Braised Pork with Fennel and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Here this is shown served over Rice, but is also delicious with a side of pasta or an herb roasted potato.  Your choice!

Braised Pork with Fennel and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

4 Large Pork Loin Chops (I prefer them on the bone)

1 Large Fennel Bulb cored and thinly sliced with Frons reserved

1 Medium Shallot minced

1 Large Galic Clove minced

2 Tblspn. Lemon Zest

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Cups Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

2 Tblspn. Capers (Non Periel)

2 Tblspn. Dried Italian Parsley

3 Tblspn. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Marsala Wine

Lightly sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside.  Heat extra virgin olive oil in large skillet over high heat.  Add pork chops and braise until they are lightly golden brown on both sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Reduce heat to medium and add Marsala wine, stir and deglaze the pan to incorporate drippings into the sauce.  When Marsala is reduced by 1/2, add sliced Fennel, minced Shallots and minced Garlic.  Stir and cook until Fennel becomes tender.  Add Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, dried parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir sauce and allow to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Add Capers to the sauce and allow to cook for 5 additional minutes.  Add the Braised Pork Chops to the sauce turning  them to coat with the sauce.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for an additional 20 minutes.  Take reserved Fennel Frons and run your knife through them roughly.  Serve Pork Chops with Sauce on top.  Sprinkle with Fennel Frons and Lemon Zest.

Pasta with Rappi and Spicey Sausage

This is a very tastey and easy dish to make.  In this recipe I have made it spicey, but if you prefer it can be made with a mild or sweet sausage.  Enjoy!

Pasta with Rappi and Spicey Sausage
1 pound of pasta (Zitti, Shells or Orchietta is suggested.  Shown here with Shells)
1 pound of hot Italian sausage out of its casing
1 large bunch of cleaned and coarsley chopped Rappi greens
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 Tspn. Salt
1 Tspn. Black Pepper
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1 Tblspn. fresh lemon zest
2 Tblspn. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable stock

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add sausage out of its casing and cook over high heat until it is browned.  Rinse chopped Rappi greens and add them with the residual water on them to the skillet on top of the browned sausage.  Reduce heat to medium and cover.  Allow the greens to wilt.  Uncover skillet and add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, wine and stock.  Stir well to incorporate.  Allow to cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook pasta, drain and add to sauce.  Stir and allow to cook on simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to allow pasta to absorb flavor.  Plate, sprinkle with lemon zest and serve with Reggiano Parmigiano cheese.

Chicken Breasts with Blackberry Brandy Cream Sauce. . .

This recipe is great for fall.  Although I originally designed this recipe with Chicken in mind, the sauce works wonderfully with Turkey and Pork as well.  I hope you enjoy it.

Chicken Breast with Blackberry Brandy Cream Sauce

6 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 Scallions finely chopped, including white and green part of scallions
1/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Large Red Apple cored and chopped with skin left on
1/4 Tspn. Sea Salt (for sauce) + Salt to taste to prepare Chicken Breast
1/4 Tspn. Ground Black Pepper (for sauce) + Pepper to taste to prepare Chicken Breast
1/4 Tspn. Ground Dried Mustard
1 Tblspn. Dried Parsley
1/8 Tspn. Freshly ground Nutmeg
2 Tblspn. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tblspn. Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2/3 Cup Blackberry Brandy
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tspn. Cornstarch
1.5 Tblspn. Water

Rinse Chicken Breasts and pat dry.  Lightly sprinkle each side of each breast with salt and pepper and set aside.  Heat extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter in heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Place chicken breasts in the skillet after it is up to temperature and cook until breasts are golden brown on each side.  Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add Chicken Stock and Blackberry Brandy to pan, stirring to deglaze pan and incorporate the pan drippings.  Add scallions, walnuts and apples to pan and allow the stock and brandy to cook down by half.  Add cream, salt, pepper and dried mustard. Stir and allow to cook for approximately 1 - 2 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and water together in separte bowl and mix.  (This is a cornstarch flurry for thickening).  Add cornstarch flurry to sauce.  Stir and allow sauce to remain at a low boil until sauce begins to thicken.  (The sauce should coat a spoon, but should not be paste like in consistency.)  Add chicken breasts back to the pan.  Sprinkle with the Parsely and fresh ground Nutmeg.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  Spoon sauce over each breast for serving.

Serves 6

Note:  Either steamed rice or Rosemary Roasted potatoes accompanies this dish well.

Gluten Free Salsa

There are some gluten free bottled Salsa on the shelves, but can anyone argue that fresh homemade isn't better?  Of course not!  I put this recipe together over the years and it is delicous.  You can adjust the type of peppers that you use for the desired heat.  This recipe is a medium hot.  It catches you in the back of the throat, but doesn't make your eyes water and your forehead sweat.

I am not a big fan of Cilantro, but I do like Coriander, which is the seed of the plant.  Therefore, I use Coriander in this recipe.  You can add a couple tablespoons of chopped Cilantro to the recipe if you choose to have a more predominant presence of the flavor.

Here is a link to a site that is great for describing the flavor and heat of the various peppers you can choose from for this recipe  http://www.foodsubs.com/Chilefre.html

Donna's Spicey Salsa

1/2 Cup of fresh hot peppers chopped.  I use a mix of equal amounts of Jalepeno, Hot Cherry Peppers, and Guero (also known as Caribe Chili Pepper) and I add one small Habanero Pepper.  (I remove the seeds from all of the hot peppers, but you can add some for extra heat.
3 Cups of chopped mild Peppers to include 1 Red Bell Pepper, and equal amounts of Poblano Peppers, Yellow Bananna Peppers and Anaheim Peppers
1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion chopped
3 Cans of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
1.5 Tspn. Kosher Salt
2 Tblspn. Tblspn. Fine Ground Black Pepper
1 Tblspn. Crushed Garlic
1 Tspn. crushed Coriander seed.  (I use a pestle and mortar to crush them.)
3 Tbspn. Dired Parsley
3 Tblspn. Grape Seed Oil
3 Tblspn. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tblspn. Corn Starch
3 Tblspn. Water

Heat the Grape Seed oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add the chopped peppers and onions.  Allow to cook until onions begin to sweat and peppers become slightly tender.  Add the white wine vinegar and allow to cook for 1 more minute.  Add the crushed garlic, kosher salt, pepper and coriander. Stir to incorporate and allow to cook for 3 minutes.  Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes and dried parsley.  Stir to incorporate ingredients thouroughly.  Reduce heat to medium but maintain a low boil and allow to cook for 15 minutes stirring frequently.  Taste and ajust salt and pepper to your liking.  In a small bowl mix Corn Starch and Water and stir to a smooth liquid.    Add the Corn Starch slurry to the salsa and allow to cook at a low boil for an addition 5 - 7 minutes.    Remove from heat and allow the salsa to cool.  Once cooled, add the salsa to a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency.

Makes approximately 2 quarts of salsa. 

Vodka Sauce. . .

This is a wonderful  Tomato Cream Sauce that works best with heavier pastas such as Gnocchi or Penne, Ziti, or Rigatoni. . .(Gluten free for Celiac's remember!!!)

Vodka Sauce:

2 Large Shallots chopped
1 Small Red Onion chopped
1 Medium Clove Garlic finely minced
8 oz. Pancetta diced
1/4 Cup Pignoli Nuts (Pine Nuts)
4 Large Fresh Basil Leaves roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tblspn. Olive Oil
3 Cups Crushed Tomatoes (No skins or seeds)
1 Cup Vodka (Plain with no flavor added)
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Heat Olive Oil in a skillet over high heat.  When hot, add chopped Pancetta and allow to brown until a light crisp starts to form at the edges.  Add the chopped Shallots, Red Onion and Garlic.  Stir and reduce heat to medium high.  Cook until Shallots and Onions begin to sweat. Add Pignoli nuts and allow the nuts to toast for a minute or two until they begin to turn a light golden color.  Remove pan from heat and add the Vodka.  Return pan to the heat and allow the Vodka to deglaze the pan while stirring and scrapping up the bits attached to the pan to incorporate the flavor into the sauce.  When Vodka is reduced by half, add the Crushed Tomatoes and stir to incorporate all ingredients.  Add heavy cream and stir to incorporate.  The sauce should be a rose color.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Add chopped basil.  Stir and reduce heat to low to medium and allow the sauce to cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking.

The above Recipe is enough for 1 pound of pasta.  Recipe can be doubled if necessary.

NOTE:  This sauce is delicious with the homemade pasta recipe that I previously posted on February 16, 2010 which can be found in the Archives. 

Cutlets Milanese

Chicken Cutlet Milanese

The beauty of Cutlets Milanese is that they are delicious with many types of meat.  The recipe is the same whether you use pork loin chops, beef cutlets, veal cutlets or chicken. . .

Just remember to pound your meet very thin and tender. 

Chicken Cutlets Milanese 

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Cups Gluten Free Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs  (See recipe below)

1/2 Cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

1 Cup of Gluten Free All Purpose Four

4 Eggs

3 Roma Tomatoes

1 Cup of Lettuce of your choice (preferably Romaine, Endive, Frisee or Arugula)

1 Cup Grape Seed Oil (I prefer this over Olive Oil because it has a higher smoke point and therefore less splatter)

2 Tblspn. Balsamic Vinegar

Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts.  Place each breast on a sheet of plastic wrap and place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the breast.  Use a meat mallot to pound the chicken to desired thickness.  This process also tenderizes the meat.  Once all breasts are pounded, place the flour in one shallow sided dish (a pie plate works well) and the eggs (beaten with a touch of water) in another shallow sided dish.  Mix the Italian seasoned gluten free bread crumbs and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and place the mixture in a third shallow sided dish.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high to high heat.

Dredge each cutlet in flour, coating both sides thoroughly.  Next, dredge the floured cutlet into the egg wash coating thoroughly.  Then press the cutlet into the bread crumb mixture.  (You can at this point redredge in the egg and bread crumbs if you wish to have a thicker batter.  However, one dredging in each is more than sufficient.

Cook the cutlets in the heated oil until they are golden brown on both sides.  (Depending on the meat choice and thickness, 4 to 5 minutes on each side.  Veal cooks faster while chicken and pork take a little longer.)

Remove cutlets from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.  Once cutlets are all done, transfer to a serving tray.  Top with chopped lettuce and chopped Roma tomatoes and drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar.

Italian Seasoned Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

I make my own gluten free bread crumbs by running a loaf of brown rice bread in a food processor with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil and dried oregano. You can also mix these ingredients into packaged gluten free bread crumbs. Per two cups of bread crumbs I add 1 Tspn. salt, 1 Tspn. pepper, 1/2 tspn. garlic, 2 Tblspn. dried Parsley, 1 Tblspn. dried Basil, 1 Tspn. dried Oregano.

Spicey Tequilla Lime Chicken Breasts

Although you certainly wouldn't want to drink this spicey marinade, the chicken breast will not be too hot to eat. . .just delicious.  Enjoy.

Spicey Tequilla Lime Chicken Breasts

4 Skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Medium Shallot minced
1 Large Garlic Clove minced
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper roughly chopped
1 Tspn. Kosher Salt
1 Tblspn.  Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tblspn. Ground Paprika
1/4 Tspn. Ground Ceyenne Pepper
3/4 Cup Tequilla (light/clear not Gold)
1/2 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Clean and pat dry the Chicken Breasts and set aside.  Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour into a large ziplock bag.  Add the Chicken Breasts, seal and move the bag around to thoroughly coat the Chicken Breasts with the marinade.  Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours as you prefer based upon your time constraints.  Remove Chicken from marinade and grill until desired wellness making sure however that the Chicken is cooked all the way through.

NOTE:  Do not use the marinade to mop the chicken while it is cooking.  To do so is a health hazzard.  If you wish to use a mop then simply reserve some of the liquid prior to adding the chicken to it for marinating. 

This is a simple, fresh tasting meal that goes great with Grilled Seasoned Corn on the Cob (See recipe below) and a simple baked potato.

Grilled Seasoned Corn on the Cob 

4 Fresh Corn on the Cob with husks removed
4 pads of butter
Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic powder (not garlic salt), to taste
1 Tblspn. Dried Italian Parsley devided 4 ways.

Place each corn on the cob on its own piece of aluminum foil large enough to roll around the corn on the cob and seal the ends.  Sprinkle the corn with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and sprinkle with the parsley.  Add a pad of butter to each piece of corn and wrap tightly in the aluminum foil.  Place the corn on a medium to medium high grill.  Rotate the cob every 2 minutes.  Remove the corn from the grill after 10 minutes.