Sunday, September 25, 2011

Polenta Batons with Sage Salt

 Getting ready


Polenta is a great thing and so easy to do, only takes a few minutes.  I have made it with Parmigiano, Rosemary, but this recipe is really delicious. I made these for an appetizer for Sunday dinner, put them on the kitchen table and before we ate dinner they were gone!


INGREDIENTS:
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
170 g (1 cup) instant polenta
80g (1 cup) finely created parmigiano
25 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper
200 g ricotta
olive oil, for frying
SAGE SALT:
2 tablespoons Maldon sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped


Preparation:


1.  Make the sea salt by mixing the sea salt and sage together and set aside.


2.  Bring to a boil the chicken stock, add the polenta constantly whisking constantly for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmigiano, butter, rosemary and salt & pepper.  Fold in the ricotta,


3.  Pour the polenta into an oiled container and spread it out.  Let the polenta cool and place into the refrigerator covered.


4.  When ready, heat a non stick pan, cut the polenta into baton pieces, and with a small amount of olive oil, brown on all sides.  When browned remove to a plate and serve with the sage salt.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Orecchiette w/Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

So today was a beautiful day and instead of grilling, I made Orechiette with Broccoli Rabe and ground Pork.  I am trying to finish the book of family recipes and thought it  might be a good idea to move forward with the project.  This is a great dish and when we had it, I always had to have extra.   So, you might want to make extra...
Very simple to prepare, just remember it's all about the ingredients.


INGREDIENTS:


200 g (7 oz) orechiette 
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
400 g (14 oz) ground pork, you can use sausages, but remove them from the casing
Parmigiano grated
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced


PREPARATION:


Clean the broccoli rate, blanch it and sauté with garlic and olive oil.


Cook the ground pork in a small amount of olive oil.


In a large pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook till al dente.  When pasta is done, drain and combine the pasta with the cooked ground pork and broccoli rabe.   Grate a generous amount of Parmigiano over the top.


Enjoy!!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Stuffed Peppers

I know it's been a while since I have posted; it's been a great summer!  Have cooked a lot and did take fotos, however, I never got around to posting them.  So, today I am sharing my stuffed peppers.  I love the red and yellow peppers (hardly use the green ones).
Actually, I made these several this summer and the recipe has varied, I have stuffed them with just ground meat, basmati rice and ground pork or orzo and ground pork and that is what I did with these.  It is really simple and makes an awesome lunch.
Ingredients:
4 peppers, yellow or red or a mix
ground pork, about 500 g (1lb)
whole wheat orzo 150 g (5 oz)
flat leaf parsley, chopped ( to taste)
olive oil
salt & pepper - to taste


Procedure:
Sautè the ground pork until cooked, you might want to add a little olive oil.  While the pork is cooking, cook the orzo, when the orzo is cooked, drain and add to a bowl.  When the pork is done, combine with the orzo and the rest of the ingredients.


Take the peppers, cut off the tops and core out the peppers, save the tops
Boil water in a pot, when boiling add the peppers for about 2 - 3 minutes (this softens them up).  Remove, and drain the water out of the peppers.


To make stuffing, add all the ingredients and mix well.
Take the peppers and rub olive oil on the outside and then stuff with the filling.
Preheat oven to 175C (350F).  When oven is ready place into the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.
Enjoy hot or a room temperature and serve with a salad for a perfect lunch