Family Tradition- "Broccoli and Cheese Sauce"

We all have those meals that spark nostalgia for us. Something that takes us back to our childhood. Growing up in an Italian family we did not eat the typical "American" meals for dinner. My mother never made tacos, meatloaf, or shepard's pie. I actually never had any of those foods until I was an adult! We actually ate mostly vegetarian until I was in grade school and even after that meat, other than chicken, was pretty rare. Because of this my favorite childhood meals are definitely not as familiar as most kids! My favorites are pasta e fagioli, Sunday gravy with eggs, stuffed artichokes, and today's meal- broccoli and cheese sauce. I've done previous blog posts on a few of these meals that you should totally check out!

As for "Broccoli and cheese sauce" i'm sure this was my mother's healthier version of Kraft. There's really nothing to this simple meal but the taste is just sooo good! My mom always uses Jarlsberg cheese- it is a cow's milk cheese that melts all smooth and buttery. It gets its name because it originates from Jarlsberg Norway.  How my mother came to use this type,  I have no idea!  

Jarlsberg cheese can be found in most supermarkets next to the chunks of Swiss. Make sure to get the full fat version because the Jarlsberg Lite does not melt as well. This dinner comes together in no time and only uses 2 pots- bonus! It was a school night staple in our house. To save time, mother would always cook the pasta in the same water she used to cook the broccoli. While the pasta cooked she whipped up this amazing cheese sauce and then dinner was on the table.  "Broccoli and Cheese Sauce" is warm, ooey and gooey- pure childhood comfort food! My kids absolutely LOVE this dinner! In fact Lucia now makes it for us and I'm sure one day she will teach her own kids to do the same, and I LOVE that!

Total cooking time: 20 minutes

What you'll need:

1 lb pasta

2 cups Jarlsberg cheese, grated

2 cups milk

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

1 large head of broccoli

                                        

First get a big pot of salted water on to boil.  Gather the cheese sauce ingredients and rinse the head of broccoli.

When the water boils, toss in the head of broccoli and cook about 5-6 minutes until you can pierce it with a fork. Remember, we want to keep it slightly firm so it doesn't get all mushy in our pasta dish. 

                                    

Once cooked take a slotted spoon (or get yourself a spider!)  and remove the broccoli from the water. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Then toss the pasta in.

Time to make the cheese sauce!  This requires constant attention so it's a perfect opportunity to enlist a helper- this is how my girls started :-)

Put a small saucepan on medium high heat- add in the butter and when it is all melted stir in the flour until smooth and no lumps. Continue to give it a stir for a minute or so to "cook off" the flour taste so that your sauce will taste more cheesy.  

Then add in the milk and with either a whisk or large spoon, stir continuously until the milk begins to thicken- first it will just start to coat the spoon like this:

Then once it has considerably thickened (about 5-7 minutes), lower heat to low and stir in the grated Jarlsberg cheese. It will be stringy at first and then will smooth out and become nice and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir it all up- I always loved the sound this made as a kid!  

You can then stir in the broccoli or just top your dish off with it- depending on how picky your kids are!

And there you have it- "Broccoli and Cheese Sauce"! I hope this soon becomes one of your family's favorites! xo

Zucchini Three Ways

Ahh- It's that time of year when farmers markets and CSA's bring forth all the yummy summer vegetables for us to turn into something delicious. I love when the seasons change and I have a whole new lot of fruits and vegetables to create with. Enter zucchini! I have been getting vegetables delivered from Misfits Market which is a subscription company that sends you all organic produce that got rejected from being sold in traditional stores because they are either too big, too small or a funny shape.  The last few deliveries have brought us some GIANT zucchini, or "googootz" as the Italians like to call them (thanks dad for a lesson in North End history!).  Zucchini is a wonderful vegetable mainly because it is so versatile- you can find countless ways to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert.   Another benefit of zucchini is that the taste is very mild so you can even sneak this past the toughest food critic in your house. My girls, though they usually eat anything, have something against this poor vegetable in it's natural state so I often find myself "doctoring it up".  

I could fill up multiple blog posts with zucchini love but for now I'll just share with you the three recipes I made this past weekend with this veggie as the star.  It's not often that I follow a recipe exactly but in these instances I pretty much did, so.. I will share the recipe links directly. It's always great to know a familiar face vetted one of the thousand Pinterest recipes you may have stumbled upon and wondered if its worth making... so here you go!!

**One tip I want to share, that is not necessarily apparent in each of these recipes,  is that you really need to SQUEEZE the heck out of the shredded zucchini before adding it in your recipe or else the texture of your finished product will be off... I like to shred it with a grater and lay on a clean dish towel, sprinkle with a little salt to help draw the water out and let it sit for 15 min or so... then wrap up dish towel and give it a few good squeezes. You'll be amazed at how much water comes out!

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Breakfast-  Apple Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins 

https://www.persnicketyplates.com/apple-cinnamon-zucchini-muffins/

These are so so good, it is hard to just eat one so you might want to double the recipe and make 2 dozen..... They also freeze very well. I tend to end up with so many extra apples from my Misfits box so this is a good use of those too. A fruit and veggie in one bite- winning!  There's even a video tutorial on the site.

2. Lunch/Dinner-  Zucchini Fritters

https://www.evolvingtable.com/zucchini-fritters-recipe/

*pic from website- I ate mine so fast I didn't take time for a photo!

OMG do I LOVE a fritter! Anything lightly crisp and begging for a dip in sour cream makes me happy so this recipe does not disappoint! I doubled it naturally. I do recommend the added step of tossing them in the oven after a quick pan fry- the texture was perfect.  These little babies are great for a light lunch or as a side with some grilled fish or meat. I made my own dip by mixing sour cream with a little squeeze of dill from "That's Tasty" https://thatstasty.com/product/organic-dill-puree/ . I actually use lots of their "squeeze spices" such a time saver and great to have fresh herb flavor without the stress of herbs going bad.

3. Dessert- Instapot Chocolate Zucchini Cake

 https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-chocolate-zucchini-cake/

I stumbled across this recipe about a year ago when I got my Instapot- which by the way is a whole other story.  I was a total skeptic at first but I now love love love this kitchen gadget.  It can do anything! I'll have to do a separate post for my affinity of 'potting.  But for now I was really craving something chocolaty this weekend and with the COVID crisis I try not to just succumb to my sweet tooth and aimlessly find my way to a local bakery etc... I did however hit up my Pins and was pleased to see I had all the ingredients I needed for this one.  This recipe comes together very quickly as it all goes in 1 bowl. The hardest part is finding a pan to fit inside of your Instapot.  I definitely added more zucchini than called for and it still came out great. This cake was begging for a touch of creaminess and was perfect topped with a little whipped cream to cut the sweetness. It's divine warm!

Well there you have it! I hope you'll add one of these zucchini recipes to your menu this summer! I'll be back with another zucchini edition I'm sure!! Enjoy! xo

Family Favorite- Chicken Broccoli and Ziti!

Ok, Honestly, who DOESN'T love chicken broccoli and ziti?! It's a timeless Italian-American classic that can pretty much be found on any restaurant menu but I much prefer my home version. This recipe is also super easy to customize as we all like ours a little different. The girls prefer a creamier sauce so I add half and half to theirs at the end, while I like the more traditional olive oil garlic sauce. John, well he orders his up gluten free, so I bread his chicken in almond flour and serve his over either zoodles or potato gnocci. 

Yes, this one does take a little more time to prepare and a lot more dirty dishes to clean but it's the weekend and I promise you it's worth it! 

Total cooking time: 40 minutes

What you'll need:

2 lbs chicken breast or tenderloins 
1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 box pasta of your choice

1 head broccoli

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

lemon

                                         half and half (optional)

Preparation here is KEY, especially if you are not super comfortable in the kitchen.. This is one of those recipes that you can find yourself running frantically around in circles because there's a lot going on! First off- set all of your ingredients out on the counter, fill a big pot of water, rinse your broccoli and cut your chicken into chunks. 

Next prepare your "breading station"- I get two shallow bowls, one gets the 2 eggs with a splash of water, scrambled up, the other gets the breadcrumbs plus some salt, garlic and a generous amount of grated cheese.  This granulated garlic is one of my favorite foodie products- all the garlic flavor, none of the work. It came in a variety spice kit from Spicewalla that I got for Christmas, highly recommend!!

Remember last post we talked about the difference between Parmesan cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese? Just look at the difference  below~ the "real stuff" is all knobby with salty crystals on its surface which gives it amazing flavor and which is why a little of this expensive version packs a big flavor punch... get it!!

Breading station ready to go!

Next grab a big tall sided skillet (did I mention I LOVE my Copper Chef pan?) and coat bottom in olive oil.  Heat on medium. Season your raw chicken liberally with salt then dunk in the egg mixture (mine looks weird because I used liquid eggs from a carton because, hey pandemic- I'm not about to sacrifice an egg I could bake a cake with for breading chicken LOL) then roll around in the breadcrumbs and place in a single layer in the heated oil. 

Don't overcrowd your pan, you will need to do this in batches- drink some wine and enjoy the process :-) You want the oil hot enough to hear a "sizzle" but not too hot that it burns the coating... Just listen to this delicious sound.. wish you could smell it!

You want to let the chicken sit for about 3 min before flipping over, so that it gets a nice brown coating, because nobody likes the eat pale looking chicken! Flip over and repeat on the other side- we aren't cooking the chicken all the way through here, it's going to finish cooking later! 

Meanwhile salt your water and when it boils toss in the big head of broccoli. We are par-boiling it to keep the color bright and soften it up just a bit so that it doesn't fall to mush in our pasta dish.  Needs about 5 minutes tops in the boiling water then take out and set aside- by the way see that kitchen tool I used? It's called a "Spider" and you need one!!

This is also a time saver because you can now use the same water to boil your pasta! Go ahead and do that now!

Once all of your chicken has been partially cooked it's now time to put it all together!  Add some more oil to the pan and then some chopped garlic.  

Toss back in the chicken and a swig of white wine- I prefer Pinot Grigio for this but any white wine with the exception of Reisling will do. Scrape up those yummy brown bits of flavor and coat chicken well.  Add in the broccoli and some grated cheese.  

Then for my secret ingredient- grate some lemon peel into the pan- this really adds an extra layer of flavor (your'e so fancy!)  Saute for 2-3 more minutes until chicken is cooked through.. then turn off the heat and add in your pasta to get it tossed in the sauce. 

**If you prefer the creamier version add some half and half now. A little twist of lemon juice over the top and you are ready to plate this masterpiece!

Mangia! Enjoy every bite of your kitchen victory- and delegate the dishes to someone else! xo

Date Night In- Butternut Squash Risotto

Let's face it- our calendars will remain wide open for weeks to come in this crazy time. I am so missing a night out at a great restaurant, or more honestly, any meal I didn't have to cook! But yet we trudge on. I was starting to get bored with our usual suspects for dinner so decided to make something more fancy to go with our steak tips. This is where risotto comes in! Its the perfect way to elevate a dinner and give it a little something special, you know... set a Saturday apart from a Wednesday... 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Italian cooking, risotto is a rice dish cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. It is made with a special type of rice called Arborio because of its short grain and high starch content. Once you get the method down you can change up the flavors pretty easily by using different broths, different wines and altering your add-ins. It's very versatile in that it can be served as a main dish or as a side.

Risotto is a great home date night meal because it doesn't require much active cooking. You can drink wine, talk, hang out and give it a little attention to the stove every few minutes and then it's done! I love this version because it is lighter than some of the risottos that use lots of cheese. Also makes my Sauvignon Blanc an acceptable choice even though I'm serving red meat since I had to open the bottle to cook with it!

Here's What You Need:

1/2 cup dry white wine*
4 cups chicken broth**
1 small/med butternut squash***
1-2 shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (WARNING no other type of rice will do!)
2-3 sage leaves

2 cloves of garlic

Olive oil,  butter

*don't use cooking wine!!

** low sodium is best here 

***save time and buy prepackaged cubed, just cut them up smaller before roasting 
Makes 4 side dish servings or 2 entree servings, Total Cook Time: 35 minutes

First get the squash peeled, chopped and ready for roasting. Place on parchment paper or foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt, garlic, and some sage leaves. Put in 400 degree oven while you cook the risotto (about 20-30 min).

In medium size saucepan combine chicken broth and wine and let it simmer on low to keep warm.  Any kind of dry white will do here but I prefer Sauvignon Blanc. You want to keep the liquid warm the whole time so when you add it to the dish as you are cooking your'e not bringing the temp down.

While your broth is coming to a simmer chop up your shallots and garlic into a fine dice. Then heat some olive oil (couple turns of the pan) in large deep skillet and toss them in to get shiny.. 

Once the shallots are translucent and you can start to smell the garlic it's time to add the rice along with a couple of extra swigs of wine and stir to coat 

Now turn down the heat to medium low, time to start adding the broth- you are going to add in about a ladleful or so at a time, as long as it wets the rice. Then stir it around vigorously each time to help the rice release its starch. A wooden spatula or spoon works best for this.

Let liquid almost evaporate completely each time before adding more liquid.  Total cooking time will depend on your preference of firmness. Somewhere between 20-25 minutes. I like my risotto a little softer but most Italians will say that al dente is the proper way.

As you keep adding the broth/wine the rice will plump up a bit.  You want to make sure you have a nice  bubbling going when you add the broth to make sure the pan stays hot enough..

In the last 5 min of cooking  move the rice aside and add a little more oil to crisp up the remaining sage leaves. This goes a long way in flavor... When they start getting crisp remove from pan.

Then add in your roasted butternut squash and stir together.  Adding a little more salt and the crumbled sage leaves in to incorporate all the flavors together.

  Then turn off heat and stir in 2 pats of butter which will give it a velvety and rich texture and the pretty restaurant-shine. 

And there you have it!! Fill your wine glass with the rest and ENJOY!

Making a Come Back- Chicken Sausage with Butternut Squash and Pinenuts

Happy Mother's Day to all! 2020 has sure been a year to remember so far...it has tested our faith, patience, strength, will and sanity. Though this time has brought lots of fear, stress and worry it has also allowed us time (albeit forced) to slow down, self-reflect, count our blessings, and be appreciative of what we have.  I am finding myself being more deliberate in what I chose to do with my time and my thoughts. It's allowed me the permission to give attention to my creative side which typically gets silenced in the hustle and bustle of life. Cooking for me is one of those things that brings me joy and a sense of peace. I especially love how a great meal can brighten any mood and often times can spark a nostalgic memory for someone. I'm loving all the family time in this but also sorely missing all of my social connections, meals and drinks and laughs shared with good friends. Since we can't get back to that quite yet I decided to resurrect my cooking blog on this Mother's Day. It was an aspiration of mine, started way long ago but ironically "momming" ultimately got in the way! Six years have passed but not much has changed- we are still cooking up a storm here, learning, laughing and making memories. I'm excited to be sharing it all with you again! Feel free to browse the old posts, we still enjoy those recipes regularly! Be sure to keep an eye out for new favorites! Here's to still "sharing a meal" connecting, and celebrating family and friendship over food! Salut!

Thought I'd start off by sharing a recipe we discovered this past fall but still is often requested in the warmer months! 

**Most of my recipes feed 4 hungry people. I don't do a lot of precise measuring but will indicate if it is necessary!! If I used a recipe for inspiration I'll link to the original, most times I give it my own twist!

Chicken Sausage with Butternut Squash and Pine Nuts

Total Cook Time: 40 minutes

You will need:

1.5 lbs fresh chicken sausage*
1 medium bunch of kale**

1 small butternut squash***

1 lb pasta of your choice 

3 Tbsp pine nuts 

5-6 sage leaves

1-2 cloves of Garlic

Olive oil

grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese****

*       I prefer to squeeze the fresh sausage out of casings for this, you could buy ground sausage instead or even chop up prepackaged sausage into coin shapes

**     I prefer dinosaur kale for its texture and milder flavor, traditional kale is too curly!

***   Save time and buy pre-peeled and pre-cut butternut squash

**** This is the real Parmesan cheese, its more expensive but well worth it for the taste, never buy the crap in a jar lol****

First get all of your ingredients out and get yourself prepped- this will make the dish come together much easier!

For the butternut squash... chop off both ends and peel skin, then chop in 1 inch chunks. Place on parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil, salt, some garlic, and a few sage leaves. Pop in a 400 degree oven while you prepare the rest of the meal (about 20-30 minutes).

Rinse kale leaves and tear away from center rib (middle hard piece, not pleasant to eat!) roughly chop

Fill a large pot with salted water and set on stove... 

Heat a liberal amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat in a high-sided skillet (2-3 swigs). 

Toss in some garlic and saute your kale until it's a little crispy, then remove from pan

Boil water for your pasta now! 

Then add some more oil and toss in your sage leaves and pine nuts to toast them up. 

Just until golden brown and you can start to smell them... then remove and set on paper towel

Add in a more glugs of olive oil and the rest of the garlic and when it just starts to brown, squeeze the sausage out of their casings and into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Let meat brown and caramelize, about 5-7 minutes. 

When sausage is cooked  through and crispy, add in your roasted butternut squash.  

 Throw in the kale and pine nuts and stir everything around to mix. Crumble in the crispy sage leaves as well.  

When pasta is cooked, place in bowl and top with sausage/squash mixture. 

Grate a liberal amount of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top and enjoy!

**Want to switch it up?!!**

- substitute pork sausage for chicken sausage 

- substitute baby spinach for kale 

- omit the pine nuts and add in sun dried tomatoes!

Buon appetito!