Brainy Asian 'Sticky' Meatball Stir Fry...

 

Asian food is full of flavor and easy to prepare if you stick to basics....like a good stir fry!

For this dish you will need: Your choice of ground meat (lb. pork/turkey/veal +one egg), one purple 'sweet' onion, one green pepper and two young zucchini. Also, bread crumbs, dried herbs, lemon juice, buttermilk and jarred or bottled Teriyaki or you can use a Pad Thai sauce.

You can make your own 'original' Pad Thai sauce using these ingredients: 1 cup Tamarind paste (substitute using mashed dried plums with vinegar /lemon juice), ¼ cup Water, ¼ cup Fish sauce (substitute using oil from canned tuna/mackerel or sardines), 1 Tbsp Soy sauce, preferably low sodium, and ⅓ cup Brown sugar.

To begin, sauté chopped onion and green pepper in 3 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs coconut oil. Once browned, set aside while you mix up ingredients for the meatballs. In a bowl, combine ground meat with 1 cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of buttermilk and dried herbs: lavender, mint and basil with a pinch of sea salt. The mixture should be pasty.

Roll balls of the meat mixture in more bread crumbs and then squeeze fresh lemon juice on each meatball. In the same skillet as the onion and pepper were browned, gently fry the meatballs adding a 1 tsp more of coconut oil. When fully cooked, remove and in the same skillet stir fry strips of zucchini.

Allow the zucchini to singe on the edges. Remove from skillet, bring back to the skillet the onion, green pepper and meatballs. Add the Pad Thai sauce and let simmer while you prepare spinach infused pasta or use whatever pasta you prefer and or rice noodles.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

What's Cookin with the Brainy Gourmet...

There is always something good cookin... 

Pork Loin (roasted) with yellow potatoes and green beans... so so simple; everything goes into a glass baking dish, lightly seasoned and roasts in the oven until the meat thermometer says 'ready'.  *Add potatoes and green beans after 45min so that can cook for the last hour or so together with the pork.

Or, may be meatloaf cooked in the same way...

But why not Italian sausage with gnocchi or Mediterranean chicken with cherry peppers...

and for sure good ole Swiss steak...

just keep em coming... 

Asian anything and everything...

~ Tutti a Tavola!

*all dinner ideas can be found on the Brainy Gourmet Blog...

A Brainy Favorite using Garden Fresh Tomatoes...

This time of year is one of anticipation... why? Because, the tomato plants are in the ground and already growing... I look at them and encourage them to produce a bountiful harvest! Why? Because, when it comes to homemade tomato sauce, there is no comparison.

For this dish you will need: skinless/boneless chicken thighs (as per guest), pappardelle (wide egg noodle) pasta, home jarred tomatoes if you have. If not, I recommend Red Gold whole tomatoes. Also, you will need one whole onion, fresh garlic and dried herbs: rosemary, oregano, basil and some mint. 

To begin, saute chopped onion in a covered skillet along with crushed garlic in olive oil. Next, add the chicken thighs to brown on both sides. Once, browned, dump in one large jar/can of whole tomatoes and toss in fresh dried herbs. Let this simmer while you prepare the pasta. 

Once the pasta is tender, drain and ladle into a deep serving plate and top with the chicken in sauce. Toss over the top grated mozzarella cheese and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Its really the simplicity and fresh garden tomatoes that provide all the flavor you have ever dreamed of eating.

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

There are so many dishes to dream of...

Brainy Veal Scaloppini with Angel Hair Pasta...

 

For this absolutely delicious dish, you will need either a tender veal or pork loin, a jar of roasted red peppers and capers. The angel hair pasta should already be in your pantry. To begin, cut the loin in medallion size chunks/medals and pound them with a meat hammer. Lay them in a glass dish and sprinkle each one with meat tenderizer and garlic powder. Let the pounded meat medallions rest like this for 30 min.

Once you are ready to cook, take a skillet and lightly drizzle in olive oil covering the skillet bottom. Turn on the heat to med. and add one dollop of fresh creamy butter. As the meat rests, top each piece with bread crumbs and dried herbs... both sides. Once the butter and oil begin to bubble, lay in your veal/pork.

Brown on both sides. Next, take two roasted red peppers from the jar and slice, laying the pieces in the skillet with the breaded meat. Add to that 1/4 cup of capers. If you think you need a bit of liquid, pour in a bit from the jarred red peppers. 

Cover and let simmer on low heat while you prepare the angel hair pasta which is often known as Italian Capellini. This pasta is a very thin variety of Italian pasta in the form of long strands.

 Serve with Parmesan cheese....

~ Tutti a Tavola!

 

Brainy Garlic Ginger Chicken with Linguine...

 

Summer is on its way, eat out at home and enjoy a great family evening!

For this dish, you will need to buy: a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. And, if you don't happen to have on hand: linguine pasta, onion, green pepper, fresh lime, garlic and ginger, then make a quick stop by the grocer.
















Start by sauteing on med. heat chopped onion, garlic and green pepper in a skillet with 4 tbs of coconut oil and 2 tbs of olive oil. Once the edges of the onion, garlic and green pepper are richly browned, move to one side and lay in your chicken breasts which have been marinating in a glass dish of fresh squeezed lime, turn up the heat to high, sizzle away uncovered to sear.

Quickly, sprinkle in sea salt, red pepper flakes, fresh dried or fresh herbs from the garden if you have handy; rosemary and mint are best used for this dish. Cover and let this cook for 6 min on med. heat. When the breasts have cooked on both sides move to one side of the skillet, add 4 tbs of organic honey, as much fresh grated ginger and or dried ground ginger if you like. To that, stir in 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs of lime juice. While bringing up the heat to high, as you observe, this will begin to caramelize with the honey; move the chicken into this sauce, reduce heat to low and cover for 3 min.

Prepare a rolling boil of salted water for the linguine. Once tender, drain and pour out onto a low lipped serving dish. Place your chicken breasts on top of the pasta and cover with the luscious sauce. Garnish!

~Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Riggi...

 

 

When I think of Tuscany or Florence, I think of these 'due squisito' dishes. The reason is because of the simplicity and delicate yet distinct flavor that always takes me back to the streets of Florence along the Arno or hills of Tuscany where I ran every morning along the roadside lush with herbs.

For the chicken parmesan you will need: as many chicken thighs/breasts per guest. One large can of crushed tomatoes (Red Gold is best), one whole onion, one glove of garlic, parmesan cheese and dried bread crumbs and Italian herb mix: rosemary, oregano and mint. As for the pasta, you can use linguine or whatever you or your family likes; you can even use potatoes or polenta.

To begin, turn on the oven to F400. Take a glass dish and generously drizzle over the bottom olive oil.  Chop finely as many garlic cloves as you like dropping them throughout the bottom of the dish and then sprinkle in all the above mentioned seasonings, except the dried herbs which I reserve for on top.  Take your chicken thighs and pound them out flat. Lay them into the glass dish directly onto the olive oil, garlic and seasonings. 

Now, shake over the thighs covering all pieces with grated parmesan cheese and then do the same with your bread crumbs. Top with dried herb seasonings * rosemary, mint and oregano. Put into the thighs into the oven uncovered and bake for 12 min, depending on your oven. When they are brown, remove from the oven and pour over the top a small can of crushed tomatoes, grate some additional parmesan cheese on top and place back into the oven on 300.

Now, prepare your potatoes. I just peel and boil. Once they are tender, drain and drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and parsley flakes if you have or use fresh garnish.

Looking into the oven, they chicken parmesan should be bubbling and smelling up the entire house, for sure the kitchen. Its time to set the table and call everybody in. Say the Blessing and Enjoy!

For the next dish you will need: boneless, skinless chicken thighs, one can of roasted tomatoes (unless you do fresh), heavy cream, and either rigatoni or penne. Begin by sauteing your chicken thighs in 4 tbs of olive oil and 2 tbs of coconut oil along with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, sea salt, and dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano.  On med- high heat, sear the chicken on both sides. Turn down the heat to med. and cover for 8 min. Uncover and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and your roasted tomatoes. Cover and simmer for another 8-10 min. on low.

In the meantime, heat water to boil the penne. As soon as it rolls, add a pinch of salt and the penne. When the pasta is tender, drain and ladle onto a low lipped serving plate, pour out the chicken and sauce. Its that simple... and put a bit of Parmesan cheese.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

 

Brainy Cuban 'Mojo' Pulled Pork...

This slow cooked Cuban 'Mojo' Pulled Pork is the best combination of tangy and savory flavors. The term “Mojo” translates to sauce in the Spanish language. In Cuban cooking, Mojo is any sauce that uses olive oil, garlic, and citrus juices and is typically used as a marinade for pork. 

Mojo Pork is wonderful served over a bed of rice and accompanied by black beans... For this dish you will need: One 4 to 5 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt roast), trim the fat. From the pantry, take out:

4 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tbs cumin 

1 tbs dried oregano 

2 tsp salt 

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth 

1/2 cup fresh orange juice 

1/4 cup fresh lime juice 

 

 1 Can of Black Beans 

 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice 

 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 

To begin, marinate the butt roast in the olive oil, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic, pepper, orange and lime juice for about 30 min. Next, turn up the oven to 375. You want to sear (in the oven) the marinated butt roast for about 40 min. 

After that time, turn on the slow cooker to high. Pour in the 1/2 cup of beef broth. Then lay in the butt roast. Let this slow cook for about 3 hours, adding extra broth if needed. Test the roast's tenderness after this time. If it does not pull apart with a fork, then continue to cook for another 1 hour or longer until it does. 

Boil the rice in the unused broth in a stove top lidded pot. As for the black beans, you can cook them in another small pot or skillet. 

Serve with your favorite spicy hot barbecue sauce or extreme hot sauce...

~ Tutti a Tavola!