Unique Pairing: Roasted Sausages with Grapes!

• Cooking Goddess, Ina Garten, made this Tuscan recipe on her show a few weeks ago.  I thought to myself, "Odd pairing, but sounds so good."  And I was right!  I lightened up this recipe in true cooking girl fashion, by using chicken sausage.  You can truly use whatever kind of sausage you like, but make sure to get fresh sausage, none of this pre-packaged sausage for this recipe. The sweetness of the grapes, coupled with the savory flavor of the sausages was surprising and wonderful.  If this sounds interesting to you, try it.  You won't be disappointed.
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• Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian hot sausage (for a lighter fare, use chicken sausage, but use fresh sausage, it makes a real difference)
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausage
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 to 6 cups (2 pounds) red or green seedless grapes, stems removed
• 2 to 4 tablespoons dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Fresh Foccaccia or Ciabatta bread, to serve

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Parboil the sausages in water to cover for 8 minutes to rid them of excess fat.

Melt the butter in a large heatproof roasting pan, dutch oven, or large pan, add the grapes, and toss to coat. Over moderately high heat add the wine. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half.

Using tongs, transfer the parboiled sausages to the roasting pan and push them down in the grapes so the sausages will not brown too quickly. Roast in the oven, turning the sausages once, until the grapes are soft and the sausages have browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over a medium-high heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan, and allow the vinegar and juices to reduce until they are thick and syrupy. But be careful not to completely "smush" the grapes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter.

Pour the sauce over the sausages and grapes and serve immediately, accompanied with fresh bread.

Light Summer Dinner: Lettuce Wrapped Fish Tacos With A Creamy Avocado Dressing and Fresh Corn Cakes

It's HOT!  I threw this meal together tonight with ingredients I had on hand.  With a little creativity, you can easily turn a summer weeknight meal into something yummy and fun.  You can really use any fish, chicken, or meat in this lettuce wrap.  But I decided that fish can always use a little help in the flavor department.


Red Snapper Lettuce Wrapper
Ingredients
Red Snapper cut into pieces (any other firm, white fish would work well)
1-2 tsp. of Cumin
1 lime
Butter lettuce
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil


Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
1 Avocado
1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs. olive oil
dash of water
Salt and Pepper


Instructions
Toss the fish in cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a little olive oil.  Heat a non-stick pan and cook fish 2-3 minutes per side, being careful to flip gently.  Don't manhandle your fish!


Meanwhile blend all of the creamy avocado dressing ingredients in a blender.  The sauce should be thick and creamy, not watery.  You will probably need to stop the blender a few times to move it around.  I add a touch of water just to loosen it up a bit.  This is a great sauce for just about anything: grilled chicken, mexican spiced flank steak, grilled shrimp, any fish, burgers, veggie dipper.  I have even added this to rice - delish!  


That's really it for the dish.  I take a leaf of butter lettuce, add some dressing, fish, and a squeeze of lime and enjoy!  I went simple with this lettuce wrap, but add anything to it you like: fresh corn, tomatoes, jack cheese, etc.


Fresh Corn Cakes
Ingredients
Fresh corn kernels from 3 ears of corn
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 scallion, minced
1 tsp. of sugar
1 tbs. of dill and parsley, chopped (this would be good with basil, sage, cilantro - be your own chef!)1/2 teaspoon salt
A few good turns of freshly ground pepper


Instructions
Lightly saute the corn and scallion and cool.  Mix the egg, milk, butter, flour, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper together.  Add the corn.  Your batter should be fairly thick.  Add a bit more flour if your batter is too runny.  Don't worry, this isn't serious baking so you won't mess it up.  


Heat a non-stick skillet and lightly coat with olive oil.  When olive oil is hot, drop batter by spoonfuls and cook 2-3 minutes per side.  The cakes will crisp up fast.  When done, I let rest on a paper towel to allow any excess oil to soak up.  That's it!  The corn cakes are great by themselves or with a little of the avocado dressing on top.  These corn cakes are quite versatile.  Make mini corn cakes for an appetizer and top with smoked salmon and some creme fraiche or even a pulled pork topper would be great as well.

Celebrate Your Cooking Independence: BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with a Grilled-No-Mayo-Potato-Salad

After a fun-filled holiday weekend, we decided to be lazy on the 4th of July, avoid the crowds, and eat at home.  You are almost forced to grill on 4th of July.  It is just what Americans do.  So, I bought into the peer pressure and grilled my heart out.  Cooking Light inspired both recipes, but I simplified my life and purchased a store bought BBQ sauce instead of making my own and bumped up the flavor in my potato salad by grilling them.  Making your own BBQ sauce is great if you are in the mood for it, but it requires a laundry list of ingredients and quite frankly, I didn't have the patience.  I also wanted to make a lighter potato salad that wasn't drowning in mayo.  I couldn't find purple potatoes at the store, so I just used a few more red and white potatoes.  This is a new twist on an old classic and great go-to recipes that are sure to please a hungry crowd.  Get cooking!

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients (4 servings)

• Dry Rub:
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (use whatever part of the chicken you like)

Fresh Rolls 
• Cooking spray
• Mr. Stubb's BBQ Sauce (I chose Smokey Mesquite, but chose whatever favorite BBQ sauce you love or make your own!)

Instructions
Mix first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub the dry rub on both sides of your chicken - use all of the dry rub.  Let sit for 10 minutes and then it's time to grill!  After pre-heating your grill, spray the grill with cooking spray.  I usually cook chicken breasts 5-7 minutes per side.  Each grill is different, so keep an eye on your chicken and flip when you see nice grill marks and the chicken easily lifts off of the grill.


I let my chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to re-distribute so the chicken remains moist.  Shred the chicken breasts with a fork.  


Add about 3/4 of a cup of the BBQ sauce to a saucepan on the stove, heating ever so slightly.  Add your pulled chicken, toss, and warm through.


When you are ready to eat, pile on the pulled chicken onto your favorite fresh roll and enjoy!


Grilled-No-Mayo-Potato-Salad
Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 cups fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
• 2 cups small red potatoes, quartered (about 10 ounces)
• 2 cups small blue potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 3 hard-cooked large eggs, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions
Dressing:
Whisk olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a bowl.  Add the scallions and chopped herbs.  Set aside.


Create a foil pocket for your potatoes.  I pull a long sheet of foil out (double it) and pinch the sides up, creating a vessel to hold the potatoes on the grill (spray foil with cooking spray.)  Add the potatoes, drizzle a little olive and sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Cover the potatoes with foil and pinch all sides to create a pouch that will sit on the grill.  Place pouch on grill and cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping pouch halfway through.


When potatoes are done, gently toss them with the dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs and you have a figure-friendly potato salad that is great for an outdoor picnic or potluck dish that won't get icky with the mayo.  I often cook potatoes this way.  They get wonderful grill marks and retain a nice consistency.  Next time you are grilling, try this method!

Breakfast for Dinner: Family-Style-No-Fuss-Rolled-Omelet

• Breakfast for dinner usually happens once a week at the Mollo household because it is fast, cheap, super easy, and doesn't require a trip to the market.  A friend of mine sent me this Martha Stewart recipe and what a fun twist on a breakfast staple: the omelet.  I adjusted the recipe to my taste, in usual "cooking girl" fashion and it was a success!  You can really add whatever filling you like.  The presentation was beautiful (note to self: take. more. pictures.) and would be a great entertaining dish for say .... a breakfast or brunch.  If you follow a few easy steps, you have a new way to enjoy breakfast . . . for dinner!  
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• I know what you are thinking.  Slow down Mollos, you guys are just too adventurous.  And on a Wednesday?!
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• Ingredients
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• 8 large eggs (I do a mix of whites and yolks and tonight I only had 5 eggs, so I used 2 whole eggs and 3 whites and just adjusted the other ingredients.  You can't go wrong so don't stress out if you are worried about the measurements.)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (secret ingredient!)
• salt and ground pepper
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• Add-ons/Suggestions: (this is where you can get creative and create a rolled omelet that matches your personal taste.)
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• Sausage/Spinach/Basil/Parmesan Omelet
• Half a bag of spinach (sauteed)
• 2 chicken sausages cut into cubes (sauteed)
• 1-2 tbs. of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup of parmesan

Spinach and Chedder Omelet

half a bag of spinach (sauteed)

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar 

Caprese Omelet

basil

fresh chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella

Denver Omelet

ham cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups of chedder

Greek Vegetable Omelet

1 onion (sauteed)

1/2 cup of mushrooms (sauteed)

1/2 cup of tomatoes

1/2 cup of zucchini (sauteed)

1 cup of feta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line bottom of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two shorter sides. Spray parchment with cooking spray.

1. In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper; whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle whatever add-ons you like over the top in an even layer.
2. Bake until edges of omelet are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese (if using); bake until cheese has melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Beginning at one shorter end, lift parchment, and roll up omelet tightly, peeling back parchment as you go. Slice and serve!
   
   

You Will Never Buy Dressing Again....

I grew up using bottled dressing like everyone else.  When I started to experiment making my own dressing, it opened up a new world for me and it is very hard for me to go back to the bottled stuff.  Making your own dressing takes about 2 minutes, the taste cannot be compared, and it is economical.  


Many times I whip up a dressing just for the salad we are having that night.  I scale down the amount of dressing I make, add it to the bottom of a salad bowl, top with lettuce, etc. and the salad is ready for me to toss when I am.  This is a great tip and can be put in the fridge for hours this way - it does not cause the salad to get soggy (a cooking miracle!)  But I have started to make a larger batch of dressing in a mason jar or tupperware container (who doesn't want a mason jar filled with homemade dressing in their fridge?  It makes me feel all Martha Stewarty.)  Just add in all the ingredients, put the top on and shake.  You will have a great vinaigrette all week.  


I not only use vinaigrettes on salads, but I marinate chicken, meat, fish, and seafood in them.  Also if you grill chicken breast, broil some fish, or simply saute some veggies, just pour a bit of vinaigrette over before serving and all of a sudden your boring dinner has just turned up a notch.  Making a batch of vinaigrette in a cute jar is also a great house warming gift or something nice to bring to someone's house instead of the obvious bottle of wine.  


Here are my favorite vinaigrette recipes!


Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of honey
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
optional: add minced garlic, shallots, or minced herbs (thyme and rosemary are my favorite)


Favorite Salad: spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, candied pecans/almonds/walnuts


Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
1 tbs. of minced garlic or grate the garlic in for a smoother texture
salt and pepper to taste
optional: add thyme for a nice herb taste


Favorite Salad: arugula, shaved parm


Fruit Juice Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of grapefruit or orange juice
1 tsp. of honey
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
1-2 tbs. of apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
optional: zest of grapefruit or orange, tbs. of poppy seeds.


Favorite Salad:  butter lettuce, grapefruit segments, avacado, and  rotisserie chicken.


*if you don't like honey, just add some granulated sugar and if you aren't a fan of mustard then just leave out (the beauty of vinaigrettes is that you can adjust the ingredients and flavor to your liking.)

Lasagna Get's A Make-Over

I love butternut squash.  I love lasagna.  Years ago when I saw that Giada had put the two together, I had to give her recipe a try.  It really is one of my favorite go-to recipes.  I have made this for a dinner party and it is even a great gift for a family with a new baby since it freezes beautifully and can last days.  I'm sad that I cannot take credit for this recipe, but it is too good to keep it a secret any longer.


Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (in a pinch, you can buy the frozen, pre-cut butternut squash lasagna.  It is a time saver and still very good.)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled (this is a secret ingredient and cannot be omitted, but sometimes it is hard to find amaretti cookies.  I have substituted ginger snaps or any kind of almond cookies that I can find.  Adding a cookie to a lasagna sounds crazy, I know, but it just adds another dimension to the flavor that cannot be compromised.)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles or get the regular kind and boil them ahead of time.  (The no-boil lasagna noodles work beautifully and are a time saver.)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. If you are using the frozen squash, just heat them up in a large skillet.  Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.  You can either continue the instructions below or simply freeze it/ refrigerate for later in the week.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.