Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

Tender marinated artichoke hearts are drained and stuffed with your favorite goat cheese. Breaded and fried to a golden brown, these tasty morsels are served with a zesty Pomodoro or Marinara sauce. They have been affectionately referred to as "Pillows of Love". Once you start, you can't get enough.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 12 Marinated and quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz of your favorite goat cheese (alternatively, you can substitute another soft cheese such as Boursin, cream cheese, etc)
• 1 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

Begin by removing some of the inner leaves from the artichoke hearts. This will form a pocket for the cheese. You can save the inner leaves for another use.

Take about a tablespoon of the goat cheese and form it into a small football shaped ball and press it into the pocket you made in one of the artichoke hearts. Repeat this process until all of the artichoke hearts have been filled.

Once all artichokes have been filled, its time to set up the dipping station. In the first of 3 bowls, add the flour. Season it to taste with a little salt and pepper. In the second bowl add the egg and mix thoroughly. Finally, in the third bowl, add the Panko breadcrumbs.

Start by taking one of the artichokes and thoroughly coat it with flour. Shake off the excess. Next, dip it into the egg wash. Lastly, place the artichoke in the third bowl and completely coat it with the breadcrumbs and place it on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining artichoke hearts. 

Once you’ve finished coating the artichokes, place them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This allows the cheese to firm up and also your breadcrumbs will stick better.

After they’ve been refrigerated, fry them in hot oil. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry them on each side until they’re a golden brown. Then, allow them to drain on a paper towel.

Place the drained artichokes on a plate and dust them with Parmesan cheese. My zesty Pomodoro sauce makes an excellent dipping sauce. 

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.
 

Pomodoro Sauce

This multipurpose marinara-style sauce is excellent with pasta. Add your favorite meatball recipe and you have yourself a hearty meal. I use this sauce when I make my lasagna. I also use it as a dipping sauce for fried mozzarella and stuffed artichoke hearts. However you use it, it's a tasty sauce and a cinch to make. It also freezes well so you can double or even triple the recipe and freeze it in containers.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by peeling and chopping 1/2 of a white onion. Saute the onion with a little olive oil over medium high heat in a medium sized skillet for about 7 minutes. Stir the onions periodically so they don't brown. About a minute before the onions are finished, add the garlic and stir to combine.

Using an emulsion blender, food processor, blender or simply your hands, crush the tomatoes in a bowl with their juices to the desired consistency. If you want a chunkier style sauce, then do not completely puree the tomatoes. If you want a smoother sauce, puree them until they are smooth. Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes to the onions and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, julienne your basil leaves. The easiest way to do this is to roll them tightly like a cigar and slice them with a knife. 

After the tomato sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, add the basil and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Potato and Leek Tart with Bacon

This tasty tart is a very versatile dish. You can serve it as an appetizer, pair it with a salad for a light lunch or even use it as a side dish at your next brunch. However you serve it, its absolutely delicious.  It pairs the fresh taste of fresh Spring vegetables with the mouth watering taste of bacon. I mean c'mon... who doesn't love bacon?!

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 Leeks
• 1/2 large white onion
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1 TB olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 TB butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Pie crust for an 11 inch tart pan (either your own or a purchased crust)
• 1/2 cup diced green onions (scallions)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the tart pan with cooking spray. Place the pie crust in the tart pan, pressing it halfway up the sides of the tart pan. 

Cut the root end off the leeks and and slice just the white and light green parts into 1/4 inch slices. A good rule of thumb is to slice just before the leek fans out into the dark green parts. Thoroughly rinse the leeks under running water and place them in a medium sized bowl and set them aside.

Next, slice the onion into 1/4 in slices. Cut each slice into quarters and place it in the bowl with the leeks.

Chop the bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces and cook them in a hot skillet. Once the bacon is done, place it on a paper towel lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.

In a clean pan over medium high heat, add the reserved bacon fat, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute the leek and onion  mixture until tender. You do not want to caramelize the leeks and onion. You just want them tender so that they just begin to release their sugars. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and half of the Parmesan cheese. Fold in the bacon followed by the leek and onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into your prepared tart pan and spread it evenly.

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange the sliced potatoes in a spiral pattern on the tart until the entire surface is covered. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tart and spread it over the potatoes with a pastry brush. Top the potatoes with the remaining Parmesan cheese and the green onions.

Bake for 45 minutes until the potatoes are a golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve! Optionally, you can top the tart wedge with a poached egg for a wonderful brunch item or a late night snack.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

The Living Table

For all you over achievers out there (including myself), this is the ultimate tablescape for your next garden party. I call it the living table. It is not expensive to make and your guests will be talking about it for months! It uses sod and live plants to create not only a beautiful tablescape but quite a conversation piece.

I started with a 30" by 72" folding PVC table available at most hardware and craft stores. On top of that, I centered a standard 4' by 8' by 3/4" piece of  plywood. Nothing fancy, just something to make the table a bit larger. Next, I stapled a heavy duty plastic drop cloth onto the plywood to prevent it from warping. Now the fun begins. Get enough sod from your local nursery to cover the plywood. Be sure to allow for a couple inches of overhang when measuring for the sod. Lay the sod onto the plastic pressing the edges together to hide the seam.

For the center piece, pick up any number of plants currently in bloom. You are actually going to plant them in the sod so get the small 6-pack size of plants. They will be the easiest to plant. Visualize where you want your center piece to go and begin cutting out pieces of the sod to make room for the plants. In this particular tablescape, I added a small table top fountain to the center of the flowers.

Next, we need coasters. You don't want your stemware of glassware to tip when someone sets it on the sod. I again went to my local hardware store and for a few dollars purchased a 4 inch diameter, 6 feet long fence post. I had one of the employees cut it into several 1 inch thick discs (they looked at me like I was nuts but what the heck!). Figure out where your place setting is going to go and arrange the coasters accordingly. Once you have the placement figured out, use a utility knife and cut around each coaster. Remove the round piece of sod and fit the coaster into the hole.

For candles, I bought a cheap bamboo window shade (I think it cost me 2-3 dollars) at the hardware store. Cut out pieces of the shade to wrap around different sizes of candles. Secure them with a hot glue gun. For this table, I cut the tops at an angle to add more flair. Once your table is finished, you can water it lightly every other day or every day depending on your climate and it will last for a couple weeks. 

Use your imagination and have fun with it!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

The lemon herb marinade and the char from the grill really give the vegetables in this sandwich a delightful punch. Assembled on lightly toasted Naan bread with feta, chipotle mustard and mayonnaise, it is a hearty, flavorful sandwich for vegetarians and carnivores alike.

 

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup Bianco (a lightly sweetened dry vermouth. If you cannot find it, use dry vermouth)
• 2 TBS dried rosemary
• 1 TB thyme
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 4 yellow squash, halved lengthwise
• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
• 8-12 Crimini or button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved lengthwise
• 8 slices of Naan (a flat bread, similar to a pita, from Asia, available in larger supermarkets)
• Mayonaise
• Chipotle mustard (or your favorite whole grain mustard)

 

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. This is the marinade. Set aside. Char the bell peppers on all sides either in a broiler or on a grill. When they are nearly black, place them in a paper bag allowing them to steam for 10 minutes. Peel each pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Do NOT rinse them under water as you will lose much of the charred flavor. Set aside.

 

Place the zucchini, squash, onion slices and mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour the marinade over and allow the vegetables to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat your grill to medium high heat. Brush the grill with oil. Grill the marinated vegetables 2-3 minutes per side. You want to cook them enough so that you get nice char marks but not so much that the vegetables get mushy.

Remove the vegetables from the grill and place them on a platter. Add the roasted and peeled bell peppers. Drizzle some of the marinade over the vegetables and set them aside.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the Naan on a griddle, non-stick frying pan or in a toaster. Spread the mayonnaise over 2 pieces of the Naan. Spread a little mustard over one of the pieces. Take the zucchini and squash halves and slice them lengthwise. If your mushrooms are large, slice them in half again too. Separate the onions into rings. Beginning with the mustard side of the Naan, arrange zucchini spears over the bread. Then do the same with the squash. Next, top the squash with roasted bell pepper pieces. Top the bell pepper with mushroom slices and onions. Finally, sprinkle feta over the entire sandwich and place the second piece of Naan on top. Repeat with the remaining Naan and vegetables. Note: If your squash and zucchini were large to begin with, you may have a few vegetables left over. Save those for an omelet!

 

Enjoy!