Caponata is a Southern Italian Eggplant dish, or Aubergine dish. So much sexier to say Aubergine ; ) It’s basically an Italian version of ratatouille. Ka-pone-ah-ta is the perfect appetizer over Crostini (hello everything is better on Crostini, no?) & it’s fantastic served with fish!
Are you ready for some FOOOOOOOTBALL? Well technically no I’m not! *gasp* I know but I’m just not a football fan y’all! Don’t hate! I am however, a fan of parties! And especially of making food for parties (you liking me better now? LOL) So I decided I’d come up with something new & exciting for your Super Bowl party! I figured you’d be overwhelmed with slider, buffalo wings, chili & dip recipes! Not that there’s anything wrong with those, BUT I wanted to give you a little something something unexpected! Read the rest of this entry »
I was contacted by Mezzetta awhile back with information on how to throw a 20 minute Miracle Party. Um 20 minutes? Yeah, do tell me more please ; ) So they graciously sent me a few complimentary jars of Mezzetta Products and some information & ideas on how to pull this off… So are you a little skeptical? I sure was. But hey, I’m game… so bring it on…
This, to me, is such a simple dish. I’m all about easy peasy. As I’ve mentioned before simple isn’t a bad thing. It truly is a WOW dish. Everyone will think you slaved away when you simply added the ingredients & left them to mingle with each other. The longer they mingle & get to know each other, the better they’ll be. LOL!
Insalata Caprese is simply Caprese Salad (literally translated salad in the style of Capri) It comes from the region of Campania in Italy & it just might be the simplest dish you’ve ever put together. But don’t let the simple fool you, it’s full of flavor & oh so good for you. You don’t have to feel guilty about over indulging in this one.
You can serve them as I have in the picture above, sliced & layered oh so architecturally, or if you prefer a much more rustic version, you can arrange the slices on a platter - equally beautiful and just as tasty.
Summer time to me means lots of fresh seafood! I’m lucky enough to live fairly close to the coast & fresh seafood is abundant right now. (Well at least in my part of the world it is & if it’s not in your part of the world, fear not, there is always frozen to fall back on in a pinch.) It’s the perfect time to experiment with flavor combinations.
Scallops are delectable. So buttery & delicious & completely versatile. They take on flavors beautifully. You can use this recipe as an appetizer or fill up the plate & use it as your entree. Either way it’s simply scrumptious. The secret ingredient here is the Panko!
I have been craving scallops for a while now! Since the weather has started to warm up it was the perfect time to come up with a new recipe!
Typically you’ll either find a butter, garlic & wine reduction recipe or a fried recipe for your scallops. This one is neither & I’m really pleased with how it turned out & know you will be too!
The pineapple and mango reduction fuses beautifully with the scallops! Sweet, sweet harmony with a little kick thrown in at the end (cayenne)! You’ll look like a rock star in the kitchen when you serve this dish up!
We’ve officially skipped spring and dived directly into summer. Now that it’s scorching hot outside already, it’s time to get outside and utilize the grill. Have I mentioned how much I like eggplant? It’s such a meaty vegetable & surprisingly inexpensive. One really does go a long way. I like to hit my local farmer’s market this time of year to get the freshest ingredients possible. Plus, it’s always nice to see where your food comes from & I like to support my local farmers!
This is a quick and easy recipe that can be done almost completely on the grill. It’s perfect as an appetizer or even as a side dish. If you want to change it up a bit, simply add a toasted bun and it becomes a scrumptious eggplant burger!
I adore mussels. They are simply scrumptious. Some people tend to shy away from Mussels, because they’re not quite sure what to do with them. But, they really couldn’t be easier to fix and they’re quite a chameleon when it comes to absorbing flavors.
If you’re squeamish about cleaning them, feel free to ask your fishmonger to do it for you (they’re quite happy to). Otherwise, it just entails placing your mussels into a colander, running cold water over them, and removing the “beard” - the greyish little hair attached to them. Voila.
They take minutes to cook, depending on the size, and they’ll turn this beautiful shade of orange. Careful not to overcook them; as with most seafood, they will become tough & chewy. Not something you want to associate with your mussels.
We LOVE guacamole at our house. It’s so easy to make & so much better for you than the pre-made versions that you find at the grocery (at least at mine anyway). If you are having a big to do & want this as an easy appetizer, it’s easy to double. Plus it’s incredibly colorful & smells scrumptious. If you’d like to add a kick to your guacamole, feel free to add in a minced jalapeno (with or without seeds depending on how brave you are). We like to eat our guacamole with pita chips, tortilla chips or carrot sticks. Or for a real change try putting it inside of mushroom caps & serving it that way!
So next time you’re in the mood for some guacamole, pick up the ingredients from your local farmers market or grocery & give it a go. You’ll be AMAZED how deliciously simple it is! The only thing I normally have to pick up are the avocados. The rest are pantry staples in my house! Ah, the importance of a well stocked pantry, perhaps this should be a topic for an upcoming blog entry!
Guacamole
4 Haas Avocados
1 small onion - minced
1 clove of garlic - minced
1 roma tomato - diced
squeeze of fresh lime juice
cilantro - chopped roughly
s/p
Remove the avocado from skin & discard pitt. In a bowl add your avocado, onion & garlic & mix together to your desired level of consistency. Add a squeeze of lime juice & season with salt & pepper. Taste & check for seasoning (add more if necessary) Mix together. Add in your tomatoes & cilantro & give a final stir.
Buon Appetito!
