it was a good marriage between the steak Chris likes to eat & the greens I’d like him to eat. I also think it’s a lighter option for steak eaters than a heavy creamed spinach side dish for steak - while yes it has greens it also has a ton of cream amongst other heavy ingredients. I amped up the original salad in this recipe with some arugula.  This salad is also great on top of chicken (how I ate it).

PS: We also had these potatoes, because if you have steak & you really should have potatoes!
PPS: Happy birthday to my beautiful friend Ashley!!! I love you :)

Eggplant Rollatini

I love breaded eggplant. I love the crunchy exterior & the fleshy interior. It's almost meaty - but it's not because it's a vegetable. When I make eggplant rollatini (think egg plant parmesan but rolled up with yummy ricotta cheese inside) I like to keep the integrity of the crunch, otherwise what’s the point of going through all the motions to bread it in the first place? I ensure the crunch by first baking my eggplant with a mixture of panko (the crunchiest) breadcrumbs ahead of time & then when it’s time to put it all together I use just a little bit of sauce to top them with because the more sauce you add the more mushy (less crispy) it gets - but if that's your thing - sauce away!

This is a great & hearty vegetarian option when you’re going meatless. What are you eating for meatless dinners?

Kale & Cherry Pepper Mac & Cheese

Well hello from 2014! I realize there has been radio silence from my end since the start of this new year. Honestly, I was debating what my obligatory resolutions would be. I still really don't know but I have a giant list & have definitely been inspired by BexLife's list.  When I figure it out I'll let you know. What's yours?

In any event, the start of the new year makes me want to be a better person - by bettering my relationships & trying new things.  Right before the holidays I was spoiled by some much needed girl time with some of my best friends.  We visited The Celler at Beecher's in NYC (twice for some of us in a week's time) & all agreed that their kale, mama lil's peppers mac & cheese was worthy of multiple repeat orders during the same dinner (!!!). So naturally, I wanted to try to recreate it at home & I think I came pretty close.  It's not baked but rather more of a macaroni with cheese sauce which means less cooking time - yay! Plus, if you're skipping out on carbs this year (or first full week of 2014 at least until you realize that is for the birds) you could probably just make the cheese sauce (although there is a tiny amount of flour in it) & pile it on top of steamed broccoli or spaghetti squash for a low-carb option. Try it yourself & see what you think.

Mushroom Ravioli with Sautéed Veggies

After a long weekend of being spoiled by deliciously decadent wedding festivities and meals we came home to a nearly bare fridge.  So this dish is actually whatever was left in my fridge/freezer plus some fresh ingredients I picked up at the market up the street on my way home from work.  It's kind of a nod to these melting tomatoes  plus some other veggies. The mushroom ravioli as well as the s‪autéed‬ mushrooms make this dish a meaty meatless dish.

Easy Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Back when I used to waitress on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, NYC my boss and I would order dinner from one of the nearby restaurants.  (I know what you're thinking - you were waitressing why didn't you eat the food there - it's because in the evenings we would only serve coffee and cake otherwise we would not go down the block for a meal). We'd usually eat the same things. One of the dishes we'd order was polenta or as what my boss used to reference as peasant's food that was now a delicacy.  It's pretty simple, tasty and hearty so if it was good enough to fill the bellies of Italian peasants it's good enough for me.  If you like mashed potatoes this is like the Italian cousin of it.  It's creamy, garlicky and cheesy.  Perfect. I actually think it may be easier to make than mashed potatoes!

And to go with the common thread of this week I nabbed this recipe from none other than Ina Garten.

Crunch Celery, Spinach & Parmesan Salad

I watch food network all the time. I even watch it at the gym. Yes I do.
This past weekend I watched the Barefoot Contessa whip up her Italian inspired celery and parmesan salad. I took a nod from this great lady & made this for dinner. I added some spinach for a little extra green-age.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

My nephews call chicken wings or any boned chicken, "chicken on the bone." We now call it that at our house too. We always seem to pick up a package of wings or boned thighs when it's on sale. Usually it's nothing to blog about because it usually tastes like nothing & took too long (in my book) to cook.  This time it was different. Maybe it was the onset of warm weather on Friday or the stars aligned or something but finally there was something to blog about.

If you don't eat chicken you can put this sauce on anything like grilled or steam veggies, maybe some potatoes or just some toasted bread.  Chris called this garlic Parmesan chicken my best chicken on the bone, I think it was simply because the chicken acted as a delivery vehicle for the sauce but I'll take it regardless. 

Ricotta Gnudi with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Last week I posted about recipes for gnudi (pronounced nude-y) that I wanted to try. To be honest, I didn't grow up eating gnudi. Yes I have ate lots of delicious American-Italian cheese & sauce covered dishes but gnudi wasn't one of them. I had it at a restaurant once & it put it on the map.

So mom & Jennifer (who didn't know what gnudi was when I told them about it) gnudi is like a cheesy dumpling - or as I like to think of it a delicious cheese blob - but that might not sound so appetizing - but it is. They're kind of like the cousin of a ravioli, the difference is there is no clear definition between the pasta & the filling - it's all one homogeneous mixture. DELICIOUS.

I went with Lottie + Doof's  ricotta gnudi recipe.  I used the sauce I posted about on Monday. Overall it made for a pretty tasty Sunday dinner.

Click through for Lottie + Doof's  recipe & photos, of course.

Pomodoro Pizza

Fillippos on First, our favorite pizza place in Hoboken sadly was not able to recover after Sandy so we've been trying out other pizza places in the neighborhood but lately our favorite has been the one right in our kitchen.  I've been whipping up my own pizza dough as of late with Bobby Flay's recipe but I also use the store bought stuff too - I don't discriminate.  Our newest pizza stone has been a great replacement to the one that we broke earlier last year. Per the recommendation of my girlfriend of Amanda the William-Sonoma pizza stone doesn't stick - well if you use cooking spray or olive oil is what i've found. Now that I've figured out how to use it we  (the pizza stone & I) work well together.

Since it's still pretty chilly (spring where are you?!?!) it's still nice to heat up the oven & make the house smell like fresh pizza.

Click through for my simple method of how you can make your own pomodoro (tomato) pizza at home with the multi-purpose tomato sauce that I posted about yesterday.

Spaghetti Squash with Arugula Basil Pesto

I cannot believe I've never had spaghetti squash - until last night. The gals at the office were chatting it up so much I had to try it. Turns out it's not only delish & gluten-free it's super easy - so don't worry about making your own pasta with some alternative flour to steer clear of flour allergies. No ma'am. Mother nature has done it all for us.

We will definitely be eating spaghetti squash at our house again & again very soon.

Click through for the full recipe & full photos of how to make spaghetti squash with arugula basil pesto.

Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup

I'm no stranger to the Food Network & have spent much couch time taking in the recipes from (my mother-in-law's fave) the Barefoot Contessa.  After watching her make this soup, I needed to make it.  I jazzed it up with some of my own garnishes.  Click through for easy ways to make a new take on a homemade crouton (hint: it's made from corn bread!) & a simple way to make sage fancy.

Oh & a super huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dulcie! Love you little lady! Hope this is the best year yet! XO

Pasta with Minty Hot No Cook Sauce

On Saturday, I caught up on some of my DVRed Food Network shows.  I watched Giada make a super easy sauce that looked interesting (mint + habanero peppers!)  & easy (minimal cooking required), so made it that night. Since all you are doing for this recipe is just boiling some water for pasta, this is really a perfect summer dinner.  I bet it would make great left overs - but there weren't any... next time.

Now, I'm thinking that maybe I dreamed the whole thing because I can't find the link on line, so I'll give you my rendition at the very least of what I believed to have watched Giada make.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2. 2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
3. 2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves
4. 1 jalapeno pepper (or habanero) - halved with seeds & ribs removed (leave the seeds if you want it extra hot!)
5. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6. salt
7. pepper
8. 1/2 cup freshly grated roman cheese*

Make it!

1. Puree the first seven ingredients together in a food processor or blender & set aside.
2. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
3. Drain pasta & toss immediately with romano cheese (if you only have parmesan - use that too - this extra cheese helps the sauce stick to the pasta. mmm cheese!)
4. Add the minty hot sauce to the pasta, toss & serve.
5. If you're up to throwing another ingredient into the mix add some cut steamed asparagus.

 

Check after the jump to see if this recipe was hubby approved...

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

• mixed greens
• 2 cups cubed watermelon (pink parts only!)
• 1 cup grilled corn (cut off the cob)
• 6 basil leaves cut into ribbons
• shaved parmesan cheese (use a little or a lot - your call, use a veggie peeler to shave)

Dressing:

• 1 lemon (juice + zest)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper

Over the past week I've come to realize how important it is to stay hydrated & eat my greens (read: I didn't & I paid for it spending much of my Tuesday horizontal with my eyes closed.) No worries I'm all better now! This watermelon salad is both hydrating & green-filled. Plus, it's super easy to make & a picnic-pleaser for sure.

Simply combine all the ingredients on the right in a large serving bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour the dressing around the outer-inner edge of your salad (so you don't end up with pool in the center of your salad) & toss it all together & serve immediately.

Today is my husband's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!! I Love You! xoxox