Fresh Caught Tilapia is Always Brainy Good...

 

For this dish you will need: Tilapia Fillets, as many per dinner guest, salt and lemon pepper along with dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground paprika (optional); and of course, fresh creamy butter… about 4 tablespoons, melted.

And, if you like fresh garlic, then by all means mince one clove of garlic or buy garlic paste. Don’t forget the lemon juice and zest is nice to garnish along with chopped parsley. Prepare fish for cooking by seasoning with the above.

You can either pan fry in olive oil or bake in the oven until the tilapia is white and firm. If you choose to oven bake, I like to singe the top of the fish fillets using the broiler for no more than a couple of minutes. 

Serve with white or wild rice.

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

It's a Brainy Good Gumbo Day...

 

 

Did you know that gumbo is not original to Louisiana? Most food historians agree that this popular South Louisiana dish has its first origin in West Africa. Consider the word “gumbo” which comes from the West African word “ki ngombo” for “okra”.

For this Brainy Gumbo you will need: Sweet Italian sausage and either bone in or out skin on or not chicken thighs... as many per guest each. You will need, beef stock, red pepper, purple onion, green beans or okra, diced tomatoes and spices: cayenne pepper and black pepper, dry mustard, paprika, sage, cumin, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. 

To begin, it is recommended to use a braiser or covered roasting pan. Saute chopped purple onion and red pepper in olive oil. Then lay in your sausages and chicken (skin side down if you opted for skin on).  Brown all of this in your braiser or covered roaster on the stove.

Preheat your oven to 375f. 

 Pour over the sausage and chicken about 1 cup of beef stock or more depending on how soupy you like it; I prefer it more thick. Then add your green beans or okra, diced tomatoes (1cup), and spices (add to taste). Cover and let bubble for about 5 min. on high heat. Once oven is ready, pop in the over covered and let it finish there for 45 min. 

 

Prepare white rice prior to serving. 

 

*Fully cooked jumbo shrimp can be added to each serving. 

To forget to put out the Louisiana hot sauce...

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Beefy Mongolian Beef with Wild Rice and more...

 

For this dish, you will need:beef stew meat or inexpensive steak cut (1lb), garlic, onion, green or red pepper, ginger and garlic paste, one young zucchini or green beans, sun dried tomatoes, wild rice and homemade Mongolian Beef sauce which is like teriyaki only with a small amount of natural ground peanut butter (softened with sesame oil) in the mix.  

Homemade Mongolian Beef sauce can be a basic recipe is: 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup of beef broth or stock, along with tablespoon cornstarch mixed in, 1 tbs of ginger paste and 2 tbs of peanut butter, 4-5 tablespoons honey or brown sugar, and red pepper flakes to taste. To that mixture, you can add garlic paste to taste. For an extra zing, you can use a dash or two of either Rice or Marsala wine.

To begin, cube the beef, chop the onion, zucchini or green beans, sun dried tomatoes and green/red pepper; for a quick stir fry in olive oil or coconut oil. Once this stir fry is singed on the edges, remove from heat and place in a warm oven while you prepare the wild rice.  

When the rice (s) is/are tender, drain and ladle onto a serving plate, top with beef and vegetables from the oven and pour over any additional sauce left over in the skillet.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Closing the Winter Olympics with a Brainy Verona Pork Loin...

 

This dish is truly a no-brainer... "not when in Rome" but in Verona Italy. This is a dish known as Lombata di maiale or lonza.  Pork loin is highly regarded as a lean, and tender cut of meat and often served with traditional Veronese side dishes like pearà (a peppery, bread-based sauce) or roasted with rosemary. 

This dish can be done in the skillet or in the oven in a glass baking dish. You will need: one pound lean pork loin (boneless) along with a jar of sun dried tomatoes and a package of dried plums. *Recommended sides are: baked potato and green beans.

To begin, turn on the oven to 350F. Then, take a glass baking dish, drizzle in olive oil and lay in the pork loin. Sprinkle with dried 'bread' mixed with herbs: black pepper, rosemary, mint and oregano with a dash of garlic powder and pinch of sea salt. When the oven is up to temp, put the loin into the oven uncovered.

Let this roast for about 25 min. Next, add to the pork loin as many sun dried tomatoes and dried plums as you like, toss in a few pats of butter and 1/4 of heavy cream which creates the peppery sauce. Finish in the oven on 325F uncovered for another 25 - 35 minutes more. Prepare your sides.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Taste of the Gulf... Brainy Shrimp Louisiana Style!

 

 

This popular gulf dish is so simple and tasty that its beyond brainy.You will need to buy: 1/2 lb of either frozen  jumbo shrimp or fresh from the fish counter at your local grocer. I actually like to buy shrimp fresh calculating amount per person- about 4.

If frozen then thaw out and when thawed, remove tails and marinate in fresh squeezed lemon juice while you prepare the while rice and a creole 'chutney or thick sauce' - petite diced purple onion, roasted red pepper and young green zucchini. Saute in 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs coconut oil.

Prepare wild rice in stock - 1 cup per 2 cups liquid. Check on the chutney, remove from skillet (set aside) so that you can sear the shrimp, adding a bit more olive oil and a small pat of butter. Once seared, bring back the veggie chutney and scramble together with shrimp.

When the rice is tender, ladle onto a low lipped serving plate and top with the shrimp creole. Squeeze lemon juice on top, along with some fresh chopped dill and chive; don't forget to put out the Louisiana hot sauce!

~ Tutti a Tavola! 

Fat Tuesday means a Brainy Mardi Gras....

 

Jambalaya is a simple dish. It can be whipped up in 35 min.  For this dish you will need, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, smoked sausage (buy meat according to number of guests/family), one onion, green and red pepper, dry white wine, chicken stock and a whole bunch of good ole hot stuff as in seasonings.

In a large covered skillet, pour in 5 tbs of olive oil, add to that chopped one whole onion and your red/green peppers (if you have on hand only green peppers then use them, you don't have to be strict). Give this onion and pepper a good stir fry on high heat. Reduce heat to med, and add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and 1/4 cup of white 'dry' wine. Cover and let simmer on med. heat while you dice up your chicken and sausage. Once you've done your dicing, add the pieces of chicken and sausage.

To this mixture now bubbling in your skillet, add your seasonings: 1 tsp of sea salt, 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and the same of garlic powder, 1/2 - 1 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1/2 - 1 tsp of paprika (hotter if you want to melt snow). Stir in all seasonings until everything is a rusty amber. Cover and let simmer for 25 min.

In the meantime, prepare a side dish. I recommend rice, after all its Jambalaya. Add dry kernel rice (1-2 cups depending on # guests) to a deep stock pot of boiling water (two cups water to one of rice) with a pinch of salt.

When the rice is tender, ladle onto a low lipped serving dish, pour out your Jambalaya and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. You can also squeeze on fresh lemon or lime. Or, you can just put a half of lemon on the table along with a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce.

~Tutti a Tavola!

When in Italy, do as the Italians... Brainy Italian Bisque!

 

Italian tomato bisque is a creamy rich, velvety soup characterized by the use of vine ripe tomatoes i.e. San Marzano, accentuated by fresh herbs such as leafy basil and dried oregano, olive oil and heavy cream. Its really very simple too.

Just stir together in a large stock pot 4 cups of chicken stock along with a few cloves of garlic and a med.onion if you like. Add one small can of tomato paste and simmer. Add the basil, oregano, olive oil and heavy cream on the end. While the bisque simmers, prepare either baked brie or grilled cheese or just toasted bread with butter and Parmesan cheese. 

*Tutti a Tavola a Mangiare! 

 

*Brie is not necessarily Italian but being on the French/Italian border, you find such a mix ;-)