a big green summer

Dear Mom,

Well summer is officially here!  We kicked-off grilling season here in a pretty big way - a pretty big green egg kind of way.  For the past three years or so the hubs has been talking and talking and talking about this charcoal grill he wanted to buy.  I am 100% for him helping out in the kitchen and taking the reigns in the summer when we light up the good ol'Weber, but he became obsessed with this grill called The Big Green Egg.  It's actually a combination grill/smoker/outdoor oven, so I've always been intrigued but the price-point kind of scared me away.  About two weeks ago I came home from work to discover on my coffee table several brochures and cookbooks re: The Big Green Egg.  Without even asking, I knew, we were getting one.

So far it has been totally worth it.  We have made some fantastic things, chicken wings, pulled pork, brisket, pizza, grilled chicken.  Oh my!  I will need to start posting recipes once we have a little more practice.

On Sunday, the hubs woke up at 7am to start the brisket...  Needless to say, I've never been more in love!  Brisket takes a long time - like 8-10 hours.  So, I had a lot of free time to get things done around the house, laundry, get a little gardening in, all while taking intermittent coffee (until around noon, then beer) breaks relaxing outside next to the smoker watching the hubs tend to the smoke.  It was a perfect Sunday!  What else did I do besides make cole slaw?  (Still working on a recipe, vinegar or mayo based? I cannot figure it out, a debate for another day!)  I made dessert/snacking/brunchy cake.  (Yes, brunchy is a word as of today.)  Ricotta-blueberry-lemon pound cake.  Yum!  Great with coffee, great after dinner, great in the afternoon.  Surprisingly light and citrusy but still moist and dense from the butter and ricotta, with little pops of tart blueberry.  It worked out quite well as blueberries were on sale and I had half a leftover tub of ricotta in my fridge. Perfect!

blueberry ricotta lemon pound cake

cooking spray
1-3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1-1/2 cups blueberries
2 tbsp AP flour

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Rinse the blueberries and toss with 2 tbsp flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake).

Using an electric mixer (stand or hand) beat the butter, ricotta and sugar together on high speed for 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.  (It will look curdled.)

Remove mixer and stir in lemon zest and vanilla by hand.  In 3 or 4 additions, mix in by hand the dry ingredients.  Stir in the blueberries, do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.  Check the cake after the first 40 minutes to see if it is browning too much - if it is, loosely top with aluminum foil and continue baking.  When out of the oven, let cool for 10 minutes then gently loosen onto a cooling rack.  (Running a knife along the edge will help loosen the cake from the pan.)

the best way to eat your veggies

Well I suppose I really shouldn't talk, I should have posted weeks ago, but I've been busy too.  For me it's mostly been work, but also I just took my sixth of seven exams for my architectural license.  These exams are pretty brutal and require a good deal of studying.  But I just took it, and my fingers are crossed that I passed.  The test results don't come for a few weeks, so I just have to sit and wait.  In the mean time, I'm going to start planning for my trip with the hubs to Italy.  When I finally pass all seven exams that's my reward.

I've never been to Europe at all sadly, and I have been absolutely obsessed with going over there.  So, I think as part of my researching where I want to go, I'll also have to start learning more about the food!  I plan on doing a lot of eating when I get there!  If you can't already tell by a lot of my recipes I love Italian-American cuisine, but now I'll have to start experimenting with more authentic Italian.

So, for my first selection, I've prepared fried squash blossoms stuffed with herbed ricotta cheese and served with a spicy marinara.  A delicious dish that makes a great appetizer and is veggie friendly.  These little buggers are hard to find, but if you have a farmer's market nearby chances are they might be there.

stuffed fried squash blossoms with spicy marinara

for the sauce
12 oz ground tomatoes (or whole plum tomatoes, chopped)
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

for the filling
1 cup fat-free ricotta
3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

for the batter
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper
1-1/2 cups beer

canola or veggie oil for frying
10-12 squash blossoms
extra basil leaves for garnish, torn
extra parmesan for garnish

For the sauce, combine olive oil, garlic and onion over medium heat until they begin to brown.  De-glaze the pan with the white wine.  Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, season to taste.

Meanwhile, mix all filling ingredients together.  Carefully cut a slice lengthwise through each squash blossom, so that you only cut through one side of the blossom.  Gently peel open, place 1 - 1-1/2 teaspoons of the filling inside.  Close the blossom up and sort of twist the top.  Set aside on a plate, and repeat with the remaining blossoms.

Heat about a half inch of the oil over medium high heat in a deep saucepan or cast iron coquette.  Combine all of the batter ingredients in a medium bowl.  Working in batches of 4 or 5, dip each squash blossom and fry in the hot oil until browned and crispy.  Set aside on paper towels.

To finish the dish, place the sauce in the bottom of a large serving bowl and top with the fried blossoms, scatter torn basil leaves and parmesan over top.

summer harvests

Dear Kristin,

Summer is here, and its time to hit the local farmer's market & see what follows you home. Today? Squash and yes, everyone's favorite - zucchini - otherwise known as the octamom of the garden. I was happy to see these little gems, because I had just the recipe for them in my "must try this" list. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as smoothly as they could have.

Once more, my attempt at pastry/pie crust ended in the trash, all crumbs and blobs. I tried - really, I did. The good news is, I had a trusty Pillsbury Pie Crust ready to do battle for me when my fancified friends failed me. And, boy, was I glad I didn't just throw down my apron in defeat and toss the entire dish into the garbage!

What dish, you ask? Well, it was supposed to be a Summer Squash and Ricotta Galette that I found in Cooking Light Magazine. I don't know where I went wrong with the crust - I probably didn't let it chill long enough, or didn't have enough liquid - but all I got was crumbs that avoided sticking together like a Kardashian marriage. So, I just pulled out my frozen pie dough & forged ahead.

I also changed up the filling quite a bit, hoping for a more Mediterranean twist,  so I added dill & feta, omitting the garlic and thyme that the original recipe called for.

The result is a light, summery side dish that we enjoyed with a nice rib-eye hot off the grill.

Summer at its best!



summer squash & three cheese galette

1 9" Pillsbury pie crust - let sit outside of the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using(from the dairy section)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 c. ricotta cheese (I used full milk)

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed (or use fresh, if you've got it - but you will need significantly more)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg white whisked with 1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine zucchini, squash and olive oil in a large bowl.

Combine ricotta, Parmesan, dill weed and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Roll pie dough into a 14" circle on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer pie crust to prepared baking sheet.

Spread ricotta mixture evenly over pie dough to within 2 inches of the edge.

Arrange zucchini and squash in circles over the ricotta, alternating slices for a pretty pattern.

Sprinkle feta cheese over the squash.

Fold dough over filling.

Brush dough with egg white mixture.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comfy's note - the possibilities here are endless - sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions with strips of steak?

too busy

Dear Mom,

Well, its been too long since either of us have posted, almost a month!  And I can't wait any longer to tell you about breakfast the other morning.  As you know, we've had an exceptionally warm March here in Chicago, and when the weather is good it always inspires me to get up and get the day going.  All that early morning activity usually needs some fuel in the form of breakfast.  This particular morning I had half of a leftover baguette from dinner the night before, and a good friend of mine recommended making french toast out of it.  And that's just what I did, except that I also had a little ricotta and heavy whipping cream leftover in the fridge, so why not french toast stuffed with honey whipped ricotta cheese?  Sounds like a great morning to me!

honey whipped ricotta stuffed french toast

6 1-inch slices day-old baguette
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. butter

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp honey

Maple Syrup (or Honey)

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter in skillet.  Briefly dredge each side of baguette slices in egg mixture and place in skillet.  Cook slices, turning once, untill both sides are golden brown.

Meanwhile, whip 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and vanilla in an electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.  Slowly fold in ricotta cheese and honey.

Make sandwiches out of the french toast and ricotta mixture.  Drizzle additional honey or maple syrup over top as garnish.

st. valentine's day

Dear Mom,

While "cranberry gastrique" sounds "cosmo culinary chic," as you so eloquently put it, its really just a relatively simple cranberry sauce, although it will not come out in cylindrical form.  To be honest, I find myself cooking more towards the "comfy" side of things.  It could be partly because its winter, but lately soups, chilis and stews are really what I'm craving.  That and my chicken parmesan.  Conveniently, chicken parmesan was what was requested by my lovely hubby for Valentine's Day, and don't worry, I offered to cook. 

I should add that the hubs was almost named Johnny Valentine.  Why, you ask?  Because his birthday is on Valentine's Day.  God bless his mother for switching out the Valentine for his father's name.  Although it would have been hilarious, I don't think I would have married a Johnny Valentine.  Can you imagine?  Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Valentine?  I just threw-up a little. 

Alright, let's settle our stomachs so we can move on to the good stuff!  My chicken parmesan is so loved by John because a) his Italian-American heritage gives him a great appreciation for anything smothered in "gravy" (marinara) and melty mozzerella and b) because my chicken parmesan has two beautiful secret ingredients.  And because I love you, Mom (and all you readers out there), I will share those two ingredients with you:  prosciutto and ricotta. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

chicken parmesan

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs
2 tsp. Italian herb blend (such as McCormick's)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup ricotta
1 tsp. Italian herb blend
1 clove garlic, minced
2 thin slices prosciutto 
1/2 cup shredded sharp provolone
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (feeling ambitious? make your own)
salt & pepper

extra-virgin olive oil
cooking spray

Heat 1-1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat.  Add the garlic, cook until fragrant and starting to brown slightly. Add the panko, 2 tsp. Italian herb blend and salt & pepper, stir so that the olive oil gets distributed in the bread crumbs.  Toast the breadcrumbs in the pan, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned through out.  Place toasted breadcrumbs in a wide shallow bowl and put in the freezer to cool.

Pound out the chicken breasts to about a 1/2-inch thickness.  In another shallow bowl place flour and season with a little salt & pepper.  In a third shallow bowl, beat the egg and about 1 tbsp. cold water together.  Remove the breadcrumbs from the freezer and stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  (Make sure the breadcrumbs are cool enough, so they don't melt the cheese.)

Heat about 3 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Working one at a time, coat the chicken in the flour, shake off excess.  Then dip in the egg, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.  Put the chicken in the hot pan and cook until golden brown and nearly done.

While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl combine the ricotta, 1 tsp. Italian herb blend, 1 clove garlic, and salt & pepper.

Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Lay on the top of each chicken breast 1 slice of prosciutto.  Divide the ricotta cheese mixture between the two chicken breasts and carefully spread the ricotta over the prosciutto. Top each chicken breast with shredded provolone and mozzarella. Broil on high until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

 Heat the marinara in a microwave safe dish. 

Transfer chicken to plates, top with marinara and serve with your favorite pasta shape.