Cooking with Linda - Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli rabe is my husband's and my favorite vegetable. We try to eat it about once a week. Our three sons don't like it, though I think they will acquire a taste for rappini as they mature. After all, they eat edamame!

Ingredients:
one head of broccoli rabe
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
garlic powder
juice of one lemon
iodized salt
white cannellini beans (optional)

Sit down at the kitchen counter to prepare this vitamin-rich green, as it is time-consuming, at least for me. Cut off and discard roughly 2" of the hard, tough stems. Tenderize remaining stems by peeling the tough stem exterior or "skin" with a pairing knife then splitting them lengthwise, twice, so that the ends "flower."  My mother-in-law, a wonderful cook, taught me this trick. For ease of eating and incorporating this green into recipes, cut all stems and large leaves in half.  

Soak greens (split stems, leaves, florettes) in a large pot of water for ten minutes, agitating with tongs to remove any impurities. Drain water; replace with fresh, clean water. Soak again, and drain water in the sink in a large colander. The one featured in this link is my favorite, the one I use several times a week.

Lay out a clean, dry dish towel on the counter top. Place two layers of paper towels on top of dish towel; using tongs, place wet broccoli on top of the toweling to absorb some of the water. Over medium-high heat, saute 3 thinly-sliced garlic cloves in a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.  I cook the broccoli in my favorite large stainless steel saute pan. It comes with a clear, tempered glass lid, which helps me keep an eye on the cooking process.

Place the greens into the sizzling oil and use tongs to turn so that all leaves, stems, and florettes are lightly coated in olive oil. Saute with lid on for about 7-8 minutes or so, until broccoli is tender and bright green. Season to taste with iodized salt, garlic powder, fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of "raw" extra-virgin olive oil. The combination of these flavors in unbelievably savory.

Rappini - Tenderized, Ready to Saute

Cooked & Ready to Eat

I use stainless steel tongs  (a favorite cooking and serving tool) for flipping while sauteing as well as for serving (one-handed tongs for buffet service works great...for salads, especially).

A Very Versatile Green One of our favorites is broccoli rabe combined with slices of boiled-then-grilled Italian sausage and orecchiette (little ears) pasta. We also enjoy broccoli rabe with white cannellini beans.  Simply add the canned and drained beans toward the end of the saute process, so the beans become warm and flavorful.

A versatile topper, broccoli rabe is delicious on top of a grilled chicken breast or Italian bread toasted in the oven with a sprinkling of olive oil and salt. Leftover broccoli rabe leaves, tenderized stems, and delicate florettes are delicious and nutritious in a sandwich in lieu of lettuce. Or, simply place it alongside a fresh Italian roll, your favorite cheese (we are fans of Asiago and Dubliner) and (as pictured below) portabella mushrooms with roast red peppers.

Satisfying Vegetarian Lunch Carnival Glass Dish Tip from Mom: Even if it's just for the two of you, always cook the whole head of broccoli...or the whole head of boiled cabbage or cauliflower. Leftover Andy Boy broccoli or broccoli rabe can be warmed up and used as a side dish for next evening's dinner.  Or, you may want to prepare the leftover vegetables in a new way by incorporating them into a favorite recipe. ~ Linda



Where We're Dining - BLT Market, NYC



Beautiful paintings of fruit and vegetables at BLT Market

 



Semi-Smoked Jumbo Scallops



Acacia Marinated Alaskan Black Cod Served in Skillet



BLT Market is one of several BLT restaurants located in Manhattan and in several other cities.  Their website is http://www.bltrestaurants.com/.  BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel.  Laurent Tourondel is a French trained chef.  Others include BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Prime, BLT Burger and BLT Fish Shack.  BLT Market is located in the Ritz Carlton Hotel at the corner of 6th Avenue and 59th Street in Manhattan.  The setting is beautiful yet casual.  The menu changes seasonally to adjust to use the freshest seasonal ingredients available.  The portions are small and the prices are high, but the food is beautifully presented and amazingly delicious.  We started with an appetizer portion of fresh pappardelle/sunchokes/red wine braised short ribs/garlic parmeson gremolata.  This was one of the tastiest dishes I have ever had.  My only complaint is that the portion was miniscule.    For main courses, we had semi-smoked jumbo scallops/green apple nage/braised endive/american caviar and acaia marinated Alaskan black cod/celeriac puree/wilted spinach.  Both were exquisitely presented and delicious.  The cod was truly amazing.  I can't wait to try some of these recipes at home.  We shared a spiced flourless chocolate cake/brandy creme anglaise for dessert.  Of course, it was so delicious!  Even the coffee was special.  Check this link for two cookbooks by Chef Laurent Tourondel, New American Bistro Cooking, and Fresh from the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel. Both cookbooks are filled with amazing recipes that I can't wait to try.  For a real treat, I would certainly recommend BLT Market! ~ Laura





Cooking with Laura - Grilled Zucchini

What vegetables should I make tonight?  Typically, I make a salad - chopped romaine, dried cranberries, thinly sliced red onion, sliced grape tomatoes, maybe some walnuts and goat cheese - dressed with a mixture of two parts extra virgin olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar - delicious! 


But salad every night can get boring and a variety of vegetables is healthy.  So, lately I'm making a lot of grilled butternut squash - Stop & Shop sells butternut squash already peeled and chopped into small pieces.  I chop the pieces into bite size chunks, and then just toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until browned (turn halfway through). 


We also love cauliflower - washed, and cut into two inch pieces, steamed til soft and then baked in 350 degree oven topped with salt, pepper, low fat deli-sliced American cheese, and a teaspoon of unseasoned bread crumbs, for 15 minutes until cheese melts. 


Zucchini is always available, typically inexpensive, easy to cook, and lasts days in the refrigerator.  No need to peel it - the skin is full of nutrients.  Just wash well, cut the zucchini in half width-wise, and slice into thin slices.  Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill on medium-high heat on a grill pan. Garnish, if you'd like, with some fresh mint leaves. Delicious. Turn when nicely browned on the bottom.  They are done when soft enough for a fork to pass through easily.  Enjoy!  

Cooking with Laura - Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts





Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

Easy, delicious, healthy, inexpensive, easy cleanup - this dinner has it all!  As usual, trying to cook boneless chicken breast with a new twist.  I buy the thick boneless chicken breast and slice them into two thinner cutlets.  When you buy the chicken cutlets thin-sliced, they are usually a little too thin.  Run the chicken cutlets under cool water, cut off any visible fat and membranes, pat dry with paper towels, then coat with extra virgin olive oil (of course), salt and pepper.  Grill the cutlets on a grill pan that has been sprayed with olive oil, on medium heat about 5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and cooked through but not overdone.  In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and two cloves of finely chopped garlic.  Boil down until the balsamic reduces in half.  Lower heat, add one tablespoon of butter and stir in.  Drizzle the glaze over the chicken.  Balsamic vinegar has a delicious sweet taste when boiled down.

For the sweet potatoes, wash and peel two sweet potatoes  Cut in half crosswise and then cut lengthwise into eighths.  Toss with extra virgin olive oil (of course), salt and pepper, and bake on cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until nicely browned and fork goes in easily.  The softer, the better.

For the first time ever, I made frozen rather than fresh brussel sprouts.  They were easy and delicious.  Steam according to package directions.  Drain and add 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of salt.  If you don't own a grill pan, order this one now.  You will love it and use it over and over again. 

Cooking with Linda: Sicilian-style Pizza with Bell Peppers

Everyone here is happy when it's homemade pizza night! I grew up with homemade pizza on Fridays as well as homemade sauce (with one bay leaf and parsley from my father's backyard garden), meatballs and sometimes gnocchi on Sundays. 

Pizza made at home is a big step above the pies that are delivered.  Follow this easy recipe, and I bet your family will enjoy it very much, too.


Always helpful, our 3-year-old sprinkles
the part-skim shredded mozzerella.

Brush a light coating of extra-virgin olive oil along surface of a baking sheet. For us, this is Sicilian style because the pizza is rectangular, served in squares, and the dough is fluffy. Spread the two balls of pizza dough evenly, leaving generous amounts of dough in the corners and around the edges of the baking sheet.  This allows the tomatoes and toppings to stay in and allows for a substantial crust to hold.

Bake the pizza dough, only, for about 5-7 minutes until it rises and becomes fluffy. Remove baking sheet from oven. I have made homemade pizza dough in the past (seasoned with fresh rosemary) but I find that the dough I purchase at local pizzerias and Italian bakeries is just as tasty. I leave it out, room temperature, for about 45 minutes until I'm ready to use it.

On top the partially-baked and lightly golden pizza dough, evenly spread 3/4 can of crushed tomatos; sprinkle a generous portion of part-skim, shredded mozzarella cheese, touch of garlic salt and black pepper. Add crushed red pepper (optional).



Like his big brothers, our sweet Little Guy enjoys
occasional food prep in our kitchen!

Wash a yellow and green bell pepper; slice thinly and steam on top of the stove for about five minutes until they are tender. Without this step, the peppers may not cook enough in the oven.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until mozzarella is bubbly and light golden brown. Let the pizza cool a bit before cutting.  Although I own a large and easy-to-use Pampered Chef rolling pizza cutter, I prefer to also use kitchen scissors to cut Sicilian-style slices.



Sicilian-style Pizza topped with Yellow & Green Bell Peppers

Serve with baby arugala salad, Pellegrino with fresh lemon, and dinner is ready. Pronto!

Cooking with Laura - Ravioli

Ravioli are delicious as an appetizer for a holiday meal or as a main course.  The key is to combine an excellent fresh ravioli with a fabulous tomato sauce.  I love New York Ravioli Company's large round cheese ravioli.  Make a simple fresh marinara sauce, and serve with a good quality, freshly-grated parmigiana or pecorino cheese.

To make a delicious marinara sauce, saute 4 sliced cloves of garlic and one small onion, finely chopped, in two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).  Add one can (32 oz.) crushed tomatoes - I like Tuttorosso.  Simmer about 60 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Be sure to cook the ravioli until it is al dente - if it is too solft, the ravioli can open up and the filling can ooze out.  I like to use a hand held scoop colander to take the cooked ravioli out of the pot.  It is much easier than carrying the large pot of boiling water to the sink and pouring it into a colander in the sink.

Accented in 14k gold, these floral bowls were my grandmother's who we called Nanny.  Nanny came to the United States with her mother when she was only eleven months old.  Each time I use them I think of her.  They are elegant and perfect for serving a pasta appetizer.   





Baking with Laura - Traditional Italian Pizzelles

Pizzelles are a tradition in our family.  Pizzelles are an Italian waffle cookie.  They are crispy and delicious, flavored with anise.  My grandmother made pizzelles on a iron with a long handle which was heated on the stove.  I use an electric pizzelle baker that makes two pizzelles at once.  I cook them for about 60 seconds each and place them on my granite countertop to cool off.  Once they are cool, sift confectioner's sugar on them.  Then you can stack them and place them in a cylindrical tupperware or other container.

We make pizzelles for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and other special events.  They are delicious with coffee or tea, as a breakfast, a snack, or a dessert. 

Traditional Italian Pizzelles

3 organic eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. anise extract
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat eggs and sugar.  Add cooled melted butter, anise, and vanilla.  Sift flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture.  Batter should be firm enough to drop onto pizzelle griddle by teaspoonfulls.  Batter may be refrigerated for use at a later times. Makes approx 30 pizzelles, depending on the size of your pizzelle baker.
   

My sister Linda's pizzelle baker (pictured above) is the Quattro by VillaWare because it makes four, delicate waffle cookies at a time that resemble snowflakes. A similar grill called Piccolo (Italian for "small") is available from Cucina Pro: CucinaPro 220-03 Piccolo Pizzelle Baker.  In our family, people tend to take a stack of pizzelles off the dessert buffet, instead of just one, at a time.

For additional delicious flavor, try adding fresh lemon zest, orange zest, or drizzling with melted dark chocolate.

Enjoy!

Cooking With Linda: Grilled Chicken Parmigiana & What We're Reading in the New Year: Giada De Laurentiis Cookbooks

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to try even harder to make healthy family meals a priority. This is a big challenge in a busy household packed with school, work, team sports (peak of winter and one of our boys is in a basketball league; the other, baseball training), teen social lives, and the interminable, high-priority 

To-Do List.

This meal was a winner because the whole family - husband, teens, 3-year-old, and myself, enjoyed it.  Satisfying Italian soul food and healthy too, grilled chicken parm starts by making a big pot of fresh tomato sauce: in extra virgin olive oil, saute 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic, half a vidalia onion finely sliced, 2-3 leaves of fresh basil. 

Add two cans of whole plum tomatoes (broken up by hand), salt and pepper. We like crushed red pepper for heat.  Let sauce simmer gently for about an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken by pounding the boneless, skinless cutlets very thin (or you can buy them thinly sliced), sprinkling some olive oil, salt and lemon juice and grilling them until cooked through. Super quick due to its top and bottom grilling function, I use my Wolfgang Puck Panini Duet, which is not only a multipurpose grill but a great panini maker!

Layering (the fun part) begins:  thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom, then grilled chicken, next part-skim shredded mozzarella, ample slices of savory imported scarmorza (smoked fresh mozzarella), fresh basil, and plenty of parmesan-reggiano grated cheese. The non-traditional part of this preparation is that the chicken breasts are grilled not breaded and pan fried.

In a lasagna pan or a stainless steel roasting pan, bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.

 Cool 15-20 minutes before serving so your sliced portions stay together. Serve with tricolor salad, thin spaghetti, and Italian bread.


My sister, nieces, and I are big fans of Giada De Laurentiis - trying new recipes from her cookbooks Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites and Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California is on my list of New Year's resolutions.

Buon Appetito!

Economizing Key - Leftovers for Lunch:

My boys enjoy chicken parmesan sandwiches the next day on  Italian hero rolls.  Add slices of roast red bell peppers, tomato, and crisp Romaine lettuce.

Cooking with Linda

Oven-baked tilapia is a healtfhul crowd-pleaser in my kitchen.  Top loins with diced carrots, celery, vidalia onion, quartered tomatoes, and capers once you have tossed them in extra virgin olive oil, ground ginger, salt and fresh lemon juice.

Bake in oven-safe clay baking pans, which are my favorite for keeping foods moist and hot when serving, in a preheated 375 degrees oven for about 30 minutes until loins are translucent-whitish and vegetables are tender. Serve with organic brown rice seasoned with chicken bouillion.