Carla's Kitchen Capers: I Love Broccoliraab!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: I Love Broccoliraab!!: Dad always said it in his heavy Italian accent as one word. Broccoli Raab is a very bitter green, it's an acquired taste. Most commonly it's...

I Love Broccoliraab!!

Dad always said it in his heavy Italian accent as one word. Broccoli Raab is a very bitter green, it's an acquired taste. Most commonly it's served with sausage, I love it tossed with pasta, other tasty additions are pepperoni, ham hock, pork chops, I guess the possibilities are endless. Really easy to cook and just 3 ingredients besides the salt and pepper of course:

broccoli raab 

good olive oil

garlic (I used 6-8 for 2 lbs)

salt and pepper to taste

I cut the stems off (but most Italians would say "your throwing half of it away"), and wash really good, then just toss it all together in a pot with about a half inch of water on the bottom, cover tightly and steam until it reaches your idea of tender, I just mine cooked very soft.

* I love mine tossed with cavatelli (aka bullets in my family)

** some lemon and red hot pepper flakes would be good too

*** you either love it of hate it and I LOVE it!!!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change: I usually have a house full for Thanksgiving dinner but Dad has alzheimer's and can't handle a lot of people and loud talking so it was just...

Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change

I usually have a house full for Thanksgiving dinner but Dad has alzheimer's and can't handle a lot of people and loud talking so it was just me the hubs, mom and dad. The Menu was turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and stuffed mushrooms. Stuffing is my favorite and it took me a few years to come up with in my opinion the perfect recipe, I always make a double batch because I love leftovers cold.

2 bags cubed stuffing (I use Pepperidge farm herb)

2 rolls Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage

1 large bulb of fennel sliced

1 large onion chopped

6 ribs of celery sliced (I like to use the inside ribs and leaves)

1 stick of butter

2-3 cans chicken stock (I like my stuffing cake like but it's your choice)

fresh sage and thyme, and salt and pepper to taste

First I sweat the veggie in the butter and add the herbs and salt and pepper, all it to the dry stuffing (in a very large mixing bowl) the add the sausage to the skillet and brown, add to the bowl and pour in the stock and mix well. Put in into a casserole and bake about an hour. I never stuff my turkey but I always put an apple in the cavity, makes the gravy so tasty and I love the way my new convection oven makes the skin so crispy and the meat so juicy.

* gravy pan on the right was just the roux

** mashed potatoes were still boiling

*** this blog was for you Vin

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla: I was craving linguine and shrimp so I went into the kitchen and just started cooking with no recipe in mind, that's ...

Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla

I was craving linguine and shrimp so I went into the kitchen and just started cooking with no recipe in mind, that's when the best dishes are created...roughly translated...shrimp,olive oil, butter, garlic, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, hot pepper flakes....let the pictures do the talking....first get some good color on the shrimp and remove from the pan, add garlic, shallot and a knob of butter and let it go about 3-4 min., next add white wine and the juice of 1 lemon, (I didn't have any white wine so I used dry vermouth) reduce about 3 more min and add parsley and hot pepper flakes. Now throw the pasta in the water and while its boiling add some of the starchy water to the sauce pan, when the pasta is almost cooked add it to the sauce with the reserved shrimp. I love to make a crispy topping for my white pasta dishes with a panko and olive oil base today I added lemon zest and parsley. This dinner was just screaming for some garlic bread!!!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Saturday Night Steak Night

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Saturday Night Steak Night: Saturday night has always been steak night since week one. When I go to the grocery store what ever steak looks good I buy, to...

Saturday Night Steak Night

Saturday night has always been steak night since week one. When I go to the grocery store what ever steak looks good I buy, today it was the filet mignon, $16 for 2. I decided to make a blue cheese sauce to top it off and served it with haricot verts (fancy name for skinny french green beans) and rice pilaf.
for the blue cheese sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz blue cheese crumbled (2/3 for the sauce 1/3 for garnish)
1 tsp beurre manie (see note)
salt (lightly) and pepper to taste
reduce the heavy cream and beurre manie for 5 min add 2/3 or the blue cheese and simmer until thick, next blanch the green beans and toss in olive oil salt and pepper. Next grill the steak 6 min per side, top with sauce and reserved  blue cheese, garish with green onion.
p.s. a beurre manie is equal parts butter and flour kneaded into a paste, the most perfect thickening agent and never any lumps.
* a squirt of lemon on the green beans is yummy!!
** I always have beurre manie in the fridge and so should you, you'll thank me later, promise.
*** still waiting on my first comment, just saying ;)

Carla's Kitchen Capers: When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese

Carla's Kitchen Capers: When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese: Sometimes on Sunday's when I don't feel like frying meatballs I make this sauce. The addition of the veggies and cream make it rich and swee...

When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese

Sometimes on Sunday's when I don't feel like frying meatballs I make this sauce. The addition of the veggies and cream make it rich and sweet.


2 lbs meatloaf mix (equal amount ground beef, pork & veal)
1 large onion chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic chopped
3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 ribs of celery diced
3 cans of tomatoes crushed or put in the blender
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
dry oregano, basil,bay leaves salt & pepper to taste


saute the onion, garlic & carrots in the butter add the chopped meat and cook until no longer pink add the oregano, basil, salt & pepper then add the wine and cook until the wine is evaporated add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 hours during the last half hour add the cream until it becomes a pinky orange color serve over your favorite pasta.

 

* sometimes I add ground italian sausage too...I did today
** I didn't have any red wine in the house so I left it out
*** this sauce works really good for a quick lasagna

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Meatloaf Italian Style

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Meatloaf Italian Style: I make meatloaf many ways this is one of them. for the loaf: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1/3 loaf day old Italian bread soaked in water, sque...

Meatloaf Italian Style

I make meatloaf many ways this is one of them.

for the loaf:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef 

1/3 loaf day old Italian bread soaked in water, squeezed and crumbled 

2 eggs

2 cloves of garlic chopped (I grated them on a rasp)

1 hand full of grated cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper

chunks of cheese for the middle (any mild kind like mozzarella)

mix and shape into a loaf and make a trench add cheese and pinch closed bake in 350 oven for about 45 min.

for the sauce:

1 10 oz pkg mushrooms sliced

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt, pepper and my magic ingredient adobo

saute the mushrooms in oil until brown add tomato sauce, ketchup and season. Simmer until meatloaf is just about done. Pour sauce over meatloaf and cook another 5 min.

Carla's Kitchen Capers: A Gringa Makes Enchiladas Verdes Con Pollo

Carla's Kitchen Capers: A Gringa Makes Enchiladas Verdes Con Pollo: I recently had enchiladas verdes for the first time and fell in love, so of course I had to try and make them in my kitchen. A must is homem...

A Gringa Makes Enchiladas Verdes Con Pollo

I recently had enchiladas verdes for the first time and fell in love, so of course I had to try and make them in my kitchen. A must is homemade salsa verde, thanks Marlene for teaching me how to make it!!

for the salsa verde:

2 lbs tomatillos

2 jalapenos (but next time I'll use serranos  because it wasn't spicy enough for me)

1/2 small white onion chopped 

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup cilantro 

salt

simmer the tomatillos and chilis for about 15 min, till the color just changes but are still in tack, add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

for the enchiladas:

shredded chicken (I used leftover from a Sunday roaster)

corn tortillas

shredded cheese (I used monteray jack)

fry the tortillas in shallow oil for about a min to soften so they are easier to roll fill with chicken, add to a baking dish and top with a good amount of the salsa top with cheese and bake about 20-30 min.

toppings:

shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped green onion, diced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and sour cream thinned out with a little milk. This dish is so refreshing its hard to stop eating them!!!!

* if you can find fresh tortilla they are so much better than the stale one I find in the grocery store

** homemade tortillas are my next kitchen adventure

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta Con Uova....Italian comfort food

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta Con Uova....Italian comfort food: I love this!!! It reminds me of my childhood and it comforts me when I'm feeling under the weather. You can whip it up in no time with a few...

Pasta Con Uova....Italian comfort food

I love this!!! It reminds me of my childhood and it comforts me when I'm feeling under the weather. You can whip it up in no time with a few ingredients that your sure to have in your pantry. I dare you to try and stop eating the whole bowl!!!! There are really no precise measurements all you need is:

pasta

butter

eggs

grated cheese

parsley

salt and pepper

boil pasta, add butter, add beaten eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, cook over low flame about 5min or until the eggs are cooked, top with grated cheese....enjoy!!!

*going back for more!!!

lentejas with love

I feel it in my heart when I cook for the people that I love!! I cooked "comida" for my amigos tonight and I tried something new, it was scary and fun!!!

Lentil's with Hotdogs and Eggs:

1 lb lentil's (lentejas)

2 16oz pkg of hotdogs (sliced thin)

8 eggs

1 white onion chopped

2-3 carrots diced

2 ribs celery sliced

1 parsnip diced

3 jalapenos diced

4-5 cloves of garlic smashed

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 7 oz can chipolte sauce

1 tblspn oil

adobe, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste

chop veggies and add to a large stock pot with oil and saute about 5 minute, add tomatoes chipolte sauce and dry lentils, season and add 16 cups or more water and hotdogs.When lentil's are tender drop cracked eggs in (so scary) and turn off the flame. 

* I add adobo to everything my all time secret ingredient 

** Swans  voice in my head telling me to much oil....lol

*** and thx Swan for teaching me something new today!!!