Brainy Gnocchi with Sausage in Tomato Sauce...

 

Gnocchi with sausage in tomatoes with basil and onion... 

Its time consuming to make gnocchi (a lazy pierogi or potato dumpling) from scratch but worthwhile. However, if you don't have time, there are excellent imported brands (Organic and GMO free) that are as close to grandma's as possible. 

 

If you opt for deli bought gnocchi, then all you have to do is make a sauce by sauteing Italian sausage, chopped onion, and herbs; then adding tomatoes, diced or crushed, to simmer while you boil the gnocchi. 

Its that easy...

  

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

 

Brainy Tuna Alfredo... Roman Style

 

Fettuccine Alfredo with tuna if you please; its Roman style...

A friend gave me this recipe from when she was spending time in Rome with a chef. Now, I don't know if its Roman or not but it certainly tastes delicious. If anything, its from Rome with love!

You will need two cans of tuna in oil (if you prefer, use fresh tuna steaks, broken apart). One onion, heavy cream, sour cream, fettuccine pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Begin by sauteing one whole chopped onion in olive oil on med. heat until you see brown edges. To that add the two cans of tuna, undrained. Stir while it bubbles along.

In the meantime, prepare a stock pot of salted water to boil the pasta. Returning to the tuna Alfredo sauce, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and the same of sour cream. Stir until well blended. Finally, add dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Let the sauce simmer covered on low heat until the pasta is ready to serve.

When the pasta is tender, drain, rinse and pour onto serving platter. Ladle the sauce over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

*try infused pasta with carrot, tomato, or spinach for a splash of color!

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Chicken Thighs with Mole Sauce and Spanish Rice...

 

Mole (Moe lay) sauce is a Mexican sauce made primarily with chilies, nuts, spices and chocolate. Which makes this sauce especially rich and flavorful. It can also be used as a marinade. 

For this dish you will need as many skinless/boneless chicken thighs as per guest at the dinner table. Also, you will need: long grain white rice, red pepper flakes, oregano, cinnamon, almonds or walnuts, mini semi-sweet morsels, and chili paste (optional - vanilla extract and Marsala wine).

To begin, pre-heat your oven to 375. Prepare the chicken thighs by placing them in a long glass baking dish drizzled with olive oil. Roll them over a few times, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and cinnamon. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

In the meantime, boil until tender as much rice as you will need. Drain and mix rice with a huge splash of olive oil, and a huge dash of paprika and chili paste to taste... then set the rice aside in warmer. 

When the chicken is golden brown, remove from oven. Pour over the top a few dashes of Marsala wine, a couple drops of vanilla extract, along with a dollop of butter, and a handful of chocolate morsels as well as a dash of red pepper flakes, oregano and chopped nuts (optional as well). Return to oven til melted. 

  

Lastly, remove the chicken from the oven, take a kitchen brush and blend the chocolaty mole sauce smoothing it over the chicken. Take a serving platter, line with spinach leaves, dump out the rice and then the chicken. Use a spatula to gather the mole sauce for a separate bowl adding a dash of hot sauce/Tabasco to it. 

 

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Orange Chicken with Lo Mein and Peanuts...

Don't be disappointed ever again, cook Brainy Orange Chicken at home... 

For this dish, you will need: boneless chicken breasts (as many per person), cooking oils (veg and coconut), flour, buttermilk, lo mein noodles (sub.with angel hair pasta), chicken stock, orange sauce, onion, spinach leaves, ginger, garlic and red pepper paste as well as peanuts (low sodium). 

To begin, cut chicken breasts into large nugget cubes and set aside. Put one cup of buttermilk in a bowl for batter preparation. Fill a plastic bag with flour (1 cup) along with a dash of salt, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika. Put the cut chicken pieces into the buttermilk and then into the flour bag and give it a good shake. 

In a large deep skillet, melt into 1 and half cups of veg oil, 2 tbs of coconut oil... more than less. Start to fry your battered chicken when oil is hot. When chicken is browned all around, remove and place in a glass baking dish. Also, preheat oven to 325. Continue to fry chicken nuggets until all have been fried and placed into the glass baking dish.Then, place in oven.

Drain out the used frying oil, wipe out the skillet and prepare to cook pasta. First, stir fry chopped onion with at least or more one tbs of garlic, ginger and red pepper paste in olive oil and tbs of coconut oil. Then, break in half (one box) pasta or lo mein (dry) into the skillet and stir. Add to that 1 cup of chicken stock and 3/4 cup of water. Cook until pasta is firm or tender. Lastly, add torn up or shredded fresh spinach leaves. 

 

Finally, take chicken from the oven and stir in orange sauce covering every piece... ladle pasta into a serving dish, top with chicken in orange sauce and top with peanuts then serve!

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Bistro with a Twist... Pork Medallions in Mustard Sauce!

For this dish you will need: 1 pound pork loin, one whole onion, sun dried tomatoes, dried plums, roasted red peppers and dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Serve with either pasta, potatoes or vegetable.

Saute on med heat onion in olive oil until transparent, then push aside the onion to add the pork medallions to brown. Sprinkle on some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, paprika and dried herbs. Toss in as many sun dried tomatoes, crisp green olives (low sodium) and sweet dried plums. 

Next, add a few dashes of beef stock, 3 tbs of Dijon mustard and 1/3 cup of heavy cream, cover and simmer for 20 min while you prepare the potatoes, pasta or vegetable. *For an interesting twist... add a dash or two of cinnamon (optional).

~ Tutti a Tavola

Thanksgivng Change up... Lamb Chops with Rustic Potatoes and Fall Harvest Veggies!

There was a time when cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers were battling for the open range... And, maybe they still do when it comes to the 'range' of the free market. Lamb is making a comeback and if you never had good lamb like a good steak you don't know what you are missing.

For this dish you will need: lamb chops per person, rustic veggies: carrots and fingerling potatoes.  To begin, marinate the lamb chops in olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and sea salt along with a generous sprinkle of fresh dried herbs: rosemary, sage, mint and oregano.

While the chops are marinating, prepare fresh garden harvested fingerling potatoes and young fresh carrots. Scrub but do not peel either. Place in glass baking dish, douse with olive oil and herbs. Bake in 350 oven with convection on. After 40 min. check veggies for tenderness.

Place the lamb chops in the oven also in a glass baking dish. Sear on the same temp as veggies using the convection option. Reduce the heat to 325, turn off convection and let roast for 15 - 20 min. then check to see if the juices from the chops start to run and the meat is gently pink. If it looks good and the veggies are done... its time to serve and eat!

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Tuscan Garlic Chicken with Rosemary and Mashed Potatoes...

Roasted Tuscan garlic chicken with rosemary marinated in lemon juice and served with potatoes mashed with Parmesan cheese and garlic. You will need to buy: a package of chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on. Fresh garlic, one lemon, fresh rosemary sprigs or use dried, yellow gold potatoes (six or seven med. size) and Parmesan cheese.

To begin, marinate the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish using the juice of one lemon, toss over the top 3-4 peeled and diced garlic cloves, drizzle on some olive oil and lay on your rosemary sprigs or sprinkle generously dried rosemary. Heat your oven to 425F.

After 12-15 min. of marinating time, place the chicken in the oven and roast for about 30-40 min uncovered. Check to see if the skin is crisping and if yes, turn over the thighs, return to the oven for 5 min. After five minutes or so turn the thighs back over and consider adding a few fresh washed red cherry tomatoes and a generous handful of your favorite olives (use low sodium).

Return to the oven covered, reduce heat to 350F and let roast for another 15 -20 min. Take this time now to prepare the potatoes. Wash, peel and halve, the potatoes. Add to boiling salted water and cover. When tender, drain and mash using 3 tbs of butter, the same of sour cream, a dash of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp of minced garlic and 1 tsp of dried herbs - Italian blend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Stuffed Pork Loin with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella... and a side of green beans!

 

Pork, its what's for dinner... 

For this dish you will need: 1-2 lb boneless pork loin, either sun dried or jarred plum tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, green beans and potatoes or any other side you prefer: rice/pasta.

To begin, fillet open the pork loin and marinate in a glass baking dish with sherry or Marsala wine, garlic powder, dried herbs and olive oil. Pop into the oven on 400 until it begins to sizzle. Remove from the oven to stuff with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, tie up with roasting string. Back into the oven to roast until golden brown. Add green beans to the baking dish as the meat begins to finish off.

Prepare your sides and get ready to eat.

~ Tutti a Tavola!