Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Monica J. Pileggi, Dec 2003


½ cup sliced leeks, washed well
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T. butter
2 cans chicken broth
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
¾ cup half and half cream
½ tspn pepper
½ tspn salt
1 tspn dried thyme (or dill, chives, parsley)
½ tspn celery seeds
2 T. butter

Sauté leeks, onions, and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter, until tender. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce to medium. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.

Add the seasonings and cream and simmer 5 minutes more. Puree the batch along with 2 T of butter. Serve with a salad or crusty bread.

Serves 6-8.

Chilled Gazpacho

Enjoy this recipe on a hot summer's day.

3 large tomatoes

2 garlic cloves
1 cucumber
1/4 green pepper
Green onion stems
Salt
1/2 T. cumin
Olive oil to taste
Sherry vinegar to taste
Croutons

Puree everything except the croutons, sliced olives, and chopped green onion stems.

Add water to desired consistency.

Garnish with extra chopped tomato, cucumber, green onions, olives, and croutons.

Limoncello Cream

The area of Naples and the Amalfi coast in Italy is known for its lemon trees and the liquor Limoncello and Crema di Limoncello. My husband's cousin from Naples gave me her family recipe for the Crema di Limoncello when we visited family in Naples in May 1998. This is a delicious frozen liquor drink, which is wonderful to sip on a hot summer's day, or any day.

Also, further down is a recipe for Limoncello. You can purchase this liquor throughout Naples and the Amalfi coast. The glass bottles are beautifully decorated and make for a nice souvenir. Enjoy!

Crema di Limoncello

Zest of 8 Lemons
1 liter of grain alcohol
3-1/2 cups of sugar
2 liters milk
A large container

Wash and dry lemons. Zest the lemons, making sure to remove the pith. Add the zest to a large container and add the vodka. Store the bottle at room temperature for 1 week.

In a large pot, combine the sugar and milk. Bring it almost to a boil, making sure the sugar has dissolved.

Let this mixture cool completely.

As you add the vodka mixture, use a strainer to catch the zest. Pour the completed mixture into bottles.

Store the bottle in freezer. Serve chilled.


Monica's Crema di Limoncello
July 2011

After making the above recipe, I tweaked it a little. Here's my version. It's delicious!

1 Liter grain alcohol
7 Lemons, washed and dried
3 Cups sugar
1 quart plus 20 oz. half & half cream

Zest the lemons and place in a large container with the alcohol. Let sit for 2 weeks.

In a large pot, add the sugar and cream. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let this mixture cool completely. Add the lemon/alcohol mixture into the pot using a strainer (sitting on top of a large pot) to catch the zest. Pour mixture into 2 bottles.

Store in freezer. Serve chilled.

Olive & Ham Cake

From my friend Elena Mayberry, August 2003


Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1-2/3 C Flour
2-1/2 t Baking powder
1/3 C Olive oil
2 T Melted butter
1/2 C Dry white wine (or dry sherry)
1/4 C Port (tawny port)
1 1/2 C pitted, sliced green olives
2 C Chopped ham (e.g., Virginia ham, Turkey ham, or smoked meat of some sort). "Dry" sauté the ham to remove excess liquid - let cool before adding to mix
2 C Gruyere shredded cheese
1/4 t Salt
1/4 t Pepper

Heat the oven to 425F.

Grease a 9 x 5 bread pan.

Beat eggs until lemon colored.

Stir in flour, baking powder, olive oil, melted butter, wine, and port.

Stir in ham, cheese, olives, salt, and pepper.

Pour into greased pan.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes until skewer comes out clean.

Serve cold.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Olives

This is a recipe from my friends Chris and Margaret Hansen, January 2006, which they made for our group rotation dinner.

Yield: 4 servings

1 Medium onion -peeled and quartered
2 Medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2-1/2 Lbs chicken, skinned, cut into small pieces
2 T Flour
1 T Olive oil
2-1/2 C water
1/8 t Saffron
1/2 t Ground ginger
1/2 t Ground cumin
1/2 t Paprika
1/4 t Salt
3 T Lemon juice
2 lemon peels grated
1/2 Cups Green olives, pitted and coursely chopped
2 T Minced cilantro
3/4 Cups couscous
Fresh ground black pepper

In a food processor, finely chop onion and garlic. Cut chicken into large portions. Dredge chicken in flour. in a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Sauté chicken and onion mixture until mixture has soften, about 10 minutes.

Stir in one cup water, saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika, salt and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 35 minutes. Add lemon juice, olives, cilantro and pepper. Simmer gently 5 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Spoon chicken over couscous and serve.

Notes: Chris and I added a jar of Trader Joe's Moroccan Tagine Simmering Sauce, however the recipe does not ask for it.

Pollo al Marsala con Peperoni Rossi

Pollo al Marsala con Peperoni Rossi

Chicken Breasts with Marsala and Red Peppers

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

½ cup flour – for dredging

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 red bell pepper, thinly slices length-wise

1 cup Marsala

About ½ cup water

Chopped parsley for garnish

Butterfly the chicken breasts by carefully cutting them open horizontally. Flour on both sides.

In a large pan, brown the chicken breasts in olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper each side. Remove chicken breasts, and set aside.

Add sliced red peppers to the pan and sauté on high heat 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Return chicken to pan and add Marsala and water.

Cover the pan and cook until juices run clear, not pink, when chicken is pierced with a fork (6-8 minutes). Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

 

Basque Chicken

4 each chicken thighs and legs

3 T. olive oil

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. dried oregano

1 large clove garlic, chopped

2 shallots, chopped
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 C. chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 C. Spanish green olives
1/2 C. black olives

Skin the chicken and trim off any excess fat.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the thyme and oregano and add the chicken. Sauté, turning the pieces as they become golden, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Add the shallots and tomatoes and stir until soft, 2-3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of the stock and bring to a boil. Deglaze the pan by stirring to dislodge any browned bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the green and black olives, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Stir the sauce and then pour in the remaining 1/2-cup of stock. Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter with the sauce and serve.

Serves 4

Spiced Apple Cake

Today I made a spiced apple cake. Tonight is our monthly rotation dinner and the food theme is Foods from Australia. I have book called The Australian Heritage Cookbook, published in 1988. I believe my grand Aunt Monica gave it to me years ago.

I'm not a huge dessert baker but this recipe that was very easy and something I'd do again.














Topping:

2 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
3 T. flour
15g (3/4 oz) melted butter or margarine

The Cake:

3/4 C. milk
1 C. muesli (purchased at Giant)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C. brown sugar
60g (2 oz) melted butter or margarine
1 C peeled, grated apple
1-3/4 C. self-raising flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

Mix dry topping ingredients together and stir in the butter.

Combine the milk and muesil and stand for 5 minutes, then add the egg.

Add the sugar, butter and apple, then fold in the sifted dry ingredients.

Pour into a prepared 8" springform tin. [I buttered/floured the tin].

Crumble the topping over the cake mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Allow cake to stand 15-20 minutes before turning out.

Eat within 2-3 days. [Yeah, right].

My Notes:

Boy, this didn't "pour" into the pan. It was very thick. I might have made the mistake of draining the apples.

The house smells wonderful of cinnamon and apples!

I baked it for 36 minutes and checked with a knife and tooth pick. 

Will write a post-note after I have some tonight.

Okay, so it was a little dry. Next time maybe just 30 minutes and not drain the juice from the apples. Maybe even some apple sauce for mositure. Will make this again just to see if I can adjust correctly.

Brazilian Potato Salad

Today I made a Brazilian potato salad for a group rotation dinner tonight.

I found several recipes for this potato salad. I followed most of this one:
http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/recipes/maionese.htm 

Original Recipe

4-5 potatoes
2 carrots
100-150 g of green beans
1 cup of frozen green peas
10 olives
1 small can of hearts of palm
1 jar of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of olive oil (optional)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion (optional)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Rinse the potatoes and cook them in water and salt.
Peel the carrots, cut them into small pieces and cook them in water and salt.
Rinse the green beans, cut them into small pieces and cook them in water and salt.
Cook the green peas in water and salt.
Drain the palm hearts and cut them into small pieces.
Cut the olives into small pieces.
Once all vegetables are cooked, drain the water: allow them to cool down and save them for later. Peel the cooked potatoes and cut them into small pieces.
Put all ingredients in a bowl, add the mayonnaise, the oil, the onion, the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well all ingredients, cover the bowl with a plastic film and keep the bowl in the fridge until serving.

My adaptation

2 lbs red potatoes (9)
1 cup matchstick carrots, chopped
1.5 cups frozen corn
1.5 cups frozen green peas
25 pimento-stuffed green olives
1 small can of hearts of palm
1-3/4 cups of Helman's mayonnaise
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

Rinse the potatoes and cook them in water and salt.

Meanwhile, chop the carrots, onions, olives, and hearts of palm.

Blanch the carrots, peas, and corn, about 5 minutes or so -  I took some of the boiling water from the potatoes and added it to another pot with the vegetables. 

 

Once all vegetables are cooked, drain the water: allow them to cool down and save them for later.

Peel the cooked potatoes and cut them into small pieces.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the mayonnaise.  

Gently toss the ingredients. Cover the bowl with a plastic film and keep the bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes:

Peeling the potatoes after they've cooled was time-consuming. Next time I may just peel, quarter and then boil them. I don't know if keeping the skins on while boiling keeps the liquid out.

This made a huge batch.

It's delicious!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

23 April 2012: Yesterday I made a huge batch of pork carnitas. This is one of my favorite foods. I made it for a party. This is from All Recipes. My notes are below of what I did or did not do.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

What I did or did not do:

I tripled the rub and added a teaspoon of paprika. I didn’t use bay leaves or the cinnamon.

I marinated the pork overnight.

I cooked two 5.5 (approx.) pork shoulders (Costco doesn’t package pork shoulders individually), each in its own pan and covered tightly with tinfoil; and cooked for 5 ½ hours at 300 degrees. I could have taken it out at the 5 hour mark. Cook until 170 degrees inside temperature.

I added towards the end, a large onion, sliced thin. Next time I will cook separately in a pan so that the onions don’t cook all the way down (add after shredding the pork and toss to combine). I didn’t really taste the onions when eating.

I added the chicken broth after shredding the pork (remove all fat), as there wasn’t enough juices in the pan (which I drained the fat first).

I served with corn tortillas (healthier than plain white soft tortillas - warm up first or else they’ll fall apart) and fresh-made salsa.

This recipe could use a little kick, therefore, next time I’ll serve with hot fresh-made salsa or will add some hot sauce to the shredded pork.

Polpettone alla Toscano (Tuscan Meatballs)

This is a recipe I made from the following web site:

http://www.theculinarylife.com/2011/polpettone-alla-toscano-or-italian-meatballs/

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko)
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1 pound ground beef
1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped fine [I used bacon]
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly chopped [flat leaf] Italian parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup white flour

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon grated carrot
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for five minutes. Strains and squeeze to remove excess milk, then loosen crumbed and spread over a plate.

In a large bowl, mix together with the beef, prosciutto, egg, salt, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix well with your hands.

Moisten your hands with a little water and form the meat into 8 meatballs of the same size. Be sure to pack them well and not leave any openings, otherwise the meatballs will fall apart while cooking.

Place the flour into a small bowl and roll the meatballs lightly in the flour until evenly coated.

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently brown meatballs all over, allowing a nice, savory crust to form. Turn the heat to low.

To the pan add the carrot and onion. Cook gently just until the vegetables start to brown, then pour in white wine and tomato sauce. Allow to cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, nudging occasionally with a spatula to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Gently turn meatballs over, cover the pan, and finish cooking until they are cooked through, about 7 more minutes, again nudging to prevent sticking. If you like, you can remove the meatballs from the pan and continue cooking the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.

Allow meatballs to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve meatballs hot, covered with tomato sauce and garnished with parmesan cheese. Also, feel free to serve these bad boys on a sandwich with a little provolone, which is most definitely Italian!

I followed this recipe in the making of the meatballs. However, I always bake mine in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes (about 1.5 ounces each) in order to cook out some of the fat.

I prepared the sauce in a large/deep skillet and added the meatballs. Covered and cooked on low for one hour.

I really liked the flavor that the bacon added to the meatballs. I usually make mine with beef and hot Italian sausage.

No photos for this recipe! I thought I saved them but must have cleaned up my memory card. The photo above is of a similar meatball recipe.

Greek Meat Loaf

Greek Meat Loaf

I belong to a rotation meal group and Will made this delicious meat loaf when I hosted Greek Night.

1 lb Ground beef chuck
1 lb Ground lamb
2 Eggs
1 Cup bread crumbs
2 Bunches green onions, minced
4 oz Feta cheese, finely crumbled
1/4 Cup minced fresh parsley
1 T Dried mint leaves
2 T Olive oil
1 T Red wine vinegar
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix all ingredients just until well combined but not overmixed. In 13x9 metal baking pan, shape meat mixture into 9x5 inch loaf. Bake meat loaf 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8

Spaghetti Pizza

3/4 lb. spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 T. olive oil
About 5 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 tomatoes, diced
1-1/4 c. crushed tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash hot pepper flakes
5 eggs
1 to 1.5 c. mozzarella, diced
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3/4 c. diced ham

Prepare the pasta by boiling water with salt. Cook until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside in the same large pot.

Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, diced tomatoes, and the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and a little hot pepper flakes. Cook on medium-low heat so that the sauce thickens.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the pot with the spaghetti and stir to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot: Ham, mozarella, parmesan cheese, and sauce.

Once combined, pour into a 9" x 13" baking pan. Top with additional parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45-55 minutes, until hot and golden brown. It should be firm enough to cut into sections and hold together.

Note: This can also be prepared in a large skillet using half of the ingredients. Combine in the skillet and cook on medium-low heat until the bottom has browned, about 10-12 minutes; invert on a plate and return to the skillet to cook on the other side for another 10-12 minutes until firm and golden brown.

Serves: 10 - 12

Beef Tagine with Green Olives

My friend Elena made this for a travel group luncheon quite a few years ago. It's time I added it to my blog.

1-1/2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1" cubes
1 t. paprika
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 T. olive oil
2 T. tomato puree
4 shallots, quartered
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
2 T. chopped parsley
Dash salt
1/2 c. pitted green olives

Put the 5 spices, garlic, 2 T. olive oil and tomato puree in a large zip lock bag. Knead to mix together. Add teh beef, close, and knead to cover the meat with the spices. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat the remaining oil and saute the shallots, potatoes, and carrots until they begin to change color. Remove from the pan.

In the same pan, fry the marinated meat until sealed on all sides. You may have to do this in batches.

Return the vegetables to the pan; add the canned tomatoes, any remaining marinade, parsley, and salt. Cover and cook over low heat for about 3 hours, or until the beef is tender.

Stir in the olives and allow to just heat through.

Notes:
This works well in a crockpot.
I doubled the recipe for a large dinner party for 15 people.

Pot Roast

This is my mother's recipe - simple, yet a delicious comfort food.

1 lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 T. oil
Salt and Pepper
3/4 c. water
2 carrots, pared and halved
1 small onion, quartered
2 medium potatoes, pared and quartered.

In a heavy skillet, brown the meat on all sides in the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the water, cover and simmer for 1 hour, adding water if necessary.

Add the vegetables and simmer 45-60 minutes, or until everything is tender.

Serve with the skimmed pan juices (do not thicken).

Garlic Shrimp

When having parties with a Mediterranean food theme, I like to prepare this easy, yet very flavorful appetizer. This is a Spanish tapas dish. 

Ingredients:

1/4 c. olive oil 

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1/2 t. red pepper flakes 

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined 

2 T. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. dry sherry 

1 t. paprika 

Salt and Pepper 

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

Directions: 

Over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and sauté for a minute.

Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry, and paprika. Stir well to combine and until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Place in a serving dish and top with the parsley. 

This serves 4 people or make a large batch for a dinner party. Have fresh bread on hand to sop up the juices.

Crab and Shrimp Dip

This is an excellent dip.  This make a huge batch, so save it for a large party.

3 8-oz packages cream cheese
2 cans crabmeat (not chunk); well drained (6 oz cans)
1 6-oz can broken shrimp, well drained
A few red pepper flakes or horseradish
Minced garlic, about 2 cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degree for 25-35 minutes until warmed through.

Serve with french bread or crackers.

Serves 12-14


July 2013: I made this for a picnic and added a second can of the shrimp, plus some chopped onion, mustard powder, and worcestershire sauce.

Boursin Cheese Dip

This is a very simple dip to prepare and goes pretty quickly at parties. 8 oz whipped cream cheese 2 T. butter, softened 1/4 t. minced garlic 1 T. chopped parsley 1 T. chopped chives 1 t. dill Mix all together in a bowl; chill in the refrigerator; serve with crackers.

Braunschweiger Spread

I made this recipe (adapted) for a group rotation dinner for tonight. The food theme is German foods. My friend Carol B. gave me her recipe for this rich German spread using Braunschweiger, a type of pork liverwurst that you can purchase in your local grocery store.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Liver sausage (Braunschweiger)
2 t. Lemon juice
1 T. Chopped onion
1 t. Worchestershire Sauce
Dash Salt and Pepper
Pumpernickle or Rye bread; or Crackers


Carol said she uses lots more onion and a little more Worchestershire sauce.

I increased the recipe for the dinner party using:

12 oz. of cream cheese
12 oz. of the liver
3 t. lemon juice
4 T. onions
1 T. worchestershire sauce

I also added:

1/4 t. or so of dried thyme
1 T. Sherry

Soften cream cheese.
Finely chop the onions.
Add all ingredients in a bowl.

Using a fork, mix all the ingredients until combined. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in a nice crock or bowl with a hearty bread such as Pumpernickle, Rye, or Rye wheat thins.

Italian Grilled Vegetables

This is an adapted recipe from Giada de Laurentis. I made last week for a rotation dinner. It made a huge batch, so either reduce the quantity of the vegetables or enjoy the next night or two.

3 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin slices
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
2 eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
24 Cremini mushrooms, keep whole unless very large
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch green onions, roots cut off
1/4 cup + 2 T olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. parsley
1/2 t. finely chopped rosemary

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Brush the vegetables with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the vegetables in baking pans and as one layer as follows, as they all have different cooking times:

- Red bell peppers in one pan - these take about 8 to 10 minutes
- Yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant - these take about 7 minutes
- Asparagus and green onions - these take about 4-5 minutes

I started the bell peppers in the oven and added the other pans, each one, a few minutes later.

Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs in a bowl to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle over the vegetables and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I mis-read the ingredients and used more olive oil than needed for the dressing, so I added more balsamic vinegar.

This came out great, but doing it directly on a grill would be even better. Of course, you can use any type of vegetables. I'm thinking fennel, onions, other types of bell peppers, etc.