Healthy Stuffed Peppers

Feeling like I needed a great tasting, healthy meal, I decided on stuffed peppers one night last week.  We were preparing to renovate our kitchen so I want to cook as much as I could and empty out the freezer, fridge and pantry.  What makes me smile is when the big guy likes it and asks for more like he did that night!

Ingredients:

4 red peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion - chopped

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 lb. ground turkey breast

Salt and pepper 

1 cup cooked brown rice

A few shakes of hot sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Wash, cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the inside.  If they don't sit flat, slice off a little on the bottom so they will stand.  Place in microwave for 5 minutes.  I kept the tops of the pepper and chopped small.  In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and cook onion and chopped pepper for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the garlic for another minute.  Add salt and pepper to taste and the ground turkey.  Sauté until browned.  

I also had leftover Brussels sprouts, chopped them small and added them to the mixture, add the cooked rice and stir.  I like to add a few shakes of hot sauce to enhance the flavor.  That was a good move!  The final step

I also had leftover Brussels sprouts, chopped them small and added them to the mixture, add the cooked rice and stir.  I like to add a few shakes of hot sauce to enhance to the flavor.  That was a good move!  The final step was the shredded mozzarella. 

Stuff peppers and place in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30-45 minutes depending on your oven.  

It's quiet in Naples these days, but the sun is still shining and we are enjoying life.  I hope you are smiling and enjoying yours as well.

Linda

A good life deserves great food...

Still Finding Great Restaurants in Naples!

 Recently, I was told I stopped blogging.  I began to protest but quickly realized my last blog post was at the end of January!  Oops.  A fun, busy life and a little work sometimes gets in the way.  You did notice that the word "fun" was definitely before the word "work".

We went with friends to a new restaurant for us, Alexander's on 41 in Naples.  Not easy to find as it sits back from the road but we were told many times that it was wonderful and now we know it's true.  Our friend actually told me not to tell anyone as it was busy enough.  Well I am here to say it doesn't make a difference since it is quite obvious they are as busy as they can be without me telling the world.

Alexander's Fine American and European Cuisine offers lovely indoor and outdoor dining, a wine bar  and a delicious menu.  We happened to visit the last week prior to their summer vacation so our menu choice was down to a single page.  Definitely not a problem as our choices were fabulous!  By the way, this vacation is for the summer.  They close until September 25th and are so popular, they already had 50 reservations scheduled for that night.  Make that 54.

Friendly and warm was our greeting but the best part was the food (beside the company).  

Seafood Risotto

Crab Encrusted Grouper

Creme Brûlée

Last, but not least was dessert.  Perfect ending to a perfect night with good friends.  Take the time to get with family and friends this weekend.  We are lucky to have both in Naples this weekend.  Family in town and friends who make you smile.  

See you in September Alexander's!

Fino a quel momento,

Linda

Eva's 85th Birthday Celebration and Her Polenta Recipe

Our Famiglia Tree of Life

How can that be?  My mother, Eva has always been eternally young.  Growing up, she was almost like our 4th sister.  Of course she loved hearing that and we were all equally horrified with some of her choices over the years.  She did some crazy things while raising three daughters, but she also did many more good things.  She taught us to be strong when faced with adversity.  She taught us to be kind and the importance of girlfriends in your life and she taught us an incredible work ethic.  How true is that statement? At 85, she continues to work and while slower than before, she still loves to be busy.

Most important, she loves her famiglia and girlfriends.  Which is why after just leaving Boston a couple of weeks ago, I got back on a plane to be there for her birthday celebration.  Just as she would have liked it, we opened up my sisters Susan's restaurant, Angelina's on a Sunday afternoon and invited her friends into the family restaurant named after her own mother.  Susan was the perfect hostess working her magic to ensure everything went well.  Cookie, the party girl, made sure the party was just that - a party.  She was in charge of the appetizers and instead of a couple of platters, she, of course, has a two table tiered setup full of nice pickies (as Eva would say).  She also created the theme and the cake actually had a naked Ken doll (is that even right?) jumping out of the top along side Eva's photographs of when she was young.  On another table Cookie had a tree of life created and stamp pads and we all placed our thumb prints on her tree and left a note in a special memory book.

Eva's Favorite Phrase

For food, we all jumped in.  I wanted it to be Eva's favorite foods.  Susan made the polenta with beans, chicken Marsala and pizza.  Auntie Helen made her famous eggplant and I, coming in just the night before, made the orchiette, sausage and broccoli rabe.  Of course there was bread and a couple of different salads, wine on the table and an open bar.  Nicki also brought two different type of party drinks.  Who would have thought those ladies could drink that much on a Sunday afternoon!  I also made favors of her favorite biscotti for her guests to take home.  

Eva arrived with Auntie and while I thought she knew something was up, she did not.  It was obvious since she was not dressed, no make-up and NO JEWELRY!  Eva does not usually go anywhere without at least her big earrings and an even bigger ring.  Yes, folks, we pulled it off.

Her friends new and old travelled to be there and joined in with the family.  Oh, I forgot to mention that it was a ladies luncheon so that we could have an extra surprise.  You see, my mother while she has always loved her family and friends, has also loved men.  Even at 85 years young, she is still looking for men to dance with and enjoy and by the way, she is married.  So, with Cookie being Cookie, she decided to hire a male dancer and while some of us were crazy with the idea, Eva loved it.  Of course she did.  Also so it seems, did her 80 year old girlfriends!  I believe one of them booked him for her next birthday.

Here is her favorite food of all time.

 

Polenta with Kidney Beans.

Ingredients:

6 Cups water
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Cups polenta
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans
2 cups red sauce (gravy to some)

Directions:

In a large deep pan, bring the water and salt to a boil.  Gradually stir in the polenta with a whisk.  Lower heat and stir with a wooden spoon frequently to prevent sticking.  This should take about 30 minutes.  Add butter and cheese.  In addition, drain and rinse kidney beans well and add to the polenta.

Spread polenta in a lightly greased sheet pan, top with sauce and additional cheese.  Tradition is to serve on a board, but these days, plates will do.  Mangia!

Eva, thank you for being you.  I love you more.

Linda

Slow Roasted Grape Tomatoes

With our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from The Collier Family Farms, I am researching and experimenting more and more with good results.  We recently had an abundance of grape tomatoes and I wanted to preserve some of them.  I found many pages with variations and this is what I pulled together.

Slow Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3 or 4 cups grape tomatoes.  You can also use cherry or roma
3 garlic cloves - peeled
Olive Oil
Rosemary and thyme - chopped
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Cut tomatoes in half and place on a sheet pan with liner or parchment paper to make clean up easy.  Add whole garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.  Top with herbs and a little salt and pepper.

Bake for 2 and 1/2 hours until they are somewhat dried out.  These are so sweet tasting you might be eating them right out of the pan!  If you are not using them right away, add to a jar with additional olive oil and place in the fridge.  I made mine last week and used them today in on top of a veggie burger.

The flavor is wonderful and you can use them many ways.  Add to salads, fish and chicken dishes and as I did today with my burger.  You will make these over and over when they are in abundance and at a good price.

Have a great weekend.  I know I will...

Linda

Chilean Wine Maker Dinner

Let me begin by thanking my date Margy along with her husband John for having me jump in on this fabulous night.  (Your loss John). Eighteen guests had the opportunity to dine at our club house for a private wine dinner.  They do this a few times throughout the year with Chef Mark creating a delicious menu paired with wine.

The winery was Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the devil) and our wine expert Danielle not only provided good information on each of the wines, she gave detail about the growing region.  I had always wanted to attend this dinner but with Jim not a wine drinker, he doesn't particularly enjoy this type of event.  I'm not sure if it's the wine or because of the large amounts consumed in one room!  Either way, I am happy I found my future date for all things wine and food.

Are there enough wine glasses on this table?

We began our Wine Maker Dinner with a light Casillero del Diablo Coastal Valley White Blend.  Then we jumped right into the food.  Our first course was Apple smoked sea scallops on artisan greens drizzled with a warm tomato basil and olive vinaigrette.  This was paired with Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay.  

Our next course was seared Hudson Valley duck breast, toasted brioche, caramelized orchard apples, calvados reduction and balsamic glazed.  This was paired with the Casillero del Diablo Malbec.  I am not a big Malbec fan, but found this quite appealing.  

The third course was a prime fillet of beef, stacked with wild mushroom and foie gras, potato rosti and baby root vegetables.  This was paired with two wines.  The Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere and the Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon.  Both were very good with this outstanding dish.  

Looking around the room, I saw happy faces.  The food and wine worked well and the company wasn't too bad either.  And we weren't done.  Chef Mark came out of his kitchen to see what we thought and received hand claps of appreciation.  He thanked us and let us know dessert was on its way.

Our final course was creme brûlée with poached pear.  It was paired with the Casillero del Diablo Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.  This was a sweet ending wine tasting a little like a Sauternes but without the price.  

Our night was ended and complete when we found out Skip and Sue are engaged and preparing to marry in March.  Congratulations you crazy kids!  Still not sure why he didn't take the bill for all 18 of us...

I sit here today still thinking about our fabulous dinner with good friends along with a few new ones with a smile on my face.  As I've said before and you just might hear it again, how lucky am I?

Have a great weekend everyone.  I'll see you soon.

LID

Chicken Marsala

I love to make this dish and just don't make it enough.  I found this recipe years ago from Tyler Florence and I have made just a few alterations.  It's another entree that doesn't take too long to make but not easy to make ahead.  I love finding a sale and making full use of it and this week, I purchased chicken breasts, two packages for the price of one.  My dinner party menu last night was created by looking through my pantry and fridge, seeing what I already had and worked my way forward using the chicken as the main ingredient.  With that, I decided to make the chicken marsala along with roasted butternut squash and a mushroom risotto.  For dessert, I added a trifle made with brownies, strawberries and whipped cream.

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
All purpose flour for dredging
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound prosciutto, chopped
1 pound mini portabello mushrooms sliced
1 & 1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
6 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley-chopped

Directions:

Slice each chicken breast in half making two slices.  Place saran wrap over the chicken and with a mallet, pound until thin.  If they are too large, simply cut in half.  Place flour in a platter and add salt and pepper using a fork to mix.

Heat oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.  When the oil is nice and hot, dredge the chicken in the flour, shake off excess and fry for a couple of minutes on each side.  I sometimes add butter to the oil for additional flavor.  Turn once and remove to a platter covered with foil to keep warm.  When all the pieces are done, lower the heat and add the prosciutto to the pan for about a minute.  The prosciutto gives it a great layer of flavor.  Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and the moisture has evaporated about five minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

























Add the Marsala to the pan and boil own for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol.  Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce slightly.  Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan.  Simmer until heated.  Season with salt and pepper and grnish with parsley.



While it seemed like a lot of chicken, I had seven eating and there was one lonely piece of left. I'm thinking no one wanted to take the last one...  Served with the mushroom risotto and the healthy roasted butternut squash to offset the heavy meal, it was a winner.  Oh, after all that, they still had room for dessert!

Sitting here in the sunshine of Naples feeling very fortunate for our life.  It just doesn't get better than this.  Enjoy your week everyone.  Do something special to spread sunshine to someone who needs it.  I know I will.

LID

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Had extra blueberries that I could not finish and lord knows the big guy wasn't about to eat them!  I love all things Ina Garten so I pulled this recipe together and it took less than a half hour to get it into the oven.  

Ingredients:  

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  I often use a toothpick!  Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar.  

Remember this recipe the next time you run into a blueberry sale and make it for someone who needs to smile.

LID