The dish that will bring you to feel flowery, hippie Italian forever.
(This is, take note, the authentic, Umbrian way to make a salad...make it and weep - not in the salad bowl please.) Your salad will succeed only if you become a totally sensual, live-in-the-moment Italian!
ARUGULA - good, young, lovely arugula, washed, rinsed gently - don't manhandle-it's sensitive
lemon, use one or two quarters
kosher sale (SALT)
olive oil
good chunk of parmigiano reggiano
optional: grilled portobello mushrooms or any leftover grilled veggies (any chance?)
Slice arugula into large slivers and place in large, Italian salad bowl. If there is no Italian salad bowl available, stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW. Go heat up some canned corn instead.
(don't proceed until your dinner party is looking at you, seated at the table, forks up, with insane, hungry eyes; otherwise your salad will be limp, nasty anti-Italian weed matter)
give a good, solid squeeze of lemon all over arugula-no seeds!
drizzle a good drizzle of olive oil (let's say 1/4 lemon, 3/4 olive oil)
throw and sweep a good helping of kosher salt.
Grate or peel a healthy chunk of parm on top and gently (arugula is sensitive!) toss salad (think of the arugula like Italian baby goslings- gentle!! do not hurry!) Taste. Make yummy, Italian sounds.
accompany with any bellisima leftovers like: grilled mushrooms, grilled chicken, grilled vegetables...anything really. Best is as is, however.
Buon appetito!!
SIMPLE RECIPES FOR KIDS LIVING ON THEIR OWN.
Showing posts with label appetizer or dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appetizer or dinner. Show all posts
Enchiladasagne
here is a recipe from my amiga, Bredt, who swears if you can say Enchiladasagne really fast while dancing La Bamba backwards and sucking on a wedge of lime you'll be transported to Mexico without even realizing it! (this sounds more like Bredt's been messing around with her agave plants again.) Anyway, even though I've never actually tasted the Enchi....Ensichid...chiligag.... whatever, I know Bredt can cook and her kids have given this the famous guacamole thumbs up!
(And by the looks of it, you could probably dress it up with some leftover chicken or roasted corn if you wanted to be super frisky. Arrrrriba!)
serves 4
1 package corn tortillas (you will not use all)
1 can refried beans*
2 jars salsa, or canned chopped tomatoes (available w/green chiles)
Cheddar cheese, grated
Use a round casserole or small dutch oven roughly the size of the
tortillas; don’t worry if there’s a little space all around.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour a little salsa into the bottom of the casserole dish, just to make a
thin layer.
Spread a corn tortilla (this is easiest if they are frozen) with refried
beans. I think 1 can will make 4 or 5 bean layers. Place tortilla on top
of salsa layer.
Put another corn tortilla on top and cover with a layer of salsa, thicker
than the bottom layer. Sprinkle with a light layer of cheese.
Spread another tortilla with refried beans, and place on top of salsa/
cheese layer.
Repeat, alternating layers of refried beans with salsa/cheese layers.
Top layer should be salsa; use it all up. It will get soaked up by the
tortillas, which will become soft, almost like cornbread.
Sprinkle all over with cheese.
Cover with tin foil or pot lid and bake at 350 about one hour. Take the
top off for the last 15 minutes.
Ok to let sit for a few minutes before serving. (remember what I've said about that: oozy, melted cheese = possibility of incinerating your innards! go shake your maracas a bit then come back.)
Use different flavors of refried beans and/or salsa, as spicy or mild as you like.
When you get tired of it plain, add shredded chicken, frozen corn,
whatever you like. (oooh Look, Bredt had the same idea as I did! Andale!)
*I have made this using a can of black beans, drained, instead of
refried beans. I just spoon the beans on top of the tortilla.
(And by the looks of it, you could probably dress it up with some leftover chicken or roasted corn if you wanted to be super frisky. Arrrrriba!)
serves 4
1 package corn tortillas (you will not use all)
1 can refried beans*
2 jars salsa, or canned chopped tomatoes (available w/green chiles)
Cheddar cheese, grated
Use a round casserole or small dutch oven roughly the size of the
tortillas; don’t worry if there’s a little space all around.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour a little salsa into the bottom of the casserole dish, just to make a
thin layer.
Spread a corn tortilla (this is easiest if they are frozen) with refried
beans. I think 1 can will make 4 or 5 bean layers. Place tortilla on top
of salsa layer.
Put another corn tortilla on top and cover with a layer of salsa, thicker
than the bottom layer. Sprinkle with a light layer of cheese.
Spread another tortilla with refried beans, and place on top of salsa/
cheese layer.
Repeat, alternating layers of refried beans with salsa/cheese layers.
Top layer should be salsa; use it all up. It will get soaked up by the
tortillas, which will become soft, almost like cornbread.
Sprinkle all over with cheese.
Cover with tin foil or pot lid and bake at 350 about one hour. Take the
top off for the last 15 minutes.
Ok to let sit for a few minutes before serving. (remember what I've said about that: oozy, melted cheese = possibility of incinerating your innards! go shake your maracas a bit then come back.)
Use different flavors of refried beans and/or salsa, as spicy or mild as you like.
When you get tired of it plain, add shredded chicken, frozen corn,
whatever you like. (oooh Look, Bredt had the same idea as I did! Andale!)
*I have made this using a can of black beans, drained, instead of
refried beans. I just spoon the beans on top of the tortilla.
SOUP TIME
Anne's Delicious and easy Chicken or Fish Coconut Soup
Ingredients: chicken breast - one or two - skinless/boneless, cut into small, bite-sized pieces (or a piece of firm fish like COD - no need to cut up)
chicken stock 2 cups roundabout
canned coconut milk - found in Thai section in grocery store - one can or more
ginger, peeled
cilantro - a bunch
one lime
cut lime into wedges and separate 8 stems of cilantro. Chop up a lot of cilantro leaves. Put these aside for now.
In small soup pot combine coconut milk with about the same amount of chicken broth (I like it heavy on the coconut milk, myself). Take some cilantro stems and gently smash them once and pop em in the pot.
Cut a few hunks of ginger and put em in the pot. Peel a sliver of lime peel and toss it into the pot.
bring this to a boil on stove and when it looks like it's going explode, turn heat down a bit and gently simmer (bubbling but not aggressive bubbling) for about 5 - 10 minutes.
take out cilantro stems and throw in a handful of rice and some salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add Chicken pieces. (if using fish, wait a bit since the fish will take only 5 minutes to cook - tops) Simmer this until chicken is done - like 10 minutes.
Take out ginger and ladle into bowls. Check if it needs salt.
Top each bowl with a good sprinkling of lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves. YUM.
Ingredients: chicken breast - one or two - skinless/boneless, cut into small, bite-sized pieces (or a piece of firm fish like COD - no need to cut up)
chicken stock 2 cups roundabout
canned coconut milk - found in Thai section in grocery store - one can or more
ginger, peeled
cilantro - a bunch
one lime
cut lime into wedges and separate 8 stems of cilantro. Chop up a lot of cilantro leaves. Put these aside for now.
In small soup pot combine coconut milk with about the same amount of chicken broth (I like it heavy on the coconut milk, myself). Take some cilantro stems and gently smash them once and pop em in the pot.
Cut a few hunks of ginger and put em in the pot. Peel a sliver of lime peel and toss it into the pot.
bring this to a boil on stove and when it looks like it's going explode, turn heat down a bit and gently simmer (bubbling but not aggressive bubbling) for about 5 - 10 minutes.
take out cilantro stems and throw in a handful of rice and some salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add Chicken pieces. (if using fish, wait a bit since the fish will take only 5 minutes to cook - tops) Simmer this until chicken is done - like 10 minutes.
Take out ginger and ladle into bowls. Check if it needs salt.
Top each bowl with a good sprinkling of lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves. YUM.
Bruschetta
AUTHENTIC, no kidding, ITALIAN bruschetta - you must pronounce it with an Italian accent or it will suck: BRrrrOOOOOO-sketta
Ingredients: Loaf of Italian or French bread, garlic, GOOD tomatoes (not fake, not canned, not grown in a factory), bunch of basil, olive oil, kosher salt. optional: balsamic vinegar.
You need a grill BUT this can be done without...won't be as good, but don't fret if your grill is cold and covered with last night's nasty fish that stuck and there are flies all over... So, if you have a grill, preheat it. If you're opting for a no-salmonella-evening, preheat your broiler.
Chop up your beautiful tomatoes into little pieces - the smaller the better. Get a ceramic or glass bowl. Take a good sized piece of garlic and smash it a bit to get the skin off. Rub the smashed bit all over the inside of the bowl. (At this moment in time, start singing an opera or make one up-loudly).
throw the cut up tomatoes into the garlic-scented bowl. Scrunch up your bunch of basil and slice thinly. Add that then add a little kosher salt. stir around.
NOTE: some people like a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar in the tomatoes - be brave and experiment.
Slice the bread long way into 4 good sized pieces and grill or broil the cut side until toasty. note: if you get distracted or get carried away with your Italian singing you could possibly burn your bread which would be a VERY VERY bad thing since you probably didn't get 2 loaves so DON'T GET DISTRACTED. FOCUS.
Now, take your toasty bread pieces and rub each piece vigorously with a piece of garlic (no skin). It will melt into the bread nicely. Sprinkle each piece with about a tablespoon of olive oil, then lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. (At this point you could top the bread with just about anything: olives, mushrooms, beans, oatmeal, leftover tuna casserole; it is still technically bruschetta.) But best topped with tomatoes; make sure you have lots of napkins, and MANGIA!
Ingredients: Loaf of Italian or French bread, garlic, GOOD tomatoes (not fake, not canned, not grown in a factory), bunch of basil, olive oil, kosher salt. optional: balsamic vinegar.
You need a grill BUT this can be done without...won't be as good, but don't fret if your grill is cold and covered with last night's nasty fish that stuck and there are flies all over... So, if you have a grill, preheat it. If you're opting for a no-salmonella-evening, preheat your broiler.
Chop up your beautiful tomatoes into little pieces - the smaller the better. Get a ceramic or glass bowl. Take a good sized piece of garlic and smash it a bit to get the skin off. Rub the smashed bit all over the inside of the bowl. (At this moment in time, start singing an opera or make one up-loudly).
throw the cut up tomatoes into the garlic-scented bowl. Scrunch up your bunch of basil and slice thinly. Add that then add a little kosher salt. stir around.
NOTE: some people like a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar in the tomatoes - be brave and experiment.
Slice the bread long way into 4 good sized pieces and grill or broil the cut side until toasty. note: if you get distracted or get carried away with your Italian singing you could possibly burn your bread which would be a VERY VERY bad thing since you probably didn't get 2 loaves so DON'T GET DISTRACTED. FOCUS.
Now, take your toasty bread pieces and rub each piece vigorously with a piece of garlic (no skin). It will melt into the bread nicely. Sprinkle each piece with about a tablespoon of olive oil, then lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. (At this point you could top the bread with just about anything: olives, mushrooms, beans, oatmeal, leftover tuna casserole; it is still technically bruschetta.) But best topped with tomatoes; make sure you have lots of napkins, and MANGIA!
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