Spicy Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

I love the flavors of the sweet and smokey corn combined with spicy southwestern flavors. This side dish goes with so many foods and is perfect to make for a summertime BBQ. You don't have to grill the corn but it adds a nice dimension. I made this with left over corn from the previous days grilling. Feel free to improvise. Add or delete just about anything. Not to many rules here.



Ingredients:
3 ears of grilled corn*
1 can of small black beans
Finely diced carrots
Finely diced red pepper
Finely diced red onion
Finely chopped cilantro
Balsamic vinegar
Olive Oil
Lime, cut into wedges
Cayenne pepper
Ground cumin
Salt

See the below note for cooking the corn. Have the cooked corn ready. I use cold pre-grilled corn for this recipe.
Remove the corn from the cobs and place in a large bowl. Add the finely diced vegetables. Add the vinegar, oil, and spices. Mix well and add the cilantro and taste for salt. Serve with a wedge of lime.
* A note on grilling the corn. Soak the corn with the husk and silk intact for 10 minutes or so. Grill over a low to moderate heat. I use wood and get a nice smokey flavor. The other option is to pre-boil the husked corn for a few minutes and then grill the corn directly on the grill. Both methods work out fine.

CALIFORNIA SALAD

Having just returned from California I thought I would post a salad inspired by my trip. I really enjoyed eating a beautiful healthy salad that my cousin Dennis made for our lunch one day and this recipe was inspired by that lunch and Dennis.



Ingredients
1/2 of a ripe grapefruit
1 ripe Avocado
grape or cherry tomatoes
2 fresh ripe apricots
mixed greens
10 oz of fresh pacific salmon
lemons
olive oil
fresh thyme - finely chopped
A couple blackberries for a garnish
Salted water for poaching the fish

Method
Mix the olive oil with a pinch of salt, the fresh thyme and the juice of a lemon, add a couple drops of water and whisk together until it has emulsified a bit. Set the "vinaigrette" aside.
Bring the salted water to a simmer and poach the fish until done being careful not to over cook. remove the salmon from the poaching liquid and set aside. remove the skin if it is still on.
Using a grapefruit knife or improvising with a serrated knife remove the sections of grapefruit from the membrane and set that aside along with the juice. Peel and slice the apricot and cut the tomatoes in half. Now comes the avocado, I assume you all know how to cut an avocado but for those that are not sure, here is how to do it. Make a slice down the middle to the core and continue all the way around. Twist the two sections until they separate. The "seed" will remain on one side, with a sharp knife and a single chopping motion pierce the seed with the middle of the blade. Pull the seed from the avocado and it should be stuck to the knife. Carefully remove the seed from the blade. Now with the knife make a few slices from one end of the avocado to the other, and now using a spoon remove the slices from the outer skin. Immediately spoon a little of the lemon vinaigrette on the avocado to prevent discoloring.
We are ready to assemble the salad. First dress the mixed greens with a little of the lemon vinaigrette and then arrange all the other ingredients except for the salmon around and on top of the greens. Flake the cooled salmon with a fork and place on top of the salad, drizzle the dressing on top of the fish and the salad. Garnish with a blackberry and serve with some good crusty bread.

A Nice Dinner - A Salad of Fruit, Fennel and Beets with Herbed Goat Cheese along with a Salami and Onion Pizza

FOR THE SALAD
I tend to use whatever I have around so the ingredients can be altered, but the base recipe is a fruit and fennel salad. I really love the addition of beets and goat cheese. Some nice greens can be used as a base for the rest.


Ingredient:

Slice all into thin Julianne strips
1 Fennel - a small bulb
1 Carrot
1 Celery stalk
1 Cucumber (optional) - peeled
1/2 Red Pepper (optional) trimmed and seeded
1 Apple- peeled or not
12 or so Grapes- cut in half
1/4 cup Walnuts (optional, I did not use them, but they go well)
3 or 4 Tablespoons - Herbed Goat Cheese
Parsley - finely chopped
The zest of 1 Lemon
Lemon juice- use two if they are small
Salt Pepper
A bunch of beets fresh or canned
Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a simmer and cook the beets till they can be pierced to the core with a sharp knife. After they have cooled a bit and sliced I like to sprinkle some vinegar on them and let them marinate. Now that all your vegetables and fruit have been prepped, prepare the lemon vinaigrette, and mix well with all the ingredients except for the beets and cheese. The rest of the recipe is to assemble what you have. You can use the picture as an example or create your own arrangement.



Salami and Onion Pizza to go along with it.

You will need
1 Lb. of Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce - 1/4 - 1/3 of the pizza sauce recipe that follows
1 small onion
1/2 stick of a good quality salami
Mozzarella or a combination of Italian Cheese
(I like to use a combination of Asiago, Mozzarella and Parmesan.)

You will also need
Tray pan (1/2 sheet)
Pizza cutter



For the Pizza Sauce

1 can of Italian Peeled Tomatoes 28 oz – Preferably DOP
2 cloves of fresh garlic – minced or finely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to your liking
1 teaspoon oregano – A big pinch

Either squish up the tomatoes with your hand if you like your sauce a little chunky or gently puree them in a food processor using the on/off method. Do not let the processor run freely as it will turn the tomatoes from red to pink. You end up getting to much air into them resulting in the pale color.
Add the rest of the ingredients and let the flavors marinate together for a while. This will last for a week in the fridge and you will notice the flavors increase in strength as it "ages".
Slice the onion very thinly and place in a bowl, add a little olive oil. Slice the stick salami thickly and at an angle. Then slice into strips.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the rack in the lowest position.

Generously oil the bottom of the sheet pan with olive oil. Spread out the dough using your hands or use a rolling pin, to the desired thickness and place in the pan. If the dough bubbles in places pop them with a sharp knife. I use about a 1/4 of the sauce recipe then add parmesan cheese first, then the mixed asiago and mozzarella. Then the onions and sliced strips of salami. Drizzle some olive oil over the edges and top and bake.

Bake for about 14 minutes. Add some pieces of fresh basil and serve hot.
Let me know how it comes out.

Penne with Roast Pepper Cream Sauce and Peas

It's been a while since my last post and I thought I would post a dish that my Dad loved. He really liked any pasta with cream sauce and this one is really flavorful and easy. Even though Dad did not like vegetables he did like the addition of peas in this recipe and I got to sneak in the peppers. Please don't feel you have to roast your own peppers as I am showing you here. They are kind of a pain in the neck but I wanted to show you how to do it and it is very cost effective.

Ingredients

4 red peppers or 1 jar
1 pound of Penne or other type of pasta
1 pint of heavy cream (or a bit more)
2 cups parm Cheese
1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
2 tablespoons of butter (optional)
salt and pepper

Method to roast the peppers:

As you can see from the picture, I used my gas burner to blacken the outside of the pepper. You can also use a BBQ grill.
Using tongs hold the pepper over an open fire till the exposed section becomes black. Turn and continue the process until the whole pepper is black. Immediately place inside a paper bag. Continue the process till all the peppers are done. Close the bag and let sit for a few minutes. When cool enough to do so, scrape away the outside black layer leaving only the red pepper. OK if there is some black left don't worry about it. Cut in half to remove the seeds and white rib parts leaving only the "filet"
These peppers can also be used as a side dish with the addition of some olive oil and garlic slices. In fact they last quite a while and the longer they marinade in some oil and garlic the better.





To Make the sauce:

Take the pepper fillets and put into a food processor with a little water or some of the cream. Puree till smooth.
mix in the rest of the cream and some salt.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the pasta into the boiling water and set your timer to 8-9 minutes.
Place the cream mixture over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, add the peas and allow to simmer till the peas are almost done. Drain the pasta and add the butter (or oil if you prefer) add the drained pasta to the cream sauce then mix in the parm cheese. Serve with some freshly grated black pepper.

A medium bodied red wine goes nicely. A Merlot or Cote de Rhone.

Chestnut Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Prosciutto

I came across some Chestnut flour recently and made both chestnut crepes and fresh chestnut pasta dough. I made the crepes two ways one was a sweet desert version and the other was a savory crepe filled with the same mixture I used as the "sauce" for the Tagliatelle. The crepes are made with 100% chestnut flour and the chestnut pasta is made with a small addition of the chestnut flour to 00 Italian flour. More on the crepes later.
This fresh pasta dish is a really delicious recipe, the chestnut flavor compliments the wild mushrooms and the leeks and prosciutto tie in the flavors superbly. I love this dish. Try it.


Ingredients:

For the dough
14 oz 00 Flour (use all purpose if you can't find the 00)
3.5 oz of chestnut flour
4 eggs plus 4 yokes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of salt


















For the sauce
3 different types of wild mushroom - Trumpet, shitake and oyster. Crimini or other types also work well
2 leeks -washed trimmed and sliced
3 thick slices of prosciutto - cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons of shallot and garlic - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1 cup of white wine
Olive oil
Fresh Italian parsley - chopped fine
Parmigiano Cheese
Butter

Method:

For the dough:
Sift and mix the flours together. Place on a clean surface or use an extra large mixing bowl, form a well in the middle of the flour. Break the eggs into the well, mix up the eggs with a fork, add the olive oil and salt, gradually incorporate the flour with the eggs and oil. Gently kneed the dough for about 8 minutes or until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for at least 20 minutes, an hour is even better.
After resting the dough use a pasta machine to make the tagliatelle or if you do not have a pasta machine roll out the dough into a very thin sheet and then cut into strips. You will be making Pappardelle with this method and that is fine. May even be better. Let the cut pasta dry out a little by placing on a dry clean dish towel.

Now for the sauce.
Use two pans. One is for the mushrooms and the other for everything else. Cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil over a moderate heat till they turn slightly brown and set aside. In another pan melt a couple Tablespoons of butter in a Tablespoon or so of olive oil. Saute the prosciutto for a few minutes and then add the garlic, shallot and leeks cook for several minutes without browning. Add the mushroom mixture to the leek mixture, then add the wine and continue cooking for about 5 more
minutes. Sprinkle with some parsley.


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for doneness. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the mushroom mixture and then drain the pasta. Toss it all together with some grated Parmigiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Risotto Milanese

Before it gets to warm out and I would rather eat a salad than Risotto, I made this classic dish from Milan. Came out great.
Making risotto is all about technique and there are several techniques you can use. I always use the constant stir method adding small amounts of broth as the rice cooks. Another important step is to "toast" the rice a bit in the olive oil and onions before adding the first incorporation of broth. I use chicken broth but you can also use beef, vegetable broth or a combination of broths. Here we go.

You will need:

4 cups of chicken broth
1 1/4 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice (I prefer Carnaroli)
1/2 cup of finely diced onion
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads- chopped
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese ( Reggiano parmigano)
4 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil


METHOD
Keep the broth at a simmer next to the the pan for the risotto Use a heavy bottom saute pan over a medium heat to make the risotto. Melt a couple Tablespoons of butter along with a Tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions and cook until soft without browning. Add the rice and stir for several minutes to toast the rice. Add a ladel full of broth and continue to stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. The next incorporation of liquid is half of the wine. Add the saffron. You will notice that the threads will dissolve as you continue to cook the rice. Continue the method of adding the broth a little at a time, while constantly stirring as you go. You will be able to see a little "wave" appear as you stir the rice and broth. If you add to much liquid in one incorporation you will not see the wave. Add the rest of the wine before the last incorporation of broth. Taste for doneness. The rice should still be firm after you have used almost all of the liquid. (you may still have some broth left when the rice has reached the "al Dente" state. Now off heat stir in the butter and cream. Stir for several minutes and then add the Parm cheese and stir some more. Feel free to adjust the amount of cream. Sprinkle in the parsley. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.




Of course there are about a million variations, but this recipe is the standard classic. Feel free to add just about anything you can think of. Some other favorites are mushrooms, asparagus, prosciutto, shrimp, use your imagination or what you have available in the fridge. When using mushrooms I use a combination of beef and chicken broth and also use red wine not white. Soak some dried mushrooms in water and incorporate the soaking juice.

I made a Lamb Chop to go with it.

Asparagus and Spaghetti with Prosciutto - Risotto Style

I adapted this recipe from Chef Walter Citterio's Green Cauliflower Soup recipe. Walter is so inspiring I was ready to make his soup recipe but decided to adapt it using what I had in the fridge. It came out great. Prosciutto goes so well with asparagus it was a perfect addition. This is simple and fast. The entire time from start to eating was about 30 minutes or less.

I have been using Swanson's Organic Chicken Broth and I must say it is very good. But use whatever chicken stock, broth, bullion or base you have. If you want to make this vegetarian omit the prosciutto and use a vegetable stock. Works out really great this way as well.

This recipe is enough for two.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Asparagus

1 Leek -washed and sliced thinly

1/2 of a medium onion - peeled and sliced thinly

3 - 1/4 inch slices of prosciutto cut into Juliane strips

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 lb. of dry spaghetti broken into pieces

2 Tablespoons of butter

Parm. Cheese

Olive oil

Black pepper

Hot pepper flakes - optional

Method:

Wash the asparagus and trim the bottoms about a third of the way down. Put the bottom sections into the broth and allow the asparagus flavor to meld with the broth. When the asparagus is very soft discard. Cut the tops off the asparagus and then cut the stalks in a diagonal cut about an inch long. Separate the stalk pieces from the tops. They have different cooking times and are added to the pan at different times.

OK now that you have everything prepped, its time to make the dish. At this point it will only take about 12 minutes or so.

Saute the prosciutto in a little olive oil until a bit crispy, add the leeks and onions and continue to cook for several minutes, add the stalk pieces of asparagus and cook for a couple minutes and then add the broken pieces of spaghetti. Stir around and then add most of the broth, reserve a little of the broth as you may need to add it in. Stir well, let all this cook for several minutes and then add the tops, add a little more broth if needed. Continue cooking till the spaghetti is very al dente. Six to eight minutes or so. Take away from the heat and add the butter, stir really well until everything is incorporated. Add the hot pepper if you like.

Sprinkle with a generous amount of Parm Cheese and a bit of black pepper.

Plate a large portion, you will save a trip for seconds.

As always your comments are welcomed.

Spicy Mixed Roasted Potatoes with Onion

I can't resist crispy roasted potatoes. They go so well with just about anything. Most varieties of potato roast well, I like to mix it up a little and add carrots, onions, parsnips, any of the root vegetables or even things like cranberries, fresh (hot or sweet) peppers, small little chunks of pork belly (bacon) or pancetta. I always use dried hot pepper flakes, as I did in this recipe which is a combination of sweet potato, red bliss, russet and onion. The important thing about achieving a crispy potato crust is to not overcrowd the pan, use enough oil, have the right heat and anybody can achieve perfect Roast Potatoes.

You certainly don't have to limit yourself to the varieties of potato that I used in this recipe. I happened to use this selection purely by what I had on hand in the house. I often will mix up the 2, 3 or more varieties I still have hanging around. Not having enough of one type to do much with, I mix them together regardless of the variety (how frugal of me.) I would have added carrots if I wasn't using sweet potatoes, they always add to the flavor so well. Fresh Rosemary is an option.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato or yam- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 large Russet potato- peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

several Red Bliss - cut into half if small 1/4's if bigger

1 onion - sliced into 1/8ths

red pepper flakes

4 Tablespoons or maybe more - Olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the potatoes and onion in a large mixing bowl, Add the salt, pepper and hot pepper to your liking. Coat well with olive oil and transfer to a large enough roasting pan with out overcrowding. Roast for about 35 minutes, then test for doneness, depending on the size, how brown they are and how crispy you want them, you may end up roasting for more time. Sprinkle with some more salt while still hot. Serve immediately.

Celery Root Soup

Such an ugly root and yet it makes such a beautiful soup.

Celery root is combined with bacon, leeks, onion and rosemary to make this creamy delicious soup. Use chicken broth, vegetable broth or a combination of both. Its fast, easy and great for a cold day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of broth

1 bulb celery root - peeled and cut into pieces

1 leek- washed and sliced into small pieces

1 small onion - chopped

2 slices of bacon

a sprig of rosemary

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Method:

Slice down the bacon into small pieces and saute till browned. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and chopped onion. Add a piece of the rosemary. Saute for a few minutes but do not let the onions and leeks get to browned. Add the celery root and saute a couple minutes then add the broth. Let the whole thing come to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Remove the rosemary. Cook until the celery root is very soft. About 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the soup. Return to the pan to keep warm. Sprinkle a little grated cheese and drizzle a little olive oil to finish. Garnish with a piece of rosemary or celery leaf. You may want to get creative with garnishes, try some thinly sliced apple or pear.

A white Trebbiano would go nice. Add a green salad and a good piece of bread and you got a real nice dinner.

Rolled Stuffed Loin of Pork

I made this to be served cold for a luncheon. Makes a great sandwich. You can also make this with other meats and a whole variety of fillings. If you have some prosciutto on hand put a layer down over the meat and then the stuffing on that.

Ingredients:

Small center cut loin of pork

1 cup plain panko bread crumbs

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley - finely chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 garlic clove - minced

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method for the pork:

When you are selecting your roast be sure to find one that is short and wide. This will help accommodate the stuffing and the whole thing will roll better. Heres the fun part. The cutting

The idea is to end up with a flat piece of meat with even thickness. This will be the surface that you will spread the stuffing mixture on to. Butchers call this a "roll cut"

Now with a sharp knife slice along a 1/4 of the way into one side of the roast. Slice down into the roast and as you get near the bottom stop when the amount remaining at the bottom is the same thickness as the side you just created by slicing downward. Make sense so far? Good. Continue slicing the meat at the bottom of the roast and stop again when the thickness on the other side is the same as what you already have cut. Still with me? Spread the meat out into a flat piece as you go. Now just continue till you have a nice flat piece of meat. A meat pounder will help even everything out. Be sure to cover the meat in wax paper if you take this step.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Method for the stuffing:

Place the plain panko breadcrumbs in a medium size bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley, minced garlic, grated cheese and cranberries. Mix well. Add the well beaten

eggs. Mix well and spread and even layer of the stuffing on top of the flat piece of pork. If the mixture is to liquidy add some more breadcrumbs.

Roll. At this point you can tie it with twine.

Cover the roast with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes per pound.

Can be served hot, room temp or cold in a sandwich.

Fried Scallops over Herb and Garlic Infused Bean Puree

What a quick, easy and flavorful dinner! Lent is here and this recipe meets the lent requirements for a meatless meal. I love this puree of beans infused with a little garlic and herbs. Just about anything can go over it, meat, shellfish or roasted fish. I often make this with seared scallops but tonight did the breadcrumb coated fried scallops. Don't want to be to healthy! Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients for the bean puree:

1 Can chick peas or other bean- drained

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 tablespoon of chopped mixed herbs. Fresh Thyme also works

1 clove of garlic - chopped

Ingredients for the fried scallops:

1 lb of scallops

1 beaten egg with a touch of salt and olive oil

flour

breadcrumbs

oil for frying

In a small to medium saucepan heat the stock to a boil, add the drained beans along with the garlic, cover and let simmer for several minutes. Transfer the beans to a food processor and puree till smooth. Mix in the chopped fresh herbs. Return to the pan, cover and keep warm.

Set up three bowls to prepare the scallops. One for the flour one for the beaten egg and one for the breadcrumbs. Working in batches, pass the washed and dried scallops thru the flour and then the egg and then the crumbs. In a saute pan large enough to fit all the scallops without overcrowding, heat some vegetable or light olive oil. Fry all together or in batches using a slotted spoon to move them around. This takes but a few minutes. When the scallops are browned, they are done. Remove to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Spoon out the puree into a shallow bowl and place the cooked scallops over the puree. Drizzle a touch of really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the whole dish.

You can serve this with a piece of lemon.

This recipe serves two.

A crisp white wine will go great with this.

DRAGON WINGS

Today is Chinese New Year so instead of Buffalo Wings I made Dragon Wings. So easy, so tasty.

Ingredients

Chicken wings - at least 6 sections per person

cumin - a couple tablespoons or enough to coat the wings

cayenne pepper - a dash

salt

For the Dragon Sauce

Hot sauce - 3 parts

butter - 1 part

white vinegar - 1/4 part

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Coat the wings in the dry rub of cumin, salt and cayenne. Roast the wings for 40 minutes until golden brown. Melt the butter over low heat. Mix in the hot sauce and the vinegar into the melted butter and mix well. Remove the wings from the oven and place into a big bowl, add the Dragon Sauce and coat well.

Serve hot and with lots of napkins. Great with a cold beer and Blue Cheese dressing.

Beef, Tomato and Noodle Soup

I have been on a beef stock combined with tomato kick lately. I love the deep flavor the combination produces. It seems to go perfect on a cold winter day. Use this beef/tomato base for a hearty stew or a soup. Add some greens or beans if you like. I made this soup using beef base and canned tomatoes. Very easy and fast. Any pasta can be substituted for the egg noodles. Less liquid and potatoes instead of noodles and you have beef stew. Feel free to improvise.

Ingredients:

1 lb of beef - cut into very small pieces -

6 cups beef stock

1 cup canned tomatoes - pureed or squished

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup of diced onion

1/4 lb noodles or pasta

Olive oil to saute the beef

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method:

Bring the beef stock and tomato to a simmer over a moderate heat.

In a saute pan big enough to hold all the pieces of beef heat a little oil and when hot add the meat and cook till browned. Add the browned meat to the stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

After 40 minutes or so add the vegetables and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes at a simmer, then add the noodles. Continue cooking until the noodles are just done. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you like and serve piping hot.

Slow Cooked Pork Ribs with a Spicy Peach Soy Glaze

Really yummy and easy to make, but forget the fast part. These ribs take 3.5 hours to cook and are perfect for a Sunday afternoon when you have the time. I used Country Style ribs in the picture but Baby Backs are even better. Your choice. The glaze or sauce was inspired by what I had in the fridge, let your fridge inspire you. BBQ sauces or glazes are easy and fun to create and there are not to many rules.

Ingredients:

Baby Back Ribs - 1/2 rack per person but if your really hungry go for the full rack.

2 T Cumin

1 tsp Salt

A dash Cayenne pepper - 1/8 tsp

Olive oil

For the glaze: Mix in a small bowl

6 T Peach preserve (apricot also works great)

4 T Ketchup

2 T Soy sauce

A dash Cayenne pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a pan with foil that is large enough to hold the rack(s). I use a sheet pan. Rub a little olive oil on the front and back of the ribs

Mix the dry ingredients for the ribs, sprinkle and rub all over the ribs. If you want you can substitute your preferred dry rub. Cover tightly with foil and DO NOT make a slit in the foil.

Place in the preheated oven and go do something else for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have elapsed remove the foil, baste with the glaze and continue cooking for 15 minutes more. Baste again and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. The entire cooking time will be 3.5 hours.

The sweet hot mixture of the glaze and the savory ribs go great with sauteed greens and a starch, like rice or potatoes.

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it came out.

Faro Salad

Faro Salad Sarni Style

Faro is an ancient whole grain from Umbria in Italy. It can be made hot or cold. Very tasty and good for you to, very high in amino acids. This recipe is meant to be served cold or at room temp. I also like to add poached Salmon or Shrimp to this but is great just by itself.

Faro comes in two types. Pearled and Non Pearled. The non pearled is more healthy as it is a whole grain and the outside layer has not been removed in the par boiling.

Ingredients:

1 cup Faro

4 Cups of Vegetable or Chicken broth or use a combination of both. Salted water can also be used. Be sure to use plenty of salt

½ cup finely diced carrot

½ cup of finely diced celery

¼ cup finely diced red onion

¼ cup capers

1 fresh tomato chopped

¼ cup of finely chopped Italian parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Bring Stock or salted water to a boil. Cook the faro 40 to 50 minutes until tender for Non Pearled or about 22 minutes for the Semi Pearled Faro. Drain well and mix in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Allow to cool. Add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Taste for salt, pepper and adjust oil and lemon juice if needed. Serve at room temp. as is or mix in any of the following; Canned tuna, boiled shrimp, poached salmon or just about anything else you can think of like vegetables, fish, shellfish or chicken. This can be served as a side dish or if you mix in other things can be served as a main course.

Fried Stuffed Olives

This tasty little Neapolitan treat can be found in the pizzeria's of Naples. Very easy to make and a wonderful first course along with a glass of wine or a beer. These are stuffed with cheese but they can also be stuffed with meat. I used Gorgonzola but other cheeses are also good, like an herbed goat cheese.

Ingredients:

Large pitted green olives

Gorgonzola Cheese

Beaten egg

Bread crumbs

Flour

Olive oil for frying.

This process is the same as breading cutlets. First set up a few small bowls with the beaten egg in one, flour in another and then the breadcrumbs. After stuffing the olives with the cheese, roll them in the flour and then coat them in the egg, finally roll them in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot drop some of the prepared olives into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, it is best to cook them in batches. About six per person is plenty for a first course. Using a slotted spoon roll the olives around till they are a nice golden brown. Remove them with the slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve alone or accompany with some other antipasti items such as cured meats.

Roasted Salmon with Asparagus, Onion and Tomato

With such a mild temperature today, a light and healthy dinner comes to mind. Salmon is one of my most favorite fish. This recipe is so fast and simple, the photo took as much time to prepare.

Ingredients: (for 2)

1lb of fresh Salmon

1 bunch of asparagus washed and trimmed

1 medium onion sliced

1/2 container of fresh cherry tomatoes

4 Tablespoons of olive oil

Fresh Thyme

Some nice crusty bread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Wash and trim the asparagus, wash the tomatoes and peel and slice the onion. Place all your vegetables in a bowl and drizzle with some of the oil to coat them well. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to them. Coat the top and bottom of the fish with olive oil and salt and pepper the fish on the top and bottom. Place your fish in a small to medium roasting pan making sure there is enough room for the vegetables. Arrange the vegetables around the fish and place on the bottom rack of your pre-heated HOT oven. Cook for about 12 minutes. The fish should still be "pink" in the middle.

Plate the fish and vegetables and serve with a piece of good crusty bread.

Drizzle just a touch of fresh olive oil over the fish and sprinkle with the fresh Thyme.

Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup

This soup is great for a cold winter night. Its easy to make and deeply flavorful. It can also be made into a vegan dish, just omit the sausage and use vegetable stock instead of beef.

You will need, a soup pot and a saute pan.

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage

1 bunch of fresh kale

1 medium onion - chopped

4 cups of beef stock - brought to a simmer

1 cup of tomatoes - chopped or puree

2 cups of white beans - cooked/canned

sprig of rosemary

grated cheese

Method - Get all your ingredients ready for for the soup. Wash and chop the Kale, chop the onion, measure out the tomatoes, (I use canned Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes that I puree in the food processor, but any form will work out fine.) Bring the beef stock to a simmer in the soup pot. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and using the saute pan saute till cooked thru, take away all but a couple tablespoons of fat, add the chopped onion and continue to cook for several minutes till the onions are soft. Add the sausage and onion mixture to the simmering stock. Add the tomatoes and the chopped Kale. Allow the soup to simmer for about an hour till the sausage is soft, then add the cooked/canned beans and the rosemary. Continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes so the flavors all meld together.

Ladle out the soup into your favorite bowls, sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Serve piping hot with some crusty bread.