Dipping Oil

Back in Massachusetts, there's a restaurant chain called Bertucci's and their food is delicious. Lucky for me, there's one right next to the bridal store I purchased from when I got married. So every time we had to go there (picking out my dress, picking out bridesmaid dresses, alterations, etc.) we would eat at Bertucci's! The best part of going there is the freshly made rolls with their amazing dipping oil. I decided to try to recreate it. I have to say, mine might actually be even better. How do ya like that?! haha

Dipping Oil
Makes: 4 servings

2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

  

• Mince the garlic, then crush it with the side of your knife until you have a fine paste. If you're not sure what I mean by this, check out this video.
• Mince the basil, parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
• Combine the garlic, herbs, pepper flakes, Parmesan, olive oil, and salt.
• Serve with sliced crusty bread or rolls for dipping.

Have some extra dipping oil left over? Toss it with some hot pasta and top with diced tomatoes!

...or you can use it as a marinade for chicken, seafood, or vegetables!

Homemade Alfredo

Inevitably, whenever someone finds out that I "know how to cook," they will ask me how to make Alfredo sauce. I'm surprised by this one because it's actually one of the easiest sauces you could possibly make. I've seen some people make it (incorrectly) with a flour based bechamel (white sauce), but that's technically a mornay (bechamel with cheese added to it). Alfredo sauce is even simpler than that!

Homemade Alfredo

Makes: 8 servings

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (16 oz) heavy cream

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil until they are fragrant and become soft, about 2 minutes. It's important to make this in a skillet because it has more surface area which will help to reduce the cream once you add it.
• Add the heavy cream to the pan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the cream starts to bubble, continue cooking until it has thickened slightly and sticks to the back of a spoon (this is called "reducing the sauce"), about five minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese until they are melted. Technically mozzarella isn't traditionally included in Alfredo, but it just helps the sauce stay nice and smooth.
• Toss hot cooked pasta (fettuccine, linguine, penne, etc) into the same pan with the sauce and stir to coat.

Lola approves!

Variations (you know I love variations!)

Pasta Primavera - add sauteed zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, mushrooms, and grape tomatoes to the finished pasta and sauce.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta - season shrimp with blackened seasoning, saute over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, make the Alfredo sauce. Toss the pasta and shrimp with the finished sauce. (This could also be made with chicken instead of shrimp).

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta - add steamed broccoli and grilled chicken that has been cut into strips to the finished pasta and sauce.

Spinach & Artichoke Alfredo - add steamed chopped spinach and diced artichokes to the finished pasta and sauce.

The possibilities are endless!

Bacon Cream Cheese Bites

I had some phyllo dough left over from my post about Spanakopita so I thought I would put it to good use. Phyllo is a traditional Greek pastry dough that is super thin, even thinner than paper. It folds really nicely into triangles and makes a great party appetizer. You can stuff pretty much anything in there as long as it doesn't have too much moisture. I think bacon and cream cheese fit the bill, don't you? ;-)

Bacon Cream Cheese Bites
Makes: 24 triangles

1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped
4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pinch of salt
8 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
1 tbsp butter, melted

• In a skilled over medium-medium-high heat, brown the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Reserve one tablespoon of the drippings.
• In the same pan, cook the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings over medium-low heat until the onions are soft but not brown, about five to six minutes.
• In a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, on medium whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, about two minutes.
• Add the bacon, onion mixture, scallions, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and salt. Continue to beat on medium until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Set the mixture aside.
• Brush a large baking sheet with the melted butter.
• Now you'll need to assemble the triangles. If you read the next few steps and you have no idea what I'm talking about, see my post about Spanakopita which includes photos.
• Take one sheet of phyllo dough, use a barely damp paper towel to cover the rest so they don't dry out.
• Cut the phyllo dough into thirds length-wise with a pizza cutter.
• Place a small spoonful of the filling at the top and off to the right of one of the strips.
• Now you'll need to start folding. You fold these like you would a flag. Grab the upper left corner and fold it down to the right so that you form a triangle at the top.
• Now take the top right corner and fold it straight down.
• Take the top right corner again and fold it down and over to the left.
• Take the top left corner and fold it straight down.
• Repeat until you get to the end and have a perfect triangle. Place it on the buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and filling.
• If you're making these a day ahead, you can stop at this step, cover it up with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. Then place it in the oven the next day about an hour before you're ready to serve.
• Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.

A few tips:

If you haven't invested in a spatter screen yet, I highly suggest it. They're relatively cheap and will save you from getting popped when you fry stuff such as bacon.

If you're not sure what to do with the rest of the bacon drippings, here's what I do. I line a bowl with aluminum foil then pour the drippings in. Once the drippings are cool, fold it up and chuck it in the trash!

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek snack. The name translates to spinach pie in English. It's made out of layers of delicate flaky phyllo dough and a filling made out of spinach, feta, onions, and egg. Sometimes it is made as one large pie and then individual servings are cut. It can also be made into little individual servings by folding the phyllo dough into little triangles. I prefer the latter preparation. It looks really nice and it makes for great little finger food when you're hosting a special occasion.

Spanakopita
Makes: 30 triangles

10 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
4 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
18 oz (2 boxes) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter, melted

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, scallions, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Take the thawed spinach and grab a small handful. Squeeze most of the moisture out of the spinach and then place it in the mixing bowl with the onion mixture. Repeat with the remaining spinach. This step sounds a little gross but it's very necessary. You'll be surprised how much liquid comes out and that liquid will make the spanakopita soggy if you skip this step.
• Add the feta and Parmesan cheese to the spinach and onion mixture. Mix it all together. Taste the mixture to make sure it doesn't need any salt. Add some if necessary.
• Once the seasoning has been adjusted, add the beaten egg to the spinach mixture.
• Now that the filling is done, you can start assembling the triangles. This is the most time consuming part of making these. First, open your package of phyllo dough. Wet a paper towel then wring it out as much as you possibly can. You want it just barely wet. Use the damp paper towel to cover the rest of the phyllo dough while you're working with a sheet. This will prevent the dough from drying out and cracking.
• Brush a baking sheet with the melted butter. Set aside.
• Take one sheet of phyllo dough and cut it into thirds length-wise with a pizza cutter.

• Place a small spoonful of filling at the top and off to the right of one of the strips.

• Now you'll need to start folding. You fold these like you would a flag. I'll explain. Grab the upper left corner and fold it down to the right so that you form a triangle at the top.

• Now take the top right corner and fold it straight down.

• Take the top right corner again and fold it down and over to the left.

• Take the top left corner and fold it straight down.

• Repeat until you get to the end and have a perfect triangle. Place it on the buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and filling.

• If you're making these a day ahead, you can stop at this step, cover it up with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. Then place it in the oven the next day about an hour before you're ready to serve.
• Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes. The tops will start to brown pretty quickly. But don't worry, they won't burn, I promise.
• These are great served hot out of the oven or cooled to room temperature.

Broccoli Casserole

I'm guessing this is a southern thing because I had never heard of it before I moved to Charlotte. The first time I ever had broccoli casserole, it was at an office potluck. I honestly wasn't too impressed. It was too salty and it seemed more like the rice was the star of the show, not the broccoli. So here's my version; I hope you like it.

Broccoli Casserole
Makes: 8 servings

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (or butter substitute)
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping
4 scallions, chopped
3 large heads of broccoli
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs

• Rinse the broccoli then cut it into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
• Rinse the dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer in some cold water. Transfer the quinoa to a small sauce pan, add the chicken broth, then cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Bring the heat down to low and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed.
• While the quinoa is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Add the garlic, olive oil, and butter to a saute pan. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the flour to the sauteed garlic and continue to cook another 2 minutes over medium heat until the flour turns a pale golden brown.
• Whisk together the milk and egg.
• Now, add the milk mixture to the pan and continue stirring constantly until the milk starts to bubble and thicken, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the 1 cup of cheddar cheese until the cheese is melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the quinoa, broccoli, scallions, and cheese sauce.
• Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased baking dish such as a brownie pan.
• Top with 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, then the Parmesan cheese, then the panko. Spray the top with a little bit of spray oil. This will help the casserole to brown.
• Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.

This pairs really well with chicken, fish, pork chops, or steak. It's even great by itself for lunch!

Couscous with Pine Nuts & Parmesan

Couscous is a great side dish for chicken, fish, or pork. It's pretty much a blank slate that you can do whatever you want with. I like to cook it in some chicken broth to start off with flavor. Then add additional flavors from there. You can also use this as a foundation for a Meatless Monday meal and add a whole ton of sauteed vegetables - zucchini, summer squash, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

This recipe is for Moroccan couscous. This is the kind that is most widely available in the states; it's extremely tiny beads of pasta. The recipe calls for instant couscous; that's pretty much the only kind that's sold here. So don't worry if your packaging doesn't specifically say "instant," I guarantee that it is.

Couscous with Pine Nuts & Parmesan
Makes: 4 servings

2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups water with 2 tsp chicken bouillon)
1 cup instant couscous
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil

• Toast the pine nuts by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Swirl around the nuts constantly so that they don't burn. This should take about five minutes. Make sure to really keep your eye on it, the nuts can burn quickly. Once toasted, set aside.
• Bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat.
• Add the couscous to the chicken broth, cover, and remove from the heat. Allow to sit covered for 7 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous with a fork.
• Fold in the pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil.

Chicken Parm

Chicken parm is a really simple dish that I like to make during the week. It's fast and everyone loves it. It might seem like something fancy because it's the kind of dish you would order at a restaurant, but trust me it's a lot easier than you think. I guarantee you'll be adding this to your weekly line-up.

Looking back through my posts, I've realized we eat entirely too much chicken haha! What can I say. It's cheap, easy, and everyone likes it.

Chicken Parm

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced super fine

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

6 oz shredded cheese (I like the pizza cheese blend)

1/2 lb pasta

1 jar tomato sauce

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• Trim any excess fat off the chicken breasts. Then cut each chicken breast in half length wise so that you have 4 pieces of chicken. This will make the pieces thinner which will help them cook faster and more evenly.
• Combine the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, and olive oil. Make sure that the garlic is minced super fine so that it actually cooks while in the oven. You don't want to bite into raw garlic!
• Dip the chicken breasts into the egg, then the bread crumb mixture. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. If there are any extra bread crumbs, sprinkle them over top of the chicken breasts.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta and heat up the sauce.
• Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven. Top each piece with some shredded cheese. Place back in the oven for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven and serve over top of pasta and sauce.

Walnut Parsley Pesto

I really love pestos. They're so easy, so delicious, and completely customizable. Traditionally when we think of pesto, we think of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. However, you can make pesto out of any combination of herbs, cheese, olive oil, and nuts. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Sun dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
• Roasted red peppers, garlic, oregano, asiago cheese, and olive oil.
• Artichokes, chives, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
• Arugula, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, cracked black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

You get the point! Gather some ingredients that taste great together, puree them into a smooth paste, then toss with warm pasta. Today I made a walnut parsley pesto.

Walnut Parsley Pesto
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried parsley)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb linguine (or fettuccine, spaghetti, etc)

• Combine the walnuts, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a food processor.
• Puree until smooth.
• Cook the pasta until al dente making sure to add plenty of salt to the water.
• Once the pasta is cooked, strain it then immediately transfer to a bowl. While the pasta is still hot, add the pesto and toss until all of the noodles are coated.

This makes a great side dish for grilled chicken, steak, or fish. Today I happened to be making this for lunch. I separated it into 4 portions and placed them into plastic containers that I can just grab when I'm on my way out the door to work!

Note: if you only have raw walnuts, you can toast them by adding them to a dry saute pan over medium heat. When the nuts start to release their aroma, swirl the nuts around in the pan. Once they are golden brown, remove them from the pan. You don't want to take your eye off of this for one single second! The nuts could burn in a matter of seconds. And burned nuts smell... bad..

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Ok, roasted red peppers part deux. This is actually a dip I've been making for a while now. It pairs well with veggies, pretzels, chips, etc. All you have to do is puree the ingredients! How easy is that?!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
1 roasted red pepper
1 clove garlic
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp parmesan

• In a food processor, puree the red pepper and garlic.
• Add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Continue to puree until completely smooth.
• Refrigerate for at least one hour. This dip is best if refrigerated over night.

Roasted Broccoli

I'm not a very big broccoli person. It seems to be one of those vegetables you either love or hate. I'm one of the weirdos that is just kind of so-so about it.  However, I absolutely love this dish. I know I've said it before but I love roasted vegetables. They are so flavorful and interesting. This is another one of Lola's favorites too. And your house will smell amazing while it's cooking. Which seems weird because broccoli usually stinks but the garlic is really the dominant flavor in this dish.

Roasted Broccoli
2-3 heads of fresh broccoli or 16 oz frozen
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 Cup grated parmesan

• Clean and trim the broccoli if you are using fresh. If you are using frozen, defrost it and then squeeze out as much excess water as you can.
• Toss together the broccoli, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan.
• Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400° F for 20 minutes, turning half way through.

You'll notice that this recipe does not call for salt. It is honestly plenty flavorful on it's own with out any added salt.

If you want to be extra fancy, you can squeeze some lemon juice and grate some lemon zest over the broccoli once you remove it from the oven. Although I usually just make it according to the recipe above.