Lobster Risotto

Tags

dinner, Italian, Lobster, Risotto, seafood

Hello fellow foodies!  Today I bring you a great recipe that my family enjoyed this past week.  What better way to enjoy the rich flavor of lobster than with a creamy risotto?  Cooking the lobster tails in the chicken broth, allows the lobster flavor to infuse the seafood flavor onto the broth. This is by far one my favorite recipes, I love the creaminess of the risotto combine with the sweet lobster meat and the sweetness of the peas makes this a fantastic main dish to any family gathering.  Easy, simple and packed with flavor.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. 3 5 oz Lobster tails.
2. 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced.
3. 3 Tbsp of butter ( divided).
4. 4 Cups of chicken broth.
5. 1 Cup of arborio rice.
6. 1/4 cup white wine.
7. 2 small shallots, thinly sliced.
8. 3/4 cup of frozen peas, thawed.
9. 1 pinch of salt.
10. 1/2 tsp of fresh black pepper.
11. 1 1/2 cups of water.

Method:

We’ll start by bringing  to a boil  the chicken broth and the water.  Add the lobster and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove lobster from the pan and let the it rest for about 5 minutes before removing the meat from the shells (do not discard the shells).   once the meat is cool,  cut into 1 inch slices and set aside.  meanwhile reduce the heat on the broth and bring to a slow simmer and add the shells (this will infuse the lobster flavor to the broth).   In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoon of butter, shallots and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the rice and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the wine and stir until wine evaporates.  After that, with a small ladle start  pouring  the broth onto the rice and stir constantly(one ladle at a time),  until the rice absorbs the liquid each time, repeat until there is  about 1/2 ladle full of liquid left in the simmering pan.  at this point your risotto should be done to perfection, add the peas, the lobster, the remaining butter, salt and pepper and stir all ingredients together, add the reaming broth and stir again, garnish with some chopped chives.  Serve immediately.

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Balsamic braised short ribs.

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braise, dinner, Italian, recipe, short ribs, slow cooker

This a great recipe that I found in this great recipe book – The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. By far the easiest recipe for short ribs I have found, not to mention the bold flavor and the fall of the bone texture.  Enjoy these short ribs with a nice creamy risotto, or  fall vegetables such as butternut squash, or a nice cheesy polenta.  Happy Cookin’!

1/2 Cup of dry red wine.

1/3 cup of Balsamic vinegar.

1 Sprig of Rosemary

3 Cloves of garlic, rough chopped

1 Tbsp of olive oil.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

In a larger skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oils and brown the short ribs(about 5 minutes per side) repeat step is necessary and transfer them to the slow cooker. In same skillet, remove all excess oil, leaving one about one table spoon, and add the wine, balsamic vinegar and garlic.  bring to a quick boil and lower heat to a simmer, cook for about 5 minutes, then transfer  liquid to the slow cooker, and add the sprig of Rosemary.  Cook the ribs for 8 hrs on slow, or till fork tender.  Once cooked, removed from cooker, skim fat from liquid and transfer to sauce pan and cook till reduced by half, pour over the ribs and serve right away.  Enjoy!

Meatball Parm Sandwich

Tags

basil, Italian, meatball parm, meatballs, sandwich

One of the many things that I love about cooking and sharing food is how quickly recipes ideas come to mind.  Well, this is one of those recipes that came to me on may way home from work.   Sandwiches, awesome and dee-lishous meats,cheeses and veggies, all together in between 2 slices of toasty and airy bread. Did I get your attention?  This is a take on meatball Parm sandwiches, sweet tasting meatballs, smothered  in a nice tomato and basil sauce, sprinkled with some red pepper flakes and melted fresh organic mozzarella cheese.  This was an “Outta Bounds sandwich” that the family and I enjoyed very much!

Meatballs

1. 1 LB of ground beef (90%lean-10%fat)
2. 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
3. 1 egg.
4. 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (I used italian)
5. 1/4 Tsp of salt.
6. 1/4 cup of water.
7. 1/4 Tsp of fresh cracked pepper.
8. Dash of pepper flakes.

In a large bowl combine the ground meat and all ingredients and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Make the meatball about the size of golf ball ( it should yield about 8-10 meatballs) and set aside.

Tomato sauce

For this particular recipe I used a wonderful combination of jarred sauce and fresh tomato puree.  Combine one jar of tomato sauce (your preference) and one can of tomato puree.  bring sauce to a simmer and add 1-2 fresh crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and 5-6 basil leaves.  once sauce start to bubble, add the meatballs and continue to simmer till meatballs are fully cooked (about 35 minutes). Put sandwich together and enjoy with a nice glass of wine.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Tags

dinner, Italian, Pasta, pasta carbonara, recipe, spaghetti

Pasta Carbonara is one of those dishes that has many variations.  Some recipes call for wine, cream, milk, pancetta, bacon, eggs, ham and even peas or diced carrots. There is not really a wrong way to make  this recipe, so do not be afraid to try it with different ingredients, see what taste best to you and your family. After all, that is what cooking is all about!.  This  recipe  is both quick and easy to put together.  I used Milk to create a nice creamy sauce to coat the spaghetti, along with the ham, pepper flakes and the rest of the ingredients, makes this dish a flavorful one. Buon Appetito!

1. 1 LB of dry spaghetti
2. 4 Tbsp of olive oil.
3. 1/4 Cup of grated cheese.
4. 1 cup of milk ( I used 2%, however, heavy cream or whole milk works too).
5. 1/2 Tsp of red pepper flakes.
6. 1 Tsp of salt / black pepper.
7. 2 Tbsp of butter.
8. 2 Cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
9. 1/4 LB of deli ham (pancetta, or regular bacon works just as good).
10. 1/2 Of a finely chopped onion.
11. Bunch of parsley.

Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil, add salt and pasta and cook to “al-dente”.  In a large skillet heat oil and add the onions and the garlic and cook until translucent (3-5 mins).  Add the milk, red pepper flakes and  ham and bring to a quick boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Add the spaghetti, salt, black pepper, toss for a  minute, add butter, cheese and half the chopped parsley(use other half to garnish) and toss for another minute. Serve immediately.

Pork Marsala with Peasant Potatoes

Tags

balsamic vinegar, Italian, marsala wine, pepper flakes, pork, pork loin, Potatoes, recipe, red peppers, roasted potatoes, rosemary, rustic cooking

Simple ingredients, perfectly balanced with each other — that’s what rustic Italian cooking is all about. 

This statement pretty much sums it all up.  Simple, quick and easy to make recipe that will have your family and friends craving for more.   Potatoes, Red peppers, rosemary, mushrooms and onions roasted together with fantastic spices, paired with tender pork medallions in Marsala wine glaze will sure make you the star of the night.

Pork

1. 8 Pcs of pork tenderloin thinly sliced
2. 1/2 Cup of all purpose flour ( for dredging pork)
3. 1/4 Cup of chicken stock (veggie or beef stock works well too)
4. 2 Tbs of Olive oil
5. 1/2 Cup of Marsala wine
6. 2 Tbs of butter
7. Salt/pepper to taste

Season pork tenderloins with salt and pepper and dredge in flour (shake excess flour) heat the oil to medium high heat and brown the medallions in both sides ( about 3 minutes per side), set aside and repeat process.  Once pork is removed from the pan, add the chicken stock  and Marsala wine to the pan and bring to a boil, add the pork medallions back in the pan and reduced heat to a simmer, continue until liquid is reduced by 1/3, add the butter and serve with the roasted potatoes.

Potatoes

1. 6-8 medium size red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pcs.
2. 1 Onion roughly chopped.
3. 1 Cup of button mushrooms.
4. 1 Large sweet red pepper roughly chopped.
5. 1 Sprig of rosemary finely chopped(stem removed).
6. 3 Cloves of garlic roughly chopped.
7. 1 Tsp of salt.
8. 1 Tsp of pepper.
9. 1/2 Tsp of red pepper flakes.
10. Splash of balsamic vinegar.
11. 4 Tbs of olive oil.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients (with exception of Balsamic vinegar), makes sure all ingredients are well coated  and placed them in a roasting pan.  Set oven to 450 degrees and roast for 45 minutes.(stir every 15 minutes to prevent from sticking to pan) 10 minutes before potatoes are done, splash them with the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook till done.  Serve with pork medallions and garnish with parsley.  Enjoy!!!