Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce

One of the things I miss about living in the city is the vast choices of restaurants. It was great being able to walk out our apartment door and have every possible cuisine only a few steps away. 

Pio Pio was a favorite "go-to" of ours. We would get the rotisserie chicken, bowl of rice and beans with the spicy green sauce on the side. Lot's of spicy green sauce. 

I have been craving that famous green sauce ever since we moved and finally decided to attempt to make it on my own. I don't know if it is quite as delicious as the famous Pio Pio but a good second place. You can pretty much dip anything in this stuff!

recipe below.

Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce 

Ingredients

1 heaping handful of cilantro
4 scallions 

2 jalapeños, seeded and diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (you may want more after tasting it)
pinch of pepper

1/2 cup extra light olive oil

2 tablespoons mayonaise 

Directions

Roughly chop the cilantro and scallions and set aside. De-seed and chop the jalapeños. (make sure to wear gloves and throughly wash your hands after)

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until a smooth consistency. Taste as you may need to tweak and add some additional salt and pepper. 

Memorial Day BBQ

This was a perfect first weekend to kick off summer. We spent time upstate with my family which consisted of a lot of time by the lake; boating, bon fires and of course, making s'mores. Then on Monday we had friends over for a BBQ. After a long and busy winter (which included having my second daughter in January... Hence why I haven't been on here very much in the past few months) 

I'm so looking forward to the warm summer days ahead and getting back into cooking and entertaining. 

For our BBQ today we served ribs and burgers and kept it simple for sides; tomato & mozzarella, Cole slaw and a deconstructed Mexican street corn salad. It was so delicious and really simple to make. I'm sharing the recipe below. I insist you try it for your next BBQ, or even for dinner tonight.

Your guests will thank you!

Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn 

What you'll need:

6 ears of corn, husked 

4 tablespoons mayo

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

salt & pepper

Directions:

Husk and boil corn for about 12 minutes. 

Prepare the grill and grill corn, turning occasionally, until charred. (about 10-15 minutes). Take off and let cool. Cut the kernels from the cob and transfer to a bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the mayo, lime juice, paprika, Parmesan cheese and cilantro. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add this mixture to the corn and toss. Top with a sprinkle of paprika and cilantro. You can also add a few extra pinches of Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Easy weeknight dinner, Pasta alla Norma

Weeknight dinners are hard. With everything that needs to get done during the day sometimes making dinner is the last thing you have time for, or feel like doing. 

The below pasta dish you can whip up quickly. You probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet already. And the eggplant is a great way to get your serving of veggies in. 

Pasta alla Norma

What you'll need:

- 2 firm eggplants, peeled and cubed

- Extra virgin olive oil as needed

- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh)

- Pinch of red pepper flakes (this is optional)

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- Handful of fresh basil, finely chopped

- (2) 14-ounce cans good quality chopped tomatoes (I like San Marzano)

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 1 pound pasta

- 6 ounces salted ricotta salata (you can substitute with feta)

Directions:

Remove skin from eggplants and cut into cubes.

In a nonstick pan heat oil. Fry the eggplant cubes in batches, adding extra oil if needed. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper and the oregano. Keep turning the eggplant cubes until browned on all sides. 

Turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic and half of the basil. Add in the pinch of red pepper flakes (if you want a little spice). Toss everything well and add the 2 cans of tomatoes. Simmer about 15-20 minutes. 

While the sauce simmers cook the pasta in salted boiling water. When it is al dente drain it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta straight in pan with the sauce and add in the reserved cooking water.

Toss & cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Take off heat and add in the rest of the basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve immediately. 

Easiest Blueberry Galette

I am not usually a baker. I can easily spend hours in the kitchen whipping up a braised short rib or home made pasta but something about dessert scares me. Maybe it's all the precision and measuring that goes into. (Math is not my forte). However the below galette recipe is so simple it's basically foolproof. 

It takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes in the oven and guaranteed delicious. Top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and I promise rave reviews.

If you are looking for a dessert to bring to a Memorial Day party this weekend this is sure to be a hit!

You could use a mix of blueberries and raspberries for that red, white and blue spirit.

recipe below.

What you'll need:

3 cups berries of your choice (I used a mixture of blueberries and blackberries)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for dusting crust

1 (9 inch) frozen pie dough (thawed) 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, in small cubes

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a bowl stir together the berries, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest and sugar. 

Unfold the pie crust on a greased baking sheet. 

Spoon the berry mixture onto the center of the dough, leaving about an inch or so at the edges. 

Fold the edges of the dough over the berry mixture, pleating the dough where necessary. You can just use your fingers to pinch together. 

Brush the pie crust with beaten the egg & sprinkle with the teaspoon of sugar. Place the cubes of butter on top of the berries. 

Bake about 25 minutes, until berries are bubbling and crust is golden. Let cool and top with vanilla ice cream. Serve warm.

Strawberry Stew

Now that we are in full Spring I have been buying a ton of fresh fruit at the market. Harper loves strawberries, blueberries, raspberries... you name it! And since she accompanies me to the store we end up with all of it in our cart. I love that she loves fruit but hate how quickly it goes bad. 

So as my Costco size bin of strawberries were starting to see their end I decided to make them into a strawberry stew. This is an old recipe my grandma always made for me growing up. It's a great way to salvage fruit about to go bad. I used strawberries but this would be delicious with any kind of berry.

How to:

Wash and put the strawberries (stem removed) in a pot with a little water (about 1/4 cup) and about 2 tablespoons sugar. 

Boil them for about 5 minutes or so, until they get soft and the water turns to a syrupy consistency.

Let them cool completely. They can keep in the fridge for about a week.

They taste amazing alone but are also great as a topping for yogurt. If your feeling really crazy make a strawberry short cake with angel food cake, the strawberry stew and some whip cream! 

One pan wonder

This one pan wonder is chicken with a deconstructed stuffing. You brown the chicken before baking it so it has a nice crust and then let it finish cooking on top of the stuffing. The chicken broth will soften some of the bread cubes but leave the pieces on the edges nice and crispy. 

The whole meal is done is less then an hour and you'll only have 3 pans to clean up afterwards. 

Sounds like a win-win to me!

What you'll need:

- 1 chicken, cut up in eighths

- 3 celery stalks, chopped

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 1 package mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

- Loaf of crusty bread, cubed (about 6 cups) 

- Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

- 2 cups chicken broth

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- Salt & pepper to taste

*You will want to use a pan that has edges so the chicken broth doesn't spill off the sides. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Dice up the onion and celery. Heat a pan over medium heat with olive oil. 

Saute celery, onion and mushrooms till soft, about 8 minutes. Make sure not to burn.

In the meantime, rinse and dry chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

In large pan (I used a dutch oven) brown each piece of chicken, about 5 minutes per side.

Take off heat and set aside.

Cube the bread in about 1-2" pieces. You should have about 6 cups. 

On a rimmed baking sheet spread out the bread cubes and celery/onion/mushroom mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes take out the pan, mix and pour 1 cup of broth on top.

Add the chicken on top of stuffing. Now add the second cup of chicken broth over chicken. 

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Sprinkle with parsley when chicken comes out and serve.

Green Goddess

Have you ever tried making Green Goddess dressing? If your answer is no then today is your lucky day! Green goddess is a fresh, quick and delicious dressing that can be used on salads as well as a dipping sauce for anything from fresh veggies to shrimp cocktail.

I used basil, chives and parsley but feel free to substitute in other fresh green herbs of your choice.

(You can also use low fat mayo and light sour cream to lighten this up.)

The recipe will make more then you'll need for one time use. It can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. 

recipe below.

What you'll need:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup chopped fresh scallions

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Juice of 2 lemons

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup sour cream

Lettuce of your choice (I used an iceberg wedge)

Grape Tomatoes

Pancetta (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients except the sour cream in a blender.

Blend until smooth. Add in the sour cream and blend again.

Finely chop and cook pancetta on stovetop until well done and crispy. Place on paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Wash lettuce and cut the iceberg into 4 wedges. Slice tomatoes and scatter on plate. Pour dressing over each wedge and scatter pancetta bits.

Enjoy!

Sweet as Sugar Cookies XO

Once again this weekend brought snow and once again we found ourselves spending another Saturday indoors. Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand to make these yummy and easy sugar cookies. I had bought these adorable "XO" cookie cutters before Valentines Day and then never got the chance to use them. So I guess the snow keeping us inside kinda worked out perfectly.

cookie recipe below.

What you'll need:

-1 cup unsalted butter, softened

-1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 teaspoon baking soda 

-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Once they are mixed add the egg, vanilla and baking soda. Then sift in the flour one cup at a time. Transfer the dough to a floured surface & knead the dough until it forms a solid ball.  You can add more flour if it seems too sticky.

Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough to about 1/2" thickness. (If you like your cookies crispier then go with 3/8".)

Once you have cut out your cookies transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Make sure to leave about 2" between each since they will grow in the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. They cook quick so keep an eye on them. If you made them thinner then 1/2" they will take less time to cook. Once the edges brown they are ready to come out. 

Let cool and frost to your delight!

XO

Short Rib Ragu over Gnocchi

If you are looking to stay in and cook something special for your Valentine tonight I have just the thing.

Braised Short Rib Ragu over fresh gnocchi.

It sounds complicated I know. Granted it does take a while to cook but it's really just prepping it and then leaving it on the oven to cook and get delicious. Not to mention make your house smell incredible!

Whether you make it for a special Valentines meal or just to warm your insides on a cold night, your company will definitely be impressed with the outcome. I can promise you that.

recipe below. 

What you'll need:

- 8 whole Beef Short Ribs

- Kosher salt & fresh pepper

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 3 carrots, diced

- 2 stalks celery, diced

- 1 shallot, diced

- 1 can tomato paste

- 2 cups red wine (I used pino noir)

- 2 cups low sodium beef broth 

- 2-3 springs fresh thyme

- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

- Fresh gnocchi

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper the ribs liberally on both sides. 

Add olive oil to a large dutch oven over high heat. Add the short ribs and braise on both sides so they get a nice crust. It will take about 5 minutes per side. When they are done take them off and set aside.

Without cleaning the pan, add onions, carrots, celery and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan that were left from the meat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the can of tomato paste (stirring it in), beef broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh black pepper. 

Add the ribs back to the liquid. Make sure they are pretty much completely submerged. 

Add the fresh springs of thyme to the liquid.

Put the lid on tightly and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours decrease heat to 325 and cook an additional hour. 

The ribs should be fork-tender when they come out. Let the meat sit in the pan for about 20 minutes to rest. 

While meat is sitting bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh gnocchi. Really try to get fresh gnocchi instead of the frozen package. It will make a huge difference.

The fresh gnocchi only take about 4 minutes to cook. 

Using a fork shred the meat. Place the meat back in pan. Mix in the cooked gnocchi.

Plate the short rib gnocchi and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. 

Serve immediately. 

Salt and Pepper the meat liberally on both sides

Place in a dutch oven with olive oil over high heat and let them get a good crust 

Turn over after about 5 minutes and crust the other side

Add in the diced veggies and cook till softened, about 5 minutes

This is what it will look like right before going into the oven.

The ribs are submerged under the yummy red wine sauce.

Now enjoy the house smelling divine while it cooks.

See you in 3 hours!

This is what the ribs look like when they come out.

You should be able to easily pull them apart with a fork.

And Wa-lah, the finished product!

Enjoy!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Warm Brussels Caesar Salad

I made a delicious take on the typical Caesar salad last night. Instead of using the typical romaine lettuce I found a recipe that called for shaved brussels sprouts, warmed with home made croutons and bacon. I do love the typical Caesar and make it quite often but with the cold winter weather a warm, heartier version of it sounded like a must try.

recipe below, adapted from How Sweet It Is 

What you'll need:

2 slices of bacon, well done and chopped

1 cup bread, cubed

Garlic powder

1 pound of brussels sprouts, sliced

salt & pepper

Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

for the dressing:

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

3 tablespoon plain greek yogurt

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

salt & pepper

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup light olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet.

Heat a skillet and add the bacon. Cook until crispy. Removed the bacon and place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Pour the oil left in the pan over the bread cubes and sprinkle with garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Return the skillet to the burner over medium-low heat. Add the brussels sprouts with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and warm.

While that is cooking make the dressing.

Add the chopped garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovies, lemon juice, salt & pepper to a food processor and blend until well pureed. Add in the 1/2 cup light olive oil and puree until creamy dressing forms. 

(This will make more dressing then needed for this recipe but will stay in the fridge for about 5 days)

Remove sprouts from the skillet and toss with the croutons, parmesan cheese, bacon & Caesar dressing. Serve immediately & enjoy!

I served mine aside a piece of salt & sugar broiled salmon (to balance out the not so healthy bacon)

recipe for that to come!

Winter ONEderland

Yesterday was my friend's son's 1st Birthday Party. 

The theme was Winter ONEderland. How cute and apropos considering this frigid weather we've been having. She did such a cute job with all of the little details.

The lunch was right out of a ski lodge.  She served mac & cheese, chicken pot pie and chili, and had a hot chocolate station and an array of wintry sweets for dessert.

To add to the sweet smorgasbord I made s'mores cupcakes. 

They were adorable and delicious!

recipe below.

What you'll need:

24 cupcakes

Frosting

Box of honey flavored Teddy Grams

Bag of large marshmallows

Hershey chocolate bar, broken up

Directions:

Make 24 cupcakes, chocolate or vanilla. I used vanilla.

Frost cupcakes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking tray roast large marshmallows for about 5 minutes, until they get a little golden.

As soon as they come out put on top of each cupcake.

Squeeze in a little teddy gram in the marshmallow. I thought it was cute to use Teddy Grams since it was a 1st Birthday but  you can most certainly use regular gram crackers and break them into smaller pieces.

Put one piece of Hershey's chocolate behind the marshmallow.

Try to make as close to eating time as you can, they marshmallows tend to harden up as time goes on.

I got the adorable red tartan plaid baking liners on etsy.com

They went perfect with the theme! 

Harper holding hands with the adorable Birthday boy!

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Yes really 40 whole cloves of garlic!

It is delicious and I promise not as scary as it sounds. 

I made mine over some smashed potatoes and spinach but I also recommend having some crusty bread on the side so you can sop up every last bit of garlic sauce. 

It is that delicious! 

What you'll need:

40 cloves of garlic (I bought the pre peeled garlic, much easier then peeling 4o cloves yourself)

1 chicken cut up (8-10 pieces)

Handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and season with 1 teaspoon salt &  1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven until very hot. Place chicken skin side down and cook until very well browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter skin side up and set aside. 

Remove the oil from the pan except for about 1 tablespoon. Add in all 40 garlic cloves and cook for a few minutes, till browned. Make sure not to burn!

Add in the chicken stock to de-glaze the pan. Scrape up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and into the garlic. Add in the chopped parsley and cream & stir. 

Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up and remove from heat. 

Cook COVERED in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear. 

Take out of oven and remove the chicken to a separate plate. 

Using a potato masher (or whatever you have handy) mash the garlic in the dutch oven and then stir in the unsalted butter. 

Plate the chicken. I made it over mashed potatoes with spinach. Drizzle the garlic sauce on top of chicken. There should be enough left over sauce to serve on the side. (Trust me, people are going to be using every last bit of sauce, it's that good.)

Serve immediately and enjoy!