Prep 30 min Ready 1 hr. Servings 3-4 This braised chicken has been very popular in our household and is easy to make. The lemon, garlic, capers, and olives give it a wonderful Mediterranean flavor. I have made this recipe three times …
Prep 30 min Ready 2 hr. 30 min. Servings 4-6 When I was a child, my mom almost always had Habitant French Canadian pea soup in our cupboard. It was one of my favorites. It is very similar to traditional pea soup, …
Prep 30 min
Ready 1 hr 30 min.
Servings 4-6
I love France, and I love eating and making French food. I find it fun and challenging to cook, and I enjoy trying different recipes in that style. This ratatouille was a fun dish to make and looks beautiful when presented. The hardest part about making it was arranging the veggi’s. I could have used my mandolin to speed up the preparation and give them a consistent look, but I preferred slicing them by hand to give them more of a rustic, French-country look.
Ratatouille would be a perfect meal to prepare when veggies are fresh and in season in the fall. However, it can be made at any time of the year. It was quite delicious and fun to make. I served leftovers the next day to a couple of friends for lunch. Leftovers taste even better because the flavors blend together.
Ingredients:
• 1 eggplant
• 6 Roma tomatoes
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
Red Sauce
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I used Cento.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
Herb sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk 4 Tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1 Tbs. chopped parsley, 1 tsp. chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
1. In a sauté pan, add two Tbs. olive oil, the garlic, and the chopped onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onions become somewhat clear and the garlic is fragrant (about 3-5 minutes).
2. Add the crushed tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and 1 Tbs. chopped basil. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and squash into thin round slices. About 1/8”. (You could use a mandolin to save some time.)
5. Press and arrange the veggies in a color pattern into the red sauce – orange, green, red, etc… I spiraled the veggies in a circular pattern because I used a round pan. If you use a square pan you could do vertical stripes.
6. After the veggies have been placed into the pan in the desired pattern, spoon the herb sauce over the top. Add salt and pepper.
7. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and place it in the oven on a center rack. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
This recipe was inspired by tasty.com.
Easy to make vegetable dish which can be used as a main entree or side.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
In a sauté pan, add two Tbs. olive oil, the garlic, and the chopped onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onions become somewhat clear and the garlic is fragrant (about 3-5 minutes).
Add the crushed tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and 1 Tbs. chopped basil. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat.
Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and squash into thin round slices. About 1/8”. (You could use a mandolin to save some time.)
Press and arrange the veggies in a color pattern into the red sauce – orange, green, red, etc… I spiraled the veggies in a circular pattern because I used a round pan. If you use a square pan you could do vertical stripes.
After the veggies have been placed into the pan in the desired pattern, spoon the herb sauce over the top. Add salt and pepper.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and place it in the oven on a center rack. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
This recipe was inspired by tasty.com.
Prep 15 min Ready 2 hr 30 min. Servings 2-3 Today, February 9th is National Pizza Day. Oh Boy! Mark your calendars – another holiday. I love pizza and have been making homemade pizzas for years. I typically do a traditional style …
Prep 15 min Ready 2 hr 30 min. Servings 3-4 It is soup season here in the midwest. I was battling a cold so I thought I’d make some good old-fashioned chicken noodle soup. I used free-range chicken and added fresh vegetables …
Prep 15 min
Ready 35 min.
Servings 2-3
One of my favorite things to eat is shrimp. I don’t care how they are prepared. I love them. This creamy garlic shrimp was very easy to make and was delicious. The combination of garlic, lemon, and capers created a wonderful taste. I added a squeeze of fresh lemon and a splash of white wine for even more flavor. This was the perfect size for my wife and myself. If you were serving four people, I would double the recipe.
Local or fresh shrimp would be my first choice, but frozen shrimp work just fine. I was able to purchase tail on deveined large shrimp at Trader Joe’s. They were less than $10 for a 1 lb. bag. The shrimp had a wonderful firm texture. They were also a good size. Any smaller and my grandfather would have said they were “bait.” Give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Ingredients
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 lb. shrimp, tails on or off (I purchased peeled and deveined with tails.)
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium shallot, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 lemons (one juiced, one for garnish)
• 4 Tbs. drained capers
• 2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley ( use a couple of additional springs for garnish)
Instructions
1. Heat butter over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add the shrimp and cook for approx. 2-3 min each side or until they become pink.
3. Remove the shrimp and garlic from the skillet and put them into a bowl. Cover.
4. Add some additional butter to the pan and saute the scallions until soft (about 3-5 minutes).
5. Add the wine to the skillet and let it reduce to about half. This should take a few minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream to the pan. Continue stirring. It will thicken up a little bit as you stir.
7. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, capers, spinach and juice from one lemon and continue to stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt.
8. Add the shrimp back to the pan and continue stirring over low heat.
9. Add the corn starch and water mixture and continue stirring. This will thicken up the cream sauce. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.
I served this over bow-tie pasta, but you could serve it over any pasta or even rice.
I also made a loaf of artisan oatmeal bread as a side dish which was a delicious addition to this wonderful meal.
Simple to make creamy lemon garlic shrimp
Heat butter over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes or until fragrant.
Add the shrimp and cook for approx. 2-3 min each side or until they become pink.
Remove the shrimp and garlic from the skillet and put them into a bowl. Cover.
Add some additional butter to the pan and saute the scallions until soft (about 3-5 minutes).
Add the wine to the skillet and let it reduce to about half. This should take a few minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the cream to the pan. Continue stirring. It will thicken up a little bit as you stir.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese, capers, spinach and juice from one lemon and continue to stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt.
Add the shrimp back to the pan and continue stirring over low heat.
Add the corn starch and water mixture and continue stirring. This will thicken up the cream sauce. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.
I served this over bow-tie pasta, but you could serve it over any pasta or even rice.
I also made a loaf of artisan oatmeal bread as a side dish which was a delicious addition to this wonderful meal.