Insalata Caprese

One of my favorite salads is Insalata Caprese, more commonly referred to by its English name – Caprese Salad (or, “salad in the style of Capri”).

I forget when I first discovered this salad, but once I did, there was no stopping me once I saw it on an Italian restaurant menu. Plus, it’s so easy to make. Nothing to it, just get the right ingredients and arrange them on a plate.

If the basil leaves are limp when you buy them, refresh them by placing in iced water and they will perk up.

Ingredients

·         ROMA TOMATOES, as many as you like, estimating one per diner

·         MOZZARELLA CHEESE, one ball, soft and moist

·         FRESH BASIL LEAVES

·         OLIVE OIL, extra virgin top quality

·         BALSAMIC VINEGAR (optional), aged, from Modena if possible

·         SALT and PEPPER to taste

Directions

1.       Slice the tomatoes into rounds, approximately 3/8 of an inch thick.

2.       Slice the mozzarella cheese into rounds, about the same as the tomatoes.

3.       Chiffonade some of the basil leaves.

4.       Arrange the tomatoes, cheese and basil in alternating layers.

5.       Sprinkle with olive oil (and balsamic vinegar), then salt and pepper to taste.

6.       Arrange a few basil stem tips and leaves on the plate as decoration.

Spaghetti and Spare Ribs

I once saw Iron Chef Michael Symon prepare a dish similar to this on his Symon’s Suppers show on The Cooking Channel, so I thought I’d see what I could do with it.

The dish turned out pretty good. It’s not hard to make because I used jarred marinara sauce. You can use any sauce you want, perhaps even make your own, but I used Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Pasta Sauce that we picked up at the local Safeway Supermarket.

Ingredients

·         PORK SPARE RIBLETS, 10-12, separated and trimmed

·         CANOLA OIL, approximately 1½ cups

·         FLOUR, about ½ cup

·         SWEET ONION, 1 large, chopped

·         BACON, 4 slices cut into lardons

·         MARINARA SAUCE, 1 jar, about 3 cups

·         CHERRY TOMATOES, 15 smashed

·         CALAMATA OLIVES (Optional), 10 chopped

·         GARLIC SALT, to taste

·         BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste

·         DRIED SPAGHETTI, up to 1 pound

Directions

1.       Heat the oil in a large pan until a little flour tossed into it sizzles.

2.       Flour the riblets and brown on all sides, remove and set aside.

3.       In a large pot, brown the bacon in about a teaspoon of the oil.

4.       Add the onions and cook on medium heat until translucent.

5.       Add the marinara sauce and tomatoes (and optional olives), combine thoroughly.

6.       Season with garlic salt and ground pepper.

7.       Place the browned riblets into the sauce, stir, coating the riblets, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

8.       About 15 minutes before eating, cook the spaghetti pasta per package directions.

To serve, remove the riblets from the sauce pot, skim off the excess pork fat, add in the pasta and stir until evenly coated. Place a serving of sauced pasta on a plate, along with 2-3 riblets.

Spinach and Italian Sausage Lasagna

Nobody doesn’t like lasagna. Take a tip from Garfield the Cat and have it often. It’s not that hard to make, although getting your mise en place ready is a bit time-consuming. Once that’s done, however, it’s just layer and bake.

If you make your own marinara sauce, great. Me, I’m lazy, and I use store-bought jars of marinara. You can add other stuff in your lasagna – olives, green onions, zucchini, crispy bacon, leftover sausages – it’s all up to you and your “druthers,” whatever you like.

Lasagna is personal.

Ingredients

·         LASAGNE NOODLES, 1 box

·         ITALIAN SAUSAGE, 1 pound, removed from casings

·         SPINACH, 1 bag fresh (or, 1 box frozen)

·         MUSHROOMS, ½ pound sliced

·         RICOTTA CHEESE, 16 ounces

·         EGGS, 2 large

·         PARMESANO REGGIANO CHEESE, 1 cup grated

·         MOZZARELLA CHEESE, 16 ounces grated

·         MARINARA SAUCE, 1 large jar or 16 ounces homemade

·         OLIVE OIL, 1 tablespoon

·         GARLIC SALT 

Directions

1.       Grate the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and set aside.

2.       Cook the spinach with lots of salted water until just wilted. Take out with a slotted spoon and let cool.

3.       Use the spinach water to cook the lasagna noodles until just al dente. Lay the noodles flat on a tray to cool.

4.       Sauté the Italian sausage in a tablespoon of olive oil until crumbly, set aside.

5.       Sauté the mushrooms in the pan drippings and oil, and set aside.

6.       Mix the eggs into the ricotta cheese until well blended, set aside.

7.       Spoon and spread a little marinara sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan and line the bottom with a layer of lasagna noodles.

8.       Spread marinara sauce on the noodles, then layer with sausage, then ricotta, then spinach, then parmesan, then mushrooms, then mozzarella.

9.       Continue layering two more times, concluding with a layer of lasagna noodles, marinara, whatever else you may have bits of, and lots of mozzarella.

10.   Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour in a 350˚ oven. After one hour, remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese has turned slightly golden.

11.   Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Beef Stew

I’m a lazy cheat when it comes to beef stew, not really starting from scratch, but using prepared mixes instead. Here’s my recipe for a dutch oven-ful of delicious beef stew (which tastes even better the next day, you should know).

I get a nice and fatty chuck roast with lots of marbling and connective tissue. Or, a big 7-bone roast is even better. As for the carrots and potatoes, I don’t peel them, but scrub them well under running water with a brush.

Ingredients

·         BEEF STEW MIX, Lawry’s, 2 packages

·         CHUCK (or 7-BONE) ROAST, 4-5 pounds cut into 1-2-inch cubes

·         CANOLA OIL, 2 tablespoons

·         FLOUR, ¼-cup for dredging

·         GARLIC SALT and PEPPER, freshly ground

·         BURGUNDY WINE, 1 cup

·         CARROTS, 3, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         POTATOES, 10-12 small red potatoes, scrubbed

·         ONIONS, 15-20 small white boiling, peeled

·         MUSHROOMS, 8 ounces, halved

·         DAIKON, 1 medium, cut into bite-sized chunks

·         CELERY, 2 stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces

·         GARLIC, 2 cloves, smashed

·         MIXED VEGETABLES, frozen, ¾ cup

Directions

1.       Dredge the meat in flour flavored with a little garlic salt and ground pepper.

2.       Brown the meat in the oil in a large dutch oven. Remove and set aside.

3.       Drain out the excess oil, then add in five cups of water and the wine.

4.       Add the meat back in, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour or until the meat is tender.

5.       Add the vegetables, recover, and simmer for 1-2 hours.

6.       Heat the mixed vegetables and sprinkle on the stew for color.

7.       Serve over steamed rice with a side of pickled onions.

Tuna Melt

I’m almost embarrassed to post this. Almost, but not quite.

You know how to make a tuna sandwich, right? Open a can of tuna, drain it, add some mayonnaise and pickle relish, maybe some chopped onions, and voila! Tuna salad. Put it between two slices of bread and there you have it – a tuna sandwich.

Next time, try this: Butter a slice of sourdough bread, heat it up for a minute or so in a toaster oven, slather on the tuna salad mix, top with some slices of tomato and American cheese, then put it under the broiler.

Keep an eye on it and when the cheese starts to bubble, take it out.

You now have an open-faced tuna sandwich with melted cheese on top – a tuna melt. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

This is one of those “nearly instant” type meals that you can whip up if you have some chicken.

All you need more are bread crumbs, cheese and a jar of marinara (or spaghetti) sauce that you can pick up at your local supermarket and keep in your cupboard.

Ingredients

·         CHICKEN, four large thighs (or two breasts halved), deboned, skin-on

·         BREAD CRUMBS, Italian flavored

·         OLIVE OIL, ¼ cup

·         PARMESANO REGGIANO CHEESE, ½ cup, grated

·         MARINARA SAUCE, from a jar

·         MOZZARELLA CHEESE, ½ cup, grated

Directions

1.       With a mallet, flatten the chicken until ¼-inch thin.

2.       Bread the chicken and brown in the olive oil over medium heat.

3.       Arrange the chicken on a wire rack in a cookie pan.

4.       Top with parmesan cheese, then spoon on marinara sauce to your liking.

5.       Top with mozzarella cheese.

6.       Bake in a 350˚ oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and turning golden brown.

7.       Serve immediately.

Date Nut Bread

It’s been a while since I’ve had date nut bread. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I used to see loaves of date nut bread sold in stores, bakeries and farmer’s markets. Not so much today. I wonder why that is.

Anyway, I found a recipe and played with it a bit, until I got it the way I wanted it. One discovery: When it comes to the stirring together of the flour, sugar and date mixtures, it’s hard work. And perhaps that’s why you don’t see it being offered a lot.

It’s exhausting! Good, but tiring.

Ingredients

·         BOILING WATER, 1 cup

·         DATES, chopped, 8 ounces

·         BUTTER, 2 tablespoons

·         GRANULATED SUGAR, 1/2 cup

·         BROWN SUGAR, ¼ cup

·         EGG, 1 large

·         FLOUR, 2¼ cups, stir before measuring

·         BAKING POWDER, 1 tablespoon

·         SALT, ½ teaspoon

·         WALNUTS or PECANS, chopped, ½ cup

Directions

1.       Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, cutting to fit.

2.       Pour boiling water over dates in a medium bowl; add butter and set aside.

3.       With an electric mixer, beat sugars and egg until light.

4.       In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the sugar mixture, alternating with the date and water mixture.

5.       Stir in the chopped nuts.

6.       Bake at 325° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

7.       Remove from the bread pan and let cool before slicing.