Fusilli Con Ricotta e Bruschetta

Dear Bloggers,
        Ahhhh the fresh fragrance of basil picked straight from the garden and fresh vine ripened tomatoes with fresh garlic, soothes my soul. Today I wanted to head North and compliment them on they're white pasta. You may not be aware, but within every different region of Italy, food changes and is known specifically for its location. In northern Italy, they cook with a lot of cream sauces, white sauces, and greens. In the south they cook a lot of red sauces, a lot of seafood, and tend to use more olive oil opposed to butter. Fusilli con ricotta is a classic dish eaten predominantly among the northerners, however, we in the south do enjoy this meal sporadically.
          Now that you have some education on the background of this dish, let me discuss how I cooked it. I began by cooking the pasta for 8 minutes, until al dente. On the side, I combined

ricotta with diced spinach, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. I also cut up some fresh whole wheat bread and dressed it with olive oil and garlic. I toasted it in the oven until perfectly golden brown. For the bruschetta, I chopped some tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Once the pasta was cooked, I added it to a pan with the ricotta and spinach and let cook for 10 minutes until well incorporated. Once the bread was done, I topped it off with the tomatoes and basil and served it immediately. So simple and so beautiful. The most satisfying part of tonight was cutting into the basil leaves and knowing that summer was just in bloom. Until next time my readers, stay healthy and of course, happy cooking!

Freshwater Lemon Sole with Yams and Asparagus

Dear Bloggers,
         Ok, I'm not gonna sugar-coat this and beat around the bush, I've had just a not so hot day. Everything that could've gone wrong did and I  suppose that I felt like the world was working against me. However, this meal didn't go wrong and I simply cannot complain because my mouth was so happy when I took a bite into my food. I began with wild caught sole fish and marinated the sole with olive oil, lemon pepper, lemon juice and it's grind, dill weed, thyme, and parsley in the fridge for 20 minutes. I cooked it in the oven on 375 degrees for 15-20 minute in a pyrex dish filled with 1 inch of water. I placed the sole in foil and topped it with two slices of lemon and closed the foil around the fish like a pocket. On the side, I cooked up some asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and oregano in a pan. I cleaned the asparagus ends by peeling off a thin layer from the bottom and slicing them diagonally to ensure they cooked evenly with the entire asparagus. In another pan with tablespoons of olive oil, I diced up some rounds from a peeled yam and seasoned the yam dry with lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. I then browned the yams in the pan for 15 minutes until perfectly cooked. I plated the sole on top of the asparagus with a fun decoration of yams to the side. Simple dish with phenomenal flavor and excellent nutritional value; I could not have been happier with this meal. Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking.

At Last, True Satisfaction

Dear Bloggers,
      Today I accomplished yet another high goal I set for myself, preparing focaccia bread that was absolutely delicious. I of course prepared a meal this evening, however my eyes were set on the focaccia and how amazing it turned out. Now, as well all know, bread making is an art and you have to be gentle, patient, and kind when kneading and rising. You really have to grow a bond with your bread or you truly will not have a beautiful work of art. This evening I prepared some season-steamed artichokes with a side of lentil split pea orzo. To make the artichokes, I began by cutting off the stem to the room of the artichoke, to create a flat surface. Then I chopped off the top leaves and trimmed the sharp edges along the remainder of the artichoke. I cleaned out the inside by removing the florets and prickly leaves. I drizzled them with olive oil and added some garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and let them simmer on med-low for 25 minutes. On the side, I added split peas, lentils, water, salt, pepper, and thyme to a pot and let the legumes simmer on med-low for 35 minutes. Then I added 1 cup of orzo to the legumes and let it cook an additional 45 minutes. I added some flour to thicken the mixture and plated it as a bed underneath the artichoke. To the top of the artichoke, I added a dollop of basil garlic butter.

         Now to the focaccia! As I blogged about earlier, there is a recipe regarding the focaccia a few blogs below. After following her directions perfectly, my focaccia came out much more crunchy and moist than any that I could've ever purchased at a supermarket. You could add anything to this focaccia, but it's buttery flaky flavor that the olive oil adds just makes this bread stupendous. The little  pockets of love, and the buttery center, and the beautiful crunch when you bite into this bread. You could top it off with some bruschetta, insalata caprese, or even some pesto. Anything, and serve it as an appetizer. I have not a complaint in the world about this bread because it makes your mouth water. Anyways, I hope I've tantalized your taste buds enough for one night, until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

A Little Tabbouleh Touch

Dear Bloggers,
            What a beautiful day it has been; so relaxing and smooth. I accomplished a huge goal today, I ran 5 miles in 47:30 minutes and could not have felt more proud. I also picked up some small things for my professional section of my closet, so now I will be prepared for more business meetings within my new major. Today the subject is Tabbouleh and its magical effect on the human body. Tabbouleh is made with a few simple ingredients: 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of bulgar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tblsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 1 cup flat leaf parsley, 1 cup curly leaf parsley, 1/4 cup chopped mint, 2 diced tomatoes, 1 cucumber diced, and 4 scallions diced. First you begin by soaking the bulgar in a bowl. Then you add all of the following ingredients to the bulgar and stir until perfectly combined. Refrigerate with plastic wrap over the bowl and serve after 3-4 hours of chilling. It is delicious and is so healthy for you. A hearty grain packed with all of those yummy veggies. You simply cannot go wrong with this dish, but before you make it, make sure you truly love parsley, because tabbouleh is dedicated to honoring parsley and all its glory. Until next time my dear, stay healthy and happy cooking!

El Cinco De Mayo!

Dear Bloggers,
          Feliz cinco de Mayo! I don't speak Spanish well at all, just Italian, but today it's special because MEXICO WON THE WAR BETWEEN FRANCE IN 1862! Yea, so we have to celebrate, being in California, because we love our immigrants. So today, I decided that it would be lovely to accompany my father's fiance in cooking some homemade pork enchiladas, fresh salsa and chips, and some Mexican seasoned asparagus; I had to add some healthiness to this meal. I first began by seasoning a cut of pork shoulder in 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes. I added 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bottom of a dutch oven and let it heat up. One heated, I braised the pork shoulder until beautiful golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Once fully braised, I added 32 oz of chicken stock (which ideally would've been pork stock, but I had none), 2 handfuls of cilantro (stems and all, because they were going to be removed), 2 small yellow onions, quartered, 4 small tomatoes, quartered, and 2 teaspoons of oregano. I put the lid on the dutch oven and let it cook on the stove on med-low for 4 hours, or until perfectly cooked. Once done, I pulled it out and put it on a plate, covered with foil (so all of the juices would remain inside) and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Once done, I simply began shredding the pork with my hands; which you could also do with a fork.
       Then took a container of chili verde that I bought from Trader Joe's and emptied half of it into an 8x10 pyrex dish and dipped the whole wheat tortillas in it and filled them with the shredded pork and some grated cheddar and monterey jack cheese. I repeated this process until the pyrex dish was loaded with enchiladas. After I poured the remainder of chili verde on top and added some more shredded cheese. I put it in the oven covered with foil at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then removed the foil and cooked for 5 minutes.
         On the side, I fried up some quartered corn tortillas to make chips. I also made some salsa with 4 diced tomatoes, 1/2 diced red onion, 1/2 cup diced cilantro, 1/4 cup diced jalapenos, 1 tablespoon of fresh lime & 1 teaspoon of lime zest, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
        To make this meal slightly healthier, I cooked up some asparagus in a skillet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. I added some water to add a tender texture. Overall, this meal was absolutely delicious and the margarita I made on the side with 2 cups of strawberries, 3/4 cup tequila, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1 cup of ice, just completed the meal. Well cheers! Give this recipe a try because it simply was delicious! Until next time, stay healthy and happy cooking!

And She Scores Again

Dear Bloggers,
        Today started off horribly when I headed over to Gold's Gym to get in a solid workout and was told that I couldn't workout if I didn't have an interest in becoming a member because I lived in Tennessee. I didn't feel very welcome. Along with all the stress of having to pack all of my stuff in preparation for my move, I guess I was just having a slightly unstable morning. As I moved along the day, I made the protein bars that I had recently blogged about and speaking honestly, they were so much healthier and better tasting than any protein bar you can buy at the supermarket. If you are interested in making it, see the blog below. So, tonight am I sitting, relaxing, sipping on this white wine and reflecting the delicious Seafood Couscous Paella that I made tonight. Originally the recipe called for saffron and fennel seeds, however I tried to make it work without those essential ingredients and substituted them for a dash of curry powder and paprika. Yes, just for the color. I began by sautéing 1 diced onion in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. After 3 minutes on medium heat, I added dill, pepper, curry powder, paprika, and thyme. One cooked, I added 1/4 cup of vegetable broth with 1 chopped tomato. I let it cook and then added 1 cup of water to 1 cup of couscous and poured it into the pan. After simmering for 2 minutes, I added the shrimp and continued to keep it covered. After 5 minutes, I turned the heat off and served it immediately. It was absolutely astounding! The flavors all combined so beautifully and the shrimp was cooked so perfectly. As well all know, shrimp can overcook within a matter of 30-1 minute. What a sensitive little crawfish. Haha, but anyways! I hope you try this recipe. Until next time stay healthy and happy cooking!

Ravioli Piccanti Con Polpette Al Sugo

Dear Bloggers,
           Good evening! How has your day been? Mine has been quite marvelous, thank you. I watched a reasonable amount of Food Network today and yes, that included At Home with Giada De Laurentiis. I also was able to purchase an exceptional amount of items for my new apartment, including major furniture items, which honestly, made me feel so much better from Ikea. I found a beautiful dining room table and some miniature chairs (they're not the nicest, but they certainly provide a place to sit). Let's get down to business though and discuss the Ravioli Arrabiati Con Polpette Al Sugo. Yes, I just said angry ravioli with meatballs and marinara sauce. I began by making my meatballs with ground beef, 1 egg, bread crumbs, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, onion, and parmigiano reggiano. I popped them into a 1/4 inch olive oil pan and cooked them until perfectly done. In a pot on the side, I poured in a simple basil and tomato sauce and dropped the meatballs into the sauce once they were cooked. Separately, I boiled salted water in a pot and let the ravioli cook until perfectly tender. With the remainder of olive oil from the meatballs, I combined paprika, red chili flakes, fresh garlic, basil, and chili powder. Once the mixture had heated up, I added the ravioli, allowing a slight amount of the ravioli water to enter the oil mixture. I cooked the ravioli until perfectly golden. I plated the ravioli with two meatballs on the side and some tomato sauce. Super easy and one of the most amazing dishes I have ever made. I promise. After seeing Giada make something similar to mine (she used 2 sticks of butter, which I simply could not bring myself to do), I think mine couldn't even compare to hers. On the other hand, this dish was absolutely astounding and is still lingering on my tongue. As for you, give this a try and in the meantime, stay healthy and happy cooking!