Linguine with Pancetta, Prawns (Shrimp) and Rocket (Arugula)

A few days ago, my friend Michael, from Me, My Food and I, posted the most fabulous linguine with pancetta, shrimp and arugula, and to top it off, he made a video of this amazing preparation. I couldn't stop thinking about his creation, so wouldn't you know, the next day I just had to make it. The only different addition, I had a red bell pepper on hand and diced it...sauteed it to add for color, and flavor.

Michael is such a sweetheart, and a talented cook and baker...Nigella Lawson should be so proud of all of the amazing cakes that he makes from her recipes.Do check out his blog, and you'll see what I'm talking about!

I didn't have linguine, so I used spaghetti with this super amazing pasta dish. There's something strange about calling arugula "rocket"...or as the French call it, Roquette...either way, Michael was right; the peppery awesome flavor, of the rocket, adding it in at the end certainly makes this this so delicious! So thank you Michael, this is a winner for sure!
For the recipe, do visit Michael's blog, @ Me, My Food, and I , and enjoy the video, as well!

Canning Tomatoes...and missing Gina!

My friend Gina, from SPCookieQueen had just announced that she will have to take a break from blogging for a while, and may not be coming back! In the meantime, she had just posted her 7 Links that I tagged her with, and it is so beautiful with all her heartfelt posts, and favorite things that she posted, that I was so pleased to see, but not so pleased to hear the news that she may not be returning to her blog...sigh!

You see, Gina was one of the first blogger that befriended me on my blog, when I first started, and I will be forever grateful for that. She is so talented, and has come such a long way with her photo props, as she has explained in the past how she is doing it with the proper lighting...etc. All her recipes are so amazing, from soups...to desserts, and the photos are superb! I will personally miss her blog, and her, mostly. I have mentioned to blog at least once a month, because of her busy work schedule, so hopefully she will do at least that. As for the recipe for the actual Marinara Sauce...canning tomatoes. just link to her site! I only made a few jars of these, and I must say, it was truly a success...so thank you Gina for all your wonderful contributions...you are truly a beautiful friend, and a fantastic blogger...please do not leave permanently, not just yet!

Here's the recipe for How to can Marinara Sauce  from fresh tomatoes!

All I did was to saute some chopped onions, and chopped garlic in olive oil, and added the jar of canned Marinara sauce...heat it up, and I arrived at having the most wonderful Marinara Sauce I had ever tasted in my entire life...seriously!

...and to make it even better, I sauteed some frozen deveined, and cleaned shrimp to add to the sauce! Yumm! ...just can't have any other sauce better, than your own canned sauce!

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

enjoy this special day with your family, friends, and find beauty in nature, and in everything that you feel that is close to your heart!

HAPPY LABOR DAY TO ALL MY FRIENDS IN  THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!...you earned it, so CELEBRATE!

Tilapia 3 ways-and I'm a Winner!

I've been on the tilapia fish kick lately, simply because it's a simple white fish, delicate and takes practically no time to prepare, and also very affordable at your local supermarket's fresh fish department. Also, in order to eat fresh spinach, I like to pair it with the tilapia, or just have the salad separately. Such an easy, comforting dish that not only tastes delicious, but it's healthy, and definitely works when you are trying to lose weight, or just want to eat light.
My friend invited me over for dinner, and for some reason, I love to use this friendly and happy platter she has...love the "inscription"...Life is what you make it!...yes, my friends, it's so true! If you decide to take charge of your life, you have to decide which direction to take.

You can't always be worrying about tomorrow...can't use the quote from the old song..."Let's forget about DOMANI=tomorrow...tomorrow may never come". That thought scares me, it really does. I do want tomorrow to come, and many tomorrows after that. Do take care of yourself, your health, exercise, eat right, and remember. Life is GOOD, it really is, what you make it. (Now, if you can figure out what the bottom line says, let me know, somehow I never paid attention to it.) It is a nice platter though!

This is the same salad...I call it Greek style, with feta cheese, crumbled, sliced scallions, garlic croutons, olives, chopped roasted red peppers, over fresh baby spinach...drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
I seasoned it with freshly ground sea salt, and fresh ground mixed peppers. The tilapia was halfway baked, and last five minutes topped with a crumbled feta cheese, and topped with a slice of fresh tomato.

This particular tilapia was marinated in a balsamic/dijon mustard/mayonnaise/olive oil mixture, and cooked in a preheated grill pan, over baby spinach, sauteed onion, w/sliced portabello mushrooms, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, and crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle with the same dressing.

Tilapia #3, made same way as #2, only difference is, different dressing, and served with chunks of the fish, topped with the dressing made with white balsamic vinegar, red onions, and extra virgin olive oil mixed in food processor.


Greek Style Baked Tilapia

2-4 pieces of Tilapia fish, or other white fish
4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 1 more Tbsp. for drizzle
juice of 1 lemon, and 1 lime
1 block of Feta cheese crumbled
Fresh sliced tomatoes
sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place fish pieces on a large platter, and squeeze the juices of the lemon, and/or lime generously, all over the pieces.
Drizzle with 2 Tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt, and pepper, and marinate it for about 30 minutes, but not longer. In a preheated 400 degrees aluminum foil lined oven, drizzle with the remaining 2 Tablespoon olive oil, and place the fish pieces with the marinade. Bake for 7 minutes, and after that, top with slice of tomatoes, and half portion of the feta cheese, crumbling it. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, till the tomatoes get slightly softened.
Serve over rice, couscous, or spinach salad, as I presented it. Light, and delicious!


I have a huge announcement...I hit the Jackpot...no, not the Lottery, you know that's an almost impossibility, but the next best, is the CSN giveaway.
Chef Dennis, from More than a Mount Full was hosting a CSN giveaway last week, and as usual, I simply commented on his fabulous blog, as I always have, no rules, no..."follow my blog, facebook, twitter, etc." but just a comment which he truly deserves, and the best of it.
I have never witnessed a $100.00 giveaway from CSN Stores, but "lo, and behold" Chef Dennis had it, and guess what! I'm the Winner! I am beyond thrilled, excited, and oh, so, very happy!
Thank you, Chef Dennis...  and thank you CSN!

I did, decided on my order...#1, I selected a Pastry mat, Tuscan Stone style, which I will give to my daughter Lora, because she loves to bake.
2nd....I chose the Circulon 12 " Stir Fry pan, for me, because I donated 3 of my own stir-fry pans, including an electric one, to Goodwill, and now, I realized I don't have a stir-fry pan.
3rd....I chose a Bath Rug set, which is so beautiful, and it will be perfect for my little bath room.
I actually went over $15.00, but hey, it's worth it...I could have went over another $100.00, but there's a limit, I am so very very happy!
I will take a picture of my choices, when I receive them...so start following, and visit Chef Dennis blog, and all the other blogs, if you haven't, and make friends. You'll be glad, you did!

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Artichokes, and Capers

Yesterday was an extremely productive day, all around. I will take your on a little water ski fishing journey. What you see here is another dish that I created with Mahi-Mahi, freshly caught by a family friend surfer, who now owns a jet ski, mainly, just to use it for fishing in the ocean, having fun, catching the best, do I need to emphasize...the freshest fish, and he is so gracious to share some with us. I have never heard of jet ski fishing...although there are plenty of jet skiers, in the ocean, here in Palm Beach. I will post this recipe that I once again...seriously, just put together with whatever came into my head, and according to the ingredients and fresh herbs my daughter had at her house.

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Artichokes, and Capers

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Mahi-Mahi

1 6 oz. jar marinated artichokes

1/2 cup capers (minus 1 teaspoon)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1/2 Aranja brand or any other sour orange

marinade

1 lime cut in half-use juice of half, slice the

other half in thin slices

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

salt and pepper to taste

First line a baking or broiling pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides, like in the photo...this way, the juice will not overflow. Place the fish on the foil, pour the sour orange marinade on top of the fish, the olive oil, salt, pepper and the paprika on top of the fish. Empty the small jar of the artichokes, and pour around the fish (not on top) ...Also use the liquid from the marinade. Add the sliced garlic, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of capers around it. Bake at 375 preheated oven for about 12 minutes...any longer will turn fish dry. Check for doneness, if needed to cook longer, maybe another 3-5 minutes. It should be nice, and flaky. Top with fresh herb sauce. It's "out of this world" tasty, and unique!

Fresh Herb Sauce

A good handful of mixed fresh herbs chopped

(I used what we had available.)

fresh dill

fresh oregano

fresh basil 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup capers, drained from liquid

(minus 1 teaspoon, which was used for the fish)

salt and pepper to taste

juice of the half lime

Mix all ingredients together, set aside until fish is done, and liberally spoon on top of the fish, as shown in photo. When ready to serve, place fish portion on a large plate, and spoon the artichoke and the sauce it was baked in (topping is already on)...Ready to serve. Serves 2-4, depending on portion size. Delish!

Yesterday I had so much difficulty in posting my recipe for the butternut squash...which I already have done so, only to have it all wiped out, and not be able to retrieve it. Now, I can't even continue on the previous post, or it will run into the comment section, and mess everything up.

So, here is the recipe for the...

Butternut Squash with Organic Rainbow Chard

A large half already cut up butternut squash

1 bunch of rainbow chard

1 bunch of celery

1 cup of San Marzano tomato sauce

(or Marinara sauce...or your favorite tomato sauce)

1/2 plain water

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 teaspoons good quality curry powder

1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika

Clean and cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes, and roast in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, and your favorite herbs, for about 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside, and use that day, or refrigerate in a plastic container, and save it for another use.

In a large skillet, saute the butternut squash with the rainbow chard, that has been cut up into large chunks, and most of the stalks discarded. Also slice the scallions thin and add them along with the garlic. Saute on medium high for about 10 minutes, now add the water, let it cook down, and add the tomato sauce, the curry, and the paprika, season it with salt and pepper, and let it simmer for an additional 20 minutes being careful not to break all the beautiful chunks of the butternut squash. It is ready, when it gets to a nice thick sauce consistency. Serve it over pasta of your choice: best I found was the rigatoni, or rice, and even better, Israeli, or Moroccan couscous.

You can also add Reggiano Parmigiana cheese on top, if you are serving it over pasta. It is so delicious, not overly spicy, and the butternut squash is perfectly flavored with the spices, and the tomato sauce. The little guy in our family loved it so much, and everybody loved the baked fresh fish too.

Serves 4.

Vegetable Stir Fry, with Shrimp

Yesterday was such a dreary day, so my daughter and I went thrift shopping for books, of course they would have to be cookbooks, or some kind of great novels for women. I am open to all kinds of other books as well, and buy them on Amazon, but when I could find some real good books in the thrift stores which are the best, in our area, I kid you not. I will get back on that subject, later.

 The main thing I should be talking about is another quick shrimp dish. I only had about maybe a dozen shrimp leftover in my freezer, and knowing I will devour that amount by myself, I better make it light. I bought this wonderful bag of fresh mixed veggies at my local supermarket, in the Asian section, and I wanted to make spring rolls, the same day that my friend Sabby made hers, but did not have the patience to roll the little suckers, plus the fact that I would have to fry them, so this was my next best option...vegetables stir fry, with shrimp. Mind you, even the little bag of the sauce came with it, but of course, I spiced the shrimps up even more for extra flavor.

Vegetable Stir Fry with Shrimp

1/2 lb large shrimp cleaned and deveined, with tail on

1/2  bag of 16 oz. LEASA mixed stir fry vegetables

1 bunch scallion, outer leaves discarded, and sliced 1 inch.diagonal 

1 clove garlic sliced thin

1/2 teaspoon of a good quality ginger

1/2 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

juice of 1 lime

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Place shrimp in a medium bowl, and sprinkle all over with the juice of 1/2 of the lime, and  the spices. Heat a wok, or a large heavy skillet with  1 Tablespoon of the oil, on high. Stir fry the the shrimp with the sliced garlic for about 2 minutes, till almost pink. Remove from the wok, or skillet, and set aside. Wipe wok, or skillet clean with paper towel. Add the 2 Tablespoon of the remaining oil set it high again, and stir fry the scallion, and the vegetables for a few minutes. add the packet of the sauce from the bag, which is (teriyaki sauce. If you are using different vegetables, you can add your own splash of teriyaki, or soy sauce on it.) Add the remaining juice of the other half of the lime, and add the shrimp back into the wok, or skillet. Stir for another minute or 2 until it turns completely pink, and heated through. Vegetables should be nice and crispy. Serves 2.

Just look at all these books. Daughter browsing through for herself and finding great cookbooks too. Price range from 95 cents for paperback, to $1.95 to $2.95 for hardcover books...and these books are most of the quite recent.The entire bottom shelf is loaded with childrens' books. I think we just about picked up all the best ones.

 





 

Three in One Salad

After all those ooey-gooey cheesie comfort food dishes, it's time to get down to real serious salad eatings. I created this salad at my daughter's (you can see, the blue plates are hers, not a thrift find,..a perfect lunch, yet comfortably pleasing with Greek pita bread she purchased, and the wonderful Greek yogurt from our local Middle Eastern market. The avocado was from the local Cuban produce market, so is this Greece, meet Cuba, in South Florida. Not too shabby!

Three in One Salad

Top Layer: Tzatziki

1 large cucumber peeled, halved, and cut into thirds,

 insides scooped out and  cut into 1/4 inch small slices. 

1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt

small amount of fresh snipped, or dried mint, or dill, or oregano (I used dried oregano)

salt and pepper to taste

a dash of rice vinegar (very mild)

Mix all the ingredients together, and serve it on top of the salad, (or on the side if you prefer)

Serves 2

Middle layer: Avocado and tomato salad

2-4 small mature, just ripe avocados,

skin removed, split in half and diced into cubes

2-4 plum tomatoes, cut in half and cubed

1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 jalapeno peppers diced

juice of 1 lime 

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together all the ingredients, in a medium bowl, and save it for the middle layer of the salad, along with the dressing in it. No additional dressing needed.

Bottom layer: 1 bag of European mixed salad

1 6 oz can of imported Italian light  tuna in olive oil (or your favorite brand)

Start out on a dinner plate, with a nice portion, or half of the bag of salad, next, divide the tuna into nice chunks and scatter it evenly on 2 dinner plates, with oil in it..(don't drain liquid, or oil)...next, divide, and layer the avocado tomato salad including the dressing. The top portion is the tzatziki, just scoop that on the top, and serve it with pita bread, or naan, or bread of your choice. A hearty, healthy, satisfying lunch. Serves 2-4, if smaller portions are to be prepared.

Can you believe it? 12 limes for $1.00. Can't beat this price!

Just look at these beauties, for 99 cents per pound!

Stuffed Artichokes

I've been wanting to make stuffed artichokes for the longest time, but was not quite satisfied with the looks of them. They have to be large, firm and a beautiful deep green color, in order for me to buy it. This pair was a perfect match for stuffing and steaming, and served with a olio, aglio sauce...in our language, a nice dipping sauce with easily made with the combination of your best mayo, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar.

The proper way to call these artichokes is Poached Stuffed artichokes. They are poached in a large pot, in small amount of boiling water for about 45 minutes. Make sure you cut the core off almost all the way to the bottom, so they can stand up. Snip the prickly leaves all around. They are no use. Also, with a serrated knife, cut the top off, about 1 inch, to expose the "heart". Wash well in water, and immediately rub with cut lemon, or lime juice, or white vinegar. After they're cooked, it's such a fun way of eating them, they have superb flavor. You simply peel off leave one-by-one, and dip them in the accompanying sauce, and the best part is, when you get to the heart, which has a rich, soft, butter flavor. Yumm!

Recipe, to follow.

Stuffed Artichokes (Poached)

2 nice large artichokes

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic chopped

salt and pepper to taste 

juice of 1 whole lemon, or lime

a handful of fresh parsley chopped

or (1 container of Tabbouleh...fresh, store bought)

( I used fresh parsley, and leftover Tabbouleh, from the 

Middle Eastern market)

In a small bowl, mix together all your ingredients, if not moist enough add a little more oil, or small amount of water, for a pasty effect. Stand artichokes upright, make sure you rub all over with the lemon, or lime, stretch the leave out, being careful not to tear them and lightly pack them with the stuffing...no special way, just wherever you can pack the stuffing lightly, all around. Now, drizzle a little more oil on top, and  place them in a large pot, just the way you see it in my photo, on top. Add water, 1/4 way up, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, and gently simmer, over medium to low heat for about 45 minutes. You might have to add more water, as it cooks down. With a tong, gently remove to a platter, and make the dipping sauce for it. Serves, 2-4..depending how many persons want to try it.

Olio Aglio Sauce, or American version of Garlic and Oil 

1 cup of excellent quality, Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the olive oil, With a whisk, carefully drizzle the olive oil, whisking well after each addition. Adjust the seasoning, and serve it on the side for the artichokes. Very good dipping sauce for the stuffed poached artichokes.

Shrimp with Tomatoes Feta and Ouzo

Here we go again! ...yet, another shrimp dish...my bag of shrimp goes a long way!  This one is with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh mints, laced with a 1/2 cup Ouzo...all I can say is, OPA!

 Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta, and Ouzo

1 1/2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails on

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

10 plum tomatoes diced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

a pinch of snipped fresh mint (or dry)

a pinch of snipped fresh oregano (or dry)

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of red pepper flakes

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 lb Greek feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup Ouzo (Greek liquor)

In a large heavy skillet, over medium high  heat, saute onions, garlic, pepper flakes, (the dry herbs) in the olive oil, and butter, till onion is nicely transparent. Add the shrimp to it and saute only, until they turn pink.. Now, add the ouzo, and let the alcohol cook down, for just less than a minute. (Don't ignite it, unless you have experience.)

Remove shrimp to a platter, and keep on the side. Add the tomatoes, the tomato sauce and cook for about 15-20 minutes, till it gets nicely thick, but tomatoes not overcooked to a mush. Season with salt, and pepper, and add the fresh herbs, now, at the end of cooking. (Actually, you can use fresh, and dry, together, but dry has to be added in he beginning.)

Add the shrimp back into the skillet, gently mix it together, and sprinkle with the feta. Put under the  broiler, till the cheese melts, and sauce gets bubbly for about 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the cheese. Serve over spaghetti, or just by itself, with nice crusty bread, and a mixed salad. Serves 4.

Comfort Food-Lunch For Ten

Shrimp is another staple I keep lately in the freezer, because we get the best frozen, as well as the fresh shrimp, of course. 24oz. of large shrimp from our local Publix market, $11.99. is a real bargain, and oh, so good.  Sauteed just with olive oil, garlic, and butter, with spiced with my favorite Hungarian hot paprika, fresh parsley, and fresh lemon. Served over jasmine rice. All of these items, is a must have in my kitchen. I can't say, that I get anywhere from 4 to 14 people dropping in, (I would not tolerate that.) That was in the days when I was growing up, in our family home. My Mom would feed the whole neighborhood just with her huge pots of home made soups. I can say, that I do get 10 people, just about every Sunday, my 2 children, their spouses and their children, 2 for each.(4) and my ex-husband.(you can never really get away from a Sicilian...LOL)Family gatherings are always nice. You don't have to wait for a holiday to have them. I live on the beach now, practically my back yard, so everyone enjoys the beach, and the large Olympic pool. The beach is private, so we don't have to venture out to a public beach. My condo apartment is small, but just the right size for me. If anybody feels like cooking in the closet, well, that would be me. Both my children have nice fairly large kitchens, with plenty of counter space, well, I have a "shoebox" of a kitchen, but then, I have the vast ocean ground to make up for it...LOCATION, LOCATION! That's the "key."

I used the Moroccan spice blend to rub on the chicken, and also baked the baby sweet potatoes along side. Roasted the the ripe peaches and plums to have them with the chicken, also.

The potatoes take less time to roast than the chicken, so you have to remove them after about 45 minutes/

Broccoli spears, steamed and dressed with your favorite vinaigrette.

Light "Prime Filet" Tuna Salad

The most welcomed tuna salad...ever!

Light "Prime Filet" Tuna Salad

1 5 oz. Solid White Albacore Tuna (I use Bumble Bee)

1 Tbsp. Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

a squeeze of a fresh 1/2 lemon

Sm. handful of Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 of a large sweet onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a small bowl, break up tuna with a fork, but keep it chunky. Mix all the other ingredients in there, and mix it lightly. The entire amount packs into 2 halves of a toasted pita, accompanied by your favorite sides. Serves 2, or 1, if you're really hungry.

What you see on this photo, is actually what it is. A simple light tuna salad, stuffed into a toasted halved pita pockets, and the colors are not exaggerated, not enhanced. Slices of Roma tomatoes, red, firm and sweet, I always buy a large bag of Romaine lettuce to have on hand for salads, and for sandwiches, and of course decorations. Always have some kind of pickles, in this case, sweet mini gherkins. You might say I have a fairly nice staple in my cupboards and refrigerator. The tuna is a new kind, that I did not see until recently. It comes a s a 4 pack, Bumble Bee "prime fillet" Solid White Albacore, and they mean just that.It is a gourmet tuna, and it's right on the can, gold color, to be exact, packed in water, but I must say, packed real solid. I'm very impressed with this brand. As you can see, it packs well into the pita pocket, and is not watery or spilling out. I am very basic at home with stuff that I make, not try to "overdo" the effects, but keep it real! I leave all the fancy stuff to other foodies out there, and I just marvel at the beauty of their creations, but sometimes wonder about...did they actually make the stuff?...and wonder about some of the recipes, but in most cases, they are quite precise, depending whose recipe it is. It is better to adapt a recipe, you just can't follow exactly what the recipe calls for, anybody with a common sense of cooking would know that. Getting back to my tuna salad.
The sad part was, that this was my "lonely little Labor Day dinner"...OK...take that back, it wasn't lonely, because we spent a nice weekend at the fabulous Fontainebleau Hotel, and Resort, and returned Labor Day, late afternoon. As you can see the photos, of the Maya Tapas and Grill, in South Beach, we ventured out to have lunch, and dinner out on the town, instead of at the Hotel, where all 7 restaurants were totally booked till late night. People in the pool, were crowded together, even in the "kiddie pool" I have never seen anything like that, and I only live 60 miles north from there. Come to think of it, I worked about a few blocks north from the hotel, on the 25th penthouse floor of a condo there about 10 years ago, as a Private Chef.I know this whole area quite well, and South Beach is even more popular now, than ever! I have never seen so many tourists and locals out on the street walking and hanging out in places, ever! Maybe in New York, or some European famous city.I will post my simple little recipe for my tuna salad for 2...in this case, it was for 1.