Tis the season for Thistle – Artichokes that is. Delicious in oh so many ways. If you have never eaten or made an artichokes this is a good recipe to try.
Click on the picture to go directly to the my recipe and story about Artichokes.
Artichoke Before Braising
Cooked Artichoke
Enjoy!
There is so much more you can do with a Pork Tenderloin than medallions or whole roasted tenderloin. Stuffing is a great option especially because you can be very versatile with your stuffing choices. Here I give you a recipe with a Dried Fruit Stuffing. I also like to stuff a pork tenderloin with prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.
Don’t feel intimidated when it comes to “opening” a tenderloin. The link in the recipe gives you a full tutorial on YouTube.
Click on the recipe name or photo to go directly to the recipe.
Enjoy
The cold weather is upon us and it’s time for a bowl or two of a hearty soup. My go to soup in the winter is a Hearty Pasta Fagioli. This delicious main dish soup will fill you up and warm you up at the same time. I like to make my own ham stock but if you don’t have a ham bone or the time to do it you can use your own homemade chicken stock or a low sodium canned chicken stock you can pick up at the grocery store. (FYI you can get a ham bone for free or for very little cost at Honey Baked Ham stores. Usually they have a good amount of meat attached to the bone.)
I like to serve my Pasta Fagioli with a good artisan crusty bread and now you can even pick that up at the grocery. California’s famous LaBrae Bakery is selling Take-and-Bake loaves of their bread at Whole Foods and Fresh Market. It is really good and super convenient.
This recipe is quite large and it can easily be cut in half without any change in the taste or texture.
Click on the recipe link or photo to go directly to the recipe.
Enjoy!
It’s that time of year. The time to make Christmas Cookies. I am sharing my Decorated Sugar Cookie Recipe. I love this time of year because I love the whole process of making the cookies and decorating them with royal icing. It’s a fun thing to do especially with family and friends. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about what desserts you will be serving at your Thanksgiving Feast. Here are a few of my favorite desserts. Everyone of these deliciously delectable treats can be made a day or two in advance. Or you can ask each of your guests to bring one of these desserts.
Click on the title of the recipe or photo and it will bring you to the recipe page.
Here is another Pumpkin Recipe that is a favorite of mine. I topped my Pumpkin Pie with Italian Meringue but if you want whipped cream instead I suggest taking it up a notch and top your pie with White Chocolate Whipped Cream. Yum! Yum!
Click the links below and it will take you to the recipes.
Enjoy!
Serves 4 to 6 as an Entrée
1½ Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
½ Cup Flour for Dredging Chicken
1 Pound Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage Links
4 Tablespoons XVOO
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
6 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
1 Medium Onion, Thinly Sliced Lengthwise
6 Large Carrots, Sliced ¼” On the Diagonal
3 Red, Yellow or Orange Sweet Peppers, Thinly Sliced (Use 1 Of Each Color If You Like)
1½ Pounds Small Redskin Potatoes or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cut into Quarters
1 Cup Marinara Sauce (Homemade or Good Quality Store Bought)
1 Cups Fresh or Frozen Peas (Thaw if Frozen)
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with a bit of the salt and pepper and dredge in the flour to coat.
In a skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients heat the XVOO and butter over medium heat. Once the butter stops sizzling add the chicken breasts and sauté the chicken until nicely browned on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (You want the chicken almost cooked but not quite.) Remove the chicken from the pan and add the Italian sausage and brown the sausage on all sides. Remove the sausage from the pan and add the garlic, onion, carrots, peppers and potatoes. Sauté the vegetables for 10 minutes or until the onions begin to look transparent. Add the marinara, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Toss everything together to combine. Lay the chicken breasts and sausage links on top of the vegetables and place pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the chicken and sausage from the pan and set aside. (Let the chicken and sausage rest for 20 minutes then cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces and the sausage links in half.)
Continue cooking the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Add the peas, the cut-up chicken and the Italian sausage to the pan and toss to combine with the vegetables. Return the pan to the oven with the peas, chicken and sausage and cook for 15 minutes.
Transfer the Scarparielli to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Hints and Tips: I like to serve this with a side dish of Pasta tossed with XVOO and Roasted Garlic.
